Category: Praises, Requests, & Updates

Sunday

And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith

and in our knowledge of the Son of God;

we shall become mature people,

reaching to the very height of Christ’s full stature.”

~Ephesians 4:13 TEV~

Today is the 65th anniversary of the day Momma and Daddy got married.  She wanted a big party.  She celebrating in heaven while Daddy will be here with us for a traditional New Year’s meal.  Pray for Daddy today.

I’m thanking God Carol New made it home after a successful knee surgery.  Pray for her as she works to get that knee doing what she wants it to do.

FBC, Kentwood will have  Sunday School and the morning worship service, but nothing tonight.

Thought for the Day: Failed resolutions

At the beginning of a New Year, a high school principal decided to post his teachers’ New Year’s resolutions on the bulletin board. As the teachers gathered around the bulletin board, a great commotion started. One of the teachers was complaining. “Why weren’t my resolutions posted?” She was throwing such a temper tantrum that the principal hurried to his office to see if he had overlooked her resolutions. Sure enough, he had mislaid them on his desk.

As he read her resolutions he was astounded. This teacher’s first resolution was not to let little things upset her in the New Year.

It has been said that “nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Perhaps we should add one more thing to that list of certainties — the breaking of New Year’s resolutions! Looking back on 2008, you may be one of the fortunate ones who accomplished exactly what you hoped to accomplish during the year. But, if you’re like most of us, you didn’t read all the way through the Bible like you intended to, you quit smoking but only for a while then picked up the habit again, or you lost a few pounds only to put them back on again when your diet failed. After experiencing this failure year after year, a person tends to say to himself, “What’s the use? Why even bother to try to make these changes?”

As an old Chinese proverb puts it, though, “Failure is not falling down. Failure is not getting back up.” Or as the Japanese put it, “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” If there are areas of your life that you’ve tried to improve and failed, let this this be the month that you try again. And if you fail this month, get up and try again next month. Learn from your mistakes and become stronger. God does not turn his back on the Christian who fails (if you question that, you need only look at the story of Peter’s denial of Christ). However, He cannot help the Christian who refuses to try any longer.

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hearts, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:7-8,10)

If you have made a resolution to develop a habit that will bring you closer to God or a resolution to get rid of a habit that is pulling you away from God, may God bless you with the strength to accomplish your goal. And, if you should stumble on your journey, may He pick you up and dust you off so that you can continue on the long journey of becoming like Christ.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Have a great Lord’s Day and a great 2012!

Anna Lee

Friday

“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~

Jadon’s Story: Jadon Pailet

Everyone will have a chance to tell Jadon goodbye January 3 at 2:00. We will all meet at the parking lot in front of House on the Rock. We will have a prayer at 2:30 and then we will leave for Detroit. This is open for anyone and I would love to see you there.

We all know of Jesus’ love for all little children.  Jadon is one of His children who has suffered with uncontrollable seizures.  Pray for the doctors who will be evaluating and performing surgery on Jadon next week.  Pray the family continues to have peace about this decision.  Pray for Jadon as he faces new surroundings, medical staff he doesn’t know well, and for his little body to do well before, during, and after the surgery.

Jadon is one of God’s little children. God only wants the best for Jadon.  We have prayed.  Now, we have an opportunity to be a part of a brief prayer service next week.  Whether you attend on the 3rd or now, please continue to pray for Jadon and his family.

Jadon’s prayer quilt is completed and will help “cover” him with our prayers.  I’m thankful the family knows the power of prayer and treasures prayers for Jadon in this way.

God bless this family that has been through so much and is facing even more as Jadon goes through surgery.  Please support them with your mighty prayers.

Anna Lee

Thursday

“But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted

in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations

that you lose track of the time and doze off,

oblivious to God.”

~Romans 13:11 MSG~

Susan Rimes continues to improve.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Mrs. Iris Cunningham from Roseland fell because of dizziness and now has a number of bruises and even broken bones in her face.  Pray for her as she deals with the dizziness.

Mrs. Anne Hurst has been sick for a while with all the coughing and other symtoms that didn’t want to go away.  She has been admitted to the hospital in Greensburg.

Mrs. Mickey Cade’s surgery recovery is doing well.  It’s time for recovery at a rehab in Hattisburg now.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Carol New’s surgery for a new knee replacement went well yesterday.  She will be moved to rehab again soon.

Mrs. Jimmie Shaw is in ICU at North Oaks.  Pray for her and her family.

Mr. Kenneth Felker is doing a little better, but “Miss” Grace Helen still is having problems.  She will be going back to the doctor today.  Pray she will soon stop falling.

Mr. and Mrs. Cete Dillon are still improving, but the progress is slow.

