My Story
I was completely grossed out and at the same time totally inspired. The dog that had just arrived at the veterinary clinic had been hit by a car and was in need of emergency care. The skin on it's backside was torn leaving the underlying muscle exposed. I am a person of faith so part of me was holding out hope that this poor creature would be okay, but there was another voice in my head saying, "that looks really bad, there's no way..."

Enter my wife Erin who serves as a veterinary nurse and the doctor who was on call that day. The two of them got to work in a flash. They stopped the bleeding, cleaned out the wound, and had the dog stitched up and in recovery within an hour.

This is just one example of the kind of stuff she does in care for animals who are in need of medical treatment. I'm grateful for what I got to see that day because it is always amazing to witness a person sharing their God-given gifts to help others, and in that way responding to the call God has placed upon them.

Erin has gifts of compassion, helping, and for being willing and able to engage in gross and disturbing situations to bring some healing out of it. Serving as a veterinary nurse she is able to respond to God's call to help animals to thrive and to reduce animal suffering in the world. Responding to this call is part of what it means for her to live her best life possible.

She studied for two years to obtain the skills necessary to do the work she is currently doing and she obtains continuing education units regularly.That being said, she has always possessed all that she ever needed to live her best life possible. While training was necessary for her to serve as a veterinary nurse, those gifts of compassion, helping, and healing were gifts God had given her from the beginning. That is how God empowered her; by gifting her and calling her to be able to give herself in love and service to animals in need of medical care.

I share Erin's story to share the truth that each of us already possesses everything that we need to live our best lives possible; this is God's gift to all people. We are known, loved, gifted, and called by God; called to give ourselves to help each other; to love, to serve, to help, to comfort, to heal, to inspire...

You have always possessed all that you have ever needed to live your best life possible. YOU ARE KNOWN, LOVED, and EMPOWERED by the Spirit of God who is always closer than we think. 
-Rich Hanlon

I’d like to share a story in which I came to realize with greater clarity that I was called by God with a purpose to serve as a pastor. I became a member of Hollidaysburg First United Methodist Church in 2011. Shortly after joining I was invited by the pastor to have an article published in the church newsletter that I had written about finding inspiration in nature for our journey of faith. I think it was about a month or so after the article was published in the church newsletter that I began to feel unsettled with my job where I worked as a water sample analyst at a water testing laboratory in Altoona, PA. It was a decent job and it paid the bills.

I even had a few good friends who worked there. One of them was a fellow church member named Paul. Paul and I even participated in the same Sunday school class on the weekends.

Working at the lab was a decent job, but I felt that God was working on my heart to lead me in a different direction. I felt that God was desiring for me to engage in some form of ministry. And so I looked into different positions in the church which included everything from children’s ministry to custodian. I became more and more confused and even a little frustrated at what I should do.

That is, until Erin (my wife) asked me if I had considered that God might be calling me to pastoral ministry. I hadn’t considered that since I had grown up in the Catholic tradition where pastoral ministry and marriage don’t go together. But now I began to consider the possibility.

I recall a specific prayer that I prayed the day after Erin had said that to me. I had gotten into my car about 6:30am to head into the water testing laboratory for work, and I prayed. All I said was this; “God, if you are calling me to be a pastor, I need a sign. Please give me something.”

Well, 15 minutes later as I entered the lab my friend Paul was there just inside the front door. The first words he said to me were, “Rich, I read your article in the church Newsletter this morning. have you considered being a pastor? You certainly have gifts for it.”

I consider the events of that 12 hour period to be one of the most prominent firefly moments for me in which I came to know God’s call upon my life with greater clarity. That is a moment in which I came to know that God had called me with a purpose.

While most of us are not called to be pastors (some of us are!), God is faithful to call each and every one of us with a purpose. Take time to converse with God in prayer, you may be surprised!

Praying that you’ll come to know God’s call for you,

Pastor Rich



 
 

This was the first thing that Phyllis said to me when our paths crossed on a side street in Wellsboro, PA one sunny day in May of last year. "What never looked so good?," I asked. "The flowers!" said Phyllis. In turn I asked her, "Phyllis, you mean to tell me that in your 90 years of living, the flowers have never looked so good any year before this one???" "Every year they hold more beauty to me than they did the year before," said Phyllis.

