JANUARY 2019 EDITION
THE WOODLANDS UMC
POINT A MESSAGE FROM
CLIFF RITTER
PASTOR TO SENIOR ADULTS
Happy New Year! The promise and hope of a new adventure, that’s what the New Year brings for us! We can anticipate all the things that will be on the horizon. We can plan for the abundance we have only dreamed was possible. We can live into our greatest spiritual expectations.
CRAFT CIRCLE 2019! Sales for Missions from the Craft Circle Boutique, Chef’s Favorites, and the Masterpiece Gala totaled $295,500! Thanks be to God for these blessings!!! Craft Circle ladies (and a few men) worked faithfully on Tuesdays throughout this year to create a wide variety of hand-crafted specialty items. Their expressions of commitment to our Lord, to Missions, and to each other has been, and continues to be, the foundation for Craft Circle. Please consider joining them as they begin a new year on January 15. Craft circle meets in The Loft in the Children’s Ministry area every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. “Kick-off Tuesday” we’ll begin by cleaning/organizing the craft room and everyone brings a covered dish for a pot luck luncheon. New visitors please arrive by 11:30 a.m. “The Lord has blessed us all with creativity - Craft Circle is a great opportunity to discover and share your gift while blessing others!” Sharon McMahon, Craft Circle Chairperson for 2019. Our new BE CREATIVE! Craft Circle for The Church at Woodforest met after Thanksgiving for a morning of planning, fun & sharing. We have an abundance of creative talent, many great ideas and tremendous enthusiasm! Beginning in January, we will be meeting on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Meetings will be held in private homes until our church building is completed and a room is available for us. January meetings: Thursdays, January 10 and 24 at 1:00 p.m. Arlene Seekatz’ home 106 Blue Gilia Ct Bonterra at Woodforest 936.588.3929 akseekatz@gmail.com The items we make will be included in The Woodlands UMC’s annual Missions Boutique and Gala. Proceeds will be used to support missions.
The change of calendar usually comes with a list. We make a list of all those things we want to accomplish in the New Year. January 1st is not only filled with black-eyed peas and cabbage, it comes with an annual mandate: we must create a list. Sometimes our list is long, and sometimes it is short. I always vote for short lists. Long lists can be far too specific and detailed. A long list always devolves into diet and exercise. So, long lists are really worthless. Short lists get to the point. I vote for short lists. This year, I think my list will be the summary of three big ideas. Three of the most important things I want to see come to be real in my life. Here they are, not that you asked. I plan to be more courageous. I remember God telling Joshua to be strong and courageous. I think I need more courage. Along with courage, I know I can use an added measure of humility. The New Year can cause us to ask for more than we deserve, and expect more than we could possibly manage. I hope I will learn to be humble in all things. It goes without saying that I need to be more thankful. I think gratitude is the opposite side of the coin from humility. When we are humble, we can be genuinely thankful for the blessings of God. Genuine thanksgiving is divine gratitude. And, a spirit of gratitude is always married to humility. It pleases the heart of God, somehow. Sometimes it takes courage to remain humble, to give more that we expect to receive, to be thankful in the face of some of the challenges we will inevitably face this year. I like short lists: courage, humility, gratitude. That will do. I pray your New Year will bring a renewed sense of God’s presence in your life. I know God hears our prayers, I am confident we can trust God. Keep showing up in a big and bold way. And, trust God for every day! With grace and peace,