Category: Praises, Requests, & Updates

Thursday

“Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all people.”

~1 Chronicles 16:24~

 

 

I have an unspoken request from Tricia Wall McCain. Please pray as she requested.

Mrs. Barbara Hutchinson is home and progressing nicely. Please continue to pray for her as she heals.

Continue to pray for Kyle and Beth Brabham as they see his doctor this afternoon at 2 P.M.

Jeff Tolar was discharged yesterday. His surgery went well. Please continue to pray for him as he recovers from surgery.

Aubrey Perry is home and will be beginning a new treatment.

Please continue to pray for Mr. I.W. Simmons as he battles cancer.

Mr. Raymond Anthony had hip surgery Tuesday. Pray that after the recovery process he will be able to get around much better.

Please continue to pray for Mrs. Avis Sullivan as she continues to recover from her surgery.

Please continue to pray for Robert Wilson as he battles shingles. Pray for the pain to ease quickly.

Glenda Schilling said her mother, Mrs. Ona Schilling, has had some problems lately, but is basically okay. Please continue to pray for Mrs. Schilling and for Glenda.

Bro. Brady Haynes sent this report of his mission trip taking International World Changers to work with the Roma (Gypsies):

. . . . The Czech trip was amazing. Our main objective was to engage the Roma people through sports and spiritual conversations for the purpose of finding believers in the area who would be willing to start house churches. Boyd said that several key individuals were located in the areas where we worked and assured us that he objective was reached. One of the sights in particular had about 26 conversions (children and adults) and our site had 3-4. It is always cool for me to see the lives of students changed when they go on an international mission trip. The Roma are outcasts…the focus of prejudice and hatred…and God called us to minister to them. Our students have already been discussing ways to do local ministry to the outcasts and forgotten. Please pray for our group and those Roma that were confronted with the Gospel. Also, please pray for Honza and Lenka our translators who are not believers. Several of us have connected with them over Facebook so that we can continue the relationship over the web for the purpose of sharing the Truth of Christ.


Thanks for your prayers!

Brady and “the Bunch”

(Jennie reported the team from Alabama was well trained and did an excellent job with each task assigned to them.)

 

 

A Message to Teens about Profanity

By Phil Boatwright

Baptist Press


KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)–Name me a PG-13 film that doesn’t employ profanity (that is, language misusing God’s name). Shoot, even most PG films nowadays contain such language. And when you hear “Jesus” in a movie nowadays, it’s generally not spoken with regard for His Messiah-ship. Christ’s name is used more like an expletive. But let’s face it, by now, we’re pretty used to hearing the irreverent utterances in the movies. So, is the use of profanity that big of a deal?

I’d like to aim this piece at the dominant movie-going demographic: teenagers. My reasoning? I’ve already presented my thesis to oldsters many a time. But you — high schoolers — are who Hollywood aims to please — and teach.

Alas, I’m not one of you. I haven’t been a teenager since before you were born. And because of that age difference, we probably like different movies, different music, different clothes and different slang. But before you dismiss me as simply being a — what’s today’s euphemism for old fogey? — keep the following in mind. No matter the time on earth we call our generation, some things remain the same. Revering and respecting God should be something we have in common. It’s something we’re told to do in the Bible.

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7). Honoring God is a command — from God. If it weren’t important to Him, wouldn’t it not be on the list at all?

While we keep hearing that there’s too much violence and sexuality in movies, those are only symptoms of what ails our entertainment mediums. Consider for a moment: If you go to a surgeon and detail the symptoms you are suffering, the doctor doesn’t just treat the symptoms. If he does, the malady will re-manifest itself. Well, when it comes to spiritual matters, defying God is the malady. For it is only when we honor God that we begin to truly care for our fellow man. You with me?

Those who profane God’s name are breaking one of God’s laws. And although we Christians have been turning a deaf ear to the media’s usage of blasphemy for quite some time, should we continue to do so? That also begs the question: If modern-day man wrote their own Ten Commandments, would the misuse of God’s name make the list? Probably not.

There’s no indication in Exodus 20 that a movie storyteller is exempt from following the same commands as the rest of us, yet nearly every actor of this era misuses His name in the movies. Why are they so free with profanity?

