Annual Rose Breakfast hosted by Grace St. Paul's in Penn Forest

Last Saturday, Grace St. Paul's United Methodist Church, located in Penn Forest Township, hosted its annual Rose Breakfast. The Rose Breakfast is an ecumenical event for local women to come together in fellowship with music and a guest speaker.

Around 90 women from 10 different churches attended the breakfast.

Piano music was played by David Westrip. The guest speaker was, Desha Utsick, a Christ servant minister at Grace St. Paul's.

Utsick, of Jim Thorpe, graduated from Jim Thorpe Area High School and Moravian College, where she majored in business management and minored in English. She has given spiritual messages at Grace St. Paul's, Parryville United Methodist Church, and Audenried-Jeansville United Methodist Church.

In 2012, she served on a mission trip to Kosovo with the Greater Europe Missions where they participated in Operation Christmas Child.

About three years ago, Utsick developed an interest in photography. It has since become one of her passions and she hopes it can grow from there.

Her message at the breakfast was about, "Nature Change and Spiritual Transformation."

Utsick spoke about how there are all sorts of things that occur in nature and how they can transform us.

"The transformations that are out there that we don't even see or realize that are going on are just incredible."

She said transformation is ongoing and a lifelong process. She went on to state that nature is about renewal, change and the cycle of life. Nothing on earth is permanent but there is one constant in our life, God.

She added that change is inevitable, change in ourselves and change in the world around us. Willingness to change and continual renewal of our mind are a part of our spiritual growth.

"My life today is about working my way toward God."

Utsick said that her passion for photography emerged when she turned to God. She uses photography to share his beauty of nature and the world.

"It's another day in God's world to do whatever is there, whatever he puts in front of me.

"There is so much chaos and destruction in the world. There is also a lot of good and beauty here too. It's just up to us to see it. To grow. To continue to grow into a likeness of God and the likeness of Jesus. To continue on in this cycle we call life."

Utsick showed some of her pictures at the end of her presentation.

The United Methodist Women of Grace St. Paul's sponsors the annual Rose Breakfast. It has been held at the church in Penn Forest Township since 2010.

The Rose Breakfast was coordinated by Barbara and Dottie Mumma.

The Mummas thanked Utsick and Westrip for being a part of the Rose Breakfast. They also thanked the members of the UMW and Grace St. Paul's for their help and support, as well as those who attended the breakfast.