Choose LIFE

E-Update

February 21, 2017

Forest Lake, Minnesota

We are called, gathered and sent to be a people living, loving and serving as Jesus did so that all may know Him.

Worship Times

Sunday:

9am in the Great Hall

10:30am in the Great Hall

Wednesday:

6:30pm in the Garden Chapel

Stay Connected

www.hosannaforestlake.net

Join our email list here

Choose LIFE

A Note From Pastor Linda

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity... Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him... ~Deuteronomy 30

Dear Friends~

Do you like making choices? God has given us the wonderful ability to choose. It is called FREE WILL. God did not create us to be puppets. But sometimes making choices paralyzes me. What about you?

Walking up and down the cereal aisle paralyzes me- which one is best?
I can stand in front of my clothes closet and think, "I have nothing to wear!"- when the hangars are full.

"Choose life"- this seems simple enough- especially when the alternative choice is death and adversity. Or is it? This is the only use of the verb "choose" ( behar) with human beings as subject in all of the Old Testament (usually God "chooses"). God's people are to choose to receive what God has promised. To "choose life" is to love the Lord your God, obey God, and to hold fast to God. Human beings must make choices and the choosing of life will make a significant difference in the shape that life takes. To "choose life" is to trust in the promises of God and such a choice will make a difference, not only for you but also for the world that God so loves.

On Sunday, we will hear Jesus' final words from the Sermon on the Mount- he will give us a choice.

CHOOSE LIFE!!

PS- The Lakes Area FMSC MobilePack $5000 Challenge continues through THIS Sunday (02.26)

How to donate? Donations MUST be delivered on or before Sunday, February 26:

Drop off or mail a donation to Hosanna- make certain that it is clearly marked for "FMSC Challenge".
Donate through Hosanna's website (under Ministries- FMSC-"Additional donations")- click here:

~Pastor Linda

Prayer Requests

Comfort and Strength in Healing in Cancer Journey

Beau Anderson, friend of Sill family; Tonya, friend and coworker of Vicki Croce; Anne Witalka, friend of Marlin and Ruth Lackas; Bob Olson; Beryl, friend of Elaine Schumacher; Ruth Anne Edlund; Terry Longville, friend of Sharon Sill; Bob Rupar

Healing, Recovering or Facing Other Health Issues

Hannah Bergan; Laura Carlson's parents; Barb Hansen, sister in-law of Linda Hackl; Bette Kuss, Ross Ohman's cousin; Sondra Mericle, friend of Ohman family; Dick Westcott; Nancy Zak; Ed Abbott, cousin of Denny and Shirley Wachholz; Jim Harley, husband of Emilie Harley; Tim Tkach, friend of Ohman family; Stephanie, daughter of Marlin and Ruth Lackas; Sharon Kari; Johnita, sister of Ruth Lackas; Betty and Steve, siblings of Ruth Lackas; Cooper, great-nephew of Mary Gookins; Sharon, sister of Betty Corum

Keep Safe From Harm

Cole, grandson of Marlin and Ruth Lackas; Hayden Oliver, serving in Coast Guard

Grief Compassion

Alex Michalski, nephew-in-law of Judy Berke; Dwight Fuglie, friend of Okeson family; Adeline Mjor, aunt of Dave Okeson

Hosanna's Wednesday Night Program

Weekly Schedule of Events

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM -Dinner Hour

6:00 PM - 6:30 PM - The Good News at 6 Worship

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM - Education for all ages

- Faith Formation (Pre-K through Grade 6)

- Confirmation (Grade 7-9)

- Higher Ground (High School age)

- Adult Education

VOLUNTEERS are also needed to help prepare the meals and guide our children & youth in Faith Formation, Confirmation & Higher Ground. Talk with Pastor Jen Collins or Susan Wojciechowski, Food Service Coordinator, about ways you might help.

Confirmation Mentor Orientation

February 22, 2017

Confirmation Mentor Orientation will be on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 6:30pm in the Garden Chapel. If you have any questions contact Pastor Jen at [email protected] or Kelsey Hane at [email protected]

Green Earth Team (GET) Meeting

February 26, 2017

The Green Earth Team Meeting has changed from February 12th, to February 26th at 10am in the Conference Room There will also be a meeting on March 12 as planned. If you have any questions please contact Kathy Okeson at [email protected].

