Category: Praises, Requests, & Updates

“My people have committed two sins: 

They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, 

and have dug their own cisterns, 

broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

~Jeremiah 2:13 NIV~

Reminders of some people you might want to include in your prayers:

• Mrs. Avis Sullivan – Hood Memorial for antibiotics
• Naomi Ott – Feeling better; No longer confused: Seeing doctor Friday
• Kenneth Felker – Using oxygen on daily basis; Unable to work in garden
• Evelyn Bridges – Continues to have health concerns
• P. and A.B. Harrell – Sweet spirit through many health concerns
• Shirley Frazier – Recovering from back surgery
• Kenneth Birch – Keeps going like the energizer bunny; Surgery scheduled
• Linda B. Williams – Surgery scheduled for Friday; Dealing with pain now
• Smiley Conerly – Will have back surgery today
• Caroline Cutrer – Feeling better
• Marsha Bankston – Sweet spirit
• Susan Rimes – Able to be in church again
• Jimmy Schwartz – Able to be at church Sunday
• Carol Jean Gill – Scheduled to come home in a couple of weeks

They pick up a few pebbles and throw them in and wait… no noise.

“Wow! That is REALLY deep… here.. throw some of these great big rocks down there. Those should make a noise.”

They pick up a couple of football-sized rocks and toss them into the hole and wait… and wait. Nothing.

They look at each other in amazement. One gets a determined look on his face and says, “Hey…over here in the weeds, there’s a railroad tie. Help me carry it over here. When we toss THAT thing in, it’s GOTTA make some noise.”

The two drag the heavy tie over to the hole and heave it in. Not a sound comes from the hole.

Suddenly, out of the nearby woods, a goat appears, running like the wind. It rushes toward the two men, then right past them, running as fast as its legs will carry it. Suddenly it leaps in the air and into the hole.

The two men are astonished with what they’ve just seen…

Then, out of the woods comes a farmer who spots the men and ambles over. “Hey… you two guys seen my goat out here?”

“You bet we did! Craziest thing I ever seen! It came running like crazy and just jumped into this hole!”

“Nah”, says the farmer, “That couldn’t have been MY goat. My goat was chained to a railroad tie.”

Like the goat and the railroad tie, there are some concepts in scripture that are “tied” together, and you can’t get rid of one without affecting the other. Take, for example, faith and works.

Faith without works is powerless and ineffective (to use James’ terminology, it is “dead”). Works without faith is an empty shell of ritual. The two biblical principles are so closely intertwined that it is not so much accurate to talk about “faith AND works” as it is “a faith THAT works”.

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” (Gal. 5:6)

“Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18b)

May your faith be strong enough that it can be seen by those around you through the way you live.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, North Carolina

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where moth and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

~Matthew 6:19-21 NIV~

Tricia Wall McCain requests pray for her sister, Kathy, who will be seeing a doctor for test results today.

My cousin sent word that my aunt slipped and fell while visiting my cousin at a nursing home in Texas.  Naomi was taken to the hospital where tests were done before sending her home.  Pray her confusion completely heals up and her broken collarbone heals quickly and properly.  Pray for her husband, John, as he is still on a walked after having knee replacement surgery.  I know your prayers will be greatly appreciated.

Patsy Benefield fell at home and returned to North Oaks seventeen hours after being released.  The fall caused a broken bone in an upper leg that required surgery Saturday evening.  Pray for her to recover well.  The family will appreciate your prayers.

Thank God for the beautiful weather we have had and the opportunity to celebrate the empty tomb and all that that means to Christians worldwide.

Thought for the Day: The passing of time

The rules at a particular university were such that if the professor
were not present in the classroom by 15 minutes past the hour, the class was
considered a “walk” and the students were free to leave — with no penalties
for missing a class. The rooms were equipped with the type wall clocks
which “jumped” ahead each minute, in a very noticeable fashion. These
clocks were also not of the most sophisticated construction. Some
enterprising student discovered that if one were to hit the clock with
chalkboard erasers, it would cause the clock to “jump” ahead one minute.

