Month: October 2011

Tuesday Evening

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly

as you teach and admonish one another

with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit,

singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

~Colossians 3:16 (NIV)~

From Ashley Raborn

Please keep Sammy Ott in your prayers. They are at MD Anderson this week trying a new drug that will help stabilize his platelet count. They will also perform a bone marrow test. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

Pray for Leroy Wilkinson of Amite.  He fell Sunday requiring stitches and leaving bruises.  He is Momma’s first cousin and was missed today.

Gwen Harper Pedalahole is so much better that she is now at home.  Thank-you for praying for this young mother who was so critically sick.

KaLeigh Powers of Kentwood has had her appointment postponed.  Pray for the family as they deal with this delay and understanding what is happening with KaLeigh.

Ora Lee Wilson’s sister-in-law is dealing with spreading cancer.  Pray for the family as they learn more about her situation.

Today, we celebrated Momma’s life.  It was a good day of memories.  Each person who came to the funeral home and/or the cemetery brought memories of different connections to Momma and/or to our immediate family.  Thank all of you who came, prepared food for us, or send messages.  We feel so loved!  You helped make today a very special memory for us.  We feel so very blessed!

 

Joel Benson Foster
(January 6, 1936 – October 23, 2011) 

A resident of Kentwood, he died at 6:22 p.m. on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond. He was born January 6, 1936 in Kentwood and was 75 years of age. He was a U. S. Army Veteran of the Korean War. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood, from 10 a.m. until religious services at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Interment Woodland Cemetery, Kentwood. He is survived by daughter, Pennie Gross and her husband, Dale, Clinton; 2 sons, Joey Foster and his wife, Debbie, Amite and Dae Dae Foster, Kentwood; 4 grandchildren, Colby Dale Gross, Micah Joel Gross, Nicholas Reed Gross and Keri Newman and her husband, John; 2 great-grandchildren, Jayden and Bella Newman; step-daughter, Dee Gee Young and her husband, David, McComb, MS; 2 step-sons, David Connely and his wife, Missy, Albany and Chris Garraway and his wife, Sierra, Hammond; 2 step-grandchildren, Breanna and McKenzie Garraway, Rodney Lange, Jr. and Lindsey Bridges; 1 step-great-grandchild, Bentley Bridges. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Connely Foster; parents, Amos and Velma Westmoreland Foster; step-great-grandchild, Jayden Lange.

 

 

 

 

Thought for the Day: The gold box


The following article comes to me author unknown:

“We often learn the most from our children. Some time ago a friend of mine punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, ‘This is for you, Daddy.’

“He was embarrassed by his earlier over-reaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty. He yelled at her, ‘Don’t you know that when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside of it?’ The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, ‘Oh Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy.’

“The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there. In a very real sense, each of us as parents has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.”

I cringe when I think of the times I have done something similar. Between all the fussing and the disciplining, I sometimes need to stop and remember what a treasure my children are (all three of them!), and how thankful I am to God for blessing me through them.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is His reward.” (Psalm 127:3)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee


 

 

 

 

 

How are you doing with your “gold box”?

Anna Lee

 

 

 

Momma's Obituary

Mrs. Dorothy Draughon Smith

(March 26, 1929 – October 23, 2011) 

 

Mrs. Dorothy D. Smith was born March 26, 1929 and passed away at 6:20 p.m., Sunday, October 23, 2011 at her residence surrounded by her loving family. She was 82, a native of New Orleans and a resident of Roseland.

Mrs. Dorothy is survived by her husband of 64 years, Grant R. Smith, Jr., Roseland; 3 daughters, Anna Lee S. Alford and husband David, Kentwood, Carolyn S. Cardaronella, Independence and Julie S. Eudy and husband Donnie, Ponchatoula; sister, Naomi Orr and husband John, Sulphur Springs, TX; 11 grandchildren, Jennie A. Hatchel and husband Dr. Boyd, Prague, Czech Republic, Jason Alford and wife Becki, Rome, GA, Toby Cardaronella and wife Rhonda, Albany, Timmy Cardaronella and wife Tara, Roseland, Jeffrey Cardaronella, Ponchatoula, Jeremy Cardaronella, Independence, Lacey Todora and husband Phillip, Amite, Casey Stuart and husband Josh, Independence, Melissa Parrina and husband Andrew, Gonzalez, Adam Hayden and companion Carolyn Hufstetler, Amite & Kristin Eudy, Ponchatoula; 16 great-grandchildren.

