Newsletter   I   SEPTEMBER 2004

MATERIALISM If we lack the basic nutrients in our diet we suffer malnutrition. The cure is simple: take vitamin tablets to insure you get the minimum level. Once the minimum is reached, however, additional tablets have little or no benefit. Unfortunately some people apply this logic: "If a little was good, a lot will be better." This simply is not true and in some cases is dangerous. On occasion people have even lost their lives from overdoses of vitamin A. Sadly, this is often the case with earning money. If at one point we lacked money for the basic necessities, then money-when it finally came-was a blessing. But many have applied this logic "If a little was good, a lot will be better." Many have lost the real value and meaning of life in this way. The story is told of a man who was given a tour of one of the most impressive homes in a particular city. The rooms seemed to go on without end, and each one was more wonderful than the one before it. Marble, gold, and fine woods were everywhere. Finally the visitor was asked how he liked the house. He replied, "These are the things that make dying hard." For those who have seen only the beauty of this world and who do not long for the beauty of that to come, dying is indeed hard.                                                                                               --Illustrations for Biblical Preaching THINK ABOUT THIS! If you have something you can't live without, you don't own it; it owns you. Materialism has nothing to do with amount; it has everything to do with attitude. An extremely rich real-estate tycoon in Dallas once said, "If you go into business with the idea of erecting an empire, all you do is make yourself a nice cage. You're a prisoner of the monster you created. It's lonely." The fly lands on the flypaper and says, "My flypaper," while the flypaper says, "My fly." When John D. Rockefeller died, one man was curious about how much he left behind. Determined to find out, he set up an appointment with one of Rockefeller's highest aides and asked, "How much did Rockefeller leave behind?" The aide answered, "All of it."

LETTER FROM THE ISF ASSISTANT Dear International Friend, The month of September is usually a very nice time in the city of Pittsburgh. We know that if you are here you would agree that the warm days with cooler temperatures at night are a welcome change from the heat of the summer. Many have had to move due to graduation or a change in your job. While that can be challenging and frustrating at the same time, it is the very nature of life. Very few things remain the same. One thing that stays the same is our friendship with you. We pray that God will help each one of you wherever you are under many different circumstances. Several years ago some friends of ours met someone from Peru at our Christmas Banquet. These friends are now living as missionaries in Peru and were able to make contact with the person they met at the banquet who had returned to Peru after finishing his studies here. Now it is the turn of the Peruvian man to extend friendship and hospitality to our American friends in his home country. We enjoyed having around 40 mothers at our gathering in May. Since we celebrate Father’s Day in June we would like to honor all the fathers who will be at the June gathering. Of course, we will help any children, who have a birthday in the month of June, to celebrate that special day in their lives at the gathering. Please come and invite your friends. We had a nice ISF picnic (08-20-04) even though the rain was a big problem. We thank all of you who came and helped us that day. Maybe what happened could go down into scientific history. It is actually possible, with the help of umbrellas, to cook hamburgers and hotdogs in a very heavy rain storm. Though the clouds were dark, we felt our hearts filled with sunshine over the 140 dear friends who came that evening. We will look forward to seeing you at the September gathering. This gathering will be on Thursday, September 9th at 7:30 PM in the beautiful Ballroom of the William Pitt Union. Please note that just for this month we are having the gathering on Thursday, not Friday. The William Pitt Union is located in Oakland on the corner of Bigelow and Fifth Avenue. To get to the Ballroom, use the entrance on Fifth Avenue and then follow the signs. As always, there will be good music, wonderful fellowship, a full course meal for you to enjoy, an interesting lecture and of course there will be children's activities in the Kurtzman room. And remember it's all free!. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 9th!                                                                                                   --Terry & Pam Tiberio, ISF Assistants

What the Bible Says ... Mark 8:34-38 When He (Jesus) had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

ISF AUGUST PICNIC (August 20, 2004)