John Stack Ministries Announcements & Reminders – Page 72 – Stay connected with our Catholic community through weekly Mass announcements and recaps, fostering faith and fellowship in every gathering.

Announcements

Announcements
ByRosemary December 29, 2019
Rosemary's Blessing

This Christmas

let us make visible God's love,

forgiveness, compassion and generosity

in our thoughts, words and actions.

Like the Shepherds and Kings,

let us be courageous and find God in the different and the stranger.

Let us let go of grudges and hurts. Let us be strong yet gentle.

Let us give thanks for God’s gifts of love we find in our family, friends and earth, our common home.

Today, in the New year, and in all the days of our lives

Reflection by S. Jean Amore, CSJ, Principal, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, NY

Mary reading from Sirach.

Our Special Thanks
- For the Readings: Mary & Frank
- For our team: John & Mike & John, Ben & David & Darbi Anna
- For the Communion Bread: Alison & John
- For the Wine & Cups: Jan
- For the Pictures: Jackie & Rick
- For the coffee and extras: Mike
- For the altar & sound: Jackie & Ben & Hue & David
- For all who helped with communion
Frank reading from Colossians.

Birthdays:

Anniversaries:

Tom & Teresa Quinn, 52nd

Eshelbrenners, 44th

Rosemary reading her Blessing of the Week

Please Remember these special people:

For Bill Hammond, For John Simari's sister in law, who died in her sleep; For Sydney, & For Sir Charlie recuperating from surgery; Shonda's mom; For my buddy since grade school at Christ the King, Pete Wacks & his dearest Marjie who is spoiling Pete; For Gilberto recuperating from his gall bladder operation: Claire Mazzei's (Rosemary's sister in Hilton Head) knee replacement; For Michelle;

Our dear candle girls, Tori & Zoe.

For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.; For Hue; For John O'Donnell; For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health; For Anthony & Sabrina;   For a young man who is suffering from depression; John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini;

That cupcake, Celeste, is to hold you over this year while you are teaching in China

John & Jean's son John Louis; For our good friend Kay (at 91 years!) in Ontario;  For Jackie's friend, Lynn, plus Angela, & her mom; for Sr. Patricia Otillio, a nun I worked with for years in Grand Coteau; for Steve Barrett, Rose, & Katie; Barb & Warren's grandbabies, Leighton Elizabeth and Warren Phillip and Ethan Michel, & their friend Chris, plus Barb's Annie & Kaitlen; For Cliff & Jean, plus Jean's brother Terry; For Laura's sister Claudia;

Rosemary's Christmas candles.

Tom and Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, their granddaughter, Mikayla;   plus Neva Flynn, Angel, and Diane Kreeitzer; Connie Doherty's mom and her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter; For a number of David McKeon's family who are having a rough time with health issues, especially Mark Terain; for our friends, sons, and daughters in the military, including Ryan McClurg and Chebino; cure for autism from Laura Chollick; for our President.

Kids' Communion.

Your Finances, December 24 & 29, 2019

Expenses: $1035 – 615.00

Outreach: $ 635 – 200

Thanks, Everybody

(214-783-0443)

May you have Peace this New Year.

JSM Mission-Faith Statement

      Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.

   Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.

Just in case you wondered.
Read More Announcements
Homilies

Christmas Eve Homily, December 24, 2019
ByRosemary December 26, 2019

"Welcome, Everybody, to Christmas Eve." sez Our Dearest Betsy.

Readings:

Isaiah 9, 1-6, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light

Psalm 96, Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord

Titus 2, 11-14, The Grace of God has appeared

Luke 2, 1-14, The Nativity: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus.

Welcome Back, Sir Charlie! What a Christmas Gift!

A Christmas Story

I have a Christmas story for you this evening. The event took place a week of two before this past Thanksgiving and about 3-4 weeks after October 20, the Sunday night when the tornado crashed through our neighborhood at 10 P.M.

The afternoon about which I want to talk was mild and sunny, a delightful afternoon. I had left the front door of our house open. I was in the back den working at my computer desk.

They are back together, Folks. Wendy returns to share singing with Shonda. Welcome Home, Wendy.

There was a knock at the screen door, maybe even the door bell rang. Whatever, I remember thinking, “Yuk, another guy wanting to replace our roof, replace the bay window that had been blown in, or help with the pile of tree limbs that once were my trophy trees.

