Happy 4th of July Community!
As we stop to thank those who have sacrificed for the freedom we enjoy in this great country I want to reflect on my husband’s prayer at lunch this Independance day. He not only thanked God for those that have died for our freedom but he said something in his prayer that was truly profound, “And, thank you most of all for the one who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, Jesus Christ!”
What an awesome testament to his faith and a way to put back into perspective what this country is all about. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” Psalm 33:12. Have you ever stopped to think about what that verse says about the United States of Ameica? When we sing “God Bless America” are we truly asking for God’s blessing or just singing words we memorized as a child? When we follow with the line “land that I love” do we really mean it? As believers, we need to sing “stand beside her and guide her” as a prayer to our Heavenly Father, asking for His guidance and protection over us. No other country has the freedom we have and we should stop and thank Jesus who died on a cross over 2000 years ago so that we can have those freedoms. Our founding fathers set up this great land believing that God would bless it and that Jesus died so that we could be free. Let’s do all we can to insure that the upcoming generations remember what the United States was founded on and teach them to not only thank those that died for our freedom but especially to thank Him who died for our ultimate freedom.
Please join us this Thursday, July 7, at St Lukes Unitied Methodist Church, 3708 45th St., Lubbock for our July Community Gathering. If this is your first time to join us, the Babe Chick meeting starts at 6:00 PM. Food and fellowship begins at 6:30 PM followed by the worship service at 7:15 PM. Don’t forget to bring food or snacks, “Emmaus style”. If you can bring a meat or vegetable dish, please do. Many travel from out-of-town, have to come early for a board meeting or to set-up and would certainly appreciate it.
Our next Walk to Emmaus is Women’s Walk 139 to be held from August 4-7 at the Mercy Retreat Center in Slaton. Join us at this month’s community gathering to pray over Tina Thompson and her team. God has put together a great bunch of guys and gals to lead this walk and as always we’ve been promised it will be the “Best Walk Ever!” I hope to see you at as many of the walk activities as you can attend. Send-off is Thursday, August 4, at 7:00 PM on the Holy Spirit Patio of Mercy Center; Candlelight at St Joseph’s Catholic Church at 8:00 PM, Saturday, August 6 with closing at 4:00 PM, Sunday, August 7 back at the church. Mark Meurer sent an apology for the heat in the church during candlelight for the June walk and assures us that the new air conditioner is in and working with all the kinks worked out so heat should not be a problem. Let’s remember however why we are there…for the pilgrims! Regardless of the temperature in the building, the Holy Spirit is working and we need to show up to support the ladies and the team.
One final note! We still have lots of room available for the women’s walks in August and October, the men’s walk in September and both Chrysalis Journey’s in September, so get those applications in! Their are no cost to those attending the Journey’s and we have half scholarships available for the walks.
DeColores,
Sheila Kirby