October 2016 newsletter

House-to-House

Family of Hope House Church          October 2016

Raising Our GQ (Gratitude Quotient)                                    

We may all wish for more intelligence, but when it comes to living a truly good life, our IQ may be less important than our GQ. 

If we choose to live on the gratitude-deficit side of a GQ scale, we will likely experience some or all of the following:

- Seeing ourselves as victims with an unfair share of problems.

- Feeling down or depressed much of the time.

- Blaming others, being critical of others, seeing them as the source of  our problems.

- Feeling like the world owes us.

However, if we choose to live on the gratitude-rich side of the graph, we will experience more of the following:

- Seeing ourselves as privileged, with an undeserved share of blessings.

- Feeling positive and hopeful most of the time.

- Seeing others as fellow human beings worthy of our care and concern.

- Feeling indebted to God and to God's children around the world.

There may not be much we can do to improve our IQ, but living a life of gratitude is a choice we make every day. It's not that everything we experience in life will be good, but we will celebrate the good we can find in, around and through whatever a day brings.

We can respond as author Ann Vos camp did following tragedy after tragedy in her life. In her book “One Thousand Gifts: A Dare  to Live Fully Right Where You Are”, she invites us to journey with her in celebrating 1000 blessings, large and small, that we can discover and celebrate in our ordinary, everyday lives.                     -Harvey Yoder

Notes, prayers and praises 

• OCTOBER BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Joyce Ulrich 10/14, and Elly Nelson 10/28!
• LOIS RIVERA-WENGER is leaving for a two week trip October 12 to visit her daughter and family in Uganda. Pray for a safe trip!
• DAVID WEAVER now lives in Room 214 in the Dogwood   neighborhood at Crestwood at VMRC. His cell number is 421-4504.
• FOH will be joining the 10 am EMU event on October 16 in which     Harvey Yoder will be recognized as Alumnus of the Year. 

October Lectionary readings

2  Lamentations 1:1-6, 3:19-26  Psalm 137  2 Timothy 1:1-14  Luke      

     17:5-10

9  Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7  Psalm 66:1-12  2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

    2 Timothy 2:8-15 Luke 17:11-19

16 Jeremiah 31:27-34 Genesis 32:22-31  Psalm 121  2 Timothy 3:14-4:5   

     Luke 18:1-8

23 Joel 2:23-32  Psalm 65;  84:1-7  2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Luke 18:9-14

30 Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 Psalm 119:137-144  Isaiah 1:10-18  

     2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12  Luke 19:1-10

October services worship at 4, meal at 6 

2 Location: Lois Rivera-Wenger 204 Homes Ln Staunton  502-663-3195

Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer

Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                        Meal provided by Lois!                                  
9 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802     574-6141

Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder

Bible Study: Paul Swarr    Carry-in Meal 

16 Location: 10 am EMU Chapel Auditorium Alumni Service  432-0531

Noon meal provided at EMU for FOH member guests 

23 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Drive 22802  564-1524 

Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell                                            

Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                                     Carry-in Meal           

30 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave   432-0531                   

Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger                                      

Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                            Finger Foods Meal

September 2016 newsletter

House-to-House

Family of Hope House Church                  September 2016

Cease Fire                                     -Harvey Yoder

God is our refuge and strength

an ever present help in times of trouble…

God brings an end to war everywhere. 

God breaks bows into pieces, 

   snaps spears in two; 

   burns chariots in fire.

God cries, "Halt! Drop your weapons!

Acknowledge me as sovereign over all nations!”

- from Psalm 46 

We're accustomed to reading the words "Be still and know that I am God" in the above text as a call to quiet reflection. But it's clear from the context that it's really a command to pay attention to our commander-in-chief, to listen up and stop the bloody wars we're engaging in. 

     The Hebrew word still (“rapa") means to "let down" or "cease", to stop whatever we're doing.

     In today's troubled world, nothing could be more urgent than having all nations lay down their arms rather than investing in ever more deadly ways of producing death and destruction.

     Escalating conflicts set off by shock and awe invasions and iron-fisted dictatorships are exacting a terrible toll all over the Middle East, and it is the innocent who suffer most. In Syria alone there are 6.5 million internally displaced refugees, and over 4 million have fled to other countries. 

     The world simply can't afford war anymore. We must declare it over, no matter what that costs us.

     Because continuing on our present course, fighting evil with evil, will cost us even more, and result in unimaginable disaster.

     God says, "Be still! Stop!”  

     The whole world needs to listen.

Notes, prayers and praises 

• SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to David Weaver (9/23), and congratulations to Billy and Karla May on their anniversary (9/3).
• EMILY VANDEVANDER has recently moved to an apartment of her own. Her phone number is 540-271-0853.
• THE MENNONITE RELIEF SALE will be held at the Rockingham                Fair Grounds October 1-2.
• NURTURING AND ENCOURAGING WOMEN, an organization focused on Ethiopia, will have a fund raising dinner at 5:30, Friday, September 6 at Lindale Mennonite Church. Call 432-9064 to register.

 September Lectionary readings

4   Jeremiah 18:1-11  Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18  Deuteronomy 30:15-20

     Philemon 1:1-21  Luke 14:25-33

11 Jeremiah 4:11-28  Psalm 14   Exodus 32:7-14  1 Timothy 1:12-17  

     Luke 15:1-10

18 Jeremiah 8:18-9:1  Psalm 79:1-9  Amos 8:4-7  1 Timothy 2:1-7

     Luke 16:1-13

25 Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15  Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16  Amos 6:1a, 4-7

    1 Timothy 6:6-19  Luke 16:19-31

September services worship at 4, meal at 6 

4 Location: Family Life Resource Center                                432-0531

Worship and Sharing: Elly Nelson                                      
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                              Finger Foods Meal
11 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141

Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder  

Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                       Carry-in Meal 

18 Location: We meet with the Table fellowship at the Dean House, just across Water Street from the Community Mennonite Church, at 4:30 pm.             

25 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Drive 22802 564-1524 

Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell                                            

Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                                 Carry-in Meal