Category: Uncategorized

Christmas

Happy birthday, Jesus!

SEASON’S GREETINGS

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of talk about the fact that some retailers seem to be getting away from saying “Merry Christmas!” and instead are substituting phrases like “Season’s Greetings!” or “Happy Holidays!” in their decorations and their advertisements.  Someone has even written this politically correct Christmas greeting:

“Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, but with respect for the religious persuasion of others who choose to practice their own religion as well as those who choose not to practice a religion at all.”

Many Christians are outraged at this shift and view this as one more attempt to remove all references to Christ from our culture.  In response, a group has been organized called the “Committee to Save Merry Christmas”.  Here are some of their thoughts:

“This deliberate and intentional substitution of ‘Merry Christmas” with un-celebratory phrases are thoughtless, condescending and hurtful.  Should you — the purchasing public — who honors the American tradition and culture of Christmas, continue to purchase Christmas gifts from these stores when they deliberately and intentionally refuse to acknowledge Christmas? Our committee believes you should not!  We, instead, encourage you to shop where the values and meaning of Christmas are cherished.”

I have some concerns.  On the one hand, I am concerned about attempts (sometimes blatant attempts) to remove all references to God or Christianity from our society.  But, on the other hand, I have to remember that God did not give Sears (or any other store) the responsibility of telling people about Christ.  He did not give our American government that responsibility.  He gave it to those of us who are Christians.

I think it’s ironic that a lot of Christians are upset that Target doesn’t greet them with “Merry Christmas!” when they walk through the door, but they will make no attempt to talk about Christ in their own lives.  We prefer to say “It’s a beautiful day!” instead of “What a beautiful day God has given us!”  We prefer to say, “I’ve been lucky or fortunate” instead of saying “God has blessed me.”  We would never dream of saying “Christ is the only way of salvation.” for fear of being labeled a fanatic.  But then we’ll get upset at a store which has a banner proclaiming “Happy Holidays” and refuse to do business with them.

Folks, let put the responsibility where it belongs.  God has given those of us who are Christians the task of sharing Christ with a world that doesn’t know him.  God “has given us the ministry of reconciliation…and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:18-19).  If we’re going to get upset, let’s start getting upset about the fact that WE’VE not been doing that like we should!

Have a great day (oh, and have a merry Christmas)!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Susan Rimes is continuing to recover from her last surgery.  Continue to pray for Susan and her family.

Mr. Kenneth Felker’s wife, Grace Helen, fell Wednesday right after we saw her.  She received a number of bumps and bruises.  Pray she will recover well and cease falling.

Mr. Cete and “Miss” Ruby Dillon are better, but not well yet.  Continue to pray for them.

Missions March at FBC, Kentwood at the 10:00 A.M. service!

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®

Every penny given to Lottie Moon is used to support Southern Baptist missionaries as they share the Gospel overseas. The offering represents 57 percent of the International Mission Board’s total income.

Find dollar examples of how your gifts are used, including stories, photos and videos at Lottie Moon @ Work.

What is the average cost to support an individual missionary?

• $46,700 a year
• $3,890 a month
• $900 a week
• $128 a day
• $5.30 an hour
• $.09 a minute

Reported April 2011. Support includes housing, salary, children’s education, medical expenses, retirement and more.

 

Sunday Addition

Mary Lee Potts Brown
(January 11, 1926 – December 18, 2011)

Mary Lee Potts Brown, 85, died Sunday, December 18, 2011. She was born in Tangipahoa Parish on January 11, 1926 and was a longtime resident of Kentwood. She is survived by four daughters, Charlotte Rhodus, Suzanne Wall, Cynthia Weems, and Priscilla Raborn; a son, Bill Brown; eleven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren; a sister, Ira Mae “Potsy” Potts Vinet. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clifford James Brown; a son, Jesse James Brown; parents, Albert and Lillie Schilling Potts; a grandson, Christopher Slater Brown; three brothers, Edward Potts, Clifton Potts, and James Potts. She is a member of East Fork Baptist Church. Visitation at East Fork Baptist Church, Kentwood, on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 from 9 a.m. until religious services at 1 p.m. Interment at East Fork Cemetery, Kentwood. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport. McKneely Funeral Home, Kentwood, in charge of arrangements. For an online guestbook, go to http://www.mckneelys.com.

Wednesday Evening

Jesse Allen Sanders
(Died December 14, 2011)

Mr. Jesse Allen Sanders passed away at North Oaks Medical Center on Wednesday, December 14, 2011. He was a native and resident of Amite, La. where he worked as a car salesman for many years and also a detective for the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Department. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time. Arrangements have been trusted to McKneely and Vaughn Funeral Home in Amite. Please check website for further details on Thursday. http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

Tuesday Addition

Carol New has completed one week at rehab and have five more to go.  She has already seen progress.  We’ll have a “new” Carol New in a few weeks!