Preceded in death by her parents Elwin and Jennie Wilkinson Draughon; grandson, Aaron Hayden & sister, Bettye Widas.

Visitation at McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. with Graveside Celebration of Life Services at Taylor Cemetery, Tangipahoa with Dr. Boyd Hatchel officiating to follow.

An on-line Guestbook is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, is located at I-55N (Exit 46) and Hwy 16 W next to Hood Automotive and behind Mr. Tom’s Car Wash, Bond Eye Clinic and Holiday Inn Express.

 http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1292255&fh_id=11426

 

 

 


Monday

“If you want to know what God really wants you to do, ask him . . .

but if you don’t ask in faith,

don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer.”

James 1:5-6 (LB)

  Maggie Lee Henson: Doing Good for Others

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/maggieleehenson

Jadon’s Story: Surgery Update

Alot has been going on since my last post. First, I’m still having seizures and I’m on my full dose of vigabatrin. We did start another medicine. We put me back on banzel. Banzel is the only other medicine besides vigabatrin that has helped me. We thought maybe the two together would help. Well it has help and we actually have more control of my seizures than ever before. I’m having about 60 a day and they are not intense at all. It’s very hard to know if I’m having one or not. Though we are excited about this its still not acceptable to have 60 seizures a day. So my mommy has been calling doctors and talking to them about the surgery. She even talk to a mommy whoes child had the surgery. If you look at the end of the post you will see the questions that my mommy ask Dr. Chugani and the answers he sent. She emailed him at 3:30 one afternoon and he emailed back by 7:00 that night. He is awesome. We do believe that God has sent us to him. When we first started looking for doctors to see my mommy and daddy looked in to going to see him or this doctor in Boston. We went with the doctor in Boston. We were in the hospital and actually met a different neurologist than the one we went to see. We liked him so much that we stuck with him and not the other. And would you know a year later he referred us to Dr. Chugani. That is why we believe it was meant for us to see Dr. Chugani. Of all the neurologist out there, there is no way this is just coincidence. It is definitely a God thing. So what is the plan. We have decided to go ahead and schedule the surgery. We will have our final date by Wednesday of this week. It is looking like it will be sometime in December or January. We will then make a trip to Detroit to update my MRI and to see the neurosurgeon who will be doing the surgery. We could do this the day before the surgery but we need time to discuss our questions and think about them. My mommy and daddy will think, pray, and get lots of opinions before they let anyone cut into my brain. We also talked to our neurologist in Boston. He said that no idea of Dr. Chugani’s is a bad one. This made us feel a little better. He also said that Boston is doing a research study that can tell how much of the motor function has transferred to the right side. They use a machine to put next to the hemisphere. The machine cause the muscles on that side of the hemisphere to move. If both of my arms and legs move we will know if it has transferred. We are in the process of trying to get into this study. We would feel much better about the surgery if we can get this test done. It amazes me the test they can do these days. I’m asking you to pray harder than you ever had for me. I can’t tell you how difficult of a decision this is for my family. We are praying and trusting that God will continue to lead us in the direction He wants us to go. I want all of you to know that we are planning my surgery and doing all the prep work but we may not do the surgery. Everything has to fall into place and we have to feel 100% that this is what God wants us to do. That is why we are asking for prayers, prayers, and more prayers. Thanks for all that you do for me and my family. I love you all and here are the notes from Dr. Chugani: SEE ANSWERS BELOW > Dr. Chugani, > > We recently came to Detroit to see you. My son’s name in Jadon Pailet. > We started Sabril the day after we left your office. It has helped but we > are still seeing about 80 seizures a day. With that said the seizures are > not as intense as they were before Sabril. Since they are not as intense, > Jadon has learned 4 new animal sounds and is crawling a little bit. I > know > the next step is surgery but I have a couple of questions. > 1. I’m worried about him regressing after surgery. My husband and I have > been researching and it seems most children are worse off than Jadon when > the surgery is done. What is the likelihood that he will be worse after > surgery than he is now? RARE TO BE WORSE AFTER SURGERY. IF SEIZURES CONTINUE, SOONER OR LATER IT WILL TAKE A TOLL ON THE BRAIN > 2. I read an article about brain surgery which said you can actually numb > the hemosphere and then check for speech, memory, and motor. Is this part > of the procedure that ya’ll do? THE GRID ELECTRODES THAT WE PUT WILL CHECK FOR VITAL FUNCTIONS SUCH AS MOTOR. THE OTHERS ARE NOT AN ISSUE AT THIS AGE > 3. When are we looking at doing the surgery? WORK THAT OUT WITH SARAH > 4. What part of the brain are we talking about removing? The entire left > hemisphere or only the 4 parts that did not form correctly? I know we are > not going to touch the motor cortex unless necessary. WHAT IS REMOVED DEPENDS ON WHAT THE GRID EEG SHOWS > 5. This is not a surgery question but just wanted to ask. Jadon was > on Banzel. The banzel helped but didn’t control the seizures. We took > him > off banzel because we thought it was causing the other medicine not to > work. My question is does banzel work well with Sabril? I’m just > thinking > maybe we can get some more control if we put him back on the banzel. THE 2 CAN BE USED TOGETHER. TRY IT IF YOU THINK IT MAY HELP. HAVE WE MAXIMIZED THE SABRIL DOSE? HOW MUCH IS HE TAKING AND HOW MUCH DOES HE WEIGH?

