1st Presbyterian Church Coeur d'Alene ID
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A Job Done Well

6/30/2020

6 Comments

 
I love to work—always have and probably always will. Coming from a large household of six children, I learned early-on to chip-in and do my part of the work of keeping up a home. Washing dishes, for example, has its own reward: you start with a messy kitchen and, with just a little work, end with a sparkling clean counter and dishes. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride in a job well-done. I wish that feeling for everyone.

Paul instructed the Christians in Colosse: Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

I’m not sure of my own motivation for loving to work and perhaps it varied over the years, but I always wanted to work. From around age 10 until my mid-teens, the calendar was usually filled with babysitting jobs in the neighborhood. I think the trick was that not only did I get along well with their children, but I also spruced-up their homes for them while babysitting. Even though I never had my own children, the skills of working with a variety of people served me well in teaching and in life.

I’ve had many other jobs through the years (tourist shop clerk, waitress [the only job I think I did really poorly!], grocery store butcher, head cook in an Italian restaurant, hotel maid and janitor, insurance report reviewer and file clerk, motor vehicle clerk, state trooper dispatcher, secretary, deputy city clerk, etc.). I finally earned my elementary education degree and then retired after teaching for 21 years. I loved the learning that went along with every single one of those jobs and found that the skills learned translated into other parts of life, too!

When I moved to Idaho, I tried just being retired, but I ended up working remotely for six months for the city clerk of my former community by writing resolutions and an election manual to implement mail-in voting there. When that job was over, I began working as receptionist at the church, job-sharing with Laura Koepke, and later Chris Gray, so we could still enjoy our retirements, too. During these difficult times (don’t you want that now-trite phrase to disappear from our language?), Chris and I have been fortunate to continue our regular work from our homes. To produce the Sunday slides, we start with just words in a Worship Order and end up with the visual representations you see during the services. It’s very rewarding for us to see the results and hopefully enhances your worship experience, too.

I really DO love to work! When I recently read about all the places in our area looking for employees, I was astonished! All these skills to be learned are going to waste! All these experiences to be had are not being utilized! All the new people to meet, learn from, teach are not being enjoyed! It’s sad for me to know that so many people are out of work right now.

I’ve been fortunate that the longest I’ve been without work (when I wanted it) was five days. My dad always said that I just had a “Good, old-fashioned, German work ethic.” I don’t know about that, but I do know that I didn’t do the jobs just for the money--even though I also enjoy that aspect of work. I love to learn new things, but I don’t usually think about my motivation to want to work.

Perhaps Paul expressed it best for me in Galatians 6:4-5: Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
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I pray that the Lord will empower us to take our “messy kitchen” of a world right now and restore it to a sparkling clean one, one that allows people to work and experience the pride in a job well-done. I pray that He can show us that our world can get back to  where we come out the other side with a new appreciation for work and for the life we’ve been given so that we learn to make the most of it.
There is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. Hebrews 4:9-10

I think I’ll keep working until I find my eternal rest. May you experience that same joy.
​

Your friend in Christ,
Emily
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Emily Rogers
6 Comments

Looking Forward

6/22/2020

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Lately I have found myself looking forward to lots of things. Looking forward to when we are all back together again at church. Looking forward to a stocked toilet paper aisle at the store. Looking forward to warm weather. Looking forward to that day—way in the future—when I pay off the house I just bought. Looking forward to summer camping trips, fishing with my grandson, new clothes, sunshine, dinner with loved ones, and some “me” time.

It’s funny that when I list out things I look forward to, they are centered on one main theme,
“ me”. Things I want to have, things I want to do, and things that make me feel the way I want to feel. Not that all these things are bad or unnecessary, but the focus is still just plain ol’ me.

In 2 Peter 3, we are urged to look forward to something as well. This chapter has some pretty challenging stuff to think about. Peter is urging the church to live holy lives and to look forward to something bigger than themselves: the day of God. The funny thing is when I first read this chapter, the day of God seems like a pretty scary day and not something I would naturally look forward to. I want new clothes and sunshine, not destruction and fire! But when I read just a bit further I find that God wants new things, too: a new heaven and a new earth.

What a contrast to my little list of wants! A new heaven and new earth; that pretty much encompasses everything I could ever think of looking forward to! The whole purpose of this new heaven and new earth is so that righteousness has a place to live. Righteous people living with a righteous God, living in a new way in a new place. No sickness, no injustice, no fear, no night, no more unrighteous hearts and the unrighteous actions that cause so much hurt.

God is already righteous, so this day is not something He needs to look forward to for Himself. He longs for this day for us. God is looking forward to the day when we are in that new place with Him. Where our tears are wiped away, our clothes are new and bright, and we are finally released from sin and death. No wonder that in this chapter Peter urges the church to look forward to that day and to speed its coming. Peter knew that God’s focus of looking forward is about us. 2 Peter 3 is an excellent reminder to look forward to something bigger than my list of “me” and focus on a day that is truly worth looking forward to.

In His Service, Bonnie
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Bonnie Piovesan
0 Comments

My Fitbit Died This Week

6/16/2020

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My Fitbit died this week. Some of you might know that I wear a Fitbit (fancy pedometer) because I like to track the number of steps I take every day. It also tracks my sleep, which either confirms or denies the quality of my sleep—good and bad ☺. It’s part of my self-imposed “healthy-as-I-can-be” lifestyle regime. When it failed this week, I was at a loss. A little …

For my blog topic, I was going to write about something profound. Something about what’s going on in our society and community right now. I’d been giving it a lot of thought.
Why do we judge? What is implicit bias? Why are we prejudiced? What is it about racial equality that some people can’t accept?

I’m not an expert, and the truth is that I don’t feel I’m qualified to talk about any of that. Try as I will, I can’t begin to understand the intricacies or the psychology behind prejudices.

