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This picture was taken moments after Sarah and I got engaged, and subsequently kissed for the first time. That's why we were all smiles. It was a bitterly cold day in February. I asked her to marry me on Rock Dundar down below the house on the frozen lake shore. The lake was dotted with fishing shanties and parked pickup trucks, and a wind was howling off the lake and blowing Sarah's hair around. It was a nice kiss, and she was wearing the ring we had purchased through the proceeds of our partnership in the recycling business. |
This is taken from the By Wing and Wave blog of Josh Tate. By admission of this webmaster, Josh is my nephew. I had forgotten this story until it appeared on his blog on March 26, 2007. Josh and Sarah are now married, with their third child on the way. Josh's father was born in Villisca in 1947. His grandparents, Joe Tom and Velma Tate, served the Villisca Advent Christian Church in the 1940s and again in the late 1970s & early 1980s. It came as no surprise to Sarah when I asked her to marry me. We had been working together for a very long time to raise the money to purchase an engagement ring. Neither of us had any money- we were in college- so we raised money for the ring by collecting cans and bottles for their $.05 redemption value. Everyday after dinner we would walk through classrooms fishing cans and bottles out of trash cans. We would also collect redeemables after sporting events and such. Eventually, once word got around what we were doing , I would wake up and find bags of recyclables outside of my door, which had been left there by anonymous nocturnal visitors. Every week we would load Brown Car to the gills with stinky recyclables and drive to Jubilee Market in Fillmore. We would keep the growing sum in a metal box in my room. We raised approximately $650.00 solely from redeemables before we bought the ring. |
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 You
can raise money for your favorite Villisca cause when you shop online
if you start your shopping at iGive.com. There are 668 stores which will
contribute a percentage of what you spend at their store to your chosen
cause. It costs you nothing. You pay no more for your purchases so it
is just good stewardship to raise funds for Villisca churches or other
organizations. click on the logo to learn more at the iGive.com website. |
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The
Villisca Interchurch Council is the coming together of local churches
for the purpose of strengthening the work of the Kingdom in Villisca. |
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Advent Christian Church |
Mount
Calvary Lutheran Church 107 South 5th Avenue Villisca, IA 50864 712-826-7202 |
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Nodaway Methodist Church |
Presbyterian
Church Rev. Sandy Wainwright, Pastor 109 South 3rd Avenue Villisca, IA 50864 712-826-3372 - villpres@netins.net |
| St.
Joseph's Catholic Church 131 West High Street Villisca, IA 50864 712-826-8841 |
Strand
Evangelical Lutheran Church 1127-160 Street Villisca, IA 50864 712-826-8117 |
| United
Methodist Church Rev. Gordon Scott, Pastor 203 South 3rd Avenue Villisca, IA 50864 712-826-3132 - gmscott@netins.net |
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Interchurch |
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| Contributing to the food pantry can be fun and practical. Instead of just dropping off cans of assorted items, put together the items in your favorite pantry recipe; bundle them in a single bag and include the recipe. If the recipe calls for a couple perishable items, the food pantry gives a small gift certificate to purchase perishables at Villisca Foods so the family should be able to purchase the perishables. | |
| If you would like to contribute to Wee Care in preparation for the Christmas season or to the ongoing needs of the food pantry, you may send your contribution to any of the Villisca churches (with checks made out to the Villisca Interchurch Council) and they will be glad to get it into the right hands. | |
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Stanton
Churches
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Churches
in Surrounding Communities
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Evangelical
Covenant Church |
Strand
Evangelical Lutheran Pastor Sarah Walker 1127 160th Street Villisca, Iowa - 826-8117 |
