• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech
• Sudden problems seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or trouble walking
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

DON’T IGNORE THE SIGNS OF STROKE!!  Time is brain. The window of opportunity to start treating stroke patients and prevent or minimize damage is short. Getting to the hospital as quickly as possible may help the patient recover with little or no disability. Quick transport to the hospital with a quick diagnosis will help determine the best treatment and increase chances of the best possible outcome.

PREVENTION is the best treatment for stroke. There are risk factors that you can control to lower your risk of a stroke. Even if you are in perfect health these suggestions may save your life or increase your chances of your continued good health.

• Control your blood pressure – Keep track of your blood pressure and know your medications. Take your medications appropriately and don’t miss any doses. Exercising, managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting the amount of sodium and alcohol you eat and drink are all ways to keep high blood pressure in check.
• Stop smoking – Smoking raises the risk of stroke for both the smoker and nonsmokers exposed to second hand smoke. Several years after quitting, a former smoker’s risk of stroke is the same as that of a nonsmoker.
• Control your cholesterol – Reducing saturated fats and trans fats in the diet are important to lower cholesterol. If diet alone can’t control your cholesterol your doctor may prescribe medicine to help.
• Control your diabetes – Diet, exercise, weight control, and medication all play a part in controlling diabetes properly.
• Eat healthy foods – A diet containing five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetable may reduce your risk of stroke.
• Exercise regularly –Aerobic exercise can lower your blood pressure, increase your HDL or “good” cholesterol, and improve the overall health of your blood vessels.
• Maintain a healthy weight –If you are overweight weight loss of as little as 10 pounds may lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels.

Wellness for Life Talk: Blood Pressure & the Benefit of Controlling It on Thursday May 17, 2012 from 10 to 11AM in the 551 Club. Questions? Contact Deb Bowman, Community Wellness & Education Coordinator at 651-632-5335 or at dbowman@lyngblomsten.org.

News and Notes for the week of May 13, 2012

  - Adult Forum
May 13 Why We Care Pastor Patricia Lull, Executive Director St. Paul Area Council of Churches (SPACC), will address the motivation for the collaborative work of the Council as it meets the needs in our community from theological and pragmatic perspectives. Homelessness, hunger, and the educational achievement gap cost everyone. SPACC has been a long time ministry partner of Immanuel.
May 20   Immanuel Visioning Process Update Ron Struss and Immanuel Executive Committee
This year, the Church council has been examining Immanuel’s gifts and God’s calling. Come find out the results of this work: our values (what is important to us as a congregation), our calling (what difference is God calling us to make in the world), and some ends (goals) to work toward.   The Proposed Vision

-Graduates Are you graduating this spring? Or did you graduate earlier this year? Please call Russ in the office with that information. Immanuel wants to recognize all graduates. Parents, feel free to call Russ with this information.

-End-of-Year Potluck Wednesday, May 16th, at 5:45 pm.  Join us to say a hearty “THANK YOU” to Dave Stark, our interim Worship and Music Director, and Phil Lashinski, our interim Confirmation Teacher. During dinner there will be a short program to honor these two faithful servants. This is also our end-of-the-year celebration for music groups and confirmation as well as the last Wednesday night supper until the fall. Dinner will be a potluck. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be grilled up as the main course. Please bring a side dish to share with the group. Beverages and dessert will also be provided. Questions? Contact Rhonda Tjaden.

-Saint Paul Area Synod Assembly  Immanuel has one more spot for a congregation member to attend and vote at the assembly on May 18th and 19th. If you are interested in representing Immanuel with Pastor Cindy and Ron Struss, please let Pastor Cindy know.

-LASA (legislative awareness and social action) Meeting May 20th 11:45am LASA will meet following the second service in the West lounge. Any member of Immanuel is invited to attend.

