  What a wonderful time of worship this past Sunday! Every service was overflowing with love and encouragement for our graduating high school seniors and that gift of encouragement was contagious in the very best way! I love that we were able to write notes of encouragement both last week to our college graduates and this week to our high school graduates. I know that God filled me with the Holy Spirit to remind myself to share words and deeds that encourage and bless others. There are so many ways to encourage each other and I pray that together we can make a difference in the lives of many! Blessings, Beth        We were blessed to spend last weekend with one of our grandsons! Braxton is 3 and he is so much fun! One of his favorite things is putting puzzles together. I enjoyed watching him look at each piece and then figure out where it fits in the puzzle. And if it didn’t fit, he would pick up a different piece, and study it, and try again. And he celebrated each time a puzzle piece fit. As I watched him, I thought about how life is like putting a puzzle together. We pray, we study, we try, we try again, and again, and we are grateful and we celebrate. Yesterday, my friend, Jane Davis, used puzzle pieces in her prayer and I wanted to share her good words with you. Blessings! FROM JANE DAVIS…  I am praying for you this morning… Puzzles speak to me in so many different ways… Hundreds of pieces, some upside down, others right side up…some edges, some corners. Some, when fitted properly together, complete a beautiful picture. Is your life like this puzzle sometimes? Mine often is.x Lots of unanswered questions. Calendars filled with softball games, Dr appointments, school functions, volunteering, traveling… The puzzle pieces keep piling up, but don’t seem to be fitting together. Then God whispers in my ear… “Give it to me. I’ve already figured it out. Everything will work out, according to My Plan for you.” “You just have to give it to Me.” Once we do that, piece-by-piece, things start falling into place. Not our way…but, better yet, His way. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 Easter 2025 Want to volunteer to help? Contact Tina at (830) 315-6104 - or - Beth at (830) 459-5847  Come to the KFUMC Gym this Saturday and cheer on our Women’s Pickleball Tournament Participants! I LOVE THIS OLD MAP OF CAMP WESLEY!  As you can see we have lots of grounds at Light on the Hill at Mount Wesley. If you enjoy working in flowerbeds or pruning shrubs and trees, I have some volunteer opportunities for you!! Let me know if you are interested in helping us. Contact Beth at 830-459-5847 - or - [email protected]    What a Wonderful Morning at Light on the Hill This Past Monday!Before sunrise, the San Antonio Food Bank delivered 36,000 pounds of wonderful food to share with our community. While still dark outside, volunteers and staff began unloading pallet after pallet. Just after sunrise, unpaid servants from throughout our community started arriving to organize and bag the food. Neighbors getting everything ready to share with their neighbors. This is a beautiful sight but nothing that compares to watching the interaction between the givers and the receivers when the cars start driving through. Folks sharing food… folks sharing appreciation… folks sharing smiles… folks sharing encouragement… laughter… crying… conversations… hugs… prayers… Everyone becomes a giver and a receiver of blessings. Thank you to everyone who supports this outpouring of love with your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed are those that take refuge in Him.” Emmaus February Valentine's for Veterans!We will be collecting valentine cards for the local veterans hospital until February 11. You can drop off cards in the narthex at KFUMC.     HAPPY NEW YEAR! The new year is the perfect opportunity to start fresh and develop a daily practice of praising God, seeking His guidance, and renewing our trust in Him every morning. As we look ahead to 2025, let this new beginning inspire us to deepen our faith, grow spiritually, and walk confidently with the Lord each day! Thank You for Stocking the Shelves at Mustard Seed Pantry!THE CHOICE TO BE GLAD by Cathe Laurie “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4) Maybe it was the heavy fog that settled in overnight. Maybe it was the supermoon’s effect on my sleep. Maybe it was that only a few people showed up for my small group. Or maybe it was the never-ending barrage of political forecasts and subsequent conversations that made our future as a country seem as gloomy as the weather. Whatever it was … something made me feel weary and sad. Breaking