Some of my thoughts

I am so proud of our Church that we have such a vision for the future. So many things have happened over the past couple of years that just excites me when I ponder them in my mind. As one who has gone to this Church all of my life, I have seen more enthusiasm and vision for reaching outside the walls of this dear old building than I've seen in many years. I remember Bonnie Zarins starting a newsletter many years ago and was enjoyed by so many. When that stopped, nothing happened here for a long time. Thanks to Rusty for ressurrecting that ministry. Look at it today! Our newsletter is so beautiful and reflects who we are as we send that out among Friends in our community. Thank you Heather for an outstanding job putting that together! I remember back when we got our first copy machine and being used, we had to pamper it along to get a few copies out of it. Prior to that, we had an old memeograph machine that you had to ink up and turn a handle to print off bulletins typed on a manual typewriter with correction ink in hand for all those mistakes that was so easy to make. Then, in 1994, we were given a gift of a new copier which has served us so well. Now, the Church has leaped into the future and we now have a copier that is computerized, copies in color, copies on both sides at once, and even collates so we can make a color directory in an easier fashion without all the cutting, taping, copying, and recopying to put it together! We had been paying around $100.00 a month to print our newsletters - now we can do that with our own equipment and it will surely pay for itself in about a year and a half.

We are in the process of putting a website together which should be going online at any time! What a vision of the future to put our Church on the World Wide Web! Then there is the new sign out front that is warming and greeting to all who pass by and see that this 173 year old Church is alive and well!

I just love this blog! Thank you Kelly for establishing this! What a wonderful way for us to communicate and have a time of devotion each day. It's so nice to keep in touch with each other through this wonderful ministry. I hope that we can use this to express positive things, devotional material, and uplifting posts. Afterall, this is out there for ANYONE to see and it represents our Church. I would encourage Friends to keep postings uplifting. Many of us go to this blog everyday to recieve spiritual nourishment and as for me, that's what this Blog is all about. It's sort of a "cyber Open Worship" the way I view it. If I wouldn't say it in Open Worship, then I probably wouldn't say it on here. I just love the pictures, video clips, music clips, and scriptures that uplift me when I read them. Remember, we post this blog address in our newsletter, so we never know who is looking at us as a Church.

I also look back and remember how hard it was for so many years to find anyone who would bring special music to the services. We went for many years without that. Now we are blessed with the beautiful music of Jeff VanWinkle and Mike Haemmerle. Each of these guys are gifted in different ways and each unique in their own right! How blessed we are to have them! I just know there are others in our congregation who are very talented and more is coming! Oh how far we have come!

I feel so good about the great love we have for one another and the respect we hold for each other's views. That's what makes us a beautiful congregation in God's eyes.

I'm looking forward to us gathering together on the 15th to celebrate 173 years as a Church that has impacted so many lives. I would love it if all of you could be thinking about that day and share in services what this Church has done in your life. Try to imagine your life without it. Where would you be?

Thank you Lord of Hinkle Creek Friends!

Well, that's enough of my rambling. My heart was just full this morning and had to share it with you! I pray you all have a great day and look forward to the warmth of the sunshine and the upcoming weekend when we will all gather again under the direction of the Holy Spirit.