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Windows Into Zion is the monthly newsletter of Zion Mennonite Church. The publishers are Dorothy Hartman and Myrna Piper. Return to the Newsletter Archives. Please note that calendar information and the Worship Schedule are located on the Calendar page.
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Volume 12 |
Number 4
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May/June 2007
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Bread -Author Unknown Be gentle When you touch bread. Let it not lie Uncared for - unwanted. So often bread Is taken for granted. There is so much beauty In bread - Beauty of sun and soil, Beauty of patient toil Winds and rains have caressed it, Christ often blessed it. Be gentle When you touch bread. When I read this, I thought of Dad and Mom Alger. Bread has been an important part of their lives over the years. Mom was the baker for most of their married life, but Dad has learned how to make good bread in recent years. Between all the loaves they have made for their family, to share with others and for communion services, they have been a blessing to many people. -Judy Alger When is a house a home? A house is a home when it is infused with love, when there is acceptance that never wavers, and where there is always food for the mind, for the spirit, for the body, and for those in need. Is the place where you live a house or a home? Is the place where you worship with your church family God's house or God's home? |
A Grateful Heart -Joann Henderson Many thanks go out to my Zion family for supporting me over these past four years while I completed my M.A. in Counseling. I appreciate the many ways you have shown this through matching grants, encouraging words, interest in what I am doing, cards, and prayers. Some of you have asked what I will do now. First, I want to regain my footing and balance, returning to just a normal busy life rather than the one that has felt slightly out of control. I am most looking forward to spending more time with my family, friends, and self. I will continue offering pastoral care and counseling in the office at Linville Creek Church of the Brethren. I have served 18 people there over the past year-and-a-half on a donation basis, turning those over to the church for the office space they are letting me use. I have seen men and women ranging in age from eight to 75 years old including students from JMU, BRCC, and EMU. I have served people from Mt. Crawford to Bergton including those who attend church as well as those who don't. Now that I have graduated I will continue offering services on a sliding scale fee as a Certified Pastoral Care Specialist with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and as a Virginia license eligible counselor in residency. I will continue working with individuals, couples, families, and facilitate groups. I will be working with Andrea Beiber at the Family Life Resource Center offering an art therapy group for those experiencing grief and loss beginning May 21 (you may contact FLRC if you are interested in that group) and will offer other groups there in the future. I will also offer workshops and groups to local churches and community groups on issues including grief and loss, eating disorders and body image, marriage and family issues, personal and spiritual growth, parenting, healthy boundaries, dealing with crises, issues impacting teens, sexual assualt, trauma, and substance abuse. Other issues will be addressed as requested. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, described vocation as "when what you love to do meets the crushing need of the world." I have found mine and appreciate the years of life lessons that have brought me to this place. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow with each of you as I grow this ministry as well. Again, thank you. I could not have done this without the support of my family, my church, and the Holy One. Blessings to each of you. Girls club tea -Dawn Mast On April 21st the Girls Club transformed the fellowship hall into a delightful little tea room. The beautifully decorated tables had centerpieces, china tea pots and cups. There were many different flavors of tea to choose from as well as enormous fluffy muffins, fresh fruit and Deb King's delicious homemade scones. The young ladies from the Girls Club were the perfect hostesses, appearing often to fill our tea pots with hot water and making sure we had plenty of refreshments. The speaker was Ann Swartz who is a nurse at a local doctor's office. She also works on the labor and delivery floor at RMH and several of the women recognized her from there! Ann is originally from England so she was the perfect person to share with us about the proper way to have tea. She was quick to point out that she didn't know where this "pinkie out while drinking tea" habit came from, but it wasn't necessary. Here are some of her tips for having a proper tea: 1) It's improper to boil the water for tea more than once. She shared that her father was such a tea expert he could tell how many times the water in his cup of tea had been boiled just by tasting it. 2) In case someone stops by your house unexpectedly be ready to offer them tea by having tea items ready at all times. This includes loose tea leaves, tea bags, jam and biscuits as well as a dish towel that you can casually throw over your dirty dishes to hide them! 3) A tea cozy is a large mitt looking item that can be placed over the tea pot in order to keep the water warm. There are two holes in the cozy; one for the handle and one for the spout. I thought for certain Ann would launch into a round of "I'm a little tea pot" at this point, but sadly, she did not. Ann summed up how she feels about tea by rephrasing Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Instead she said, "Taste the tea. M-mm the Lord is good." A big thank you to the Girls Club for hosting a lovely tea for the ladies at Zion. You are a blessing! |
