SPIRITUAL SISTERHOOD
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” (Ps. 90:14)
Niagara UM Church, Issue 13
April 2006
On my little friendship calendar for this day was written
these words, "My friends are an oasis to me,
encouraging me to go on. They are essential to my
well-being".
DEVOTIONAL CORNER
That's the way I felt after the Tuesday night ladies
meeting at Debbie Fast's place - I was leaving feeling
like I had a great drink of refreshing water after being
very drained. When challenges and frustrations are
placed before us we tend to try to work them out
ourselves. Even though God is there and is trying to be
in charge (but I still want to steer!) things can still be
draining - physically and mentally. After having that
kind of month thus far it’s like an oasis to sit in Debbie's
family room and just enjoy having fun talking about
colours and ideas and hearing people talk about their
plans and decorating. Then we sat around and heard
two "off the cuff" testimonies. This, to me, was the
highlight. I find listening to someone tell their
testimony is like looking into a home you've never been
in - you see colours and furniture and pictures and you
nestle down to hear the story of the one who lives
there. Yes, there's clutter and some pictures are crooked
... but they let you in and you are honoured and thankful
to get to finally see inside. Thanks so much for the two
ladies who let us look into their lives - you, and those of
us who came out, know who you are. You have
encouraged me to go on; you are essential to my wellbeing.
Tiny blessings – Just imagine, if even stinging insects
are messengers of mercy? by Angeline Schellengerg
Linda Pankratz
*To submit any article, recipe, devotion or news item for
this publication, please e-mail it to Cheryl Schmidt at
[email protected] .
Niagara United Mennonite Church
RR#2, 1775 Niagara Stone Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
Web: http://www.niagara-mennonites.org
Laurene Nickel shared this article from the January
2006 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Jesus taught that we don’t need to fear how others may
treat us because God is in control. God sees every
sparrow that falls from the sky (Matthew 10:29). As it
turns out, God knows every wasp’s nest too.
It was a hot, weary day last June when I picked up my
son Kieran from kindergarten. The teacher appeared in
the doorway with pursed lips, furrowed brow and both
hands on my son’s tiny shoulders – body language for
“You wouldn’t believe what he put me through this
time.” I steeled myself against the threat of parental
embarrassment.
The teacher informed me that my boy had been a little
too “hands-on” in his exploration of the science table.
Apparently Kieran was the first child to ever succeed at
freeing a wasp’s nest from a jar, its secure observatory
for the past three years. (I tried not to let my pride in
his manly vigour show.) After three years without air
the perfect little nest had crumbled in his hand.
Looking down at my little collector of bugs, weeds and
pine cones, I could tell his heart was broken over the
loss and filled with remorse. I apologized profusely and
dragged my three-year-old daughter Gemma, kicking
and screaming, off the play structure.
As I headed for home I tried not to worry about the 12
long years of strained teacher-parent relations that
stretched before me. I knew our school division teaches
“restitution” – making it up to those you have wronged.
How could I make restitution to the teacher and ensure
that she continued to view my son in a positive light?
There was only one way. I needed to find a
replacement wasp’s nest.
But where? (Last time I checked, Wal-Mart didn’t
carry them.) I hadn’t seen a wasp’s nest since we
bought our house five years earlier and had to knock a
large one out of the shed. And I didn’t have much time;
the school year was almost over.
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SPIRITUAL SISTERHOOD/April 2006
I’ve prayed about specific, seemingly trivial matters in
the past (that expired coupons would be honored or that
my 20-year-old Electrolux wouldn’t give up the ghost)
and God humored me. I decided I had nothing to lose.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Apr. 1 & 19
“God, would you send me a wasp’s nest?”
After I tucked the kids into bed that night I realized I
had left their bikes in the yard. So, braving the
mosquitoes and dodging a single wasp, I unlocked the
shed. There, hanging on the inside of the door, was a
beautiful little wasp nest. I returned moments later,
armed with a bread knife and a salsa jar, to claim God’s
gift.
The next morning my beaming son walked to school
with his head held high and his restitution in his arms,
to greet a surprised and grateful teacher.
