Pond Eddy United Methodist Church

From the Pastor: Tuesday December 8th, 2020 Yesterday, being the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, got me to thinking, how easy it is to forget our history. And yet remembering our history, remembering the lessons we’ve learned from history is so important. We cannot push those lessons aside And that reminded me of the stories (the histories) of each of our lives. All of our lives are stories and each of us our stories are so different. You can tell that by walking into ...Continue reading

From the Pastor: Monday December 7th, 2020 I came across a paragraph in a book I was reading this morning, and it had no foot note so I don’t know who to give credit to, and you will see by its content that it had to have been written over a hundred years ago. I want to share it because it makes me think about our world today where all people can think about is the corona virus: A century ago, men were following with bated breath the march of Napoleon and waiting f...everishly for news of the war. And all the while in their own homes, babies were being born. But who could think about babies? Everybody was thinking about battles. In one year, there stole into a world of host of heroes. Gladstone was born in Liverpool, England, and Tennyson at Somersby. Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Massachusetts. Abraham Lincoln drew his first breath in Old Kentucky and music was enriched by the birth of Felix Mendelssohn in Hamburg. But nobody thought about babies. Everybody was thinking about battles. Yet, which of the battles of 1809 mattered more than the babies that were born in1809? We fancy that God can only manage His world through the big battalions of life, when all the while He is doing it through the beautiful babies that are being born into the world. When a wrong wants righting, or a truth wants preaching, or a continent wants opening, God sends a baby into the world to do it. And where do you find God at Christmas? In a manger. A baby was born at the heart of the Roman Empire, that when the Roman Empire would crumble and fall, that baby, who would become a man, would also become the Savior of the world. Babies. Right now, I have several friends who have a brand-new baby and that is so exciting for their entire families. Who knows who those babies will become? This Christmas, how-ever you gather in your homes or around a zoom gathering, watch those babies and young children. Think about them and the persons they will grow up to be and pray for them, that they will know the Lord and seek His will for their lives. What a privilege it is to pray for our children and grandchildren and our friends’ children. Who knows what plans God has for them! And we can be a part of it through our prayers. Have a blessed day!! See more

From the Pastor: Monday November 2nd, 2020 Before I left for Florida, I had to complete the newsletter for November, and I want to repeat a part of it, because, I know many of you aren’t on our church’s mailing list and I believe we need to remember this: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, Jesus will still be King. The day after the election, regardless of who has won, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota. The day after th...e election, regardless of who has won, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and mind of men and women through the Gospel, not legislation. The day after the election, regardless of who has won, my primary citizenship will still be in this order: 1. The Kingdom of God. 2. America (not vice-versa). The day after the election, regardless of who has won, The tomb will still be empty! The day after the election, regardless of who has won, the Cross, not the government, will still be where salvation is found. So keep praying, stay safe and have a blessed day! See more

Pastor Nancy speaks about waiting, and what it can really mean.

From the Pastor: Sunday, December 6th, 2020 It is Sunday. Yes we are still under restrictions for the corona virus but help is on the way! And the vaccines will be available soon very soon within a week or two. To me it is amazing that something like creating a vaccine that usually takes 3 to 5 years, has been accomplished in less than a year. Praise the Lord!! I wonder how many people were praying for this to happen? I know I have been. Well, dear folks, you know on Sunday morning this message is usually short and so I invite you to watch our video (we are still re-posting sorry that’s due to circumstances beyond our control) on this Pond Eddy Facebook page at 10:00 a.m. and/or watch your favorite pastor on television this morning! Have a blessed day!