-Memorial Day Weekend Prayer Service of thanksgiving and remembrance for peace will take place on Sunday, May 27th in honor of Memorial Day. We will start following the 9 a.m. service in the Peace Garden (Sanctuary in case of rain).
-YouthWorks returns to Immanuel Beginning May 26th, Immanuel will serve as home base for YouthWorks through the first week of August. You will find up to 70 youth and their chaperones in the church Sunday through Friday with a new group coming each week.
-Project Home   Immanuel has committed to assisting on Fridays during the month of June at Project Home, a St Paul Council of Churches project which provides overnight emergency housing for the homeless at local parishes. Evening volunteers are needed.
-Habitat for Humanity Immanuel will join a group of seven local congregations who jointly do a Habitat for Humanity project each summer.  This year’s time frame is August 13th – 24th.
-Vacation Bible School for all ages PreSchool through 5th Grade. Our faith and imaginations will soar at VBS!  July 9-13, half day or all day options.  Registration and details

-Immanuel’s Calendar 
-Recent Sermons audio recording

-Chamber Concert, Friday, May 18 at 7 pm at 340 Summit Avenue in St. Paul, MN. You are invited to this event where I will be playing an Anton Walther fortepiano by John Lyon, and joined by Ginna Watson & Miriam Sholz-Carlson (violin), Cheryl Zylla (viola), Tulio Rondon (cello), and Sara Thompson (bass) The program includes fantasies by Haydn, Sterkel, and Mozart, sonatas by Clementi and Beethoven (‘Pathetique’), movements from Mozart’s Piano Quartet in E-flat and the Concerto in C K. 415, and finally the concert aria “Ch’io mi scordi di te?” with soprano Kathleen Humphrey. Wine and food will be served as an accompaniment to enchanting music in a remarkable space. I hope you can be there. ~ Donald Livingston, ILC Organist

-ART-A-WHIRL Immanuel member Chillon Leach will be participating in the NE Minneapolis “Art-A-Whirl”, May 18-20th. She’ll be exhibiting religious textiles created in the church art studio. Casket Arts Building, 1st floor hallway, 17th Ave. NE, between Jefferson and Madison. Art-A-Whirl is a family friendly, all age free weekend event with music, food, art, sculpture, performances in the NE Mpls. art district. www.nemaa.org for more information.”

REMEMBER IN PRAYER: Merle Erickson, Ron Mundahl, Craig Fohrenkamm, Marge Larson, Doug Derr, Tom Harvey, Steven Thomas, Thomas Dredge, Kelly, Ellen Budzien, Ricky Garza, Marianne Howe, our sister congregation: Mkimbizi Lutheran Church of Tanzania; our service personnel: Toby Boyer.

ALTAR FLOWERS are given by Jody Dahl, in honor of her nephew William Mattessich’s college graduation. The additional flowers are in honor of Ferne Needels’ 95th birthday – Happy Birthday, Mom, from the Needels’ Family and in loving memory of Gloria Dahlen from the Dahlen children.

COFFEE HOUR
Today       ILC Dads and Kids
May 20    Global: Mkimbizi, Guatemala, Free Trade Coffee
May 27    Grace Circle

Worship Assistants 
Assisting Minister Shawna Boll
Readers Shirley Evans (8), Rachel Husom (10:30)
Communion Assistants Elsie Fohrenkamm, Stephanie Alstead (8), June, Rachel Husom (10:30)
Acolytes Lucas Larson (8), Tanner Aschittino (10:30)
Ushers Jeanette Wermager, Andy Urness (8), Harvey Jaeger, Kelly and John Wells (10:30)

Worship Assistants for May 20th
Assisting Minister Stephanie Alstead
Readers JoAnn Hogenson (8), Jackie Kelly (10:30)
Communion Assistants Ralph, Loanne Thrane (8), Jackie Kelly, Doris Karlisch (10:30)
Acolytes Nathan Mundahl (8), Ben Dufresne (10:30)
Ushers Jeanette Wermager, Andy Urness (8), Ray Mikkelson, Kelly Wells, John Wells, Truus Ingebriston (10:30) 

Please contact Dave Klevan (651-227-3837) if you are interested in participating.

This year, the Church council has been examining Immanuel’s gifts and God’s calling. Come find out the results of this work: our values (what is important to us as a congregation), our calling (what difference is God calling us to make in the world), and some ends (goals) to work toward.

Proposed Vision of Immanuel Lutheran Church

Join the Conversation about Immanuel’s proposed vision.   We really appreciate your comments!  See what others are saying.