׉?ׁB!בCטHHu׉׉ 7cassandra://JixeljK-Zj9sRZTd6UFsYheZd6zjwTJ7b4So6pm6sU0\`$t׉ 7cassandra://J99ZAID4xkQNQNTvTH5uPuMWUDJKF_-i6sgCLlsIoxwK-`׉ 7cassandra://k4B42CdjPdgSo5fAf1QPplbBxpNfBAv3UPzq7xsafFU`׉ 7cassandra://I3_XDdIavfV8d3gDS_zkpTNYmfk0ebCniSsrWyiC7ecͭ{l͠a#,wj3טHu׈frJ׈Ea#,wj3׉EWesley United Methodist Church January 2022 Newsletter What’s inside: From the Desk of Pastor Zeke Welcome Baby Girl Cotton Donation to General Fund ׉ 7cassandra://k4B42CdjPdgSo5fAf1QPplbBxpNfBAv3UPzq7xsafFU`a#,wj3a#,wj3בCטHu׉׉ 7cassandra://bvG4gUp9nWBKXlPe00M0k6u8a-p0or1SHsUq7vJAZNYv`$t׉ 7cassandra://RgaEiu_ob3zzr5jsS63DG6ptXKxCpORwqh794Q7QwPs͟U`׉ 7cassandra://ejBhwAAnQaLSIkzDzhvOxysqYkSiPGvw_kUUpmm3910*`׉ 7cassandra://gfqOwKuEr0meJJHH6PTg3eh1AWPdBgKQz-tgkFhOne458͠a#,wj3טHHu׉׉ 7cassandra://LDUWPC_u7LAkA1-vP78VtK8kUxBCC7ybdgEZ53Lx4YEe`$t׉ 7cassandra://4054VHXuYr-W3eVOhlS5BuznkGRJKr9bVN0M9M4HXuQ̓ `׉ 7cassandra://aqCykaPE8pCy9Dl3bmRe8idJks9d7vg2jlloCah8cb0)o`׉ 7cassandra://pwdNNej8bTE6VyscCmtDS1HS-1BD29Z7ttWhlOX84Mo_`͠a#,wj3׉E From Pastor Zeke Page 1 From the Desk of Pastor Zeke “The truly happy person doesn’t follow wicked advice, doesn’t stand on the road of sinners, and doesn’t sit with the disrespectful. Instead of doing those things, the person loves the LORD’s instruction, and they recite God’s instruction day and night! They are like a tree replanted by streams of water, which bears fruit at just the right time and whose leaves don’t fade. Whatever they do succeeds.” Psalms 1:1-3 A new year is dawning for us all. Goodbye 2021. This time of transition affords us all unique opportunities which are not always so easily before us. First, let us take a quick inventory. What were the top five best things that happened in your life during 2021? Put those things in a list and hold on to it. Remind yourself of those things often; doing so will help ground you in a life that is filled with gratitude. We are all better people when we live life from a place of gratitude. Now for the other side, the dark side, that long list of all the things you did wrong: all the mistakes, all the brokenness, heartbreak, sickness, and struggle. Most of us are really adept at holding onto all these things. We become so good at this, we end up lugging the weighty baggage of past pain and mistakes and so moving anywhere forward is really challenging. Now, this is a perfect opportunity to lighten the load a bit. Make a list of all these things and with a prayer discard it in the trash. Let go and try to start fresh. Then return to and read over those top five things of 2021. Remember and reinforce their meaning and value. Second, take a moment to think about and name the things and people you are truly grateful for. Spend a few moments thanking God for those things and for those people. Grateful lives move forward more freely. Third, without confines, in prayer to God, offer your hope for the year to come. A new year brings with it the opportunity of new goals and new aspirations. Do not be afraid to dream big. Lay your hopes at the feet of the Lord. After six months, it is believed that only about 46% of New Year’s resolutions still hold. While resolutions can be helpful, I would like to invite you to view the New Year through the lens of faith. We remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 28, “I will never leave you.” We should claim that promise and believe God journeys alongside us into 2022. Cont. on page 2 Wesley UMC Newsletter January 2022 ׉ 7cassandra://ejBhwAAnQaLSIkzDzhvOxysqYkSiPGvw_kUUpmm3910*`a#,wj3׉EPastor Zeke Cont., Welcome Baby Girl Cotton Page 2 From Pastor Zeke Cont. And so we do not journey alone. God is with us. Also, we know the vocational work faith brings: love of God and love of neighbor. So, we have hope and purpose and are liberated by the grace of God. With all these things - faith, past failures, past joys, future hopes - 2022 is bursting with possibilities and potential. Claim that promise. But lastly, as we leave 2021 and a step into 2022, offer a hopeful and humble prayer: “O God, in all these things, all my hopes, all my dreams, all my life in the year to come; not my will, but Yours be done. Amen” - Keep the Faith Strong, Zeke Our accompanist, Deborah Cotton and her husband Daryl welcomed their beautiful baby girl, into the world December 29th. 8lbs, 20” long. Welcome to the world & to the Wesley Family Charlotte May!!!! Duck Gumbo Night Saturday, January 15 6:00PM—Wesley Fellowship Hall Good fun, food, and fellowship! Happy, Happy, Happy! We had a wonderful Advent season. Thank you to everyone who helped decorate the sanctuary and participated in services in any way. The music, the messages, the fellowship and being able to worship together as we celebrated the birth of Christ was truly magical. Wesley UMC Newsletter January 2022 ׉ 7cassandra://aqCykaPE8pCy9Dl3bmRe8idJks9d7vg2jlloCah8cb0)o`a#,wj3a#,wj3בCטHu׉׉ 7cassandra://0eVFIIPF_PHU3VQPYJ5lijylxR33ZJ5RL1u0l1nplas`$t׉ 7cassandra://LqpcHrZgfEwu3TwwOnmjQfdzL1kdjvEz4DfZJuopUvcA`׉ 7cassandra://Mxd-pWXDkkolKY6pYsW2_n5NrvdMj8CauUChH8QYTUQ`׉ 7cassandra://Gn-_nwq6wpnNEpughl7oShl1EbOs-SN3WrvP7Ae6zBAcZ|͠a#,wj3׉EGeneral Fund Donation Page 3 A donation by Louise Finney has been made to the General Fund in Memory/Honor of: Jack Cates Iris & Bedell Hightower Bob Longley Margaret & Dee Walton Janie & Hoyle Hightower Bonnie & Paul Kinder Jerry West Betty & Bob Reather Pullen Family Donna Dinsmore Sally & Jim Fiser Mary Green Anna Bateman Carol & Ronnie Bateman Mattie Barton Gloria Cates & Family Donna & Monroe Moreton Ellen Brown & Chris Bates Etta & George Jensen Shirley & Johnny Wilson Sally & Dave Rickard Suzanne Harmon Gibson Victor Green Harley & Norma Strang Kathy Sharp Plant Lois Gray Wade Linda & Jack Sides Linda Barton 1 Council has a meeting, January 20 6:30pm, Win One Classroom Anyone is welcome to attend Wesley UMC Newsletter January 2022 ׉ 7cassandra://Mxd-pWXDkkolKY6pYsW2_n5NrvdMj8CauUChH8QYTUQ`a#,wj3׈Ea#,wj3a#,wj3,January 2022 Newslettera#frJ¶