Today, I am thankful for friends – church friends, school friends, work friends, young friends, older friends, my friends, David’s friends, long-time friends, new friends, and friends yet to come into my life. Friends add so much to our lives. We have short visits in stores, by phone visits, in restaurant visits, at church visits, and even during funeral home visits. Each visit is a chance to reconnect and to update relationships.
Today, I pray for all my friends. You add so much to my life.
PRAYER FOCUS – Pray for you list of friends. Pray for their families, their jobs, their responsibilities, their doctors, their salvation, their church, etc. Cover your friends in prayer today. This may be the day your prayers make a big difference in their lives.
Today, let’s also pray for people who have been in the hospital for long term confinements this year such as George Eddie Lee, Robbie Lynn, and Jane Whickham, people who have been homebound for a long time such as Mickie Cade and Andy and Betty Taylor. Pray for family members who have lost a loved one and who are having a difficult time celebrating holidays without that loved one. You can add the names that are special to you and then, pray.
Say special prayers for people who have been away from home for a while and who are traveling today to be home for church tomorrow.
Today, I am thankful for my computer and other technology . I use my computer each morning, with a few exceptions, to write The Prayer Link. I’m also thankful to my son, Jason, who did all the necessary steps to set us this blog with a host and pay the yearly fees. He is the person I call when I get stumped with the technology related to TPL. I’m thankful for the technology and for Jason’s help.
Bro. Darryl has been on vacation this week. I’m glad he had time off, but looking forward to seeing and hearing him Sunday.
If you need church information about FBC, Kentwood or any of the other local Baptist churches, please let me know.
It is extra special to celebrate certain holidays the way you did as a child. Many of us celebrated with our extended family and always with certain foods – turkey and dressing, sweet potato casserole, fruit salad, pies, etc. I always try to continue to serve some of these food, even when our gathering includes just two people.. Traditions help to bring back sweet memories for those holidays and the people who sat around the table many years ago. Some people always celebrated by doing certain things – football games, movies, signing a tablecloth, etc. My family celebrated by being together and often visiting family members who were hospitalized or sick at home.
I hope you continue to celebrate some of your childhood traditions each year. Hopefully, you children will continue to do the same and/or create some of your own. Traditions are important, even if some of your relatives are no longer living, relatives cannot be with you, or you are in a new house. Traditions, of any kind, help to ground children. Do you include Scriptures, singing hymns, quoting special/favorite Bible stories in your celebrations?
READ and WRITE BIBLE VERSES TODAY
November 24 – Psalm 136: 23-24
OCC STATISTICS
I went to the church yesterday to get my records from the week (really eight days) we served as a Drop-Off Location for Samaritan’s Purse ““Shoeboxes”, November 14-21. Our collection week involved 16 volunteers who worked a total of 182.5 hours. We packed 108 big Samaritan Purse cartons with 1,726 “”Shoeboxes” from 12 area churches. FBC, Kentwood packed 402 as a group and an additional 93 by individuals connected to our church for a grand total of 495 “Shoeboxes”. Thank-you to everyone who helped by purchasing items, working to remove packaging, assembling items, painting cartons, assembling “Shoeboxes”, filling the “Shoeboxes”, and serving as volunteers during Drop-Off week.
GIFT BAGS FOR COMMUNITY MISSIONS
Our church members are now filling gift bags for Christmas gifts for children in our community. The bags are available under the stairwell to the sound room. Each bag is tagged, for example, “Girl 3rd – 4th grade”, so you can shop better. Filled bags can be returned to the same location and are due no later than the first Sunday of December.
