Author: Anna Lee

Thursday Addition

From Frances Gay

My nephew passed away on Monday in Corsicana, Texas.   His sister called me yesterday and told me.    He was the son of Johnny’s oldest brother.   The sister and her son and his family are the sole survivors of that branch of the family.   They are having a graveside service next Saturday in Ranger, Texas where all the rest of the family is buried.   I will be making arrangements to attend, along with my girls.    His name is William Homer Gay, III. I am sorry to say I don’t know his birthday.    He was approximately 60 years of age.

Thursday

Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men hate you,

and when they exclude you, and revile you,

and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”

~Luke 6:22-23~

Pray for the surgeon as he works on Gretchen Simspon’s back today.

Continue to pray for Mrs. Catherine Yarborough as she continues medical tests and treatment.

Pray for Jennie and the children as they are spending some time with the other grandparents and Boyd’s brother and family who have not seen them in 2 1/2 years.  They have seen Boyd during this time though.  Pray for Boyd as he continues his work without his family for another week.  Don’t you know it is very quiet at home with five people not there?  Thankfully, Boyd has ministry responsibilities that involve traveling during this time.

Homer D Carter
(October 23, 1919 – July 6, 2010)

http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=659396&fh_id=11426&s_id=C4323F23D8A9B68E31053CCE2D9012FC

James Dudley Munt

(December 23, 1923 – July 4, 2010)

A resident of Baton Rouge, LA, died at 4:54AM on Sunday, July 4, 2010 at Lakewood Quarters Nursing Home in Baton Rouge, LA. He was born December 23, 1923 in Kensal, ND and was 86 years of age. Mr. Munt was a U. S. Army veteran of WWII and Korea. He retired after 42 years of service with Soo Line Railroad as an agent and telegraph operator. He was very active with Boy Scouts, American Legion Baseball, and taught Catechism for many years. After his retirement, he volunteered as a musician at nursing homes in West Central Minnesota and South Texas. He was a member of American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Knights of Columbus, Soo Line Veterans and Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks. Visitation at St. Jude Catholic Church, Greensburg, LA from 1 p.m. on Tuesday until Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Services conducted by Deacon Michael Agnello. Interment Greensburg Cemetery, Greensburg, LA. Survived by wife, Mary Louise Pheifer Munt, Baton Rouge, LA, daughter, Mary Munt Rohner, Greensburg, LA, grandchildren, James Gregory Rohner, Chicago, IL, Paige R. Kluck and her husband, Mark, Suffolk, VA, Kip Leon Rohner and his wife, Becky, New Orleans, LA, Blair R. Bongiovanni and her husband, Brad, Baton Rouge, LA, great-grandchildren, Mark, Ryan, Jeremy, Rebecca, Abigail, and Matthew Kluck, and one on the way, Molly James Bongiovanni. Preceded in death by parents, V. J. and Jessie Dunn Munt, brother, Vernon John Munt, Jr., 3 sisters, Jessie Munt Lane, Margaret Munt, Donna Munt Spilman, son-in-law, James Rohner, his pets, Stupid, Buzzy, Tico, and Pepe. McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, in charge of arrangements.

Have a great day!

Anna Lee

Wednesday Afternoon

They just called me to let me know that my surgery time has been changed from 1:00 to 11:30 tomorrow at The NeuroMedical Center in Baton Rouge.

Thanks,
Gretchen Simpson

From Bro. Charles Dean

Dad is in CVICU at Bay Medical Center. Surgery went well, and he seems to be recovering well. If all goes as planned, he will be in a room tomorrow. Thanks to all for the prayers.

Wednesday

Prayer request at Bay medical center in Panama City

Please add my dad, Billy Dean, to the prayer link. He will be having open heart surgery tomorrow morning (Wednesday). Also, please pray for Vickey and me as we move to Batesville, Arkansas next week.

Thanks,

Bro. Charles Dean

CaringBridge

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINE
IMB
Wednesday, July 7, 2010

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches,’” (Matthew 13:31-32, NKJV).

Dear Intercessors, this is Eleanor Witcher of the Office of Global Prayer Strategy, encouraging you to pray for breakthrough in South America.

The REAPBolivia Team writes: “The ministry here in Bolivia is in its ‘baby stage’ and is still in need of volunteers to come and share in the work among the Bolivia indigenous who are bound in spiritual blindness.”

A simple/house church was planted among the urban poor in the city of Sao Leopoldo, Brazil, several years ago that ended up not surviving long term. However, one of the leaders who was trained in that church-planting effort later started a new group in his home, using what he learned. That group is now thriving and has 20 people participating in weekly Bible study and church life!

Members of the Bread of Life Church, Colombia, went on a mission trip to Oklahoma to help with a new church start for a Spanish-language mission. The response of the people was not very positive. The group returned with a conviction that people need to know the Lord but are often unaware or unwilling to admit to that need.

* Please pray for summer student workers in Bolivia as they lay the groundwork for church groups that will follow.

* Intercede for A and T as they lead the group in Brazil, and ask the Father to use this group both as an example of how to plant new churches.

* Pray that the Spanish-speakers who were contacted in Oklahoma will respond to God’s invitation and that those who participated in the mission trip will be faithful to continue to reach out and share God’s Word.

TODAY’S PRAYER
IMB
JULY 7, 2010

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me.” (Psalm 34:4a)

WORLD LEADERS. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Please pray today for President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed of Somalia (eastern Africa).