 

Thought for the Day: So many valuable possessions

 

This comes from the file of “stupid criminals”:

Waylon Prendergast, 37, of Tampa, Florida, committed a spur-of-the-moment robbery while on his way home from a late-night drinking session. A very inebriated Mr. Prendergast forced his way into the house through an open upstairs window, filling a suitcase with cash and valuables before setting the living room on fire to cover his tracks. He then escaped through the back door and made his way home, chuckling all the way. Only as he turned the corner into his own street, however, and discovered three fire engines outside his house, did he realize that in his drunkenness he had, in fact, burgled and ignited his own property. His comment: “I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions.”

While we may not do anything quite that stupid (at least nothing that makes the national newspapers), there are times when Christians need to stop and reflect, coming to same conclusion Mr. Prendergast did: “I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions.”

From family and friends to material comforts (like electricity and running water), from our basic needs (like food) to luxuries other generations never dreamed of (like the computer you’re sitting at right now), from the freedoms we enjoy to the jobs we hold, there is much that we have been blessed with that we take for granted.

Even beyond the physical blessings, there is so much that God has given us through Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)

Truly, I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions. “God, forgive me for taking so much of it for granted.”

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee

Thanksgiving

Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.  

1 Chronicles 16:8 –

                    THE PROBLEM WITH THANKSGIVING

You know the story of that very first Thanksgiving Day in the English colonies, right? You know, the one where Captain John Woodlief and those 38 colonists who had just had arrived in the Virginia colonies from Berkeley, England and set aside a day of giving thanks to God at the Berekley Hundred (later renamed Berkley Plantation) on December 4, 1619 where Woodlief proclaimed–

“Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrivall at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God.”

Oh, you haven’t heard that story? That because those Johnny-come-lately Pilgrims from Massachusetts arrived at Plymouth Rock with a publicist, so that now everyone just “knows’ that the first Thanksgiving was in Massachusetts with the Pilgrims after the whole colony almost froze to death following that first bitter winter in 1622. But the very FIRST Thanksgiving Day was in Virginia. OK, so actually the first Thanksgiving in the New World was one led by Spanish explorer Juan de Onate held one near El Paso, Texas in 1598, but that one doesn’t count because it was in Texas! They probably had chili and burritos and guacamole or something (actually, that sounds pretty good).

At any rate, the idea of a Thanksgiving Day was not held as a “perpetual” celebration in either Massachusetts or Virginia.  Thanksgiving Day was never more than a local and sporadic event until until Abraham Lincoln made it an annual national holiday observance in 1863. Which means that “first” thanksgiving in Massachusetts took place after a bitter winter almost destroyed a whole colony and the first national Thanksgiving Day was observed DURING the tragedy of the Civil War that almost destroyed our nation. We still observe Thanksgiving Day, but it has little to do with struggle and more to do with eating ourselves silly and then complaining about how stuffed we feel!

But that’s not the real problem with Thanksgiving. The real problem is that we set aside this one day to reflect on and give thanks for our blessings (in which we overindulge) and then ONE DAY later…  we rush out for  “Black Friday,” the biggest shopping day of the year.  We forget all about Thanksgiving Day in our rush to run out and get more stuff. The idea of Thanksgiving was born from struggle and the awareness of God’s goodness despite our difficulty and hardship. Now we seem to believe that we deserve all the good things we have, and we can’t even have of day of reflection on Thanksgiving without turning it into an excuse to shop until we drop getting more, more, more. Will Rogers drew this contrast between Thanksgiving Day then and now:

“In the days of our founders, people were willing to give thanks for mighty little, for mighty little was all that they expected. But now neither government nor nature can give enough but what we think is too little. In the fall of the year, if the founders could gather in a few pumpkins, some potatoes, and some corn for the winter, they were in a thanking mood. But if we can’t gather in a new car, a new radio…and some government relief, why we feel that the world is against us.”

It’s ironic that the more and more we have for which to be thankful, the harder and harder it is seems to get to be truly thankful. As the late Andy Rooney would say, “Why is that?”

–Charles Tucker, Jr.

Have a great day! ( and a great Thanksgiving!)

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Count your blessings all day long today!

Blesses, very blessed!

Anna Lee

Midday Tuesday

Today is one year since Jon-Michael Williams had his accident in front of Walmart in Amite.  It has been a hard year with many adjustments for Jon-Mike and his mother, Brenda.  Continue to pray for them as they face his problems each and every day.

If you didn’t get your shoebox packed and to one of the local churches in time, here is an option for you.

http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk 

Midday Monday

Pray for Rufus, Malone, and other members of the Williams family.  Their brother, Terry from Monroe, passed away.