So, it became almost daily routine for these students to take target
practice at the clock (as it would have it, this particular professor was
not the most punctual). A few well-aimed erasers, and lo, 15 minutes were
passed, and class dismissed itself.

When the day for the next exam rolled around, the professor strolled
into the room, passed out the exams, and told them “You have one hour to
complete it.”

The professor then proceeded to collect the erasers from around the
room and gleefully took aim at the clock. When he had successfully “jumped”
the clock forward one hour, he closed the class and collected the exam
papers.

We’ll all been in situations where we would like for time to jump ahead
and move faster than it does. But, as we get older, we become aware than
time is moving quite fast enough on its own, without any help!

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle…” (Job 2:6)

“Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away….They pass by
like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.” (Job 9:25-26)

“For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little
time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14b)

The Bible speaks often about how quickly life passes, not to depress
us, but to bring us to the realization that we had better be preparing now
for the eternity that lies beyond this life.

If you find yourself watching the clock at work today, wishing the time
would pass faster, be careful! It will be gone before you know it.

Have a great day and a great weekend!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, North Carolina

I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some of this beautiful day outside.  While there, thank God for some of the many blessings He has provided for you.

Anna Lee

“Jesus said to her,

‘I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.’”

~John 11:25 NKJV~

Scott says thanks

Scott Flamm got a cancer-free report on Thursday.
I told him that he had ALOT of prayer support. He was actually taken aback and with a big grin said, “Tell them THANKS!!” So THANKS to all of you and to the GOD above.
Pam (Sellers)

Thought for the Day: We are Resurrection People

http://tftd.faithsite.com/content.asp?CID=18820

Today is about our resurrected Lord and what that means to us each day of  the year!

Anna Lee

“Give ear to my words, O Lord,

consider my meditation.

Give heed to the voice of my cry,

my King and my God,

for to You I will pray”

~Psalm 5:1-2~

Pray for people across our area as they continue to face bad weather.  Pray for those who lost homes in the tornadoes.  Thank God for protecting lives in the midst of all the bad weather.  Especially pray for the New Orleans area today as they experience flooding.

Jadon Pailet continues to battle pneumonia.  Keep him and his family in your prayers.

Delanie Dean had ear surgery yesterday.  The, she had a reaction to her medication.  Pray she is better today.

Jimmy Schwartz was given more blood yesterday.  Pray for the doctors as they search for a cause for the current problems.

Pray for the young lady as she prepares for a mission trip to Ethiopia. Pray for the family as they support her calling.

http://shine4thechildren.blogspot.com/

Continue to pray for Mr. Kenneth Felker and for Mrs. Grace Helen.  They are both having a difficult week.

Thought for the Day: Unusual mergers

The last few years have seen many company mergers. Here are some possible mergers to expect in the future:

1. Xerox and Wurlitzer: They’re going to make reproductive organs.

2. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers: New company will
be called Fairwell Honeychild.

3. Polygram Records, Warner Brothers and Keebler: New company will
be called Poly-Warner-Cracker.

4. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W.R. Grace
Company: New company will be called Hale Mary Fuller Grace.

5. 3M & Goodyear: MMMGood

6. John Deere & Abitibi-Price: Deere Abi

7. Honeywell, Imasco, and Home Oil: Honey, I’m Home

8. Denison Mines, Alliance, and Metal Mining: Mine, All Mine

9. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi, Dofasco, Dakota Mining: Zip Audi Do-Da

10. Knott’s Berry Farm & National Organization of Women: Knott NOW!

11. Netscape & Yahoo: Net ‘n’ Yahoo

12. Fed-Ex & UPS: FedUp

There’s another “merger” that took place years ago even more unbelievable than any of those listed above. What do you get when you merge the omnipotent God of the universe with human flesh and blood? Jesus Christ, the only being who ever lived who could rightfully wear both the title “Son of God” and the title “Son of Man”. Understanding why God, in loving humility, would be willing to stoop so low for our benefit remains a mystery, but it is the foundation of our hope.

“….Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:5b-7, NIV)

Praise be to God for the “merger” that offers us life!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

Stay safe and dry.  Don’t take any unnecessary chances with the weather today.

Anna Lee