Wednesday

“I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever,

no matter what.”

~Psalm 119:112 CEV~

Pray for Frances Gay, please. She caught the flu and has to wait for knee surgery. Pray she can get past the flu quickly.

Shane Wilkinson had a wreck yesterday because he blood sugar got too low. He is okay, but his vehicle is not. Thank God Shane is okay.

Bro. Rusty Durant’s father-in-law passed away. Please be in prayer for Melissa and other family members.

The Hope Center is in need of volunteers, male and female, to help while Sylvester is having treatment and Shirley is with him. Please call to learn their needs and volunteer. Prayers for Sylvester and Shirley are greatly appreciated.

Read the Bible in 2019 / Underline each “I will”.

Psalm 35: 18 & 28
Psalm 39:1

Operation Christmas Child – January is the month to turn in hats, scarves, and gloves. If you have other items, it is fine to turn them in too.

Pray for other needs that are not mentioned today. Thanks for praying today.

Anna Lee

Saturday

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator

~Colossians 3:9-10~

Continue to pray for Mrs. Bessie Hayden. She’s home and learning more and more about living independently.

Continue to pray for those who are homebound. Make a call, deliver a meal, send a card, or just visit them. You will both be blessed.

David had two medical visits yesterday.

He learned his blood level has increased since Tuesday. The Procrit must be working.
He went to a dentist because he was having trouble eating and his gums were sore, He will begin some new dental work Tuesday. I think the dental issue is a result of the fall he had outside on Christmas evening.
We never know which way this journey will take us, but we know God is with us on the journey.

Hazel Elizabeth McKnight

May 14, 1939 – January 03, 2019

Hazel Elizabeth “Beth” McKnight, 79, born in Clinton, LA and a resident of Zachary, went to her eternal home on Thursday, January 3, 2019. She worked for Nunn Electric Supply for 21 years before retiring.
Visitation will be at Zachary United Methodist Church on Monday, January 7, 2019 from 9:00 am until service time at 11:00 am conducted by Dr. Greg Davis, Rev. Harold Babin and Rev. Rickey Willis. Burial will follow in Day’s cemetery, Greensburg.
Beth is survived by her husband of 62 years, Kenneth Charles McKnight, nieces and nephews, Denise Dyer Stewart(Blake), Rickie McKnight(Kelli), Randy McKnight(Kelli), Todd Castello(Desiree) and Earl Allen (April) and special great nieces, Ashby Warren(Steven) and Aley Stewart.
She is preceded in death by her father, Toler Hurst, Mother, Hazel Hutchinson Hurst and sister, Beverly Hurst Dyer.
Pallbearers will be Mark Hurst, Rick Hurst, Blake Stewart, Rickie McKnight, Randy McKnight and Todd Castello. Honorary pallbearers are Terry Travis, Donald Duncan and Mike Ray. She was a member of United Methodist Women for many years, Emmie Montegeudo Circle and loved greeting all of her church family on Sundays.

Read (and Write) the Bible

Psalm 17:15
Psalm 18:49
Psalm 22:22

Be sure to underline “I will” in each part.

The college and career class of First Baptist Church returned from “Passion” in Atlanta. Thank God they were able to go to the event and grow from the experience. Also, thank God for their safety.

The items to bring during January for Operation Christmas Child are scarves, hats, and gloves. You can bring them to my Sunday School classroom. Thanks! It’s time to start over for the boxes we will send toward the end of the 2019 year.

You never know which way your journey of life will take you, but you can know God is with you. If you don’t have that assurance, contact a local pastor or church member. That could be the best decision you make during your lifetime.

Anna Lee

Thursday

“God can do anything, you know—

far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”

~Ephesians 3:20 The Message~

Remember the many families with sickness or loss of loved ones.

