Dear Congregations,

January 2020 was an extremely busy month, a month filled with sadness - we lost 7 people from our congregations.It was also a month filled with worries - a lot of people became unwell or are fighting illness, but we should never allow hardships like these to bring us down.

In Matthew 6: 25-34 we read the beautiful passage entitled: "Do not worry." In this passage Jesus says: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about  your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will waer..."

or about absolutely anything else, for that matter.

"But seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

I read this quote recently:

"Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles. it takes away today's peace."

And that is so true. i think that is exactly what Jesus is trying to tell us in Matthew 6.

Amid all the busyness, questions, and tears, i wouldn't want to be anywhere else but where I am - a part of our 2 congregations.

Someone who went through a very difficult health journey recently told me that she wouldn't have been able to get through it, if it hadn't been for the love and support that she received from our church people.

At Betty Short's funeral I was reminded of this very same thing again. Betty was blessed to live for 100 years. When Betty looked back on her life, the thing that was the most important to her was her faith, her church.

Let's carry on supporting one another, carrying one another, loving one another this year. The one thing that is stronger than pain and sorrow is hope, and that is what we find in the church.

So, instead of worrying - let's hope. When we hope, whether our journey is easy or hard, long or short, we'll be able to walk it with our heads held high, because we know exactly what our destination is.

May God bless you all,

Nanda