From the October Mt. Olivet Newletter

Psalm 71: 18-19 "Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. Your righteousness, God reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things, who is like you, God?"

This verse reminds me of an old song that said "The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be." Do you remember this song? I liked it better before I discovered the gray in my hair where there was once brown hair.

Psalms 71 is a prayer for old age. It tells us to never be confused. He has given us commandments to save us. God is our rock and salvation. God is our hope and trust. He will deliver us out of the hand of the wicked. He will always be around and will help us in our time of need.

As we go through our daily tasks, we can always rely on God to help us today. We need patience and if the situation does not happen the way we think it should, we need to recognize that God knows best.

Many in our culture think of growing older as a negative thing. The person who wrote this Psalm lived at a time when graying brought respect. The Psalmist sees this respect as an opening to share the Lord's love. He implores God to give him this opportunity.

As God adds years to our lives, he also addspower of perspective. We can look back and see God's faithfulness at work year by year. We can remember the many ways he has revealed his goodness to us throughout our lives. By our experiences, we can encourage the next generation in our Lord's faithful love.

I receibed a call from Nathan Boggs from Laurel Missions last week. We confirmed the dates for next year. We will be leaving on Sunday, August 3, 2014 after the morning service and return on Saturday, August 9, 2014. This will give us five days to work. Nathan also informed me that 500 coal miners were furloughed possibly permanently. He wants us to supply all the Thanksgiving meals we can. A meal for a family of six costs $20.00. If you can help out, please give the money to Kevin Lam by October 27, 2013. Remember Jesus tells us to feed the hungry.

In His name,
Pastor Dan

ESL - Watch Your Language - June 2013

Right now we are in such a beautiful season (spring into summer). It is also a beautiful season of life as we continue to learn in our classroom. When we learn English and also learn thing about the gifts from God that we find constantly are given to us, and a glimpse of the even more beautiful life that God has in store for us because we have placed our hope in Him for our future and final destination. It gives us a lot more to embrace as Christians. 

Sometimes our lives area a little crazy especially around this time of the year. Kids are looking forward to getting out of school, gardening, sports and our daily chores along with our daily work away from home, but it is beautiful just the same. When you think about chaotic moments, we can actually realize that God allows this beautiful season to be among us. Yes even chaos. When we look through the craziness and see the goodness and blessing that He has given to us, then we can embrace it and harvest its meaning and serve God alongside of it. I don't know about you, but my house is full of life, I do enjoy the quiet moments that seem rare, but at times it seems so chaotic, then I think of the season, my family is around me, I have been so abundantly blessed. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to shar the English language and share my life experiences, yes even the chaotic ones. We laugh, cry, sing and pray together and this continues to give meaning to life and allows us to serve God in this season - one that continues to grow, blossom and mature till the harvesting season when God will take us to our Eternal reward. Keep watching...............Fonda

Pastor's Penpoint - Mental Spring Cleaning - May 2010

Spring is here... although someone forgot to tell the weathermen. I don't know about you, but we still need to run the heat at times.

Nevertheless, according to the calendar, it's spring. Time to open up the house and let the sunshine in. Grab a few dozen trash bags, go through all the closets and the attic, and throw away everything that has cluttered up the house.

I decided this spring I needed to clear the junk out of my head too. Only a few months into the New Year, and I already have too much on my mind. I still have a lot of questions built up from last year. God, why did this happen? Why did I pray for this, and it still fell apart? Why, God, why? The questions were piling up, and no answers were in sight. I could feel myself getting down and suddenly realized I needed to get with it. Thankfully, God sent me a gentle reminder that He was more than willing to help.

The same day I got on the elevator with an elderly lady who had come to visit her sister at the Bridgewater Home. She had a boot cast on her leg. Thinking that she's probably been asked a thousand times what happened (and having worn those things twice on different feet myself) I instead said, "It isn't easy to walk in that thing is it?" I fully expected her to start complaining about how painful and difficult it was with this contraption strapped to her leg. "No, it's quite easy. I've had this on for about a year." Then, she explained to me how she's had surgery on that foot many times, and it didn't really bother her.

