The men of the parish will gather at the home of Darryl Peralta on February 21, 2012 @ 6:30p.m. Make plans to attend and bring a friend to help discern whose story is the biggest lie Fun, food and fellowship are the agenda items for this meeting. God bless and hope to see you at my home on February 21! Email Darryl
WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP
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Our next Women's Fellowship will be at Mary Myers home Saturday Jan 28 @ 4pm. She welcomes a potluck dinner. Teresa Beck was given the special basket (don’t recall what it’s called) that she will present to her choice of recipient. A sign-up sheet will be available on the picnic tables during coffee hour. . THE OFFICE AT 479-0943 or EMAIL Sharon
PUBLIC NOTICES
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Would YOU like to advertise in the "Staff" of the Good Shepherd?
Advertise reach 100+ families a month!
Advertisers help defray our costs!
Tell all the businesses you go to regularly about this wonderful opportunity., A "business card" sized ad costs $50 for 6 months and 1/6 page runs $100 for 6 months.
CALL 479-0943 FOR INFORMATION
DAILY MEDITATION AND BIBLE STUDY
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Quick access to the daily meditation offered by Forward Movement.
Current Weather Bonita, CA 72°, Fair 2-Day Forecast:
Friday: 72°/50° Sunny
Saturday: 77°/45° Sunny/Wind
Our purpose is . . .
" To know Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour, To make Him known, and to nurture a loving Christian family."
THE REVEREND GEORGE C. CALVERT "FATHER GEORGE"
Rector's Ramblings
Happy New Year, Resolutions, and on becoming a new Person
On New Year’s Eve, people celebrate the coming of the new year. The new year represents a new start, a new beginning, where a person has an opportunity to become a new person. We often make resolutions on new year’s eve, declaring the kind of person we want to become, and the changes we would like to make. The resolutions expressed are good intentions, but unfortunately, good intentions are not enough to change us. We know we need to change, and to some extent, want to change, but we don’t have the power to change.
Not always, but often, the biggest challenges in life are not external situations, but changes that need to be made in our interior life, in our mind, will and emotions. It is the inability to change our interior lifes that causes us so many problems in every aspect of our lives.
We, as Christians, not only can have good intentions and make resolutions, but we have been given the power to change our interior lives. This power is not available to those who are proud, but to the humble, for in James 4:6, we are told, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." The power of God’s grace is only available to you if you humble yourself before God; simply knowing about God’s grace is not enough.
Grace is the power of God that allows us to become a new person. The Prayer Book, page 858, tells us that, "Grace is God’s favor towards us, unearned and undeserved; by grace, God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills." When we let the grace of God come inside of us through worship, sacraments, music, Bible study, prayer, and ministry, we are in reality, becoming new persons. We may not see changes all at once, but gradually over time, we are changing into the people God wants us to be.
Grace causes us o grow like a plant grows. If you look at a plant, cannot see it growing, but, over time, a small plant can grow into a big bush, or giant tree. Day in and day out, as we pray and live the life of faith, Jesus’ grace is changing us in a big way over time.
If we are humble and willing to let God work inside of us, we can agree with the apostle, John, when he said of Jesus Christ, "From his fulness, we have all received, grace upon grace. The law, indeed, was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:16-17)
Copyright 2005 Church of the Good Shepherd Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal, 3990 Bonita Road, Bonita CA 91902, 619-479-0943
FaithConnector Church Websites
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