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"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to
the day of God and speed its coming." 2 Peter 3:10-12
Dear St. Paul's,
 The world we live in is in the process of passing away. Some would attribute that to climate change, or to the pollution of the environment. But the Bible says that the heavens and the earth are being destroyed because of human sin. Our pollution and "carbon footprint" problems are ultimately spiritual in nature. Of course in the midst of this gloomy forecast, we are a people of hope. We know that Jesus Christ will return one day and restore creation to absolute perfection. But how are we to live in the meantime? Peter says, "live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God..." Those who pursue holiness are a rare breed in this Justin Bieber-Miley Cyrus world. Especially during the season of Lent, be that rare breed. Be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Devote yourselves to prayer and fasting. Immerse yourself in the Word of God. Serve others in love and humility. At St. Paul's we'll be offering plenty of opportunities to pursue holiness this Lent as keep our eyes fixed firmly on the Cross, the only hope of the world. Gratefully in Christ, Pr. Jon **********************************************************************  "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 Lent is the season of preparation before Easter. It is a time to strip down to the essentials, live more simply and focus on our relationship with God. Lent gives us the opportunity to reflect, pray more deeply and be generous to those in need. During Lent we will be challenging young and old to "Give Up & Give Back." Each week of Lent you will be asked to 'give up' something for the week, and then you will be asked to 'give back' by bringing a designated food item to church the following Sunday. (Please place your food items in the labeled box at the back of the church.) Our goal is to supply at least 50 food items a week to the Breath of Heaven Ministries. This is how the Lenten discipline will work: Week One - Wednesday March 5- Saturday March 8, 2014 Give Up - Dessert after dinner Give Back - bring at least 2 cans of vegetables Week Two - Sunday, March 9 - Saturday March 15, 2014 Give Up - All sweets including desserts, candy, cookies Give Back - bring packages of cookies &/or granola bars Week Three - Sunday, March 16 - Saturday March 22, 2014 Give Up - Coffee (Adults), Juice & Soda (Children) Give Back - bring in cans of coffee or juice boxes Week Four - Sunday, March 23 - Saturday March 29, 2014 Give Up - TV, video games, computer games, any electronic devise games Give Back - bring in 2 or more cans of tuna Week Five - Sunday, March 30 - Saturday April 5, 2014 Give Up - Pizza & Pasta Give Back - bring in boxes of pasta & jars of sauce Week Six - Sunday, April 6 - Saturday April 12, 2014 Give Up - Salty Snacks - pretzels, any kind of chips, popcorn Give Back - bring in bags of salty snacks Week Seven - Sunday, April 13 - Saturday, April 19, 2014 (Holy Week) Give Up - repeat the week that was the most difficult for you Give Back - bring in cans of soup &/or peanut butter What we give helps those in need, inspires others to give, and forms an inner character in the giver- one marked by less selfishness and fewer material tendencies, a greater generosity, humility and concern for other people. | 
