"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
After the cliffhanger of last week's newsletter "Waiting For Baby"... it is now time for "the rest of the story!" I am thrilled to announce the arrival of Maxwell Joshua Palka, born on 9-19-19!
However, a few complications during his delivery caused his entrance into the world to be a little traumatic, and, as a result, he spent his first three days in the Neonatal ICU unit at Mott Children's Hospital.
During the thirty years that I have been a parent, I've noticed that my mother's heart breaks every time my children go through difficulties.
I pray for God to guide them through their challenges and ask for Him to give me the right words of hope and spiritual encouragement. However, this particular situation was probably the most painful thing that I have ever prayed my son and daughter-in-law through, and I was extremely grateful for your prayers as well!
After visiting Max in the ICU during his first night, I went home to put his two-year-old sister to bed. Afterwards, as I was downstairs listening to her on the baby monitor, Emilia concluded this challenging day by providing significant spiritual care to our entire family. As she was falling asleep, I could hear her singing "Jesus love me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little one to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves Palka (that's how she refers to herself); the Bible tells me so."
Emilia was showing all of us that regardless of the difficulties and challenges, God is still at work in our lives and worthy of all praise. What a sweet reminder to hear that little voice profess that Jesus loves us, He is strong, and He is the one in control of all things, despite anything that happens during our day.
This year, our school motto is "Let the Whole World See the Greatness of Our God". Just as Emilia was professing "Jesus Loves Me", we want all children to know of God's great love for them.
One way we can show God's love to others is during next week's 26th Annual Progressive Dinner!
This year, our Progressive Dinner will focus on helping children in third world countries obtain clean water, and there are numerous ways in which you can participate!
1. Purchase tickets to obtain the "Fitness Feast" meal that our students will prepare. To buy tickets, please click HERE. Ticket sales end Monday, September 30th!
Our menu will include:
3rd/4th Grades--Protein Hot Dogs and Brats
8th/5th Grades-Buttered Noodles
6th/7th Grades- Frozen Bananas
1st/2nd Grades-Yogurt Bar
Preschool/Kindergarten--Chocolate Milk and Chocolate Chip Cookies
2. Walk as a family 3.7 miles to gain an understanding and appreciation for the distance a young child has to walk every day to obtain water for the family, which tragically is usually contaminated. For little ones, wagon, strollers, and bikes are welcome!
Yes, Jesus truly does love us! Please join us on October 4th as we partner with World Vision to "Let The Whole World See The Greatness Of Our God!"
With Much Love and Gratitude,
Mrs. Palka
Talk About It At Home:
1. When is a time that you saw God work powerfully through a problem?
2. Who is one person experiencing a significant problem that your family can be praying for?