As we neared our destination, the roads became increasingly slick, upwards, and curvy. Our group of young people and their multi-aged leaders were en route to "Hilltop Haven" for a weekend of connecting with one another and our Creator. The lane leading to the cabin required a hairpin turn onto the icy upward slope, and the minivan loaded with luggage gunned it to get a running start. The youth, Cliff, and I watched from the road in the 15 passenger tanker.  The steep embankment on the "road" side of the lane allowed us a view through the winter trees. (Yep, steep embankment on one side of the glacier-like lane...) Nope; didn't make it. The headlights stopped moving.

A section of the lane plateaued, so we decided to at the very least to make an attempt at getting to that area. Cliff expertly maneuvered our tank into position and hit the accelerator onto the frozen waterfall. Some 30 yards (I really have no idea of the distance; I'm guessing!) behind the minivan, we slid to a stop and parked our van. The van in front of us was not only stopped but also wedged crookedly. Yikes!

I turned to the kids. "Grab your stuff. We're going to have to hoof it to the cabin from here. Be careful!"
Someone called out, "Can't we just sleep in here?"

With some of the youth wearing sneakers and moccasins rather than boots, the real fun began: the upward trek on a slab of ice carrying luggage, food, and sleeping gear. At one point my feet lost the workable snowy edge, and I found myself sliding backwards. Nathan offered a stabilizing hand, and I got back on course. Various lights from either phones, headlamps, or flashlights provided assistance for those of us without any illumination. The sound of a dropped 2-liter of root beer as it rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled provided laughter and warning lest "bowling for teens" became a new game.

Bruises, skinned knees, and ripped jeans resulted; I think all but 4 of us fell at some point. But helping and encouraging each other, we made it, AND I heard NO complaints from the youth.

As I've had time this week to reflect on our experience, I've thought about how this adventure is like life.

• We offer each other encouragement and aid
• We walk together 
• We keep positive attitudes
• We wait for each other
• We help each other up when we fall down
• The right shoes are important
• We may get bruised and bleed a little
• We share our light
• We help carry one another's stuff
• We prioritize what we really need to carry

But the very first thing?

• We have to get out of the van

Brother Mick is back from his adventure in Argentina, and he will be sharing a word he has titled, "Fluctuating Faith." "Our journey through faith is seldom as rock solid and consistent as we may hope it to be or even say that it is." His text for the morning is Matthew 17 which tells of Jesus along with Peter, James, and John climbing the high mountain where Jesus is transfigured before them. 

The worship service begins at 10:15 AM with Sunday school at 9 AM. 

There will be an adult elective class on "Spiritual Formation" beginning Sunday  and offered through the spring. Merv and Jan Stoltzfus, Joanne Dietzel, and Jane Hoober Peifer will bring leadership to these sessions which are based on a curriculum developed by Kairos: School of Spiritual Formation. Merv and Jan said that each class will "stand alone," so don't let inability to commit to all classes deter your attendance at one or more! 

Sunday School singing at 9:50AM will occur next week, March 9, rather than this Sunday. 

Our new friends from Burma/Myanmar hope to be present on Sunday. Be prepared to smile, nod, and communicate creatively!  

There is a basket under the mailboxes to collect new flat sheets and/or blankets for MCC to distribute in areas of need.Mennonite Central Committee

Have Hope! Warm days WILL come again! 

Prayer for today:  God of love and grace, thank you for each person reading this. Reveal your presence today in thought or heart, and remind each one of the treasure he/she is to you. You are always with us, even when we don't feel you. Help us to perceive you and realize we are yours. Grant us courage to "get out of the van" and walk in your Presence and with one another in life. Jesus, you've shown us how to love each other; help us to do so.  Spirit, you are within us; awaken us to your wisdom and direction.  In the life changes we face, you are ever-present. Thank you, Lord God.  Come kingdom of God, be done will of God, here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. AMEN 

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too! 

