GREAT COAT
GIVEAWAY
Once again, C.A.R.E. Ministry is
beginning the Great Coat
Giveaway in the Staples and
Motley area.
The Collection bin sites are:
All Lakewood Clinics
School buildings
Grocery Stores
Staples City Hall
Most local churches
Motley United Methodist
Church
847 3rd Ave S. Lane
P O Box 119
Motley, MN 56466
November, 2014
Vol. 34 No. 11
9:00 am Worship Service
10:05 am Coffee Fellowship
Pastor: Gregory P. Ciesluk
Cell: 218-310-8813
E-mail: [email protected]
Secy: Linda Michalson
352-6466 or 397-2379
Sherry Frisk: Breeze Editor
1-218-352-6137
[email protected]
Our Church's Vision:
To become a more youthful,
difference-making
enthusiastic and faith-filled
Christian community
Distribution sites temporarily
located at: Staples United
Methodist Church and Motley
United Methodist Church.
These church distribution sites
will be open each Tuesday from
4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. until
further notice.
Sunday,
November 23rd,
7:00 p.m.
Thomastown Covenant
Church
Special Music & Hospitality
A Message will be given by
Justin Domogalla,
Associate/Youth Pastor of
Staples Church of Christ
An offering will be taken for the
new ministries of Heart & Hands
All are Welcome to Gather Here
with Grateful Hearts
Thank you very much for any
attention and support you give to
this project.
Sponsored by C.A.R.E. Ministry
Great Coat Giveaway Committee
Questions:
Please call 218-894-1723
Consider your life’s
legacy: Have you
remembered the church in
your will?
COMMUNITY
C.A.R.E. MEAL
Thursday,
November 27, 2014,
12:00 Noon
Faith Lutheran Church
430 12th Street NE, Staples
218-894-1546
Motley United Methodist
Church
... Now, Let’s Build a
Faith-Filled Future
THANKSGIVING
COMMUNITY SERVICE
NOVEMBER 4,
2014
BRING YOUR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS
ENJOY A HOME-COOKED
MEAL
No Charge
David Michael
Mohr
1953-2014
David Michael Mohr was born
on February 5, 1953 to Myron
and Beverly (Morrow) Mohr.
David’s father Myron was a
successful CPA and sought to
guide his son along the path that
leads to success. David’s mother
Beverly was lovely woman with
deep faith in God and a heart to
serve. When David was just a
young boy, his mother was
diagnosed with terminal breast
cancer. After a protracted
illness, Beverly died when David
was but nine years of age.
David’s Cousin Jean, a college
student at the time, stepped in to
stabilize life for him giving
particular attention to his studies.
Summers were an especially
healing time spent in out of
doors near Motley, David going
back and forth between his two
sets of beloved grandparents,
Harry and Esther Morrow and
Louise and August Mohr.
A job change for David’s father
necessitated a move for David to
Mankato in his high school
years. David, a naturally
adventurous soul, skied on the
ski team, worked as a downhill
ski instructor at Mount Kato, was
on the National Ski Patrol, and
took up flying and earned his
pilot’s license. He was active in
Boy Scouting, earning the Eagle,
Scouting’s highest award.
Following his graduation from
Mankato High School in 1971,
David enrolled as the University
of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.
In addition to a rigorous load of
classes toward a degree in
business administration, David
also worked 20-30 hours a week
for a ski retailer
.
David was a particularly gifted, a
consummate people person,
overflowing with a magnetic
personality, engaging in
interesting conversation,
displaying an inner confidence
that drew people to him like a
magnet. He loved people and
had a knack for making people
feel important and special.
Following his graduation from
University of Minnesota in 1978,
David had three viable job
offers. David landed his dream
job with Caterpillar. It was the
beginning of an illustrious career
spanning 35 years. He traveled
extensively for Cat, developed
the skill of relating to a diverse
clientele, including becoming
proficient in French, Italian, and
English. He possessed a global
spirit, a broad mind, and
multicultural sensitivities. He
was a consummate mentor and
coach for his coworkers and was
always reaching out to them.