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Update on fellowship hall construction -Amy Rush The excitement of switching over to the new parking lot is now several weeks in the past and the excavation of the actual building site has gone amazingly fast over the last two weeks. The crews continue to work on the curb and guttering in the new parking lot area, but no paving will be done until the whole site is ready. A special thanks to Radell Schrock, Jimmy Shrock, and Grant Stoltzfus for their umbrella escorts and directions every Sunday morning. On to the building...as of Tuesday, April 30, the digging of footers has been completed most of the way around the new building site, and soon the footers will be poured. Over the next several weeks, the block foundation will be laid and the mechanical work that will be underneath the floor installed. The next real visible step for most of us non-contractor type of people will be seeing the concrete floor poured. A sub-committee that will be in charge of selection of furnishings and the decorating of the new building has recently been formed by the Building Committee and CLT. Marv Nisly will be the building committee member/liason on that sub-committee, serving along with Kathy Alderfer, Brenda Fairweather, & Joel Lehman. Information on what is coming next will be periodically posted on the bulletin board in the church foyer, but if you have any questions regarding the building, please feel free to talk to a building committee member: Tony Brenneman, Bob Fairweather, Marv Nisly, or Amy Rush |
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Tractor surprise -Elwood Yoder Eight years ago a big box mysteriously showed up on the Yoder doorstep just a few days before Christmas. The only identification on the label said, "Merry Christmas, Philip." When our six-year-old opened the package, he found a red Case pedal tractor, about three feet in length by about two feet high. Philip rode his surprise Christmas gift up and down the sidewalk, around the house, and on the edge of the road in front of our home. But who gave Philip the tractor? We asked all the neighbors, phoned grandparents in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and inquired with church friends. No one admitted to the deed. Then two weeks ago Joy and I told the Christmas tractor gift story one more time, this time to members of the Daphna Creek band as we ate a meal together before performing. After we finished Larry Yoder said, "Well I know who gave Philip the tractor." Upon further inquiry, and with a sly grin, he admitted to the deed. It seems that out of the generosity of their hearts, Marilyn & Larry had decided that Philip just had to have a riding tractor for Christmas. The thought of Larry sneaking up to our front door with a big box at night makes me laugh, but I'm even more grateful for one more example of the generosity of our many friends at Zion. Thanks Marilyn & Larry! Oh, we don't let the big kids at our house ride the red tractor anymore. We'll have to wait for another generation of little people in our house before the Case tractor gets peddled again. Women's Bible study -Dawn Mast For the past several months, the women's Bible study has been meeting in the fellowship hall to study the Beth Moore series, "A Heart like His>." This study about David may not sound like something that would hold the interest of 15 women, but we again find ourselves excitedly drawn into Scripture to explore the life and heart of David, God's anointed. Although he is called to be King of Israel, anointed by God and strong enough to slay Goliath, David also had his faults. Lots of them. He married many women even though God gave specific instructions to the contrary. He and his son, Absalom, had a tumultuous relationship that caused both of them pain. And he allowed himself to be seduced by Bathsheba causing a chain reaction of trouble. If anyone needed God's grace and mercy it was David. The pain of his sin and disobedience as well as his thankfulness to God for his providence and protection can be read in the Psalms. Over and over we saw David's heart that longed to be like God's and in the end, David proved himself to be fallible, but worthy of God's grace. The women who attend these Bible studies are hard worker and diligent about their attendance. In addition to an 11-week commitment there are five homework assignments that need to be completed each week. But it's not all work! To celebrate the end of our studies we spent the 12th session at Taste of Thai restaurant for a good time of fun and fellowship. Ponderous Ponderisms...