Chloe Neyland will be seeing a doctor today to see if she is in good enough health to have the holes in her heart repaired Wednesday.  Pray for all involved in the decision making process.
Early yesterday  afternoon, my sister Julie told me it was a good day for Momma to go to heaven.  I agreed.  Then, Julie smiled and told me it was the 29th anniversary of her son’s death.  Aaron is Momma’s only descendent that has passed away.  I think the timing of Momma’s death yesterday was very appropriate.
Thought for the Day: Giving with love
The following story is told in “The Best of Bits and Pieces”:Robert De Vincenzo, the great Argentine golfer, once won a tournament and, after receiving the check and smiling for the cameras, he went to the clubhouse and prepared to leave. Some time later, he walked alone to his car in the parking lot and was approached by a young woman. She congratulated him on his victory and then told him that her child was seriously ill and near death. She did not know how she could pay the doctor’s bills and hospital expenses.

De Vincenzo was touched by her story, and he took out a pen and endorsed his winning check for payment to the woman. “Make some good days for the baby,” he said as he pressed the check into her hand.

The next week he was having lunch in a country club when a Professional Golf Association official came to his table. “Some of the boys in the parking lot last week told me you met a young woman there after you won that tournament.” De Vincenzo nodded.

“Well,” said the official, “I have news for you. She’s a phony. She has no sick baby. She’s not even married. She fleeced you, my friend.”

“You mean there is no baby who is dying?” said De Vincenzo.

“That’s right,” said the official.

“That’s the best news I’ve heard all week,” De Vincenzo said.

Wow! What a beautiful spirit! I wish I could say that I would have reacted the same way, but I know that I would not have. I would have struggled with feelings of resentment. I would have said, “See if I try to help anyone else again!”

De Vincenzo’s attitude is reminiscent of the spirit that God has shown toward us. Despite mankind taking God’s goodness for granted, despite our repeated failures, God was willing to give not just a token amount, but the ultimate sacrifice of His Son. He did so, not reluctantly or with resentment, but willingly and gladly, knowing that while most would only show disdain for his gift, some would respond in obedience motivated by faith and love.

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

May the realization of what God has given motivate you to respond to him, and to reach out to others, with the same kind of love.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

Today is a good day to ….
Anna Lee

Sunday Night

Momma, Dorothy Smith of Roseland, passed away about 5:30 this afternoon.  Please remember our whole family in your prayers.  We will make arrangements at 11:00 in the morning.  We plan to have a brief time of visitation Tuesday morning followed by burial in the family cemetery, Taylor Cemetery, which is five miles west of I-55 at Tangipahoa.

Sunday

A generous man will prosper

and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

~Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)~

Sherry Simpson did well in her surgery.  Let’s pray for Sherry as she had several appointments in the coming weeks and as she waits to see if the surgery was helpful.

Wendel Rhodus will be preaching this morning at Osyka.  Give him soms prayer support whether you attend the service or not.

Thought for the Day: What can I do for you?

It had been a hard winter in the Appalachian area. The snow had piled up 
deeper and deeper, the mercury dropped, rivers froze, people suffered. 
The Red Cross used helicopters to fly in supplies. 
One crew had been working day after day -- long hours. They were on their 
way home late in the afternoon when they saw a little cabin submerged in 
the snow. There was a thin whisper of smoke coming from the chimney. The 
rescue team figured they were probably about out of food, fuel, perhaps 
medicine.

