Daily Email: Monday, May 9, 2016

DEVOTION:  Psalm 143   English Standard Version (ESV)
 
"My Soul Thirsts for You"  A Psalm of David
 

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous before you.

For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground;
    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
Therefore my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.[a]
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!

11 For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
    In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your servant.

 
 
As plain old human beings we constantly have struggles.  For many of us it is a real struggle just to get out of bed.  For others it is a struggle to make it to work every day.  Still others struggle with a chronic disease that they can't shake. Still others are dealing with an addiction of one kind or another.  The struggle is most certainly real.
 
While we don't know exactly what David was struggling with in the context of today's Psalm, we can imagine that it had something to do with the enemies that often surrounded him to defeat his armies, or maybe it was one of his own court or even his own sons that were trying to overthrow him.  Or it could even be his own guilt that was shaming him and give him the pain and trouble that he is expressing today. 
 
Whatever it is, we can see a good example of how to deal with it.  David simply asks God to "Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground."  or "Make me know the way I should go."  or "Deliver me from my enemies."  In essence, David gives it all up to God and lets God deal with it according to His will. 
 
This is exactly how we should deal with things.  We should ask the Lord to make us know the way to go.  We should ask God to deliver us.  We should give it all up to God and let the Holy Spirit move us in the way we should go! 
 
Whatever "real" struggle you are dealing with, deal with it the way that David did!  Give it to God, and the peace off God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus all the way to eternal life!
 
Prayer: Lord, you know our struggles.  Help us to surrender them to you so that you can guide us in the way we should go, deliver us from our enemies, and bring us to you forever.  Amen.


 
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CALENDAR:

Mon- FAMILY NIGHT PICNIC at 6PM  (Please RSVP to this email if you are planning on coming.)
Tues- Little Lambs 3 Graduation 6pm; Trustees Meeting 7pm
Wed- Little Lambs 4 Graduation 6pm; Choir practice 7pm 
Thurs-  Lutheranism 101 is postponed for the next two Thursdays.  It will resume on May 26 at 7pm 
Sat-  Worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Kid's Sunday school 9:45; Voter's Meeting 9:45; Worship 11

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WORSHIP WORKERS:  
Acolyte- 8:30- John Pezold    11- Jacob Winn


Ushers- Charlie Figura, Jason Figura, Brett Nordwald, Erv Yoder

Altar-  Set up- Don Hance; Clean Up- Sandy Robine

Elders-  Sat- Randy Fischer;  8:30- Dave Winter;  11- Jim Rahn
 
Greeters-  8:30- Allan and Barb Dreyer;  11- Marv and Molly Hendershot

Lay Readers- Sat- Judy Koprowski   8:30- Jennifer Figura; 11- Stephanie Owenby

Organist- Rachel Fisher 
 
Piano- Kathy Barrow

Projectionists:  Sat- Kathy Fischer; 8:30- Dawn Sherman   11- Hannah Johnson
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:   What is Psalm 12 about?
Okay, this is EASY!!!!! Psalm 12 is about...... Are you ready? Okay!
Psalm 12 is about...... 8 lines long! Actually, it's exactly 8 lines long! And you heard it here first!
Not the answer you wanted? Of course not! You're never satisfied with the obvious. So..... I looked it up – AGAIN! – and found this little nugget for you:
 
It is a song of lament, that Jews recite on Shmini Atzeret (http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday6.htm) and at brit milah (the "covenant of circumcision," performed on a baby boy eight days after he is born)
 
The reformation theologian John Calvin in his commentary of the psalm interprets the passage as referring to the truthfulness of God in contrast to humanity, saying that the elaboration of God's actions in the psalm reflect promises God had made with the Israelites.
 
And there you have it! Satisfied?
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TODAY'S QUIZ: What words in Psalm 2 are about Jesus?
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NEWS!!!! 
FAMILY NIGHT PICNIC TONIGHT UNDER THE PAVILION AT 6PM!! 
I will be grilling hamburgers and hotdogs.  Bring a dish to share with it! 
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VOTERS' MEETING THIS SUNDAY AT 9:45!!
All chairs of boards and committees should have reports ready to present at the meeting. 
Our one item to vote on in the agenda is to move Kelsey Overbeck's salary out of the temporary three year campaign and into the regular budget. 
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OUR NEXT GUN GLUB MEETING WILL BE TUESDAY, MAY 17 at 7pm!!.  IT WILL BE A "GET ACQUAINTED WITH ALL SORTS AND TYPES OF GUNS" EVENING. 
Paul Brockfeld and Jason Cluver will bring a wide variety of guns (shotguns, rifles, and handguns) for us to look at and learn how to operate.  We will all get to handle the guns.  No shooting. 
 
