Tuesday, November 6, 2012

DEVOTION:  (from Lutheran Hour Ministry)
Jesus said) "You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." John 16:20-21

Thirty-one-year-old Bronx native Ninfa Ramirez was having a baby.

She wasn't having a baby soon; her contractions said she was having her baby now. This explains why Armando Ortiz, the child's father, rushed Ramirez to the hospital. There, after an examination, the parents were told to go home. The experts didn't know exactly how long it would be, but they were sure it would be some time before their baby would arrive.

Having heard the experts, Ramirez and Ortiz went home.

Ortiz dropped Ramirez off at the apartment and went to do some errands. Before he had gone far he got a phone call ... from Ramirez. She said the experts had been wrong. The baby was on its way.

Ramirez was right; the experts were wrong. She, assisted by Ortiz, gave birth to a nine-and-a-half-pound baby girl in their apartment's elevator. And although the apartment complex is clean and nice, the elevator's sanitation level is far short of a hospital delivery room.

In such circumstances, many people would be angry with the experts. They might be furious and threaten to bring a malpractice suit against everyone involved.

That is not the way this couple feels. They say the elevator delivery was "a beautiful experience," and Ortiz adds he doesn't mind that the experts sent them home; he's just proud to be a dad.

All of this proves Jesus was right when He said in effect that the good news of a healthy baby pushes out many of the memories and pains that accompanied the child's delivery.

The truth Jesus was trying to share ought to be important to us.

You see, we live in a world filled with sin, sorrow and sickness. As Christians, we are not immune to those problems. Indeed, precisely because we are Christians we may attract a disproportionate number of difficulties and discouragements.

Does that sound familiar?

If it does, then listen to the Savior as He promises there will come a time when the horrors of this world will be a thing of the past. By God's grace and the Savior's blood, after Judgment Day, those who have been given faith and forgiveness will no longer remember this world's anguish.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord grant me eyes of faith, so I may look past the pains of this world and cling to the vision of our wonderful future in heaven -- a future made possible through the life, death and resurrection of our beloved Redeemer. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
  

 
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MONDAY'S QUESTION:  What did Jesus do to heal the man born blind?  He took some dirt, spit in it, and put the mud on the man's eyes, then he told the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. 
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TUESDAY'S QUIZ: What did Jesus say to the disciples after they exclaimed "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."
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CATECHISM:
Question:  What is the holy Christian church? 
Answer:  The holy Christian church is the communion of saints, the total number of those who believe in Christ.  All believers in Christ, but only believers, are members of the church (invisible church). 
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CALENDAR: 
Tues- Elections 6am-7pm; Quilters 9-2; no Bible study
Wed- 8th graders to LHS for Teens talk to Teens leave at 5:15pm 
Thurs- Adult membership instruction class 6pm (everyone is welcome)
Fri- nothing
Sat- Patriot Packing (formerly Goodies 4 You G 4 U) at the ARMORY at 9am:  worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; worship 11am; elders meeting noon; Bus trip to see the Rockettes leaves at 1pm

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NEWS:
CHOIR PRACTICE STARTS TOMORROW AT 6:30pm
Molly Hendershot has graciously volunteered to lead/direct a choir to sing on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas.  Practice will start this coming Wednesday at 6:30pm.  Please call her to let her know you will be joining this special choir.  636-488-5751
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HELP NEEDED FOR GOOD NEWS CLUB STARTING AT REBECCA BOONE ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 at 2:45
Denise Schlesselmann and Mary Aubuchon have graciously volunteered to help get this wonderful opportunity to bring lost children to Christ and to strengthen the faith of those already in Christ!!  They need some more helpers though!
 
