Let's Make it a Happy New Year

January 11, 2010
Terry Swanson
  

Well by now you’ve all had a chance to review St. Tim’s 2010 budget. Yuck! As things stand we will have to face the fact that we will lose Elizabeth next summer.   We don’t want to do that! She is a vital part of our ministry team and is responsible for several programs - programs that will wither and die; programs that touch us all in different ways.

Can we fix the problem. Yes, easily. We need to pay our way. You’ve seen the numbers. And if you haven’t, contact the office and get a copy of the pledges we got and what we need. Think about your own pledge and think about whether you’re giving God an appropriate, “Thank You.” for your blessings. Are you giving God what’s right or what’s left?

Did you know that giving generously, is good for your health. And that means giving of all sorts of form: certainly money is one - one that is important to St. Tim’s at the moment. Volunteering is another. The following is titled, “Six Ways Giving is Good for Your Health” from Oprah.com 

It's The Thought That Counts Simply contemplating generosity boosts your immunity. When Harvard students watched a film about Mother Teresa tending to orphans, the number of protective antibodies in their saliva surged; when the students were asked to focus on times when they'd been loved by or loving to others, their antibody levels stayed elevated for an hour. In another study, the brain's pleasure centers lit up when people made check marks next to a list of organizations to which they wanted to donate.

Lend an Ear, Help Your Heart Being generous with your attention can reduce your risk of heart attack. Cardiac arrest is highly correlated with the amount of self-reference ("I," "me," "my") in a person's speech. The best advice? Listen to and connect with others—social ties lower your risk of dying from heart disease.

Lend a Hand, Lower Your Pain People suffering from chronic pain report decreased intensity, and less disability and depression, when they reach out to others in similar pain. In one study, pain was reduced by 13 percent. Scientists believe the release of endorphins explains the phenomenon.

Goodness Nose In a study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University, people who were socially connected reported catching fewer colds. Volunteering is, of course, one of the simplest ways to connect.

Love Heals Some Wounds
In a 2005 Ohio State University study, married couples were given tiny blisters on two occasions. During the first visit, they talked to each other supportively; during the second, they hashed out relationship conflicts. The blisters took a day longer to heal after the second visit, and two days longer in couples with high levels of anger.

The Magic Touch There's an off switch for the adrenal gland's production of the stress hormone cortisol: it’s massage. A study that recruited retirees to give massages showed that their (the retirees) cortisol—as well as their anxiety and depression—levels dropped significantly.

What do these studies mean for us? Believe me when I say they tell us to consider and reconsider; consider and reconsider what we may need from our priest(s) in the coming year. Consider who would come if your husband were in an auto accident when Mary is out of town. Consider who will guide the Community Ministry. Consider who will lead our confirmation class. Consider who will lead the Thursday discussion group if Mary is called to a dying parishioner. Consider, consider, and reconsider your spiritual needs, your children’s, your family's.

If we lose Elizabeth, we all lose. Up your pledges, make a pledge if you haven’t. Dig deeper! You’ll feel better for it. I promise you’ll feel worse if you don’t. St. Tim’s is our spiritual home. We must care for our family.