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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2017)
6 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2017 Dont be willing to settle for less than God’s best I think its healthy to stop periodically and take inventory of our lives. Its important to ask, “Am I really living the life Christ died for me to have? Or am I settling for something less?” Regardless of what’s hap- pened in the past or what obsta- cles seem to be in our way, God has a big, full life in store for each one of us. But it’s up to us whether were going to get the best out of life and make the most of our time, talents, rela- tionships and opportunities. The book of Genesis con- tains a great lesson in this area. It shares the story of Abraham’s father, Terah, who gathered his family, packed up everything, and set out for his ultimate destination-Canaan. However, Genesis 11:31 tells us, “...They went forth together to go from Ur of the Chaldees into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there” (AMPC). Wow, I wonder how many people start out to do one thing in life but settle somewhere along the way because they get tired or because its convenient. It’s not really what they want, but its something they think they can “settle for.” Are there areas in your life where you have settled, or maybe just haven’t made as much progress as you had hoped? The Lord has called us to excellence, and we don’t have to settle for mediocrity. The word mediocre literally means “to live halfway between suc- cess and failure.” And that’s where so many people live; they haven’t completely failed, but they’re also not where they really want to be. This applies to every area of our lives. Maybe you’ve begun studying the Bible and you have a goal to really know Gods Word and develop an intimate, close relationship with Him. If that’s the case, dont settle for just reading a chapter a day to “put your time in”-stay determined to make it a priori- ty and reap the benefits of truly knowing God. Or maybe you have a goal to lose 20 pounds. If so, make a decision that you’re not going to give up when it gets diffi- cult. Even if you have a bad day and actually gain weight, be determined to bounce back the next day. Sometimes we get used to the place where we are and for- get there’s something better. Life gets busy, complicated, or even comfortable, and we lose sight of the dreams and goals we used to have. That’s when we need to stir ourselves up and become determined to attain every single part of Gods plan for our lives. Let’s take a few moments to play the “What If?” game: What if you decided to give God your all and seek Him with your whole heart? What if you demanded the best from yourself instead of settling for “just average”? What if you stopped making excuses why you can’t accom- plish your dreams and goals? What if you changed the way you speak and refused to say anything negative? What if you started con- fronting problems instead of running away from them? What if you decided to stop procrastinating? Can you imagine where you would be this time next year if you followed through with just one or two of these things? The Bible is full of scrip- tures that encourage us to do our best. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed...” (AMPC). I love that phrase, “Do your utmost.” It may be easier to go halfway, but just imagine what could happen if you decided to give your “utmost” in your marriage, at your job, or any other area of your life. Some of the greatest bless- ings in my life now are things that have required the most effort. Today, my husband, Dave, and I have the awesome privi- lege of sharing Gods Word FUUF to discuss ‘Raising Awareness’ On Easter Sunday, April 16, from 10 until 11 a.m. at the UnitarianUniversalist Fellowship, Dr. Ruth Miller will lead the worship service titled: Raising Awareness. Miller reminds us, “Resurrection is occurring all around us all the time: in Nature and in our hearts. Let’s celebrate that realization today, with song and stories, and with the sharing of flowers in the Unitarian-Universalist Flower Communion ritual,” Miller said.“This is an opportunity to deepen our sense of communi- ty as well as to raise our aware- ness of human capabilities,” The UU Fellowship is locat- ed at 87738 Highway 101 at Heceta Beach Road and is wheelchair accessible. Each service concludes with refreshments and a dialogue circle to explore the questions that come up during each serv- ice. Every Sunday evening at 5:30, Jim Tubesing leads Peaceful Meditations at the Fellowship Hall. Also see their Facebook page and please call 541-997- 2840 with any questions or concerns. PeaceHealth volunteer luncheon on April 20 Peace Health will be cele- brating their Florence Peace Harbor Medical Center Volunteers at a luncheon on Thursday, April 20 at the Florence Events Center, begin- ning at 11:30 a.m. Luncheon is no cost to vol- unteers and their guests may attend for $10. A special program will be presented by various Peace Health representatives to honor their volunteers. There are Florence receives Best Small Town nomination Florence has been nomi- nated for USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award. The national media company’s panel of experts selected Florence as a con- tender for Best Northwestern Small Town. “We are super excited to be nominated to this list of great places, and want every- body who has ever enjoyed Florence to vote right away, and vote daily,” says Bettina Hannigan, executive director of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce. Voters can vote once per day until polls close on Monday, April 24, at noon “Last year, Florence was named Expedia’s Most Beautiful Town and received the Reader’s Choice for Best Coastal Getaway from the state’s largest media source. “We would be very grate- ful to have another national recognition as we build our identity as Oregon’s Coastal Playground,” she said To vote in the Poll go to www.10best.com/awards/tra vel/best-northwestern-small- town/florence-oregon. many areas where Peace Health Volunteers donate their time and provide services to the hospital, clinics, hospice, patients, visiting physicians and more. There are more than 200 volunteers working in various areas of Peace Harbor Medical Center. Multiple opportunities exist to volunteer in a meaningful and rewarding way. Some of those include the hospital gift shop, volunteer newsletter, same day surgery, patient advocacy, visiting physicians, and more. For more information please contact PHV President Rosalie Johnson at woman- folfer7@gmail.com. Volunteers need to RSVP to Peace Harbor Volunteer Liaison Michele Diffenderfer at 902-6589 or mdiffender- fer@peacehealth.org by Friday, April 14. 