I thought I posted this at 7 a.m., but maybe I forgot to hit "Post" Sorry for the delay: From the Pastor: Saturday December 5th, 2020 Yesterday, I said that I believe music calls us to the Divine. Whether you are listening to the Hallelujah Chorus or a child singing Jesus Loves Me, there is something about listening to music that calls to our spirits Did you ever stop to think about the role our eyes and our ears play in our lives? Lorenz Oken pointed out long ago, tha...t the eye takes us into the world, but the ear takes the world into us. When I first read that, I had to think about it, and I believe that it is true. Our eyes are truly amazing in how we can see the mountains the deserts, beautiful sunrises and sunsets and the full moon reflected on the river or a pond how we see this beautiful world God gave us and yes, even the people we love. And we take in all that we can with our eyes fully open. And yet, have you ever listened to beautiful music, and closed your eyes, because your eyes were distracting you from fully concentrating on the music? There is something about music, as I have said that calls to our inner most being, that calls us to the Divine and we just have to listen How about this: Interesting isn’t it that God made us with eyelids, but no earlids? He wants us to hear, to listen to His beautiful creation and He wants us to listen to Him! Did you know that we begin life hearing and we end life hearing? It is true. Our ears were opened before birth (babies can hear in the womb) and hearing is the last of the senses to leave us at death. Think about it and have a blessed day! See more

A second post for Sunday November 1st I just wanted to share that yesterday as we went to a Halloween party for kids and adults on a horse farm (everyone was in costume - kids and adults) and we had a wonderful time, I could tell that I am back in the Bible Belt, where people are not afraid to talk about their faith!! What a blessing!! You know how I’ve wondered who God would place in my path as I am on this journey in Florida? I know I met a couple more of them yesterday folks who are trusting the Lord in these strange times, and sharing their faith in Him for our future. And one more thing, if I can figure out how, I will post a picture or two. God bless you all!!

From the Pastor: Sunday November 1st, 2020 We live in a day and time when so many things are done for us: The clock on my computer and my cell phone went backward one hour in the night. It was strange to walk into the kitchen and see the clock on the stove read 5:32 and then sit down at my computer and its clock reads 4:32. Time: seconds, minutes, hours Our lives are made up of so many little things, and so many little things that are so important. Someone once sa...id, Do not squander time for that is what life is made of. And life is precious. It is Sunday (already!) All Saints Day in the life of the church, a day to remember those who have gone before, and praise God for those saints whose lives intersect with ours now. When I remember those loved ones who have gone before, I can become very nostalgic about the past, but as I read in a book recently, The past is prologue; it is useful only as a foundation on which we must build for tomorrow. We do not have to be afraid of the future; God is still sovereign. Peace, dear friends and have a great day. See more

Be sure to set your clocks back tonight or you will be early for church!

From the Pastor: Saturday October 31, 2020 Yesterday, we dropped Amanda off at school and then Becky and I went out for breakfast and sat and made a list of things to do and get First on the list a costume for Amanda. She wanted to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz which was great because that left lots of characters for everyone else in the family to be. Rob’s Mom would be the Wicked Witch, Becky would be the cowardly lion, Rob would be the tin woodsman and I would ...be the scarecrow. I have never spent Halloween with my Florida family and so this was going to be fun. As you can see when this family does Halloween, it is a family affair. We could not find a blue and white gingham dress for Dorothy, so I had come prepared to solve the problem by bringing a long gingham dress that I could cut up and make into a Dorothy dress However, God had things under control because when Amanda got in the car from school, (there should have been a drum roll)as she pulled a Dorothy dress out of her back pack An exact replica of the dress Dorothy had on when she followed the yellow brick road to the Land of Oz. (Only the dress was prettier because it had sparkles on it!!) Amanda had told the teacher’s aide that she wanted to be Dorothy and the aide brought in the dress her own daughter had worn. We were praising the Lord!! Now to some folks that would be just a co-incidence, but I don’t believe in co-incidences. That was a God-incidence! And it was also a gift of time because now I would not have to isolate and concentrate on creating a dress. It is such a blessing. I immediately thought of the scripture from Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagineto Him be the glory. I cannot tell you why some things happen the way they do, but I do know that through blessings and hardships, God is with us, and we need to give Him the glory in everything that we are going through. I also have learned that when we have hardships whether they be health situations or not enough money, or tragedies that strike, those are the times God draws us closer to Him, if we will allow it. That’s why surrendering is so important because we can let go and watch what God is going to do. Have a blessed day!! See more