Down Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4) This verse is a real all-timer, one that gets quoted in a multitude of situations. I’ve highlighted and underlined it in my Bible. I’ve read it a thousand times, memorized it long ago, and even quoted it more times than I can count. But I really needed to hear it again. You see, it wasn’t only that the Philippians were having a bad day; that would be one thing. But the situation Paul was facing when he wrote this was full of mess. It would be hard for one of us to even pinpoint a positive part of his life at that point. As he writes to the church in Philippi, he’s sitting in chains in a Roman prison, condemned to death, and nothing he can say will change that. Even the generous donation the Philippians sent him won’t mitigate his sentence. But Paul says again: Rejoice. The cheap version of this is to pretend it’s all fine: I’ve got Jesus, so nothing hurts. But Paul is living out almost the opposite: Everything hurts, but I’ve got Jesus. Paul provides a list of some excellent things to rejoice in: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of commendable … think about these things” (Phil. 4:8) The verb at the end of the verse changes throughout the translations, but the original Greek word logizesthai means to think continually, to contemplate, and to implant them in your heart. One of my favorite translations of the word is “dwell.” Paul is telling the Philippians to count their blessings and live in that space of gratitude and praise. To dwell in the promises of the Lord and His great love for us. The Choice We Make Friends, our minds will find something to focus on. Either we can be consumed by the evil, the anxiety, the mess of it all, or we can rejoice in what is positive and what God has promised to us. So, on those days when we feel the aches and hurts deeply, we must focus our hearts on things and see how beautiful they’re supposed to be. How beautiful they will be, one day. God knows evil is real enough—so real you can stew in it if you choose, fondling your hurts and wallowing in misery. That void will suck you in deep if you let it. OR you can take hold of your mind, turning it instead to the goodness of God. Will you dwell on the darkness you see, or will you choose to think continually on good and establish your heart firmly in the Lord?  Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Thanksgiving baskets! November 22 Blessing Thank you for all your service. Our country is a better place because of you. As many of us enjoy a day off on November 11, let us remember the reason. We will never forget your bravery, honor, and courage!  Harvest Festival was wet but still fun! We thank God for the rain. HELP BLESS OUR NEIGHBORS THIS THANKSGIVING!MUSTARD SEED THANKSGIVING FOOD BASKETS · Canned Sweet Potatoes · Stovetop Stuffing · Gravy Mix Packet · Canned Corn · Canned Green Beans · Canned Cranberry Sauce You may drop off items on Sunday mornings at KFUMC in the narthex.  Come one and all! Invite your family, friends and neighbors to join us at this free community wide event! Enjoy the live music of Tim Porter and Gary Hatch! Take part in hay rides for all ages, a petting zoo, bounce houses, face painting and games for all the kiddos! If you would like more information or if you would like to volunteer, contact Beth Palmer at [email protected] or (830) 459-5847.  HELP BLESS OUR NEIGHBORS THIS THANKSGIVING! MUSTARD SEED THANKSGIVING FOOD BASKETS · Canned Sweet Potatoes · Stovetop Stuffing · Gravy Mix Packet · Canned Corn · Canned Green Beans · Canned Cranberry Sauce You may drop off items on Sunday mornings at KFUMC in the narthex. Emmaus November  TOGETHER The world is watching. The way Christians talk about their church has great impact, and the way we speak of other local congregations, pastors and the church around the world speaks volumes. Is the body of Jesus Christ united in love and mission, or are we divided? How does the world see us? Are we living as examples of grace, love, and unity? Here are some ways to be a witness in how we think about, speak of and interact with other faith communities. My prayer is that we step into some of these practices and become a witness in our community of what the family of God is supposed to look like. Speak well of other churches and pastors and pray for them. Every chance we have, speak words of blessing and affirmation over faith communities in our area. These are family members. Share words of blessing. Be kind. Pray for our faith communities and their leaders. Partner with other churches. Sometimes churches feel the need to do everything on their own, even when another church in the area is doing the same thing wonderfully. But we want to join together and let our community see churches that partner and work together. We are blessed to work with other faith communities with food relief efforts and through Habitat for Humanity, to just mention a few of the ways we partner. The world is watching. Let’s give witness to our unity. We are the family of God. Let’s shine the light of Jesus through our example. Rejoice where God is working. Celebrate where the kingdom of God is expanding. Let the world see that we are united, partners, family and one. Volunteer Opportunities We could use extra hands, please join us Monday!  