A resident of Roseland, LA, passed away on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington, LA. She was born November 23, 1970 in Greensburg, LA and was 51 years of age. She is survived by her husband, Tracy Jones; 2 daughters, Traci Danielle Jones and Joei Lauran Jones; 4 grandchildren, Kade Lamar Garcia, Faith Garcia, Leighton Elzie and Princeton Elzie; 2 sisters, Shannon Reeves and husband, Greg, and Laura Baños and husband, Omar; 2 brothers, Boe Ricks and wife, Kelly, and John Ricks and wife, Amy; numerous nieces and nephews; father-in-law, Joseph Jones. Preceded in death by parents, Alfred Ricks and Jacqueline Russell Ricks; mother-in-law, Gayla Sue Jones; and brother-in-law, Kevin Lamar Jones. Graveside Services will be held at Arcola-Roseland Cemetery at 2:00PM on Wednesday, November 23, 2022. Services conducted by Rev. David Cutrer. McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, in charge of arrangements. For an online guestbook, visit http://www.mckneelys.com.
THANKFULNESS
November 23 – FRIENDS
David and I are blessed to have friends of all ages and from a number of towns. We are thankful for each one of them. They bless our lives.
PRAYER FOCUS TODAY – FRIENDS
Pray for your friends. Use names of some of your friends as you pray.
Please continue to pray for JANE WICKHAM who is still working to recover following a fall that happened following knee surgery.
Wilbur W. Creel
March 24, 1931 – November 20, 2022
A resident of Wilmer, LA, passed away on Sunday, November 20, 2022 at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington, LA. He was born March 24, 1931 in Wilmer, LA and was 91 years of age. He was the founder of the Wilmer Fire Department where he served as Chief for over 35 years. Mr. Wilbur retired from the Tangipahoa Parish Council as part of the road crew where graded many roads. He also worked for Asplundh and South Central Bell. He is survived by his wife, Ina Mae Creel; daughters, Vanessa Creel, Sherri Hendrickson (David) and Terri Schwebel (Tommy); sisters, Elouise Brown and Bonnie Bethel; grandchildren, Michael Chanse Graham, Kylie C. Sharkey (Danny), Amanda Graham, Justin Thibodeaux (Tammy), and Fallon Thibodeaux (Bill); great-grandchildren, Kole Graham, Konnor Graham, Rilee Sharkey, Kade Gill, Caden McKinney, Allee Sharkey, Knox Graham, Joleigh Thibodeaux, and Paisleigh Thibodeaux; great-great granddaughter, Parker Kole Graham. Preceded in death by his parents, Mack and Darence Grace Creel; and Jack Hilton whom he raised as a son. Pallbearers are Justin Thibodeaux, Chanse Graham, Kole Graham, Konnor Graham, Ronnie Brown, and Phillip Notariano. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, from 5:00PM until 9:00PM on Tuesday and at Wilmer Missionary Baptist Church from 9:00AM until religious services at 11:00AM on Wednesday, November 23, 2022. Services conducted by Bro. Jason Skipper. Interment Wilmer Cemetery, Wilmer, LA. For an online guestbook, visit http://www.mckneelys.com.
(I remember my daddy talking about Wilbur Creel, probably from fire department and telephone company connections. In later years, I heard my husband talk about him. He was well know in his community.)
REMEMBER the word “THANKSGIVING” is composed ot two shorter words. Be sure your holiday includes boths THANKS and GIVING.
THANKFULNESS – DAY 22
Today, I am thankful for six grandchildren. We usually see them once a year, but that just doesn’t always work out now that they are no longer children. I am thankful for phone calls and text messages, especially when they include pictures. I’m thankful for their young lives and the ways they have found, not only to get an education or work at their jobs, but also how they find ways to volunteer time to show their love and God’s love to others.
I am also thankful to be able to observe young adults at church as they grow in so many ways. What a blessing it is to see them as they assist older folks or younger folks in many ways.
PRAYER FOCUS
Today, I ask you to pray for young adults as they struggle to grow up and grow in thee Lord. Pray for parents to be positive influences on their lives, involvement in churches that encourage them to keep following God, and opportunities to “SHINE” for Him.
Today, I am thankful for Shoebox Packers. They spend time and money packing the shoeboxes or they contribute money for purchases and shipping fees. I’m also thankful for local men, women, and youth who have helped this past week and will work again today to finish off our work for OCC packing in 2022. What a blessing it has been to communicate with people from churches from many of the churches surrounding Kentwood. Tomorrow, I will share the statistics from Shoebox Collection 2022. I think you will be pleased with the results of this packing year in our area. I’m thankful for all who participated.