I’m not sure if that disobedience of biblical teaching is done out of ignorance, disbelief or just defiance. But I do know from a lifetime of studying Scripture that the Ten Commandments are not just suggestions. They are guidelines for honoring our Heavenly Father and for caring about our fellow man.

Some people may ask: If misusing God’s name is such a big deal, then why aren’t people being smote all over the place? Our God is merciful and patient (2 Peter 3:9), but the Bible indicates that there is a price to be paid for disobedience or mockery. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). Read Psalm 73 and you’ll see that a time of justice will befall the unrighteous and those who live outside of God’s commands and refuse to make Jesus Lord of their life. Read the whole Bible and you’ll see what Hollywood often doesn’t.

You may not change the media. Just don’t let the media change you. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

(Phil Boatwright reviews films for previewonline.org and is a regular columnist for Baptist Press.)

I’m thankful for Phil Boatwright’s stance on movies. Pray he will be able to influence people of all ages in making decisions about movies.

Deacon Hospital Ministry this week:

  • Tom Tolar
  • Raymond Cutrer

Nursery Volunteers for Sunday:

  • Gail Brister
  • Sharon Martin
  • Walter & Kathy Dykes

There will be no evening worship services again this week at FBC, Kentwood.

If you have a request for On Mission in Kentwood, please contact the church office or me. Begin praying now asking God if He would want you to minister in Kentwood in His name. There is a task for everone! Sign up to be blessed!

 

 

I CAN DO ALL THINGS?

A 6-year-old girl once asked her father, “What do you have to do to become a doctor?”

Her father said, “You have to do extremely well in school, take a lot of math and science, get into an excellent college, make the highest grades possible, and then go to med school, and follow that with an internship. Then you can start your own practice. Honey, as smart as you are, you can be anything you want to be.”

The little girl thought about that and then asked, “What do you have to do to be queen?”

I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but I want to let you know that there’s a verse in the Bible that you may have mis-interpreted for many years. I know that I have. You see, many of us have heard lessons which promote positive thinking. We’ve been told, “If you can see it, you can achieve it.” So, if you’re a golfer, visualize getting through the golf course at 4 under par. If you need to lose weight, visualize what your life will be like when you’re 60 pounds thinner. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, visualize yourself with the position and the salary you desire.

And the verse we have often used to give us the strength to achieve these things is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” There are, no doubt, some Christian athletes headed to Beijing this week to compete in the Olympics who anticipate bringing home a gold medal because “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Now I don’t dispute that there is great value in having a vision of where we want to be and what we want to accomplish. And I don’t dispute that God will bless us with strength in all endeavors that glorify Him. But I believe it is wrong to teach that anyone can accomplish anything because God will give you the strength. Not every little boy with a dream of playing in the NFL or the NBA is going to achieve that. Not every athlete that quotes Philippians 4:13 this week will bring home a gold medal from Beijing. And you can dream about being king or queen all you want to — dreaming it won’t make it happen.

The truth is that for many of us, young or old, life is not always going to turn out exactly like we thought it would. And when people are made to think that if you believe something with all your heart, it will come to pass, then when it doesn’t happen that way, they get discouraged, depressed, feel like failures, get angry, or they give up. Christians may even begin to lose their faith in God. “God, how could you let this happen to me? This is not what I wanted! You promised I could do all things!”

When you look at the context of Philippians 4:13, though, it contains a more powerful message than we ever imagined. In the previous verse, Paul writes, “I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Phil. 4:12).

What is it that Paul can do through Christ? He can be content no matter what the situation — whether he has plenty or he has nothing, whether he comes in first place with a gold medal or he comes in last place, whether he makes the team or he doesn’t make the team. Whatever the circumstance, whatever he may have or not have, Paul learned to be content, to be joyful. Why? Because “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

May this verse serve as an encouragement to you, not to achieve great victories in life, but to find joy even in the midst of defeat.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

I pray you will take time to think and rethink on the devotional above until the message becomes part of your way of thinking.

Anna Lee

Tuesday

“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.”

~Psalm 75:1~

Pray for those who are homebound, residents of local nursing homes, or hospitalized. As you pray for them, please say some extra prayers for their caregivers.

It’s back-to-school time for local public school teachers teachers today and students Friday. The private schools will also be starting Wednesday and Monday. Pray for all those involved in education as the 2008-2009 school year beginsI think the date and time for Katie is Sunday, August 10 at 11 A.M. .

