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Seashore District Volunteer Center VIM project -- Completed
Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
December 2001 |
A message from First Lady Laura Bush
Dear Friends:
The tragic events of September 11 resulted in loss and heartache of a kind that none of us could ever have imagined. The President and I are proud of the spirit of giving we have seen in Americans during this trying time and the way in which we have come together, answering grief and adversity with kindness and courage.
My hope is that you will continue to remember the bereaved, the injured and the great many heroes including our police, firefighters, emergency medical crews and members of the military who protect us and our freedoms every day.
The President and I believe strongly in the power of God in our lives, and find strength in our faith in difficult times. We are grateful for all that you are doing to move forward and to help others heal..
We send great admiration and best wishes.
Sincerely,
Laura BushEditor's note: These remarks were given at the "A Time to Heal" gathering in New York in late October. The President and Mrs. Bush are United Methodists.
Needing Christmas more than ever
Stores are filled with Christmas gifts and shoppers. Last night TV aired a gruesome report on [terrorism], then followed up by saying it was just a matter of time before the enemy attacks again.
It seems we are living life in slow motion as these events unfold, while wanting to rush toward the celebration of anything good we can find to grab on to. Christmas wears very differently this year. Even if it looks the same, it is likely to feel very different inside everyone's heart. We need Christmas this year!
Family, friends and home feel warmer and softer and they satisfy us in a way they didn't just a few months ago. Almost everyone has taken a personal inventory and asked, What's next -- is the unthinkable possible, right here? How can I cope with this new reality? These thoughts seem like terrible intrusions on our holidays.
We aren't waiting for New Year's to make resolutions this year. At the top of many lists is to have a closer walk with the Lord, to have an opportunity to resolve conflicts with relatives and friends that have gone on too long, to find more time for being with family and friends, to remember to say I love you more often.
We need more of God's grace and peace to get us through our new awareness of evil and the revelation that we are its target. Tragedy and vulnerability have a way of setting our priorities in order. Most of us are looking for something extra special out of Christmas this year even if we can't put it in words.
What we need most of all is to develop our relationship with the Christ of Christmas and to surrender to him more than ever before! God never intended for us to live life or face evil on our own. It is through him we find courage and peace in the face of fear and uncertainty. We also need each other. We need the intimacy and encouragement of our family and the fellowship of other believers. Christ promises to be there. It is in his presence that we find the comforts of Christmas.
We can make Christmas special this year by focusing on the reason God sent a baby Jesus to a world of people in need of a savior. A home filled with Jesus and the love and togetherness of family is the greatest gift we can our give children. It will take them farther in life and give them more personal confidence than anything that can be wrapped in a pretty package.
As we surrender our fears and uncertainties and lives to Christ, he is sure to take us into the new year filled with a peace that many won't understand. What a gift we have to share with them and what an example to live before our children!
Tim C. Bowling, Youth Director
Newburgh UMC
The new 'peace movement'
Regarding the effort to begin some kind of "Peace Movement": It may be news to all those doing so, but I just wanted them to know that there is already a wonderful and amazing Peace Organization that's available. It's called the Local United Methodist Church, and they gather every Sunday Morning and in many locations, at other times during the week.
Check out the true Peace Movement that I'm a part of -- The United Methodist Church. We have our rallies every Sunday!
Steve Conner, Pastor
Church of the Covenant UMC
Fort Wayne
Last updated on 01/14/2004