My Brothers and Sisters in Jesus!
It is a great pleasure for me to address you every week. I am doing a little better each week. The weather has turned a little colder which is a reminder to me to go to REI and pick-up a ski mask and glove liners. Keep reminding me to take the ski mask off before I enter a bank or a convenience store. You wouldn't want to read about me in the police blotter.
I am enjoying teaching the confirmation classes. It is great to see the light come on in the kids eyes when they understand something about God. I invite anyone who would like to come and see me check the calendar for the time frame that I am in the office and stop by and see me. It would be great to see any of you. If you have not yet picked-up a calendar they are right on the table where the bulletins are stacked.
Tonight the Word Among Us study of the "Gospel of John" begins at 7:00pm at the church building and will continue each week after that. It is a great way to study and Tim Hetzner has some great insights that assist us in our interpretation of Scripture. I would greatly recommend that you attend this study.
Thank for your continued prayers for my recovery. I also request that you would pray for our Friends In Christ family that we would be led by Jesus to be what He wants us to be.
By God's grace,
Pastor Randy
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Pastor's Weekly Blog
Hi My Brothers and Sisters in Jesus!
It was a great pleasure to preach this past weekend. It was great to see all of you there. I also attended the Trustees' meeting last Thursday and it was a great pleasure to be there and be a part of leadership again. We are so blessed to have such a great group of leaders who get along well and genuinely have the mission of Jesus Christ as their focus.
I laid-out a plan to return to full-time ministry. This plan is available on Mary's desk. It is in calendar form and extends through December 31, 2009. Please pick one up, if you didn't last weekend, and place it where you can see it easily.
I feel as though I have more energy. I am three months ahead of the schedule the doctors and therapists thought I would be able to keep. I still have to be careful not to do too much or move too fast. The schedule I laid out will help me to keep a constant progression without doing too much or not doing enough. You also will be able to keep track of my progress and know what is going on with me. I hope it is helpful.
As the weather changes it is difficult for me, so prayers for pain relief are very welcome. I am able to ignore the constant pain for the most part, but when I get overly tired or the weather changes then it becomes more difficult. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, loving concern, and words of encouragement. Until next week.
In the Arms of our Savior, Jesus,
Pastor Randy
It was a great pleasure to preach this past weekend. It was great to see all of you there. I also attended the Trustees' meeting last Thursday and it was a great pleasure to be there and be a part of leadership again. We are so blessed to have such a great group of leaders who get along well and genuinely have the mission of Jesus Christ as their focus.
I laid-out a plan to return to full-time ministry. This plan is available on Mary's desk. It is in calendar form and extends through December 31, 2009. Please pick one up, if you didn't last weekend, and place it where you can see it easily.
I feel as though I have more energy. I am three months ahead of the schedule the doctors and therapists thought I would be able to keep. I still have to be careful not to do too much or move too fast. The schedule I laid out will help me to keep a constant progression without doing too much or not doing enough. You also will be able to keep track of my progress and know what is going on with me. I hope it is helpful.
As the weather changes it is difficult for me, so prayers for pain relief are very welcome. I am able to ignore the constant pain for the most part, but when I get overly tired or the weather changes then it becomes more difficult. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, loving concern, and words of encouragement. Until next week.
In the Arms of our Savior, Jesus,
Pastor Randy
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Pastor's Weekly Blog
Hi My Brothers and Sisters in Jesus!
This past week I taught confirmation and all went quite well. It is so good to get back into doing more things. I really have missed it. The kids were excited as well and it was good to see their interest and growth.
This week I will be teaching Confirmation on Wednesday, attending the Trustees' meeting on Thursday and preaching/leading worship this weekend. Pray that all will go well and that I will have the necessary energy to accomplish all of these things.
Again, I will be preaching/leading worship this weekend, September 19-20, October 03-04, 17-18, 24-25, and October 31-November 01 - I will keep you up to date through this blog of what else I will be doing as I look forward to and work into doing more and more.
I know that this has been a difficult time for all of you and I thank you for your patience and prayers as I continue to recover.
Jeremiah 29:11 has been on my heart "For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
God has a plan for your lives, my life, and our lives together. It should be our desire to seek this plan out and grow to accomplish it.
In Jesus' arms,
Pastor Randy
This past week I taught confirmation and all went quite well. It is so good to get back into doing more things. I really have missed it. The kids were excited as well and it was good to see their interest and growth.
This week I will be teaching Confirmation on Wednesday, attending the Trustees' meeting on Thursday and preaching/leading worship this weekend. Pray that all will go well and that I will have the necessary energy to accomplish all of these things.
Again, I will be preaching/leading worship this weekend, September 19-20, October 03-04, 17-18, 24-25, and October 31-November 01 - I will keep you up to date through this blog of what else I will be doing as I look forward to and work into doing more and more.
I know that this has been a difficult time for all of you and I thank you for your patience and prayers as I continue to recover.