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Mamrelund Lutheran Church |
Maple
Grove United Methodist Church Pastor Lowell Schaaf Guss, Iowa |
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Tabor Lutheran Church |
Bethesda Lutheran
Church
Pastor Sarah Walker 2477 140th Street Clarinda, Iowa - 586-4575 |
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Take a second look at this artwork. "Looking
unto Jesus..." “Seek His
face continually” The Face of Christ depicts His story from a humble birth in a stable to His resurrection. This drawing was formerly featured on a marble plaque sold extensively throughout the United States by the Tennessee Mint. Pen and Ink © Joe Castillo - Used with permission This artwork and other pen and inks done by Joe Castillo can be seen at artstonepublishers.com |
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I don't read most of the Fwds I get in e-mails - just don't have the time but I couldn't resist this one that said "God uses F-A-T people". People who know me know that I fit the category of FAT - so my curiosity of course. Once I got past the humor of receiving the forward, I found real value of what was written so I copy it here. ~~ Roxanna Sieber "I [God] sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one" (Ezekiel 22:30, NKJV). Whenever God has a job to do and a gap to be filled, he always starts by choosing and calling an individual. While men use methods, God's methods are men and women.1 To start a nation to use as his special witness on earth, God chose and called Abraham to be the father of ancient Israel. When God wanted to lead this young nation out of slavery in Egypt, he chose and called Moses. And so it was with Joseph, Samuel, Esther, David, John the Baptist, Mary, Peter, Paul and scores of other lesser know individuals. God today is still urgently looking for people who are willing to stand in the gap to help save lost souls from a lost and hopeless eternity and to do his work here on earth. The kind of people God is looking for, chooses and calls are F–A–T people. That is: Faithful ... Available ... Teachable. 1. E.M. Bounds. <:))))<>< |
(continued from left column) F – Faithful. You don't have to be a Peter, Paul or a John the Baptist for God to use. Think of the twelve disciples. What a motley crew of rugged fishermen, a despised tax gatherer and the like they were. God uses other ordinary people like them too, people who daily trust their life and way to God and with his help seek to serve and obey him faithfully in all the circumstances of life. A – Available. Years ago I told God that I was scared to death to be a witness for him and that I was quitting. "However, God," I prayed, "if you want to use me to share the gospel with others, I'm available, but you'll have to do it through me because I'm too scared." The result? Today God is using our small organizations to reach thousands around the world with the gospel and Christian message every day. This is because I made—and make myself available every day—for God to use. He will in some way do the same for you if you make yourself available to him to use. T – Teachable. One reason God used the disciples was, not only because they were faithful and available, but also because they were teachable. Naturally they spent three years with the Master Teacher par Excellence and had a lot to learn about the Christian way, especially because it was brand new to them and everyone else in their day. We also need to be teachable and learn God's ways more clearly by studying and knowing what his Word, the Bible, teaches and applying the principles found therein to our everyday living. So, if you want God to use you to be a part of what he is doing in your world today, I urge you to pray and tell God you are available—and renew that prayer and commitment every day. To be an "Andrew" by quietly helping to bring others to Jesus click on: http://www.actsweb.org/announce.php to see how you can do this in a simple, non-threatening way. Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I'm available again today. Help me to be faithful and teachable to learn your ways more clearly, and please use me to be as Jesus in some way to every life I touch today. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen." |
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A Grandson's remembrance - "Till we meet again."