From the Pastor: Friday December 4, 2020 My sister’s birthday 1941 3 days before Pearl Harbor. You would be 79 today. Happy Birthday Annie. I miss you. (One of the things I miss about my sister is our singing together from the time we were very little girls to being part of a trio in our late teen years and ever after at the piano at Christmas time when we could be together just sayin’!) Good Morning everyone. You know when we stop and think about it, the story... of Jesus does not begin in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. The story of Jesus begins in Eternity past, when the Word (Jesus in His pre-incarnate state), was with God and the Word was Godand the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (see John chapter 1) And this is the mystery of the Gospel: that God Himself came down to earth and became fully human. Why? Because God loves us and wants us home with Him. I think one of the Christmas Carols that answers that question and tells the story so completely is this: Thou didst leave Thy Throne and Thy Kingly Crown, when Thou camest to earth for me, but in Bethlehem’s home there was found no room for Thy Holy Nativity. O come to my heart Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee. And the song goes on to share how Heaven’s arches rang as the angels sang proclaiming the royal decree, but in lowly birth didst Thou come to earth and in great humility. There’s more to this carol, including His suffering and pain on Calvary, and it ends with this verse: When heaven’s arches shall ring and its choir shall sing at Thy coming to victory, let Thy voice call me home, saying Yet there is room, there is room at My side for thee. And my heart shall rejoice Lord Jesus, when Thou comest and callest for me. The whole story of why Jesus came in 5 verses. I do believe that music calls us to the Divine. Which is why when we hear beautiful music, our souls are touched. Beautiful music may even cause us to weep.and as so much music does, this carol touches my soul. I’m sure you each have at least one carol (maybe a dozen) that touch your soul too. Are you playing Christmas carols in your home and in your car? It’s time. Have a blessed day today! See more

From the Pastor: Friday, October 30th, 2020 I woke up in the night with a lot on my mind. Before I went to bed, I had been listening to the news on the TV talk about distracting and upsetting! So rather than try to go back to sleep with all those things swirling in my head, and knowing I don’t have the answers, I got up and picked up a Bible and a small notebook I’ve been using and settled into a chair. As part of her homework assignments, my grand daughter Amanda... has been memorizing verse by verse one verse each week - Ephesians 6:10-20, about putting on the full armor of God, and I have printed that into the notebook, so that when she calls me in the evening and wants to go over her memory verse with me, I have it in front of me These are the verses that struck me so strongly and they are so relevant about what is going on in our country and in our world today: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We are in a battle, folks! A spiritual battle. And when we start to get discouraged with what we are seeing and we feel helpless to change anything, we need to remember that we cannot fight this battle without God’s strength. I recommend that we all read this scripture often! St. Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God that we may be able to take our stand against the devil’s schemes. And the first piece of that armor, is the belt of truth everything else attaches to that. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. And pray in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests And then Paul ends with and Pray for me that I may proclaim the Gospel boldly as I should. And so dear friends, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, and have a blessed day! See more

From the Pastor: Thursday October 29th, 2020 Before I share the message God has given me for today, I want you to know how much I appreciate and enjoy all of the comments that you make. The thought came to mind, that you might think I am ignoring them. Believe me, I’m not. Most of the time, once the message is posted for the day I may not get back on Face book for the rest of the day. But I do so appreciate hearing from all of you. And Maureen, I got your text and I ...will call you probably today. This coming Sunday, November 1st is All Saints Day in the life of the church. It is one of my favorite days on the church calendar, because it draws our attention to the faithful saints who have gone before in the history of the church and the world and also those in our lifetimes who have crossed our paths and journeyed with us for a while and taught us so much about how to love the Lord and one another, and yes, how to live by faith. Very often in worship on this Sunday, we read from Chapter 11 of Hebrews often called the Faith Chapter because it lists many of the saints in the Bible who lived by faith. It’s a great read, and then chapter 12 begins with these words: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us So, I invite you today to be thinking about and praising God for all of those who have given you so much on your journey. And I will too. More to come. Have a blessed day!! See more

