Page 2

The President’s Page

Mary Mooney

 

From the President

We all have our ups and downs in life, but life goes on.  Assembly was one of the times I felt lifted up.  I love to hear the stories the women tell of their experiences in their journey.  I especially enjoyed hearing Rev. Anita Phillips, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and an elder in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.  She led us in four directions of her life and others as well.  Another point of interest was when the Past Women’s Division Presidents spoke to us.  One of those past presidents was Mai Evelyn Gray, who served 1976-1980, and I believe she was the only African American woman to serve in this capacity.  Sad to report she became ill shortly after this.  I had a phone call Monday evening from a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Jackson letting me know Mai had died.  She served her Lord and the United Methodist Women right up to the end by her appearance at Assembly.

 

Yes I was lifted up by my experience at Assembly, but, when I returned to Millington Sunday evening I found I had another direction to go.  Our Flame Center was filled with people who had lost their homes, their belonging, no where to go.  Some only saved the clothing on their back and they were wet.  I needed Assembly to help me get through all that was going on when I returned.  I immediately began to try and help a young man whom I had more or less adopted and helped him through his bout with cancer about 7 years ago.  At that time the Doctor had only given him a year at the most to live, but the Lord had other plans for him.  I found another home for him, making curtains, finding him a recliner to sleep in (he cannot sleep in a bed) and many details to help him take care of.  Today I drove him to his home that was devastated, to meet with a FEMA lady who was accessing him home and loss.  I cannot describe what I saw and the stench that filled the air.  All his belongings were still inside, but most of the homes around him were surrounded with soiled, wet furniture, waiting for those things to be picked up and taken to a land fill.  Sometimes when devastation hits other areas we feel sorry for them but cannot begin to comprehend what they are going through, we still have our comfortable home to return to.  When this happens in my own back door it makes me understand my sorrow is nothing compared to theirs.  I write this not to bring you down but to lift you up.   It gives me an opportunity to serve my Lord by serving others.  God did not cause this to happen, He loves all His children and does not want to see anyone suffer.

 

On a different note our Spiritual Retreat at Lakeshore was once again a great experience.  To me it is always a time of renewal for our body and soul.  If you were unable to attend this year perhaps you can place it on your calendar for 2011.  I look forward to attending CMEE in July.  Our leaders are diligent preparing for this session and I expect it to be a great time together at Lambuth.  I hope you will be able to attend our Annual Conference at Collierville this year, all United Methodist Women will be recognized.  Our metaphor this year is “garden” and the United Methodist Women will present a skit portraying what United Methodist Women is all about.   Our report will be Monday afternoon around 2:00 or 3:00 pm.  The United Methodist Women Annual Meeting will be held at Dresden September 25^th.  It is going to be an exciting program and I know you do not want to miss it.  (Remember those flood buckets all of you brought to Annual Meeting last year to help those people in Mississippi, well a truck load was delivered to Millington First for the Memphis Conference to be given to those in the area of need, we helped others and now they are helping us)

 

“Get to know Jesus well, because the more you know Him, the more you’ll love Him, and the more you love Him, the more you’ll want to follow Him, and the more you follow Him, the more you’ll become like Him, and the more you become like Him, the more you become yourself.  (…because you were created in the image of God”).    Ned Erickson

 

Keep sharing the story….

 

Mary Mooney

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10