Volume 15			             May 2012                                                    Issue 5    

A short time ago, I found my “middlest” rather distraught.  I scooped her up into my arms only to discover that was not what she wanted, and held on tight as she squirmed and screamed.  Two things were working in my own heart.  The first was concern about what caused her to be upset.  Second, I was upset that she was flailing at me!  It was impossible for her to tell me what had happened through her tears and tantrum.  What’s a dad to do?  
I held on tight and waited.  Eventually I got her to take a couple of breaths and finally calmed her down enough to hear her words.  The problem was relatively simple.  She couldn’t get the dress off of one doll and onto another.  We talked about the words she could use to ask for help, I needed to feed them to her slowly.  “Dad, can you – please help me – get this off ?”  If I don’t go slow, my words won’t sink in, and she will not remember to speak them the next time something doesn’t “come off” the way she thought it would.
Getting clothes off a doll, seems like a simple task right?  Not for a two year old who was pretty frustrated to begin with.  I think all too often we are the same way in our prayers.  We get frustrated that our situation is life is just the way it is.  When our Heavenly Father scoops us up, we need to remember to take a few deep breaths and listen to the Words he supplies in order to deal with the situation at hand.  It wouldn’t hurt us a bit to slow down and let them sink in.  His words are Spirit and they are Life!  His Words sanctify us in the truth. 
Grappling with the gripes of life is easier when you slow down and glean from His Gospel Promises.  Listen again to some of the slow sweet words He speaks to us. There are so many more, but these have been where I have been listening as He feeds me His words – ever so slowly.
1 Peter 5:6-7   6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,  7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 
Nahum 1:7   7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. 
Psalm 36:5-9   5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.  6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.  7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.  9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.
Psalm 34:15-19  15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.  16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.  19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

SCHEDULES

Elder Schedule
May 6-Ed Schmidt
May 13-Randy Otto
May 20-Russ Brunk
May 29-Gary Fletcher

Usher Schedule
May 6-Bob & Sharon Petry
May 13-Alsobrooks Family
May 20-Schmidt Family
May 27-Joe & Brooklynn Scholze

Greeter Schedule 
May 6-Smethurst Family
May 13-Otto Family
May 20-Fladhammer Family
May 27-Alsobrooks Family

Song Leaders 
May 6-Ron & Bev Kuehn
May 13-Holly Ford
May 20-Ben Fletcher
May 27-Lori Peters

Money Counters Schedule 
May 6-Taylor & Dunnum
May 13-Greene & Shockey
May 20-Dunnum & Stolpa
May 27-Wilhelm & Schmidt

Altar Guild

Renee Stolpa
Amy Ruffi

Lord’s Little Lambs Preschool News  

What’s Going on in Preschool?

The month of May will continue to be a full month of learning fun at Lord’s Little Lambs Preschool! The energy of spring is in the air and we are going to channel it into our learning!

The preschoolers have enjoyed being able to play outside in the fresh green grass and spring air. There have been many bouquets of dandelions picked and new insects have been discovered by the children as well! 

In class we are finishing up our journey through the letters of the alphabet and have been reviewing both letter and number recognition. We will continue to see the power of God as we look at the stories of Jesus in the New Testament.

I truly feel blessed to have the opportunity to substitute teach at the preschool and to work with such a wonderful group of children. What better job is there to have than one in which you start your morning off with the smiling faces of children?! It has been amazing to get to know each of the children and I value this experience as I continue working toward my Early Childhood degree.

-Mrs. Reed

May 2012
Worship Schedule

Worship services are offered
every Sunday at 9:00 a.m.

Sunday, May 6
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 150;
1 John 4:1-11; John 15:1-8

Sunday, May 13
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Acts 10:34-48; Psalm 98;
1 John 5:1-8; John 15:9-17

Sunday, May 20
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Acts 1:12-26; Psalm 1;
1 John 5:9-15; John 17:1b-19

Sunday, May 27
DAY OF PENTECOST
Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 139:1-12;
Acts 2:1-21; John 26-27; 16:4b-15

E-mail Prayer Ministry
You are invited to submit your prayer requests to our e-mail prayer chain at popprays@gmail.com

Ministry @ Prince of Peace – We pray: that joined together in Christ we would see clearly the good work that we have been prepared to walk in; that the planning and action of the congregation would be filled with wisdom of the Spirit, leading to the glory of the Father.

Prayer for our Community – Welcoming God, Your Son's embrace of the outcast was limitless. Break down all the barriers that would keep us from sharing Your acceptance and love with others and help us to treasure and value each person as one who is precious to You through Your Son's sacrifice. 

Prayer for the World – God of the Nations, we pray for the work of your Church throughout the world, that the beauty of your bride would be seen by all in the Gospel of Your Son, and that her Pastors, Missionaries, and leaders would adorn your church with a bold proclamation of the forgiveness of sins and the joyful hope of eternal life.

Take a Look at
Our New Website
Our website has a new look! If you haven’t checked it out in awhile, take a look! www.wspop.org

Celebrate With Us
The Alsobrooks and the Otto’s invite you to a going away party for Mirka, who has been with the Alsobrooks this year as a foreign exchange student from Slovakia.
The party will be held on May 19 at 332 South Pearl in Stoddard. (The Otto’s cottage.)
The party starts around 1:00.
The grill will be ready between 5 and 6 p.m. Bring meat and a dish to pass. Soda and water will be provided, otherwise bring your own adult beverages.
It will be a fun day for yard games and canoeing.
Come and say good by to Mirka.

Lutheran Basics Class Begins May 9
A new Lutheran Basics Class will begin Wednesday, May 9, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
This is the track for folks who are interested in church membership.  It is also a great refresher for members who haven’t looked at their catechism in awhile.

Kingdom Quest Party
Come celebrate a great year at Kingdom Quest on May 20th. There will be a Carnival with a bounce house, games and face painting.

Getting Ready for the June Dairy Days Parade

The church will be participating in the June Dairy Days parade this year. Please bring small suckers to church for the parade. Thank you for your donations. You may leave the treats on the Kingdom Quest table. 

In support of Wisconsin Right to Life, roses will be available to purchase on Mother’s Day, May 13, before and after the worship service.
All proceeds will go to our local Wisconsin Right to Life chapter.    
    A suggested donation is $2 per rose.
HAVE YOU READ…

A Little Book on Joy is a delightful dig into the joy of life, Scripture, and even some hymns along the way.  All the while telling the truth about the Resurrection Joy that we have as “Children of the Heavenly Father”.   
Pastor Harrison (current President of the LCMS) shows how joy is the mark of a Christian.  “It [joy] taps out the rhythm and provides the tune for the life of faith in Christ.”  So what about your joy?  In the midst of this bad news world, is there real joy to be had?
According to our District President Rev. John Wille; “Wow! With A Little Book on Joy, Rev. Harrison touches at the heart of what is lacking in our sin-saddened world – joy at the foot of the cross for every aspect of our Christ-centered vocations.”
I am still slowly reading this one.  But it is a gem that I am sure I will come back to again and again.  At the end of the book a series of readings and prayers are given as a suggested Lenten devotion, as well as a series for the 50 day Easter season that follows.  From Ash Wednesday to Pentecost this little book supplies quite a hefty load of joy to be unpacked.  All that is in addition to the joyful wonder of story and Scripture that supply sustaining joy here and now.  If the gladness of your days is burdened by the sin-sick world that surrounds you, pick up A Little Book on Joy and receive from the Word of the Lord, that we are so much wanting Him, a foretaste of heaven here on earth.