Now I know that Phyllis has had some difficult times in her life; but she carries such a deep sense of gratitude with her at all times that it is truly inspiring.

Her sense of gratitude reminds me of Jesus' prayerful response to one of the moments when his disciple's really 'get it.' The story, from chapter 10 of the book in the Bible called Luke says that "Jesus was filled with the joy of the Spirit of God, and he said, "God of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way."

This whole gratitude thing sounds like worship when Jesus does it and when Phyllis does it.

For many of us, if I say the word "worship" maybe your mind takes you to good memories of a large crowd of people gathered in a church building singing songs, praying prayers, and hearing a word of from the Bible. Then again, for those who have had bad experiences with a church community the word "worship" may sound like a dirty and off-putting word given these corporate connotations that often go along with it.

When we get right down to it though, to engage in worship is to orient our lives in relation with God.Worship happens when Phyllis is thanking God for the beauty of the natural world, for the people in her life, for life itself, and for every good thing that comes from God. I learned from Phyllis that one of the most profound acts of worship is to look into the eyes of another human being and say to them, "I thank God for you."

Is there a "Phyllis" in your life? I'd like to encourage you to enter your own experience of worship by taking a moment to thank God for him or her today.

​Pastor Rich Hanlon

I never expected to live in Wellsboro. In fact, I never knew a place called Wellsboro existed until I got the phone call from District Superintendent Beth Jones while I was driving between Altoona and Pittsburgh on a sunny day in April 2015. But I’m already getting ahead of myself.
This story begins during the Spring of 2011, when I joined the First United Methodist Church of Hollidaysburg, where Erin had always been a member. It was about a month after transferring my membership from the Catholic tradition to the United Methodist tradition that I began to feel drawn towards a position of leadership in the church. Not only that, but the more I prayed about it and discussed it with others, the more it became clear that I was feeling led towards pastoral ministry.
But there were questions and there were concerns; and I had already decided three years prior that I did not want to go back to school for another degree.
We were happy living in Hollidaysburg; it was a nice town, we were part of an active and vital church, and we had no desire to live anywhere else.
But I was not the only one who felt led to pursue a different career path; It seems that God was working in both of our hearts; and so Erin and I decided to trust God’s plans for us as we moved to Pittsburgh so Erin could attend Pittsburgh Vet Tech Institute while I attended Pittsburgh Seminary.
We trusted in God and God blessed us through our family as well as through the network of relationships that were built through our three years living as next door neighbors to my parents…as it happened, just at the time we were getting ready to move to Pittsburgh my parents next door neighbor sold her house, they bought the house, and invited us to live there for three years.
During that time we were blessed with a dog walking community, two supportive churches, and an opportunity to get the education that would equip us to fulfill our respective calls.
During our time in Pittsburgh I got to serve as a part time pastor at a church called Hot Metal bridge Faith Community where the primary missional thrust was to build relationships with people who were experiencing homelessness, and after graduating from Pittsburgh Vet Tech Institute Erin got to build relationships with people and their pets in her service at the Pleasant Valley Veterinary Clinic.
Life was good in Pittsburgh and we found a healthy rhythm between work, family, and spending time with the local dog walking group.
After graduation I was asked if I wanted to stay on with Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community after graduation. Afterall, I was happy there. Erin was happy with her place of employment. There were things about the city we both enjoyed, and we agreed that if we left there would be many many people whom we’d miss.
But we knew the life that we had chosen. Our faith had taken us this far along the journey, and we decided that in faith we would continue.
We decided to trust God in our move from Hollidaysburg to Pittsburgh, and we decided to trust God in our move from Pittsburgh to wherever the next location would be prior to knowing where that place was.
On this journey that’s what faith has been for us; it’s trust in God. And that is why, when I received the phone call on that Sunny day in April of 2015 the most prominent thing I felt was an invitation to once more, trust in God for the next step of the journey just as we’d done for every step prior.
We have discovered that the road to fulfilling God’s call in our lives is often very challenging, especially when we think of those we’ve gotten to know and love in Hollidaysburg and in Pittsburgh…but faith lived out to fulfill God’s call is always worth the cost.
As we begin this season of Advent; anticipating the birth of Christ, we do so in faith. While I think that the people and the places in mine and Erin’s story of faith are probably not the same as those in yours, I hope every one of us can recall how Jesus has been faithful to lead us along every next step of the journey towards fulfilling our call when we walk it in faith.
Peace,
Pastor Rich

December 2017 will be the 10th anniversary of my father's death.  It's amazing how many years have passed when it seems like just yesterday.

