Category: Baptist Press

Saturday

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

It’s too early to get an update on Mrs. Faye Price. I’ll post something later.

Emily Panter: Emily continues to improve. She’s eating better and walking more. Keep praying.

Update on the Don and Diane Denton family:

Another amazing day in the Denton household today! Don arrived in Bolivar today at about 2pm.

It was a most beautiful sight to see. And to top it off, he did not get sick on the flight and on top of that was not sick at all today.

WE waited anxiously, Joshua jumping and squirming with joy. We actually saw the plane coming and the video started rolling. The pilot let us come out to the plane and we took many pictures of smiling faces and lots of tears. These are the most happy tears we have had in 2.5 months.

There was a time that we thought this day would not come. We were being told by the doctors that it would be a miracle if this day came for us. Back when Don was in ICU, one nurse asked me if I believed in God. He said that they would give Don all the tools to help his body to make it through this and then it was up to God. This nurse told me that I needed to pray and ask everyone to pray for Don. That was about 2 months ago. Many of these days where spent in a dark room waiting. As I have thought through this journey, it has been a journey of “waiting” Waiting for the headache to go away, waiting for Don to be able to talk again, waiting for test results, waiting for insurance decisions, waiting for housing, waiting for change, waiting for good news, waiting on God. Things we hope for, things we pour our heart out to God for sometimes don’t ever seem to come. There is great loss and grief. Loss of dreams, loss of time, loss of laughter and life together as we knew it. Waiting comes in many forms.

The other theme for me throughout this journey has been ” Believe”.

Believe that God is able. Believe even when the doctors are not hopeful. Believe in our God who says I will never leave you or forsake you. Even when there is no change. It is the waiting that is the hardest. It is in the waiting that darkness seems to overwhelm one. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is Believe when we can’t see. Even when our emotions are depleated and we are so discouraged, we can Believe, not in our ability but in God’s.

It is not an easy thing to wait. It is in that waiting that we need each other to hold onto. I have found in the waiting God’s people waiting too. WE pray and hope and wait. Thank you for waiting with us. Thank you for taking this journey with us. Thank you for your words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for your honesty and allowing me to be honest with my struggle.

And we continue to wait, waiting for further change of improvement, waiting and praying asking how are we going to get through this new phase of healing. WE will. That is the hope that we have not in us, but in Christ.

We are truly seeing a miracle today. The fact that Don is home and carries on conversations as if nothing ever happened is pretty amazing.

I felt compelled to share this with you all. I don’t know why.

I have more prayer requests.

* This one is for me. I have to confess that as happy as I am and I am elated at Don being home, I am exhausted as well. I have been a “single mom” for 2.5 months now. Please pray for me that I will have the wisdom and strength that I need and that I will be present with them both.
* Pray for Julia’s foot that she twisted.
* Pray that Don will continue improving.

Another thing I need to say is that in coming home and finding the nice surprises, I got so carried away in the emotion. Please know that during this very long journey, I have forgotten to say thank you to so many people who have reached out to us when we were in Springfield hospital for those 25 days. So please bear with me as my memory is not what it should be.

We have a very busy week this next week. I will keep you posted.

Visitation Times

I will post visitation days and times for those of you who would like to come and see Don. Once we get schedule for rehab. He would love see you.

Blessings to you our family and friends.

Diane

KOMpray
Kids on Mission Pray
Prayer requests

“Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,” Luke 18:16b

TONS OF PRAYER

The Xhosa (pronounced KOH-sah) people live in South Africa. They’re very traditional, they dress in certain ways, believe certain things…very strongly…and their language is one of the hardest to learn. So their culture and people are really hard to reach. They believe in a Creator God but also count on “shamans” (medicine men/women). The Xhosa will go talk to the shaman when they are sick or think they have been cursed.

Missionaries Mike and Amy Boone work with about 40 Xhosa children and youth. Several kids have accepted Jesus, but their moms and dads just aren’t interested.

The Boone’s daughter told us about the Xhosa people and said, “I ask for prayer for my family and their ministry. My brother and I go to a school where things are not very Christian. My school needs tons of prayer…so please pray for us, our ministry, and that God can continue to reach the Xhosa people. Thank you.” GRACE, age 14, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

MORE PRAYER REQUESTS FROM MISSIONARY KIDS

My culture is normal like a typical American’s culture. Please pray for the youth of South Africa SARAH, age 13, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Please pray that I may have an opportunity to tell the Good News to the people that live in my neighborhood. ANNDREA, age 11 (Pacific Rim)

I pray that all would hunger and thirst for Jesus Christ. NATHANIEL, age 10, (Central Asia)

My family and I are in language school for Kiswahili. After language school we will move to work with an unreached people group. Please pray that my family will adjust to life in Africa.

LINDY, age 12 (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Dear God, please help my older sister in college in the U.S. Please help there be foreign children in my city that are my age. Please help my parents learn the language quickly. Please help the people in my city learn about God. Please help me in school. In Jesus’ name. Amen. HR, age 10 (East Asia)

I live in a very dirty place, with lots of people. Some may be nice and some may not be. Please pray for my Indian friend, Dove, who became a Christian when I told her. But she moved away. And please pray that my brothers and sisters will become Christians. TABI, age 9 (South Asia)

Please pray for: Open doors, wisdom in how to reach out, direction for me in choosing a college, good leadership for my class at Rift Valley Academy, unity for our class. MICAH, age 17 (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Pray I’ll have strength in my walk with Christ as I go to school in an environment that is really sinful and worldly. Pray that the Bible studies that we have will grow and continue to lead to Christ. KAYLA, age 15, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
Day 7 – REAP North, Peru

Going into mountain and jungle villages, missionaries Larry and Nancy Jackson endure bumpy, unpaved roads and 10-hour boat rides to plant churches in Peru.

The Jacksons, from North Carolina, hold out hope that a Southern Baptist church will feel led to adopt each people group they research. Through REAP (Rapid Entry Advance Plan) North, the couple, in the International Mission Board’s Masters Program, helps churches connect with people groups in Peru and Bolivia. Masters missionaries are those 50 or older who commit to at least two or three years of overseas service.

Today more than 25 churches have promised to invest their efforts in approximately 15 areas with the Jacksons. Fanning out from the more evangelized city centers, Larry will continue researching and contacting people groups on the edges of darkness to connect Baptists with the lost of South America.

