Volume 29 | July 12, 2020

Greetings!

We hope this week's Evotional brings you all the news, information and insight you've been wanting. Please feel free to comment on or share your weekly message with friends, family and co-workers.

Service spotlight ....

Sunday, July 5, 2020
Rev. Dr. Mark McDonough

Please join us for our virtual service.

To watch this service, click HERE !

And click here , to download the bulletin for this service.

In our prayers ....

  • Please pray for Steve Simpson, Marilyn MacCaughey, Mary Lou Schuler, Mary Eastman, Evelyn Vanderheyden, Bill Blandford, Kay Mahl, Mary Ralston, Louise Shapley, Don & Nancy Tobias, Marlene Wilson, Mary Jane Johnston, Larry & Ellen Cardwell.
  • Prayers for Jeff—nephew of John Reitsma, Jennifer—daughter of Jim & Georgia Hall, Meg—niece of Dennis & Nancy Reeser, Cindy, Chuck & Lynn—siblings & in-law of Ed Lehmann, Samantha—friend of First Presbyterian, Christi— friend of Music & More and our church, Kesney—granddaughter of Andy & Denise Park, Tim—brother-in-law of Sheila Lawrence, Mary—sister of Carrie Massey, Betty—grandmother of Jenny Humphrey & Jessica Smith, Charlie—niece of Carrie Massey & Kathi Wilson, Shawn—friend of Denise Park, Gillian and Ben—friends and former pastors of First Presbyterian, an unspoken prayer for spiritual healing.
  • Continued prayers for those serving—Col. Jay Brooke, Nicholas Hansen, Evan Humphreys, Mary Workman, Chad Lawrence, Jared Smith, Jordan Smith.
  • Thoughts, prayers and love for all those who have recently lost loved ones; especially the LaMarr family with the passing of Dean. May they know some peace and comfort.

Living our faith ...

The First Pres Food Pantry is going well; however, our number of clients are going up. We served thirty families last week.

We do need some volunteers as things in the city begin to open up, our current volunteers - the young people and one adult - will begin sports activities and return to school. Youth work downstairs with an adult. those upstairs where the clients come in wear masks and only move boxes to the table limiting contact with clients. So some new volunteers would be appreciated.

With the numbers going up, we need to get a new freezer. Either an upright one or chest freezer. Size would be 16 cubic feet would be preferable. We get a lot of frozen meat, vegetables and fruit that we don't have storage space. If someone has one that they want to donate that would be great. Otherwise we will purchase one. To purchase one, we have to get on a waiting list as most stores are out of stock.

Thank you to everyone that has donated to help us to continue be a support in the community.

LuAnn Hansen

Praise
by Angelo Geter

Today I will praise.
I will praise the sun
For showering its light
On this darkened vessel.
I will praise its shine.
Praise the way it wraps
My skin in ultraviolet ultimatums
Demanding to be seen.
I will lift my hands in adoration
Of how something so bright
Could be so heavy.
I will praise the ground
That did not make feast of these bones.
Praise the casket
That did not become a shelter for flesh.
Praise the bullets
That called in sick to work.
Praise the trigger
That went on vacation.
Praise the chalk
That did not outline a body today.
Praise the body
For still being a body
And not a headstone.
Praise the body,
For being a body and not a police report
Praise the body
For being a body and not a memory
No one wants to forget.
Praise the memories.
Praise the laughs and smiles
You thought had been evicted from your jawline
Praise the eyes
For seeing and still believing.
For being blinded from faith
But never losing their vision
Praise the visions.
Praise the prophets
Who don’t profit off of those visions.
Praise the heart
For housing this living room of emotions
Praise the trophy that is my name
Praise the gift that is my name.
Praise the name that is my name
Which no one can plagiarize or gentrify
Praise the praise.
How the throat sounds like a choir.
The harmony in your tongue lifts
Into a song of adoration.
Praise yourself
For being able to praise.
For waking up,
When you had every reason not to.

In the know ....
Our first Chalk Talk Team: Tina and her two children, Michael & Violet, visited Mary Soley's home for the first Chalk Talk!
Where to find us ....
To add a name to our prayer wall, listen to weekly lessons for online bible study, hear daily poetry on our podcast at First Pres Holy Post or to give online - click on the appropriate graphic above!