ALBRIGHT UMC WEBMASTER'S 2008 CHRISTMAS CARD

My wife, Esther, and I pray that 2008 has been a good year for you and your family, and that God's blessings for you will also be many in 2009. We do pray that our nation may follow God's word in  2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves , and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."  We pray for those who have lost jobs, income, investments,  homes, and loved ones in financial failures,  battles and violence that are happening here and around our world which God wants to save. .  
We pray that our leaders, including US President-Elect Obama, who has professed his faith in Jesus Christ in the past,  may lead our nation and world to God and receive God's blessing in the future.  Bill is chairperson  of the Albright United Methodist Church's Mission Committee that put on a cookout for the neighborhood in  September.  We had  a speaker who works with people addicted to gambling.  Within 20 miles of us there are now 7 casinos. Sr. Citizens who have gotten caught up in gambling are reported to have lost an average of $40,000.   It is addictive.  This is our 8th year of retirement.  We  enjoy living  with our cocker spaniel, Calvin at 510 South Oak Street in Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601 . At Albright United Methodist Church, Bill updates their website   http://www.albrightumc.org.      Keeping its  "Sr. Activities" page updated helps make us aware of all the positive  things we can do in the Ponca City area.  The Ponca City News paper  has even published our Sr. Activities page's monthly calendar for their readers.    Esther  helps with the Children's Choir and their Christmas Program is December l4th at 6PM . We will be singing in the Adult Choir's Christmas Cantata  "Festival of Carols" at 10:30AM on December 21.  The Christmas Eve service will be at 5:30PM on the 24th. We both teach in the Sunday School at Albright.    We enjoy eating our week day lunches and doing other activities at the Ponca City Sr. Center.  We became part of their Boot Scooting Line Dancers and 16 of us did a line dance demonstration at the Yukon, Oklahoma Sr. Center.   Bill completed his 8th Habitat for Humanity house and Esther continues to deliver flowers weekly for Hospice.   We are Docents (guides) at the new five million dollar Conoco Museum just two blocks from our home and we completed training at 5 other Oklahoma attractions to qualify as "Oil Heritage Volunteers".   Bill serves on the board of RSVP who finds positive volunteer jobs for seniors  and he enjoys the job of testing electronics for My Favorite Things, whose sales benefit Peach Tree Landing, our homeless shelter.  We help serve "Friendship Feast" for those who need a meal.  Esther  fractured the fibula in her leg during one of our 4 weekly exercise classes, but it is healing and her diabetes and my glaucoma are getting good treatment.  We praise the Lord for safe trips to see our daughter Mary, and husband Steve in Talmadge, Kansas and daughter Martha, Husband Jeff and grand kids  Hanna, Robert, William and James in East Troy, Wisconsin, and Esther's brothers and sisters in Illinois and Idaho, and Bill's relatives in Oklahoma and Kansas. Praise the Lord for Joseph and Mary's safe trip to Bethlehem, and Jesus coming as a baby who was born in a cattle stall, so that we know God understands our situation and can lead us in His positive Everlasting Ways.    

 

Esther received a pin for her work with the Albright  United Methodist Women.  Bill coordinated the l3th Annual AUMC Cookout, and entered the Iris Festival this year.. Bill helped complete his 8th Habitat 
for Humanity home.  We both teach Sunday School, and helped  at the Homemaker SS Class Pancake Supper.    We volunteer Mondays in the new Conoco Museum, a couple of blocks from our home.   
 Our yard  bloomed.  Esther baked Bill his 72nd Birthday cake. A Ford Tarus made traveling easier. 
Bill helped with the videotaping of the Kansas West UMC Conference in Salina.  We celebrated our 49 wedding anniversary with the Brands from Healy, Ks. who also married on May 31st, in 1959. 
  We  plan to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary with friends & family May 31, 09 from  2-4 PM in the Albright UM Church, 128 S. Palm in Ponca City,  Ok. 
We went  to Potlatch, Idaho for a reunion with Esther's 5 brothers and sisters & picked raspberries. 
We visited Union Chapel in Northern Kansas and the new Trousdale, Ks. UMC in Southern Kansas. We went to East Troy, Wisconsin to see our Daughter Martha's family  and Mary's in Talmage, Kansas

 

 

 

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