Love and Light,
Carol

Ridgeview Mennonite Church

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd

Our daughters learned to be good travelers when they were young. Illinois and North Carolina were our most frequent destinations. Always safely secured in car seats or seat belts, there were no videos or hand held devices for us merely books, toys, songs, laughter, talking, and crying with the occasional hurling from reading and riding. Many of our friends traveled at night so that the young ens would sleep; that didn't work for us so I'd put them to bed in their clothes and we would hit the road in the predawn hours. With four little girls, it was eons before I could go to the bathroom by myself. Such jollity. On one of our journeys (not so long ago) apparently the CD player, which knew Cliff's classic rock collection quite well, was making a high pitched screech that only the auditory systems of those under 20 were able to hear. The daughters claim it was tantamount to torture.

Most of us know Dorothy's words, "There's no place like home," and certainly as we pulled onto our bumpy stone lane that sense of sanctuary and comfort rested on our heads and in our hearts. But for us there was an added benefit. After being gone for a week, what would there be to eat?  (Know this about my family, on our refrigerator is a definintion: "hangry--han gree adj. a state of anger caused by lack of food; hunger causing a negative change in emotional state." A hungry Wenger is an, ummmm..... unpleasant Wenger!) Well, early on as our family  roamed, we consistently discovered the most wonderful surprise upon our return. We had been visited by elves; Grandma Anna's chicken corn soup, a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, and chocolate chip cookies awaited us. Have I told you I have the best in-laws? :) After a looooooong day in the vehicle, there was nothing so comforting and satisfying!

Yep, it is easy to tell food stories.

Potluck with SWAP 

The title of Brother Mick's message this week is "Banquet or Barbeque," and he'll be drawing from Luke 15 the story of the father and two sons, and Joshua 5:9-12. After all that manna, the Israelites finally eat the "produce of the land."  In his presermon notes Mick states, "I want us to ponder the ease with which we can engage others about the beloved foods we have eaten throughout our lives but find it so difficult to share about the life giving sustenance of grace and love offered to us by God through Christ."

http://swap.mcc.org/locations/eolia

We are privileged to have musician/conductor Paul Dueck of Windsor Mennonite Fellowship in Leamington, Ontario lead our music this Sunday. http://www.pauldueck.ca/ 

Elective options continue with 

-Network: The Right People, In the Right Places, For the Right Reasons, At the Right Time

-The Naked Anabaptist:  The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith

-Beyond the Present Time (The regular Adult Bible Study)

We will not be meeting in the Upper Room but will choose from these options. 

A prayer for today:  God will cover you with  feathers, and under God's wings you will find refuge. Psalm 91:4

Despite our brokenness; despite our forgetfulness; despite our unloving ways and impure motives you continue to  grant us grace and mercy—a love that endures forever! You are our hope and our salvation. Grant the readers of these words a renewed sense of your presence; a greater understanding of your love; healing and hope in their relationships and lives. Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too! 

Love and Light, 

carol  

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd

One Small Act

What was I thinking? (Here I go again!)  In January of 1989 I decided to fly from our Lancaster, PA home to Illinois with my less than 2 year old little girl.  Cliff wasn't able to take off work, but I wanted to see my family. Alana and I kissed Cliff good-bye and boarded a plane.  Central Illinois  in January. Yeah.
BRRRR SHIVER SHIVER BRRRR! 

Anyway, I tend to be confident, sometimes overly so, and positive, so I was ready for the challenges of traveling 790 miles with my little daughter. I love adventures, right?  The first leg of the journey went smoothly; Alana cooperated beautifully on the 9am flight which was smooth and without incident.  I visualized the hand of God holding the plane while lovely little butterflies flew alongside. I was smiling and serene, enjoying the chitchat with my fellow journeymen about my beautiful, big-eyed, well-behaved daughter. We landed in St. Louis, disembarked, and quickly found our connector to Peoria.  So far, so good.  Settling into our seat, I smiled while visions of Mom's BBQ danced in my wee little brain.The timing of this trip was working out perfectly! We should arrive at Grandpa and Grandma's in time for a late lunch and naps.
But we sat. We waited.  Alana squirmed. We sat some more. She squirmed even more.  (It is a known fact that Moser-Wenger children do not sleep anywhere but beds. Even a teeny provocation keeps them awake regardless of how exhausted they might be.) Sigh or rather, S I G H!