Mrs. Mary Miller now has been diagnosed with bronchitis and is staying close to home.

Renee Deck is improving from her shoulder surgery.  Keep her in your prayers.

Thought for the Day: Revenge or Kindness?

Way down upon the Mississippi River, two tugboat captains who had been friends for years, would always cry “Aye!” and blow their whistles whenever they passed each other.

A new crewman asked his boat’s mate, “What do they do that for?”

The mate looked surprised and replied, “You mean that you’ve never heard of… an aye for an aye and a toot for a toot?”

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I suspect that few of us would admit to living by the motto, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Matthew 5:38), but let’s be honest — there is something instead us that enjoys the idea of getting revenge. Some of the more popular movies throughout the past years have been those that opened with someone being mistreated. We’ll spend the rest of the movie anxiously waiting for the hero to get the opportunity to exact his revenge — and then we cheer!

It’s not much different on a personal level. I suspect that whenever somebody does you wrong, the temptation is there to immediately start thinking of what you can do to get them back. But, if you find yourself tempted to take revenge, may I suggest two things:

(1) Resist the temptation to exchange evil for evil. That temptation will always be strong and we need realize that it will be there. But we also need to remember the emptiness and hollowness of revenge and resentment.

(2) Show your enemy kindness. Abraham Lincoln was once accused of being too nice to his enemy. He was told to be firmer; he must destroy his enemies. He replied, “I do destroy them when they become my friends.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:43-44)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

Way down upon the Mississippi River, two tugboat captains who had been
friends for years, would always cry "Aye!" and blow their whistles 
whenever they passed each other. 

A new crewman asked his boat's mate, "What do they do that for?"

The mate looked surprised and replied, "You mean that you've never 
heard of... an aye for an aye and a toot for a toot?"

I suspect that few of us would admit to living by the motto, "An eye 
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" (Matthew 5:38), but let’s be honest
 -- there is something instead us that enjoys the idea of getting revenge. 
Some of the more popular movies throughout the past years have been 
those that opened with someone being mistreated. We'll spend the rest of 
the movie anxiously waiting for the hero to get the opportunity to exact
 his revenge -- and then we cheer!

It's not much different on a personal level. I suspect that whenever 
somebody does you wrong, the temptation is there to immediately start 
thinking of what you can do to get them back. But, if you find yourself 
tempted to take revenge, may I suggest two things:

(1) Resist the temptation to exchange evil for evil. That temptation 
will always be strong and we need realize that it will be there. But 
we also need to remember the emptiness and hollowness of revenge and 
resentment.

(2) Show your enemy kindness. Abraham Lincoln was once accused of being 
too nice to his enemy. He was told to be firmer; he must destroy his 
enemies. He replied, "I do destroy them when they become my friends." 

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate 
your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matt. 5:43-44)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

Have a blessed day! Be a blessing to someone today!
Anna Lee

Wednesday

“I bring you good news

that will cause great joy

for all the people.”

~Luke 2:10b NIV~

 

 

Mrs. Pauline Strickland is still undiagnosed, but will be moved from Baton Rouge General to a rehab.  Please continue to pray for her, her family, and the medical staff caring for her.

 

From Carol New

Well, people tomorrow (Wednesday) is my big day…hopefully I will be able to walk again,,,,,Please keep me and Dr. Linscheon in your prayers.

Thought for the Day: Loving the unlovely

The following story has been around for quite a while, but continues to touch hearts. The author is unknown to me:

The little church building’s aisles swelled with the unusually large gathering until there were no more pews to squeeze into. A few more latecomers shuffled down the aisle and leaned against the wall.

Then I noticed Andy’s entrance. His smile beamed with a special joy until he saw that “his” spot on the back row was filled. Regular attendees usually left the seat empty, knowing that Andy would arrive late from the home for the mentally handicapped. Confusion masked his face as the opening song ended and he had found no place to sit. With characteristic simplicity Andy made his way up the center aisle to the large clearing just below the podium. He lowered his huge body to the floor, crossing his legs Indian style.

As the rest of us sat down, another man, a leader in the church for many years, left his place in the pew and started up the center aisle toward Andy. It took a long time for Marvin to reach the front. Respect for this eighty-year-old servant, much loved by all of us, or perhaps sheer curiosity, brought a hush over the whole church. Even the minister gripped the sides of the podium and watched. Slowly Marvin shifted his lean frame onto his cane and lowered his aged body to the floor beside Andy.

With tears in his eyes, the minister closed his Bible over his sermon notes. “Our sermon has just been preached,” he said.

“Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Know someone with a special need — someone mentally handicapped, someone sick, someone who seems to have no friend? Why not make a special effort this weekend to touch their life in a special way? You won’t regret it!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

 

Have a wonderful day!

