June loved to stop at nurseries and wander around, admiring all the different varieties of plants, and purchasing ones she fell in love with. I, on the other hand, did not like to visit the nursery. I had no interest in plants.

Fast forward to 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. When La Casa de Cristo announced the formation of Grace Growers, a group to consider and improve the landscaping of the church grounds, I was one of the first to sign up. La Casa moved to our Bell Road location 25 years ago, and it's time to look at our gardens with a fresh eye.

Keep your eyes open for the new butterfly garden, under development. Also, there will be new plants in the Memorial Garden. And, by the grace of God, I have been monitoring the rose bushes in the Memorial Garden. My mother is, indeed, smiling from Heaven, while I grow in grace.

What’s an Aberystwyth and how afraid should I be?

You might have noticed that in the bulletin next to a hymn title I often include another word or set of words to the right, in italics. Those words are known as the Hymn Tune and it’s what musicians and/or composers use to identify a hymn melody that may have multiple sets of words. Is it necessary to include? No—but to church music nerds, we really like it! In the example here, we often sing either one of the two hymn texts, both based on the hymn tune Lyons. They’re the same tune, but different words. The name of a hymn tune could originate from anything like the poet’s (or composer’s) home town, to simply translating the same title to a foreign language. “All Creatures of our God and King,” for example, has the German-language hymn tune Lasst uns erfreuen, meaning “let us rejoice.” These are the opening lyrics of the hymn when sung in German.

If you’re curious about a hymn, after church use the provided words to the right in the bulletin and attach “hymn tune” to your online search and you’ll be able to learn a LOT of fascinating things about the hymn’s origins…and maybe even how to pronounce them!

For fun, look up: Hyfrydol, Slane, W Zlobie Lezy, and Cwm Rhondda and tell me what you learn (and how to pronounce them!).

On February 14 we celebrate Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Each church season we acknowledge the different time in the church by looking deeply into the sung liturgy. For the season of Lent we take the word “alleluia” away until Easter. Based on the Hebrew word, hallelu yah, meaning “Praise the Lord,” alleluia has been a word of great praise to God in the life of the church and was prominent in early Christian liturgies. Because of the penitential character of the season of Lent in church, singing or saying the word "alleluia" has historically been suspended during Lent's forty days. This period of individual and congregational reflection on the quality of our baptismal faith and life suggests that the joyful nature of alleluia is more appropriately reserved for our Easter celebrations when it is given full and jubilant voice. We will be singing setting 10 in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal – this setting takes known hymns and uses words that are appropriate for the season of Lent. And now you know the rest of the story!

Director of Music and Worship

Henry Hanson

Henry, a tenor/baritone, has always loved to sing, and feels close to God when doing so. Henry told us that the Holy Spirit has claimed and carried him throughout his life, and led him and his wife, Donna, to La Casa de Cristo. He has been a member of La Casa's choir for almost four years. He enjoys the friendship and dedication of the other choir members, and the incredible talents of Jennifer and Jeremy, as they all use their voices to help communicate God's message to the body of Christ through worship music. His favorite hymns include: The Lord's Prayer, It Is Well With My Soul, The Lord Is My Shepherd, and On Eagles Wings.

Many years ago, Henry was invited to sing The Lord's Prayer at the wedding of his oldest daughter, Tammy, so he turned to his former choir director for help, as he had never sung the hymn before. Henry was then 'convinced' to join the choir and has been singing in a church choir ever since. He also sang at the weddings of his son, Erik, and his younger daughter, Holly.

Henry and Donna, married 57 years, have three married children and ten grand-children, ages 9 to 24. He is a retired attorney, having practiced for 56 years in Phoenix. In addition to singing in the choir, his hobbies include spending time with family, traveling, walking, hiking, jogging, doing word games, watching sports, and enjoying fellowship with the Veterans group, as well as a friends' birthday group.

Wow precious women of La Casa de Cristo!

It has been an amazing first month serving officially as your Director of Women's Ministry. I thank you! Truly, I have been blessed by so many of you as I pick up my 'watering can' to water so many of the beautiful 'seeds of ministry' that Jennine planted for decades. The apostle, Paul, stated in 1 Corinthians 3:6, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow."

God IS growing His love here at La Casa de Cristo. The Breakaway Women's Retreat 2024 led to precious, newly discovered friendships, and others flourished in the blessed space of time, intentionally carved out, and spent altogether. The weekend was bathed in Scripture and laughter ~ personally my 2 favorites! This is merely the beginning because there is so much more, I believe.