Then came "the voice."  No, not that of musical entertainers, but rather the calm, bass tones of the pilot.
"This is your captain speaking. There will be what we hope is a short delay. There seems to be an electrical issue with the plane."

OK, then. Part of my prayer had been for safety, so the fact that this problem was discovered before we were at a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet was a good thing, right?  I attempted to keep the positive speech circulating through my neurons as the challenge to cajole and distract an active toddler became more difficult. After an hour of 1000 years, the voice returned, "I'm sorry to tell you, folks, that we have to cancel this flight. See our friendly customer representatives at the desk to help you make a different connection. Have a nice day."

Have a nice day? Really? I gathered up my daughter and the kitchen sink. Following the advice of the voice, we waited in line for the next available customer representative who said, "Oh, you're in luck! There is a small plane leaving in 20 minutes for Peoria."   YES! We zipped across the airport (Ok, it was more like tripped, struggled, and slogged) to where the puddle jumpers were lodged and plopped ourselves in the ugly over sized seats to wait. Within a short time, boarding began. As Alana and I approached the impassive attendant she said, "It looks like this flight is overbooked. You'll have to catch a different flight. Sorry."

Do you know how in the second paragraph I said I tend to be overly confident and positive; that I was ready to handle the challenges of travel? Well, with Ms.Indifferent's utterance, any confidence and positivity I had remaining vanished into the stark reality of being a young mom who was feeling vulnerable, a little scared, and was travelling alone with a tired and hungry toddler. Bravado lasts only so long.  (Oh, in case you've forgotten, there is no such thing as a cell phone yet.) 

Alana with 2 of her Illinois Cousins

With a trembling voice and eyes welling with tears, I said, "But, I HAVE to go on this plane."
And that's when it happened. 
A business man in front of me turned around and said, "She can have my seat." He and his briefcase quickly scooted out of line, and I barely got out the magic words before he disappeared.

Wow.There was so much power and grace in those words and sacrifice, and yet that stranger had no idea of the beautiful gift he had just presented to us. Our life journeys have many challenges and difficulties, and I recognize this experience was very minor in the big scheme of life. For me, though, it serves as a reminder of the difference one small act, one caring sentence, one merciful moment, one kind word, one bowl of rice, one cup of clean water, one shared blanket, one open door, one umbrella, one sweet smile, one, yes, One! can do to bring healing to the world. 

As we enter this time of Advent, I challenge you to be alert, expectant, and active as God provides opportunities for us to share light and salt with those around us. Perhaps someday a woman or man will be writing about the action YOU took in offering one small act.

This week Mick will be sharing a message he is calling, "Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign" with his exegesis from Luke 21:25-36. "Jesus is the seed of hope in a bright future, a future in which God is made manifest...."  Our formal time of worship starts at 10:15am, and I'll be joining you in the Upper Room after singing in the Rec Room from 9-9:15am.

Here is the link for the bulletin index. http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/bulletins/index.php There are so many goings on!  Check them out!



Photo Decoupage Art donated by the Senior High Youth

There is a fellowship meal following the service on Sunday which will give you opportunity to peruse the items for Monday night's church auction.  :) 

 

 

Prayer for today:  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust." Ps 91   

Loving God, you are ever present, ever open, ever inviting, ever caring.  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.  As we journey on this earth, Lord, show us your presence through one another that your Kingdom will be made known. Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. AMEN.

 

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!

Love and Light,

Carol

 

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend."



Some of you have heard this story before, so I hope you don't mind that I'm sharing it again. 