Please pray for Katie Wieborg as she prepares to come to Roseland Baptist Church and glorify God by sharing testimony about her recent mission trip to Paraguay. Many people from the Kentwood area helped make this trip possible for Katie and she is greatly appreciative of the support she recieved.

(I think the date and time for Katie is Sunday, August 10 at 11 A.M.)

Kimberly Womack

A native of Kentwood, she passed away unexpectedly at her home in Jarreau on Tuesday evening, July 29, 2008. She was 48. Preceded in death by her mother, Elouise Lipscomb; stepbrother, Burt Lipscomb; and brother-in-law, Gary Mick. She is survived by her daughter, Kathryn Engen and husband Jason; and grandchildren, Braxton Kuehn and Lillee Engen; sisters, Frieda and husband Ben, and Darla and husband Rich; stepfather, Larry Lipscomb and wife June; and stepbrother, Brian Lipscomb and wife Van. She was dearly loved by her nieces and nephews, Dusty Smith, Ashley and Matt Mick, Nicole Hanna, Amanda and Katie Lipsky, Travis and Kade Lipscomb; and many close friends, especially Claude, Spencer, John, Jessica and Rachel Rivet. Memorial service at Florida Boulevard Baptist Church, 10915 Florida Blvd., on Tuesday Aug. 5, at 6 p.m. Reception will follow in the fellowship hall. Donations can be made to VIPS, c/o Frieda Mick, 12858 Devall Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70818. Rabenhorst Funeral Home will handle the cremation.
Published in The Advocate on 8/5/2008


Let Your Mourning be Turned to Joy!
Worthy Devotions

 

Psalms 37:23-24

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:

and he delighteth in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:

for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

Failure is never a pleasant feeling. It isn’t enjoyable to lose a job, see a relationship falter, or fail a test. But the disappointment we feel when we face defeat can be turned to joy if we look at it the right way!

Thomas Edison was busy working in his laboratory at 2 o’clock one morning when an assistant came into the room and noticed that the inventor was smiling broadly.

“Have you solved the problem?” he asked. “No,” replied Edison, “that experiment didn’t work at all. Now I can start over again.” Edison could have such a confident attitude because he knew that the road to success is often paved with disappointments that serve to extend the road – not to block it. Each failure brought him a little closer to success.

Living a life of victory is not about being perfect – because we are human – and will always make mistakes. The key is learning how to get up after we have fallen. It’s natural to make mistakes – but it’s supernatural to learn from those mistakes and move forward!

Have a blessed day!

Anna Lee

Monday Afternoon

Remembering a Godly Lady
By Jere Phillips


CORDOVA, Tenn. (BP)–Before the sun rose in Moscow on Monday, July 28, Teri Tarleton went to be with her Lord. Her son Adam and her oldest daughter Anna were away at college in the States. Her twin daughters Rachel and Rebecca were away at camp.

Shortly after 5 a.m. she began to have breathing difficulty, but before the emergency people could arrive, with husband Ed by her side, Teri left her modest apartment and entered a mansion prepared by the hands of her Lord Jesus.

Teri and her husband Ed had co-labored among the Russian people for nearly 15 years. Ed is the leader for International Mission Board work in Russia. Over the last six years, it has been my pleasure to work with them in a number of mission projects across the Russian Federation.

The first time my wife and I met Teri was at a retreat for the leaders of the Russian Baptist Union and their families at Sochi on the rocky shores of the Black Sea. She helped lead a conference for the wives and was moved to tears as the women prayed for their husbands. The men spent many days away from home, much like many denominational leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention. Teri sang in Russian for the worship service on Sunday, touching the hearts of Russians and Americans alike with her love for the Lord.

The last time I saw Teri and Ed was in their home 14 months ago when they invited me to their apartment for a meal. They were in the fourth week of a 40-day fast, praying and fasting for the Russian people, so they did not eat, but provided a delicious meal for me and their girls. They had not wanted me to know about the fast and would probably not approve of my telling you about it, but Southern Baptists need to know the depth of love their missionaries have for the people they serve.

Teri was a lady of grace and a lover of God. We often use the phrase “a man of God” — which certainly describes Ed. However, the same term accurately describes Teri — “a godly lady.”