Wendy with her husband, Brandon, and their son Atlas.

So, I go to the door and see a young, tall, nice looking, familiar boy from the neighborhood. I think he is the younger brother of the boy who is a senior at St. Marks Boys School. The older boy has red hair on top of about a 6/1 height. I know the red headed boy’s name., Jack. I’d heard it often from Rosemary.

Welcome back home, Ryan. So good to see you and how you have grown. Last time I saw you you were half this size.

The family lives 3 doors down, both boys go to St. Marks, and they have a little girl named Lucy. The boy does not appear stressed, so I assume everything is okay, though cynically I confess I thought he was probably selling tickets to a raffle.

So, I just start out the usual way, “Hey, Man, how you doing? What’s up? Everything okay?

We have the prettiest candles and the prettiest candle lighters.

His response. “I was passing by, saw your door open, and decided I wanted to tell you and your wife that I have noticed and appreciate what good neighbors you are.”

His name is George.

Never miss an opportunity to extend kindness or a positive stroke.

It can change a person’s life.

Welcome to communion, Everybody

Jack, this is amazing. Last time I saw you you were half this size and running all over the place. You have grown so much I did not recognize you and now you are playing the bass for our celebration

Read More Christmas Eve Homily, December 24, 2019
Announcements

Announcements
ByRosemary December 26, 2019
Mary Jane reads from Titus.

Our Special Thanks
- For the Readings: John & Mary Jane & Claire
- Our team: John & John & Mike, Ben & David & Shonda & Wendy & Jack & Bernadette with the Nativity drama
- For the Communion Bread: Alison & John
- For the Wine & Cups: Jan
- For the Pictures: Jackie & Rick
- For the coffee and extras: none this evening
- For the altar & sound: Jackie & Ben & Hue & David & Shonda & Wendy & Jack on the bass
- For all who helped with communion
John reads from The Great Prophet Isaiah.

Birthdays: Next week

Claire reads the Nativity story from Luke.

Please Remember these special people:

For Bill Hammond, For Sydney, For John Simari's sister-in-law, who just died in her sleep, & For Sir Charlie recuperating from surgery; For my buddy since grade school at Christ the King, Pete Wacks & his dearest Marjie who is spoiling Pete; For Gilberto recuperating from his gall bladder operation: Claire Mazzei's (Rosemary's sister in Hilton Head) knee replacement; For Michelle;

And there were shepherds in that region living in the fields…

For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.; For Hue; For John O'Donnell; For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health; For Anthony & Sabrina;   For a young man who is suffering from depression; John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini;

And the glory of the Lord shone around them..

John & Jean's son John Louis; For our good friend Kay (at 91 years!) in Ontario;  For Jackie's friend, Lynn, plus Angela, & her mom; for Sr. Patricia Otillio, a nun I worked with for years in Grand Coteau; for Steve Barrett, Rose, & Katie; Barb & Warren's grandbabies, Leighton Elizabeth and Warren Phillip and Ethan Michel, & their friend Chris, plus Barb's Annie & Kaitlen; For Cliff & Jean, plus Jean's brother Terry; For Laura's sister Claudia;

The angel of the Lord appeared to them..

Tom and Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, their granddaughter, Mikayla;   plus Neva Flynn, Angel, and Diane Kreeitzer; Connie Doherty's mom and her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter; For a number of David McKeon's family who are having a rough time with health issues, especially Mark Terain; for our friends, sons, and daughters in the military, including Ryan McClurg and Chebino; cure for autism from Laura Chollick; for our President.

And who might this be?

Your Finances, December 24, 2019

Expenses: $ 1,035.00

Outreach: $ 610.00

Thanks, Everybody

(214-783-0443)

Do not be afraid, for behold, I proclaim to good news of a great joy….

JSM Mission-Faith Statement

      Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.

   Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace…

Special Christmas Meals on Wheels loading up.

Christmas Special….Loading up.
Read More Announcements
Homilies

Sunday Homily for December 22, 2019, 4th Advent
ByRosemary December 22, 2019

A new community member? Almost like former times.

Readings:

Isaiah 7, 10-14, Ask for a sign from the Lord.

Psalm 24, Let the Lord enter, he is king of glory

Romans 1, 1-7, Grace to you and peace.