Because you give:
“You can see your money at work when you look at us because that’s how we’re funded,” Larry says. “When you give money, people’s lives are changed. If you want to come to Peru, I’ll show you.”

Calling an ‘Undeniable,
Irresistible’ Force
By Chris Watts

ROME (Baptist Press)

Calling, to me, is a funny thing.

In my experience, God’s call comes upon you with a furious intensity and drowns you in an incredible desire to do something huge and glorious, something that is completely beyond the measure of your own abilities.

It changes your path completely and thrusts you into a new and unknown world where utter reliance on the plan and providence of God is an absolute necessity. After a time, though, once the realities and routines of this new world have set in, some of that initial intensity fades a bit, and the calling evolves into the stabilizing foundation upon which every facet of your new life is built.

It never diminishes in its strength or importance, but rather than a sword with which to storm the walls of a lost world, calling becomes more of a compass for staying true to your path. I believe this evolution is necessitated by the fact that “the calling” serves two distinct roles.

People contentedly strolling along in an easy and comfortable life often need something violent and fierce to move them powerfully and awaken them to the harsh realities of a lost and dying world. Our Baptist cocoon often insulates us from the pain and hopelessness of a world without Christ.

Some of us, me included, need to be slapped pretty hard to see things clearly and hear the voice of God. Often it seems that change never comes to those who can stand to live without it. This initial calling causes us to be dissatisfied with anything else. It is undeniable and irresistible.

However, once you start down that path, you are confronted on a daily basis with these hard realities. You no longer need to be awakened; you need to be sustained. This life is incredibly difficult. A missionary must make the conscious decision every day that this lifestyle is still worth it. “The calling,” always lurking in the background, often gives you the strength to keep trudging forward.

This doesn’t mean the passion diminishes. On the contrary, the passion for the work grows as you witness with your own eyes the incredible ways in which God is at work in the world, as you see lives being transformed and you sense the intense pain in the hearts of those around you. You begin to understand the power of the Gospel and you long to see people receive the love of Christ.

I am convinced that this job to which I have been called is the greatest, hardest and most worthwhile way in which I could spend my life. And until I am called, kicking and screaming, to something else, there is nothing that could make me quit.

(Chris Watts and his wife, Colleen, serve as Southern Baptist missionaries in Rome. Originally from Georgia, they were appointed in 2000 and have a 1-year-old-son named Cotton.)

Rosalie Ranatza Capdeboscq
(February 24, 1915 – December 5, 2008)
Died at 4:15AM on Friday, December 5, 2008 at Landmark Nursing Home in Hammond, LA. She was a native of Plaquemine Parish, LA and a lifelong resident of Husser, LA. Age 93 years. Visitation at St. Dominic Catholic Church, Husser, from 9 a.m. on Tuesday until religious services at 11 a.m .Tuesday. Services conducted by Fr. Chris Romain. Interment St. Dominic Mausoleum, Husser, LA. Survived by Daughter, Gloria Capdeboscq St. Pe’, Dallas, TX, 4 sons, Camille B. Capdeboscq, Jr., DDS, Tickfaw, Henry A. Capdeboscq, Sr., Husser, James J. Capdeboscq, Sr., Hammond, Richard J. Capdeboscq, Husser, 1 sister, Marie DiMicelli, new Orleans, 15 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by husband, Camille B. Capdeboscq, Sr., Sister, Camille Jennings. McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, in charge of arrangements.

Coming in 7 days: Lottie Moon Christmas Tea @ New Zion Baptist Church @ 2 P.M.
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about Lottie Moon and the beginning of international missions focus in Southern Baptist Churches. It is also a time to teach our young girls and women more about missions while being entertained with young talent and enjoying special teas and Lottie’s special tea cakes. If you need more information, I can direct you to the proper people to talk with. The bottom line is: I hope you will attend!

Have a great weekend!
Anna Lee

Wednesday

“But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” 2 Chronicles 20:17 (NLT)

Mrs. Faye Price: “Miss” Faye will have heart surgery at North Oaks today. The surgery will be lengthy. Pray for the medical staff as they care for her and the family as they wait. “Miss” Faye has peace about the outcome of the surgery. Thank God for granting her this peace.

Don Denton is scheduled to fly home to Denver Friday. His dad will go with him in the medical plane. Don’s family will begin the drive tomorrow. Today will be a day of taking care of all the details that are needed for this long anticipated trip. Pray for the family to have a good day with few problems. Thank God for the snow that Joshua has enjoyed. Pray for those driving and those flying. Thank God this trip hope will be possible for Don and his family.

Emily Panter is doing better and better. Friends decorated her home for Christmas while the children got to visit their mother for the first time over the weekend. Thank God for the many “little steps” of progress Emily has made to get to this point. Thank God for the many friends, family members, and strangers who have helped this family during a very difficult time. Thank Him for standing by and providing strength and faith for the family during these weeks.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions
Day 4 – Imbabura Quichua of Ecuador

At 12,000 feet in the Ecuadorian Andes, Quichua farmers bring their sheep, pigs and cows to former New Mexico ranchers Darrell and Rogene Musick. But they get a lot more than pesticide, medicine and nutritional advice. Farmers hear the Gospel message related through some of life’s most basic elements: water, salt and light.

“We say, ‘Let me tell you what God thinks about this,’” Darrell says. “And because they’re people of the land, they really identify with these agricultural concepts.”

Through this gateway, the Musicks and local believers have seen approximately 40 house churches and Bible studies started among the 300,000 Quichua of northern Ecuador. The teams are led by Gabriel Mugmal, a national believer who was once nearly burned to death for sharing his faith.

“He literally took the Great Commission in Matthew 28, that it was his responsibility to go to other communities and just talk to them,” Darrell says.

Because you give:
“The money that supports us comes through churches that may not be able to physically go, but they have God’s blessing through their special offerings,” Darrell says. “One hundred percent of that money goes to the field so that everyone will know about Christ.”

(For additional information, go to http://www.imb.org/main/pray/page.asp?StoryID=5746&LanguageID=1709.)