God may not have blessed me with compliant children
or a brand new vacuum cleaner, but certainly does find
comical ways to remind me he’s watching.
And if even the stinging insects are God’s messengers
of mercy, imagine what my heavenly Father can do
through me?
9:30-11:30 am & 1:00-4:00 pm ea day.
Verenicki making for Springfest.
Come all day, come for the morning,
or come for the afternoon. Just come
and share in the laughter and
camaraderie.
Contact Person: Christa Wright 905-680-0239,
[email protected]
BRING THAT ROLLINGPIN! We supply the rest.
Apr. 4 -
9:00 am – Ladies’ breakfast at
Lawrenceville Restaurant (Virgil)
Apr.4, 11
9-11 am – Bible study “The Beloved
Disciple”, at Cornerstone Community
Church, led by Dorothy Wiens
Apr. 3, 10,17
7-9 pm – Bible study “The Beloved
Disciple”, at Niagara United
Mennonite Church, led by Laurene
Nickel
Apr. 11 -
Friendship/Mother/Daughter Tea
Apr. 18 -
Women in Service’s visit to Chateau
Gardens.
Apr. 25 -
Women in Service’s last meeting:
elections & disbursement of funds.
POET’S CORNER
God Speaks
You had a whispering in your soul!
Was it God?
What did He say?
Is it in words or gentle prodding of our mind
to tell us if we are right or wrong?
I feel most times
God speaks in silence, as does the land.
Do we listen with our heart
when God tells us how we must impart
the love of Jesus to all around
bringing with it joys that abound?
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Spring 2006
Do not fret is most often heard
by those of us, His love have felt.
I cannot count the endless times
I asked for help along the way
but not an answer would arrive
till I did drop my stubborn pride.
Again my heart would skip a beat
and soon my soul was calm and free
to know my Saviour loveth me.
Garage Sale. For those interested in
attending the women’s retreat in the
fall, we would like to have a garage
sale as a fundraiser to help lower the
costs for that weekend. So save up
your unwanted items, and we’ll sell
them.
Nov. 17-19 Women’s retreat at the Festival Inn in
Stratford. Guest speaker is Debbie Laginskie. Saved as
a young adult, she has a testimony that magnifies the
grace of God. Her past allows her to relate to the hurting
and broken, while holding out the hope of wholeness
and freedom that the Lord Jesus is able to bring. Signup poster will be in the foyer very soon.
By Sue Fast
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SPIRITUAL SISTERHOOD/April 2006
COMMUNITY EVENT
May 13 -
JOKE OF THE MONTH
10:00 am – 3:00 pm. “Touch a Truck”
event at Niagara College, Glendale
Campus. $5.00 per child. Children
under one and adults FREE. Proceeds
to support children literacy.
A Housewife’s Mid-Summer Prayer
Dear God, grant me the strength to last until Back to
School Night. Give me the energy to drive the swim
team carpool, take knots out of wet shoelaces with my
teeth, and untangle the dog from the sprinkler hose.
FROM OUR KITCHEN TO YOURS
Chicken Casserole
Serves 4 to 6:
Chicken with mushrooms, peas, carrots, parsnips, and
artichokes in a creamy wine sauce. This is a delicious
casserole, filled with good-for-you vegetables. If you
like, assemble it up to a day ahead of time and
refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it. Serve with
rice or noodles to enjoy with the extra sauce.
4 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned, and split
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced parsnips
6 tbsp butter
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
½ cup all-purpose white flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 cup sour cream
Salt & pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and halved
Grant me the wisdom to remember the name of the kid
from down the street who hasn’t left our house since
July.
Walk with me through the backyard over piles of wet
bathing suits and empty ice cream cups, to rescue my
good lipstick from the bottom of the wading pool.
Give me the courage to accept that everything in the
refrigerator either has a bite out of it, a finger stuck in it,
or is reproducing in the vegetable crisper underneath the
expensive cheese.
Guide me down the hallway to the laundry room, where
I can experience five minutes of peace and quiet turning
the lights out and climbing on the dryer so the kids can’t
see my feet underneath the door.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the chicken
breasts in a shallow baking dish and bake for 30
minutes.
