St Matts Emmaus - April 22

Pastor's Blog

Saturday, April 26 2025

Larry Paul update below. (Can anyone house his son while he attends Lehigh?)

Loan Fenstermaker service is Friday at Trexler Funeral Home with 10:30 time of visitation and 11:30 service. Keep her family in prayer and me as we meet tomorrow to discuss details. We can celebrate because Joan is now fully healed and in God's presence.

Today 10 AM Zoom Huddle on prayer. All welcome!

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A Very Early Good Morning to My Co-Laborers in Christ! So I've been struggling to sleep for about a month. It seems like I take 10-20 minute naps every hour until 2-3 am when I finally fall into deep sleep until 4-5 when Maggie typically awakens us. I've been rested and able to nap and normally don't have things rattling around in my head keeping me awake. I just am not able to sleep, even with melatonin. It's been awhile since God has awakened me with a word or call to pray. Today He got my attention around 11:30 and I got up at midnight as I wrestled with thoughts about the two funerals this week and how to honor their memories, bless families and share what God is saying. He gave me some ideas over the past two hours during my quiet time and I should be able to get some outlines together and get back to bed to sleep before our 10 am huddle. God works like that at times with me. And I love when He answers my prayers and speaks to my heart like this!

Interesting that today's The Word for You Today speaks into another aspect of life in Christ, especially for pastors--self care. Our denomination is all about pastors and leaders taking care of themselves and resting and renewing. I too try my best to do that, but you all know from many of my blogs during or right after vacations and spiritual retreats that the tyranny of the urgent and texts and emails from some keep me from fully disconnecting and resting. I love the T-shirt and meme that says, "Jesus took naps!" Amen! Naps are lovely! And often needed to stay fresh and to hear God well. Check out TWFYT and the couple of other devos below. God is speaking to me and you. What might we do about that? We often do need each other to hear and honor God and his best ways and healthy rhythms. Many of us also need to learn (hear this Donald!) to allow others to minister to us, step into their anointing and even delegate some things to allow for healthy choices, rhythms and rest. How might God want you to do that for someone? Check out the I to We devo about the Fruit of the Spirit and how God designed and wants us to bless each other. Be still. Listen. And ask Him for directions, help and some partners and ask how to be one. We are made in His image to do what He designed us to do and as we do, healthy choices are part of our design. Who are your partners? What is God highlighting for you to step into to help some others, even our church leaders. You are created and gifted and empowered for such a time as this! Rejoice and follow God's lead well. Then the very best fruit will emerge. Amen!

Please note that Karen and I are going to be out of the country and intend to fully disconnect from you, our phones and busyness so we can recharge and refresh and move towards some healthier rest. You will not be able to reach us from May 5-11. For any ministry needs during that time, contact Sarah and she will direct you and our church responses. Maybe God will use some of you during this time? Pray about it and step into your anointing! Also know that we will be taking Spring ministry shut down for the month of May for Tuesday Zoom Huddle and Wednesday evening dinner huddle. We will resume those activities in June. I will be around for our next donut day at the bread ministry May 14th but that's it besides Sundays. Thanks for understanding, praying, encouraging and helping us to disconnect and choose some healthy God-honoring rhythms. I am and will be praying for Sarah and all of you! And please understand that I am choosing well and healthy if I do not respond to emails, texts or calls at times, especially during planned retreats. Yes, I'm learning and committed to this. For real!

OK so now it's 2:30. Time to work on some funerals! Pray for your pastor and for our flock. God is on the move! Ask Him to lead you and us to His perfect plans, for us to hear and follow well and praise Him for the great fruit that is budding! Sunday we had almost 75 join us for worship! PTL! That is almost 30 more than previous years! He is hearing and answering! Keep praising, praying and thanking God for using you and us to bring His love alive! And keep praying for us to don that custom fitted easy yoke of Jesus that includes choosing healthy rhythms of working from resting in Him and doing our created purposes for such a time as this! Amen! Love you guys and serving with you! Shalom!

TWFYT

Sarah Young

I to We

Larry Paul Update

Status of Wycliffe's Vision 2025 Bible Translation Project as of April 2025.