"My Grandmother Tate was such a woman. "She crossed the Jordan that is this world and awaits in slumber for the trumpet call of Christ. "One of the Father's priceless jewels. Grandma Tate "See you on the way up Grandma!" |
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. "We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. "According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. "And so we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” (1Th 4:13-18 NIV) |
| I am taking the priveledge of being the Webmaster of this Website to remember my mother through this which my nephew, Hal Paxton, wrote on his blog - thegreatseparation.com . Each of us who were blessed by her prayer life will miss knowing that even in our weakest days, she was interceding for us. We are thankful that we have the blessed hope of our Lord's return and to know that mom is at rest waiting His return. ~~ Roxanna Sieber, Webmaster | |
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Velma, I've found, has another grandson who is a blogger - Here is what he wrote concerning his grandmother: "I've had a
letter to my Grandmother sitting in the console of my Jeep now for about
two weeks. I had a few more pictures I wanted to take and send to her
but, ultimately, the only reason it wasn't sent was straight out procrastination. "She was someone who really enjoyed me and my correspondance on a level that makes it a pretty dull ache that I wasn't selfish in sending a letter to someone who would've enjoyed it so much. "I regret using something so seemingly trite as an online journal to speak of the death of my Grandmother, but my friends, a Grandmother, simply, is not an audience you can get back." Job Tate - www.wideawakeweekly.blogspot.com |
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"And He set the bow in the sky as a reminder of His promise that he will never again cover the earth with a flood." ~~ The Bible
After the storm - June 12, 2004 - photo by Peggy Vermillion |
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Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened. Attribution: Winston Churchill |
"He owns
the cattle on a thousand hills, "Wonderful
riches, more than tongue can tell; "He owns
the cattle on a thousand hills,
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Sunday School is not just another church program Recently the Barna Group conducted a study on the importance of reaching children with the gospel before their teen years. They found that:
Barna's research highlights the critical need for the church to reach and disciple children with the life-changing message of Jesus now - while they are young. Barna's report also stated: "Spiritual transformation requires an extensive investment in one's ability to interpret all life situations in spiritual terms."* Information taken from an informational e-mail newsletter from Pioneer Clubs - http://www.discoveryclub.org *George Barna. Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions. Ventura: Gospel Light, 2003. |
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On the Program
Ideas Page
All-church bridal showers - a tradition revived with with a twist |
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Whosoever
Was His Name
"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not parish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 |
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One day some of the gals in the secretarial pool were chating over break and one was telling about typing a memo for Mr. Green and in the "Signature" space she said she typed "Virgil Green," and then nothing. Poor Mr. Green, he had worked at the bank for years and still had no title; he was a "comma nothing." Titles are important in the business world - they tell who we are and our position in the pecking order. Every year when the list of newly elected officers for the bank came out, no Mr. Green. Actually he had a very responsible job - one that required honesty and integrity. What he did was important to the department's success but just the same he was a ", nothing." Then the day came, the list came out, "Virgil Green, Assistant Cashier." For him, everything changed. He walked taller, had a more vibrant nature. He was the same person he had been the day before and the nature of his job did not change but now he was a ", something." What would it take for you to walk taller, to put a spring in your step? What title do you want after your name; ", football captain" ", homecoming queen" ", track star." It may not be a title but just belonging, belonging to the "right" group; moving up in the pecking order. For some, that will never come and if it did, what would it matter? There is a title that can change your life and it is the most important title you can every hold. That is ", child of God." And the neat thing is you don't have to be voted in - the invitation is already out there for you to "join." The Bible says "whosoever believes in him..." (John 3:16). Whosoever is your name. And you are immediately at the top of the list - no pecking order - everyone is at the top of God's list. When some followers of God's son were trying to position themselves to be at the top of the pecking order, Jesus, God's son, said "the first will be last and the last will be first." Boy, how does that work? There is a lot to know about being a child of God. The instruction book is the Bible. The training ground is the church. To find out more, we invite you to one of our churches in Villisca or if you are not in Villisca, find a Bible-based church in your community. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Study that instruction book - The Holy Bible. |