Teri was the epitome of a missionary, not just a missionary wife. She was a partner with Ed in every way. She loved the Russian people as an extended part of her family. Teri and Ed rarely came back to the States during their tenure; they did not want to be away from their people — for the Russians were their people.

We will all miss her greatly. We grieve with Ed and the children, but we grieve also for the Russian people, for they have lost a great friend. Their love was displayed in a fitting memorial service for Teri the night before Ed brought her body back to America. In the sanctuary of the historic Central Baptist Church in Moscow, the Russian Baptist leaders, the pastors and lay people gathered to say “thank you” and “goodbye” to this lady who had touched their lives with her love and her life.

Please keep Ed and the children in your prayers and — as Teri might urge — pray for yourself to see if God might be touching your life with His call. Perhaps you will join that great host of Southern Baptist missionaries who are reaching people for Jesus in Russia and around the world.

Jere Phillips is professor of practical theology at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tenn.

Monday

INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS PRAYERLINE
INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD
Monday, August 4, 2008

“The heavens are the LORD’s heavens,

but the earth he has given to the children of man”

(Psalm 115:16, ESV).

Dear Intercessors, this is Eleanor Witcher of the International Prayer Strategy Office, asking you to pray for ministry among children.

O., the young wife of a national church planter, looks with compassion on the many Bihari children in her neighborhood of Bangladesh. They are out on the streets most of the day and go to school irregularly, with little expectation that they will succeed. O. has gathers children in a Bihari home for tutorial classes in the afternoons. Attendance varies from four to 12 children. There is very little space and little support from the families. Please pray that O. will be able to establish a good routine with these children. Pray that the love of Jesus will shine through O. into the hearts of these Bihari Muslim children.

In Fortaleza, Brazil, L and M are busy planting Capua Church. Pray for M as she implements her project for a church planting class called “Gospel Kids”, in which she is reaching 30 children with gospel narratives, using puppets, karaoke and a club-type environment to win and disciple these kids and their families.

Over half of Zambia’s population of 12 million is under the age of 15, making Zambia truly a young country. Many ideologies, faiths and even Christian cults and sects are vying for the loyalty of the young people. Some groups do not concentrate on the adults any more but are turning their efforts toward the youth and the children, hoping that they can shape their minds to accept non-Christian or non-biblical ideologies. Pray that the Christian witness will be strong to the youth of Zambia and that the youth will recognize false religions and cults before their minds are captured and they face eternity without Christ.

* Please pray that the youth and children will come to know Christ and live in Him.

* Intercede for creativity for faithful Christian workers.

* Ask God to give you opportunity today to express His love to a child.


Kimberly Womack

A native of Kentwood, she passed away unexpectedly at her home in Jarreau on Tuesday evening, July 29, 2008. She was 48. Preceded in death by her mother, Elouise Lipscomb; stepbrother, Burt Lipscomb; and brother-in-law, Gary Mick. She is survived by her daughter, Kathryn Engen and husband Jason; and grandchildren, Braxton Kuehn and Lillee Engen; sisters, Frieda and husband Ben, and Darla and husband Rich; stepfather, Larry Lipscomb and wife June; and stepbrother, Brian Lipscomb and wife Van. She was dearly loved by her nieces and nephews, Dusty Smith, Ashley and Matt Mick, Nicole Hanna, Amanda and Katie Lipsky, Travis and Kade Lipscomb; and many close friends, especially Claude, Spencer, John, Jessica and Rachel Rivet. Memorial service at Florida Boulevard Baptist Church, 10915 Florida Blvd., on Tuesday Aug. 5, at 6 p.m. Reception will follow in the fellowship hall. Donations can be made to VIPS, c/o Frieda Mick, 12858 Devall Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70818. Rabenhorst Funeral Home will handle the cremation.
Published in The Advocate on 8/4/2008


The email inbox often has very special mail for me to enjoy. I received this today from Mrs. Ann Chapman. I don’t know where it was originally published, but it was too special not to pass on to you.

