All Saints Day

We had a great time last night at the All Saints Party. A great big thank you to the youth for treating us to an awesome time!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was reading in a book this weekend and found this quote. I think it is something we all need to be reminded:

"Life is not a game we win, and God is not a trophy we merit. No matter how "good" we are, we are not good enough for God. On the other hand, no matter how "bad" we are, we can never be outside of God. We can only hope in each instance to come to such a consciousness of God that no lesser gods can capture our attention and no trifling, self-centered gods can keep us from the fullness of awareness that is the fullness of Life. It is the project of life, this coming to Wholeness, this experience of Purpose beyond all purposes, this identification with everything that is." - Joan Chittister author of Illuminated Life
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Sunday School this week the children started a new stewardship curriculum. It is all about God's Toolbox and the tools that he gives us to serve Him and others.

This is the story that the children were read:

The Story of the Farmer Who Didn’t Share
Can you think of a time when you didn’t want to share?

We all know what it is like to feel selfish and not wanting to share. Adults are like that too. All of us have times like that. But, selfishness hurts us. So, we all need help from Jesus to become thankful and generous. To help us Jesus told us this story.
A farmer had a little red barn. He worked very hard to plant his crop in the soil and it grew because God made the sun shine. God made rain to fall, watering the plants and helping them grow. I can imagine this famer was very thankful to God for all God gave – the seeds, the soil, the sun, and the rain. I’m sure that he said a thank-you prayer to God every time he and his family sat down to eat.
What thank you prayer do you think they said? Maybe it is like one you say? What about mealtime prayers? My favorite mealtime prayer is “God is great; God is good; and we thank him for our food. By his hand, we all are fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen.” It is important to keep saying thank you prayers to God so we remember all that God does for us.
I think this farmer went to church every Sunday with his family, too. Just as you are all here today. Important things happen here in church. Can you tell me some of those important things that we do here on Sunday mornings? (offering, singing, acolytes, Sunday School, KidsWorship, reading the Bible, talking with friends, worshiping God, greeting visitors, etc)
We need to stay close to God. The farmer did at first, but listen to what happened.
His fields grew so much wheat. He put it into the little red barn, and it got so full that it nearly burst! So, he tore it down and built a new larger barn. He worked hard every day. He got too busy to say thank you prayers at mealtimes and too busy to go to church on Sundays. He forgot all the ways God helped him. He wasn’t thankful anymore. He complained a lot, forgot about the poor and hungry people God wanted him to help and didn’t give gifts back to God anymore. There was no smile on his face anymore. He got grumpy and sad and became someone who worried about money instead of being thankful to God.
Jesus taught us that we cannot be happy if we pile up money and things to keep all for ourselves without giving any of it back to God or to other people. Do you think Jesus is able to make this farmer thankful, happy, and generous again? Only Jesus can help us all to be thankful and generous. Let us ask Jesus to help us be thankful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A small devotional thought for the day:
Sharing His Love
Luke 6:38

Give your child a piece of candy (a Hershey Kiss). Tell them that they can decide to keep their Kiss or they can take it and give it to someone else. It is their choice. However, remind them that you freely gave them the kiss it wasn’t for any reason but that you love them. A kiss is one way that we can use to show someone that we love them. Another way that we can look at it is that this Kiss represents God’s love for you. God’s love is given freely. We don’t have to pay for it. Jesus paid the price when He died on the cross. When you have God’s love, you can keep it to yourself, or you can choose to share it with another. The more you choose to share God’s love the more you get in return. That’s the way it is for the Hershey Kiss. If you choose to give it away there will be more given in return.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for us. That you that you freely give us your love. Help us to remember to share love with others.