FUMC_March Spice Newsletter

7/29/2019 FUMC_March Spice Newsletter

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Not-So-Buried TreasureWhat images come to mind when you think of treasure? Precioussparkling gemstones? Jewelry and gold coins tucked away in a hiddentreasure chest? What would spiritualtreasure look like?

The Bible tells us it looks like thsauros. Translated treasure inthe Bible, it means the place in which good and precious thingsare collected.

Theplace. Not the riches themselves. Its the location of the collectedthings that is the actual treasure. And just like the X that marks the spoton many a buried-treasure map, God has given us a map in Scriptureto discover the place of our hidden treasureits where our heart is.

The thoughts, desires, affections, and purposes of our hearts mark theplace where were collecting things thatwe deem precious. And, letsbe honest, sometimes our hearts desires need to be relocated. Biggerhouses, new i-gadgets, and more possessions arent meant to occupythe storehouses of our hearts. God created our hearts to store upheavenlythings.

We dont need a map to find a hidden treasure chest. We can open ourown hearts and follow a few women who had the courage to go to theplace where devotion and faith are found: the cross. Even the disciplesdidnt follow Jesus to the cross, but a small band of women did, andwatched from a distance.

Imagine the depth of love Mary Magdalene and the other women musthave had for Jesus to endure witnessing his suffering on the cross.While people cried crucify him! these women remained faithful.They were rewarded for their devotion three days later withthe first knowledge of his resurrection to new life.

These women discovered the places of their heavenlytreasure. The cross and the empty tombwhere theycollected the precious gifts of salvation, hope, and love.

And there, in those sacred places, is where well findthe treasures of the true desires of our hearts.

A ministry of:

FUMC Berkeley Springs49 South Green St.

Berkeley Springs, WV 25411

304.258.2766 | gofirst.org

Pastor Andrew Cooney

THE WORD

Store your treasures in heaven,where moths and rust cannotdestroy, and thieves do not breakin and steal. Wherever yourtreasure is, there the desires ofyour heart will also be.

Matthew 6:19-21

Think About It

This Easter season, what areyour hearts desires?

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March 2013

Go Girls!


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March 2013 | Page 2

Trash to TreasureBy Bonnie Weber

Gather the pieces leftover. Let nothing be wasted.

John 6:12

When I first started to quilt, my husband asked me why I take a

perfectly good piece of fabric, cut it up into many pieces and

then put them back together. This didnt seem fun or sensible

to him. My mother and I shared a love for sewing, but she

never tried her hand at quilting. She was also somewhat of a

hoarder of fabric, I guess an after-effect of growing up during

The Great Depression. When she passed away, I inherited her

rather LARGE stash of fabric. When the numerous boxes arrived at my house, I was curious as to why there was so

much since she hadnt been able to sew for many years. I opened the boxes and found a VERY large collection of

fabric scraps, creating a dilemma of what to do with them.

I starting sorting and soon a theme become apparent: She had saved left over pieces from items she had made her

children and grandchildren: baby clothes, doll clothes, crazy hats, broom covers, dress up clothesyou get the

picture. Some things she made us were quite humorous, like hats made out of soda cans. I sorted and still had 4

very large boxes. Throwing them outjust didnt seem right since Mom had kept them all of these years.

Two years later, I read a story about passing on family love in the form of a quilt. I started stitching these pieces

together into strips, not concerned about what the outcome would be. When I was finished, there were enough

for 5 large quilts, just enough for my sisters and sister-in-law. It took me another two years and countless hours to

finish, but when I sent them at Christmastime four years after she had passed away, the joy was worth every hour

spent. The memory those scraps evoked was a gift beyond all measure. They and their children were searching for

the pieces special to them, reliving memories of Mom and Grandma. Our mother was with us that year in her

stash of scraps.

The love she showed to us started as a large piece of fabric, cut up and sewn into special gifts, and then the scraps

were sewn back together into wonderful memories to complete the circle of love. When I am wrapped in that

quilt, I sense Moms arms around me in one big hug. What was once a box of trash became a treasure to share for

many generations. My husband now understands there is more to it than just a big piece of fabric with no life in

it, cut up and stitched back together. It becomes a gift of love, a memory to be shared.

ReflectionWhat are the torn pieces and leftover scraps you can give to the Lord for His magnificent quilt?

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Let nothing be wasted.


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March 2013 | Page 3

Easter Storytelling CookiesStart a new tradition with this creative way to share the Easterstory with family or friends while making yummy treats.

Ingredients:

1 cup pecans 1 pinch salt

1 tsp. white vinegar 1 tsp. vanilla

3 egg whites 1 cup white sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet withparchment paper, and place the pecans in a resealableplastic bag.