Soon after he arrived in Paris,
David became acquainted with
Dorothy Niemann Krueger. He
and Dorothy were united in
marriage on August 20, 1983 in
Paris, France. While David was
always on the move with his
career, Dorothy brought a
stabilizing factor to their life
together. Dorothy handled all of
their moves with grace and
supported David with every
move in his career whether it be
Geneva, Switzerland, Paris,
France; Abidjan, Ivory Coast;
Rome, Italy; Kobe, Japan;
Grenoble, France; and Leicester,
England. When people came to
visit them, David and Dorothy
practiced generous hospitality.
Though David achieved much
worldly success, he never forgot
his family in the States and his
humble beginnings. David
remained connected to his
grandparents and Motley. Once
a year, he would make the
pilgrimage to Motley to see
Grandma Esther and the family
and Esther’s friends. The trip
always included attending
Sunday worship at Motley
United Methodist Church where
Esther was a beloved member.
David had a special devotion to
his grandmother Esther Morrow.
When she died, he came to care
for her affairs and celebrate her
life in the proper way.
David’s generosity extended
wide and far. Quietly, he
assisted many young people
pursue their educational and
vocation dreams. Along the
way, David and Dorothy adopted
Gildas Agbevo from Africa.
They took great interest in his
health, education, and the
trajectory of his life. Gildas is
now living and working in
Grenoble, France.
In 2004, at the age of 51, David
was diagnosed with cancer for
the first time. Medically, his
odds of beating it were not high
and he was scared. But, that’s
when his support team went into
overdrive. Dorothy was
relentless in doing research on
cancer treatment. His brothers
Gary and Mike assured him that
they were going to get through
this. This health crisis for David
was an occasion for deepening of
the brotherhood, his brothers
shaving their heads in solidarity
with him.
Dorothy’s research put the
spotlight on Boston, the Dana
Farber Cancer Institute and thus
the beginning with David’s
association with Boston. And
the timing could not have been
more providential. For you see,
Boston is a town with a team
whose fortunes are intertwined
with one another. That team,
adopted by David, was the
Boston Red Sox and in 2004 the
Boston faithful had high hopes
on their resurging team.
But in October, David’s newly
adopted team was facing
insurmountable odds. The 2004
Boston Red Sox were one game
away from elimination, facing a
three games to none deficit in a
best of seven series against their
arch rival New York Yankees for
the American League
Championship. The only flicker
of hope was illumined from a
sign above Fenway Park’s left
field wall. Its message in red
sock lettering, “Keep the Faith”
spoke to the heart of the team
and town and David.” And
remarkably they went on to win
the World Series in four straight
games.
David derived great strength and
hope from the Red Sox’s
improbable victory, his support
team near and far, and his
surging confidence in the Dana
Farber medical team. He kept
his chin up, persevered, and beat
cancer- not once, twice, three,
but four times over the next ten
years.
Like David, we all face our
mountains. There are things that
stand in our path, obstacles that
stand in our way. David
overcame great odds to beat
cancer. Soon after, he retired
from Caterpillar. He and
Dorothy made a new home for
themselves in the Boston suburb
of Chestnut Hill, MA. He had
plans to live, travel, and enjoy
life as he always had. But it was
not to be. When he fell ill in
August, it was soon apparent that
his earthly journey was coming
to a close. He was surrounded
by his loving wife Dorothy of 30
years and his brothers Gary and
Mike. And in God’s appointed
time, he died peacefully from
this life into the next, his hands
clasped to the hands of his
brothers. I can’t think of a more
beautiful way to leave this world.
November Birthdays
1 - Linda Michalson
3 - Bob Jenkins
5 - Tammy Westman
6 - Lane Jensen
Just imagine the legacy of this
man, the testimony of his life:
Enjoy life/Work hard/ Help
others get ahead and succeed.
Practice generosity. /Pay it
forward/ Don’t quit/
Never forget where you came
from and the debt of gratitude
you owe. Love people.
Stay connected to your family.
Face your fears. Overcome your
obstacles. Be a good friend and
rely on them. Keep making
plans. Trust God.
8 - Lee Greig
Today, we’ve only begun to
scratch the surface of David’s
legacy. It isn’t finished yet.