Dad got sick after Thanksgiving in 2007.  Test results at the hospital revealed he had an obstruction in his bowel most likely caused by scar tissue from a previous gall bladder surgery.  Laparoscopic surgery was scheduled for the following day to remove the blockage.

I remember Dad telling me that he had upset the surgeon by asking him how many patients he had 'lost' to this type of surgery.  He said that the doctor was quite offended with his question and replied 'none.'   We joked about it a bit.

My mom called to say that the surgery had been moved up and I thought, "Good.  Dad will feel better soon."  Well, he never did get to feeling better.  The surgeon was called late that night because there was concern about my father's condition.  He stopped in early the next morning before leaving for his trip and said that the surgery had gone just fine and that my dad just needed fluids and rest. 

We should have moved him to a different hospital that day, but we waited another day. . .then two.  The hospital finally realized that the situation had turned desperate and called life flight to take him to Sayre.  There it was discovered that during the laparoscopic surgery to remove the blockage, his bowel had been perforated in several locations and his body was being poisoned by itself.  He spent several weeks there trying to recover from the damage, but ultimately there was no recovery. . .just final peace.

I was so angry with the surgeon.  In my opinion he rushed through a surgery.  He was so confident in his work that he gave the medical staff at the hospital a false impression.  Then he left for VACATION!  I hated him.  For years I hated him.  At times I told myself that he did it on purpose because my dad had offended him when he was asked how many of his patients died from this type of surgery.  Then I hated him even more.

In the fall of 2015, I found my way back to church.  It is hard to describe the warm fascinating feelings that moved in my body after I welcomed Jesus back into my life.  There was more love and hope in my heart than I ever imagined possible.  Prior to this happening, anytime I would think of my dad, the anger and hate would well up inside me.  But now things were different.  I realized that I had forgiven the surgeon without making the conscious effort to forgive him.  Those feelings of hate were gone.  Jesus had healed my heart.  He showed me how to love everyone; how to forgive anyone.  Truly through Him, anything is possible.

I still cry when I think of my dad. . .but that is because I miss him.

Jean

Last year I had prayed to God  to "give me a voice."  At that time I was feeling shut in, not able to communicate as I would like to.  I felt I had something to say but no way of saying it.  Also fear. . .the kind of fear you feel when you stand in front of a group of people to speak.  So I prayed to God to give me the voice that I needed.

A few days later at work, I was offered a promotion - general manager.  This would put me in charge of everyone in the office.  I really could not believe it.  I thought, "This is not the 'voice' that I had been thinking of, but perhaps this is God answering my prayer."  After all, to lead others you have to have a voice!

I dived into this new position with excitement and enthusiasm.  Excited for this new opportunity but also excited that God had answered my prayer.  My excitement and enthusiasm did not last long.  As the months passed, I realized that I did not have a voice after all.  Most decisions were not mine to make.  My co-workers did not take kindly to their peer now being the 'boss.'

At the same time I was struggling to find meaning and answers to what I was doing at work, I became more involved in church.  I always loved to sing, so I was invited to join the praise team.  In August, I was asked if I would like to assist Karen in teaching Sunday School for the upcoming year - I was thrilled!  I found the best days of my week were Sundays and Wednesday nights (praise team practice night).  In the fall, I helped to create a new website for the church.  Learning that we are called to be a witness to the works of the Lord, I added this blog to the site so that others can share their stories.

I decided in December that I was not equipped to be a general manager.  It was a hard request to make, but I asked to go back to my previous position and part time hours as the marketing director.  In all honesty, I should have declined the position when it was first offered. . .I knew in my heart then that it was not what I should be doing.  But I thought God was answering my prayer and I needed to follow Him.

Just this past Sunday, February 19th, in a discussion with the children about the parable of the lost sheep, I realized that God had answered my prayer after all.  When we are lost sometimes the path back is not a straight and easy one.  There may be lessons to learn along the way.  We can pray for the answer, but what we think is the answer is not necessarily so.  God does show us the way back in a way and time that is best for us. 

