New Life News – February 2009

(A monthly publication of the New Life Emmaus Community)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT : Please forward items that you feel might be appropriate for this section to Rakbuck@flash.net . This month’s Food for Thought was sent in by Bill Bennett and is entitled “Just Stay ”

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. He was heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack; he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand.

The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Just Stay.

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.

NEXT GATHERING : The monthly New Life Gathering will take place at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 17th at Bracken United Methodist Church. Directions: Take I-35 north and get off at FM3009. Go left on FM 3009. Take FM3009 north to FM 2252 and turn right. The church will be about one mile down on your left. Please join us for this important meeting as we elect officers for 2009.

2009 GATHERING SCHEDULE :

February 17 Bracken UMC, 20377 FM 2252, Bracken, TX 78266 830-606-6717

March 17  Northern Hills UMC, 3703 N Loop 1604, SA TX

April 21 Universal City UMC, 90 Winn, Universal City, TX 78148 210-659-5555

May 19  New Braunfels 1st UMC, 572 W San Ant St, New Braunfels, TX 78130 830-625-4513

June 16  Alamo UMC, 4071 Foster, SA, TX 78244 210-661-6265

July   Joint Gathering: TBA

August 18  Schertz UMC 3460 Roy Richard Dr (3009), Schertz, TX 78154  

September 15  New Hope UMC, 10155 Old Cimarron Tr, Converse, TX 78109 210-658-1220

October 20 Bethany UMC, 4102 Eisenhauer, SA, TX 78218 210-655-5473

November 17 St Andrew's UMC, 7222 Robinhood, S.A., TX 78209 210-824-2465

December (no gathering scheduled) 

January 19, 2010 Rolling Oaks Christian DOC, 7150 Stahl Rd, SA, TX 78247 210-654-1744 

If your church/community is interested in joining the New Life Emmaus community for Northeast San Antonio, please contact the Lay Leaders to be added to the 2009 listing.

LOCAL CHURCH GATHERINGS :

We are posting the day & date of local church gatherings in the newsletter to invite others to come. Please update this information by replying to this newsletter if your church changes/cancels your meeting.

Local Gatherings scheduled:

Alamo UMC: 2nd Sunday of every month, 12:15 pm, pot luck.
First UMC New Braunfels: 4th Tuesday of every month, 7 pm.
Northern Hills UMC: Last Monday of every month, 7 pm.
Schertz UMC: 1st Tuesday of every month, 7 pm.
St Andrew's UMC: Fridays, quarterly.

Universal City UMC: 1st Sunday, every even month (except Dec) 7 pm – Next Gathering will be in April.

2009 WALK SCHEDULE :

Walk# Dates Lay Director Site 

1503 June 11 – 14 Chivi Dagg Concept Therapy Institute

1524 October 8 – 11 Seth Walters Concept Therapy Institute

WALK UPDATES :

Walk 1503 - Team selection was accomplished for Walk 1503 during January. Our first team meeting is scheduled for February 28, 2009 at Universal City United Methodist Church.  Time is 8:31, and will be held in Rooms 15, 16, 17 and 18. Please be in prayer as this team meets for the first time – so that God’s spirit will direct all that is accomplished, and pray for the pilgrims yet to come.  As we all know, this will be “the best Walk ever!”  May God be glorified in all that we do.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call (210-945-0055) or email chividagg@hotmail.com .  

Thank you,

Chivi Dagg, Lay Director, Walk 1503

Walk 1524 – If you would like to serve on the team for Walk 1524 please complete a team service form and get a copy to me at your earliest convenience. Team selection will take place in late April to early May. Email alamosound@satx.rr.com

DeColores,

Seth Walters, Lay Director, Walk 1524

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Men’s Walk 1488 - March 12, 2009 could use some pilgrims to fill it up. It’s being hosted by University and will be at Mt Wesley. Additionally they have a list of agape needs that are currently unfilled. If you or your reunion group could supply any of these items please contact Jessica Caccamese at Jessica@uchurch.tv