Commentator and broadcaster Tony Snow announced that he had colon cancer in 2005. Following surgery and chemotherapy, Snow joined the Bush Administration in April 2006 as press secretary. Unfortunately, on March 23, 2007, Snow, 51, a husband and father of three,announced the cancer had recurred, with tumors found in his abdomen, leading to surgery in April, followed by more chemotherapy. Snow went back to work in the White House Briefing Room on May 30, but has resigned since, ‘for economic reasons,’ and to pursue ‘other interests.’ Here is Tony’s wonderful testimony.
——————————————

‘Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, – in my case, cancer. Those of us with potentially fatal diseases – and there are millions in America today – find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God’s will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence ‘What It All Means,’ Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time trying to answer the ‘why’ questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can’t someone else get sick? We can’t answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.

I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.

But despite this, – or because of it, – God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don’t know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.

Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.

To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life, – and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many non-believing hearts… an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live fully, richly, exuberantly – no matter how their days may be numbered.

Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease, – smooth, even trails as far
as the eye can see…. but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance; and comprehension – and yet don’t. By His love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise.

‘You Have Been Called’. Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet, a loved one holds your hand at the side. ‘It’s cancer,’ the healer announces.

The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask Him to serve as a cosmic Santa. ‘Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler.’ But another voice whispers: ‘You have been called.’ Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter… and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our ‘normal time.’

There’s another kind of response, although usually short-lived an inexplicable shudder of excitement, as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tiny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions.

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies.

Think of Paul, traipsing through the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment.

There’s nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue, – for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.

Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, he grieved not for Himself, but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the holy city. From the Cross, He took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf.

We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us, that we acquire purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God’s love for others. Sickness gets us part way there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two peoples’ worries and fears.

‘Learning How to Live’. Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God’s arms, not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of love.

I sat by my best friend’s bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was a humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. ‘I’m going to try to beat [this cancer],’ he told me several months before he died. ‘But if I don’t, I’ll see you on the other side.’

His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn’t promise us tomorrow, He does promise us eternity, – filled
with life and love we cannot comprehend, – and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that
will help us weather future storms. Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don’t matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?

When our faith flags, He throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it. It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up, – to speak of us!

This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God.

What is man that Thou art mindful of Him? We don’t know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us who believe, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place, in the hollow of God’s hand.’

Tony Snow

For those of you facing serious illness or those who have family members or close friends facing serious illness, I want to remind you of one thought in Tony Snow’s comments. We’re not promised tomorrow, but we are promised eternity!

Anna Lee

Sunday

How great is the love

the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are!

The reason the world does not know us

is that it did not know him.”

~1 John 3:1, NIV~

Judy Easley said her new grandson, Tyler Easley, will probably get to go home today or tomorrow. He is a month old. Pray for Tyler’s family as they care for him. Pray for big sister, Audrey, as she finally gets to have her new brother home.

Mrs. Faye Price continues to do well. Thank God for her progress and his watchcare over her as she begins to get back into her routine.

Mr. Frankie Gehringer continues to have setbacks on his road to recovery from receiving his pacemaker. Pray for him as he continues to battle these problems and for his family as they watch over him.

Continue to pray for Mrs. Barbara Hutchinson as she prepares for surgery Tuesday. Pray for Mr. James Lee Hutchinson too.

Joan Hagan will see her surgeon Monday. Pray for her as she makes the long-awaited appointment.

TOO MANY ROCKS?

This list is circulating among Forest Service employees. These are actual comments left on Forest Service registration sheets and comment cards by backpackers completing wilderness camping trips:

  • “A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call.”
  • “Instead of a permit system or regulations, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to wilderness.”
  • “Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands.”
  • “Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.”
  • “Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests.”
  • “Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them.”
  • “Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.”
  • “Need more signs to keep area pristine.”
  • “The places where trails do not exist are not well marked.”
  • “Too many rocks in the mountains.”

Too many rocks in the mountains? I suppose the sky is too blue, there are too many leaves on the trees and too much water in the ocean as well! It’s hard to imagine anyone complaining about God’s creation. I stand in awe every day of His handiwork, from the mountains to the deserts to the beaches and everything in between!

“Praise the LORD!….Praise Him, sun and moon;

Praise Him, all you stars of light!

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for He commanded and they were created….

Fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind,

fulfilling His word;

mountains and all hills;

fruitful trees and all cedars;

beasts and all cattle;

creeping things and flying fowl….

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above the earth and heaven.”

~Psalm 48:1a,3-5,7-10,13~

Next chance you get, walk outside, take a look around, and offer your praise to God who created it all.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

“Count Your Blessings” this Lord’s Day!

