The Holmes County Shopper News
Thursday, November 15, 2012 — 5
Community Seek the miraculous in ordinary life “All the works of Nature are Miracles, and nothing makes them appear otherwise but our Familiarity with them.” — Samuel Butler, from Prose Observations. How true that is. Think about it: Every autumn the leaves wither and fall from the trees; perennial plants turn brown and droop. These life forms all lie under a blanket of snow all winter, presumed “dead.” Then each spring, before our eyes, the dead limbs sprout new green leaves and the faded and dreary plants blossom again. Something once assumed dead regenerates. Is that not miraculous? If you take a piece of paper and tear it, you can repair it with tape; but if you remove the tape, the paper is still torn. Not so with our bodies. If I cut myself right now, my
blood will coagulate, carrying cells with healing properties rushing into my bloodstream to the damaged area, reaching out to each other to grow back together. Within a few days, without any interference from me other than keeping the wound clean so my body can do its job, the cut would completely heal. When my son was young, he fell off a trampoline and broke his wrist. The doctor didn’t have to use screws or glue, as I would have had to if my table leg had broken; all he had to do was wrap the wrist in a plaster cast, keeping it immobile so the body
could do its job, and the bones knit back together of their own accord. And these are miracles of only the physical body. After my daughter’s accident, she had numerous physical injuries, but also emotional scars that needed to heal. Her body healed rather quickly, but it healed so fast (she walked WEEKS before she was expected to) because she had made up her mind that she was going to push through the pain and walk! We live in difficult times, times when we believe miracles no longer exist. But, living in our sensationalistic world, we fail to realize that we are surrounded by miracles every single day. We just fail to see them. It is miraculous that a bumblebee can even fly. From what we know of physics, it should
Church notes Revival meetings planned
12298 County Road 330, Big Prairie, just west of the intersection of state Route 514 and County Are you hungry for spiriRoad 330 in Holmes tual food? Be refreshed County. and filled, by the work and Community “This is an opportunity power of the Holy Spirit for us to share Christ through Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. Feast planned nightly at Living Hope Millersburg Church of with our community,” Outreach, 381 S. Mad Christ will hold its annual explained Gary Cline, Anthony St. (non-denom- Community Feast on Sat- one of the leaders of the inational). There will be urday, Nov. 17, from 4-6 Benevolence Ministry at services of testimony, praise p.m. This is a free Thanks- Ripley Church of Christ. and a message from God’s giving dinner, including “Our congregation wishword each evening. Wor- turkey, mashed potatoes, es to serve others durship music will be by Latter dressing, gravy, corn, dinner ing these difficult ecoRain from Lancaster, Pa. roll and pumpkin pie. For nomic times by serving a take-out orders, call Lori Thanksgiving meal.” “We understand that Snively at 330-473-7829, Community For more information, call many families in our Thanksgiving Rachael Winterborne at community are not able to provide a Thanksgiv330-473-9327. Meal set ing meal for their family to enjoy,” said Jeremiah The fourth annual Baltic Stivers, associate minisCommunity Thanksgiving Register for ter at Ripley Church of Meal will be on Saturday, Community Christ. “This free event is Nov. 17 between 11 a.m.-1 open to the public. We p.m. at the Baltic Elemen- Thanksgiving take seriously our mistary School. Traditional sion statement, which turkey, dressing, mashed Dinner On Thursday, Nov. 22, says Connect with Christ, potatoes, cranberry salad, rolls and dessert will be the Ripley Church of Christ Connect in Community, menu for this holiday meal. will be serving a Commu- and Connect in Caring.” If you plan to attend Carry-outs are available nity Thanksgiving Dinner and some local delivery from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Thanksgiving dinis possible. Call 330-897- the church. The Thanks- ner, make a reservation 6855 and leave name and giving meal is for fami- by contacting the Ripley address if you need delivery. lies who are not able to Church office. To make a The meal is free; however provide a holiday meal. reservation or get addiif you would like to give, The church members will tional information call the food donations will go to prepare and serve the Ripley Church of Christ the Homeless Shelter of meal at Ripley Church of church office at 330-567Tuscarawas County and Christ, which is located at 2320, during regular busimonetary donations will go to Pirate Power Packs to help give food to Baltic students on the weekends.
