{"content":[{"text":"May 2021 \n PALM LEAF First Word \n Post Office Box 565 Dinuba, California 93618 559-591-0746 https://palmumc.org info@palmumc.org","bbox":{"left":0.061961,"top":0.183727,"width":0.878709,"height":0.09163000000000002}},{"text":"PASTOR’S PONDERINGS—A MOTHER'S LOVE","bbox":{"left":0.30415,"top":0.330585,"width":0.372655,"height":0.017386000000000013}},{"text":"\"Mothering God, You Gave me Birth” is a hymn in our The Faith We Sing hymnal. It was based on the writings of Julian of Norwich, a \n 15th century mystic who was an anchorite, a sort of secluded nun. She had visions of Christ and received messages from God while she \n was ill, and went on to write them down. Her writings are the oldest known English book written by a woman, and are still cherished by \n many. Some churches remember her in May, either the 8th or 13th.","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.365507,"width":0.877606,"height":0.06750999999999996}},{"text":"In her writings she reveals a Christ with deep compassion, God encouraging her to trust that all things will be well, and that God is both \n father and mother. Hence the hymn’s title and content.","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.444472,"width":0.877573,"height":0.03296399999999999}},{"text":"Every year we celebrate Mother’s day in May and Father’s day in June. They are special days to recognize the people who had a part \n in bringing us into the world, raising us and caring for us. Like any special celebration they can bring up complicated emotions because \n mothers and fathers are human and less than perfect, so we might have complicated relationships with them, or perhaps they have \n passed on so we have an ache of grief in their absence.","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.489017,"width":0.877783,"height":0.067359}},{"text":"But what we celebrate on these special days is the best of the love we experience in our family, as well as in our family of faith- for as \n siblings in Christ we have many opportunities to show motherly and fatherly love to one another. And most importantly what we celebrate \n is that love of God that we know so well through Jesus Christ. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be \n called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1, NIV","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.567805,"width":0.877557,"height":0.06750999999999996}},{"text":"So as we celebrate mothers, we celebrate the mothering spirit that comes from God and can be present in many different forms. And \n with all the many troubles in our world today, violence and pandemic and hatred of so many kinds- it is a mothering spirit the world \n needs. Let us continue to soak in God’s nurturing, compassionate love and find ways to let it spill out of us to nurture others.","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.646782,"width":0.877297,"height":0.050238000000000005}},{"text":"“Mothering God, you gave me birth in the bright morning of this world. Creator, source of every breath, you are my rain my wind my sun.","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.708297,"width":0.87761,"height":0.01599499999999998}},{"text":"“Mothering Christ you took my form, offering me your food of light, grain of life and grape of love, your very body for my peace.","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.73557,"width":0.822296,"height":0.01599499999999998}},{"text":"“Mothering Spirit, nurt’ring one, in arms of patience hold me close, so that in faith I root and grow until I flow’r, until I know.” – The Faith \n We Sing #2050, words by Jean Janzen.","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.763146,"width":0.8775540000000001,"height":0.03296500000000002}},{"text":"Love, peace and blessings to you all on Mothers Day and always,","bbox":{"left":0.062549,"top":0.807414,"width":0.427782,"height":0.01599499999999998}},{"text":"--Pastor Michelle","bbox":{"left":0.066667,"top":0.834686,"width":0.110734,"height":0.01599499999999998}},{"text":"Pastor Michelle Magee","bbox":{"left":0.079412,"top":0.934232,"width":0.149943,"height":0.01599499999999998}},{"text":"(805) 233-5796","bbox":{"left":0.25415,"top":0.934232,"width":0.10076400000000002,"height":0.01599499999999998}},{"text":"rmichelle.magee@cnumc.org","bbox":{"left":0.383807,"top":0.934232,"width":0.19190200000000002,"height":0.01599499999999998}},{"text":"https://www.facebook.com/PalmUMCDinuba","bbox":{"left":0.612663,"top":0.934232,"width":0.289891,"height":0.01599499999999998}}],"images_bbox":[{"left":0.769608,"top":0.068182,"width":0.127451,"height":0.098485},{"left":0.346814,"top":0.04337,"width":0.307804,"height":0.136051},{"left":0.671487,"top":0.795374,"width":0.117382,"height":0.096086}],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[{"left":0.769608,"top":0.068182,"width":0.127451,"height":0.098485},{"left":0.346814,"top":0.04337,"width":0.307804,"height":0.136051},{"left":0.671487,"top":0.795374,"width":0.117382,"height":0.096086}]}