Month: September 2011

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, . . .

being confident of this very thing,

that He who has begun a good work in you

will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

~Philippians 1:3-6~

Jadon’s Story: Neurologist Appointment

My appointment went well today. She is taking me off lamictal. It really hasn’t helped and I have become so miserable on it. It will take about 4 weeks to get me off of it. We are also starting a new medicine called zonegran. I start it tonight and it will take about 4 weeks to get on a reasonable dose. Again we are praying that this medicine will help controll my seizures. We went over the seizure med list and there are only 4 that we havent tried. This is not good everyone. We are running out of options. We leave in a week to go to Detroit. We dont understand why I have to suffer but we are trusting God and we know he has a great plan for my life. Keep praying everyone. Love y’all, Jadon

Georgia Barnette Easter Offering: Day 4

http://georgiabarnette.org/GBO/Day4/

Adult Mission Study

http://georgiabarnette.org/GBO/Default2.aspx?id=8229

Thought for the Day: The reward for faithfulness

I thought you would enjoy the following list of “Rules and Regulations for Teachers in 1872”:

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys, and trim wicks.

2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and scuttle of coal for the day’s sessions.

3. Make your pens carefully: you may whittle nibs to the individual taste of pupils.

4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.

5. After 10 hours in school, the teachers spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.

7. Each teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.

8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or get shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intentions, integrity and honesty.

9. The teacher who performs his labors faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of 25 cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.

I was intrigued by the wording of #9 above. It sounded somewhat familiar to me. Then it dawned on me that there is a similarity to what Jesus had to say to the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3.

“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev.2:10b)

“…[T]hey shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Rev. 3:4-5)

There are a couple of significant differences, though, between the promise given to teachers in 1872 and the promises given by Jesus. Jesus doesn’t require that we live “without fault” (and oh, how I’m thankful for that!). The reward that Jesus promises is considerably better than 25 cents for every five years of service (and I’m thankful for that as well!). And it’s not a matter of gaining the approval of a group of men. The only approval that matters is the smile we’ll see on our Father’s face.

Father, thank you for the promises that you have given — not just the promise of a crown or of white garments, but the promise of an opportunity to be in your presence, to be held in your arms. I don’t live before you “without fault”, so I thank you for your grace as I seek to live faithfully as your child. I commit all that I am and all that I have to be used in your service. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Reminder: Share Group Thursday at 6:30

 “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer;

and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

~Isaiah 65:24~

Georgia Barnette Offering for State Missions 2011

• Who was Georgia Barnette?  http://georgiabarnette.org/GBO/Default2.aspx?id=8047
• Praying for Louisiana   http://georgiabarnette.org/GBO/Default2.aspx?id=6442450967
• Day 1 – Comfort Corner, Oak Grove  http://georgiabarnette.org/GBO/Day1/
• Day 2 – Bridge Church/West St. Tammany Mission       http://georgiabarnette.org/GBO/Day2/

The following is a “top ten” list of silliest questions asked on a cruise ship. They were collected in 1998 by Paul Grayson, cruise director for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

10. Do these steps go up or down?

9. What do you do with the beautiful ice carvings after they melt?

8. Which elevator do I take to get to the front of the ship?

7. Does the crew sleep on the ship?

6. Is this island completely surrounded by water?

5. Does the ship make its own electricity?

4. Is it salt water in the toilets?

3. What elevation are we at?

2. There’s a photographer on board who takes photos and displays them the next day. The question asked: If the pictures aren’t marked, how will I know which ones are mine?

1. What time is the Midnight Buffet being served?

They say there’s no such thing as a foolish question, but the Bible would disagree. Now, any question asked in order to learn something is never foolish, but some questions are asked simply for the purpose of starting an argument. Many of the questions the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus fell into this category (see Matthew 21 for several examples). Jesus was the master at being able to handle those kinds of questions, throwing them back at the questioner without getting embroiled in their debate.

For us, though, the best response to such a question is usually to ignore it. The apostle Paul instructed Timothy:

“But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…” (2 Timothy 2:23-24).

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, NC