Hello First Presbyterian Church,

Happy New Year! I don't know about you, but each January I try to carve out some time to reflect on the year before and the year to come. This year I'm using a reflection guide from a spiritual director. She provides 3 themes to reflect on:

1) Adapting & adjusting- practicing lament and allowing God to meet, minister to, and restore us, giving us a foundation for ways forward.

2) Unlearning & uprooting- practicing meditation and noticing what needs to be unlearned, uprooted, and then replanted that we might walk with steadiness and strength.

3) Dreaming & daring- practicing discernment as we prepare to walk in the ways God is calling us to.

On Sunday, we will celebrate Epiphany together in worship. As is our tradition, we will receive "star words." Like the magi followed the star to baby Jesus, our hope is that the word on the star you receive will help guide you in your journey of faith in the year ahead. 

What was your star word in 2022? If you have a story to share about your star word from this past year, I'd love to hear it!

See you Sunday,

Pastor Rosy

Wednesday, January 4

• Sometimers: 8:00 am
• Morning Circle: 9:45 am, HH

Thursday, January 5

• Art Therapy: 10:00 am, C113
• Tai Chi: 10:00 am, FH

Sunday, January 8

• Nursery: 9:00 am
• Coffee Class: 9:00 am, A111
• Present Word: 9:00 am, A109
• Children's Sunday School: 9:00 am
• Worship in Person and Online: 10:30 am
• Hope for Change Anti-Racism Cohort: 12:00 pm
• Grace Fellowship Worship: 1:00 pm, Chapel
• Book Club: 5:00 pm, Library

Monday, January 9

• Mission Ministry Meeting: 12:00 pm, Library
• Faith Sharing: 1:00 pm, Library

Tuesday, January 10

• Tuesday Morning Prayer Group: 6:30 am, by Phone (Call Robin Smith if interested)
• Tuesday Morning Bible Study: 10:00 am, Library
• Staff Meeting: 11:00 am, Conference Room
• Pastor's Bible Study: 4:00 pm, Zoom

Wednesday, January 11

• Sometimers: 8:00 am
• Handbell Rehearsal: 5:50 pm
• Choir Rehearsal: 7:30 pm

*Events listed in blue indicate that one of our Community Partners is using our facilities.

A Note from Lisa!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Ozarks!!

I wanted to be sure and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and let you know how very much I miss all of you!! It's beautiful here in the Ozarks in southwest Missouri but very different from Texas!! We had the most incredible autumn I've ever seen. And with the exception of July 4th and Labor Day, we don't have any traffic in our little lake town. And during the warmer months, we fish as much as we possibly can!! But the winter here so far this year is not exactly what I imagined! In the 8 months since I've been here we've had one of the one of the hottest summers on record, a once in a generation rainfall and now a once in a generation winter storm! The windchill last week during the storm was down to -37 degrees!!! Now that's cold for this little Texan!!

But as always, God is so good!!! I am so enjoying married life and have been blessed with a wonderful husband. Many of you know I had a very klutzy moment with a chef's knife a few weeks before I was married. My hand didn't not quite heal as I had hoped after the surgery so my typing has suffered greatly but is slowly improving! So...I needed to find something completely different than sitting behind a keyboard for 8 hours a day. Well, who knew that at 61 I would start a new career teaching country line dance lessons!!! I teach several classes a week here in my local community. No one else teaches here so it's been very exciting to bring that to our area! And now folks around here just call me the "Dance Lady", and of course Johnny is my DJ during the lessons.Doesn't God have a great sense of humor??!!

I know Rosy is taking wonderful care of the congregation, and with Ralph at the helm for music I know y'all are in good hands!! Just know that I miss you all so very much, and am continually thinking of you and praying for you!

Would love to hear from you! My new email is: [email protected].

Love, hugs and blessings!!!!

Lisa (Sargent Carter)

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