Baptist Press
December 2, 2008

WEST AFRICA–Remote African villagers welcome U.S. church. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29436

GEORGIA–Christmas tree reflects NAMB-state partnership. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29437

CALIFORNIA–Acclaimed preacher Frank Pollard dies. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29438

LOUISIANA–CP yields ‘incredible opportunity,’ pastor says. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29439

TENNESSEE–CP giving 0.16% behind ’07 pace. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29440

LOUISIANA–FIRST-PERSON (Keith Manuel): Ministry can be messy. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29441

Mary Louise Osborn Hyde
Visitation at Roseland Baptist Church from 9 a.m. on Wednesday until religious services at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Interment Arcola-Roseland Cemetery, Roseland, LA.

Martha Lee Rick Anthony Lanier
(October 23, 1957 – December 2, 2008)
Martha Lee Rick Anthony Lanier was born October 23, 1957 and passed away at 6:30AM, Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at her residence in Husser, LA. She was 51, and a native of Amite. Martha was the daughter of the late Monroe S. and Mary Abernathy Rick.

She is survived by her husband, Bill Lanier, Husser; 2 sons, Adam Wayne Anthony, Ponchatoula, & Byrun Gene Anthony, Sr. and wife, Cindy, Amite; 3 grandchildren, Mason Langley Anthony, Byrun Gene Anthony, Jr. & Annabell Anthony; 2 sister, Melinda Howes, Husser, & Mary Ann Cox and husband, Jim, Husser; 3 brothers, Monroe “Buster” Rick and wife, Julie, Tickfaw, Michael Rick, Hammond, & Mitchell Rick and wife Terri, Robert and numerous other extended family.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Shelton “Red” Anthony, a sister, Marilyn Rick “Sunshine” Dugar.

Visitation will be at the McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, on Thursday, December 4, 2008 from 6:00PM until 9:00PM and on Friday, December 5, 2008 from 8:00AM until Religious Services at 10:00AM in the funeral home Chapel with Rev. Kent Newell officiating. Interment in the Lee Hill Cemetery, Folsom, LA.

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

McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, is located at I-55N & Hwy 16W next to Coggins-Gentry Ford.

Relate

CHILDREN DO NOT always learn in the schoolroom how to treat one another with dignity and affection…

You can’t diagram respect, forgiveness, or servanthood. It isn’t found in any encyclopedia that I know of. It is observed and then put into motion.

The way in which an effective father relates to the children’s mother is of incalculable significance. The children watch and are strangely warmed when they see husband and wife embrace and kiss one another. Something tells them that this is a sign of security: all is well in our home. Furthermore, they begin to formulate within their own hearts an understanding of how men treat their wives and how a wife will respond. (Gordon MacDonald)

KneEmail: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” ( Eph. 5:25).

(Posted by Mike Benson at October 30, 2008 4:11 PM)

There are many things children learn by observation as they grow up. Pray for parents as they set the example for what a loving, Christian home should be. Pray for children to focus on the good qualities they see in their parents and steer away from the qualities that would not be beneficial to them when they establish their own home.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Anna Lee

Tuesday

People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy. Proverbs 28:13 (NLT)

Don Denton will be able to return to his home in Denver at the end of the week. He has been hospitalized for more than nine weeks. Thank God for the miracles of his improvement. Pray for safety for his wife and son as they drive home and for the medical plane that will fly him home.

During the weekend Emily Panter was able to see her children for the first time in almost two months. Her trach has been removed. She’s eating some and walking some. She has a regular room. There’s hope she will be able to go home soon. Thank God for the miracle of her recovery.

Mrs. Faye Price will have heart surgery tomorrow at North Oaks. Pray for her and her family as they prepare for Wednesday.

Mr. Morris Easley has been hospitalized at Greensburg due to an infection. Pray for him and for those caring for him.

Majel Dean’s sister and brother-in-law are both having medical issues. They are in the Jackson, MS area. Pray for them as they help each other through difficult days.

Barabara Bennett Gaines continues to work through recovery from complications of surgery. Pray for her as she continues to improve. Barbara one of Steve Bennett’s sisters.

Baptist Press
December 1, 2008

INDIA–Mumbai’s people ‘numbed’ by attacks, need prayer. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29429

WASHINGTON–Obama stands firm on ‘gay rights’ support. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29430

SWAZILAND–Myths worsen AIDS pandemic, workers say. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29431

SOUTH AFRICA–Caring ministry brings baby ‘from death to life.’ http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29432

TEXAS–GuideStone exec responds to market conditions. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29433

RHODE ISLAND–SBTS’ Bruce Ware is ETS’ new president. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29434

VIRGINIA–FIRST-PERSON (Paul Chitwood): History suggests sacrifice for Lottie Moon offering needed now. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29435

Week of Prayer for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions
Ethnic ministries, Brazil

One of the first things Virginians Phil and Donya Kesler noticed when they moved to Rio de Janeiro in 2006 was the international connections the city offered—produce shops managed by Chinese workers and Arabic mosques and churches were all just a short distance from their home.

As an ethnic ministries coordinator, Phil travels throughout the country training Brazilian missionaries in cross-cultural outreach. It’s a perfect fit with Phil’s natural gift for language. He can read, write and speak Portuguese, Arabic, French, Chinese and Spanish.

Phil and Donya teach a specific method for church planting known as “Churches Multiplying Churches.” The idea is to start a new church while simultaneously training local believers to assume leadership roles. Once the church is established, missionaries can move on to begin work in another area.

“Brazil is the next major country, we believe, to send waves of missionaries to help [spread] the Gospel from the unreached places in Brazil to the farthest nations on earth,” Phil says.

Because you give:

“We would like to thank Southern Baptists for your prayers—which are essential for keeping us in the field—but also for your generous giving that makes it possible for us to recruit, mobilize, train and equip Brazilian missionaries as well as strategic partners,” Phil says.

For more on the Keslers and ethnic ministries, Brazil:

PHOTO GALLERY – Ethnic ministries, Brazil

FEATURE – Churches Multiplying Churches: Keslers bridge culture, language gap among Brazil’s immigrants (659 words)

SIDEBAR – Phil and Donya Kesler: Helping churches multiply churches in Brazil (468 words)

SIDEBAR – Not too young to share: Missionary’s children take lead in sharing Gospel with peers
(524 words)

(You may use http://www.imb.org/main/pray/page.asp?StoryID=5745&LanguageID=1709 in you want to read the feature and sidebars listed above.)