Read Matthew 27:11-26. Crush the pecans into smallpieces with a mallet or rolling pin.

Read Matthew 27:27-31. Pour vinegar into a medium size mixing bowl.

Read Matthew 27:32-38. Add the egg whites to the vinegar.Read Matthew 27:39-44. Sprinkle the pinch of salt on the egg whites.

Read Matthew 27:45-56. Add vanilla and sugar, and beat with electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form.

Read Matthew 27:57-61. Gently stir in pecans, and drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto the parchment paper.

Read Matthew 27:62-66. Place the cookies in the oven, and turn the oven off.

Go to bed and read John 16:20.

Open the oven in the morning, and take the cookies out. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Enjoy a cookie, and savor the sweetness of Gods love!

Sarahs Quote & Comment by Sarah Fisher

Mother Theresa said "The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of

being unloved." This quote really gets my attention, because Mother Theresa spent

decades working with people who were poorer, in terms of material possessions, than

we could ever imagine. Yet even as she devoted her life's work to caring for them,

she recognized a deeper poverty.

Sometimes I can be overwhelmed by the poverty in our county, in our country, and

especially in our world. I feel powerless to do much more than contribute food for

the backpack program, give an offering for mosquito nets, or raise money for clean

water. It seems like I can't do much to erase poverty. But when I think of MotherTheresa's words, I realize just how often I have an opportunity to help erase the "most

terrible poverty" by caring about the people around me enough to tell them that they

are not alone; they are loved so much that God gave his son for them!

So even though my bank account is not big enough to feed all the school kids in

Morgan County who are hungry, my faith account is big enough that I should be

sharing the truth of God's love with everyone I meet, pointing them to "the

incomparable riches" of God's grace (Eph 2:7).

Have aspiritualquestion to askabout a life situationor The Bible?

Dont be shy

Just ask Sarah!

Shell answer yourquestion in the nextissue and your namewill be kept anonymous.

[email protected] stick a note onher door.

Ask Sarah!
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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March 2013 | Page 4

Share the TreasureThe best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even

touchedthey must be felt with the heart. (Helen Keller)

Share the beautiful treasures of your heart this month by giving them away!Share peace. Let the frazzled mother go ahead of you in the checkout line.Deliver dinner to a sick friend. Invite someone to take a quiet walk in the park.Lose an argument.

Share hope.Pray. Pay for a strangers coffee or lunch. Donate to a local foodbank. Send an encouraging verse and note. Smileeven when nobody smilesback.

Share love.Play together. Hug more often. Laugh. Let someone else be first.Forgiveand forgive some more.

March Book Club

March 25, 20136:30 8:30 pm

Book: The School of Essential Ingredientsby Erica Bauermeister

This best-selling, critically-acclaimed selection tells the storiesbehind eight cooking school students and their restaurateurteacher, Lillian, linking cooking to life lessons.

March Book Club Hostess:Gretchen Close181 Phyllis Place | Berkeley Springs

304-283-7748 |[email protected]

What Day and What Time?Ladies have expressed an interest in different or more Stitches &Hooks sessions. Bonnie needs feedback on these options:

2nd & 4th Fridays @ 6:00 1 Friday a month 1 Thursday morning 9:00-12:00

(I have to check church calendar for dates) 1 Thursday morning & 2nd Friday Other?

Please contact Bonnie at 304-258-5989 [email protected] with your preferences by March 23.

Changes will take effect for April.

Crochet Hooks Needed!

Please bring extra crochet hooks to share at Stitches & Hooks.

Thanks!

A Chance to Serve

As each has received a gift, use it to serve

one another, as good stewards of God's

varied grace:

1 Peter 4:10

Here are just a few opportunities to serve our

church family and the broader community.

Go ahead. Try it!

Nursery workers (especially for 11:00am service) Stuffing bags for egg hunt

Egg Hunt help (March 23; rain date 3/30)

Sewing VBS banners

GO Friends leaders and substitutes

GO Friends craft prep

VBS help (June 24-28)

Garden Swap (April 27: 9am-Noon)

Womens Retreat Planning Team

Contact: [email protected] | 304.258.2766

Stitches n Hooks News
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+4%3A10&version=ESVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+4%3A10&version=ESVmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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March 2013 | Page 5

Everyday Forgiveness, Forgiveness Every Day By Isabella Yosuico

Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven

times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

Matthew 18:21-22 (ESV)

Some of us have forgiven major grievances: broken childhoods, shattering abuses, shocking betrayals, grave injustices. We know

we must forgive grievous offenses, but what about the everyday annoyances, the human imperfections, the small slights that

seem to pepper our days, seventy times seven times? (Thats 490, by the way.) Gods request remains and some days, seems

even harder than forgiving the really big stuff.

