GOD IS HERE

SEPT - NOV ISSUE

THE ULVERSTONE
THE SALVATION ARMY, ULVERSTONE CORPS | 23 VICTORIA STREET | SAVED TO SAVE

Sometimes it is just hard to pray.

Sometimes it is just hard to pray. Maybe we have been a Christian for some time and have enjoyed a warm relationship with God, and then it changes. Now we cannot sense Gods presence, we feel like he has abandoned us, our prayers dont seem to be heard. God seems hidden om us, says author Richard Foster, describing these times. We do everything we know. We pray. We serve. We worship. We live as faithfully as we can. And still there is nothingnothing! Thomas Aquinas described the experience in the telling Latin phrase "Deus absconditus" the God who is hidden. In recent months several people have told me they experienced this hiding of God. They described a sense of spiritual emptiness. They no longer sense Gods presence. Prayer is hard work. I have been through it too, more than once. What might be going on in our lives to bring this on? What might cause it? Our body may be the culprit. In times of ill health, or during grief, or when we are experiencing depression, we may feel li le of Gods presence. Prayer can be a struggle. Of course God is still with us, but we cannot feel him. If we neglect spiritual practices like praying and reading Gods Word we will nd it harder to sense Gods presence. If you drive out of a city with the car radio on, the station signal will gradually weaken and eventually you will lose the signal altogether. Maybe this has happened? Sometimes stress and fatigue cloud our emotions and sense of God, and the best thing we can do is take a rest. Or we may have dri ed into some pa ern of sinning. I want to look at a more profound cause: the hand of God. There are times when God deliberately leads us into deserts for our own sake. When we rst meet God, we need a lot of his a ention. As spiritual children, he gives us clear answers to prayer and we are very aware of his leading. Feelings and emotions feature in a big way. But the time comes when God wants to take us further. Author Oswald Chambers said that, sometimes God withdraws his conscious blessings to teach us to trust him more perfectly. is desert experience is o en God taking us to a more mature experience of trust. He is moving us to a place where we rely less on our emotions and feelings and more on faith. During this time, God is also taking more of the initiative in our spiritual journey. Maybe for a long time we have felt in control. Even though we have given our life to God, we have decided which rooms in the house of our life that we allow him into. But spiritual growth is not about gaining control of our life. It is about being less in control because we are handing that control more and more to God. That is what this desert experience can do for us. It helps us take our hands o the reins. Hey, I dont know what is going on here, I dont feel God, I dont feel like a very good Christian, but I know God is here and I will trust him anyway. Richard Foster says: Through all this, paradoxically, God is puri ing our faith by threatening to destroy itour trust in all exterior and interior results is being sha ered so that we can learn faith in God alone. Through our barrenness of soul, God is producing detachment, humility, patience and perseverance. Most surprisingly of all, our very dryness produces the habit of prayer in us. All distractions are gone. We have become focused. So what do we do during these times? We keep praying, reading Gods Word, serving and worshipping. We do all the things we did when Gods presence was more real to us. And a sense of Gods presence will return. Major Kerrie Farthing Territorial Spiritual Formation Coordinator, Australia Eastern Territory

A couple om Gawler have generously donated 40 Dozen Eggs to us in the last 2 weeks. We also receive eggs om some beautifully generous Corps families. REQUEST: Please bring back the cartons. Collect as many as you possibly can!! Your help is greatly appreciated!

Territorial Seniors Rally - Seniors - Agents of Change Tuesday 26th February, 2013 Crossways Centre Burwood East Victoria See the poster for more information.

Golden Ambassadors - A iendly 5 day retreat for 50s and over. February 4-8 2013 Theme - The Family of God Guest Speaker - Ken Harris Further Information; Camp Clayton 6425 1893

Ingredients

Grannies Curried Sausages

Ingredients 1 kg Thick Beef Sausages 1 tbs Peanut Oil 1 medium Brown Onion, sliced 2 tbs Curry Powder 1 cup (250ml) Beef Stock 400 g Can Diced Tomatoes 1 cup (150g) Frozen Peas cup Sultanas Serve With Naan Or Rice

e ifetimies L m Yum

Numbers
People who have arrived in Australia by boat to seek Asylum in 2012

16,000 8,000

Yield: serves 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cooking Time: 20 minutes 1. Place sausages in large pan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, boil 2 minutes. Drain sausages. 2. Heat oil in large saucepan, cook onion, stirring about 3 minutes or until soft. Add curry powder, cook, stirring about 1 minute or until fragrant. 3. Add sausages, stir to coat in curry mixture. Add stock and tomatoes, simmer, uncovered about 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Stir in peas and sultanas. Cook a further 5 minutes until thickened and peas are heated through. Serve with rice.
Notes: Perhaps add Worcestershire Sauce or BBQ Sauce for extra avour. Add any Veggies you want. May be helpful to take the skin off. Denitely add garlic. Also maybe add some white vinegar, and some apple. (1 apple per 4 people)

People who have arrived in Australia by boat to seek Asylum since August 2012

REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS: WHAT YOU

Our Vision
The Salvation Army - a growing, loving community of people dynamically living Gods mission in a broken world.

Our Mission
The Salvation Army, raised up by God for the work of;
- Transforming Lives - Caring for People - Making Disciples - Reforming Society

Directions

Our Values
Recognizing that God is always at work in the world we value;
- Human Dignity - Justice - Hope - Compassion - Community

Cartoon om cartoonchurch.com

KMarts Wishing Tree Appeal is having its 25th Anniversary this year. Every year the Wishing Tree appeal gives thousands and thousands of gi s to the community via The Salvation Army and other community organisations. We dont have a KMart in town, but you dont have to miss out! You can donate gi s direct to us at The Salvation Army. Our biggest drive this year however is for food & money. As part of our Christmas Cheer, we like to make it possible for people to experience a delicious Christmas meal. Think about how you might be able to contribute this year.