Lila Jean Watson

March 01, 1966 – January 01, 2019

A resident of Kentwood passed away on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at Richard Murphy Hospice House in Hammond. She was born March 1, 1966 in Independence and was 52 years of age. She is survived by her husband, David Watson, Sr.; 2 sons, David Watson, Jr. and Randy Watson; 5 grandchildren, Brenlee, Carson, Kayden, Noah and Addie Watson; 3 sisters, Shirley Cooper, Faye Carney, and Ruthie Dykes; 3 brothers, Edward Dykes, Jackie Dykes, and Jerry Dykes and his wife, Cathy; brother-in-law, Michael Watson; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by father, Coy Dykes, Jr.; mother, Martha Traylor; brothers, Eugene Travis, Phillip Dykes, William Dykes, Carl Ray Dykes, Tommy Lane Dykes, and Jimmy Dykes, Sr. Visitation at My Father’s House Church, Tangipahoa, from 9:00AM until religious services at 12:00 Noon on Friday, January 4, 2019. Services conducted by Rev. Melvin Rushing. Interment Tangipahoa Cemetery, Tangipahoa. McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood, in charge of arrangements. For an online guestbook, visit http://www.mckneelys.com.

Baptist Message – http://www,baptistmessage.com

Baptist Press – http://www.bpnews.net/

Operation Christmas Child suggests we purchase hats, gloves, and scarves during January. Also, it is always suggested you make purchases that are bargains at any time. You can bring your items to my classroom.

I hope you enjoy some of the videos from OCC that I post. They encourage me to get back into the collection stage of this process.

The college and career class of FBC, Kentwood is in Atlanta for a conference. Pray for hearts to be touched. Also, please pray for safety as they travel.

Read the Bible and mark the ‘I Will’s”. (Writing the verses is optional.)

Psalm 9:1-2
Psalm 13:6

Use your talents for the Lord today.

Anna Lee

Friday

[The Birth of Jesus Foretold]

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.

The virgin’s name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

~Luke 1:26-28 (NIV)~

Last night I tracked some of the shoeboxes FBC sent. I learned some went to Mexico, Haiti, Ecuador, and some went to “Hard to Reach Areas”. That last area had never appeared on my list before, so I did some research. This is what I found.

You can go to the following site to learn more about hard to reach areas.

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/hard-to-reach-areas/

This excites me. I pray the boys and girls who receive the shoeboxes will learn about and accept Jesus into their hearts.

Jimmy Williams is to be released from the hospital today with surgery scheduled for next Wednesday. Please pray for Jimmy and Linda.

Ok, I just got the word on Jimmy’s
open heart surgery. He will be discharged tomorrow and we will have to come back early, next Wednesday the 19th and surgery will be at 7 am. We cannot thank all of you enough for your thoughts and prayers.
This will be the 2nd time he’s gone through this. The first was almost 10 years ago.

Read the Christmas story: Luke 14

Read your Bible today

Jonah 3-4
Proverbs 25
Matthew 12

Louisiana Baptist Message: http://baptistmessage.com/

Today is a good day to do a random act of kindness.

Anna Lee

Wednesday

But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.

What I have vowed I will make good.

I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’ ”

~Jonah 2:9~

Read the Bible

Daniel 1-2
Proverbs 15
Luke 15

Ginger Simmons‘ surgery went well. It was more complicated than expected. Keep Ginger in your prayers.

Two Deaths

Letha Slade Corbin of Roseland
Walter Evanoff (5) – son of Ryan Evanoff, formerly of Kentwood

Operation Christmas Child Collection Totals for the Northshore

Final numbers for our Collection Center: 12,708 for all 8 Drop Offs.

What is your favorite family tradition for Thanksgiving? Use the “contact” link of this page and send today.

Anna Lee

Tuesday

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

~Psalm 95:1-2 (NIV)~

I’ll start off this morning with news of a new baby. Raymond and Brandy Cutrer are now the parents of Ramsi Shaye Cutrer who was born yesterday. Ramsi weighed 8 lbs. 4 ox. and was 21 in. long. Both mother and baby are doing well.

Pray for Ginger Simmons as she has surgery today to correct some back issues.

Macy Lee, the daughter to Tim and Beth Graham Lee, had emergency surgery yesterday to remove her appendix. Pray for a good recovery time.

David got a call Saturday night about an infectious disease, Cat Scratch Fever, which does not work well with David’s present condition. The doctor wanted David to check into the hospital Sunday and plan to stay for six weeks to receive a strong antibiotic.. David told him we would be at the clinic Monday for his weekly injection. Yesterday, with the vehicle packed to stay for a long time, we saw the hematologist who checked into the situation. David was sent home after receiving his injection and giving more blood for testing. We will be waiting for test results and praying for a better option than six weeks of hospitalization. Join us in praying for the lab results and good decisions. On a very position note, David’s blood level and weight are holding strong. We returned home with more reasons to be thankful!