2022 OCC DROP-OFF at FBC TODAY – last day!
Yesterday we received boxes from three churches. We will be receiving shoeboxes from 8 – 10 this morning before shipping our boxes on to their next destination, a church in Hammond, whe they will be loaded onto 18-wheelers for their trip to one of the eight U.S. processing centers. If you have Shoeboxes to turn in today, please get them to us early this morning.
There is more than one way to look at the word “Thanksgiving”. It can be THANKSgiving, the way we usually think of it or it can be ThanksGIVING. I think both ways are equally important. So be working on the THANKS and the GIVING this week.
The Lord is pleased when we rejoice as we worship, especially on His Day! I hope you have a regular place of worship. If not, today is a good day to find one. If you are uncomfortable doing so, worship with a friend or relative. They will be very pleased to have you worship with them.
Worship time at FBC, Kentwood is 10:30 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. We would love to have you worship with us if you do not have a church home. Take a moment while you are there to say hello to me. Make my day!
THANKFULNESS – Day 20
Today, I am thankful for extended family. The last two Saturdays we attended special celebrations for extended family members. How great they were! Today, I thank God, for allowing us to attend special events where there was love flowing abundantly. I thank God for our extended family members.
READ and WRITE SCRIPTURE
November 20 – Psalm 118: 3-4
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD – Drop-Off Hours
Today, FBC, Kentwood will be receiving Shoeboxes from 3:00 to 5:00 P.M.
THANKFULNESS – I’ve been so busy as I started each day lately that I forgot to share a “Thankful Thought” with you. Today, I will do better.
THANKFULNESS – Nov. 19
Today, I am thankful to be able to say that for six days I have WALKED. on my own, at church. That ends six months of dependence on a wheelchair, walker, store shopping cart, or someone to help support me as I went through months of healing of my feet. This morning marks exactly six months since I first fell and broke both of my feet. I am so very thankful to report that I am healed sufficiently to walk on my own. I sincerely thank God for healing, David for manutering the wheelchair and becoming my 24 hour a day caregiver, and for Bro. Darryl Miller and Joe Cutrer for giving a helping hand, or arm, to help me up the steps at church when I got to that stage.. Speaking of church, I really missed those first weeks when I was not able to make it to church. I saw the same message on my computer, but missed seeing and speaking to so many friends. I also thank our friend, Glenda Harrell, for providing lots to meals to supplement David’s new skill, cooking. This has been an adventure I didn’t ask for or would want anyone else to have. I have learned to appreciate so many things I took for granted before. Lesson learned!
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
There are only three more days to turn in Shoeboxes this year, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. After that, boxes will need to be held until collection next November.
There are a number of Drop-Off Locations. Our Kentwood site will be receiving shoeboxes on this schedule.
Saturday – 10-12
Sunday – 3-5
Monday – 8-10
Have a great day. Do something special today. Be thankful you can.
So far, we have filled 78 cartons (1156 Shoeboxes). Delivery of our first boxes to their next location was made yesterday. Today, we will be receiving shoeboxes 2:00-4:00 P.M. today. The many volunteers have been great!
MORRIS REYNOLDS fell and broke his “good” leg. Pray for him and his family.
MRS. MILDRED BIRCH‘s procedure to get her heart beating properly went well. She’s out of the hospital and ready to continue doing what she loves to do best.
MRS. JEANETTE McGEHEE‘s surgery went well. I’m not sure how long she will be hospitalized at Ochsner on O’Neal.
Pray for JASON DEAN today as he has surgery to repair torn biceps.
READ and WRITE SCRIPTURE TODAY November 17 – I Chronicles 16: 8-9
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD loaded 70 cartons of shoeboxes and five boxes of filler in a trailer and will have them delivered to their next location today. We will be receiving additional shoeboxes today from 10-12 this morning and making a second load of filled cartons Monday.
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