More missionaries are being added to the rolls of the IMB. You may be interested to know the statistics in the following article:
TODAY’S PRAYER
INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD
DECEMBER 1, 2008

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

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 Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni of Cameroon (western Africa, between Nigeria and Chad).

A note from Ed Cox, director of the IMB’s International Prayer Strategy Office:

Thank you so much for your faithful intercession each month for the many conferences and events hosted by the International Mission Board. May God’s blessings abound . . .

Intercede for the 69 new missionary candidates who will be attending the Dec. 9-12 Candidate Conference. Ask the Lord to bless them with safe travel to Richmond, to guard their children from illness and accidents during their absence, to reveal His perfect plan for their lives, and to bless the consultants with an extra ounce of His wisdom. May each candidate leave Richmond with a clear understanding of where God would have him/her serve Him . . .

Please pray for the ISC Debriefing Conference scheduled for Dec. 10-14. Seventy-four returning journeyman, ISCers and Masters missionaries who recently completed their two- to three-year terms of overseas ministries will be reuniting at the IMB’s International Learning Center for a time of celebration, worship, debriefing and equipping for future ministry. May these days together be especially blessed for these precious servants . . .

Thank the Lord for the 256 missionaries who will be commissioned today, Dec. 17, for their overseas ministry assignments. They have successfully completed their eight-week field personnel orientation and will be departing very shortly. Please lift them and their families up before the Lord as they say their goodbyes. Several of the participants are still awaiting reception of their visas. And some of them have homes to sell prior to departure. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated. May the Lord show Himself mighty on their behalf . . .

In closing, I would like to ask you to pray for God’s blessings on the IMB staff as they serve you and our missionaries with faithful and caring hearts. May they sense God’s loving presence each step along the way . . .

KneEmail by Mike Benson
Enslaved

YOU’VE READ STORIES of lottery winners who are more miserable a few years after winning than they were before…

The wealth they dreamed would bring happiness didn’t. Not even close.

At the airport, Hugh Maclellan Jr. saw an acquaintance who looked troubled.

“What’s the matter?” Hugh asked.

The man sighed. “I thought I was finally going to have a weekend to myself. But now I have to go supervise repairs on my house in Florida.” Dejected, he sat waiting to take off in his private jet.

Here’s a man with everything he needs, with what most people dream of; yet he couldn’t even enjoy his weekend. He was enslaved by his possessions. We think we own our possessions, but too often they own us. Nothing makes a journey more difficult than a heavy backpack filled with nice but unnecessary things. Pilgrims travel light. (Randy Alcorn)

“And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” ( Luke 12:15).

Posted by Mike Benson at November 12, 2008 3:10 PM

Sometimes my “backpack” begins to get heavy with nonessentials. What about your “backpack”?
Anna Lee

Wednesday

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent.” (Isaiah 55:11)

Mary Broussard works with the Tangipahoa Parish School System and with me through the KHS PBS (Positive Behavior Support) team. Her brother, Stephen Broussard has liver failure and is hospitalized in Abbeville. Mary would appreciate prayers for the family, especially her 90 year old mother, as they face losing Stephen.

Here is an attached news story about a recent outreach in north Czech Republic.

Thank you for continuing to pray for peoples others have forgotten.

Thank you for pressing forward.

Blessings,

Boyd H.

Litvinov Outreach – Czech Republic

November 17, 2008

North of Prague, near the German border, is the industrial town of Litvinov. In Litvinov, the majority of Roma live in a section of the city called Janov. This ghetto is the run-down, neglected part of town, where no one wants to live or even visit.

In October, more than 300 extremists, held an unauthorized anti-Roma rally in downtown Litvinov. At the conclusion of the rally, the emotional mob marched and rode on horseback to the Janov neighborhood. They attacked local Roma with sticks and stones. Police successfully stopped the raid, but not before three police were injured.

Last week, IMB personnel visited the Janov neighborhood. They distributed tracts, brochures, and evangelistic CDs. They listened to the concerns and fears of residents. They prayed with family members.

“They came in here to our homes and treated us like dogs. We have lived here all our lives. What did they want us to do? What have we done to them?”, asked Petra, a 40-year old mother from Janov.

“Has anyone from the church visited your area since this took place?” asked the IMB missionary.

“No one knows we’re here, except those people (extremists),” commented Jan. “The government wants us to leave, but we have no place to go.”

Your prayers gave missionaries the courage to go into an unknown neighborhood. Your gifts and resources provided the means for missionaries to travel to another section of the country. Your prayers will provide the direction for future ministry in this area.

Thank you for your partnership and prayers. Thank you for your gifts and generosity to reach those who feel forgotten.

WEDNESDAY WINDOW ON THE WORLD – November 19, 2008
International Mission Board

APPLE DISTRICT OF INDONESIA. You asked God to bless a project intended to bring water to a village that had none, and He did. You prayed for S to have opportunities to share his faith, and God brought another person, J, to share as well. J got to stay in the village while the project was being done and began sharing Bible stories from day one. There is great interest in the stories, and S and J have been very encouraged by the openness of the community toward spiritual things. The water project has gone amazingly well, and phase one has been completed. Now more than 70 families have water available to them without having to carry it for long distances or waiting for it for hours. The community was totally behind the effort, and more than 100 men turned out every night from 7-12 p.m. to dig the trench for the pipe until the work was completed. Please pray for the continued openness of the community and for S and J to have more opportunities to share their faith. Pray for phase two to go well. Also pray for S’s father to come to faith.

DEAF OF URUGUAY. Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble, but we are to rejoice, for He has overcome the world. Troubles are falling hard on a deaf mother church in Montevideo, where leaders are being attacked, vicious rumors abound, and there is an active movement to close the church. Please pray for the faithful members and especially the leaders. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom, discernment and strength. Pray for the survival of the church, asking that it will come through this time of testing pure as gold, stronger than ever, and reaching thousands for the Lord.

BERLIN, GERMANY. Workers in Berlin are thrilled with a wonderful start to a new immigrant fellowship meeting. The meeting is held every two weeks on Sunday afternoon, and is led by four men. This is the first fellowship that is held in the mother tongue of the largest immigrant population, and is co-led by men who are immigrants from this large Muslim country. Thank the Lord for those who have attended and that the numbers are growing. Pray for the fellowship to be a safe place where people can come and hear in their mother tongue the good news of Jesus Christ. Pray that the Lord will lead and guide the four men who lead this fellowship. Thank Him for the unity that these men find in Christ. Give thanks also for those who give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, as some of that money was used to provide chorus books and Bibles in the mother tongue of this immigrant population.