60 Door Tags

80 Plastic Tumblers for bedroom

60 Bead Watches (for Thursday night)

60 Large Agape Bags

50 Programs for Sponsor Hour

400 Programs for Candlelight (may be going green with this and doing PowerPoint???)

60 Placemats – Friday Lunch

60 Placemats – Friday Dinner

60 Placemats – Saturday Breakfast

60 Placemats – Saturday Dinner

60 Placemats – Sunday Breakfast (Las Mananitas)

Golf Cart Rental - $50

Agape Feast – Saturday Night

6 Small cans/sticks deodorant

6 Cans Shaving Cream

20 nail aprons

Lunch for Team Meeting #4 – February 28, 2009

Help Support Team Set-up Candlelight

Help support team clean-up after candlelight

Help support Team set-up for closing on Sunday

Help team clean up after closing ceremony

Help clean up conference Room

Help clean up agape & Food Room

Final check of Pilgrim’s Rooms

Joe Painter, ALD

FROM THE LAY DIRECTOR :

Sponsorship – Adapted from “On the Path” – Newsletter of the Southern Maryland Emmaus Community

A Time of Preparation

Sponsorship is an awesome opportunity and a great responsibility. Have you been praying about who God would have on the spring walks and what he would have you do about it? Have you prayed for those who are pre paring for those walks – for those in leadership, for those who would team and for those who would be come pilgrims. I know it is a busy time for all of us – there is shopping to do, meals to plan, holiday guests to prepare for; there are school, church events, community events. But the goal of Emmaus is to equip people for leadership in the church – to develop, to strengthen, to en courage, to rejuvenate them in order for them to serve as Christ’s hand and feet to a hurting world; To challenge them to live in the agape love that the Lord offers. So then what does it take to be a GREAT sponsor?

Prayer – to ensure that God is directing your choice

Courage – to over come the fear of rejection

Time – to provide for the family’s needs while the pilgrim is away

Sacrifice – financial, spiritual and emotional support to the pilgrim

Discernment – Is the timing mine or God’s? Emmaus is for development of leaders not for fixing people.

Follow-up – relationship, relationship, relationship. Provide encouragement for the pilgrim to step out in faith in new areas of ministry. Assist with accountability – encouragement to be in a reunion group.

Connection – gatherings are a great way to help pilgrims stay connected to the

Emmaus community.

As Whoopi Goldberg sings in Sister Act: “What have you done for me lately?”

Jim Talbott, New Life Lay Director

EVERYDAY-USE TIP OF THE MONTH : Homemade Solutions

Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened'' this way!

Blood stains on clothes?  Not to worry!  Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.   Works every time!  (Now, where to put the body?)    

Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean.  Don't wash windows on a sunny day.  They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

PUN OF THE MONTHJJJ : Courtesy of Neil Bys

Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you," says Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" exclaims Daisy.

PRAYER REQUESTS : In order to provide timely response in this area, we request that you forward any prayer requests that you have by “reply” to this letter. Those requests will be sent out VIA immediate distribution to all members of the New Life e-mail chain. Please be in prayer for Grady Roe, former New Life Spiritual Director whose bladder cancer has returned.

PRAYER VIGILS : If you are a Prayer Vigil coordinator for your local church, don’t hesitate to reply to this email if you are having trouble filling your requests. We’ll put out an e-mail alert and get them filled ASAP. If you have questions contact Joanne Lawrence at Granny9001@hotmail.com .

NEW LIFE WEB SITE : Check it out at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/newlife-sanantonio .

CLOSING THOUGHTS : Sent in by Jeff Holbrook

But it was the folks in Heaven

Who made me sputter and gasp--

The thieves, the liars, the sinners,

The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade

Who swiped my lunch money! twice.

Next to him was my old neighbor

Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought

Was rotting away in hell,

Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,

Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?

I would love to hear Your take.

How'd all these sinners get up here?

God must've made a mistake.

'And why's everyone so quiet,

So somber - give me a clue.'

'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all

in shock.

No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT.

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a

Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...

Every sinner has a FUTURE!