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Gwen’s Note

<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Madeleine L’Engel= wrote: “Possible thing= s are easy to believe. The Gl= orious Impossibles are those things that bring joy to our hearts, hope to o= ur lives, songs to our lips.” = Advent and Christmas do not need to be explained; they need to be ex= perienced.

<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> It is the season of end= less lists, events, and things to do. = ; It is too easy for the season to fly by us before we take the time= to be present to the magic, beauty, and mystery held in each moment. When I ran this morning, I ran in = the snow! Was there a message= for me this morning from God? Yes! God is always transfor= ming life into something beautiful no matter how broken, messy, miserable, = or busy life is. God is alway= s trying to get us to notice the beauty in life. We will miss it if we are always re-living our past or = planning for the future.

<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> What does it take for y= ou to wake up to the present moment? = For me, it has taken many things from being thrown off my horse to = holding a baby in my arms. I = hope that the worship services and events of December will help you to wake= up to the present moment. Go= d interrupted the lives of ordinary people long, long ago—the prophet= s, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, the innkeeper, shepherds, the = magi. Some lives were transfo= rmed, some were not. How is G= od interrupting your life today? How is your life being transformed?&nb= sp; This is a holy time—don’t miss it. Be present to the glorious impossibles happeni= ng every day, every moment. B= e attentive and intentional in all that you do. See you in church!

Blessings, <\_~

Gwen // ||

Thought for the Day

Christmas is = forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put = away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself.
~Norman W. Brooks,

"Let Eve= ry Day Be Christmas"

UMW

Cookies and More

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> The sign-= up poster is beginning to fill up for Cookies 'n' More helpers and recipes = are dancing in bakers and candy makers minds as our church prepares for the= big event on Saturday, Dec. 9. Check out the sign-up sheet in the Fellowsh= ip Hall to pick the schedule = that works best for you.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Both wome= n and men in the congregation are invited to prepare cookies and other good= ies for the sale. Items shoul= d be brought to the church on Friday, Dec. 8, so they can be prepared for d= isplay and sale the next day, beginning at 10 a.m.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> If you ha= ven't yet chosen a time to help, there are lots of choices.

V= olunteers are needed to set up and price goodies on Friday, Dec. 8, and to = assist with the sale on Saturday. All hands are welcome and needed.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> This is a= lso a good time to invite friends and neighbors to join you some time betwe= en 11 and 1 for a delicious soup and pie luncheon. Encourage everyone to co= me early for the best selection of sweet treats and cookies before sitting = down to a tempting bowl of soup.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> If you ha= ven't experienced Cookies 'n' More before, you have a treat in store. The entire Fellowship Hall is resp= lendent with long tables holding platters of delicious small, decorative ho= liday cookies as well as a variety of other sweet treats, sold by the pound= . Customers pick their own as= sortment of cookies as they proceed down the tables while gloved helpers be= hind the tables place their choices in plastic boxes.

What a great way to stock up for the holidays and, at the same time, help = our United Methodist Women earn funds that they contribute to a variety of = worthy causes in the community and beyond.

The Anatomy of Hope : A Book Review

<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Again I am gratef= ul to Gary Enschede for bringing another excellent resource to my attention= . After consultation with Gwen and Laura, we have purchased a copy for the = church library. The book is titled

T= he Anatomy of Hope : How People Prevail in the Face of Illness

b= y Jerome Groopman M.D..

<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Like many skilled= and gifted medical professionals. Dr. Groopman, a hematologist and oncolog= ist, began working with cancer patients with little or no understanding abo= ut the critical importance that hope played in their lives. 35 years later,= after journeying through many deaths and many miracles, Dr. Groopman has w= ritten this book to share what he has learned about hope. In many critical = instances, he has discovered that hope has played a critical role in a pati= ent’s journey through life threatening illness.

<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Indeed Dr. Groopm= an, himself, suffered a failed spinal surgery and lived with debilitating, = chronic pain for over 19 years. It was only

a= fter a medical colleague suggested that Groopman was worshipping the “= ;volcano good of pain “ that he began a long rehabilitation program

t= hat led him to discover the importance of hope in his own life.<= /span>

T= his is a very important and helpful book for persons dealing with life- thr= eatening disease or declining health. Along with such classics as Harold Ku= shner’s When Bad Things Happen to Good People and John Carmody’= s Living with God in Good Times and Bad, The Anatomy of Hope offers wisdom = and support to help us live more fully and abundantly in the face of our hu= man frailty and vulnerability.

