Category: Family

“We were therefore buried with him

through baptism into death in order that,

just as Christ was raised from the dead

through the glory of the Father,

we too may live a new life.”

~Romans 6:4~

Don’t forget to pray for Margie Williams today as she has surgery.

Pray for George Dees, husband of Jean Dees.  They live east of Arcola.  Your prayers will be greatly appreciated.

CaringBridge

• http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/micah_tolleson/journal?jid=5667827

TODAY’S PRAYER
IMB
JUNE 17, 2010

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers…and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)

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 Ralph E. Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (eastern Caribbean Sea).

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (DRC). “Thank you for all your prayers concerning the new water-filter factory,” writes the Congo Team. “The container full of equipment finally arrived, and everything in it is being used to start making water filters. Pray that the filters will be made and the visits out to the people will be successful–successful in that the people we visit will desire to buy the inexpensive filters so their families will have better health, and that they will come to know and tell others the Living Water stories from God’s Word.”

MAROON TRIBES OF SURINAME AND FRENCH GUIANA. Please pray for the village of Diitabiki. Wonderful events are taking place in this village in the jungles of Suriname. Many have come to know the saving grace of the Lord, and some have followed in baptism. Please pray for the others who are fearful concerning baptism. Also pray for the friends and family members of the Aukan people who have become believers in Christ. The mother of a boy who was saved said that he is a different guy, with joy in his heart. Please pray that they will continue to see a difference and come to know Christ as their Savior. cbshirey@gmail.com; http://n2allnations.org

OUR ALL-KNOWING GOD

The following questions are actual reference queries reported by American and Canadian library reference desk workers.

*  “Do you have books here?”

*  “Do you have a list of all the books written in the English language?”

*  “Do you have a list of all the books I’ve ever read?”

*  “I’m looking for Robert James Waller’s book, Waltzing through Grand Rapids.” (Actual title wanted: “Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend.”)

*  “Where is the reference desk?”  This was asked of a person sitting at a desk who had a sign hanging above her head. The sign said “REFERENCE DESK”!

*  “I was here about three weeks ago looking at a cookbook that cost $39.95. Do you know which one it is?”

*  “Which outlets in the library are appropriate for my hairdryer?”

*  “Do you have any books with photographs of dinosaurs?”

*  “I need a color photograph of George Washington [Christopher Columbus, King Arthur, Moses, Socrates, etc.]”

*  “I need to find out Ibid’s first name for my bibliography.”

*  “Why don’t you have any books by Ibid?  He’s written a lot of important stuff.”

*  “I’m looking for information on carpal tunnel syndrome. I think I’m having trouble with it in my neck.”

*  “Is the basement upstairs?” (asked at First Floor Reference Desk)

*  “I am looking for a list of laws that I can break that would send me back to jail for a couple of months.”

Makes you wonder if folks are out to disprove the saying, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question”!  Seriously, though, working at a reference desk has to be a bit intimidating.  After all, anyone is allowed to ask you any question, and you are supposed to be able to find the answer!  So, I guess one of the qualifications for the job is that you have to be omniscient! That would leave us all out.

But there is someone who is qualified, someone who knows “all the answers”. In Revelation 2 and 3, Christ includes in each of the letters to the seven churches the words “I know your works”.  God knows us.  He knows our strengths and our weaknesses.  He knows our needs.  He knows the answer to every question in our heart.  He is the ultimate “reference desk worker”. What a great God we serve and worship!

“O LORD, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.” (Psalm 139:1-6)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Don’t get too hot today!

Anna Lee

“But you shall receive power

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;

and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria,

and to the end of the earth.”

~Acts 1:8~

Please pray for Micah Tolleson, his family, and the doctors treating him.

CaaringBridge

• http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/micah_tolleson/journal?jid=5661530

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY MOTHER LANASUE HORNE FAIRBURN AS SHE IS NOT DOING GOOD AT ALL.ALSO PRAY FOR MY UNCLE WILLIE WESTMORELAND AS HE WILL BE HAVING SURGERY DUE TO BLOCKAGES…..THANKS,LISA (Westmoreland)

KaLeigh Powers

Just got the most wonderful news. The doctor told Debbie that the nodules that were removed from KaLeigh were not malignant and was nothing for her to worry about. Her stitches are to be removed Friday. Praise God for answered prayers and thank you my Christian friends for your prayers. Continue to remember her as she heals after the stitches are removed. Isn’t GOD good!!!
When her Mom told her, she was so happy that she ran to my house to tell me and of course, I was just elated to hear the good news. Thanks again.
In Christian Love,
Mary Ann Cutrer

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINE
IMB
Wednesday, June 16, 2010

“If you serve me, my Father will honor you,” (John 12: 26b, CEV).

Dear Intercessors, this is Eleanor Witcher of the Office of Global Prayer Strategy, joining several engaging churches in prayer as they reach out to people groups in western Africa.

Central Baptist Church of Jonesboro, Arkansas, will be fielding a youth drama team among the K people of Cote d’Ivoire. They ask: “Pray for all necessary preparations to be made, as well as effectiveness on the field. Pray also that we will be able to bring key K people from each village where we have seen salvations to a common meeting place for intense discipleship.”

First Baptist Church of Asheboro, N.C., is working among the U people of Nigeria. “There is a wonderful Nigerian man named H who, with his family, is living among the U people and working with them as their pastor. Pray that our team base will continue to grow so that we can visit the U on a more consistent basis.”