I mostly hope and pray that I am not. Here is what I found that I wanted to share with you:

This Sunday morning I was listening to one of my favorite radio stations as I was prepping for church. It’s a country music station based in San Jose, CA and broadcasts a show that chronicles the top-30 country hits from the previous week (Lon Helton hosts for those in the know).

This week’s guest was asked, “What have you learned about yourself during this time of quarantine?” He answered, “Gratitude”. He was grateful for the small things, like going to a restaurant, connecting with friends, and more.

That started me thinking of the things I’m grateful for: the things I have, e.g. a working Fitbit ☺ but more importantly my relationships: my husband, my children, my friends, all of you, and possibly mostly importantly: my relationship with our loving God.

I have experienced a relatively privileged life, and I don’t mean economically, but rather in the loving, accepting relationships in my life. Love and kindness have been modeled by so many, and I hope I have learned to do the same. I am grateful for those lessons. In a world filled with turmoil and unrest, we, as humans, have an opportunity to model good behavior. We can create and enable those relationships.

Here are a few of my favorite thoughts about gratitude:
Gratitude Quotes
  • “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie
  • “As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful way of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us.” – James E. Faust
  • “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ― Melody Beattie
  • “Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” –  Anonymous

Geoff Rinehart said this past Sunday morning, “We can hope and work for a better tomorrow and love like Jesus.” I am confident that we can all hope and work for a better tomorrow and be grateful for the goodness we've been given.

In His Name, Janet
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Janet Starkey
0 Comments

A Time to Celebrate

6/9/2020

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The year 2020 has been an eye-opening year so far with the world pandemic and civil unrest all around us. It is easy to become disheartened, which is where I have been occasionally in the recent months. It’s times like these that we need to remember the good things that God has done in our lives, because as His children, He is ever-present in our lives. This time has caused me to look deeper into God’s Word and to have a more meaningful time of prayer in my personal time with the Lord each morning. It has also helped me see, with fresh eyes, how God is working in my life each day. It causes me to have a more joyful heart and to want to celebrate!

I want to share the great blessing that I am celebrating today, June 8th: my mother! My mother turned 84 years old today! This lady has been a huge influence for me in so many ways that have helped me become the person that I am today. Growing up, I was painfully shy. She made sure that I was involved in activities to help bring me out of my shyness: Bluebirds, grade-school and high-school band, 4-H, Tae kwon do, acting in plays, participating in parades, and modeling. Being a highly intelligent woman, she taught me that the only thing that could hold me back from pursuing my dreams is me. She taught me to set my mind on my goal and go for it. My mother was also my best friend as I grew up; we shared many interests and did everything together. She was my biggest fan, and I am hers.

Sadly, my mother has Alzheimer’s, and there are days when she does not remember that I am her daughter. I am grateful, though, that she is still in my life and that I get to be with her. There are days that she is very aware of who I am and we get to enjoy that relationship. Other days, I just get to love on her.

This is the Bible verse that stood out to me today:
How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 31:19.
​
In His Name, Stephanie

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Stephanie Rogge
0 Comments

Happiest Year

6/1/2020

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The last year has been the happiest of my life! Nine months ago, God gave my wife and me our amazing little Holden. Every single day, my perfect son has brought so much joy to me–even when he has decided for the moment to not be so perfect with his endless antics. 


I have to confess that I feel somewhat guilty. While so many have struggled with being trapped in their homes, I’ve been where I am the happiest. My home is filled with the love God blessed us with. It is amazing how much He has added to my home by growing our little family. 


The current health crisis has shown me how much love people in this world have for one another. People who have very little to fear protect others by staying at home and wearing masks. Many put themselves at risk so that others in the community can get the care they need. We do a hundred difficult things because we love our neighbors. Those difficult things seem so small when we do them out of love.


Whenever our lives go through major changes–whether it’s becoming a parent or surviving the pandemic–we can learn what we are capable of. Having my son in my life has shown me how capable I am of being a father. Over the last several months, my wife and I have gone through the process of getting our foster care licenses. The idea of adopting a child into my home once seemed impossible, but it feels natural now to add someone new to it. In giving me my son, God has shown me how much space I have in my heart and in my home to fill with love. God has shown all of us how much love there is in the world by inspiring us to do good for one another.
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Foster parents get praised for being there to help family, but to most of them, it seems like such a small burden since it is out of love. The world is full of people that do wonderful things because God’s gift of love makes the burden light. God has shown me how much love we have for each other. Of the many, many gifts God has given me, being able to love others has been my favorite.


In His Name, Matthew​
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Matthew Harrison
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  • Home
    • Connect With Us >
      • Prayer Request
      • eNews Archive >
        • 2020 eNews Archive
  • Who We Are
    • Our Mission
    • Leadership & Staff >
      • Job Opportunities
      • Blogs >
        • Blog Archive 2021
        • Blog Archive 2020
    • Elders, Deacons & Ministry Teams >
      • Christmas Families
      • Annual Clothing Givewaway
    • History >
      • Past Ministers
    • What Presbyterians Believe
    • Annual Reports
  • Ministries
    • Children & Families
    • Youth
    • Missions
    • Serve >
      • Choir
      • Church Ministry Teams
      • Ecumenical Kitchen
      • Family Promise
      • Handbell Choir
      • Knitting for Warmth
      • Praise Team
      • Reception Team
      • VBS Planning Team
    • Grow >
      • Book Studies
      • Men's Fellowship
      • Presbyterian Women
      • Sunday Bible Study
      • Women's Circles
    • Connect >
      • Dinners at 6-ish
      • Flying Solo
  • Sundays
    • Classic Worship
    • Contemplative Worship
    • Sermons
  • Giving