MISSIONARY PERSONAL NEEDS. West Africa’s Financial Facilitators rely heavily on Internet and e-mail services to support missionaries who are spread over an area approximately the size of the United States. However, much of West Africa has an underdeveloped infrastructure. Additionally, some information is difficult to communicate appropriately by e-mail. Pray that the team of Financial Facilitators in West Africa will be able to communicate effectively with those whom they support and that they will have wisdom and discernment to know how best to share information.

Baptist Press
November 18, 2008

ENGLAND–Multicultural London: ‘capital of the world.’ http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29355

ENGLAND–Coffee shop prayer yields fruit in London.http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29356

ENGLAND–Vietnam refugee fulfills vow in London.http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29357

ENGLAND–Brit returns to a new mission field.http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29358

TENNESSEE–Huckabee: Social conservatives key to GOP’s future.http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29359

CALIFORNIA–Calif. Southern Baptists affirm Prop 8 support.http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29360

VIRGINIA–BGAV adopts reduced budget; Campolo criticizes Prop. 8.http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29361

ILLINOIS–Ill. Baptists increase CP giving again.http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29362

TENNESSEE–TN Baptists approve W. Africa mission.http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29363

VIRGINIA–London (Erich Bridges): End of ‘Christian civilization’?http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29364

KneEmail by Mike Benson

Identify

IN THE NEW York Times Magazine, Nancy V. Raine told a story she heard twenty-five years earlier from a friend named George…

In those days, work crews marked construction sites by putting out
smudge pots with open flames. George’s four-year-old daughter got
too close to one and her pants caught fire like the Straw Man’s
stuffing. The scars running the length and breadth of Sarah’s legs
looked like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. In the third grade she was
asked, “If you could have one wish, what would it be?” Sarah wrote:
“I want everyone to have legs like mine.”

When we suffer pain, we want others to understand. We want others to be like us so they can identify with us. We don’t want to be alone. God does understand. When Jesus became a man, he did something far more difficult than having legs like Sarah’s. (Craig Brian Larson)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” ( John 1:14).

Posted by Mike Benson at October 14, 2008 12:54 PM

Face this day with a smile.
Anna Lee

Friday

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)

Please pray for Emily Panter and her famiy.
http://www.emilypanter.blogspot.com/

Dr. Council is finally overcoming his cough and cold or whatever he has had lately. Pray he is much better and able to get back to his routine.

Pray for my niece’s husband, Josh, and his family as he leaves Sunday for Marine boot camp.

Frann Clark shared this:

I just learned this afternoon that I will be having an IVIG at Beauregard Memorial Hosp. from 8 a.m. until about 4:30. Please pray that everything will go smoothly.

My daughter Krista talked to Riley today and he sounds fine. He told her it was cool outside and he wasn’t doing much.

My back pain returned earlier in the week but it is better today.

God Bless You
Frann Smith Clark

Pray for Holly K. as she continues her training to become a MK teacher. She will be home December 18th.

KOMpray
(Kids on Mission Pray)

“Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,” Luke 18:16b

40 DAYS/40 NIGHTS

Missionaries in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa go to a very special program when they move from the United States to Africa. It’s called 40 days and 40 nights. For forty days, they learn how to ride African public buses and bargain in the market. In the U.S., there is a price tag on everything and that’s what you pay. In Africa, the price tag may say one dollar; but if you bargain, you might get it for sixty or seventy cents. The missionaries also show the love of Jesus by working with African pastors, telling Bible stories to children, and helping beggars.

This week, the 40/40 missionaries AND their children will go and live in a Zambian home. They will eat African food, work with the Zambians, sleep in the hut, and go to church with them. Some of the families are nervous about staying with people they don’t really know, but they are excited to give it a try. Pray for the children of missionaries that have fun learning about their new culture. Pray for the adults to be very patient with their children and with each other. Pray for the Zambian families. They are sharing their love and time and homes with the missionaries. Pray they will all be blessed with new friendships that will last their whole lives.

MORE PRAYER REQUESTS FROM MISSIONARY KIDS

I pray that our band “Call of Fire” will be a great influence to people’s lives. ZACH, age 15, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Please pray I will have fun in childcare and pray I will read the Bible. MARC, age 7 (South Asia)

Dear God, thank you for our friends and our family. Please help us to make more Christians in our country. Thank you for the food and thank you for our teachers. I hope we can get along with friends. Amen. GM, age 8 (East Asia)

I need pray for my brother, who is 28 and in the Army. I would appreciate it if you pray for Nathan’s safety. NATALIE, Age 11 (Northern Africa and the Middle East)

I want you to pray for the Balinese that they will come to know God. JOSHUA, age 11 (Pacific Rim)

Pray that Christians in my closed country will be strong and will be safe, so they will be able to tell others about God without being persecuted. LYNSIE, age 12 (Central Asia)

We have a (household) helper named SC. Her Mom died a couple of days ago. Could you please pray for her? CL, age 10 (East Asia)

My brother and I have been sharing with our friends about Jesus. We don’t talk about Jesus a lot because our friends try to change the subject. They have seen the Jesus film, but afterwards they haven’t said a word about Jesus or God. I would like you to pray that our friends’ hearts will be opened to what we have to say and that my brother and I will have the language to share with them. SETH, age 14 (West Africa)

J.P. is a Gadariah man. We preached and he accepted Christ. And he has already shared with family and friend. Pray they will accept Jesus too. ALEXANDRA, age 11 (South Asia)

Well, I moved to Botswana awhile ago and was scared that no one would like me. So that was a prayer that people would like me and that the move would go well—and it did so I am happy. MICAH, age 14, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Baptist Press
November 13, 2008

TEXAS–WRAP-UP: IMB reports cautionary finance news. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29323

GEORGIA–Ga. Baptist policy impacts churches with female pastors. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29324

OKLAHOMA–Okla. elects 1st Native American president. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29325

TEXAS–SBTC celebrates 10th anniversary. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29326

TEXAS–BGCT postpones name change, trims budget. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29327

NORTH DAKOTA–Dakota convention coincides with blizzard. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29328

TENNESSEE–Trespassing activists arrested at Union Univ. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29329

SOUTH CAROLINA–FIRST-PERSON (Melanie Spinks): Forever changed. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29330

KneEmail

*

Letters

JOHN KASS, A columnist for the Chicago Tribune, wrote about a waiter he met named Bouch, who worked at a tavern in Chicago…

Bouch decided to write to the king of his homeland, Morocco. King Mohammed VI is immensely popular because he often interacts with his subjects in public, he had freed political prisoners, and he helps the poor and disabled. When Bouch wrote to him from the United States, King Mohammed VI, true to form, wrote back.