David will have a procedure on the 28th in Covington to again look for a place where there might be a blood leakage. Please add that date and procedure to your prayers. The next four procrit injections are also scheduled. We are thankful to all the medical people who are working to improve David’s health.

Read the Bible

Ezekiel 46-48
Psalm 132
Luke 14

I received this report on the Operation Christmas Child Collection at FBC, Kentwood. A total of 1409 shoeboxes were packed in 86 cartons and send on their way to Dallas and eventually to boys and girls in other countries. I’m not sure how many churches and other groups participated, but I will share that information when I have it. Thanks again to those who “stepped-up” when David and I became unavailable to do this special task. You made it a success! To God be the glory! Statistic show that each shoebox impacts seven people. That’s almost 10,000 people! Yeah to everyone who packed a shoebox and helped in any way.

Be sure to name some of the many blessings in your life this Thanksgiving season.

Anna Lee

Monday

The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;

the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.

His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

~Nahum 1:3~

Read the Bible

Reflect on God as “Rock”
Catch up on any readings you may have missed

Operation Christmas Child – FBC, Kentwood will be completing a week serving as a collection site. Please drop your boxes off between eight and ten this morning. The boxes will be continuing their journey to boys and girls when they leave our churches today. Coordination of OCC has been my joy and my responsibility for several years, This year others stepped-up when they realized I would be busy taking care of David this year. I’m so thankful they were willing to make sure this happened as planned.

Many families have been or will be gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. If so, please express your thankfulness to God. Many churches will have special Thanksgiving services this week. Check around if your church has already had one. There will be one your family can attend. Also, remember those who will not be having a family gathering at Christmas. This can be your opportunity to include these people in your family gathering.

Anna Lee

Sunday

“Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this.”

~1 Thessalonians 5:18 GW~

Linda Callihan had a problem and spend some time in the ER this week. I think it has been worked out now.

Pray for Sylvester and Shirley Humphrey as they make important medical decisions concerning Sylvester’s health.

We had a phone call at 5:45 last night, Saturday. The infectious disease doctor thinks he has found something in some previous blood work. David will have extra blood drawn when we are at Ochsner Monday morning and will probably go back in the hospital for antibiotics when the doctor gets the new results for the lab work. Please keep praying.

Operation Christmas Child Collection Time Today – 4-6 P.M. at FBC, Kentwood

Read the Bible

Ezekiel 39-45
Psalm 131
Proverbs 14
Luke 12-13

This is a good day to give thanks!

Anna Lee

Saturday

“Finally, brothers and sisters,

whatever is true,

whatever is noble,

whatever is right,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable—

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things.”

~Philippians 4:8 NIV~

The Operation Christmas Child “Shoebox” collection hours are from 10 A.M. to noon today at FBC, Kentwood.

Read the Bible

Ezekiel 39-41
Proverbs 13
Luke 11

The Annual Joint Methodist – Baptist Thanksgiving Service will be Sunday evening at FBC, Kentwood. Be sure to stay for some delicious food and fellowship time.

Christmas projects/events you have an opportunity to support

Stamped Christmas cards for prisoners at the parish jail. Bring to FBC by the first Sunday of December.
Annual Christmas Tea – 2 P.M. on first Sunday of December at East Fork Baptist Church
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions
You have until early Monday morning to turn in your “Shoeboxes” at FBC, Kentwood.
Gift cards for a Louisiana College student – a boy who is a twin and lives in the central part of LA (The other twin is also a student at LC in Pineville. Someone else is packing his package.)

Louisiana Baptist Message – http://baptistmessage.com/

Baptist Press – http://www.bpnews.net/

Have a blessed day sharing God’s love with others.

Anna Lee

Friday Addition

This is the story I was telling you about.

“We had a God moment today at our Central Drop Off Center. We had asked the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the High School across from our Center to come over after school and help us load Cartons on our trailers. They showed up with a small army & got the cartons on our trailers in no time. In the process of doing this one of the girls in the group shared that she was from Honduras and had received a Shoebox as a 10-year-old. She shared what that Shoebox meant to her with our workers. It was such a blessing. Beth is going to connect Priscilla with her & her parents.”