Cracks and All- God Writes a New Story

Cracks and All

In the summer of 2015 God reached down and changed my life. Most of my days and nights were spent inside my apartment due to my chronic arthritis and fibromyalgia. I was searching for a purpose in my life and I was depressed. So I enrolled in an online creative writing class. My first assignment was to choose five random words, brew a pot of tea, spill some on my writing paper, and write a story in fifteen minutes. Why I chose Humpty Dumpty I wasn’t sure.

As I began to write Humpty’s story I had no idea where it would lead. After all, what more could I write about Humpty Dumpty? He was broken that much I knew, but what if he were to be healed? What if he were to be changed in some miraculous way? These questions were left unanswered as my fifteen minutes were up. I left Humpty cracked and broken at the foot of his wall.

The women in my class were talented and supportive. They were also depressed and searching for answers. They wrote about Buddha, eastern religions, mythology, and philosophy. There was a spiritual heaviness and hopelessness in their stories. I wanted to tell them about the One who heals our wounds and makes us new; but how? At eleven o’clock, the night before our last assignment, I began to write an ending for Humpty’s story . . . 

Humpty Dumpty Cracks and All, is a story for people of all ages, with a message of hope and redemption that is universal. But there is more to the story. Almost two years after writing it, I discovered what was hiding in plain sight. It was me on that wall, on the ground cracked and broken, hopeless, and ultimately healed. Humpty’s story was my story, and the means of my own healing! Isn’t that just like God? He is full of surprises and when He blesses us, He does so abundantly!

I am a published author now and a published poet. I hope to bring Humpty’s story to schools, retirement communities, nursing homes, hospitals and anywhere God’s message of hope is needed. And who knows, I left Humpty on the path in the woods, I may have to join him again to see what happens next! 

Humpty Dumpty Cracks and All, is available online at www.amazon.com, as well as in local bookstores. You can find more information about Humpty and my poetry on my Facebook Page (just type in my name), or my blog, www.beautifuldefect.com. I will be signing books at Barnes and Noble in Springfield Virginia, on Saturday April 8^th from 2-4 pm. I will be at 2^nd & Charles in Woodbridge Virginia, on Saturday April 15^th from 1-3 pm. 

Megan Daub- Serving in an Emergency

City of Havelock Employee 

Saves Life During Flight

Megan Daub, Communications Supervisor, 

for the Havelock Police Department 

was in the right place at the right time 

on December 18^th, 2016. 

While flying home from Las Vegas 

to Raleigh-Durham Airport, 
Ms. Daub came to the aid

 of a fellow passenger in severe medical distress.  

The passenger was experiencing anaphylactic shock

 and could not breath. 

Ms. Daub, who is paramedic certified,

 immediately jumped into action 

and identified herself as such.  

Because of that she was able to access 

the on-board medical emergency bag

 that contained Epi-Pens and Benadryl, 

which are used to combat the shock.

Ms. Daub was able to stabilize the distressed passenger, 

who was able to then breath on her own. 

 In the meantime, the Southwest Airline flight

 made announced a medical emergency on board

 and diverted to Denver, where the passenger was met 

with medical personnel and taken to a local hospital.

There is no doubt that Ms. Daub saved the woman’s life

 as she was the only paramedic certified passenger

 on board who could have administered

 the lifesaving medical procedures.  

An e-mail from Southwest Airlines thanked her

 for assisting a fellow passenger. 

 “Your willingness to share your experience as a licensed paramedic is of great value, 

and we want to let you know 

that we appreciate your Good Samaritan efforts.”

The Havelock Police Department 

is very proud of Ms. Daub’s life-saving efforts. 

 She demonstrates the very best

 the Havelock Police Department has to offer.

***

This article - news release-
was recently shared about Megan Daub.
We give thanks for her ability
 to serve in an emergency.
Megan is married to Rev. Jim Daub 
and they serve at St. Paul's Lutheran Church- 
Havelock, NC.

Pi Day Treat

Yes, I know the following isn't called pie,

 but it is pie shaped, 
served in wedges, VERY easy, and really good. 

I had a slice for breakfast and felt very pampered

 even if I had to make it myself. 

A wedge of tart, a handful of grapes, a cup of tea, 

 and I was ready to face the ice coated trees

 and bushes in central Virginia. 

 So think happy thoughts about geometry and have a slice of pie.

PAN-BAKED LEMON-ALMOND TART

4 eggs

½ - ¾ C sugar (according to personal taste)

Pinch salt

½ cup ground almonds

½ cup cream

½ cup sliced almonds

1 lemon, zest and juice

2 TBS butter

Powdered sugar for garnish

Sliced almonds for garnish

• Heat oven to 400.
• Combine eggs, sugar, salt, ground almonds, cream, sliced almonds, lemon zest and juice
• Melt butter in 8” ovenproof skillet over low heat; when foam has subsided, add almond mixture to pan, tilting pan to distribute batter evenly. Continue to cook tart on stovetop until edges just begin to set, then put pan in oven and finish cooking, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
• When tart is done, put in broiler for about a minute or until just golden on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and sliced almonds.
• Serve
  
  
                                            Thanks to Natalie Hartwig
                                  and daughter Berith for a Pi day treat.                         

Ellen Thress- From New York's Tallest Buildings

Ellen Thress- Northern Region

I want to tell you about my recent 
Saturday evening dinner guests. 