Take a break...

nt Time! Kids Tale

Kids Talent Time at Ulverstone Corps, saw a great group of 7-12 year olds take part in a Noah & the Ark inspired Musical Spectacular during the September school holidays. A week of singing, stop motion, masks, movies, puppets and painting culminated in a nal performance on the Friday night to a full house of family, iends and Corps members. New iends were made, great fun was had and all learnt a li le more about the story of Noah and Gods rainbow-shaped promise.

LUNCH - 12noon Fridays.

Home League Wrap Up! 28 November - Treasures and Jewels / Pandora 5 December - Guest Major Linda Miller 12 December - No Frills Christmas 19th December - Break Up Party - Archie Secret

Friday 7th December 12noon

Get your name on the list before its too late. Speak to Graham Day.
The Salvation Army is a hosting a Christmas Concert in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on the evening before Commissioning. You can watch this concert live at www.salvationarmy.org.au/live A LIVE DVD will also be available of the event,

Christmas Lunch

! & DVD

made available in time for Christmas. If youd like to order one, let us know - we can help with an order form.

The commissioning of the Proclaimers of the Resurrection session will take place on Sunday the 9th of December. You can access the stream at: www.salvationarmy.org.au/live Well be watching the streaming of the Appointments and Sending out meeting at the Quarters beginning at 6pm. Let us know if youd like to come, and well put on some supper for those whod like to come.

Packet and tinned soups Tinned spaghe i and baked beans Tinned tuna and other sh, tinned ham, pre-canned meals, etc

Prayer Meetings
At the Mercy Seat
Treats - 9.00am

Beverages
UHT milk

Tea, co ee, sugar Tuesday Milo, Quik Long-life juice Cordial, so drink

Thursday - 9.00am and chocolate biscuits- Combined Churches Carols Dec 1 Sweet
Savoury biscuits (eg. BarbecuePenguin Dec 7 -

Chocolate, bags of lollies

December & Christmas!

HANDY HINTS
Parade

(eg. Tim Slice) Sunday - 9.45am Tams, Mint Dec 7 - Lifetime Christmas Lunch Ring-pull tins are preferred!

Tins with ring-pull lids are most helpful, 7H15 M3554GE 53RV35 7O PR0V3 H0W Shapes, Sakata, Saladas) 0UR Cereals and Carbohydrates Dec 8 - Garage Salenot The Quarters the food will as @ all people receiving M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5! 1MPR3551V3 Breakfast cereals and muesli Potato chips 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG 17 WA5 H4RD, BU7 Dec 15 - Caroling necessarily have access to a can opener. on the Main Street Instant noodles, two-minute Popcorn N0W 0N 7H15 L1N3 Y0UR M1ND 1S R31D1NG 17 (pre-popped or Dec 15 - Ulverstone Paradedates please Long expiry noodles, instant pasta packs 4U70M471C4LLY W17H0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG microwavable) Please ensure foods donated are nonDec 16 - Penguin Carols 4B0UTpasta/spaghe i,0NLY C3RT41N P30PL3 C4N Rice, 17. B3 PR0UD! pasta sauce Fruit cups (eg. SPC), jelly crystals, R34D Dolmio) 7H15! perishable and their expiry dates Dec 17-22 - Collecting outside Westpac are well (eg. Ice Magic, cake mix, Shake n Bake Rice sauce (eg. Kan Tong, Chicken Tonight) Muesli bars

- Christmas Cheer Please avoid no-name Dec 19 - Ulverstone Municipal Bandbrands Concert Extras for Christmas Wherever possible, please re ain om Dec 20 - Volunteer Appreciation Dinner Bonbons purchasing no-name brands as people will Santa sacks (eg. Cadbury) 21 - Kids Christmas Holiday Program Dec be receiving these goods as a gi . This is a Christmas puddingsDec 22 - Caroling simple way to make our ba ling Aussies on the Main Street
Long-life or boxed custard Dec 23 feel a li le extra - Ulverstone Carols special at Christmas. Dec 25 - Christmas Day!

pancake mix, jam, honey, 18&20 Dec Vegemite

into next year.

For further information or to register your school please contact: SA Emma on (08) 8408 6972 or emma.hewe -smiles@aus.salvationarmy.org

VIC Jayne on (03) 8878 2362 or jayne.campbell@aus.salvationarmy.org WA Lana on (08) 9260 9514 or lana.depalma@aus.salvationarmy.org Web salvationarmy.org.au/christmas/schools

Lifetime Lunch

TAS Lou on (03) 6228 8400 or lou.cox@aus.salvationarmy.org

Is cooking your favourite thing to do? Do you love serving other people?

Statistics
Like statistics? Can you use a computer? Would you like to volunteer to help us out?

Bread Run
Do you love the smell of fresh bread in the evenings? This might be the job for you!

John 15:5 - I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
CONTRIBUTE Contributions for the next Newsletter will be received until the 15th December. ONLINE http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/ulverstone http://www.facebook.com/ulverstonesalvos

CORPS OFFICERS Lt. Katherine Dent Lt. Kathleen Pearce CONTACT 23 Victoria Street PO Box 63 Ulverstone, TAS 7315 (03) 6425 5382