Matthew 1, 18-24, This how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

Buddy reading The Candle Blessing for the 4th Sunday.

Homily for December 22 by Mike

The Matthew and Luke gospels begin with what Biblical scholars call infancy narratives because the child Jesus is in both of them. You might remember from earlier homilies that the shepherds, who lived in the fields and who took turns watching over their flocks during the night, were a metaphor for the Lord’s apostles. The angel of the Lord, Mary, the manger, the flocks, the swaddling clothes, the birth place of Bethlehem, all these and many others are metaphors.

Our Sister Act lighting the 4 candles for the 4th week of Advent

It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that Mary has given birth in both the Matthew and Luke gospels; but not to a child. She has given birth to the written Good News of Jesus Christ. It is there that Mary’s wildest dreams are fulfilled…and ours, too.

Mike sharing his homily ideas.

The Prophet Isaiah has been in anticipation of the written Good news all through Advent. Today he identifies Christ as Emmanuel, “God is with us.” Recall that in the Luke gospel Isaiah identifies the Lord’s journey with us this way: The spirit of the Lord has anointed us to take the Good News to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captive, to give sight to the blind, to set the downtrodden free, and to proclaim this year to be the Lord’s year of favor.

Thanks to all of you.

Read More Sunday Homily for December 22, 2019, 4th Advent
Announcements

Announcements
ByRosemary December 22, 2019
Rosemary's Blessing

The Christmas Story will always be the story of Emmanuel, of God-with-us, always and everywhere, in the everyday, in the chaos, in the flight into exile, in the love between a man and a woman and in the birth of a child. It is the story of God who heals, empowers and loves us just as we are – in our greatness and our foolishness. As we anticipate the joy, the love and the peace that are God's Christmas gifts to us, let us receive them with gratitude and be sure to unfold them and share them especially where they need to be more visible.

Sister Jean Amore, CSJ, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, N.Y.

John reading from Isaiah.

Our Special Thanks
- For the Readings: John & Connie
- For our team: John & Mike, Ben & David & Shonda
- For the Communion Bread: Alison & John
- For the Wine & Cups: Jan
- For the Pictures: Jackie & Rick
- For the coffee and extras: Becky & Tom & Jackie
- For the altar & sound: Jackie & Ben & Hue & David & Shonda
- For all who helped with communion
Connie reading from Romans.

Birthdays: Allen Stryker, Ben, Meredith, & Connie Bresson

Rosemary reading her Blessing of the Week.

Please Remember these special people:

For Bill Hammond, For Sydney, & For Sir Charlie recuperating from surgery; For my buddy since grade school at Christ the King, Pete Wacks & his dearest Marjie who is spoiling Pete; For Gilberto recuperating from his gall bladder operation: Claire Mazzei's (Rosemary's sister in Hilton Head) knee replacement; For Michelle;

Happy Birthday, Ben.

For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.; For Hue; For John O'Donnell; For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health; For Anthony & Sabrina;   For a young man who is suffering from depression; John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini;

Hi, Betsy. So happy your operation went so well.

John & Jean's son John Louis; For our good friend Kay (at 91 years!) in Ontario;  For Jackie's friend, Lynn, plus Angela, & her mom; for Sr. Patricia Otillio, a nun I worked with for years in Grand Coteau; for Steve Barrett, Rose, & Katie; Barb & Warren's grandbabies, Leighton Elizabeth and Warren Phillip and Ethan Michel, & their friend Chris, plus Barb's Annie & Kaitlen; For Cliff & Jean, plus Jean's brother Terry; For Laura's sister Claudia;

Thanks for lighting the candles, Tori & Zoe.

Tom and Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, their granddaughter, Mikayla;   plus Neva Flynn, Angel, and Diane Kreeitzer; Connie Doherty's mom and her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter; For a number of David McKeon's family who are having a rough time with health issues, especially Mark Terain; for our friends, sons, and daughters in the military, including Ryan McClurg and Chebino; cure for autism from Laura Chollick; for our President.

Happy Birthday, Allen.

Your Finances, December 22, 2019

Expenses: $700.00

Outreach: $250.00

Thanks, Everybody

(214-783-0443)

Merry Christmas and

JSM Mission-Faith Statement

      Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.

   Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.

A Peace filled New Year.
Read More Announcements
Reminders

Reminder for Sunday, December 22, 2019, 4th Advent
ByRosemary December 18, 2019

Reconciliation.

Welcome this Sunday: Catholic Mass with coffee & juice, and pastries, some bought, some home-made.

Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community & John Cade, Mike Carrell, & Stack

Place: Legacy Charter School, 601 Accent Drive, Plano, TX 75075

Reconciliation, Please forgive me.

We have heard that people discover that the Blog has not been coming. Typepad tends to drop people for no reason. So if this happens to you, just sign up again by going to www.johnstackministries.com

Reconciliation: You are forgiven.

Readings:

Isaiah 7, 10-14, Ask for a sign from the Lord.

Psalm 24, Let the Lord enter, he is king of glory

Romans 1, 1-7,  Grace to you and peace.

Matthew 1, 18-24, This how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

Advent Reconciliation.

Activities:

ROMEO MEET: Friday, December 20, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00. Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.

Reconciliation

True?

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Confucious

Our Bona Responders at Single Parents' Advocates.

What's up in Ye Old Catholic Church? Like…

Fallen Priests, hear their stories? https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/fallen-priests

See you Sunday, J.S.

214-783-0443

Our Volunteers at Single Parents.

JSM Mission-Faith Statement:

Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for and challenges spiritual and total growth.

Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged and make the world we live in a better place to live.

Advent Peace, Everybody.

Read More Reminder for Sunday, December 22, 2019, 4th Advent
Homilies

Sunday Homily, December 15, 2019, 3rd Advent
ByRosemary December 15, 2019

Macy Grattafiori & her dad, John.

Readings:

Isaiah 25, 1-6, 10, Then will the eyes of the blind be opened.

Psalm 146, Lord, come and save us.

James 5, 7-10, The coming of the Lord is at hand.

Matthew 11, 2-11, The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

Macy & Nick.

We have heard that people discover that the Blog has not been coming. Typepad tends to drop people for no reason. So if this happens to you, just sign up again by going to www.johnstackministries.com

Main Altar at the venue in Watercolor, Florida, part of Santa Rosa Island. An excellent, rustic wedding venue.

Observation & Homily from John

Love for Kids: A few words about Love for Kids yesterday. Bill Hammond signed up a John Stack Ministries team for it. I met up with three others from our community—Rich, Cheryl, and Mike Carrell. We were assigned to help prepare lunches and manage the lunch line for about 900 kids and their adult guardians. Our team totaled ten volunteers plus the head honcho from Love for Kids. Some in our team were college students looking for a volunteer experience and they proved they were there to work. The team worked without a break for over two hours, and collaborated as a real team.

John preparing to share his homily ideas.

   Many of the kids expressed their gratitude. It was cute seeing their eyes scan the lunch boats for any differences, like some differences in cookie selection. Some kids said, “I don’t want chips; I want Cheetos” or “Where’s the drinks?” etc. I checked with our volunteers, and we all were highly honored to represent John Stack Ministries, loved our gig, and were happy to be able to stand strong for Bill.

Who is that man with the crazy hat?

Homily:

There are umpteen healing stories in the Bible (Old and New Testaments). Healing and forgiveness stories are at the core of the Gospel message. They’re mostly connected to forgiveness and reconciliation. They teach us to ‘watch’ for the blessings that come our way daily; how different this is from that Christmas song, you better ‘watch out’ cause Santa knows if you’re good or bad.

The sister act on candles, Georgie, Tori, & Zoe.

The Good News invites us to watch carefully for life-changing blessings, rather than watch fearfully for threat and punishment.

Recently I shared my family’s struggles over forgiving a family member for past mistakes. We suffer in a relationship of brokenness and distance.

Buddy reading & speaking from the heart the Candle Blessing of the Week

Another example from about 20 years ago gives me hope. It was when two of my sisters and I ganged up on another sister whom we thought needed to change how she related to the nursing home staff where our disabled older sister lived—basically to force her to do things our way.

Happy Birthday, Tom.

My sin was not being sensitive to how each of us is different, and so ‘gives’ in different ways. My blessing was to see on the long drive home how wrong I was in judging rather than accepting and forgiving. I returned the next weekend and asked forgiveness. In spite of her children’s advice to say no, she forgave me. Her gift of forgiveness and reconciliation was and is a great blessing in my life.