From the Pastor: Wednesday October 28, 2020 Today is our first day in the Johnston family’s regular routine. Becky leaves first, then Rob with Amanda a while later. I got to put Amanda’s hair into a braid before she left for school. I got to wave goodbye as she got in the car with her Dad and I said I was going back in the house, and she said, No, wave us down the streetso I waved until I couldn’t see them anymore, as she called out her window, I love you. You k...now these are such simple things, such treasured memories when you live so far away and don’t get to do them very often. (I missed all of this with my first grand daughter they lived in Miami, and I was in NYS when Kat was born, I didn’t even see Kat until she was 5 months old. But that part of my family lives in NYS now, and that is such a blessing!) And to top it all off, when we walked outside to the car, the clouds in the East were a beautiful deep pink as the sun was not up yet. Oh thank you Lord! The best things in life are free! Especially Love God’s love surrounding us all. So today, I pray that you know and feel God’s love surrounding you. Have a blessed day todayand pray for those who don’t know the Lord and how much love is surrounding them all of the time. Peace, dear friends. See more

From the Pastor: Tuesday October 27, 2020 - Good Morning Everyone from sunny Port St.Lucie, Florida! Yesterday, we drove to the White Plains Airport or is it called the Westchester airport? In any case, it is right off 684 and so easy to get to. it’s a small airport you can’t get lost there. I said to my daughter Margie, this is the airport for a country girl!! We’ve decided this is our choice for flying now We like Newburgh/Stuart but they don’t have dire...ct flights to West Palm Beach. It was kind of a drizzly day, but once you were up above the clouds, that didn’t matter. And I was blessed with a window seat, and the middle seat empty, and in the aisle seat was a retired cop from the Bronx, so we had some conversation about the crazy world we are living in..and of course he was so helpful with my luggage. I am blessed! I slept with my granddaughter Amanda, and when I woke up early, I went out to the kitchen table to read and to write in my journal, and the overhead light was shining down so that I was writing in my shadow I really couldn’t see what I was writing. So, I moved to another chair so the light could shine directly on my pages. And the thought came to me: I moved my position and now I can see. (The preacher in me said that will preach!) It sounded so familiar and the scripture came to mind: I was blind, but now I can see! And I thought Lord, I (we) need to be praying for all the blind people in the world, that they will come to the Light so that they can see. What a simple solution to the world’s problems: If everyone would walk in the Light of God’s Love and share that Love. Yes, there is a dark side to life. But we do not have to stay in the dark. We can choose Light and Love!! It is a choice!! Have a blessed day!! See more

From the Pastor: Monday Morning October 26th, 2020 Off we go into the wild blue yonder Well, the time is drawing closer and I’m just checking in to say, tomorrow morning I should be settled in, in Florida and will be back here (as long as I can get on line) to share. I wonder what the Lord has for me, on this adventure today. Will I meet someone who will have something to share with me? Or will I be able to share something with someone else? This is an exciting time and of course my granddaughter has already called to say I can’t wait to see you! So dear friends, have a blessed day, as my friend Cathy used to say, journeying with Jesus.

Reposted from May 3, 2020 Day by Day: Some insight into the first church

From the Pastor: Sunday morning October 25th, 2020 This morning, like Martha in the Bible, I am distracted by many things. I know it is because tomorrow I will be flying to Florida to spend some time with my Florida family (I haven’t seen little Amanda since last Thanksgiving she’s 7 now). Distractions! I find myself knowing that when they get to be too many, I can just go back to my prayer corner and surrender everything to the Lord again, and pray for His help. Did you ever stop to think, In the Garden, Adam and Eve had just that one distraction That One Tree the serpent kept talking about? In our day and time it seems like Distraction is the name of the whole forest. At least that is what I am thinking today. OH and by the way, I will continue my morning messages while in Florida. Have a blessed day!