Passing the Salt Test INSIGHTS from Bill Bright Reflections from the late Founder and President/Chairman Emeritus of Campus Crusade for Christ International The "salt test" Dear friends: In a previous message, I shared some insights about the late J. C. Penney, a remarkable man and a personal friend. Penney believed in doing business according to the words of our Lord and the principles of the Golden Rule. To Penney, the Golden Rule represented more than a marketing strategy. It represented his deep philosophical and religious beliefs learned from his father, a Baptist minister. As an expression of the Golden Rule, he insisted on offering customers quality merchandise at the lowest possible prices. Eventually the Golden Rule name he used for his stores was phased out and the stores were named JCPenney. For many years, Penney was active in a church layman's movement and made many appearances before churches and laymen's groups stressing the importance of applying the Golden Rule to the everyday tasks of business. But Penney also believed in a unique executive hiring criterion: the "salt test." When selecting new managers, the founder of one of the nation's largest retail chains often took the candidates out to eat where he scrutinized their behavior. Many passed the inspection, but others were disqualified by violating Penney's cardinal rule: "Never salt your food before tasting it." Salting before tasting, Penny believed, revealed the flaw of making decisions without information. If you are going to use a strong flavor enhancer, he reasoned, you must first know your food. Of course, using salt as a hiring test is a debatable methodology, yet we can agree with J.C. Penny on at least this much: Salt changes the taste of what it touches. Salt is not neutral. It adds flavor and appeal. It penetrates and transforms the character of food. As a preservative, it prolongs the life of food which otherwise would perish. This is what our Lord had in mind when he said to His followers: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men" (Matthew 5:13, NIV). As the "salt of the earth," we Christians have the power to change the world. By being Christ's witnesses and salt, we can help influence the flavor of people's lives and enhance their relationships. We can help preserve morality in a decaying society. Let us not lose our saltiness and be trampled by the world's philosophies and values, but instead, like salt, let us penetrate and transform the character of life around us. Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright ------- The late Dr. Bill Bright was Founder and President/Chairman Emeritus of Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization which began as a campus ministry in 1951 and now has more than 27,000 full-time staff and up to 500,000 trained volunteer staff in 196 countries in areas representing 99.6 percent of the world's population. In the past 50 years, Campus Crusade for Christ has seen approximately 6 billion exposures to the gospel worldwide. The film, "JESUS," which Bright conceived and funded through Campus Crusade for Christ, is the most widely translated and viewed film of any type ever produced. Since its use began in 1980, the film has been translated into 827 languages and viewed or listened to by over 5.5 billion people in 236 countries. Dr. Bright was also the author of more than fifty books. Dr. Bright recently co-founded Global Pastors Network to "Touch, Teach and Train" a group of 5 million new house churches around the world 24/7/365 at http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.78.17729.1.28963. Copyright (c) 2003,
Bill Bright. All rights reserved. However, readers may copy and distribute
this message as desired, without restrictions in number, as long as
the content is not altered. Forwarding this e-mail to friends is encouraged.
For many free evangelistic and spiritual growth materials, visit the
Campus Crusade for Christ Web site at http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/ |
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When Anne first sent me this picture for the web site, she put on the subject line of the e-mail "My Father's Garden." I didn't know her father was such a gardener so I took it as "My Father" being the God, the Creator. Well, Anne did mean her dad, Gary Harter. Yet, the beauty is reflective of God's creation - this picture brings to mind the words of the hymn "I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, ..." |
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Today the churches in Villisca work together through the Interchurch Council. They worship together, the minister to the community together, they play together. But it was not always so. The following is an exerpt from An American Story. click here to read the full story The Villisca ax murders, still Iowa's biggest unsolved crime, dominated life in the town and especially in the Moore family for years. A suspect was acquitted. A detective hired by Ross Moore accused the local state senator, F.F. Jones, of hiring the killer. Jones sued for slander.
Click here for a full listing of the Interchurch worship services and Interchurch community services. |
BACK TO VILLISCA REVIEW.com FRONT PAGE
Click here to go to a page with some Program Ideas for churches and non-profits
Look directly
at the four dots in the center of the picture below for 30 seconds and then
close your eyes.
Hmmm, what do you see?
"Stand
in it. - Consider yourself blessed beyond what you are worthy of if
you have a Godly woman who upholds you in daily prayer. Someone who
battles for you on that spiritual plane where Satan seeks to either
keep you from knowing Christ personally or where Satan beats you down
to keep you from walking the path Christ gives you when you accept Him
as Savior and Sacrifice. 
--Author
unknown.
LOL
Folks in town picked sides and pointed fingers. Children from one
camp were told not to play with those in the other, and adults would
not patronize merchants in opposing camps. For years, the Presbyterian
(Moores') and Methodist (Joneses') churches, across the street from
each other, would not cooperate on anything.