"You're nuts!" is what I heard, and I got "the look" from others when friends and family discovered I  was going to drive to Illinois from my Lancaster County, PA home with our 3 little girls; Alana almost 6, Korinne almost 3, and Taylor, 14 months.  Cliff wasn't able to get away from work, but I had not been to visit my family since well before Taylor was born, and I was going to take the minivan and go, just me and 3 little girls. Yeah, I had the usual questions bouncing around my brain, afterall the journey was a minimum of 13 hours drive time not counting stopage.  What if we had car trouble or an accident?  What if I got sleepy? How am I going to entertain the girls?   How am I going to go to the bathroom?  What if one of the kids gets sick?  But I was determined.

As I finalized my plans, I began really praying about the trip.  A guest speaker had challenged us to not pray for travelling safety, but rather to pray for an interesting trip that allows us to see Jesus as we go-- or something like that.  I decided a solo trip with 3 little girls would be interesting enough, but I definitely wanted to see Jesus along the way!

Anyway-- it was Sunday morning, the day before my departure, and I brought my plans to my women's Sunday school class.  They prayed for me and committed to be in prayer  for the next 10 days.

A few hours later we were home eating lunch when the phone rang. 
"Carol, this is Joy.  I felt the Spirits's prompting, and I'd like to ride along with you to Illiniois.  I would come back to PA on the bus or train or something once we got there."

And people think I'm crazy? I told her I'd talk it over with Cliff and call her back.  I hung up the phone and started to cry. Now, you need to know I am  fiercely independent person with an  "I can do it myself" attitude. (I once attempted to change a flat tire by myself in the heart of an Indiana winter with 2 feet of snow on the ground; I failed.) I was deeply touched by Joy's offer but thought, I will do this myself-- afterall, won't Jesus be along too? 

Then the quiet voice in my head spoke. I've been praying about this trip, others are praying about this trip, and Joy Lapp, queenmother of small children, has offered to go with me.  God has provided Jesus to travel with me in the human form of Joy! "Why, Carol, are you refusing?"   So I called Joy back and said, "Yes, please!"

The trip took us 18 long hours; one of the girls threw up before we even got to Harrisburg, less than an hour down the road. But we made it. My pride (or was it feelings of unworthiness?) almost prevented me from receiving this amazing gift.  When I got home (which God provided help for too) I found a note in my church mailbox from one of the older saints who knew nothing about the trip dated the day we left for IL.  "Carol, our Sunday school class was encouraged to pray for a young mother this week, and I wanted you to know, I'm praying for you."   Joy and I have since had many amazing adventures together, and she continues to bless my life and the lives of others over and over again by her openess to hearing and obeying the voice of the Spirit.   Love ya, Joy!

This week Brother Mick will be sharing a message he has titled, "No Bootstraps Here" expounding on the unity of our fellowship together and the way we struggle with allowing others to share our burdens.  Philippians 3:4-14 is the sermon text and supporting passages are Isaiah 5:1-7 and Matthew 21:33-46.  We, together with Believers around the globe, will be sharing the bread and cup symbolizing Christ's presence among us and the "One Body" we are through Jesus. 

     In the Upper Room on Sunday, we will watch a video of Shane Hipps speaking at the Mennonite Convention in July.  If you've not heard him before, I think you will be challenged and inspired!
     Congratulations to Eric Yoder who passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam! :)
     Let's keep Craig Stoltzfus in our prayers as he begins a 2 week stint in Alabama with MDS working on repairs from tornado damage.

Brother Mick has knee replacement surgery on Monday. Think he will follow his own advice as he recovers and allow us to be a part of the healing? ;)

My prayer for you today:  Creator God, you are present in the stuff of our lives and invite us to be present with one another as a body, your body; laughing and crying together, helping one another with living and dying.  Open us, Lord, to your Spirit's guidance in our relationships.  Remove our fears, pride, and sense of unworthiness to receive the gifts you offer through your people.  Bless Craig as he serves you with MDS and builds new relationships in Birmingham. Thank you, Lord, for Eric's gift of a sharp mind.  Thank you, Lord, for Joy who embodies your love and service to so many and especially me.  Your word tells us that when we have love for one another, others will know whose we are.  Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, here on earth as it is in heaven.  In Jesus name.  AMEN

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!
love and light, carol            http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference!  Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend. "  jd