This will be a great opportunity check out all sorts of guns so you can be more confident and sure of your ability and knowledge, and even learn which one would best fit you!
 
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SOCIAL SECURITY:  READY OR NOT WORKSHOP IS ON THURSDAY, MAY 19 at 6:30pm! 
Come learn how a little planning could help you avoid making a mistake.  You may save thousands over the rest of your life.  Our government has made Social Security a moving target.  Know how the new rules may affect you.  The workshop will be sponsored by the Senior Services Resources Group!  Drinks and Sandwiches will follow!  Please call Marilyn at 456-2888 to reserve your seat.   
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TRIBUTE TO VETERANS MEMORIAL PAVER PROJECT IS UNDERWAY
Place your order online at www.tributetoveteransmemorial.org  or get an application from the office.
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CHURCH PICTORIAL DIRECTORY PHOTOS STILL NEEDED
Some members who were unable to attend a photo session during our scheduled times have asked to use their picture from the 2013 directory.  LifeTouch has advised that there would be a $10 charge for that service.  If you are interested please notify the church office as soon as possible and arrange for payment. 
 
Also, if you didn't purchase other photos with the company you still have a complimentary photo waiting for you on the counter in the narthex. 
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PASTOR KLAUSTERMEIER IS BIKING 1,000 MILES THIS SUMMER FOR LEADACHILD!!!

We have been blessed beyond measure in the United States haven't we?  I want you to join me in making a global difference by releasing children from poverty through Christian education.

 

Instead of taking a week off and joining my fellow Lead a Child bikers who are riding the Fault Line across four states this year,  I have decided to go solo and bike 1,000 miles locally and while on vacation by August 1 to raise funds for LeadaChild. Would you sponsor me so that I can raise funds to support this most worthy organization?  In my opinion, there is no more worthy organization to support than LeadaChild!

 

LeadaChild  provides educational assistance to over 26,000 children and shares the love of Jesus Christ with the students and their families! LeadaChild supports the poorest of the poor children through Christian education in the following countries:

Guatemala                    Chad                       Honduras               Palestine               Haiti             Uganda

Gambia                          Ivory Coast            El Salvador            Nigeria                   Panama       Nicaragua

Burma                            Ghana                     Chile                       Venezuela             Bolivia         Mexico

Liberia                            Uruguay                Sri Lanka                India                       Guinea        Sierra Leone   

Bangladesh                   Cambodia              South Africa         Togo                       Thailand


 These students need your help to find a way out of poverty through Christian education and learn of the hope of Christ our Savior.

 

Please fill out your information below and send it with your check or donate online through the LeadaChild website: http://www.leadachild.org/bike

 

Every dollar makes a difference. Please give generously.  Please remember all of the riders in your prayers!  Thank you much for your support!

 

Biking For Kids Together,

Pastor Jeremy Klaustermeier

 

LeadaChild  is a 501 C-3 non-profit organization and is a Recognized Service Organization of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

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HELP LITTLE LAMBS GET SOME NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT!!!
Order some Avon "Skin So Soft"  from Little Lambs to help them raise money for new playground equipment!  Call Karin at 314-691-7283 to place your order!
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OPERATION BACKPACK FOR MAY IS CANNED FRUIT!!!
Remember this is for the poor and needy children of our community and county that often receive two breakfast and lunch at school, and have very little or no food at home.
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GENERAL PRAYER
For CHERYL, a cousin of Tony and Sandra Perricone, who is going through breast cancer treatment right now. 
 
For FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF WILMA JUNKER, as they mourn her loss.  She passed away last Friday after contracting pneumonia after hip surgery.
 
For BETH a daughter of a friend of the Fosters, who was in a very severe bicycle accident  and has broken ribs, and punctured lung and a broken shoulder.
 
For DON BRAZEE who is at home and receiving in home care  (They are calling it hospice care although he is in relatively good health, and is not in imminent danger of dying any time soon.  They just have no cure for the problems he is having.)
 
For CAROL BRAZEE who is struggling with severe bronchitis and is seeing a pulmonologist today.
 
For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she is in need of more funding to continue her mission work in the Czech Republic.