...
In Loving Memory
Clifford Terry Williams
2/18/1931 – 11/12/2011		 ...

Funeral services for Clifford Terry Williams, 80, of Monroe, will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, November 15, 2011, at North Monroe Baptist Church with Dr. Bill Dye, Rev. Warren Eckhardt, and Rev. David Worthington officiating. Interment will follow at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home, Sterlington Road, Monroe.

Mr. Williams went to be with the Lord on Saturday, November 12, 2011, after a brief illness. He was born on February 18, 1931 in Kentwood, LA. Cliff served his country in the U. S. Army during the Korean War, 1952 – 1954. He received a B. S. Degree with honors in 3 years in Agriculture at Southeastern Louisiana University and a Masters Degree from LSU in Wildlife Management graduating in 1957.

Cliff was a District Supervisor for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for 32 years. He received the Paul Martin Sportsman Award and was an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Mr. Williams was preceded in death by his parents, Ethel and Marion Williams; and his brothers, Thomas and Marion.

Survivors include his loving wife of 57 years, Betty Rhodus Williams; three children, Donna Benes and husband Bob of Coppell, TX, Terri Gullatt and husband Patrick of Haughton, LA, and Doug Williams and wife Kasia of Lafayette, LA; six grandchildren, Ellen and Emily Benes, Natalie Brixey and husband Nathan, Taylor Gullatt, and Zachry and Connor Williams; brothers, Howard Williams of Ferriday, LA, Rufus Williams and wife Margie of Kentwood, LA, and Malone Williams and wife Becky of Kentwood, LA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Monday from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Mulhearn Funeral Home, Sterlington Road, Monroe.

The family wishes to extend their thanks to the MICU nursing staff and doctors at St. Francis Medical Center as well as the Encouragers Sunday School Class at North Monroe Baptist Church.

Online Registry/Condolences: http://www.mulhearnfuneralhome.com

Friday

 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;

the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

~Proverbs 11:24 (Msg)~

 

 

PATRICIA “PUNKIN” BRANT SMITH
December 5, 1948-October 26, 2011

Patricia Brant Smith was born on December 5, 1948 and passed away on October 26, 2011 at 2:45pm. She was 62, a native of Kentwood, LA and a resident of Gulfport, MS.

Patricia is survived by her loving husband of 45 years, Donnie Smith, Gulfport, children Tammy Toney(Troy), Gulfport, Tracy Ritchie (Jack), Saucier, Kevin Smith (Ashlee), Gulfport, and Kelly Wallis(Tony), Gulfport. Grandchildren, Amber, Jared, Anthony, Kameron, Tanner, Garrett, Connor, and Braden. Brothers and sisters, Jim Brant (Dulce) Kentwood, Bonnie McDaniel (Buford), Kentwood, Cheryl Guthrie (Clem), Kentwood, Dickie Blades (Trudy), Emilie Van Horn (Bobby), Chattanooga, TN, David Brant (Susan)Hernando, Ms., Tim Brandt(Jennifer) Atlanta, GA, Mark Brandt, East Ridge, TN, Lisa Lawler(Ron), Grapevine TX, and Melissa Farrell, Vinemont, AL.

Preceded in death by her parents, Fred Brant of Gulfport and Shirley Blades of Kentwood and brother Gregg Brandt.

Patricia had also been employed by Oreck Manufacturing for 25 years. She was a faithful member at Sunflower Baptist Church in Perkinston, MS for many years.

Visitation at Riemann’s Family Funeral Home on 3 Rivers Rd., Gulfport from 11am until 2pm with services to follow in the funeral home chapel at 2pm on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

 

THE BEAUTY OF YOUNG AND OLD

A grandmother and a little girl whose face was sprinkled with bright red freckles spent the day at the zoo.  The children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws.  “You’ve got so many freckles, there’s no place to paint!”, a boy in the line cried.

Embarrassed, the little girl dropped her head.  Her grandmother knelt down next to her.  “I love your freckles,” she said.  “Not me,” the girl replied.

“Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles” she said, tracing her finger across the child’s cheek.  “Freckles are beautiful!”

The girl looked up.  “Really?”

“Of course,” said the grandmother.  “Why, just name me one thing that’s prettier than freckles.”

The little girl peered into the old woman’s smiling face.  “Wrinkles,” she answered softly.

What a beautiful story of love!  How wonderful it is when those who are filled with the wisdom that comes with age can still see the beauty in those who are younger and have much to learn.  And how wonderful when those just learning to spread their wings can see the beauty in those who have flown so long they have grown weary of flying.

“The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head.” (Proverbs 20:29)

With a heart of love, may we see the beauty of God’s children both young and old.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Helen Street Church of Christ
Fayetteville, North Carolina

 

Thanking God for the rain and praying you get some too,

Anna Lee