January 2012 newsletter

House-to-House
 Family of Hope House Church                                     January 2012


Making Resolutions Work    - Harvey Yoder

One of the key factors in experiencing personal growth and change is to “begin with the end in mind,” to first be able to picture the outcome we want, i.e., the new and improved self that, with God’s help, we see ourselves becoming.   

One way to start is with a written description of that self, one done in the present tense, as though it were already true. As in, “By faith I am someone who.... I am able to...” etc. This is not to envision being some super man or woman, but simply a healthy, whole person, the kind of person we would want our own son or daughter to be. This is a bit like when we are putting a jigsaw puzzle together, with this kind description being like the picture on the puzzle box we keep in front of us as we work at fitting all the pieces together.

The second part of achieving change has to do with repeated practice, where we keep engaging in the kinds of  behaviors that are congruent with that picture, that description of our improved self.     

Practice can be of two kinds, one involving a lot of mental rehearsals in which we engage our minds in new responses to challenging situations in our lives. In doing so, we help retrain our brains to successfully live out the new behaviors we want to have become new habits and new patterns in our lives.

The other kind of practice, of course, is to actually engage in these behaviors in the real life situations we confront every day.

So first of all, we need to picture a new and more healthy, whole self, then engage in the hard work it takes to practice that self’s Christ-like behaviors over and over again until they become more natural to us. 

Notes, prayers and praises

 * OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS OFFERING for Heifer International totaled $541.29, more than enough to buy a heifer (or two water buffaloes), plus a rabbit and a small flock of chickens for a needy family abroad. 

 * BERTHA SWARR has returned home after a stay at Oak Lea.  BILLY MAY is scheduled for hip surgery January 23. MICHAEL RIVIERA-WENGER remains at home in a stable but weakened condition.

 * JANUARY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to James Stauffer 1/8, Susan Campbell 1/17,  Becky Morlan 1/28, Dick Dumas 1/30!
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January lectionary readings

1  Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 Psalm 8 Revelation 21:1-6a Matthew 25:31-46
8  Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29  Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11
15 1 Samuel 3:1-20 Psalm 139:1-18 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51
22 Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 62:5-12 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20
29 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28

January services    worship at 4 pm, meal at 6               

1 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802         574-6141
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                        Carry-in Meal

8 Location:   Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Drive, K’town   908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vlasits
Annual FOH “business meeting” c/o Harvey Yoder                  Carry-in Meal     

15 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Avenue    432-0531
Worship and Sharing
Bible Study, church goal-setting: Skip and Carol Tobin      Finger foods meal

22 Location: Rachel Stoltzfus 1359 Two Penny Drive                     433-3983
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                                          Carry-in Meal

29 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802             564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                          Carry-in Meal