God wants all women to seek Him as His Spirit dwells amongst us, leading our entire church into what Paul wrote to the Church of Ephesus in Ephesians 3:20-21. He wrote of the 'immeasurably more' than all we could ask or even imagine. The immeasurably more will take root in women's ministry as we embrace all generations of women, from middle-school age young ladies to grandmothers and beyond. I invite you to join me as we learn to truly LIVE LOVED, by God TOGETHER; because those who live loved, LIVE DIFFERENTLY!

Consider joining me on Thursday mornings at 10am for our Women's Bible study through Lent. We will meet in the Gathering Place. Register here.

I look forward to meeting, knowing, and loving each of you with God's love!

The past month at Ignite kids we have been focusing on prayer throughout our series, Pirates Who Pray. We have learned about prayer through many different people in the Bible including Jesus, Hannah, Gideon, David and Job. The biggest lesson we have learned is that prayer changes everything! No matter what situation we are in, whether difficult, joyous or the many emotions we encounter in life, God hears us. God is after our hearts. He doesn’t want us to be robotic, He wants us to know Him and spend time with Him and to bring everything that is on our hearts to Him.

As we move into February, I hope that, together, prayer can be a priority in our lives and that we can take time to talk to our creator. He LOVES us and wants to be part of every intricate detail of who we are.

This month brings one of my favorite events... our Daddy Daughter Dance. It is a night that is not only fun, but where we get to share the amazing love God has for both dads and their daughters. We will dance together, laugh together and pray together as we know God is with us in every detail of our relationships.

It is my hope that you make it a priority to talk to God. He hears us.

Staci Medina, Director of Children's Ministry

J.N. Darby writes, “To be hungry is not enough, I must be really starving to know what is in His heart towards me. When the prodigal son was hungry he went to feed upon husks, but when he was starving, he turned to his father.”

declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8 NIV

Ryan Callahan, Director of High School Ministries

Create from the comfort of your home with this 'Virtual Art' series.

On Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 10am (MST), create a small colored pencil landscape scene for free. This 90-minute class is open to all skill levels and you do not need to be an AARP member to participate in the class. If you need additional information or have any technical issues, you can call them at 1-877-926-8300. Registration is required. They will send you the complete class details and supply list upon registration. To register click here.

You can view Liturgical Textiles from Late Medieval Germany right from your favorite chair. The Cleveland Museum of Art has an extensive collection of textiles. To view and learn about some of these pieces click here.

Remember, next month there will be a special opportunity right here at La Casa de Cristo. A new group, Love of Learning (LOL), will begin on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 1pm. This hour-long monthly workshop will be facilitated by Barb Solem and will feature different areas of interest each month. These events are free, but please register so we have enough supplies, etc. For more info and to register, visit lacasadecristo.com/LOL.

January kicked off the Matter of Balance class which is completely full! I already have a waiting list of those who want to take this class, so I will get another one scheduled soon. Chronic Pain Self-Management workshop began on February 1 and the Christ Walk info session will take place on February 4 at 9:15am in Room B, which I am hoping everyone will participate in during Lent. For any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Jean Knowling, Parish Nurse.

High blood pressure, known medically as hypertension, feels no different from normal blood pressure. That’s why medical experts call the condition a “silent killer.” To understand blood pressure (BP), it helps to think of a garden hose. When you turn on the spigot, water surges into the hose. If the nozzle remains closed, pressure builds inside the hose. That’s not necessarily a problem in the short term. However, if you keep the spigot on and the nozzle closed for months, the constant pressure damages the hose. Your blood vessels behave similarly. High blood pressure affects blood vessels – and the tissues and organs they supply – throughout the body.

As each heartbeat pushes blood through your vessels, it creates a force against your artery walls. This is your systolic pressure (the top number of your BP reading). As your heart rests between beats, the pressure inside your arteries momentarily ebbs. This is your diastolic pressure (the bottom number of your BP reading). If the pressure inside your blood vessels is too high over months and years, it can damage your blood vessels, which become less elastic. Stiff arteries resist blood flow, which triggers your heart to beat more forcefully. The added force then raises the pressure even more, creating a vicious cycle.

Your role in lowering your risk is: 1. Lose weight; 2. Exercise 150 minutes a week; 3. Cut back on salt;  4. Don’t smoke; 5. Limit alcohol.

If life-style changes don’t manage your blood pressure, medications may be necessary. Your healthcare team will find the right medication(s) to lower your blood pressure. It takes a team effort to treat high blood pressure and bring it under control. You can’t do it alone, and you can’t depend on your healthcare team to do it for you. Everyone working together can help you achieve your goals.