Dear Church Family,
               Do you have an “irregular”  person in your life?  A number of years ago Christian author  Joyce Landorf coined this phrase to refer to that person in your life who just bugs you to death.  She wasn’t referring to those persons we may encounter casually every day, or a person we see at work, or public persons who just irritate us.  She’s referring primarily to those persons we are related to by birth or marriage who just have a way of getting under our skin.  They say the wrong thing, they ruin your day, they keep your emotions in constant turmoil.   Learning how to deal with such persons , Landorf suggests, without assuming they will change or letting them undermine our confidence, is one of the challenges of the Christian life.  How does one find a way of letting God enter into these relationships and bring health to our souls? 
               These family faith stories in Genesis are full of such “irregular” persons, and the Bible offers words of encouragement and hope.  Our topic this Sunday will be “Dealing with Difficult People.”  We’ll  explore the relationship of Jacob and his father in law Laban, and you may want to ask yourself which is the more difficult  and irregular of the two.  The texts are Genesis 31:1-16, 43-50 (I’d encourage you to  read the whole chapter in advance) and Matthew 13: 44-52. 
               This Sunday evening at 7 p.m.  I will again be leading worship at the beautiful “Church in the Wildwood” in Colebrook CT.  An extended time of singing favorite hymns is one of the cherished traditions in this service.  It is always gratifying to see folks from Falls Village at the service. 
               See you in church.
Peace and Joy,
Rich