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Cody & Shonda.

Question: How are you sometimes not sensitive to how other’s differences can lead to you judging others and distancing yourselves? I invite you to participate in our forgiveness and reconciliation rite today.

Amen.

Thanks, David & Caroline for driving Rosemary & me all over Santa Rosa Island for the wedding.

Read More Sunday Homily, December 15, 2019, 3rd Advent
Announcements

Announcements
ByRosemary December 15, 2019
Rosemary's Blessing of the Week:

May an abundance of gratitude burst forth in our minds and hearts as we remember all the blessings in our life.

May we slow our hurried pace these days so we can be aware of, and enjoy, what we can too easily take for granted.

May we always be open, willing and ready to share our blessings with others and never forget the God who loves us lavishly and unconditionally.

And may we remember that our thanksgiving is incomplete until we pay it forward by doing for others what they cannot do for themselves.

Amen.

From a prayer by Sr. Jean Amore CSJ, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, N.Y.

Cody reading from the beautiful selection from Isaiah.

Our Special Thanks
- For the Readings: Cody & Richard
- For our team: John & John & Mike & Ben & David & Shonda
- For the Communion Bread: Alison & John
- For the Wine & Cups: Jan
- For the Pictures: Jackie & Rick
- For the coffee and extras: Becky & Tom & Jackie
- For the altar & sound: Jackie & Ben & Hue & David & Shonda
- For all who helped with communion
Richard reading from James

Birthdays: Tom Good, Allen Stryker, & Ben

Anniversaries:

Shonda & Cody, 3rd (next week)

Rosemary reading her Blessing of the Week.

Please Remember these special people:

For Bill Hammond, For Cindy Cramer; For Sydney, & For Sir Charlie recuperating from surgery; For my buddy since grade school at Christ the King, Pete Wacks & his dearest Marjie who is spoiling Pete; For Gilberto recuperating from his gall bladder operation: Claire Mazzei's (Rosemary's sister in Hilton Head) knee replacement; For Michelle;

Thanks for the best music Shonda & Ben & David.

For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.; For Hue; For John O'Donnell; For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health; For Anthony & Sabrina;   For a young man who is suffering from depression; John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini;

Thanks for bringing up the gifts Geri, Sandra, & Cheryl.

John & Jean's son John Louis; For our good friend Kay (at 91 years!) in Ontario;  For Jackie's friend, Lynn, plus Angela, & her mom; for Sr. Patricia Otillio, a nun I worked with for years in Grand Coteau; for Steve Barrett, Rose, & Katie; Barb & Warren's grandbabies, Leighton Elizabeth and Warren Phillip and Ethan Michel, & their friend Chris, plus Barb's Annie & Kaitlen; For Cliff & Jean, plus Jean's brother Terry; For Laura's sister Claudia;

2 Zois, Zoi A & Zoi B

Tom and Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, their granddaughter, Mikayla;   plus Neva Flynn, Angel, and Diane Kreeitzer; Connie Doherty's mom and her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter; For a number of David McKeon's family who are having a rough time with health issues, especially Mark Terain; for our friends, sons, and daughters in the military, including Ryan McClurg and Chebino; cure for autism from Laura Chollick; for our President.



Reconciliation for Buddy & Georgie

Your Finances, December 15, 2019

Expenses: $1175.00

Outreach: $ 365.00

Thanks, Everybody

(214-783-0443)

Reconciliation Service.

JSM Mission-Faith Statement

      Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.

   Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.

The Peace of Advent.
Read More Announcements
Reminders

Reminder for Sunday, December 15, 2019, 3rd Advent
ByRosemary December 11, 2019

Ray, I think you just socked poor Mike in the eye!

Welcome this Sunday: Catholic Mass with coffee & juice, and pastries, some bought, some home-made.

Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community & John Cade, Mike Carrell, & Stack

Place: Legacy Charter School, 601 Accent Drive, Plano, TX 75075

Healing for Donna.

We have noticed that people discover that the Blog has not been coming. Typepad tends to drop people for no reason. So if this happens to you, just sign up again by going to www.johnstackministries.com

Betsy, it is obvious, you know The Secret: Red Velvet always tastes better when smeared on your cheeks and fed to you by your big sister, Harper.

