Dear Church Family,
               It is so easy to lose perspective about things and stress unnecessarily over life’s little irritations.  When we couldn’t get either of our cars started last Sunday morning (what was the chance of both batteries going dead at the same time?) I started stressing about being late for church.  How long would you remain?  I remembered in college  the rule of thumb was waiting 15 minutes for a full professor who was late, 10 minutes for all others, then we’d clear out!  I wondered what the rule was for ministers?   The Blasses got us  from our house to church in record time—and you were all still there! 
               AAA got the cars started  that afternoon, but we still couldn’t get the tail gate to go down. One  car was dead again on Monday requiring another AAA call, and this technician figured how to get the tailgate down, sparing us having to be towed.  Eager to get new reliable batteries, we had to try several places to find the  right one for the Jeep.   But by Monday evening all was  well with the Reifsnyder vehicles.   
               All along Lynn kept reminding me this was nothing  to stress about.  No one was in danger, nothing was irredeemable.  It was simply a minor irritant which would eventually get resolved.  Certainly, in comparison with the stress we experienced with Toby’s health crisis, this was nothing.  
               In all things, major and minor, it is so important to maintain the big picture that all things are in God’s hands.  We read and hear proclaimed that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in our time of need.” (Psalm 46).  Sometimes I forget that, get things our of perspective, and need that reminder to let go of stress, and draw on the ongoing  comfort that trust in Jesus offers us. 
This Sunday we’ll be looking at the importance of our words and our speech.  The texts are Proverbs 12:17-22; 13:3, 25:11-12 and John 1: 1-5, 14.  The sermon is “Watching our Words.”
I’ve  attached some information from Eileen Epperson about some spiritual programs she is offering.  Eileen, as you know, has led worship on several occasions at the Falls Village Church. 
See you in church,
Rich