Help me accept the fact that even if I take the kids to
the circus, install a pool in the backyard, go on a safari,
and carve a redwood tree into a canoe and sail down the
Congo – my children will end each day with “I’m
bored.”
While the chicken is baking, blanch the carrots and
parsnips in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and set
aside.
Grant me the serenity to smile when my husband
insists on tossing the hamburger helper on the gas grill
because “everything tastes better barbecued.”
In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over
medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until
golden, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour to form a
paste. Stir in the chicken broth and cook until smooth
and thickened. Stir in the wine and any pan drippings
from the baked chicken breasts. Remove from the heat
and stir in the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Give me the fortitude to sit through eighty-five hours
of swim lesson, and watch as my children backstroke
around the pool the same amount of miles it would take
to reach Communist China.
To assemble the casserole, combine the carrots,
parsnips, peas, and artichokes with the sauce. Pour over
the chicken in the baking dish. Reduce the oven
temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 40 minutes or
until heated through.
source unknown
Smile down on me the day my husband decides to take
the family camping in the wilderness for three days with
nothing but a tent, a few sleeping bags, and a cooler full
of potato chips and Pepsi.
And when it rains (and you know it will, God) lead me
to the nearest 7-Eleven to buy the umbrellas my
husband refused to pack because “only an idiot” would
expect a storm in the middle of the summer during a
drought year.
In your infinite wisdom, show me how to disconnect
the video game console that hasn’t been turned off since
June twenty-second.
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SPIRITUAL SISTERHOOD/April 2006
LIBRARY NEWS
Grant me patience to not rip the car stereo out of the
dashboard with my teeth when my husband listens to
“Louie, Louie” for the hundred and eighty-sixth time,
cranked up at full volume.
Video (non-fiction): Charles Colson’s Reluctant
Prophet
Comfort me when I realize the color of my earthtone
carpet has changed into a mixture of melted blue
Popsicle and the remains of somebody’s purple slush.
Mr. Colson’s journey from proud politician, to the
convicted felon, and finally to the humble servant of
God.
And if I ask too much God, just give the foresight to
know that one day the barbecue, television, and
sprinkler hose will be off; the refrigerator, front door,
and garage will be closed, and I will wonder where my
children – and the little redheaded boy with the glasses
– went.
It’s Friday but Sunday’s comin’ by Tony Campolo.
For all who have lost at love, been let down by life, feel
their universe is tumbling – here is encouragement to
keep trusting in God.
Written by Debbie Farmer
Sent in by Laurene Nickel (source unknown)
Fiction:
Fatal Harvest by C. Palmer. They had nothing in
common until the mysterious disappearance of a
teenage boy turns their world’s upside down.
WOMEN’S RETREAT GUEST SPEAKER’S
PROFILE:
WISDOM’S CORNER
don't quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit -Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a person turns about
When they might have won had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -You may succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late
when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out -So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, -It's when things seem worse that you mustn't quit.
Debbie Laginskie is married and a mother of three
adult children. She is the Coordinator of Women’s
Ministries in her local church where she enjoys
ministering from a pastoral heart. She works part-time
clerically for Sunbeam Residential Development
Centre, an organization that cares for the handicapped.
Saved as a young adult, she has a testimony that
magnifies the grace of God. Her past allows her to
relate to the hurting and broken, while holding out the
hope of wholeness and freedom that the Lord Jesus is
able to bring.
Debbie loves to hold out the Word of God in a way that
touches women’s everyday lives. The open manner in
which she shares from her own life experiences is
comforting, encouraging, inspiring and at times, quite
comical.
Debbie has taught evangelistic and discipleship bible
studies for seventeen years and has been speaking to a
wide variety of women’s groups for seven years. Her
goal in all that she shares is to bring hope to women’s
hearts. Her prayer is that women will come to know
Jesus Christ, grow in His ways and be set free to
experience His life-changing love.
By Chuck Swindoll
Source unknown
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SPIRITUAL SISTERHOOD/April 2006