He has handed on the baton to
each of you. Take the baton and
run with it. David’s passing
brings us great sadness. He was
a devoted husband, a faithful
brother, a hard worker, a lover of
people, a generous soul, and a
very, very good friend.
23 - Donna Farber
(A message delivered by Pastor
Greg Ciesluk for A Celebration
of Life and Hope dedicated to the
memory of David Mohr on
Saturday, October 18, 2014 at
Motley United Methodist
Church.)
9 - Ben Enney
10 - Lindsy Spilman
14 - Austin Wohlert
15 - Jill Holland
16 - Devona Mohler
17 - Steve Sandberg
20 - Ming Rosvold
21 - Tyler Mohler
25 - Larry Adams
26 - Janet Flickinger
29 - Darcee Bell
November Anniversaries
8
- Gary & Dawn Timbs
15 - Larry & Gwen Adams
26 - Rowland Joiner &
Carol Spearman
27 - Neal & Cindy Spilman
We have some 7th grade
students who have played
cribbage in 4th or 5th
grade. They are a big help with
the students who are playing for
the first time.
NOVEMBER CRIBBAGE
7th Grade
Nov. 4th
10:02 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (7)
Nov. 11th
11:43 a.m. - 12:41 p.m. (8)
Nov. 18th
12:45 p.m. - 1:43 p.m. (6)
Nov. 25th
The volunteers who come in are
great. New volunteers have been
invited to come in to play with
another volunteer and two
students. Gives them a chance to
become familiar with how we
play cribbage with the
students. I am always looking
for more volunteers, soon some
of them will be leaving for the
winter. If interested in playing
cribbage with the students,
please contact me Sherry Frisk
at 352-6137.
1:47 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. (6)
8th Grade
Nov. 6th
10:02 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (6)
11:04 a.m. - 12:02 a.m. (6)
Nov. 20th
FOOD SHELF UPDATE
So far, 2014 has been a busy
year in the Motley Area Food
Shelf. To date they have helped
960 households, 2681
individuals and given out 68,267
pounds of food. That is a 9%
increase over 2013.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Church Cleaners - Soon the
cold weather will be arriving in
Minnesota and our "Snowbirds"
will be heading south. With
their departure, some of our
cleaning crews will be
leaving. Anyone interested in
helping with the cleaning of our
church, please contact Larry
Adams at 397-2435.
Hospitality - With the church
service starting at 9:00 a.m.,
coffee and a snack will be served
following it. If you are
interested in being a hostess,
there is a sign-up sheet at the
service counter in the
kitchen. The following must be
prepared so you are ready to
serve at 10:00 a.m. Put china
cups on a tray, creamer-sugar
packets on at least 4 tables,
coffee and lemonade prepared
along with a snack. To clean up,
put creamer-sugar packets away,
empty and rinse coffee pots,
wipe down service counter and
tables. Wash the china cups in
the dishwasher, it's easy to use.
12:45 p.m. - 1:43 p.m. (6)
Food shelf is looking for
volunteers to help on Thursday
mornings, 8:30 a.m. - Noon and
on the last Thursday of the
month, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. If
interested contact Fran Kokett at
746-3829.
1:47 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. (8)
(No cribbage in December)
CRIBBAGE UPDATE
Cribbage with the 7th & 8th
graders is going very well. The
8th grade students, who had
cribbage last year, are just a fun
bunch of kids. With their
knowledge of cribbage it has
become quite competitive, they
always enjoy it when they beat
us.
CHRISTMAS WREATHS
Once again it is that time of year
when the Motley Lions are
selling Christmas wreaths. The
wreaths will be $15.00 each. If
interested, contact Janet Greig to
pre-order your wreath. They will
be delivered just before
Thanksgiving.
Foster Grandparents Program
You can make a difference in a
child's life! There are special
opportunities in Motley for you
to help young people grow and
gain confidence by giving them
one-to-one attention. Foster
Grandparents are friends from
the community who care. If
interested contact Jon Knopik at
1-866-895-7992.
