^{Dear Friends,}

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^{May is a special month for me. My two sons were born in May exactly 3 years and 8 days apart. It was the month I became a mother. Not everyone can be a mother, but as the scripture tell us, we all can see and know God.}

^{Something I realized during a recent trip back to New York is that we can become comfortable when we stay in one place. In this I mean that we take our surroundings for granted. Even those who live near the Great lakes, we can look at them for so long and forget the power that created them. We could even forget to thank God every time we make our way to the shores of Michigan. When we begin to take for granted the people and places round us, we can easily lose sight of God.}

^{During my trip to New York, I looked out of the plane window and gazed at the beauty that I saw as we took off and landed. During previous trips, I would look down on the land below me and see the beauty rather than the chaos that we experience with both feet on the ground. Sometimes it takes a bird’s eye view of our world to regain our awe and wonder of all that God has made.}

^{Sometimes it takes a trip back home to realize how much things have stayed the same and how much things have changed to see God’s movement in the world. John and I found that not everything was where it belonged: Buildings modified, torn down, and/or new ones built in their place.}

^{People were different too. Great nieces who were children when we left are now young ladies. Brothers and sisters are older, grayer than before. My grandson, now 8 years old, is going to karate classes and able to order his own food at the restaurant.}

^{One of the places we went was to a church I served at from 2011-2015. The building is still there and some of the members. Others had passed and one woman we knew well had Alzheimer’s. During my time, they found a heart for mission and that has continued. They now collect food, clothing, and hygiene products to give out to the community once a month. The basement that once served as Sunday school and a fellowship hall has been converted into a place where people can come for assistance. Now, after ten years, they are now without a pastor and must discern God’s next chapter in their faith community.}

^{Following Easter, it is a time when we too must discern where God is leading Christ’s church here in Mount Clemens. This means taking the time to see how God has been in our midst and discern where God is leading us this year and for years to come. Over the next month or so, you could be asked to complete a survey on worship, hospitality, building and grounds, service, and the like. I hope you will take part because it will be the basis for setting goals for our church going forward.}

^{I, also, hope that you will take time to “smell the roses” while seeking to see and know God that occupies the spaces all around us. See Christ in the people you know, appreciate them for the blessings that they bring to this world. And thank God for the beautiful things we see daily. Take a step away from the routines of the day to see and know God.}

^{I thank God for you,}

^{Pastor Kathy Nealand}