Join us to help out at 9:45AM, October 29th. Other EventsChurch Picnic at Camp Mystic, Oct 27th  We need your participation to help us provide a safe, fun event for lots of children! Please bring your vehicle and park in the back parking lot of the church no later than 5:15pm. You can decorate your trunk or dress in costume (please nothing too scary) or just come as you are. We are providing candy but we need you to help us hand it out! Come join us for lots of fun! Trunk or Treat at KFUMC will be on Wednesday, October 30, from 5:30-6:30pm!  We need your participation to help us provide a safe, fun event for lots of children! Please bring your vehicle and park in the back parking lot of the church no later than 5:15pm. You can decorate your trunk or dress in costume (please nothing too scary) or just come as you are. We are providing candy but we need you to help us hand it out! Come join us for lots of fun! Come join us on Saturday, November 2, at Light on the Hill for The Harvest Festival! Come one and all! Invite your family, friends and neighbors to join us at this free community wide event! Enjoy the live music of Tim Porter and Gary Hatch! Take part in hay rides for all ages, a petting zoo, bounce houses, face painting and games for all the kiddos!
If you would like more information or if you would like to volunteer, contact Beth Palmer at [email protected] or (830) 459-5847.  As the humanitarian relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Committee on Relief – UMCOR –assists United Methodists and churches to become involved globally in direct ministry to persons in need. UMCOR comes alongside those who suffer from natural or human-caused disasters – famine, hurricane, war, flood, fire or other events—to alleviate suffering and serve as a source of help and hope for the vulnerable. UMCOR provides relief, response and long-term recovery grants when events overwhelm a community’s ability to recover on their own. UMCOR also provides technical support and training for partners to address emerging and ongoing issues related to disaster relief, recovery, and long-term health and development.  Are you interested in learning more about how our local church can help in a disaster? Contact Beth Palmer [email protected] (830)459-5847     Times are A-Changin’ When it Comes to Discipleship! With no experience, you can jump in with both feet and be a disciple! Call them small groups, life groups, or Covenant Discipleship Groups. It does not matter. We are just people who “disciple” together. What does it look like to “disciple” together at KFUMC? Maybe you are interested in our various food ministries. Maybe you enjoy making hospital visits. Maybe you are interested in delivering flowers to homebound members. Maybe you would like to offer communion to those in nursing facilities. Maybe you love to sing, but cannot, so you are thinking about joining Haley Montoya’s Sing-a-Long group. Maybe you are good at home repairs. Maybe you love to read to others. Maybe you are a genius when it comes to second-grade math and can offer your skills as a tutor. Maybe you like to fold and sort clothes at Mustard Seed. On September 4th, KFUMC has a new group starting. This will be our 7th group in three short years! We are making a difference in our community, one group at a time!!! If you are interested in meeting some new people, forming new friendships, and “discipling” together, please come to our first meeting to learn more. I will be in room 203, on the second floor of the education building. You do not have to commit yet. Just come and check it out. See you on Sept. 4 at 5:30 PM! Blessings, Rev. Monica O’Donnell  Mega Food PantryWe are so thankful for the San Antonio Food Bank and Amazing Unpaid Servants! Mustard SeedWe love our neighbors! |
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Light on the Hill at Mount Wesley is a Texas nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 83-3263624).
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