Did you know? Susanna Wesley was no stranger to suffering. She lived in the shadow of poverty, illness, and hardship. She gave birth to nineteen children, but nine of them died before the age of two. Still, she remainded faithful and committed herself to teaching her children the things of God. Though her huge family was squeezed into a tiny house, she valued quiet time with God, and she made sure she got it. When she sat down and pulled her apron over her head, her children knew not to disturb her: she was praying. Her faithfulness paid huge dividends. One of her sons, John, went on to found the Methodist Church. Another son, Charles, wrote over nine thousand hymns and remains one of the best-loved hymnists of all time. (From Thank You, Mom, Blue Sky Ink, Brentwood, Tenn.) Welcome... ...a new member in Zion's church family, Heather Vaccaro. ...Elijah Newton born to Chad & Laura Esch on March 2. ...Katelyn Anna born to Mike & Sarah Piper on March 2. |
Books and other materials added to the Zion library, April 2007 ADULT NONFICTION BOOKS The dieter's prayer book by Heather Harpham Kopp A time to be borne: comfort for mothers of miscarried babies by Dianna Overholt Good grief: a faith-based guide to understanding and healing by Granger E. Westberg If God is everywhere, why can't I find Him? by Kimberly Sadler Beyond the worship wars: building vital and faithful worship by Thomas G. Long When you're facing the empty nest: avoiding midlife meltdown when your child leaves home by Mary Ann Froehlich A dad-shaped hole in my heart by H. Norman Wright Bedside manners: a practical guide to visiting the ill by Katie Maxwell A culture of peace: God's vision for the church by Alan Kreider Choosing against war by John D. Roth Drawn to the cross: women who experienced the wonder & mystery of Christ's love by Linda Lesniewski Through fire & water by Harry Loewen New awakenings in an ancient land by Francesco Picone Girl talk: mother-daughter conversations on biblical womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney Happily remarried by David Frisbie Unfaithful: rebuilding trust after infidelity by Gary Shriver Family survival in an X-rated world by Adrian Rogers Parenting in the home stretch: 12 ways to prepare your kids for life on their own by Connie Neumann Protecting your teen from today's witchcraft by Steve Russo The DNA of parent-teen relationships: discover the key to your teen's heart by Gary Smalley Dad, if you only knew-: 8 things teens want to tell their fathers (but don't) by Josh Weidmann Overweight kids: spiritual, behavioral and preventative solutions by Linda Mintle Singing: a Mennonite voice by Marlene Kropf ADULT FICTION BOOKS: The Brethren by Beverly Lewis The Englisher by Beverly Lewis YOUNG ADULT BOOKS: What's the big deal? About sex: loving God's way by Jim Burgen The dirt on dating by Hayley DiMarco CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis The horse and his boy by C.S. Lewis The last battle by C.S. Lewis The lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C.S. Lewis The magician's nephew by C.S. Lewis The silver chair by C.S. Lewis The voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis Praying with our feet by Lisa D. Weaver VIDEOS: Buzby, the misbehaving bee by Max Lucado Flo, the lyin' fly by Max Lucado Hermie, a common caterpillar by Max Lucado Jay Jay the jet plane: being a friend Jay Jay the jet plane: fantastic faith Jay Jay the jet plane: sharing & giving In this time, in this place: five missional stories AUDIO BOOK MP3 audio Bible: King James Version |
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"I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:24 -Judy Nafziger STRESS..HOW DO WE COPE? As we all know, we can't escape stress in life. Are you showing some of these signals of stress?
