12/28/04
Third
Day of Christmas Edition – December 27m 2004
Reply to ken@beulahpresbyterian.com
Dear
Members and Friends –
A very Merry Christmas to you all, on this Fourth
Day of Christmas. I
am writing this on the Third Day of Christmas, and on
the Fourth Day of
Christmas the Hockenberry’s are traveling to Canada
(the “wrong”
direction to go this time of the year) to visit with
my sister and family for the
New Year’s holiday.
The weather in
this late Advent and Christmas season has caused no
small challenge for us
all, and I know some of you have not yet been out of
your homes! Hopefully
the warmer weather later this week will help.
Many churches had to cancel
their services, due mostly to parking lots
there were icy and not plowed.
Thanks to the forethought and 8 hours of work
by our own Steve Clements, who
thought a head of time to bring his John
Deere tractor home from his family’s
farm, we were able to hold both services
on Christmas Eve, and service on
the December 26th. Steve worked all day
on Thursday to open up our parking
lot and push and pile enough snow and
ice, and we are most grateful for this
gift of service he has given us all.
Be sure to thank him personally when
you see him – or send him a note!
Our numbers were naturally a little
down, but still we have about 133
at the 5:00 and about 86 at the 10:00 –
not too bad. December 26 we were also
low (88), with a good number at all
these services coming from other
churches whose services had been cancelled.
This
coming Sunday, January 2, 2005 (oh my), the Rev. Tricia Tedrow, a
colleague
of Judy’s who works with her at the Presbyterian Center, also
in Curriculum
Publishing, will be here leading worship – remember only one
service at
10:40.
We will be back up to our regular schedule on January 9, 2005 –
I am
preaching, and it is the Baptism of the Lord Sunday, and we will again
have the opportunity for a Reaffirmation of our Baptism. I am looking for
elders and deacons who would be willing to pray individually with worshippers
who would like to personally renew their baptism (I need folks for both
services)
– so please send me a word if you would like to lead worship
in this
way; reply to ken@beulahpresbyterian.com
For our prayers these days, please
remember these good people
Cliff Stout continues his therapy at Hurstbourne
Rehab Center.
Tim Lovett continues his recovery from hip surgery at home.
Jim
Williams will begin a cycle of radiation treatment to make sure any
lingering
cancer is removed from his body.
Christie Tompkins had a fall today (Monday)
and had an MRI to see if
she needs additional treatment beyond ice and rest!
Christie
also tells us that her grandmother, Ruby, is back in the
hospital.
Ray
Shirley is having some heart difficulties, and Iris sent this to me
last week,
from Florida:
The Sherley household is a lot calmer and happier this morning.
We are
very happy with Rays report, although he does have to go back in the
hospital for an overnight stay January 11. At this time the doctors plan to
do
angioplasty (?) and or stints. He does have a blockage in the main
front
artery that we were told is not life threatening and the doctor wanted
him
to be on plavix (to thin the blood) before the surgery. We were sorry
they
could not do the procedure yesterday, but happy for the news we
received.
Continue
to remember us in prayer and give thanks for our report.
Sounds like the white
stuff is really upon you. Do take care and stay home
and be safe. I think
it would be great to have a white Christmas. Happy
holidays to all.
Ray
& Iris
On Christmas Eve day I officiated at a funeral for Donald
Hamilton.
Don and Peggy were members at Pennsylvania Run Presbyterian Church
– from
whence Beulah came from back in 1868 over issues in the Civil
War. They joined
Beulah in the 1970’s when Penn Run closed its doors as
a Presbyterian
Church. They were later placed on the inactive roll here. I
did do a
wedding for a grandson, Brian Hess, son of Lynn and Marty Hess –
(a
good friend of the Harris family), who married Anita Seidenfaden. Please
say a prayer for the extended Hamilton family. Christmas is a difficult time
to face the death of a loved one.
Jake Lobue, father of Lisa Payne (married
to Tom, with son Sean) had a
heart attack on Sunday, December 19 – as
well as a case of pneumonia. He is
now off of the ventilator, and is coming
along well.
Joy Straub will have cataract surgery on January 3.
A step
mom to Bill Dunham (married to Amy Lombard Dunham, daughter
Madison) –
who is also a cousin to Lisa Payne – has recently past away.
Her name
is Zella LeCompt. Please keep Bill and the extended family in
your prayers.
Brooke
Seymour had one difficult time with pneumonia – and is only now
on the
road to recovery. Keep Brooke and CW in your prayers as well.
Kelsey Blake
(daughter of Melinda Smith and step daughter to Bill
Smith) will get word
about additional knee surgery (repair to her ACL) very
soon.
Susan Rock
continues her struggles with MS.
Rosemary Reynolds continues her recovery from
a sprained ankle.
And Doug Jones is recovering from his surgery – a tonsillectomy
– and
hopes to be back to good voice and mostly up to speed by this Sunday,
January
2, 2005.
Many are still away enjoying time with family
in this holy season – so
let us remember those who travel in these days.
We pray for safe travel
and enjoyable time with family and friends –
until we are all back together
again. And as these colder, winter days continue,
with ice and snow on
the ground, keep our older members who are stuck at home
in your prayers -
give one or two a phone call to check on one another. If
you “think” of
someone, that might be the spirit prompting you to
be in touch with that
someone. So pick up the phone and give a call!
Peace
to you all in the continuing days of Christmas.
Ken Hockenberry,
Pastor
