Friday, December 19, 2014

Trust in God

If you didn’t already know or hadn’t guessed by my rapidly expanding waist line, I am pregnant and due with our second child in March next year. It’s very exciting and an incredible blessing to be growing another little human inside my body (with God’s help of course). I thoroughly enjoy feeling the baby move every day and involving my four year old daughter in the preparations at home.

However, as wonderful and amazing as being pregnant is, it has also been very hard for me at times with ongoing nausea, fatigue and a few other small bumps in the road. This has kept me in bed or rendered me basically helpless with day to day tasks for a number of days/weeks/months. I know many others have much worse pregnancies than me but I will admit that it has definitely been hard. Hard to keep up with my work, my household duties, being a mum, a wife, a sister and a daughter, and hard on my husband who has picked up a lot of the slack.

My husband Aaron has been an AMAZING support but it is God who I have relied on every day to just get me through. He has given me strength and comfort through endless months of nausea all day every day, wisdom to let go of the things that don’t really matter and His unconditional love. To know that God loves me no matter whether I can make it out of bed or not is amazing and comforting. I have felt like a failure so many times when I can’t do everyday tasks but I know and trust that God is growing me and my family through this experience - to rely completely on Him and to keep my focus on Him.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

It is through Jesus that this amazing relationship with God is possible so I look forward to celebrating Christmas and Jesus being born, with my growing family! I hope you also enjoy celebrating the birth of our Saviour this Christmas and draw closer to Him for everything you need.

God bless,
Beth   

This Sunday at Good Shepherd
This week’s message is “How God keeps his promises
as we continue the series “Advent Adventure”
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au
Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 and Luke 1:26-38

Kingdom Kids is now on a break over the School Holidays! We have enjoyed an amazing year learning about Living in God’s Love! A MASSIVE thank you to all the volunteers who have run this program this year - you have all helped to plant God’s word in our kids that we pray will continue to grow and flourish in the years to come!

There will be activity sheets or booklets available in church for the kids each week as well as the Personal Journals for older kids to help them listen to God during the services.

Kingdom Kids will return on 8th February after the Back to School service on 1st February. 

Beth Einthal
Children and Family Team Leader

Prayer Requests:
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchequiries@paravista.org.au with your request.

Christmas Service times

Christmas Eve - 5.00, 6.30 & 8.30 pm
Christmas Day - 9.30 am with Holy Communion
Please note that all Christmas Eve services are exactly the same.

From the office

Your Free Gift this Christmas
One of the simplest free gifts you could give this Christmas is to park either in Mattiske’s car park or on the school oval for the Christmas Eve services and allow our visitors to park close to the entrance of the church.  Car parking attendants will be directing traffic for the 5.00 and 6.30pm services and your assistance in following directions will be appreciated. 

Christmas whirlwind
Last chance!  Can you be available on Wednesday 24th December at 9.30am to assist in giving the church grounds a bit of a dust off.  Please bring along a petrol driven blow vac that needs a dust out with safety equip and join the group to create an inviting appearance to our church facility for Christmas. If you don’t have a blow vac and have the time, still come along as I have a few spare.  Please advise Stephen or the front office on 8263 5087or via email szanker@paravista.org.au of your availability.

Library
Note for all library users.  Please assist our volunteer librarian by not putting return items back onto the shelf but return them to the return box once you have finished borrowing.  This will prevent you from receiving an overdue notice.  Accordingly, if you remove items and then can’t remember where they belong please put them into the return box.

Vacancy
An opportunity still exists for two willing persons local to the church to become second and third contacts to respond to any security alarm events needing investigation at the church.  Work may be at random hours and in most cases to date have been proven honest operator error.  However these incidents do require a physical check of the facilities to ensure security is maintained. All expressions of interest please contact Stephen, the office on 8263 5087 or mark security on your connect card.

Office closure over Christmas
Office will be closed from 3.00pm 24th December 2014 to 9.00am Tuesday 6th January 2015

Noticeboard

Free Bread and Goodies
Free bread, muffins and sweets are available in the church hall every Monday night at 6.30pm. Provided by the good people from Bakers Delight, Muffin Break and Ingle Bakehouse.  

LYSA Reunion Weekend
Blueprint Ministries presents an event ‘not to be missed’ on June 13-14, 2015, Barossa Valley.
Celebrating the rich history of the Lutheran Youth of South Australia. See and hear how young lives are still being impacted by the great things God is doing through Blueprint Ministries.
Put this on your calendar! Look out for more info in the New Year.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will towards men.
Luke 2:14