April 2025

Easter
Faith projects: parking lot, solar panels, roof

Richard has drivers license
Brayden has learners permit

Hello to all of our family, friends, and partners,

We pray you all had a blessed time with your family celebrating Easter; when Jesus' physical earthly body died, His shed blood allow the forgiveness of sin for believers, and Jesus conquered death and rose again to sit at the right hand of God.

Larry is feeling much better after his heart attack (unstable angina) last December. The good news is the 2d echo ultrasound did not show any damage to his heart, so there's not an immediate need for an angioplasty and stent in an artery. He continues to take lots of heart medicine, watch his diet (he lost almost 30lbs!), and try to reduce his stress levels.

Larry's back to work full time at Faith Academy and currently has 3 major ongoing projects as well as planning the projects for Faith Academy's summer break (June and July). The parking lot that was started back in December is being finished and will be open for use in May. Larry and his team supervised the installation of a 100MW solar panel system on the elementary building's roof in March but the contractor is still working with the local electrical company to set up the net metering system which, when completed, will allow the electric company to buy the excess power from the solar panel system and further reduce Faith Academy's electric bill. The replacement of half of the High School building's roof is another ongoing project.(They could only replace half of it due to budget issues). The project includes repairing and replacing wooden roof trusses and purlins and upgrading the electrical wiring in the attic as the old roof is removed. This project got a late start due to contract issues, but it should also be done in May. There are a lot of summer work requests from Faith Academy staff that can only be done during the summer months, so Larry's team is waiting for bids to be submitted so they can determine what work can be done with the funds allocated for the summer work.

Richard and Brayden were both on the Faith Academy's varsity basketball team which won their league championship, the Faith Academy Hardeman basketball tournament, and the ACSC boys' basketball tournament held in Bangkok, Thailand (undefeated in the tournament!). We are so proud of team both how they played and how they represented Faith Academy.

Richard's big news is his application was accepted by Lehigh University (where Larry graduated in 1988)! He'll be starting college there in August studing business, he's thinking of becoming an accountant. His tuition is covered by a special Lehigh U program, so we're looking at ways to cover Richard's housing, food, and miscellaneous expenses. He was on Faith Academy's track and field team running sprints, hurdles, and high jump. At the ACSC track and field meet in Taiwan, he ran the 100m dash (finishing 8th), 110m hurdles (finishing 1st), 400m hurdles (finishing 2nd and setting a new Faith Academy record!), 4X100m relay (finishing 8th), 4X400m relay (finishing 1st and setting a new Faith Academy record!), and high jump (finishing 3rd). Richard was named to the all ACSC boys Track and Field team! The Faith Academy boys' team placed 1st at the meet and the combined boys and girls teams placed 3rd at the meet.
Richard also performed in Faith Academy's March band and orchestra concert and is part of the pit orchestra for the upcoming Annie play. Along with all of these extra curricular activities he continues to do well in school and recently got his Philippines drivers license. We are so proud of him, not only what he's accomplished but how he carries himself and inspires others. A number of boys at the ACSC track meet came up to Enol and me to express their appreciation for how Richard encouraged them, helping them with their jumping techniques, and is very polite with everyone.

Brayden continues to play basketball around Manila in a 16U league. It's a bit hard now since the Philippine schools are on their summer break (April and May) so games are now scheduled during the week. He recently completed the online course to get a Philippine driver learner's permit. He volunteers one day a week at a local orphanage helping them clean up their yard from recent construction. We're proud of how he's staying active and still maintaining good grades at Faith Academy.

Enol continues to volunteer at Faith Academy's Elementary division and is part of the Moms' groups planning the Senior brunch before Faith Academy's graduation and the after party after graduation.

We're making plans to be in Pennsylvania this summer getting Richard ready for college. Since Richard's college doesn't start until August, Enol and Brayden will only be in the USA June and July so Brayden can start school at the end of July while Larry stays with Richard until he's settled at Lehigh U. We plan to visit our supporting churches as much as possible so we can reconnect with our friends and partners.

Praises

Larry's ongoing recovery
Richard's acceptance at Lehigh University
Richard and Brayden doing well at Faith Academy, both with schoolwork and athletics.
Enol can volunteer at Faith Academy
God's continued provision for our needs

Prayer Requests