Greetings to all of you in the name of the risen Christ! I hope you are experiencing the love and blessings of God as you read this newsletter. Fall is coming this week and I am thankful for a break from the summer temperatures. Fall also brings flu, COVID,  and other inconvenient illnesses to our communities. Remember to take care of yourselves and each other during this time when your immune systems will be challenged. Sleep, healthy meals, hand washing, and avoiding large crowds are vital to maintaining your good health. If you feel sick, please stay home and rest. 

I will be out of town this weekend but will return on November 5^th to share the message and vision for the Central Texas Conference of the UMC from Bishop Ruben Saenz. In advance of this message, please think about the following questions: “What does our church do well?” and “What does our church need to do better?” These two questions are part of the process that Bishop Saenz has asked us to work through as we strive to multiply followers of Jesus and to become relevant to the neighborhoods we serve. I am excited to share with you and to move forward in our ministries to this broken world. I pray for all of you continuously, thanking God for your presence in my life. Blessings, Mary

You may recall that God promised Abraham that he would have as many descendants as there were stars in the sky. Abraham and Sarah finally greeted their son Isaac. Today we learned that Isaac was an older man when he married Rebekah. They had been married for many years but had no children.

Rebekah finally became pregnant with twins. It was a difficult pregnancy. It seemed that the twins were fighting in the womb. She asked God why they were fighting. God answered that there were two nations in the womb. One people will be stronger than the other. Esau was born first, with Jacob quickly following, holding on to the heel of Esau.

The twins were very different. Esau liked to be outdoors with the animals, to hunt, and to be active. Jacob liked to stay close to Rebekah and help her with household chores and with the cooking. The Bible story tells us that as they got older, the difference split the family apart. This story reminds us that despite our differences, our uniqueness makes each person a special part of God’s family. God claims us just the way we are.

While we discussed our story, our kids had a wonderful time completing some wonderful artwork and they promised to bring their completed pictures back next week to share with us.

Our swings were being used again by 2-year-old Audrey when I arrived before church. I gave her grandparents a tour of the classrooms, and they were happy to learn what a beautiful building we have.

Jade, Alec, and Remy checked the swings out after church! What a wonderful playground we have! See you Sunday.