DUTCH INDIGENOUS OF THE NETHERLANDS. Pray for workers who have decided to move to a new location within the city where they serve. They have felt led to a subdivision community that has been recently built in an area where there are no nearby churches. Pray as these workers begin networking with a Dutch church that also has a vision to plant a church in this community. Ask God to help them as they relocate, and pray that He will provide ministry opportunities and inroads into this new, thriving neighborhood of young families.

WORLD SOCCER JOURNEYS. “During long school breaks, parents in the United States and here in Cape Town, South Africa, wonder what to do with their children,” writes the Cape Town Metro Evangelism Team. “In the U.S., the children might go to camps and/or Vacation Bible School. Here in Cape Town and other World Cup cities, there are Holiday Bible Clubs led by local Baptist churches. What is unique here is that parents have another option: World Cup Sports Clinics led by missionaries Mike and Amy Boone, Bruce and Sheri Erickson, Ronnie and Gail Davis, and Bonnie Doughtie. The local township churches are assisting the missionaries, as are students of Cape Town Baptist Seminary. During the three- to five-day clinics, the 1,000-plus children (aged sixth through ninth grade) of three township schools learn soccer and basketball skills, hear the Gospel, and memorize Bible verses. This is an opportunity to win these children and their families for Christ. These children, if not engaged by us during this time, could easily be led astray by the lowlier elements in their society: gangs, drugs, alcohol, theft and prostitution. God has a plan for their lives, to give them a hope and a future. We show them that this hope becomes real by believing in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Please be in prayer for these children, asking that they will be able to fend off temptation. Be in prayer for these missionaries and their safety and leading of God.” http://worldsoccerjourneys.com/

Please take time to read the following Baptist Press article.  I think we could all do better than we are doing….

FIRST-PERSON: Coming to your church Monday morning …
Diana Davis

http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=33292

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Anna Lee

Tuesday Afternoon

Homer D. Carter was born October 23, 1919 and passed away at 9:55 a.m., Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at St. Helena Parish Nursing Home, Greensburg, LA. Mr. Homer was 90, a native of AL and a resident of Kentwood.

Arrangements are incomplete at this time but will added on Wednesday, July 7, 2010.

McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, in charge of arrangements.

An on-line Guestbook and to view a Video Tribute is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

Tuesday

For we are God’s workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.

~Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)~

Thank God for the rain and hopefully some cooler temperatures.

Pray for Gretchen V. Simpson as she has back surgery July 8th.  I know she will appreciated your prayers.

CaringBridge

Devotional: Cell by Mike Benson

Thanks for praying today.  Your prayers mean so much to so many.

Anna Lee


Monday

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord,

you must continue to follow him.

~Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT)~

Mrs. Mary Nell Kliesch fell and broke her left wrist and hurt her head yesterday.  Pray for her as she goes through the healing process.

Whitney Kliesch is home for a while.  I know his family is excited to see him.  Pray for a good visit.

PARENTING TEENAGERS

The following piece is “author unknown” but came to me via American Family Association.  It will be especially meaningful to those of you who are parents of teenagers:

“I just realized that while children are dogs — loyal and affectionate — teenagers are cats.  It’s so easy to be a dog owner.  You feed it, train it, boss it around.  It puts its head on your knees and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting.  It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it.

“Then around age 13 your adorable little puppy turns into a big old cat.  When you tell it to come inside it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor.  Instead of dogging your footsteps, it disappears. You won’t see it again until it gets hungry — then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen to turn up its nose up at whatever you’re serving.

“When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.  You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it.  It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed.  It won’t go on family outings.

“Since you’re the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong.  Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.  Only now you’re dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result.  Call it, and it runs away.  Tell it to sit, and it jumps the counter.  The more you go toward it wringing your hands, the more it moves away.

“Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you have to learn to behave like a cat owner.  Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you.  But remember that a cat needs your help and affection too.  Sit still and it will come, seeking the warm, comfortable lap it has not entirely forgotten.  Be there to open the door for it.  One day, your grown up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, “You’ve been on your feet all day.  Let me get those dishes for you.”

“Then you will realize your cat is a dog again.”   [author unknown]

Parenting is a tremendous challenge and can especially be difficult during the teenage years.  In my more exasperating moments as a parent, I was tempted to believe that Mark Twain’s philosophy was the one to follow.  He said when a kid turns thirteen, stick him in a barrel, nail the lid on top, and feed him through the knot hole.  When he turns sixteen — plug up the knot hole!

Then I remember the patience that my heavenly Father has with me.  As frustrated as I have gotten with my children at times, I know that God must become even more frustrated with me (“How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?”  “You’re old enough to know better!”).  And yet he refuses to give up on me.  His loving patience continually draws me back to him.

“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4)

Father (what a privilege it is to call you that!), thank you for being the perfect parent.  Help me, as a parent, to follow your example as I seek to bring my children to a faith in you.  What a tremendous responsibility you have given me!  Please grant me the strength and the wisdom necessary to fulfill this task.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a merry Monday!

Anna Lee

Fourth of July

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty

wherewith Christ hath made us free,

and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Galatians 5:1


Frances Gay recommends we watch Dr. Charles Stanley today.  His message is

“Turning the Tide”.

I hope you will take some time to read this Fourth of July page.  Then pray for our country, the military, the political leadership, and all the everyday people who have a voice that is silent too often.  May we as Americans seek God’s will for our country and do as he leads.

http://www.annieshomepage.com/fourth2.html

Please spend some time today thinking about our country and then praying we will again become a Christian nation.

Anna Lee