The key to relieving stress is how we respond to it. The first step to reduce stress is to identify its source. Four common sources include: unrealistic goals, too many choices, too much to manage, and constant changes. Do any of these resonate with you? Next, choose a means of responding to stress. Set your priorities, talk to a trusted friend and God, learn to relax, and remember situations are often temporary. Take time this week to think about the source of your stress and ways to respond to it. (Source of info from MMA wellness resources) Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her. Proverbs 31:25-28 Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations, as all other causes combined. John Abbott A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. Washington Irving I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. Abraham Lincoln Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations, as all other causes combined. John Abbott My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. Mark Twain |
MUSINGS
Isabela and Zamira -Katherine Donnelly Some years ago when my father was carpooling from our home in Falls Church, Virginia, to his job in Washington, D.C, he met two remarkable women, Isabela and Zamira. They were sisters from Albania who had been in the United States for only a short time. Their family story is one of amazing courage. Isabela and Zamira, along with their older brother Klement, lived with their parents in Albania. At the time, Albania had one of the most oppressive Communist regimes in the world. As a teenager Klement was jailed for making anti-government comments to a friend. The rest of the family was sentenced to hard labor in a remote part of Albania, living in a two-room hut with no hope for the girls of further education or marriage. When Klement was released nine years later he began to convince his sisters of the need to escape. In spite of only minimal swimming skills their plan was to swim the six miles from the southern tip of Albania to the northern Greek island of Corfu. Leaving their parents one day, the three made their way to a beach resort. That night, braving deadly beach patrols and wide-ranging searchlights, they jumped into the Adriatic Sea wearing only swimsuits and children's inflatable plastic swimming rings. Swimming, kicking, and paddling against the current they faced fear, exhaustion, and hypothermia. The terrifying searchlights threatened them far out at sea. The anticipated six-hour swim lasted almost twelve hours. Sometime toward morning the sisters lost contact with Klement, who was later presumed drowned. The girls were picked up by an Italian yacht one mile from Corfu. Isabela and Zamira made their way to the United States and eventually became citizens. When I need hope and inspiration I remember this family. The courage of the mother and father who knew they would never see their children again, the courage of the one who died in the attempt, and te incredible courage of two sisters who built new lives for themselves after having lost so much - they help me when I am facing my own dark waters with just a child's inner tube to keep me afloat. Perhaps this will also help others in our community in the face of so much recent tragedy. MOTHER'S DAY - MAY 13 Why God made moms Brilliant answers by second graders: How did God make mothers?
What kind of little girl was your mom?
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
Who's the boss at your house?
What does your mom do in her spare time?
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
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MAY Birthdays 1 Chloe Shrock, Lynette Nussbaum 2 Paul Leaman 4 Patty Baer, Emily Hahn, Steve Lantz 5 David Swartzendruber 6 Tonya Parker, Dillon Souder 7 Steve Dintaman 9 Madeline Parker 11 Barbara Risser, Penny Driediger 12 Elizabeth Resto, Joy Yoder 14 Jerry Glanzer 15 Cora King 16 Dawn Mast, Abigail Shrock 17 Linda Thompson 20 Elizabeth Juarez, Joanne Showalter 22 Karla Souder 23 Kaitlin Parker, Joe Jones 25 Renee Warsing 29 Mike Piper 31 Simon Sawyer, Ben Yutzy Anniversaries 5 Gary & Karla Souder (34th) 10 Daryl & Rebecca Brubaker (4th) 18 Doug & Dawn Nyce (22nd) 20 Eldon & Rhoda Olinger (19th) 24 Todd & Mandi Stolzfus (4th) 24 Larry & Linda Snader (33rd) 26 Ben & Sarah Bixler (6th) There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness....The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way. Andrew Jackson Please put news items for July/August issue in the Windows mailbox by June 24 or email: pipermr@aol.com. We appreciate all your comments, ideas, and submissions! Dorothy Hartman and Myrna Piper publish Windows Into Zion. |
JUNE Birthdays 5 Teresa Bryant 7 Anthony Hertzler, Ken Nafziger 8 Jesse Compagnari 10 Ron Piper 13 Susan Stoltzfus 14 Marvin Kaufman 15 John Jacobs III 16 Dave King 18 Ellis Detwiler 20 Clay Showalter 21 Sarah Gant, Marilyn Yoder, Carlene Lantz 24 Daryl Brubaker 25 Olivia Resto 27 Clyde Kratz 28 Dawn Nyce 29 Rebecca Hess Anniversaries 1 Paul & Mary Leaman (22nd) 2 Ryan & Bethany Landgraff (4th) 2 Josh & Emily Hahn (6th) 3 Nathan & Jill Enslen (1st) 5 Joe & Dabney Vaccaro (20th) 9 Wayne & Joanne Showalter (34th) 14 Wes & Jennifer Showalter (10th) 14 Ed & Lori Gant (27th) 15 Doug & Kathy Alderfer (11th) 16 Eric & Peggy Brubaker (6th) 18 Rob & Celah Pence (19th) 18 Josh & Hanna Reinford (2nd) 20 Mark & Dawn Mast (15th) 20 Jesse & Monica Compagnari (16th) 22 Stuart & Helen Shank (39th) 23 Bobby & Brenda Fairweather (28th) 24 Fred & Tara Cupp (1st) 26 Ray & Shirley Kuykendall (57th) 26 Charles & Janet Rhodes (33rd) 27 Richard & Anne Juarez (30th) |
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