Readings:

Isaiah 25, 1-6, 10, Then will the eyes of the blind be opened.

Psalm 146, Lord, come and save us.

James 5, 7-10, The coming of the Lord is at hand.

Matthew 11, 2-11, The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

Becky, who does your Christmas decorating at this school, Legacy? I want to hire this person.

Activities:

ROMEO MEET: Friday, December 13, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00. Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in. I will be doing a wedding in Florida.

Donna's hand made jewelry on display for Christmas.

True?

For all that has been….thanks.

For all that is yet to come….YES!

Dag Hammarskjold

Chip, it is so good to see you & Cathy here. Your mom is glowing.

What's up in Ye Old Catholic Church? Like…

The failed leadership of the U.S. bishops,https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/editorial-failed-leadership-us-bishops-clear?clickSource=email

Our Father.

See you Sunday, J.S.

214-783-0443

Peace of Advent be with you.

JSM Mission-Faith Statement:

Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for and challenges spiritual and total growth.

Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged and make the world we live in a better place to live.

Advent Peace to All.

I asked Bill if he would share with community some Excellent News he had just received. His response—

Friends:

This is my first try at a group e-mail so I hope this will work and bring you up to date on my current status. As many of you know I was diagnosed Oct 17th with stage 4 lung cancer which had spread to a spot on my liver and my adrenal glands. After multiple scans and tests they started me on Infusion Chemo Therapy on Nov 21st still awaiting the genomic findings which arrived Nov 29th.

Yesterday my Oncologist, Dr Hughes told me that the kind of cancer (non-smokers adenocarcinoma) and the genomic test which showed BRAF- v600E was very treatable with two drugs taken in pill form and the infusion could be eliminated for now. Great news for me as it appears to be a form of cancer that will respond to treatment very well.

I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers that have come my way and I can tell you it is very uplifting.

I'll keep you posted on my progress, Thanks again for all the prayers.

Bill Hammond

Advent Peace again, Everybody

Read More Reminder for Sunday, December 15, 2019, 3rd Advent
Homilies

Sunday Homily, December 8, 2019, 2nd Advent
ByRosemary December 8, 2019

Having a vision, Aggie?

Readings:

Isaiah 11, 1-10, The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb…(beautiful, poetic?)

Psalm 72, Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

Romans 15, 4-9 Let us throw off the works of darkness

Matthew 3, 1-12, John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert (Fear based spirituality?)

We have noticed that people discover that the Blog has not been coming. Typepad tends to drop people for no reason. So if this happens to you, just sign up again by going to www.johnstackministries.com

Welcome in, Chip & Cathy.

Curtis Jenkins, December 15

This morning I have my first Christmas homily of the season. I want to introduce you to Curtis Jenkins, a school bus driver for about 70 kids from Lake Highlands Elementary, Richardson West Junior High, and J.J. Peace Senior High. Jenkins is a 46 year old black guy who married his 8^th grade girl friend. They have 3 daughters all in their 20’s.

Teamwork.

Jenkins has been driving the school bus for 7 years. Initially he gave up his career as an electrician/ plumber so he could be more present to his mother, who is not well.

What is special about Curtis is taking place right now, this very week All the 70 kids who ride his school bus may make a request for a Christmas present. Last year apparently when Curtis had bought, wrapped, and loaded all the gifts into his bus, there was hardly room for the kids. He does this every year.

Candle lighting with Tori.

Plus, during the year he gives birthday gifts (Sound familiar? Maybe cupcakes?). As the kids prepare to disembark, Curtis gives them a little pep talk, like a hope talk. Maybe a quickie homily or final blessing? He even develops community responsibility by creating clean up teams, safety teams (like bigger kids helping smaller kids, and helper kids (like for gift distribution). Parents say their kids wake up eager and excited that they get to ride Curtis school bus.

He's got it memorized, Folks.

Curtis was featured in the April 20, 2019 edition of the Dallas Morning News.

You know what this makes me want to do? Pick up on Cathy’s idea last Sunday where we would give a Christmas gift to every kid in this school. Are these not our kids? A possibility? How many kids are here?

Juliets' Christmas luncheon. Table 1 of many.

All these ladies do is have parties!

Read More Sunday Homily, December 8, 2019, 2nd Advent