Anna Lee

Saturday

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro

throughout the whole earth,

to show Himself strong

on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

~2 Chronicles 16:9a~

 

 

Mrs. Theople Hurst was given a good report and released from the hospital late yesterday afternoon. Thank God for her good report.

 

 

I’ve been missing hearing from Frann Clark. I wrote her and had to wait to hear back. Now I know why . . . .

I fell July 11 & was in the hospital for eight days. Then I was transferred to a rehab hospital for two weeks. I came home this afternoon and will receive outpatient therapy three days a week. Please pray for strength.to do daily activities.

Riley is adjusting very well to the War Veterans Home in Jennings, LA. Kerry and the girls have visited home several times and he hasn’t asked to come home with them. Please pray that he will be happy there.


. . .


God Bless You
Frann

 

 

Dr. Chip Sloan is a former pastor at Roseland Baptist Church. He just returned from another mission trip to Romania.

Greetings! Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We worked in cooperation with the Romania Chapel Project to build a church building in Insureti, about 45 minutes from Braila. Our ladies provided children ministry and women ministry, in addition to helping with the construction. Incredibly, we completed construction and dedicated the building Friday, July 25.

It was an eventful trip. As we loaded the bus to take the team of 17 to the airport, I twisted my knee. It swelled up and hurt like crazy but it didn’t keep me from fulfilling my role. Then the scaffolding collapsed dropping four of our men about ten feet onto the concrete floor. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured, though two of them were badly scrapped and bruised. Then on Friday, Martha suffered a kidney attack (stone or severe infection). She was in excrutiating pain. Bob and Gail Hill came to our assistance and got us to a clinic in Braila provided by Prestonwood Baptist Church. The story is too long to tell by email, but God provided. She is doing well.

While the trip was eventful, it was also insightful. We learned afresh the incredible commitment of our missionaries. They are subjected to inadequate medical care and willing to run the risk only because they love and trust the Lord. We also learned how God places each of us in the body, His Church, as He determines. It was special seeing how some of our team members blossomed in ministry to the Romany.

Thanks for your prayers. We needed them. God provided. We were blessed and I believe were a blessing.

. . .

His and Yours,

Bro. Chip

 

 

 

FBC Nursery Workers for August 3rd

  • Fay Shoemaker
  • J.C. Miller
  • Scott Miller
  • Katie Miller

 

 

SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE

 

Here are some tips on the subject of aviation:

* Takeoffs are optional. Landings are mandatory.

* If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull thestick back they get smaller. (unless you keep pulling the stick back– then they get bigger again)

* Flying is not dangerous; crashing is dangerous.

* The propeller is just a big fan in the front of the plane to keep the pilot cool. Want proof? Make it stop; then watch the pilot break out into a sweat.

* It’s best to keep the pointed end going forward as much as possible.

* Every one already knows the definition of a “good landing” is one from which you can walk away. But very few know the definition of a “great landing.” It’s one after which you can use the airplane another time.

* The probability of survival is equal to the angle of arrival.

* A helicopter is a collection of rotating parts going round and round and reciprocating parts going up and down — all of them trying to become random in motion. Helicopters can’t really fly — they’re just so ugly that the earth immediately repels them.

* Trust your captain . . . . but keep your seat belt securely fastened.

* There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing:
Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

* Try to keep the number of your landings equal to the number of your takeoffs.

* Gravity never loses! The best you can hope for is a draw.

* It’s better to be down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here.

Several of these tips lend themselves to spiritual application, but the one that jumped out at me was that last one. How much better it is to be on this earth with a mind set on “things above”, than to be anywhere with a mind set on “things below”!

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)

Because we are surrounded by a world which we can see, it is easy to keep our eyes focused solely on that world. We will never grow as Christians, though, until we set our sights higher. Wherever your mind has been this morning, may this serve as a gentle reminder to set it on “things above”.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

 

 

 

Tribute to an Old Breed of Hero

By Paul Chitwood


MOUNT WASHINGTON, Ky. (BP)–“Don’t make us go, Daddy!”

After a week of doing whatever they wanted — whenever they wanted — my 11-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter were less than enthusiastic about the way this second week of our summer travels was beginning.