“Look at the letters,” Bouch told Kass. “These are letters from the king. If I meet him, I’ll be so happy.”

In his column, Kass mused, “How many guys hauling burgers in a Chicago tavern have a correspondence going with a royal monarch?”

The journalist was intrigued, so he talked to Morocco’s deputy consul general in Chicago. Kass was told that it isn’t unusual for the king to write personal letters to his subjects abroad.

“It happens a lot,” the official told him. “The king loves his subjects.”

We fancy the idea that a king would correspond with a commoner. But there’s something far more incredible. The King of kings, the Creator of the universe, has chosen to correspond with us. He has given us an entire book full of letters, stories, and poetry. (Mike Macintosh)

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” ( 2 Tim. 3:16).

Posted by Mike Benson at October 8, 2008 12:45 PM

Make today a great day! Take time to read some letters from the King of Kings!
Anna Lee

Wednesday

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11 (NIV)

More updates on Emily Panter:
http://www.emilypanter.blogspot.com/
If you haven’t read this blog before, please start from the oldest and work to the newest updates.

Thank God for the rain that is coming our way today.

Baptist Press
November 11, 2008

SOUTH KOREA–Chaplains impart support & strength to soldiers in combat. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29307

SOUTH KOREA–Chaplain looks for “God-fearing” soldiers. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29308

SOUTH KOREA–Chaplain ‘giving back’ near Korea’s DMZ. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29309

SOUTH KOREA–Army hospital keeps chaplain challenged. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29310

SOUTH KOREA–Chaplain’s gift helps airman & wife reconnect. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29311

SOUTH KOREA–Senior chaplain underscores value of prayer. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29312

TEXAS–Vet pursues chaplaincy after close call in Iraq. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29313

VIRGINIA–Battle-scarred vet says college rescued him. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29314

VIRGINIA–FIRST-PERSON (Adam Cole): A sailor’s journey. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29315

KneEmail
Rules
(A good reminder for athletes of any age!)

ANCIENT WRESTLING MATCHES weren’t for the squeamish or timid…

Hoping to see some clean takedowns, reversals, and figure-four leg locks? Better look elsewhere. During the time of the Roman Empire, little things like kicking, biting, and scratching were perfectly acceptable tactics in the world of wrestling. However, there was one way to be disqualified…one hard and fast rule…one boundary you just didn’t cross in the fun and games of wrestling. You were never allowed to poke someone’s eye out. (Gary Stanley)

KneEmail: “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” ( 2 Tim. 2:5).

Tuesday

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NLT)

Pray for special friends of ours from Hammond, Shaun, Kelly, and Stafford Primeaux, as they travel to northern Louisiana for the funeral of Shaun’ mother, Mrs. Ella Batten. Especially pray for Shaun’s brother during this time.

Big 10 from teamromany November 2008

1. Please pray for the Banks family as they resume their ministry after the caring for Wes’ father after his accident. Pray that they can return to life “as usual” and get their children back to a normal schooling schedule. Pray for focus and guidance as they seek to make new disciples in the village of Viziru.

2. Pray for Cornel as he teaches at the Romany Bible Institute in Romania on the 11th-15th.

3. Racial tensions between Roma and nationals are a reality in many communities. Recently, conflicts in several countries have made the news. Tensions are escalating in the city of Litvinov, Czech Republic. Please join us praying for peace in this neighborhood.

4. Pray for volunteers from Gibson County, Tennessee. A dental team is ministering in Giurgiu, Romania. Pray that they will be able to share the gospel as they meet the physical needs of Roma.

5. You have been praying for our park ministry in Brno, Czech Republic. Pray that God would prepare an indoor area for us to meet during the winter months so that we can continue the relationships we have built in this neighborhood. We have explored several options, but have not found an available option yet.

6. Boyd was able to teach and lead the devotional time at an English camp last weekend. Pray for the unbelievers who heard the truth to begin seek the Lord. Jennie has been asked to teach English lessons at three different Czech public schools this month. Pray that as she shares the story of Thanksgiving, she will be able to help students recognize the existence of God and our need for Him. (In the classroom she taught in this morning, a book on display at the front of the classroom showed an “ape man” on the cover. It was a science book used in this third grade classroom.)

7. The International Mission Board is going through some major structural changes. Please pray that President Jerry Rankin, trustees, and other leaders who are working on these changes will have wisdom as the make decisions and implement change.

8. Please pray for Bob and Gayle Hill who are planning to attend Strategy Coordinator/Team Leader training in February. Pray for them as they read, write reports and research in preparation for it.

9. Two volunteers from Daniel’s home church in Virginia are serving with him in Cluj until Christmas. Thank God for their service and pray that their testimonies would speak clearly to the Roma in the areas in which they are serving.

10. Please pray for the Silbys as they study the Czech language. Pray for them and their family as this Thanksgiving and Christmas will be their first on the field.

Wes and Tamara Banks – Romania

Daniel Byrd – Romania

Boyd and Jennie Hatchel – Czech Republic

Bob and Gayle Hill – Romania

Joe and Julie Silby – Czech Republic

Veteran’s Day

Today is Veteran’s Day. We had two WWII vets here for a family gathering last night. Daddy, Grant Smith of Roseland, served in the Pacific. My uncle, Fred Widas of Roseland, served in Europe and was involved in the invasion of Normandy. My niece’s husband, Josh Stuart of Indepencence, will leave Sunday for Marine boot camp. No matter the age or the war, they all have served to protect us and our great country. Thank them and thank God for men (and women) like them who continue to serve today.

I hope you take time to read a couple of these articles. They are always worth the time and effort.

