Family News and Notes
Next Sunday, being the first day of the new month is your opportunity, if you have planned to do so, to contribute to the Building Fund.
On Saturday, April 22, twenty people participated in passing out brochures for our Gospel Meeting. It was a successful effort.
Our Gospel Meeting was a good one. Thanks to Johnny Ramsey for great lessons. Attendance was good.
Bible Class last Sunday 114......AM Service we had 147......PM Service we had 120
Monday Nite we had 150....Tuesday 10:00 AM we had 40....Tuesday Nite we had 123
Wednesday Nite we had 147
It should be noted that our attendance has increased since the first part of this year and everyone is to be commended for your regular attendance.
VBS Teachers meeting this afternoon at 5:00 PM. All teachers and helpers please be present.
Last Saturday evening several gathered at the new home of Wade & Vicki Miller for a cookout and devotional.
This Tuesday evening the Visitation Teams will meet here at the building at 6:00 PM. Bring finger foods and deserts. Drinks will be provided. Everyone is encouraged to come and help out with the Visitation assignments.
Deborah Biesemeyer was feeling better after her second chemo treatment on Wednesday in Tyler. She is back home again.
Nancy Chastain got a good report following her chemo treatment in Little Rock this past week. She was scheduled to be back home this past Friday.
(Check the Prayer list for others who need our prayers.)
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You're Invited to our first ever Ladies' Day
at
Blossom Church of Christ
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2006 from 9:00 am1:00pm
Theme: "Stocking Your Christian Kitchen"
Speaker: Yvonne Butler of College Church of Christ
Please RSVP with an approximate head count by April 19, 2006 (982-6083 or 982-7063).
Registration will begin at 8:30 am, and we will serve a salad luncheon at noon. Please plan on joining us for an uplifting day filled with singing, prayer, and two encouraging lessons.
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PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Jean Bell, Deborah Biesmeyer, Winell Blackard, Annah Brown, Nancy Chastain, Perry Cooper, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee, Georgia Lide, Courtney Marshall, Wayne Pickrel, Marie Plemmons, Helen Roper, Dorothy Sargent, Alva Mae Sheets, Edith Shiflet, Ola Mae Simpson, Julia Terrell, Rebecca Tippitt, LaShedra Traylor
ALSO: Wanda Abbey Rivera, Melba Boyd, Cristell Cato, Austin Cody,
Juanita DuBose, Wesley DuBose, Horace George, Pat Hughes, Betty Newman,
Thelma Reed, Ruby Jeffery, Wayne Lineberger, Lonita Thompson
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Happiness
Do you have it? I know you want it! In fact, I've never met anyone who doesn't want it. If you don't have it, I know you are looking for it. Yet how sad that so few seem to be able to acquire it. Of course, you know by now I'm speaking of "HAPPINESS!" It's that elusive quality of life that brings satisfaction, contentment, and peace of mind and soul. It's that feeling of inner joy you have when you know your life is worthwhile; that it counts for something; that it has meaning and purpose.
Since the creation, man has searched for happiness in every conceivable place, and in every sort of worldly pleasure. But, at best, most folks succeed only in capturing moments of temporary satisfaction. Their lives are like a roller coaster ride, with fleeting seconds spent at the top of happiness hill, only to be followed by sudden plunges into the valley of sadness and depression. Then begins the long slow climb to the top of the next hill, where there will be a few moments, or a few hours, or even a few days of happiness, before the cycle begins to repeat itself with another plunge into the valley of discouragement and despair. If that describes your life, please understand you don't have to go on living that way! You can stop the roller coaster and get off, by looking to God's Word for the secret of happiness.
The life of Solomon is a perfect example of the folly of the roller coaster lifestyle. Solomon made the ultimate humanistic and hedonistic search for happiness. The book of Ecclesiastes is a record of his search and of his conclusions concerning what will and will not bring happiness. All would do well to consider his conclusions and learn from his mistakes. What follows is a thumbnail summary of his findings.
Solomon searched for happiness in knowledge and wisdom. The Bible says he was the wisest man to ever live (I Kings 3:12). But, knowledge and wisdom did not satisfy him (Eccl. 1:18). He looked for happiness in the realm of literature, as he wrote 3,000 proverbs, and 1,005 songs (I Kings. 4:32). But, again, this afforded him no real happiness (Eccl. 12:12). He searched for pleasure in riches and power too. I Kings 10:23 says he exceeded all kings of the earth in wealth. However, Solomon's conclusion was that wealth and power are hard to acquire, give no real pleasure, and soon vanish away (Eccl. 1-12). Finally, Solomon sought happiness in every sort of sensual pleasure. He withheld from himself nothing his eyes beheld or his heart desired (Eccl. 1:1-10). And yet, even in that, Solomon discovered only vanity and vexation of spirit (Eccl. 2:11). Solomon's final summation of His experiment (Eccl. 12:13-14), is a Scripture all of us should commit to memory. He said, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of men. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, of whether it be evil."
Solomon discovered true happiness is found only in humble obedience to God. The same is true today for all who seek genuine satisfaction out of life. Do you want to have a happy home? Then, put God first in your home! Do you want to do satisfying work? Then, work according to the principles of honesty, diligence, and fairness that are set forth in God's Word. Do you want to live a meaningful life? Then, put God first in your life. Do you want to go to heaven someday? Then, by all means, give God first place, as you yield your life in humble obedience to His will.
Happiness is not in what you have, or in what you do, but rather in who you are, and in who you are becoming by being a follower of Christ. As a certain well-known cartoon character might say, "Happiness Is Being a Christian!" The best part is, not only does Christian living provide big dividends of earthly happiness, but also it ultimately leads to the rich reward of eternal happiness in the kingdom of heaven. David McCain
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ARE YOU SINCERE ?
By Johnny Ramsey
When you willfully miss church services while away from home on a vacation?
When you wear clothing that you know is immodest and enticing?
When you allow Little League Baseball to be the dominant factor in summer schedule of your family?
When you are gone so much on the weekends that the elders cannot count on you to assist in the local program?
When, as a teenager, you allow popularity to dictate the course of your actions in regard to what you wear, where you go and what you do?
When you allow anything and everything to crowd out real Bible study especially since you tell your neighbors that we follow the Bible alone in religion?
When you oppose church discipline even though the scriptures demand it?
When plain preaching offends you even though you know it is the only thing that can save you?
When you give such a small percentage of your income to the cause of Christ while claiming to put the kingdom first?
When you fully realize you ought to be baptized into Christ but stubbornly refuse to obey the Lord?
When you partake of the Lord's Supper on Sunday night when you could have been present that morning?
Are we really sincere? What a penetrating question. To go to Heaven we must be right with God. No deceitfulness will make it past the gates of glory. It is time for personal inventory (II Corinthians 13:5). In the Day of Judgment only the sincerely obedient (Luke 6:46; I Peter 1:22-23) will be ushered into the land of fadeless day. If we are lost, what a terrible price to pay for insincerity.
(Part 4 of "Book of Books" will
continue in next week's bulletin.)
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