FROM YOUR PASTOR...

Peg and I thank you for helping us to celebrate the first year of her new life!  It was just one year last Friday that she lay bleeding on the operating table in the hospital, and the Doctor was saying, “We don’t know if we’ll be able to save her.”  Following the procedures that did keep her alive, Peg slipped into a coma that lasted three weeks.  I now see that coma somewhat like a cocoon – the kind that a caterpillar enters and then emerges from as a butterfly.  Peg eventually emerged from her coma/cocoon – and she was vastly different from the person who entered it.  She was weak and she had much to learn and much to re-learn about herself and her new life.  Just as the butterfly, she had to stretch her wings and gain strength for the new life that had just begun.  Well, as all know, Peg did, and is continuing to do her learning and strengthening – and she is now a beautiful “butterfly”.  And on her one year anniversary over 100 of our closest friends surprised us in the Fellowship Hall with a CELEBRATION!!!  We were completely surprised and deeply touched by your outpouring of love; and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the wonderful evening.  It so many ways the journey that Peg and I have been on connects with one the Lessons from Scripture for this week.  In Hebrews 12. 1-3 we are reminded that “we are surrounded by such a huge cloud of witnesses” and that we are to “run with determination and endurance the race that God has set before us”.  Peg and I have certainly been aware of you as our huge cloud of witnesses.  Your encouragement, your prayers and your ways of gentling loving and encouraging us have been like cheers from the stands.  In all that we have done we have never felt like we were alone – you have been with us – and in your presence we have know THE PRESENCE of God.  The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we are to keep our eyes on Jesus.  As we do this we have one to follow who has run this race before, and he will show us how to continue and His Presence will lead us to the finish in victory.  In my younger days I used to do a lot of running.  When I competed on the Cross Country Team, I learned that the race had many different parts to it.  Sometimes we sprinted – sometimes we settled into a pace and ran steadily -- sometimes we ran uphill -- sometimes we ran downhill -- sometimes we ran in the cold -- sometimes we ran in the heat -- sometimes we ran the shadows -- sometimes we ran sunshine – but always we ran.

I hope to see you Sunday so we can think together about the race we are running together for Jesus.

Love & Blessings,
Wes