New
Life News – June 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 Jerry Beverly and is titled “The Wicker Basket”
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth." Job 19:25
The Wicker Basket
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him, tried to imitate him in any way he could. One day the grandson asked, 'Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?' The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, 'Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.'
The boy did as he was told, Even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, 'You will have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was 'impossible to carry water in a basket,' and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough,' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, 'See Papa, it's useless!'
'So you think it is useless?' The old man said, 'Look at the basket.' The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different.
Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean. 'Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.'
Moral of the wicker basket story: Take time to read a portion of God's word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word.
Thought for Today: Gods Love is like the ocean, you can see
its beginnings but not its end.
NEXT
GATHERING : The
June Gathering will take place at 7:00 pm this
coming Tuesday, June 16th at Alamo UMC. Directions: Take FM78 West from Loop
1604 and turn left at Foster Rd. The
church will be about one mile down on the right. Join us as we welcome the new community
members from Walk 1503.
2009 GATHERING SCHEDULE :
July 11 Joint Gathering: Church In The Valley, Canyon Lake (See atched
Flyer and below)
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.
SAN ANTONIO JOINT GATHERING :
Hello to you all,
I want to extend an invitation to everyone for the July Greater San Antonio
Emmaus Joint Gathering. I have attached a brochure for the event with all
of the particulars. I want to specifically mention that we are also
hosting Carleen Alderman that day for Triennium Training. It is required
of all board members and our doors are open if you still need to fill that
requirement.
We are also having a big bbq that day during which we are opening our doors to
all fourth day groups (Emmaus, Acts, Cursillo, Kairos, Via de Cristo, et al)
and are seeking praise bands to play in the afternoon in a pretty open format.
If your music team or someone you know would like to play, please bring
them along.
I would appreciate an rsvp for the Triennium Training so we can be ready and
would also appreciate an rsvp for any praise bands that would like to play.
Thank you all and De Colores.
See you in July.
Lee White
President
Del Sol Industrial Services, Inc.
830-935-4430
830-935-4048 FAX
830-237-7760 Cell
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, 6:45 pm.
St Andrew's UMC: Fridays, quarterly.
Universal City UMC: 1st Sunday, every even month (except
Dec) 7 pm – Next Gathering will be in August.
2009
WALK SCHEDULE :
Walk# Dates Lay
Director Site
1524 October
8 – 11 Joe Amend Mt Wesley
NEW
LIFE BOARD NEWS :
Effective with our June Gathering we will start using the newly formatted and changed “Purple Book.” Any future walk that our community conducts will use the new book (including this past weekends Walk 1503) and all team members and pilgrims will be issued the new book. If you would like to purchase a copy of the new book we will have them available at all future gatherings. The New Communion Liturgy will be shown on the overhead screen for future Gatherings in case you do not have the new book.
FROM THE LAY DIRECTOR
:
Walk
Lay Director and Board Rep Training will take place at the following locations
Aug
15 -
Johnson City
Sep
19 -
Beeville
Oct
17 -
Kerrville
All
Lay Directors and Board Reps must attend training within 15 months of their
walk date. Spiritual Directors must attend
training every three years. Please check
the conference Emmaus WEB Site for specifics on times and locations.
Jim Talbott, New Life Lay Director
BOARD NEWS :
The regular New Life Board Meeting has been postponed one week to July 26. We will still meet at Schertz UMC at 2:00 but one week later than originally scheduled. If you are a member of the Board please try to attend since we have some documents that need to be signed. We will get a report from Chivi Dagg about Walk 1503 at CTI.
We will ask Joe Amend about his progress forming the Walk 1524 team and what we
need to do to help it along if anything. Please start recruiting pilgrims
for Walk 1524. We know pilgrims will enjoy the weekend; we just have to
make sure they get the opportunity to be on one.
Remember, the conference wants all board members to attend triennium training
and there will be a session on June 20th, another on July 11 at the joint
gathering at Canyon Lake and there will be some others as well. The
conference website should have the dates.
Additionally we will try to firm up our Lay Director
selections for 2010.
Thanks
Jim Talbott, New Life Lay Director
EVERYDAY-USE TIP
OF THE MONTH : How
to Lock Your Car and Why:
I locked my car and as I walked
away, I heard my car door unlock. I went back and locked my car again 3 times.
I looked around and saw 2 guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the
store. When I looked straight at them, they did not unlock my car again.
While traveling, my son stopped
at a roadside park. He came out to his car less than 5 minutes later and found
someone had gotten into his car and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS
navigator, and briefcase.
He called the police but there
were no signs of his car being broken into. The police told him that there is a
device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock the
doors on your car using your key-chain locking device.
They sit a distance away and
watch for their next victim. They know that you are going inside the store,
restaurant, or bathroom, and they have a few minutes to steal and run. The
police officer said that we should manually lock our car doors by hitting the
lock button inside the car. Then if there is someone sitting in a parking lot
watching for their next victim, it will not be you.
When you hit the lock button
inside your car upon exiting, it does not send the security code. If you walk
away and use the door lock on your key chain, it sends the code through the
airwaves where it can be stolen. Something totally new to us, and real.
Be aware of this and please
pass this note on.
Snopes Approved. Please share
with everyone you know.... Good information! !!
PUN OF THE MONTHJJJ :
Courtesy of Neil Bys
I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel. JJJ
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 continue to hold the Clark family of Alamo UMC in you prayers.
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 “To God.com”
Dear
Lord,
Every single evening
As I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my
head:
God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm
And safe from harm
For they're so close to
me.
And God, there is one more
thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don't mind me
asking,
Please bless my computer
too.
Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you,
Lord.
You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and
ends;
Inside those small
compartments
Rest so many of my
friends.
I know so much about them
By the kindness that
they give,
And this little scrap of
metal
Takes me in to where they
live.
By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life
brings us
And from that our
friendships grew.
Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my
address book
That's filled with so much
love.
Wherever else this
prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits
'send'.
When you update your
Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says
this prayer
Sent up to GOD.Com
Amen