Weekly Newsletter Jan, 7

I felt very nervous as a freshman at my college in small-town Virginia. It was nothing like Philadelphia. This was my first time being away from home and on my own so my first week was awkward: orientation, trying to figure out which side of my dorm room was the best, meeting my classmates and upperclassmen, finding out where the dining hall was, getting schedules and figuring out the fastest routes across campus to classes. All-in-all my first year went well -- then home for summer break. A friend of my mother's mentioned a part-time job opening for a clerk typist and thought I may be interested in applying. The money part sounded wonderful! However, the only job experience I had was working after school at Woolworth's for one year, and my typing experience consisted of three years of typing classes. Yikes! I filled out the application anyway, was interviewed and got the job. Woo-hoo!
 
The next August I was back to school, but my classes frustrated me. The school did not offer what I really wanted to major in. Plus, I began to get a little homesick. By the end of second year I decided to transfer to a school closer to home. When a few bad incidents occurred just during the first week, I began to realize that the school was low on academics and high on socialization. But I had to stay there. I had to give it my best. Maybe things would get better. They didn't. I was unhappy but I didn't dare tell my mother. I couldn't wait for Fridays so I go home for the weekend. I was miserable but little did I know my misery was eventually going to come to a positive end.
 
I took a swimming class and had to walk all the way across campus to get to the gym. Too many walks with wet hair gave me colds and severe sore throats. The campus nurse sent me to an Ear-Nose-Throat doctor. The diagnosis: "Tonsils, secondary to infection. Must be removed as soon as possible." The procedure was scheduled for two weeks before the end of the semester.
 
I stayed home recovering from surgery. Besides thinking about all the pain I was in, my thoughts drifted to school. I missed finals and would have to study to take them later or repeat the courses in the Fall. But I didn't want to go back—ever. What was I going to do??? God knew how much I did not want to return to that school, but I couldn't transfer again and I had no job experience to speak of except for the summer part-time job I held years before.
 
Wait a minute!!! That job! Light bulb moment! It was long shot but I called the employer to see if perhaps there were any openings! Praise God there was an opening and they were willing to wait until I was fully recovered from my surgery to take me back! When I returned to that job, they trained me in accounting and I remained there for nine years!!!

God made a way when I thought there was no way!!
 
We remember after Jesus’ birth, Wise Men visited the child who would make the way for all people to see and experience God’s life-changing love. Sometimes God’s way takes time to play out, but we can always trust Him to get us there.
 
"Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!"

After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. -- Matthew 2: 7-11

We are here to love God and all people so that all people may experience the

life-changing love of Jesus!

LOVE - We meet every weekend to experience God's love for us and show His love for others.

SERVE- We use our abilities, talents, skills, and passions for the good of others.

ENGAGE - We engage with friends to care for one another and to make new friends so they may experience God's kindness too. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us back our first love.

- April Loper-Brown, Children's Ministry Director