First Baptist Church of Powell, Tenn., ministers among the B people of Nigeria. New believers
“have been experiencing various levels of persecution for their faith in our Father. Our next team to the villages will be in the fall after the rainy season. . . . Continue to pray for our Nigerian brothers and sisters from the local churches in G town. Ask the Father to instill in them a heart for reaching out to the B people.”

HighPoint Fellowship of Splendora, Texas, is working among the P people of Mali. “One team celebrated with a blind woman the freedom she has found in her faith in Jesus. When asked why she loves Him so much, she said, ‘He took away the demons and helps me every day. I love Him and want to follow Him.’”

* Please pray that many will hear the truth of Christ and choose to follow ‘the Jesus Road.’

* Pray for the hearts of engaging church members to be drawn to get involved; especially that they will be faithful to pray.

* Lift up our African co-laborers who are discipling new believers.

KneEmail

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Philippians 2:10

Mike Benson, Editor

BUSY SIGNALS ON the telephone rank near the top of my own personal list of ordinary, everyday irritants…

That pulsating tone that fills the ear always seems to be an insult, and although I try hard not to, I someties take it personally that someone is not eagerly awaiting my call — and my call alone.

Some businesses, knowing that busy signals drive callers to their competitors, arrange to plug incoming calls into a recording that keeps reminding the callers that they’re on “hold” and will be enthusiastically answered in a moment or two.  Some others even switch the line over to the bland melodies by Muzak.  But no matter how you look at it, someone at the other end of the line is too “busy” to talk right now.

Children hear frequent busy signals in homes where fathers are less than effective.  No home is without some busy signals, of course.  But we live in a day when many children are confronted with far too many messages from their fathers which amount to, “Don’t bother me!  I’m tied up!”

Leisure, appointments, deadlines, money, and other objects of adult interest seem to outpoint any conceivable concerns a “mere child” might have.  The normal response when the concerns of a child conflict with those of an adult is to select the more “mature” use one’s time and attention.  We reason: a child has plenty of time; he can always wait a while; put him on hold; give him the old busy signal.  He’ll understand.

Why is it then that the child doesn’t understand?  Why is it that when he has heard enough busy signals from the same person, he “dials” another number?  There are a lot of fathers of teenagers asking that kind of question today.  Gordon MacDonald, “No Busy Signals Here,” The Effective Father, 111-112

“The righteous cry out,

and the Lord hears,

and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

~Psalm 34:17~

Have a wonderful day!

Anna Lee

“The righteous cry out,

and the Lord hears,

and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

~Psalm 34:17~

Gretchen send this yesterday.

Please be in prayer for me. I have been in some pain for about 4 weeks. Finally they took a mri of my back. They told me that I have a herniated disc. Tomorrow I will go see a surgeon that comes from Baton Rouge to Hammond once a week.

Thanks,
Gretchen V. Simpson

Mary Ann Cutrer shared two requests.

KaLeigh (Powers) had her surgery today and all went well. We will not know the lab report until next week. I am taking her back to her doctor tomorrow for him to change the dressing and take the drain tube out… Thanks for all the prayers.
Love in Christ,
Mary Ann Cutrer & The Powers family

I just received a message from my grandaughter that my son Donald Ray (Cutrer) from Denham Springs is in the hospital in Baton Rouge very ill. What seemed to him like he had a bad case of the gout has turned into something very serious. His leg is swollen and now has cellulitis and his sugar level is very high. If the swelling continues to go upward they will have to amputate his leg. Please pray for him. He is on some strong medications and we are hoping that will slow the infection and the swelling will stop. Please remember him in your prayers.
Thank you so much,
Mary Ann Cutrer

A day in the hospital yesterday revealed that Alisha Estay does not have appendicitis.  She has a gall bladder problem and will be scheduled for surgery soon. Keep her in your prayers.

Please continue to pray for Micah Tolleson (22) as he battles HD and a brain tumor.

• http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/micah_tolleson/journal

Yesterday was another busy day for Macy Gueldner and her family.

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

THE ONLY BASIS FOR TRUTH

The native Americans asked their Chief in autumn if the winter was going to be cold or not.

Not really knowing an answer, the chief replied that the winter was going to be cold and that the members of the village were to collect wood to be prepared.

Being a good and wise leader, he then went to the nearest phone booth and called the National Weather Service and asked, “Is this winter to be cold?”

The man on the phone responded, “This winter is going to be quite cold indeed.”

So the Chief went back to speed up his people to collect even more wood to be prepared.  A week later he called the National Weather Service again, “Is it going to be a very cold winter?”

“Yes,” the man replied, “it’s going to be a very cold winter.” So the Chief went back to his people and ordered them to go and find every scrap of wood they could find.

Two weeks later he called the National Weather Service again “Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?”

“Absolutely,” the man replies, “the native Americans are collecting wood like crazy!”

Sometimes the one whom we regard as a “source of authority” isn’t such an authority after all.  That can have some serious consequences in life, but in the spiritual realm the consequences can be downright deadly.  If I rely on the “expertise” of someone who doesn’t know, but who is relying on the “expertise” of someone else who doesn’t know, then my spiritual training has no real foundation in truth.

Jesus prayed to his Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17-18).

Therein lies the only basis for understanding that which is true.  Where are you going for spiritual advice?

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Have a fantastic Friday!

Anna Lee