be impossible for the bumblebee to fly due to its body structure. But a bumblebee does, indeed, fly. It’s a miracle. Birds somehow “know” they must fly south for the winter, bears “know” they must hibernate during cold weather, squirrels “know” they must store food for winter. How is that not miraculous? I know some humans who don’t “know” they shouldn’t kill people or steal their stuff! Yet we consider ourselves the “superior” species when the animal kingdom behaves much more miraculously, and more often, than we do. I believe there are two kinds of people in our skeptical world — those who choose to view nothing as a miracle, and those who choose to seek the miraculous in ordinary life. I know which one I aspire to be.
Briefs In service Staff Sgt. Matthew S. Gravius has returned to the U.S. after being deployed overseas at a forward operating base to serve in support of Opera t i o n E n d u ring Freedom. G r a vius is a squad Gravius leader assigned to the 1484th Transportation Company in North Canton. The staff sergeant has served in the military for nine years. He is the son of Willard and Charolette Gravius of Massillon. Gravius is a 1997 graduate of Waynedale High School, Apple Creek.
with new canteen manager
T h e Shreve Americ a n Legion has reopened a f t e r extensive renovations. A new canteen managCraft er, Sue Craft, has taken over to provide a new menu and new hours of operation. Lunch is served daily from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The Legion is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 4-9 p.m., and Fridays from 4-11 p.m. Breakfast is served on Sundays from 7-11 a.m. Bud Grabbe & the Roadrunners play music from the 1960s, 1970s and Navy Lt. Phil J. Sautter, son 1980s from 7-11 p.m. on of Dianne and Greg Sau- Fridays. Cover charge is tter of Wooster, recently $5 per couple or $3 a perarrived in Norfolk, Va, son. The annual rabbit/venifollowing a 71⁄2-month ness hours. son dinner will take place deployment supporting Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. Tickets operations in the Mediare $12 and are available Crafters needed terranean and the Araat the post home or from Crafters are needed for bian Seas. any officer. USS Enterprise’s return Christmas Craft Show to be held on Saturday, Dec. to Norfolk will be the 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at St. 25th and final homecom- Holmes Red John’s Church in Millers- ing in her 51 years of ser- Cross collection burg. Please contact Sue vice. The aircraft carrier Dye at 330-378-3321 for is scheduled to be inac- for relief the information packet tivated Dec. 1, in a cerThe Holmes County on setting up your crafts. emony at Norfolk Naval Chapter of the AmeriStation. Sautter is a 1998 grad- can Red Cross is workCandlelight uate of Triway High ing to help raise funds for the areas damaged School. Church Walk by Hurricane Sandy. is Dec. 14 Petty Officer 2nd Class Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 70, MillThe Millersburg Can- Treesa A. Kilgore, a ersburg 44654. For dlelight Church Walk will 2000 graduate of Loud- more information call be held Friday, Dec. 14, onville High School, 1-800-red-cross or visit 6-8 p.m. Tour six churches recently arrived in Nor- www.redcross.org. and enjoy music, decora- folk, Va, following a 71⁄2tions, historic information month deployment supand light refreshments at porting operations in the Mediterranean and Donations needed each stop. Complete the evening the Arabian Seas. for Wolf Creek USS Enterprise’s return by returning to Millersburg Mennonite Church to Norfolk will be the Cemetery at 8:15 p.m. for a time of 25th and final homecomWolf Creek Pleasant special music. Maps are ing in her 51 years of ser- Valley Cemetery is now available at any of the vice. The aircraft carrier accepting donations to participating churches in is scheduled to be inac- pay for mowing of the tivated Dec. 1, in a cer- cemetery grounds. Any downtown Millersburg. Churches to be toured emony at Norfolk Naval amount appreciated. are Millersburg Chris- Station. Call Robert L. Croskey, Kilgore joined the Navy 330-276-3322. Donations tian, First Presbyterian, Faith Lutheran, St. in June 2000. may be sent to Croskey Peter’s Catholic, Millat 12049 U.S. 62, Killbuck ersburg Mennonite and 44637 or Lilian Duncan, Grace Pointe Community Shreve American P.O. Box 284 Killbuck Church. 44637. Legion re-opens