It is God himself who has made us what we are

and given us new lives from Christ Jesus;

and long ages ago he planned

that we should spend these lives in helping others.

~Ephesians 2:10 (LB)~

Pray for Holly K. as she completes her work in West Africa and returns Stateside to do graduate work in French.  Thank God for her willingness to give of herself to teach MK’s for the last two years.

The obituary for Calvin Neal is still incomplete.  I will post an update when it is complete.

Thought for the Day

The following quotes are reported to come from an actual newspaper contest where entrants ages 4 to 15 were asked to imitate “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey”:

Give me the strength to change the things I can, the grace to accept the things I cannot, and a great big bag of money. –Age 13

It sure would be nice if we got a day off for the president’s birthday, like they do for the queen’s. Of course, then we would have a lot of people voting for a candidate born on July 3 or December 26, just for the long weekends. –Age 8

Democracy is a beautiful thing, except for that part about letting just any old yokel vote. –Age 10

For centuries, people thought the moon was made of green cheese. Then the astronauts found that the moon is really a big hard rock. That’s what happens to cheese when you leave it out. –Age 6

As you make your way through this hectic world of ours, set aside a few minutes each day. At the end of the year, you’ll have a couple of days saved up. –Age 7

Often, when I am reading a good book, I stop and thank my teacher. That is, I used to, until she got an unlisted number. –Age 15

The only stupid question is the one that is never asked, except maybe “Don’t you think it is about time you audited my return?” or “Isn’t it morally wrong to give me a warning when, in fact, I was speeding?” –Age 15

If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. –Age 15

I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don’t have any clean laundry because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life? –Age 15

Who can argue with that last statement? But it raises an interesting question. If you knew (with full certainty) that this would be your last day on this earth, how would you live it? Would you spend the day in Bible study and prayer? Talking with people about Christ? Relaxing with your family? Or would you spend it washing clothes, cleaning the house, going to work and doing all the “mundane” things that you do every day?

We are told to “watch” at all times, knowing that the second coming of Christ will be as unexpected as a “thief in the night” (I Thess 5:1-6). It could be within the next few hours! And since none of us are promised a certain number of years, this may well be our last day of life on this earth. So how should that affect the way we live?

If we really believed that, it would cause us to rearrange our priorities. It would cause us to ask ourselves, “Is what I am doing important from an eternal viewpoint?” Mundane tasks such as washing our clothes remain necessary, but we all find ourselves spending much of our time doing things that seem to be important at the moment (from an earthly perspective), but which have no eternal significance.

“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober……For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thess. 5:6,9-11)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Have a blessed day!

Anna Lee

Jesus said,

“I am the light for the world!”

~John 8:12b, CEV~

CaringBridge

• http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dondenton

(You may remember the Denton family as staff at FBC, Independence.)

Thank God for the good progress Don and his family have finally made.

A resident of Kentwood, he died at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at his residence. He was born March 22, 1946 and was 64 years of age. Mr. Neal was a United States Army Veteran of Vietnam.

Arrangements will be finalized on Monday with McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood.

(I’ll post more later.)

Reliability

Yugo (yoo’-go)
n. 1) Small, economical, Yugoslavian-built automobile.
v. 1) What doesn’t happen when you press the accelerator.
~~~

Q. How do you double the value of a Yugo?
A. Fill the tank with gas!
~~~

What do Yugos have in common with Ferraris?
– A Ferrari can go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds.
– A Yugo can go from 0 to 4 in 60 seconds.

Actually, a Yugo CAN accelerate as fast as a Ferrari, if you give it a
fast enough running start, so it clears the cliff’s edge…
~~~

A man entered an auto parts store…
Man: “I need a windshield wiper blade for a Yugo.”
Clerk: “Well, only if you throw $20 into the trade.”
~~~

Q. Why does a Yugo have rear a window defroster?
A. To keep your hands warm as you push it.
~~~

Q. What comes with every Yugo User’s Manual?
A. The bus schedule.

Having a reputation for being inexpensive isn’t much consolation if it
is accompanied by a reputation for having a lack of power and being
unreliable. Reliability is one of the qualities we look for when we
purchase a car. After all, what good is a car that gets 60 miles to the
gallon if it breaks down before we get where we’re going?

In the scriptures, reliability is also one of the most important
qualities a person can have. We admire someone who keeps their promises.
Someone whom we can count on to do what they say they’ll do. Someone who
is trustworthy.

Fortunately, we serve a God with all those qualities.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He
who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23)

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (2
Tim. 2:13)

May the reliability and faithfulness of God motivate you to exhibit
those same qualities in your own life.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, North Carolina

Have a wonderful fall, Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

“Be quick to listen, slow to speak …”

~James 1:19 NIV~

Mrs. Avis Sullivan will be moved to Hood Memorial for the next phase of her rehabilitation.  Continue to keep her in your prayers.

The last report I had on Mrs. Lois Bridges was a couple days ago, but she was doing well and trying to determine her next placement.

Ronnie Brabham returned from Houston yesterday with the good report that he is now cancer free.  Thank God for this good report Ronnie Received.

Karl Jackson Ott Jr., 80, of Osyka, died Sept. 27, 2010, at G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery V.A. Medical Center in Jackson.

SO MANY VALUABLE POSSESSIONS

This comes from the file of “stupid criminals”:

Waylon Prendergast, 37, of Tampa, Florida, committed a spur-of-the-moment robbery while on his way home from a late-night drinking session.  A very inebriated Mr. Prendergast forced his way into the house through an open upstairs window, filling a suitcase with cash and valuables before setting the living room on fire to cover his tracks.  He then escaped through the back door and made his way home, chuckling all the way.  Only as he turned the corner into his own street, however, and discovered three fire engines outside his house, did he realize that in his drunkenness he had, in fact, burgled and ignited his own property.  His comment:  “I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions.”

While we may not do anything quite that stupid (at least nothing that makes the national newspapers), there are times when Christians need to stop and reflect, coming to same conclusion Mr. Prendergast did:  “I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions.”

From family and friends to material comforts (like electricity and running water),  from our basic needs (like food) to luxuries other generations never dreamed of (like the computer you’re sitting at right now), from the freedoms we enjoy to the jobs we hold, there is much that we have been blessed with that we take for granted.

Even beyond the physical blessings, there is so much that God has given us through Jesus Christ.  As Paul wrote,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)

Truly, I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions.  “God, forgive me for taking so much of it for granted.”

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Enjoy some time outside in the fall weather.

Anna Lee