November/December 2005

Dear Friends,

Peace be with you. The church is empty and very quiet as I sit at my desk having retreated from the clergy conference for the afternoon. There are piles of "stuff" in every corner reminding me of the upcoming Holiday Fair and all those who bring treasures to my office for safe keeping. This week before Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the pause in the schedule to reflect on all there is to be thankful for. We are blessed with so many people who take the time to express their love of God and neighbor in a variety of ways.

The Buildings and Grounds Committee has been coordinating with the town now for a year and finally you can see new signs near the crosswalk that are designed to slow down oncoming traffic. Thank you Jeff Dirk for doing the traffic engineering of the intersection. The administration doors have been weather stripped under the direction of Tom Blesso. Al Westerlund and Kathy Brewster have washed and painted the walls in the kitchen in preparation for a new gas stove being purchased by Jean Mansfield. The ladies in the Thrift Shop continue to work tirelessly and break all previous income records. If you haven't stopped in lately, you might want to. Lisa Kinser in working on the Christmas Pageant once again. If you would like to help her, please give her a call. Harvey Hopkins has submitted a talk that he gave to a Men's Cursillo weekend twenty-five years ago. This past weekend thirteen candidates went to Cursillo. His words are as timely for this group as they were a quarter century ago. This by no means includes everyone who has shared - it is all I can recall in the limited time I am here.

"Thank you" for being YOU, sharing time, talent and treasure in the church of God in North Billerica, Massachusetts.

If you have something you would like to share in the newsletter, please do so. We want to hear from you.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

For the fruits of the earth: we thank you
For the harvest of the sea: we thank you
For the beauty of the sky: we thank you
For the energy pulsing through the whole creation:
we thank you, heavenly Father.

Faithfully,

Peggy