The Prayer Link

“Worry is a indication that we think God cannot look after us.”

Oswald Chambers

Pray for Andy and Betty Taylor as Andy sees the doctor again today.

Jesse Dean came home yesterday evening.  Pray for his recovery the next few days.

Ruby Schwartz is in room 2205 at North Oaks.  Keep the Schwartz family in your prayers.

Pray for Mike Smith as he has bypass surgery today in Hattisburg.

Raymond Cutrer cut an eye yesterday, but thankfully his eye was not damaged.

Dr. Joe Baugh is in OLOL following knee surgery.  Pray his rehab goes well.

George Eddie Lee’s dad, Mr. Buster Lee, is in North Oaks.  Join others in praying for him.

Thought for the Day: Learning from Children

The following are some “Important Things I’ve Learned From Kids”
(author unknown):

1. It’s more fun to color outside the lines.

2. If you’re gonna draw on the wall, do it behind the couch.

3. Ask why until you understand.

4. Hang on tight.

5. Even if you’ve been fishing for 3 hours and haven’t gotten anything
except poison ivy and a sunburn, you’re still better off than the
worm.

6. Make up the rules as you go along.

7. It doesn’t matter who started it.

8. Ask for sprinkles.

9. If the horse you’re drawing looks more like a dog, make it a dog.

10. Save a place in line for your friends.

11. Sometimes you have to take the test before you’ve finished studying.

12. If you want a kitten, start out asking for a horse.

13. Just keep banging until someone opens the door.

14. Making your bed is a waste of time.

15. There is no good reason why clothes have to match.

16. Even Popeye didn’t eat his spinach until he absolutely had to.

17. You work so hard pedaling up the hill that you hate to brake
on the way down.

18. You can’t ask to start over just because you’re losing the game.

It’s an interesting collection of advice. Some of it translates into
good spiritual advice (#4, #13), some of it doesn’t (#2, #6). That’s to be
expected because there are some aspects of childhood that we should imitate
(purity, humility, trust) and other aspects that we should not
(self-centeredness, ignorance, stubbornness).

In the scriptures, sometimes children are held up as examples to us
(Matt. 18:3-4) and sometimes those who are like children are rebuked (Heb.
5:12-14). And sometimes both occur in the same verse:

“Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be
babes, but in understanding be mature.” (1 Cor. 14:20).

May we seek to add those beautiful “childlike” qualities while seeking
to mature and outgrow those “childish” traits.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith
Boone Church of Christ
Boone, North Carolina

Make something good happen today for someone else.

Anna Lee

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, . . .

being confident of this very thing,

that He who has begun a good work in you

will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

~Philippians 1:3-6~

Jadon’s Story: Neurologist Appointment

My appointment went well today. She is taking me off lamictal. It really hasn’t helped and I have become so miserable on it. It will take about 4 weeks to get me off of it. We are also starting a new medicine called zonegran. I start it tonight and it will take about 4 weeks to get on a reasonable dose. Again we are praying that this medicine will help controll my seizures. We went over the seizure med list and there are only 4 that we havent tried. This is not good everyone. We are running out of options. We leave in a week to go to Detroit. We dont understand why I have to suffer but we are trusting God and we know he has a great plan for my life. Keep praying everyone. Love y’all, Jadon

Georgia Barnette Easter Offering: Day 4

http://georgiabarnette.org/GBO/Day4/

Adult Mission Study

http://georgiabarnette.org/GBO/Default2.aspx?id=8229

Thought for the Day: The reward for faithfulness

I thought you would enjoy the following list of “Rules and Regulations for Teachers in 1872”:

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys, and trim wicks.

2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and scuttle of coal for the day’s sessions.

3. Make your pens carefully: you may whittle nibs to the individual taste of pupils.

4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.

5. After 10 hours in school, the teachers spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.

7. Each teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.

8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or get shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intentions, integrity and honesty.

9. The teacher who performs his labors faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of 25 cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.

I was intrigued by the wording of #9 above. It sounded somewhat familiar to me. Then it dawned on me that there is a similarity to what Jesus had to say to the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3.

“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev.2:10b)

“…[T]hey shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Rev. 3:4-5)

There are a couple of significant differences, though, between the promise given to teachers in 1872 and the promises given by Jesus. Jesus doesn’t require that we live “without fault” (and oh, how I’m thankful for that!). The reward that Jesus promises is considerably better than 25 cents for every five years of service (and I’m thankful for that as well!). And it’s not a matter of gaining the approval of a group of men. The only approval that matters is the smile we’ll see on our Father’s face.

Father, thank you for the promises that you have given — not just the promise of a crown or of white garments, but the promise of an opportunity to be in your presence, to be held in your arms. I don’t live before you “without fault”, so I thank you for your grace as I seek to live faithfully as your child. I commit all that I am and all that I have to be used in your service. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Reminder: Share Group Thursday at 6:30