DEVOTION: " I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; and he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:1-2
This past week was quite an adventure and a difficult one at that. It was 245 miles of hills, hills, and more hills. We went through heat advisories, 20 mph head winds, rain, lightning, and some even had hail. Some of the other, more experienced, riders in our group said it was the hardest ride they have ever been on. We were all very tired at the end of the day which also included flooding rains and damaging winds.
At this same time this week was also full of many wonderful things as well. We saw a lot of God's wonderful creation. Beautiful scenery, waterfalls, majestic hills and valleys, lakes, ponds, streams and wildlife surrounded us throughout the week. There were also around 1,000 other people who were riding with us, both young and old, who we got to know and spend time with. We got to share the love of Jesus with them and enjoy God's creation with them as well.
On some of those hills I wondered if God was angry with me. Why was he making this ride so difficult? When I got to the end and realized what I had done, the many miles I had gone, and the hills I had climbed, I realized that God wasn't angry with me, but was right there with me all along. He was keeping me safe, he was guiding me, he was giving me both the physical and the spiritual strength to make it through each day. he was not angry with me, but knew what kind of an experience this would be for me, that it would make me stronger, and that it would give me extra resolve to do his will I my life from that point forward.
And so with Isaiah, and with all of you, I say, "I will praise you, O Lord! Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation!" Amen and amen!
Let us pray: Lord help us to see those times of great struggle and testing as times that you are molding us into the people you want us to me. Amen.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
TODAY'S QUIZ: How many chapters are there in the book of Isaiah?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR:
Tues- Quilters 9-2; NO BIBLE STUDY
Thurs- Alzheimers support group 1pm
Sat- Worship 5
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45; Youth leave at noon for MN
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS:
Acolyte- 8:30- Lydia Miller; 11- John Pezold
Ushers- Dae Winter, Gary Scott, Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Terry McKenzie
Communion Assistants- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Rich Talbert; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Bob Linke
Lay readers- Sat- Randy Sweet 8:30- Lois Boeger 11- Steve Robine
Pianist- Barb Dreyer
Projectionists: ??????
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS:
PASTOR KLAUSTERMEIER AND 10 YOUTH WILL BE LEAVING SUNDAY AT NOON TO PROVIDE WORKS OF SERVICE TO LUTHERAN ISLAND CAMP IN HENNING, MN
We will be repairing buildings, cleaning up trails, building things, cleaning and grooming horses, witnessing to people in the community, and having all sorts of fun.
Please pray for our safe travel and for a productive week. We will return in the evening on Friday.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SEVENTH ANNUAL GOLF OUTING WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 AT COUNTRY LAKES!!! SIGN UP TODAY!!
Cost is $50 per person
Format is a 2 TWO person scramble this year.
Registration at 7am
Shotgun start at 8am
Lunch and prizes at 1pm
Holes can be sponsored for $50 each.
All proceeds go to benefit our wonderful Little Lambs preschool.
Flyers are available on the counter in the narthex for those wishing to participate.
Call Alan Hofeldt at 456-3070 or the church office at 456-2888 to sign up you and
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE HERE AT CHURCH ON TUESDAY, JULY 28!!
Volunteers are needed before the drive to make calls and set up appointments and the day of the drive to help out. DONORS are also needed of course! If you can help in any way call 456-2888 to let Marilyn know.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
TRAVEL FELLOWSHIP GROUP'S NEXT ADVENTURE IS TO ROCHEPORT AND ARROW ROCK, MO.
They will have dinner and the J. Huston Tavern in Arrow Rock and then enjoy a live play "Driving Miss Daisy" at the Lyceum Theater. Cost will be determined by number of people going, but should run between $60 and $70 per person. SIGN UP SOON! A $25 deposit is due by this Sunday!! Please give your deposit to Marilyn or put it in her mailbox or on her desk. Don't put it in the offering plate.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALLING ALL BAKERS!!!
If you have never been involved in one of our church activities (and even if you have), here is a new challenge for you!! There will be a cake/dessert booth at the carnival on September 12! The carnival will be open from 11am until dusk! Donations of baked good and workers to man the booth will be needed!! Desserts needing refrigeration cannot be accepted. Work shifts will be for two hours beginning at 10am and will go till closing time. To eliminate many, many phone calls, a sign up sheet has been placed on the narthex where you can volunteer!!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DO YOU HAVE A KROGER CARD? ENROLL IT IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM!!! Register online and have it swiped each time you shop. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ SAVE THE DATE!!!! OUR FIRST ANNUAL FALL CARNIVAL WILL BE HELD SEPTEMBER 12, 2015!!! We are looking for ideas for carnival games and also donations of carnival game prizes for the event. Please donate prizes into the cardboard box in the narthex. Also, if any one has an idea for a carnival game, or a game itself they would like to donate please contact Joanna Hoelscher at 636-485-0635 or Karla Christophene at 314-397-1375. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PRAYER REQUESTS: For LIL WINTER as she recovers from her colostomy reversal and continues to get stronger daily. .
For CORA CLUVER'S DAD, who is recovering from a severe motorcycle accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. He is able to move his arms but beyond that cannot move anything.
For CARA KLAUSTERMEIER, who is recovering from surgery. She is doing very well.
For DAVE AND CAROL KOHRS, who are now BOTH on hospice care.
For OUR DCE INTERN, KELSEY OVERBECK, that the Lord's will is done concerning her call to a church to be a full time DCE.
For WILMA WEIGLE as she continues to deal with the after effects of a severe stroke almost two years ago.
For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she continues to work hard to bring the people of the Czech Republic to Christ. .