Walking down the long hallway to my office, the situation started unraveling in my head. Here I was with the imaginary world on my shoulders, yet I was walking on both feet with breath in my lungs towards a job and life that I enjoy. I started to pray, "God, I gotta get rid of this annoying habit of feeling sorry for myself when the smallest thing goes wrong in my day. I mean, I have so much to be thankful for. I should be skipping around, not sulking around. But how do I do this? Where do I begin?" Cleaning out the pesky demons of pride, ungratefulness, and general pessimism would not be easy. I wondered, "How do I start cherishing my life?" I was being rhetorical, but as I turned the key to my office door, I heard that still small voice say, "You can start with every moment."

So I sat at my desk, turned on my iPod, and let a smile creep across my face. The day looked better already. I can't say that I completely understand how or why my life gets so cluttered, but at least I know how to clean it up. And it may never be finished but as God continues to perfect the work He started, I can at least enjoy the process.

Enjoy spring and God!
~ Pastor Todd

From the April Newsletter

Another month has passed and many people have had to alter their lives due to some unforeseen circumstances happening to them or a member of their family. We have trials to face each day. We are always making plans for the future, but we do not know what the future holds. It is important to live today for we do not know what tomorrow brings. Matthew 6:33-34 states: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Be, therefore, not anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will be anxious for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is its own evil."

Live for today and tomorrow will take care of itself. We need to be ready to help as stated in Hebrews 4:16. "Let us therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." We had many needs in March and some in the church helped supply the needs in many ways. It might have been to pray, or a phone call, or food, or supply labor, or many other ways. If you are a part of God's family, you should expect your fellow Christians to step up and lend a helping hand. We never know when we will have a misfortune and need help ourselves.

This is the best time of the year, seeing new life through the grass growing, flowers of many varieties coming to life, and the trees budding and growing new leaves. But the most important thing about spring is the Easter season where God gave his son to live a perfect life as an example for us, then going to the cross and dying for all our sins. That is not all. He is presently sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us. We owe all to Him.

We have provided Self Denial boxes and envelopes for you to deny something during the forty days leading up to Easter. What did you deny yourself? We will be taking up these offerings during the month of April for special mission projects. The United Brethren Church is attempting to collect approximately $47,000 for these projects.

Thanks through Him,
Dan Lam

Pastor's Penpoint - Out and Around - April 2010

I can't think of anytime in my life when I needed spring more than this year. Winter has been a long haul. Snow, cold days, snow, colder days, and oh yeah ... SNOW!

I honestly believed we would have two feet of snow on our deck until July. I forgot how the birds chirp and what the sound of a lawn mower was; but I'm well aware of what the sound of a snow blower is like!

Strangely enough, there is no snow to be seen, temperatures are warming up and the birds outside my window remind me that we do come around each year.

Likewise, we are coming out of Lent and around to Easter. It's been tough these last six weeks of so to walk through the Scriptures that demand each of us look at our own place in God's story. We may have never thought we would come around to the empty tomb - and the news that our Savior has risen. But here we are. Praise be to God!

I have learned a lot this last winter:

• Get the snow blower checked out before the first major snow storm
• The weather man does occasionally get it right
• Two feet of snow on the ground doubles your heat bill
• and there are times even kids want to go back to school

Likewise, I learned through Lent:

• That I make God responsible too often for man's choice of evil

• I can be arrogant in always demanding to be right, especially when dealing with those of other religious mindsets
• God does not cause our trials, but loves us through
• and too often I hold something back from God

This spring, Easter Sunday and through our journey, I pray our lessons that were hard learned can be remembered. Most importantly, I pray we will all recall how God brought us out of our rebellious selves and around to life saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ.

By the way; have you heard? The tomb is empty ... He is risen!

Strength for today,
strength for tomorrow,

~ Pastor Todd

Pastor's Penpoint - March 2010

Last week, I made a business trip to Roanoke with a few of my fellow co-workers. We had an appointment in the tallest building in Roanoke, and it was interesting the parking garage was built on the side of the building after it was completed. The trick, we realized, was we had to catch an elevator down to the lobby, and then get on another elevator to go up to the 18th floor for our meeting. In other words (sounds strange) but we had to go down to go up!

This month, we find ourselves up to knee deep in the season of Lent. While the Lenten season is not included on every Christian denomination's church calendar, the concept is a familiar one in the weeks leading up to Easter morning. Each Christian is called upon to deny themselves, consider the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on our behalf, and then apply this insight to our own knowledge and perspective of why Jesus is called Savior. The idea being if we can deny ourselves, as a symbol of Christ's sacrifice, we can better understand our new title of "redeemed"; having fully accepted Jesus as Lord of all and Savior.