Lent Wednesday Services

Starting March 1, 2017

Mid-Week Lent Worship Services begin on Ash Wednesday on March 1 and continue through April 5. We will focus our attention on Conversations With God: The Lord's Prayer. Most know it by heart, but do you really know what you are asking for in this mighty prayer that Jesus taught? Each week we will explore the Lord's Prayer to consider what it means in our daily lives. There is a service at noon, which is followed by a lunch and a service at 6pm with dinner from 5-6pm and education will follow each service on March 15, 22, 29 and April 5.

Senior Adult Ministry (SAM) Lunch

March 1, 2017

SAM will be meeting at the noon service in the Garden Chapel on Ash Wednesday for a sandwich and soup lunch after the service. If you have any questions, contact Lynda Olson or Kelsey Hane.

Yogadevotion

Starting March 4, 2017

We are pleased to announce that Yogadevotion, now in its 12th year in Forest Lake, will begin a new session on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at Hosanna Lutheran Church.

Yogadevotion promotes strength, flexibility and peace in body, mind and spirit through weekly Saturday morning devotional sessions. Carrin Mahmood, certified and experienced Yogadevotional instructor, leads the hour-long sessions. Please join women and men of all ages, who are invited to participate and enjoy this meditation time, while enjoying the benefits of yoga. No previous experience is needed and basic yoga will be taught.

The seven week session will run through Saturday, April 8th. Cost is $48 and classes will be held in the Lakeside Room (upper level) at Hosanna, beginning at 9am and ending at 10am. Please enter through the North doors. Make-up sessions are available and various times and locations.

To register, contact Kathy Okeson at [email protected] or 651-464-5422. Payment is due by Sunday, February 26th and will be accepted in the forms of check (made out to Hosanna Lutheran Church with the memo "Yogadevotion"), cash or online here.

Continuing The Journey Toward Justice

March 4, 2017

On March 4, the Synod's Anti-Racism and Multiculturalism Work Group invites you to gather at St. Michael's to continue our conversations as a synod about white privilege and racism in our church. We will further unpack white privilege and its impact, modeling and practicing Native American Talking Circles and identifying resources and ways we can collaborate. Contact Pastor Jen for more information.

New Book Club Book: The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang

March 6, 2017

In search of a place to call home, thousands of Hmong families made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps in Thailand, then onward to America. The Hmong became a people without a home to call their own. Yang's book chronicles the struggle of the Hmong to find a new place to settle and to forge and identity for themselves. It is Yang's tribute to her grandmother, the remarkable woman whose spirit held them all together. It is also an eloquent, first-hand account of a people who have worked hard to make their voices heard.

Discussion date will be March 6 at 7pm. Pastor Linda will be the facilitator. Please contact her at [email protected] with any questions.

Parenting and Grandparenting Teenagers (An Event Sponsored by Befrienders)

March 6, 2017

On Monday, March 6 from 7pm to 8:30pm at Faith Lutheran Church you can learn more about what parents and grandparents are exposed to when raising teens. Many grandparents are helping raise their grandchildren, and today's teens are dealing with so many issues that did not exist in previous generations. Learn how you can help them through this time. The class is free. If you have any questions, contact Jean Peikert at 651-464-3323.

Sign Your Child up for Camp this Summer

Priority Registration Deadline Ends March 15, 2017

Camp is where fun and faith collide! At camp you'll meet Jesus in new and exciting ways through friendships, inspiring worships, fun games, caring counselors, blazing campfires and more! Come to camp and be transformed through this fearless faith adventure.

To register, click here

If you have any questions, talk to Pastor Jen

Adult Education Opportunity: The Emergence of Elderhood

Mondays, March 20 - April 17

Presence, purpose and power in Life's Last Third. After childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood and middlescence comes elderhood. What are the possibilities and responsibilities of elderhood's strengths and fragility? Come find out at Luther Seminary's Lay School of Theology course.

Instructor: Professor Emeritus Roland Martinson

7-9pm at Luther Seminary in the Olson Campus Center Dining Room C. Find out more and register online here. Click on Lay School Courses and Fees. If there is a group interested we could meet for dinner in Roseville and then head over to class. See Pastor Linda to learn more.

First Communion Milestone

April 2, 2017

The First Communion Milestone Workshop will be held on Sunday, April 2 at 11:30am in the Lakeside Room. Please sign up on a yellow page in church on Sunday or email Pastor Jen at [email protected]