Because of the trees, they had to put the helicopter down a mile away. They 
put on heavy packs with emergency supplies, trudged through heavy snow,
 waist deep, reached the cabin exhausted, panting, perspiring. They pounded
 on the door. A thin, gaunt mountain woman opened the door and the lead man 
gasped, "We're from the Red Cross."

She was silent for a moment and then she said, "It's been a hard winter, 
Sonny, I just don't think we can give anything this year."

I don't think the story is true, but it certainly could be. I am convinced 
that there are two kinds of people -- givers and takers. And even in dire
times, those who are givers are always thinking about "What can I do for 
you?" rather than "What can you do for me?" 
Statistically speaking, the group which gives the greatest percentage of 
their money to charity every year is the group of people with the lowest 
income.

There may be several different reasons for that, but truth of the matter is 
(and this is true among Christians as well), the more we have, the greater 
is our tendency to hold tight to it. What a great example the Macedonians 
are to us:

"...in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep 
poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality." (2 Cor. 8:2).

Did you notice that? The group of Christians that Paul held up as an example
of generous giving to those in need were themselves in "deep poverty". Yet 
they gave so much that Paul was reluctant to receive the money, until they 
implored him "with much urgency" to take their gift.

I look at my own life and see that there are many times when I'm reluctant 
to give to others, not because it might affect providing for my needs, but 
because it might affect me having the things I want. Like everyone else, 
I'm tempted to look out for "number one" and I want to know what you can do 
for me. But, considering the example of Christ, Paul said:

"Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the 
interests of others." (Phil.2:4)

"Father, please forgive me. Help me to develop a heart of selflessness and 
love for others that constantly seeks to find ways to bless those around me. 
In Jesus' name, amen."

Have a great day!

Alan Smith


Have a meaningful Lord's Day!
Anna Lee

Saturday

“He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

~Psalm 23:3b (NIV)~

The manhunt continues east of town.  Don’t grow weary of praying for all involved.

Baptist Press

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36390

Thought for the Day: Surely I can’t look that old

Have you ever been guilty of looking at others your own age and thinking, “Surely I can’t look that old”? An elderly woman was sitting in the waiting room for her first appointment with a new dentist. She noticed his DDS diploma, which bore his full name.

Suddenly, she remembered that a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in her high school class some 40-odd years ago. Could he be the same guy that she had a secret crush on, way back then?

Upon seeing him, however, she quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was way, way too old to have been her classmate….or was he?

After he examined her teeth, she asked him if he had attended Morgan Park High School.

“Yes. Yes. I did…I’m a Morgan Mustang,” he gleamed with pride.

“When did you graduate?” she asked.

He answered, “In 1959. Why do you ask?”

“You were in my class!” she exclaimed.

He looked at her closely…and then he asked, “What did you teach?”

It’s easy, isn’t it, to look at others our age and see all the changes they’ve gone through — the wrinkles they added, the hair they’ve lost, and not realize that we have changed in exactly the same way? “Surely I can’t look that old!”

It’s easy to do the same thing spiritually. We see the spiritual “wrinkles” in others. We see what’s lacking in their lives that ought to be there. “Surely I’m not that sinful!” And, all the while, they are looking at us, unaware of those problems in their own lives, but they see the same blemishes in our lives!

Jesus didn’t use the imagery of wrinkles and hair loss. Rather, he used the imagery of dust and planks to make the same point.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)

Let’s be honest enough to look in the mirror and say, “You know, I really do look that old!” And let’s be honest enough to look into the mirror of God’s Word and say, “You know, I really do have these sins in my life.” Only when we use a mirror on ourselves rather than a magnifying glass on others will we begin to see some development in our spiritual life.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Make time to prepare for the Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

Friday Afternoon

 

Melissa Johnson is home.  Thank God for her improvement.

 

Please continue to pray for my family.  Momma is not doing well.

 

Sheriff Ronald “Gun” Flicklin
(Died October 21, 2011) 

 

 Sheriff Ronald “Gun” Ficklin passed away on Friday, October 21, 2011 at Butner Medical Center, Butner, NC. “Gun” is a resident of Greensburg.

 Arrangements will be posted on Monday, October 24, 2011.