240 HOURS Is your family prepared? If an emergency happens in our community, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 240 hours. Get your emergency kit started with these essentials: ❑ Battery powered radio ❑ First aid kit an manual ❑ Sleeping bags and blankets (wool or thermal) ❑ Manual can opener ❑ Waterproof/windproof matches ❑ Water storage (1 gallon/person/day) ❑ Water purifi cation tablets ❑ Non-Perishable Food ❑ Utility knife ❑ Emergency candles ❑ Extra eyeglasses and contact lenses ❑ Essential medications This message brought to you by the West Lane Emergency Operations Group. www.wleog.org IDENTIFY • PREPARE • SURVIVE Deadlines for press releases and news items are by noon Mondays and Thursdays. Email them to: P RESS R ELEASES @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM . with millions of people through Joyce Meyer Ministries. Many times over the years it required tremendous sacrifice and the decision to keep moving for- ward when we felt like giving up. Yes, it required time and effort to do everything God placed in our hearts to do,but it was worth it in the end. Today, I am so glad we didn’t stop halfway when things got tough. I thank God that I didnt get dis- couraged and quit during the days when only 50 people were attending my conferences. The truth is if you will give your best and do what you can do, God will do His part and do what you can’t do. So, don’t settle for average, mediocre, or halfway. God has an incredible, fulfilling and exciting life just waiting for you. Yes, its going to require effort and determination, and in many cases it may require you to push past fear so you can enjoy greater freedom and suc- cess. But I promise you this: Whatever it takes, its always worth it. Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc.She has authored more than 100 books. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org. Bahai’s to discuss the ‘Great Prophets’ On Monday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m., everyone is invited to join a group from varied spiritual paths to discuss the Great Prophets. Bahai’s believe that there is only one God who is the source of all creation. God is transcendent and unknowable. However, He has sent, and will continue to send, great prophets to humanity, through which the Holy Spirit has revealed the “Word of God.” The Great Manifestations of God up to this time have been: Adam, Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, The Bab and Baha’u’llah. The Bahai’s believe in an essential unity of the great reli- gions of the world. However, this does not mean they believe the various religious creeds and doctrines are iden- tical. Rather, they view all reli- gions as having sprung from the same spiritual source. The gathering will end at 8 p.m., at 875 Seventh Street, with prayers for the requests left in the Prayer Pole in the garden of the Florence Playhouse and those shared by the group. For more information call Suzanne at 541-590-0779. Sunshine, summertime on the way with chorus concert With performances set for May 6 and 7, the Community Chorus of Florence will sing songs of “Sunshine and Summertime” at the Presbyterian Church. Jennifer Weier will again direct the chorus, which is rehearsing fun songs, such as a medley from “Summer of ’69” — think Woodstock. Also included will be songs by the original boys of sum- mer, the Beach Boys, as well as more traditional tunes including ”Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess “and “On the Sunny Side of the Street.” The May 6 concert will be held at 7 p.m. and May 7 at 2 p.m., at the Presbyterian Church on Highway 101 in Florence. Concerts are free to the pub- lic, although donations are always accepted. Refreshments will be served at intermission. For more information, call 541-997-3469. Spruce Point Assisted Living & Memory Care Living, Loving, & Thriving T g SPECIAL EVENTS! Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or other memory Please Join We’re Us! here to help. related illnesses can be very overwhelming. APRIL 18TH – Spruce Point will co-host the Senior WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2:00 PM Services Seminar at the Florence Senior Center. Holiday Tips for Families & Caregivers Th is event is for the public to come and learn WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015, 2:00 PM about the diff erent senior services available in the Alzheimer’s Disease: The to Truth Behind the Myths area. Everyone is invited attend! WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015, 2:00 PM APRIL 21ST @ 2PM – Join us as and we Myths proudly Exposed unveil our Dementia Drugs; Facts veterans honor wall. We are redecorating our fi replace lounge as a tribute to our veterans. We Successful Communication Tips & Strategies to cordially invite the public and local veterans to Communicate with Someone Affected by the unveiling. Please join us at Sprucepoint as we Memory Loss celebrate and pay tribute to our Veterans. All seminars are free and open to the public. All seminars are free and Refreshments provided. open to the public. To register for these free Refreshments provided. events please call (541) for 997-6111 To register these free events please or email us call at (541) 997-6111 ldouda@prestigecare.com or email us at rkilfoy@prestigecare.com Florence Senior Center 1570 Kingwood St. Florence WEDNESDAY , MARCH 18, 2015, 2:00 PM Spruce Point Assisted Living & Memory Care 375 9th Street Florence, Oregon 97439 Prestige Senior Living an assisted living and memory care community www.spruce-point.com