= ~Lefty Schultz

Visitation Pastor

Our Mission Project…. Christmas Baskets Update

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Annual Ch= ristmas baskets crunch time!! Organizing, plotting and planning well underw= ay.

C= ommunion Offering on 12/3 will be dedicated to the Food Baskets effort.

C= hurch participation is down this year. Members pledging support down 41%; p= ledged monies down 34% from last year.
In respon= se to this we have pared the number of families we are supporting from 75 t= o 50 this year.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Recipient= family information packets will be available during coffee time on Sunday = 12/3 to those pledging basket support. Those not picked up will be mailed o= ut 12/4.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Please ha= ve pledged monies into the office no later than Sunday 12/10. Remember to n= ote “Christmas Baskets” in the memo field on your checks. Thank= s!

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Please dr= op off purchased toys from the Toy Drive (felt badges) into the church no l= ater than Sunday 12/10. If the toys are to be designated to specific famili= es please include the family number and child’s name attached to the = gift.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Purchased= foodstuffs (no perishables) should be dropped off at the church no later t= han Wednesday 12/13.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Those del= ivering their own boxes will need to check in at the church prior to delive= ry on Sat 12/16. We will provide delivery instructions, and a packet of chu= rch and community support literature for delivery.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Wrapping = paper… we are need of wrapping paper, bows, ribbon and tape for the t= oy drive gifts. If you have excess, or yester-years patterns, think about d= onating to our cause. Please drop by the office no later than Wed 12/13.

Any questions call Bruce Pederson at (503)681-0968 or (503)784-4819
Toy Drive questions call Colette Nordstrom at (503)547-8701

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> December = for United Methodist Women means not only the monthly meeting and preparati= ons for the big fundraiser of the year, Cookies 'n' More, but also looking = ahead to 2007.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> New progr= ams are being planned, officers elected, and the UMW prayer chain updated. = During Linda Cornish's recuperation from surgery, Marilyn Turnbull is recei= ving requests for the prayer chain, passing on concerns for those in and be= yond our congregation who are in need of prayer. Anyone not on that chain who would like to be added or = deleted is asked to call her so the new list will be complete when publishe= d.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> The churc= h also has an e-mail prayer alert system.&= nbsp; Those wishing to be included should contact Laura Lillegard in= the church office.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> The 2007 = yearbook will be distributed at the January unit meeting, to be held Jan. 3= , beginning at 10 a.m. The pr= ogram will be presented by Dottie Waltz, who has been instrumental in start= ing 21 prayer shawl groups.

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Several k= nitters in our congregation have already been knitting these special shawls= . They are presented to peopl= e experiencing serious health problems, grief or other situations in which = they need comfort and support.

The January meeting will give those attending more information about this = special ministry.

Give the Gift That Changes the World

L= ooking for an alternative Christmas gift for "someone who has

e= verything"? Here's a sug= gestion. The United Methodist= Committee on Relief's Christmas Wish List gives gift ideas for those looki= ng to give to others this season. Gifts that serve others honor the birth of Jesus and show our concern = for the whole family of God. = As always, 100 percent of UMCOR donations go to the designated program. Gifts can be made in honor of so= meone as well as giving directly to the program. Those wishing to give a gi= ft in honor of a loved one can receive a card from UMCOR to let that person= know of the gift that was made in his or her name if the order is received= by Dec. 12.

<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Call UMCOR to fin= d out more about this program at 1-800-553-8583 or visit <http://new.gbg= m-umc.org/umcor/getconnected/resources/christmas/>

<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Here's how an UMC= OR gift of bees helped change African Victor Kkpe's life. They helped his f= amily, added to his community in Ghana, and now he's telling other farmers = how bees can do the same for them. Each year he used the profits from selli= ng honey, beeswax, and propolis, the glue bees collect from certain tree bu= ds, to grow his business.

Mr. Kkpe h= as trained some 400 farmers in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Democratic Republi= c of Congo through UMCOR's Sustainable Agriculture and Development program = since 2003. He is among a group of trainers who teach appropriate sustainab= le agriculture techniques to farmers in Africa.