Jeremiah 29:11 has been on my heart "For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
God has a plan for your lives, my life, and our lives together. It should be our desire to seek this plan out and grow to accomplish it.
In Jesus' arms,
Pastor Randy
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Pastor's Weekly Blog
Hi brothers and Sisiters in Christ,
This weekend was a great weekend seeing all of you and being able to lead worship and preach. Confirmation classes start this Wednesday and I am excited to teach the youth. Please pray for the kids, more and more high-schoolers are falling away from the Christian Church every year. Confirmation Sunday is October 25, 2009 at 11:00am - which is Reformation Sunday.
I felt like I had a little more energy than the last time I led worship and preached. I was still very tired, but I feel like I'm getting more endurance each week. I am praying that all will go well with Confirmation classes starting. I do feel that I will be able to sustain this weekly activity. Please pray that will be the case.
This Saturday is Barbara and my 28th wedding anniversary. God has been so good and truly given me a remarkable woman to travel through life with. Please continue to pray for her.
Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and encouragements.
In Jesus arms,
Pastor Randy
This weekend was a great weekend seeing all of you and being able to lead worship and preach. Confirmation classes start this Wednesday and I am excited to teach the youth. Please pray for the kids, more and more high-schoolers are falling away from the Christian Church every year. Confirmation Sunday is October 25, 2009 at 11:00am - which is Reformation Sunday.
I felt like I had a little more energy than the last time I led worship and preached. I was still very tired, but I feel like I'm getting more endurance each week. I am praying that all will go well with Confirmation classes starting. I do feel that I will be able to sustain this weekly activity. Please pray that will be the case.
This Saturday is Barbara and my 28th wedding anniversary. God has been so good and truly given me a remarkable woman to travel through life with. Please continue to pray for her.
Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and encouragements.
In Jesus arms,
Pastor Randy
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Hi my brothers and sisters in Christ,
On Monday I had my last physical therapy appointment. I have reached 70% of normal mobility, so I am on my own to try and make it back to full mobility. I also saw the doctor on Monday afternoon and he said that I have about a three month window where I will be able to improve, so I need to work hard at it. Both my therapist and doctor are amazed at my speedy recovery. They said they never expected that I would recover to this point this quickly. That is good news. I can't imagine it taking any longer. I Have worked out a plan, that the doctor and therapist believe is achievable as long as I don't have any set-backs, to return to full-time work.
In September I will be teaching confirmation classes each week beginning Wednesday, September 09. I will be preaching the weekends of September 05-06 & September 19-20. I will be attending the Trustees Meeting on September 17. I will be in the office every Wednesday and will be avaiable to anyone who would like to come and see me between 12:00 - 2:00 pm. I need the other time to prepare for confirmation classes and worship services.
In October I plan on adding to this by preaching October 03-04, October 17-18, October 25-25, October 31-November 01 and adding Thursdays in the office where I will be avaiable from 12:00-2:00 pm for anyone who would like to come and see me.
I hope that this is encouraging to all of you as it is encouraging to me that I am on the mend and feel like I am at the top of the plateau and hope that soon it will be a downhill walk for me and you. I realize that it has been very hard for you to have a pastor who has been out of commission. I pray for all of you every day as I know (from your cards, letters, and verbal encourgements) that you have been praying for me everyday as well. Thank you so much for traveling on this journey with me.
In the arms of Jesus, our Savior,
Pastor Randy
On Monday I had my last physical therapy appointment. I have reached 70% of normal mobility, so I am on my own to try and make it back to full mobility. I also saw the doctor on Monday afternoon and he said that I have about a three month window where I will be able to improve, so I need to work hard at it. Both my therapist and doctor are amazed at my speedy recovery. They said they never expected that I would recover to this point this quickly. That is good news. I can't imagine it taking any longer. I Have worked out a plan, that the doctor and therapist believe is achievable as long as I don't have any set-backs, to return to full-time work.
In September I will be teaching confirmation classes each week beginning Wednesday, September 09. I will be preaching the weekends of September 05-06 & September 19-20. I will be attending the Trustees Meeting on September 17. I will be in the office every Wednesday and will be avaiable to anyone who would like to come and see me between 12:00 - 2:00 pm. I need the other time to prepare for confirmation classes and worship services.
In October I plan on adding to this by preaching October 03-04, October 17-18, October 25-25, October 31-November 01 and adding Thursdays in the office where I will be avaiable from 12:00-2:00 pm for anyone who would like to come and see me.
I hope that this is encouraging to all of you as it is encouraging to me that I am on the mend and feel like I am at the top of the plateau and hope that soon it will be a downhill walk for me and you. I realize that it has been very hard for you to have a pastor who has been out of commission. I pray for all of you every day as I know (from your cards, letters, and verbal encourgements) that you have been praying for me everyday as well. Thank you so much for traveling on this journey with me.
In the arms of Jesus, our Savior,
Pastor Randy
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