My story includes a wedding gift
 I received from a cousin almost 57 years ago. 
 It was a framed table prayer that reads:

O THOU WHO CLOTHEST THE LILIES

AND FEEDEST THE BIRDS OF THE SKY

WHO LEADEST THE LAMBS TO THE PASTURE

AND THE HART TO THE WATERSIDE

WHO HAST MULTIPLIED LOAVES AND FISHES

AND CONVERTED WATER INTO WINE

DO THOU COME TO OUR TABLE

AS GUEST AND GIVER TO DINE

The plaque has hung on my dining room wall 

in the 10 different places I've lived.  

I invited some neighbors
 in my apartment building for dinner.  
Three were Iranian graduate students 
from the University of Delaware and my other guest 
was an 87 year old neighbor who grew up attending
 a Lutheran church in NYC, 
married a man from Algeria 
and raised her family in Algeria.
  Even before moving from NYC, 
she had given up on religion.  

I want to digress a bit here to tell you about
 my childhood dream and my prayer
 before moving to my latest home- in Delaware. 
 As a child, I loved the hymn
 “From Greenland's Icy Mountains”
 and pictured myself going off 
to a far away land to share my faith. 
 It never happened.
 Then, several years ago at a Pastor's conference,
 we sang that hymn.
  The District President said he didn't like the hymn
 and explained why. 
 He told us that, "God is sending the people 

from other parts of the world to us, 

and the mission field is- right here." 

I went home 
and rewrote the words to that hymn. 

Here are the new words.    

New words for the hymn 
“From Greenland's Icy Mountains”

Ellen Thress 1999

Hymn of Kingdom Building     

“From New York’s Tallest Buildings”

From New York’s tallest buildings,  From Vegas’ golden strand,

From sea coasts where they gather  To lie on golden sand;  

From Mississippi Valley,  From mid-west amber plain,

They call us to deliver  Their land from error’s chain.

What though God’s awesome wonders   Produced a canyon grand;

What though the fields are blooming  And beauty’s in the land;

Though God gives of His mercy   To rich and to the poor, 

The children grow up quickly  And learn of God no more.

Can we whose souls are lighted  With wisdom from on high,

Can we to those be-nighted  The lamp of life deny?

Salvation! Oh, Salvation!  The joyful sound proclaim

Till each soul in our nation  Has learned Messiah’s name.

Waft, waft, ye winds, His story,  And you, ye waters, roll,

Till like a sea of glory  It spreads from soul to soul;

Till o’er our ransomed nature  The Lamb for sinners slain,

Redeemer, King, Creator,  In bliss returns to reign.

I am an 82 year old widow of a pastor. 

Before moving to the apartment
 here in Newark, Delaware,

 I prayed that God would give me a new adventure. 

I think He has done that in a BIG, BIG WAY.

  I'm overwhelmed by the wonderful people

 He has put into my life.  
The lady from Algeria has been attending
 a Bible study group here in our building-

 that another resident recently started. 

I met two of the men from Iran 
when they attended a Book Club meeting
 that I started in my apartment.
   When I invited them to dinner,
 they asked if they could include the third. 

God sent me a “mission field”

 that more than answers my prayer

 for another adventure.

Now back to the wall hanging.  

After dinner, one of the men took our picture together. 
 Then another one of the men asked
 if he could take a picture

 of the table prayer wall hanging.

I don't know what that means yet. 

In other conversations about their country 

they said that they did not actually practice 

the Muslim faith, but it was more their culture.  

The same applies to Olive's family.  

She did not practice a religion while in Algeria,

 also a Muslim country, 

but always celebrated Christmas.

I ask for your prayers for my new friends.

 and for this exciting adventure
 God has given me.

We give thanks for this story shared by Ellen Thress- 
serving as a deployed neighborhood missionary.
And for the beautiful words of a hymn 
that we need to be singing in our churches.
The Lord is Good.

Jamee Thieme- Faith Journaling

James Thieme joined us

 at the North Carolina Visual Faith event-

 at St.Paul's Lutheran Church- 

Havelock, NC

on Saturday March 11, 2017.

During a break time 
she shared her faith journaling

 that she does for slowing down to pay attention.

+in worship

+in prayer

+reflection time

She uses a SMASH Journal 

that you can get at any craft store-

 Michael's, Hobby Lobby.
Smash Folio

She prints off a template for her sermon notes

 from the blog of Melinda Ransdell- 
Unconditionally Steadfast
All sorts of Visual Faith helps are found here:
Sermon notes and printables

She takes notes during worship and

that helps deal with distractions.

You can customize a faith journal

  to include your prayers,

and add visuals that make connections.

It can be part of what you are 

reading and studying in Scripture.

Here for Advent are the O Antiphons.

A way to REFLECT and RESPOND

 to a worship sermon-

right into the next week.

And that probably helps us to REMEMBER-

 so that we can find ways to REACH 

that Good News right into the lives 

of our family, friends and neighbors.

A Journey of Faith- 

right now.

Part of a personal IEP plan.

Yes- An Individual Education plan

 for spiritual formation.

A separate plan for each

 and every one of us.

The work of the Holy Spirit

 in the process of sanctification

by grace for each and every believer.

We give thanks to Jamee 

for sharing her lovely journal.

She attends Resurrection Lutheran Church

 in Cary, NC.

Baptism- Holy Spirit Calling

At the 11 am service

 at Grace Lutheran Church,

 La Plata, Maryland

on Sunday, February, 26, 2017

there was an infant baptism scheduled.

Then the father asked to be baptized also.

Then three other young adults 

asked to be baptized.

 And two young children in the family.

Rev. Charlie Long

at the Baptismal font.

His conversations began discussions.

Seeds were planted.

The Holy Spirit used open doors.

And now we pray that this congregation

 continues to surround these newly baptized 

with a spirit of encouragement and teaching.

We give thanks, Lord,

for the power of your Holy Spirit 

to move in your people.

Amen.