Dont sweat the small stuff (and yes, its mostly small stuff).

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 (ESV)

I have some pet peeves. I really hate shoes kicked off near the front door. They stack up like cordwood, and before long, the

foyer looks like a shoe store clearance frenzy. Ray knows this, and yet he seems to have an incontrollable urge to have one or

more pairs of shoes at every doorand we have four. I hate to admit that Rays shoes used to fill me with rage. Didnt he care

about me enough to take care of this one small thing? Sometimes, Rays shoes would cast a shadow on my day and even

overshadow my affection for him. It wasnt unusual for shoes to cause actual fights: visualize, please, Isabella, hands on hips,

head bobbing.

Then, God spoke to my heart. Did it really matter? Was my neat streak more godly than my mans comfort? Was my petty

resentment more just than Rays forgetfulness? What would love do?

Take nothing personally.

Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful

1 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)

The Bible suggests that being overly sensitive or preoccupied with our

own needs isnt love, the most important thing. Maybe God knows

that more often than not, people are genuinely oblivious that we feel

offended, and as often, their conduct has nothing to with us at all. Ray

certainly wasnt scheming to cause a ranting Italian wife.

The chronically late friend, the rude store clerk, the demanding boss,

the forgetful husband we deal with daily, are normally bungling along

just as we are, living their defects, distractions and struggles as we live ours. Our personalizing other folks human foibles steals

our peace and also defeats our ability to minister to and love others.

Treat others

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 6:31 (NIV)

Rays pet peeve is closet doors left slightly ajar. After the 127th

time he pointed out my slightly ajar closet door, he stopped

mentioning it. I must walk by that closet twenty times a day, and often forget to close it, even though it bugs him. More often

than not, the things people do in the course of daily living that offend or hurt my feelings are things I myself do or have done,

consciously or unconsciously. I know I hope for a gracious response to my carelessness and imperfections.

Seek God and find grace.

But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

Im a long way from living in a perpetual state of forgiveness for myself and others, and am comforted by Christs completed

work on the cross and the grace he extends to me each day. Like everything else in Gods Word, the invitation to forgive,

empowered by the Holy Spirit, is for others benefit as well as my own, to free me from the bondage of harboring resentments,

big and small. Today, I mostlyeither ignore the shoes or put them away silently and go about my day. Freedom. Peace.

Everyday love in action.

Prayer:

Father, give me the grace to forget myself and to forgive others promptly, viewing them with the same mercy and

compassion with which you see me and that I hope they will, too.

The Everyday Forgiveness Challenge

This month, when you catch yourself feeling hurt,

angered or otherwise slighted by anyone, pause to

prayerfully ask God and yourself these questions:

Have I ever done this or that to someone else?

Could it have it nothing to do with me?

Is my reaction really about something in me?

How would I like to be treated?

What would love do?
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%206:31&version=NIVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2012:9&version=ESVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2012:9&version=ESVhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%206:31&version=NIV


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Design and base content 2013 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO, group.com/women. Permission to photocopy granted for local church use only.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat

1 2

UPCOMING:Spring Fever Garden Swap!: Saturday, April 27 - 9am to Noon

Fall Womens Retreat: October 25 to 27

3 4 5 6 7 8 99:30am

Womens Bible

Study

Social Hall

6pm

Stitches n Hooks

Social HallPlease bring crochet

hooks to share.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

9:30am

Womens Bible

Study

Social Hall

3/15 - 6:30 pm

Movie Club - Bonnie Webers

Steel MagnoliasA story of the intertwining of women's lives

hrough life's battles and joys shared.

Come for fellowship, even if youve seen it!

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

9:30am

Womens Bible

Study

Social Hall

6pm

Stitches n Hooks

Social HallPlease bring crochet

hooks to share.

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

6:30pm

Book Club

Gretchen Closes

HouseSee page 4 for details.

9:30am

Womens Bible

Study

Social Hall

31 Womens Ministry Leadership Team

Sarah Fisher, Womens Ministry Coordinator: [email protected] | 304.258.2766

Denise Bergen

Gretchen Close

Linda Romano

Bonnie Weber

Isabella Yosuico

Newsletter questions or comments? Contact [email protected].

MarchA Taste ofWhats Happening for Women

At FUMC Berkeley Springs49 South Green St.| Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 | 304.258.2766 | gofirst.org
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

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FUMC_March Spice Newsletter