Here is the voice that God has given me:  I am a member of the praise team singing out praise to the Lord every Sunday (and every day), I teach Sunday School to children where I learn more myself each week, I was asked to co-chair the Witness Ministry which is called to share the good news to others - what an amazing voice to have!  Some prayers are answered over time.  I am quite confident that God is still at work on this one for me because I still have much to learn about having a voice.

God does answer prayers.

Jean.

It's Valentine's Day today.  The day we tell our parents, children, grandchildren and spouses that we love them.  But today I want to say "I love you" to some that I would not ordinarily say "I love you" to.  To the UPS driver that got stuck in the ditch across from my house two weeks ago and admitted he was having a very bad day, "I love you."  To the man at Weis Market that collects the grocery carts from the parking lot who never smiles, "I love you and I will continue to say hello and smile at you each time I am there to shop."  To Kayla at Tops who does finally smile when I see her, "I love you."  To Heidi who I only just met a few months ago and who pushes on no matter how many times she visits the hospital, "I love you - you are amazing."  To the tenants that moved out of my apartment and still owe three months back rent, "I love you."  To the people that I disagree with and often find infuriating, "I love you."  To those I have met in the past and to those I have yet to meet, "I love you."
It's easy to love more than just the people you are closest to if you have Jesus in your heart. . .

Written by Russell Mee
2/11/2017
Teen/Adult Devotional
​Winter can seem so dark and depressing with all the sad and gloomy days and very little sun. The mud and dirt seems to follow you everywhere you go, it’s on your car, your shoes, on the road and everywhere around you.
But have you ever noticed in the morning after a fresh snowfall, how clean the world seems to be? The contrast is incredible, the morning sun glistens in the newly fallen snow, and everything seems to be revived and vivid with the fresh white blanket draped over it. The evergreens are low to the ground, heavy laden with the beauty of white snow. The children go outside and build snowmen and their gloom is lifted as they laugh and play. The once dark and muddy roads are now pristine. Finally all the mud and gloom seems to be covered and wiped away by the freshness of the snow.
Our sin is like the muck, mud, and dirt of a dark ugly winter’s day, it attaches itself to us and comes with us everywhere we go. We can become dark and heavy with the burden of it.
But we must confess our sins, just like David’s cry out to God saying, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean, wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” -Psalm 51:7. And if we do so we will receive the grace and forgiveness of God and he will clean us so that we might start the day new again. We are renewed and the sun reflects off of our bright new clean body and onto those around us. The heavy burden of sin is miraculously taken off of our shoulders and replaced with the freeing grace and beauty of God. We should feel cleaner and whiter than snow after a confession and repentance of sins.
But after a while the roads become dirtied and brown as we fall back into our sin. The only way to regain the cleanliness of the new snow is to repent of our sins again and watch as the Lord lets the snowfall of his grace fall all around us.
Let us pray- Lord please forgive us of our sins and make us whiter than snow, help us to stay clean but when we fail please help us return to you that we might be made pure again in your sight.

I am sure many of you have experienced a situation that you deemed a coincidence.  A series of events coming together just at the right time that makes you sit back and say, "Wow, did that just happen?"  The story I want to share is one of those instances, however this I believe is not a coincidence at all, but rather a gift from God.

Several years passed and many changes were taking place in my life.  One change was a new career in real estate.  On a rainy spring day in May, my broker and I went to visit a client who was selling their gift shop.  We spent some time chatting with the owners by the front counter.  As my broker continued to talk with them, I turned my head to look around the store.  My eyes came in contact with a rack of cards that stood next to me.  At eye level, within two feet of me was a card that read, "Dad, You are My Hero."  A wave of heat rushed through my body and I could barely hold back the tears.

This of course was no coincidence.  This was a sign, I was sure of it.  This message was given to me by design.  I know that Father's Day was just a month away and it would not be unlikely to see a rack of Father's Day cards in this gift shop.  But that card at eye level with that message!

Even today (years later) I think of what that sign meant.  I think that my father wanted me to know that he was indeed home - that heaven does exist.  Maybe in some way he was telling me that I was his hero too - that he was proud of me.  It took several more years and a few more messages to open my eyes and heart to God.  Now that I have, I look forward to going home.