 An on-line Guestbook is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com


Friday

“Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air,

for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns;

yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they?”

~Matthew 6:25b-26, NKJV~

“His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me!”

Gwen Harper Pedelahore

Praisiing God for his healing power. Gwen has been taken off of the ventilator and hopefully, she will be moved out of ICU today and into a regular room. Thank all of you for your many prayers this week and continue praying for her complete recovery.

Keri Harper Wickham (Gwen’s aunt)

Linda B. Williams is home after her surgery.  Pray for her recovery to be smooth and uneventful.

Malone Williams has health issues.  Tests show it’s not his heart.  Pray as more tests are done to identify the problem.

As far as I know the manhunt continues.  Please pray for all the people whose lives have been altered so much as they try to live their normal lives or as they join with others trying to locate him.

This is the day I was to have my gamma knife surgery.  Pray for the person who is in surgery because their need is much greater.  Thank God for a facility that can handle “inoperable” brain tumors.

Baptist Press Selected Reading for Today: No church buildings left in Afghanistan

http://bpnews.asp/?ID=36378

Heart to Heart with Holley: You are Called

In the fictional movie, The Princess Diaries, Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is an awkward teenager enduring the usual difficulties of high school. That all changes the day her paternal grandmother Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) arrives with shocking news. It turns out that Mia is far from ordinary. She is, in fact, a princess and the only heir to the throne of Genovia.

Mia proceeds to get herself into a series of mishaps and embarrassing situations as she seeks to become who she rightfully is already. While we’ll probably never be called to rule a country, we all have a moment when the King of Kings calls us to be a princess in His kingdom. Much like Mia, our initial response may be the equivalent of, “Who, me?”

But our calling isn’t about us. Like Mia, we may not see ourselves as “princess material” but what matters most is the will of our Father.

Even after we’ve accepted God’s offer to be a princess, we may forget our calling from time to time. Imagine if Mia moved out of the palace and lived on the streets. Her beautiful gowns would become dirty, she would have little to eat, and few would guess her real identity. Yet the fact that she was royalty wouldn’t change. Being called is just the first step. Carrying out our calling is a lifetime pursuit.

Living our calling can sometimes be confusing because our culture tends to view “a calling” as synonymous with a vocation. We say pastors are “called” to the ministry. A missionary might be “called” overseas. Yet Scripture talks about our calling in a much deeper way. Being called by God is about who we are not about what we do.

You can carry out your calling as a stay-at-home mom, a CEO, a marketing director, a caregiver, or any number of other ways. What matters most is embracing your identity in Christ and living your faith wherever you are today. As Mia finally discovered, being a princess doesn’t require a castle, fancy gowns, or lavish parties. It only requires a heart fully committed to the king.

Ring, ring.

There’s a call for your heart.

It’s been there since the day you were born.

And it will be there until the day you go Home.

Pick it up, listen closely, and you’ll hear

the voice of Your Father whispering what’s true…

“You are mine.

I made you.

Chose you.

Called you.

That call isn’t about a vocation.

It’s about making a difference wherever you are.

It’s about being who I created you to be.

No one else can take your place.

No one else can answer this call.

I’m so glad you did.

I’ll be right here telling you all you need to know

every day, every step of the way.

I love to hear your voice…

and I love when you listen to Mine.”

–God’s Heart for You: Embracing Your True Worth as a Woman      

Make this day, even though it is a Friday, as great as God planned it to be.

Anna Lee

Thursday Addition

Benefit for Jadon Pailet son of Adam and Monica Pailet of Amite.  Order your fried turkey or smoked brisket now!!

$30 each
Name:_____________________________
Phone #:___________________________
Address:___________________________
(if delivery is needed $5 extra)

Pick-up is Nov. 23rd at 61131 Hwy 445, Amite, LA.
Payment is due at time of order.
Turkeys will average 12-14 lbs.
Brisket will feed 10-12 people.
Phone orders can be taken by calling 985-748-4857.
Deadline for orders is Nov. 12th.
Scheduled pick-up times will be given once all orders are placed. If you need your turkey on the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving, we may be able to accommodate.

All proceeds benefit Jadon Pailet son of Adam and Monica Pailet of Amite. Jadon is battling infantile spasms and is in need of medical care in Detroit requiring his parents to be with him for several weeks. Adam is employed at the TPSO and Monica is employed at Tangipahoa Parish School System.