Anna Lee

Tuesday

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

~Luke 2:14, NKJV~

From Wall McKneely concerning grandson, Jadon

Thought you might like this: http://www.actionnews17.com/News/tabid/59/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/10250/Deputies-community-reach-out-to-help-2-year-old-facing-brain-surgery.aspx

This is just one of many acts of kindness  that so many people of this area have done for my Daughter, Monica, and her husband, Adam, and their family. Please continue to pray for them as they go to Detroit, MI for Jadon’s surgery in January. Thank you all so much for your Prayers. May God Bless each of you.

Wall & Rosilyn

Jadon’s Story: One week and so very nervous

Well alot has happened since my last post. I actually ended up in the ER the day after my post. I caught a stomach virus which by the way effected 32 of my family members including my mommy, daddy, and brother. Unbelievable. Anyway I could not hold anything down including my seizure medicines. We called my neurologist in New Orleans and she called me in some medicine but it didnt’ work. After 4 hours in the ER I was finally able to hold my medicine down and go home. The good new is I was much better by Christmas and we all had a great Christmas. I got lots of new toys to play with. My favorite toy was the ball that I got. Other than that I loved playing with the wrapping paper..LOL It was a very fun and much needed time. We got to visit everyone in my immediate family. It was a great day. One thing that Christmas makes me think of is Jesus’s birthday. It makes me think of Jesus’s momther Mary. I can’t imagine what she went through watching her baby being hit, nailed to a cross, and left to die. My mom said she will always remember this and no matter how hard it is to watch me suffer throught these seizures it doesn’t compare to what Mary had to watch her son go through. I’m very thankful for her strength and so very thankful that Jesus came and saved us so that we may live with Him forever.

We leave in 1 week for Detroit. We are going to be busy getting everything ready this week. We are going to get my very 1st haircut. We don’t want my surgery to be the first time I get my haircut. We also have to get everything packed. We still need to buy a few small things for the trip. We also have to finish my prayer blanket. So I’m sure I will not have time to update my blog until right before we leave or we might be in Detroit before you hear from me again. Please continue to pray for me and my family. We are very anxious, scared, and nervous. We know that God has sent us to Detroit and we will continue to trust his plan. Thank you all for your prayers. I will try keep you updated daily in Detroit with specific prayer request. Right now I need you to pray that this will stop these seizures and that I can continue to develop. Also pray that I will not have any complications and that my recovery will not be to hard on me. This is the best thing you can do for me right now. Love ya, Jadon

Several people who have been sick ate doing better.  Continue praying.
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

His heart, His hands, His voice

Jesus has commissioned us to be His heart, His hands, His voice. Through praying, giving and going, Southern Baptists have fulfilled this legacy for more than 160 years.

Thought for the Day: Do you know who I am?

The following story is supposed to have happened at Ohio State University about nine or ten years ago in a huge lecture hall but turns out to be merely another urban legend:

Apparently this particular calculus teacher wasn’t very well liked. He was one of those guys who would stand at the front of the class and yell out how much time was remaining before the end of a test, a real charmer. Since he was so busy going around the room making sure that nobody cheated and that everyone was aware of how much time they had left before their failure on the test was complete, he had the students stack the completed tests on the huge podium at the front of the room. This made for quite a mess, remember there were 1000 students in the class.

During this particular final, one guy entered the test needing a decent grade to pass the class. His only problem with Calculus was that he did poorly when rushed, and this guy standing in the front of the room barking out how much time was left before the tests had to be handed in didn’t help him at all. He figured he wanted to assure himself of a good grade, so he hardly flinched when the professor said “pencils down and submit your scantron sheets and work to piles at the front of the room”.

Five minutes turned into ten, ten into twenty, twenty into forty…. Almost an hour after the test was “officially over”, our friend finally put down his pencil, gathered up his work, and headed to the front of the hall to submit his final. The whole time, the professor sat at the front of the room, strangely waiting for the student to complete his exam.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the professor asked as the student stood in front of him about to put down his exam on one of the neatly stacked piles of exams (the professor had plenty of time to stack the mountain of papers while he waited). It was clear that the professor had waited only to give the student a hard time.

“Turning in my exam,” retorted the student confidently.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” the professor gloated, “Your exam is an hour late. You’ve failed it and, consequently, I’ll see you next term when you repeat my course.”

The student smiled slyly and asked the professor “Do you know who I am?”

“What?” replied the professor gruffly, annoyed that the student showed no sign of emotion.

The student rephrased the question mockingly, “Do you know what my name is?”

“No”, snarled the professor.