125 YEARS OF
METHODISM IN
MOTLEY
If you are new to the area or to
our church family, you may be
interested in the 125 year history
of the church. In 2007 the
Motley United Methodist Church
celebrated 125 years
"Methodism in Motley" tells the
story of our church from the
beginning in 1882, the buildings,
past pastors and the church
activities through the years. A
free will donation will benefit
the Motley United Methodist
Church Building Fund. In the
front cover of each book, you
will find an envelope to put your
donation in, put it in the
collection plate or leave it in the
office.
BLESS OUR COLLEGE
STUDENTS
During the last week of October,
"Care Packages" were sent to our
United Methodist college
students. The boxes were filled
with snacks and other treats to
help make a college student's day
a little brighter - oatmeal,
breakfast bars, jerky, crackers
with peanut butter or cheese, trail
mix, cookies and candy. A
devotional book and a greeting
from our congregation was also
included in the package.
Thank you to everyone who
helped make this Good Deed
possible. Our young adults are
very important to the future of
our church, and what a great
surprise to get a package filled
with treats in the mail!
Christmas Mission Project
Opportunity for All
Everyone is invited to donate
standard sized shoe boxes and
small gift items for the children
of the Leech Lake Indian
Reservation through the
Christmas Mission Project
sponsored by the Motley United
Methodist Women through the
UMC Native American Ministry
Action Team and the All
Feathers Ministry in Cass Lake,
MN.
Our group will focus upon
providing gifts that delight
children age 5-9. Suggestions
include: small stuffed toy, doll,
ball, truck, jump ropes,
marbles, yo-yo, slinky, finger
puppets, stickers, craft kits,
school supplies, small book,
personal hygiene items such as
soap, toothbrush & paste,
comb, hairbrush, hair-clips or
bands, warm gloves or mittens
and hat, sunglasses, necklaces,
etc.
Please bring your donation to
the church between Sunday,
Nov. 2 and Sunday, Nov. 30. In
the gathering space following
worship, on 11/30 at 10:30 AM,
join others in the fun and
fellowship of the packing,
wrapping & labeling of the
shoeboxes. When the project is
completed the group will share a
soup & bread lunch.
Shoeboxes will be delivered to
the Hubbard UMC pick-up
location on 12/3 for distribution
during Advent to children of the
Leech Lake Reservation.
WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 5 & 19
IS GAME DAY
JOIN US AT 1:00 AND PLAY:
BOARD GAMES: Scrabble,
Aggravation, Cribbage
CARDS: Hand and Foot, 500,
and more
DOMINOS: Mexican train
DICE: Farkle
Everyone is welcome-Guys,
man up!
Don't let the women have all
the fun!!
NOVEMBER 11, 2013
Say thank you to a
Veteran!
November Activities of the
Motley United Methodist
Women
*** 11/l Annual Bazaar
&
Bake Sale 9 AM – 3
PM
*** 11/2-30 Gathering
Gifts for Shoeboxes
(see separate article
for details)
***
11/12 Monthly Program
Gathering & Business
Meeting 1 PM
Janet Greig will host the United
Methodist Women for its time
together on Nov. 12. Jomyla
Choate will share a time of
devotion and present the annual
World Thank Offering program.
All are invited to participate.
***
11/17 Circle of Friends
6:30 PM
The group will work on various
Craft Projects.
*** 11/19 Bingo Party
2 PM
lunch to follow.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who
helped in any way to make our
Turkey Dinner successful. We
served 316 meals and made
$3006.61. A beautiful fall day
certainly help. A special thank
you to Carla Scripture for all her
work and guidance. Also to
"The Vagabond's" who played
during the dinner, their music is
always enjoyed by all. Thank
you to the confirmation students
and JoAnn Carpenter for
assisting with table clearing and
set up. If you help cook, baked,
donated, set-up, served, cleanup, did dishes, or wherever you
helped, we greatly appreciated
all that you did. Because of you,
our dinner was a success. Thank
you!
Robin Kramer & Sherry Frisk
P.S. Thanks Karen for the
wooden spoon.
THANK YOU
Thank you so much for your
kindness and wonderful
food. My family truly
appreciated it. Please accept this
donation as a small token of
gratitude for your church
kindness!