Baptist Press
November 10, 2008

TENNESSEE–Sexual content on TV linked to teen pregnancy. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29299

WASHINGTON–Australia rejects family with Down syndrome son. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29300

FLORIDA–Chick-fil-A’s Cathy honored for charity. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29301

TENNESSEE–Fireproof crosses $28M in 7th weekend. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29302

MISSOURI–Nominees abound at Mo. convention. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29303

MISSOURI–Mo. Peace Committee issues report. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29304

UTAH–Utah-Idaho conv. re-elects 3 officers. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29305

TENNESSEE–FIRST-PERSON (Rebecca Ingram Powell): Tell your teens what God says about them. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29306

Have a great day!
Anna Lee

Saturday

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12, NKJV).

Mr. Philip and “Miss” Annie Bell Harrell are both doing better. Please continue to pray for them

If you are praying for Emily Panter, you will want to read the latest updates at http://www.emilypanter.blogspot.com/

Baptist Press
November 7, 2008
TENNESSEE–Servicemen reflect on Veterans Day. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29290
LOUISIANA–Battle of the Bulge veteran credits God. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29291
VIRGINIA–Military service meets Great Commission. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29292
VIRGINIA–Military spouses keep the faith. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29293
BRAZIL–Gospel reaches to remote Brazilian villages. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29294
BRAZIL–In Brazil’s interior, volunteers lend a hand. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29295
TENNESSEE–CULTURE DIGEST: Use of the word ‘Christmas’ scrutinized again. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29296
TENNESSEE–Fireproof opening in 130 new theaters. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29297
KENTUCKY–FIRST-PERSON (R. Albert Mohler Jr.): Pray for our new president. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29298
THE WINDS THAT BLOW
The real estate salesman said, “This house has both its good points and its bad points. To show you I’m honest, I’m going to tell you about both. The disadvantages are that there is a chemical plant one block south and a slaughterhouse a block north.”
“What are the advantages?” inquired the prospective buyer.
“The advantage is that you can always tell which way the wind is blowing.”
It is important to know “which way the wind is blowing”. But it is also possible to allow that knowledge to affect us more than it ought to. I heard of a well-know hobo during the Great Depression of the 1930’s who was asked how he decided which direction he would go every morning. He said, “It’s easy. I find the way the wind is blowing, face away from it, and just let it blow me along.”
And it’s easy for us all to live our lives in just that way. Politicians are famous for doing it. Before taking a position, they’ll take a poll and see how many people in the country believe one way or the other. But we’re all guilty at times of allowing the “majority opinion” around us to shape who we are and what we do. It’s so easy to look around to see which direction everybody else is headed and just turn our backs to the wind and drift along. And rather than make an effort to change the world (which is very difficult), we follow the easier path of letting the world determine the direction we take.
May these words serve to remind us of what our task as Christians is:
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
Have a great day!
Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Enjoy a beautiful day – provided by our God.
Anna Lee

Friday

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)

Please remember my family tomorrow (Friday) for an unspoken request.
Tricia McCain

The Emily Panter blog has new posts. Read and pray.
http://emilypanter.blogspot.com/

KOMpray
Kids on Mission Pray

“Let the little children come to Me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,” Luke 18:16b

MAKE JESUS HAPPY

Sam is six years old. When asked how he handled hard situations Sam said, “I have three rules: number 1 – pray to Jesus, number 2 – thank Jesus, and number 3 – do devotions [spend time] with Jesus.” When his dad commented that his rules were very good, but they did not solve his problems. Sam replied, “No, but they will make Jesus happy.”

The boy makes a good point. Pray that all of us will take Sam’s rules to heart, because if you make Jesus happy, you are doing pretty well in life! SAM, age 6 (Pacific Rim)

MORE PRAYER REQUESTS FROM MISSIONARY KIDS

Please pray that the people of Angola will have better houses and more food. GABY, age 7, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Please pray that the people of Zambia would be able to grow lots of farms. Pray that the people will know GOD. CALEB, age 7, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Our dog is lost. Pray that he is safe. Pray that our national friends will know Christ. Pray that my family (in the U.S.) will not be sad about my mom and brothers coming back to East Asia. JM, age 7 (East Asia)

Please pray that I will be a good example to people. And ask God that I will get friends while I’m here in the U.S.A. Pray that I will not have any fears. LAUREN, age 11 (Middle America and Caribbean)

Please pray for the Pakistanian people. OLIVIA, age 8 (South Asia)

I think that my request is that the people in our region will be receptive to our ministry. The people might not be willing to listen, so pray that God will let them hear His words. COLESON, age 15, (Central, Eastern and Southern Africa)

Please pray for me that God will help me to play better in soccer. JONMARC, age 11 (Pacific Rim)

My brother doesn’t have many friends and he needs more. Please pray for both of us to make more friends. JORDAN, age 11 (South Asia)

Please pray for my next door neighbor that he will figure out who Christ is and that he will read the Bible. ELIAS, age 9 (Pacific Rim)

JAHANKA OF SENEGAL, GUINEA AND THE GAMBIA (jah-HONK-kay). Water–critical for life–but too much or two little of it can be devastating. Many Jahanka people live and grow their crops near the Gambia River. This year there has been so much rain upstream that the river has flooded. Most Jahanka families have at least two fields: one close to the river to take advantage of the rich soil there and another on higher ground. This year all the fields close to the river have been flooded and the crops ruined. This is the third year in a row they have had some type of problem with their crops. Pray that their need will make them more sensitive to the gospel message, and that their physical needs will be met in such a way that God is glorified and the gospel is spread. http://www.jahanka.org/

MISSIONARY PERSONAL NEEDS. A missionary team in one country has been dealing with a variety of medical issues over the last year. One member has had foot problems and had surgery. Another member has suffered with a knee injury and had one surgery and is planning a second operation in the coming months. One team member just lost their father to illness and is working through this with their family. Yet another member has had ongoing symptoms for a couple of years with no cause found. All this has caused distraction in the work and the time that each desires to be with their people group. Please pray that the Lord will give healing from these injuries. Ask Him to give comfort to those who are grieving. Pray that the cause of unexplained health complaints will be found. Most of all, ask that God will be glorified in all this as the workers seek to reflect God’s goodness in the midst of these trials.