The student looked the professor dead in the eyes and said slowly, “I didn’t think so”, as he lifted up one of the stacks half way, shoved his test neatly into the center of the stack, let the stack fall burying his test in the middle, turned around, and walked casually out of the huge lecture hall.

Don’t you just love it? Those of you who have been in large classes can relate to that, I’m sure. But it makes me pause for a moment and be grateful that I have a heavenly Father who knows who I am! Despite the billions of people on the face of this earth, I’m not just a number, I’m not just a nameless face, I’m not just part of a crowd. I am known by God!

“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.” (Psalm 139:1-3).

Take comfort in this knowledge, and have a great day!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

Have a great day!

Anna Lee


Monday

“For God loved the world

so much that he gave his one and only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him

will not perish but have eternal life.”

~John 3:16 NLT~

Mrs. Jimmie Shaw is hospitalized with pneumonia.  Pray sbe is comfortable.

This seems to be pneumonia weather.  Take care of yourself and your family.

Renee Deck was at church yesterday.  Pray her shoulder heals well.

Jadon: http://www.actionnews17.com/News/tabid/59/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/10250/Deputies-community-reach-out-to-help-2-year-old-facing-brain-surgery.aspx

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

Blessed!

Anna Lee

Christmas Eve

“Then you will experience God’s peace,

which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds

as you live in Christ Jesus.”

~Philippians 4:7 NLT~

(May you truly know that peace today and each day of your life.)

Renee Deck is home after having rotator cuff surgery.  Pray for recovery and healing to go well.

Carol New’s “permanent” knee replacement surgery will be on the 28th.  Pray all continues to go well.  Carol is ready to be able to walk again.

Thursday afternoon’s weather front sent a tornado through Rome, GA where Jason lives and works.  He and his family are fine, but 20 homes are gone and another 120 damaged.  I forgot the numbers he gave me for businesses, but some are gone and others are damaged.  Cars on the highway were overturned, windows were blown out of cars, etc.  Nobody was seriously injured.  Thank God for protecting people despite the material damage.  Pray for Rome as they work to recover from this tornado.  You may remember Rome took in lots of families from New Orleans after Katrina.  Now, Rome will be on the receiving end.

Merry CHRISTmas Eve!

Anna Lee

Friday

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called Wonderful,

Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.”

~Isaiah 9:6, NKJV~

Pray for safe traveling for all those who will be traveling in the next two weeks.  Pray for students who are out of school for the holidays.  Pray for safety of children as they play with new gifts.

Ways to Give (including Lottie Moon Christmas Offering)

http://www.imb.org/main/give/default.asp

Baptist Press (Sometimes it is too hard to select only one story to share.)

http://www.bpnews.net/

Many churches are having special services tomorrow and/or different schedules for Christmas.  FBC, Kentwood will have worship service only at 10 A.M.

Thought for the Day: He became one of us

On February 15, 1921, there was a doctor who performed an appendectomy. The doctor performing the surgery was Dr. Evan Kane who over his 37-year medical career had performed nearly 4,000 appendectomies, so this surgery was not at all unusual except for two things.

First of all, this was the first time that local anesthesia had ever been used in major surgery. Dr. Kane believed that local anesthesia was safer than putting a patient completely to sleep. Most of his colleagues agreed with him in principle, but they wanted to see first if it would actually work.

So Dr. Kane searched for a volunteer, a patient who would be willing to undergo surgery while under local anesthesia. It wasn’t easy to find one. Most people are squeamish at the thought of being awake during their own surgery. Others are fearful that the anesthesia might wear off too soon.

Finally, though, Dr. Kane found a volunteer, and on Tuesday morning, February 15th, the operation began. The patient was prepped and wheeled into the operating room. A local anesthetic was applied. And as Dr. Kane had done thousands of times before, he cut open the tissues and removed the appendix. The patient had only minor discomfort and recovered quickly, dismissed two days later.

Dr. Kane had proven his theory. Thanks to the willingness of a brave volunteer, Dr. Kane demonstrated that local anesthesia was an alternative, even a preferred alternative.

But I said there were two facts that made this surgery unusual. I’ve told you the first: the use of local anesthesia. The second unusual thing was the patient — the patient was Dr. Kane. You see, in order to prove his point, Dr. Kane operated on himself. The doctor became a patient in order to convince the patients to trust the doctor.

As unbelievable as that may seem, it is insignificant compared with what Jesus Christ did for us. The Great Physician voluntarily became one of us. He placed himself in our shoes. He left the glories of heaven to live on this earth as one of us — to suffer our pains and feel our fears. Why? So that when you hurt, you will know that you have someone who understands — your Great Physician — and you will have confidence to go to him for healing.

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same….For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:14a,18)

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

Jesus is the reason for the season!

Anna Lee