It is every Wednesday from 2:45-4:15.  If you can help, even if it is just once or twice a month, please call me 359-1061, and I will direct you to the proper place.
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OPERATION CHRISTMAS BOX
The Sunday school is accepting donations to fill Christmas shoe boxes.  See the list on the bulletin board downstairs by church office for items that an be included in a shoe box.  If anyone would like to do a box on your own, please read the directions.  If you have any questions, call Christy Winn at 314-479-5543 or email her at christymwinn@hotmail.com.
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PATRIOT PACKAGES (FORMERLY G4U) PACKING THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10 at 9am!!!!!!
Thrivent will supply lunch so please come and help pack goodie bags for our soldiers serving overseas.  They are still accepting goodie bags and skull caps and are collecting other items.  A complete list can be found in the narthex or on the bulletin board by the church office.  If you have any other questions call Denise Schlesselmann at 260-579-2942
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CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR SALE
Christmas is only a month and a half away.  Time to get those Christmas cards!  Where can you get good Christian ones?  how about downstairs at church?  They are in the display case!  Stop by and pick some up!  You can pay Marilyn in the office. 
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FREE PLANNING FOR LONG TERM CARE WORKSHOP NEXT WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 at 7PM at the Embassy Suites in St. Charles!!
RSVP to Tonya Goslin by email at tonyagoslin@thrivent.com or call 636-219-7919.  Light refreshments will be served. 
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TWO BEAUTIFUL QUILTS FOR RAFFLE AND BID!!!
Two queen size quilts are hanging in the church basement.  The blue one is being auctioned off.  The starting bid is $300. 
 
The green one is being raffled off.  Tickets are $1 a piece or 6 for $5. 
 
Both quilts will be awarded on December 1 at the end of our vendor fair. 
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ALL LADIES CHRISTMAS PARTY--- DECEMBER 3 at IMO'S AT 6pm
Please sign the list on the counter in the narthex by Wed, Nov 28 so rexervations can be made.  Bring a wrapped $10 gift for a fun gift exchange.
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HURRICAN SANDY RELIEF
The LCMS is asking for donations to help with relief efforts.  If you care to give, you may use a designated envelope, or you can go to LCMS.org and donate directly online. 
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STEWARDSHIP SPOLIGHT FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IS THE LUTHERAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION
LHF translates, publishes and distributes Lutheran materials throughout the world.  It is not subsidized by the LCMS or any other church body, but is dependent on individual donations.  If you care to make a donation, make your check payable to St. John's and place in a deisgnated envelope, clearly marked "Lutheran Heritage FOundation".  As usual, these donations should be over and above your normal tithes, commitments, and offerings to St. John's.   
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PRAYERS: 
For a friend and coworker of Christy Winn, JO, who lost her apartment in a fire Sunday night.
 
For a friend of Pam Bueltmann, whose son  (40) was taken to the emergency room this morning for tests and her daughter  (29) is going through a divorce.  Pray for mother Ronda too. 
 
For BOB LAMPEN, Karin Klaustermeier's dad, who is now on hospice care.
 
For BARB DREYER'S DAD as he is dealing with many physical illnesses and weaknesses and her mother as she cares for him.
  
For LIL WINTER as she is doing rehabilitation as Delmar Gardens in OFallon. .
 
For DON TURNURE who is recovering well from hip replacement surgery.
 
For JOYCE SCHIEN as she is recovering well from pneumonia at Delmar Gardens in OFallon.
 
For PEGGY TALBERT as she recovers from severe esophagus issues and is still not feeling well.  (A hiatal hernia and esophagitis) 
 
For WALT SCHIRR, as recovers from surgery to take care of his vertigo and balance problems.
  
For GENE SIEBOLD who is recovering from pneumonia at Delmar Gardens in Chesterfield.
 
For JEANETTE KOEHLER, who is recovering at Troy Nursing Home from an amputaed toe.
 
 For MARILYN FOSTER'S NIECE, HEATHER.  She has a very rare spine condition, which has resulted in a spinal fluid leak. They are trying for the 2nd time to do a "blood patch" to stop the leak. Yesterdays try was unsuccessful and they are going to try again today. The only specialist in the US that treats these conditions is out of town until next week, the doctor that is caring for her has only done 1 of these before.
 
For CHRISTIAN WENZEL, art teacher at Blackhawk Middle School, who fell out of his tree stand while deer hunting on Saturday and broke his sternum and many ribs.  He has many things wrong with him and is in critical condition in the hospital.
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For MARY SUE TOEDEBUSCH as she recovers from a very bad infection and as she continues to deal with very bad rheumatoid arthritis and other health troubles. 
 
  
For ED, neighbor to the Fosters, who found out he has cancer. 
 
For STEVE, a friend of Tony and Sandra Perricone, who is a husband, and a father of 2 and is undergoing tests for fluid on the brain.
 
For JOSIAH TULEY, great nephew of DIANNE HANCE'S friend Cindy Schwada.  Josiah is recovering well (the tumor was benign) and he may be getting to go home from the hospital soon.  He had a stroke because of the tumor and is still working on regaining control of some of his movements.