They spent the first week swimming and fishing on the beaches of South Carolina. They would spend the second week in Richmond, Va., where I would oversee my first meeting as chairman of trustees for the International Mission Board.

We had barely unpacked our suitcases in the hotel room when the battle of wills began.

“We have to go,” I said. “Daddy has to be there and I want you to be there. Tonight we meet our heroes.”

For my son, that statement must have brought to mind some of his favorite movie superheroes. When he found out we weren’t going anywhere near a theater, the faint trace of excitement on his face quickly faded. Further protests were met with: “We’re going, no more complaining!”

They slouched in their chairs for the first half of the service — even when their father was speaking. I had to think: my oratory skills seem least appreciated by those who hear me speak most often.

When IMB President Jerry Rankin failed to get a reaction from my two preacher’s kids, I began to question my effectiveness as a spiritual leader in my own home. By the time Dr. Rankin and I were replaced on the stage by 55 retiring Southern Baptist missionaries, my children hardly seemed to notice and I began to inwardly acknowledge that I had failed as a father.

Then, one by one those emeritus missionaries began to tell their stories. Not the whole story, just tidbits and highlights — victories and sacrifices of those who had lived their lives on the mission fields of the world, some for more than 40 years.

Suddenly the two lifeless bodies beside me resurrected. Eyes once glazed began dancing with wonder. Whispered questions began to fire back and forth.

“Where is her husband now?” one asked. “Why did they kill him?”

“What did they say happened to his wife?”

“Why didn’t they bring their little boy back to America to bury him?”

“Why is he in a wheelchair?”

The questions continued on the van ride back to the hotel. Then I asked two questions of my own: “Who is glad we went to the service?”

“I am, Daddy.”

“Me, too!”

“Who wishes they had stayed at the hotel and watched cartoons?” I said.

“Not me, Daddy!”

“Me either!”

I am grateful my children found some heroes — an old breed of hero. Plenty of flying, but always on a plane. A few stopped bullets, but bullets that did their damage. Thousands upon thousands of perilous rescues — not from blazing buildings — but from the fires of hell.

I am glad their heroes are men and women, boys and girls, who accepted the costs associated with reaching lost people. I am glad their heroes are — in the words of the old Methodist catechism — those who chose to “spend and be spent” saving souls.

Paul Chitwood is pastor of First Baptist Church in Mt. Washington, Ky., and chairman of the board of trustees for the International Mission Board.

Have you got any heroes? Who are they?

Anna Lee

Friday Afternoon

Richard Dunn has been hospitalized again this week, but should be home this weekend. Please continue to pray for Richard and his family.

Miss Emily Bridges is back at Kentwood Manor. Please continue to pray she will feel satisfied to be there.

Seeing “Miss” Carol Bridges today reminded me I never did post this obituary.

Alton D. “Bob” Alford
Alton D. “Bob” Alford passed away on Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at the age of 76. Beloved husband of 56 years to Joyce Givens Alford, father of Marylyn Haislip, Beverly and Jay Youngs and Debbie and Marc Mistretta, proud grandfather of Kristi H. Churchill, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jason and Sandra Haislip, Jonathan Youngs, Stephanie M. and Derek Anderson, and Marc Alan Mistretta Jr., and seven great-grandchildren. He also is survived by his sister, Carol Bridges, of Kentwood; brothers, Wendell Alford, of Long Beach, Calif., and Ronald Alford, of Denham Springs; and numerous nieces, nephews and lifelong friends. After serving two years in the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant, Bob, then a brick mason, moved to Mandeville in 1959, when he began his 40-year career in law enforcement. After serving 20 years with the State Police as staff sergeant, he retired to accept the position of chief of police in Mandeville for three years. Continuing his passion for public service, he retired again with 12 years with St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. With law enforcement still in his blood, he became chief of security for Lakeview Hospital. He was an active member of First Baptist Church of Mandeville, where he gladly served on numerous organizations and committees. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral service at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at First Baptist Church of Mandeville, 1895 U.S. 190, Mandeville, with visitation at church beginning at 12:30 p.m. Interment will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions may be made to Senior Saints, c/o First Baptist Church of Mandeville. Arrangements by E.J. Fielding Funeral Home, Covington. Please sign the online guest book at http://www.ejfieldingfh.com.