The UMW will host a
Bingo Party for the
residents at the
Lakewood Care Center
in Staples on the
19th.
Jen Mitchell
*** 11/30 Pack & Wrap
A special thank you for all the
cards, calls, and visits. It means
so much.
Shoeboxes 10:30 AM
with Soup & Bread
Motley Staples School Principal
THANK YOU
Bill Berndt
NEW CHURCH SIGN
Thank you to Mick Farber, Greg
Townsend, Ron Townsend,
Loren Morey, Scott and Russ
Holland for putting up the new
church sign near Hwy 10. Russ
says "this sign" will with stand
any future strong winds. Thank
you gentlemen!
MOTLEY BLOOD
DRIVE
As the American Red Cross was
in need, they asked if we would
have another blood drive at our
church in October; we normally
have the Blood Drive in January
and May. After hearing one of
the blood drive workers asking if
wild rice soup was being served,
I knew why they asked our
church to host again. As always,
we can count on members of the
church and community to come
through to donate blood. At this
blood drive, they received 44
pints, of which 8 were
doubles. Thanks to all who
helped in the kitchen, with set
up, registering and organizing
the blood drive.
THANK YOU
Thank you for all the time &
effort you put into my friend
Dave Mohr's funeral. The service
could not have been any better.
Please accept my thank you.
I know Dave could hear us.
Mike Brown
Richard Arlen Thomson
1934-2014
Richard Arlen Thomson,
age 80, of Motley, passed away
at his home on Tuesday, October
7, 2014. Richard was born on
February 4, 1934 in Motley to
Alfred & Gladys (Loucks)
Thomson. He was the grandson
of Harry Thomson who was the
proprietor of one of the first
hardware stores in motley.
Richard spent many hours as a
child and then as a young adult
with his grandfather and working
in the store.
He loved sports
especially football and track in
High School. He enjoyed
hunting & fishing with his father
and grandfather and uncles.
He went into forestry
after graduation. But it was only
a summer job, he did enjoy it and
probably would have liked to
make it a career. He always
enjoyed the outdoors with
nature.
Richard married Bernice
Holub in 1956, and they moved
to Minneapolis. He worked as a
cab driver until an accident in
1961 ended that. The injuries had
him in the hospital for quite a
while. We almost lost him
because of high fever that was
not known why he had it for
some time and he spent many
years fighting pain and was not
employable at a full time
job. He did however serve as a
Legal Process server for
Attorneys in Minneapolis also
spent a lot of time with the
children, so Bernice could work.
Coming to Motley to
spend time with the families was
a favorite thing to do and being
able to see as much of the US as
we were able, then after 50 years
in Mpls it was time for Bernice
to retire and it was decided that
we would move to Motley for
the remaining years of their
lives.
He leaves behind his wife
Bernice after 58 years of
marriage. Two sons, Steven of
Motley, Rodney of Austin TX
and a daughter, Sandra
Snetsinger of Otsego MN; One
sister, Marlys Prindle of Staples.
Grandchildren, Sophia, &
Anthony, Thomson; Nicholas &
Kyle Burchett, Evan Snetsinger,
Step grandchildren Angel and
Michael. Many relatives &
friends.
Preceding him in death
are his parents; one son-in-law,
Gary Snetsinger; his sister, Carol
Frisk; and two brothers-in-law,
Waldo Frisk and Lynn Prindle.
We will miss him very much.
Bernice Thomson and family
Christian Enrichment
In November the Adult Sunday
School will meet after church in
the Fireside Room.
Join us each Sunday for an
opportunity of sharing the
Christian Word.
There will be a new topic each
Sunday
THANK YOU
To The Men's Club:
One and half years ago our
church sponsored the Dave
Ramsey "Financial Peace"
classes. I didn't have the money
for the course and the Men's
Club gave me half the money so
I was able to attend. These
classes changed my life. Next
month I will have paid off all my
debts, except my mortgage. I still
can't believe it. I hope that you
keep up the good work by
helping others. Thanks again.