Baptist Press
November 6, 2008

CALIFORNIA–‘Historic’ campaign scored Prop 8’s win in Calif. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29277

TEXAS–3-minute testimony leads 1,600 to Christ. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29278

LOUISIANA–Seminary serves as voting location. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29279

WASHINGTON–Southern Baptists in Congress return to D.C. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29280

WASHINGTON–Court weighs FCC ‘fleeting’ obscenities fines. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29281

TEXAS–Hawkins: Markets have mountaintops, valleys. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29282

TEXAS–FIRST-PERSON (Richard Ross): Young people & the ’08 election. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29283

Roger Fowler “Blondie” Conger
A retired oilfield drilling consultant, he passed away Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008, at the Tangi Pines Nursing Home in Amite. He was born Jan. 6, 1921, in Quitman, Texas, located in Wood County. Visitation at Charlet Funeral Home in Zachary on Thursday. Nov. 6, was from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visitation will continue at First Baptist Church in Baker on Friday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. until service 10 a.m. with burial to follow in Azalea Rest Cemetery, Zachary. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Baker and a resident of the Baker-Zachary area for the past 12 years. Formerly married to Ellen Barbin Conger of Baker. He was a decorated veteran of World War II, having served in the 96th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater. A combat veteran of the battles of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa, he earned the Bronze Star for heroic service under fire and the Purple Heart for wounds received under fire. These honors aside, he was most proud of having been a combat infantryman in the service of his country. He graduated from Quitman High School in Quitman in 1939 and began working in the oilfields of east Texas as a roughneck for Rowan Drilling Co. After the war he returned to work for Rowan in west Texas and later transferred to Louisiana as oilfield exploration moved across the Gulf Coast and into offshore waters. He worked on some of the earliest drilling tender operations in the Gulf of Mexico for Rowan in the late 1950’s until his retirement in 1974 as a rig superintendent in New Orleans. He began work for Gulf Oil Corp. as a company man and continued until 1979 when he retired and formed his own oilfield consulting company. During his years as a consultant he was afforded the opportunity to supervise the drilling of many deep wells requiring his well control expertise. He became a member of the “4-mile deep” club while drilling deep wells in the Tuscaloosa Trend in the Baton Rouge area for operators including the late “Doc” Pennington, Louisiana Land and Exploration and Amoco. He retired completely in 1995. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert F. Conger; mother, Minerva Elizabeth Stevenson; and two brothers, Lloyd A. Conger and Paul Conger. He is survived by a daughter and three sons and their families, Ann Conger Mueller of Fresno, Calif., Russell Paul Conger Sr., of Amite, Robert Mark Conger, of Prairieville and Steven Luke Conger, of Gretna. He had 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was a life member of the Military Order of tile Purple American Heart Association, the National Rifle Association, the Combat Infantry Association, the 96th Infantry Division “Deadeyes” Association, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Grandpa was truly a one of a kind man. You always knew what Grandpa believed in. He always told it how he saw it, and at the end of the day, you would be proud to know him. He will be sorely missed by all. Share sympathies, condolences and memories at http://www.charletfuneral home.com.

Emily M. Baglio
(June 24, 1917 – November 5, 2008)

Died at 11:19 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond. Age 91 years. She was a native and a resident of Independence, LA and a member of Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church. She is survived by her husband, Tony Baglio, Independence; son, Anthony B. Baglio and wife, Margaret Varisco Baglio, Independence; numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mario and Mary Marretta; brother, Vito Marretta. Visitation at Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church, Independence, from 8 a.m. until religious services at 10 a.m. Friday, November 7, 2008. Services conducted by Deacon Nat Garafola. Interment Colonial Mausoleum, Independence.

Sometimes little children are smarter than adults. Let’s review a six-year-old’s rules for solving problems.
1 – pray to Jesus,
2 – thank Jesus
3 – do devotions [spend time] with Jesus
That’s from a very wise child! Let’s remember Sam’s rules.
Anna Lee

Thursday

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.” (Philippians 1:9)

Mrs. Parmys Stegall is now in rehab in Covington. She is scheduled to come home by the end of the week. Mr. Bob’s eye surgery is still on hold. Please continue to pray for this couple.

Barbara Gaines of Roseland is having surgery. Pray for her during this time of hospitalization and recovery.

Mr. Orin Davidson is now in rehabilitation in Kentwood. Mrs. Sudie Phillips is in rehabilitation in Hammond.

Nedra Hurst Carter will soon be having surgery. Pray for her and her family during this time.

Mr. James Lee Hutchinson has improved while at North Oaks. He should be able to return home by the end of the week.

Pray for Debbie Miller as she sees her cardiologist again this morning. Debbie seems to be doing very well.

Continue to pray for David Lockwood and his family as they deal with his illness.

November 16th is the deadline for Operation Christmas Child (shoeboxes for needy children). How many will you and/or you class package for distribution? Contact the church office or me if you need more information.

Baptist Press
November 5, 2008

WASHINGTON–Obama gains historic win; conservatives wait. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29270

WASHINGTON–Obama administration could radically change landscape on social issues. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29277

CALIFORNIA–Calif. passes Prop 8, giving pro-family groups landmark win; Ariz. & Fla. adopt amendments. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29278

TENNESSEE–No victories on pro-life initiatives. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29271

ARKANSAS–Ark. passes ban on unmarried adoptions. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29279

WASHINGTON–Gambling foes win 3 of 6 state ballots. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29272

TENNESSEE–Marijuana made inroads in 2 states Nov. 4. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29273

ALABAMA–Democrat wins race between 2 deacons. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29274

WASHINGTON–FCC opens ‘white space’ despite protests. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29275

TENNESEE–FIRST-PERSON (Richard Land): An open letter to President-elect Barack Obama. http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29276

THE LIVING DEAD

During an Army war game a commanding officer’s jeep got stuck in the mud. The C.O. saw some men lounging around nearby and asked them to help him get unstuck.

“Sorry sir,” said one of the loafers, “but we’ve been classified dead and the umpire said we couldn’t contribute in any way.”

The C.O. turned to his driver and said, “Go drag a couple of those dead bodies over here and throw them under the wheels to give us some traction.”

War games are not the only places that you can see a bunch of “dead” bodies walking around. In fact, we live in a world of the “living dead”. Paul wrote,

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world….” (Ephesians 2:1-2a)

Did you notice that? We were dead while we walked the way the world walks. This death was not a separation of the spirit from the body, but a separation from God.

Praise be to the One who has the power to bring the dead (both spiritual and physical) back to life!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

I hope your week is going well so far.
Anna Lee