This is sort of like that building in Roanoke. We have to descend in our thoughts, feelings and motivations about Jesus Christ, before we can ascend with Him on Easter morning. In other words, we have to go down to go up!

While this time of self examination and reflection may seem a bit depressing, remember that Scripture tells us the Holy Spirit is our guide on this journey; just as the Holy Spirit was with Jesus during his walk to Calvary and the cross.

This season of Lent, may we all keep in focus that we are created beings, still in need of a Savior. While it seems like a long and heavy haul - on the other side of Lent, Easter morning, we will all be able to join with one voice and proclaim, "He is risen! He is risen indeed!"

Peace, grace and strength to each of you,

Pastor Todd

Pastor's Penpoint - February 2010

One night last week, we sat around the dining room table watching Aidy get his Valentines ready for school. His tongue stuck out as he carefully wrote the name of each of his classmates on the little paper card and affixed it to a small package of Fun-Dip candy. I confess being surprised that each kid was going to get candy with the Valentine - all I ever got was the little paper card!

I asked Leah if she was giving Valentines in middle school. "Only to my friends," was the reply.

"Any boys who are your friends getting one?" (I was careful not to say boyfriends)

"Nooo!", was the quick answer.

Aidy admonished his sister, "That's not very nice. Even the stinking girls in my class are getting one, and they're not even my friends."

Ahh ... how I'll wish for these days in the years ahead.

Even though Dina didn't say it, I know she was recalling, like me, the days of giving and receiving Valentines. Back then it wasn't mandatory that you gave each classmate a Valentine, you could pick who would get one. I always wondered if I would be like Charlie Brown and not get any.

Isn't that the way we feel throughout life? Isn't it better to be loved (or at least liked). It's better to not wonder if your construction paper heart pouch, with accordion tissue paper and cutouts, will have a little white envelope or two the says, "Be Cool on Valentines" or "You're Special".

Friends, God has written each of us a Valentine. It's the greatest expression of love that has ever been, or ever will be, shown. We find it in the form of Scripture. While true it is the story of how God wins - it is first the story of the love He has for each of us. Instead of attaching it to a piece of candy, God has attached it to the promises of the secrets of the universe, and the knowledge of His eternal love.

I can visualize Jesus Christ, his tongue sticking out slightly as he carefully writes our name in His book of life ... even the stinky ones.

Grace and love to you,

~ Pastor Todd

Pastor's Penpoint - January 2010

2010 ... sounds like a science fiction movie title. Wonder what this year will find, what will we discover, who will we meet and how will God use us? No doubt this year will mark some of the old tried and true ways of doing things - but change will be obvious as well. Not just in our personal lives, but as the body of Christ as Mt. Olivet Church as well.

Here are a few changes we are aware of:
- The first Sunday in January, Mt. Olivet is beginning to offer an English as a Second Language (ESL) program as part of our Outreach Commission. This will enable sisters and brothers from other cultures and parts of this community to gather and merge with Mt. Olivet's community in fellowship and worship. It will be a blessing to see more faces and have more names to learn in the coming year.
- There is a new format to our worship service. The order of worship has changed a bit, the way we lead music has changed, we have added the Apostle's Creed, weekly, to our worship service and even the bulletin has been changed to make worship easier to follow and for church related information to be accessible to future visitors.
- Other changes are less visible but still important. Mt. Olivet is blessed that members have agreed to serve in new ways of leadership and take on new responsibilities in the coming year. Certainly the intent will not be to change things for change sake, but new and differing perspectives will no doubt bring changes that are subtle and some that are bigger.

Here are a few things that will not change:
- We will continue to seek discernment of God and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the head of this and all Christian churches.
- We will boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as truth and hope in an embattled and embittered world - always placing scripture as inerrant and authoritative in all ages (past, present and future).
- We will denounce Satan and sin in this world and unapologetically stress the need for all God's children to repent, receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and acknowledge him as Lord of all.
- We will continue to remember and practice what the book of Acts teaches about the responsibilities of the church - worship, fellowship, training/discipleship, outreach/evangelism, and service/missions.

I hope you will join me in prayer for the direction and discernment to follow God's will as we embark on a new year and we continue together as ministers in Jesus Christ.

New Year Blessings ~ Pastor Todd