Dee Thompson
Planning Your Own
Funeral
A well-planned and wellexecuted funeral can make a big
difference in helping a family
and community begin the
grieving process. For Christians,
a funeral is an incredible
opportunity to celebrate a life
and proclaim the good news of
Christ’s triumph over death and
the hope of eternal life. Writing
an obituary and choosing
scripture, congregational songs,
and special music for our funeral
while we are in good health can
be a great gift to our families at
an otherwise stressful time and
make sure that our last testimony
is a powerful witness to our faith
and life. Pastor Greg will offer
two identical seminars on
Tuesday, November 18,
10-11:30 am at Motley UMC
and Wednesday, November 19
at Staples UMC, 10 – 11:30
am. Plan today to participate in
one of these seminars and invite
a friend to join you.
Give THANKS
which otherwise would likely
escape my notice. I offer this
memory aid to assist you in
expressing your thanks.
Names of People
“I thank my God every time I
remember you…”
-Phil 1:3
The Cross
“Rejoice always, pray without
ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus for you.”
–1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Dear Motley UMC Friends,
Americans honor the last
Thursday of November as a Day
of Thanksgiving. By contrast,
Christians offer thanks daily.
We offer thanks continuously
because we recognize that every
day, in fact, every moment, is a
gift from God. Our lives are
lived surrounded by the blessings
of God. When we acknowledge
this multitude of blessings, we
experience abundant life as Jesus
promised (John 10:10b).
I have been urging you to set
aside time each day for prayer.
A good way to start our praying
is with thanksgiving. I have
found journaling with a notebook
is a wonderful way to be aware
of the blessings of God. I open a
page and review the last day.
What gifts have I received from
the Lord’s hand in the last 24
hours? I simply list them one by
one. I have found that this time
has been rich and gives my spirit
a sense of well-being as I enter
into the demands and
responsibilities of the day.
A few years ago, I developed the
acronym THANKS. This
memory device became a way to
jar my memory of the rich
blessings that God sends my way
“Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us in Christ with
every spiritual blessing… In
[Jesus] we have redemption
through his blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses,
…” -Eph 1:3-14 (selected
verses)

Give thanks for all the gifts
that flow from the crossforgiveness, healing,
unconditional love, hope,
eternal life, a new day,…
the list could go on and on.

Give thanks to God for the
people who grace your life
with blessing.
Kindness
“… whatever is true honorable…
just… pure…
pleasing…commendable…excell
ent… praiseworthy, think about
these things.” - Phil 4:8

Thank God for every
kindness you receive or
give.
Holy Moments
Sustaining Blessings
“Then their eyes were opened and
they recognized Jesus…” -Lk 24:31a
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Mt 6:11

Give thanks for daily
encounters with God’s
presence.
Answers to Prayer
“Ask, and it will be given you;
search, and you will find; knock,
and the door will be opened for
you. For everyone who asks
received, and everyone who
searches finds, and for everyone
who knocks, the door will be
opened.” -Mt 7:7-8

Give thanks for God’s
gracious answers to your
prayers.

Thank God for all those
things that God routinely
provides that we might
otherwise take for granteda warm bed, home, food,
clean water, air, clothing,
work, … the list could go
on and on.
If you will invest 15 minutes a
day in prayer and begin with
thanksgiving, you will truly
experience an abundant life.
Here’s to giving thanks and
discovering a rich life!
MOTLEY UMC
P O Box 119 – 847 3rd Ave So. Lane
Motley MN 56466
Return Service Requested
E-mail [email protected]
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
Permit #3
Motley MN 56466
9:00 am Worship Celebration
10:10 am Coffee Time
Saturday, November 1
Annual Bazaar & Bake Sale
9:00 AM to 3 PM
Motley United Methodist Church
847 Third Avenue S, Motley
Homemade Lefse, Pies, Cookies, Bars, Muffins, Breads, Candy, Jam & Jelly
Rada Paring Knives (two sizes) * Silent Auction * Local Crafters’ Specialty Items
White Elephant Treasures
Soup & Sandwich Lunch
Sponsored by Motley United Methodist Women
Proceeds Benefit Local, National & International MISSION PROGRAMS
with Women, Children, & Youth