Family News & Notes
Response last Wednesday night: Bro. Brandon Marshall asked for the prayers of the congregation, acknowledging his unfaithfulness and his desire to be restored to the Church. He expressed his regrets to those that he has let down and asked for their and the Lord's forgiveness. We rejoice with Brandon and his family in his restoration.
This evening, after services, the Youth will meet at the home of Amy Jones for a get-together. Bring soft drinks ONLY of your choice.
Next Sunday is Building Fund day. If you wish to contribute to the building fund you may do so then.
Edith Shiflet has a new address:
Edith Shiflet
Omaha Health Care Center
205 Giles Avenue
Omaha, Texas 75571
Phone at the Center:
903-884-2358
Her CELL phone:
903-884-3244
Linda Jones received the diagnosis of the tests she had at the local hospital last week. Her doctor has determined she does not have cancer and other treatments are to be considered for her ailment.
Bonnye Horton was admitted to Titus Regional Medical Center on Wednesday with pneumonia. She was still in Room 320 at the writing of this bulletin.
Bud Roach has been confined to his home as he suffers from the Shingles.
Nancy Chastain got a good report from her doctor this past week.
Mary Craig had knee replacement last week.
Lucy Anguiano from Haskell, Texas, had a heart attack last week and had heart surgery on Wednesday evening at Abilene Regional Medical Center. Lucy asked for the prayers of the congregation on her behalf. We don't have an update on her condition at the printing of this bulletin. Her room number is not known but the address for the Center is:
Abilene Regional Medical Center
6250 Hwy 83-84 at Antilley Road
Abilene, Texas 79606
Phone (915) 695-9900
THOUGHTS OF YOU "A friendly little greeting with a cheery 'How are you all?' To let you know that warmest thoughts are tucked in here for all of you!
I love you all !!!
Narci Cooper"
Las Vegas NV
PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Jean Bell, Winell Blackard, Annah Brown, Nancy Chastain, Perry Cooper, Hollis Lee, Bonnye Horton, Linda Jones, Joyce Lee, Georgia Lide, Wayne Pickrel, Marie Plemmons, Bud Roach, Helen Roper, Alva Mae Sheets, Edith Shiflet, Ola Mae Simpson, Julia Terrell, Rebecca Tippitt
ALSO: Lucy Anguiano, Cristell Cato, Austin Cody, Mary Craig, Juanita DuBose, Wesley DuBose, Edna Graves, Ruby Jeffery, Wayne Lineberger, Wanda Abbey Rivera
Service Arrangements
ANNOUNCEMENTS.........Gene Campbell
SONG LEADER (AM)....Hal Roper
Wednesday Nite......Grady Duncan
PRAYERS Sunday.
AM First Prayer..Weldon Miller
AM Closing...Ron Traughber
PM First Prayer..Gene Campbell
PM Closing..Frankie Sargent
PRAYERS Wednesday Nite
First Prayer.....Grady Duncan
Closing.Hal Roper
COMMUNION FOR JULY
SOUTH SIDE NORTH SIDE
AM Bob Hedges Weldon Miller
George O'Neal Darrell Cooper
PMRhodney Freeman Hal Roper
ARE YOU BORED?
(Guest article from Mammoth Spring, Ark. Bulletin)
Author Unknown
Someone has said, "Boredom is bred by idleness; it never bothers those who keep busy."
You say, "That is a good statement. I have read statements like that also, but what is there for me to do?" Let me suggest a few things everyone can do to keep busy.
First, make it a regular habit to seriously study the word of God. The person who learns to value God's word finds delight in learning more about it. This is something we can never exhaust. David said the word of God was his meditation all the day. The more we increase our knowledge of God's word the more we will love serving Him and the more we will find to do. There is never a dull moment for a person who delights in reading God's word.
Second, visit people who are sick and shut-in. If we have never been in that condition you cannot know what a joy it brings to those whom you visit. I am thinking now about a brother who is retired. His health is not the best. He is more than eighty years old. He cannot drive a car and does not own one. Yet he finds time to visit hospitals every week. Seldom do I go into a room to visit one who is sick without the person telling me this brother has been there. Usually he leaves a card and they proudly show me the card he left. What a blessing his life is to many people! Jesus will not find it necessary to say to him, "Ye visited me not." In this day when people work shorter hours for a living and have such convenient ways of getting around there is no excuse for anyone not engaging in this work. Really it is not a work but a pleasure once we get started to doing it. And it can bring sunshine into so many lives.
Third, visit careless Christians. If all those who once were loyal in their attendance but have become careless could be encouraged to come back to the Lord, our buildings would not hold the people who would be coming. Many times these people only need a little encouragement. Something has caused them to become careless. They need to know someone is interested. And you will get such a thrill out of seeing them do better. Just the other day a brother told me about calling on someone who had been absent for a long time. The call was made either Monday or Tuesday and he happily said, "I saw her here Wednesday night." We can all have a part in this work.
Fourth, talk with someone about obeying the Lord. You would be surprised to know how many people are waiting to learn about Christ. Some of them may be wondering why you have not mentioned your Lord to them. They see you attend services but you never invite them. They witness the happiness you get from serving the Lord, long for that happiness, and wonder why you are unwilling to share it. We do not need to have special training for this service. In our own way it is possible that we can teach our friends better than those who may have had special training. They had rather hear the truth from you than from anybody. If you need help it is always available. But don't wait for someone else to make an approach, do it yourself and find the joy of sharing the gospel with others.
Do something for somebody. that is the answer. Even though we are surrounded with conveniences the life we live is enough to bore anybody unless we put some meaning into it. We cannot find true happiness in searching for methods of being entertained, but if we will learn to help others we will find it. Don't be idle. Don't be bored. Do something for somebody, quick.
Seeing Clearly
-Floyd Kaiser
(Guest article from The Southwesterner bulletin)
This morning when I arrived at the office, before I started to work, I found myself going through a ritual that I'm certain I've unconsciously performed countless times before. I cleaned my eyeglasses.
How this grime gets on my glasses, I don't have a clue. It's a mystery how this muck accumulates by just moving through the air. But, it happens. Therefore in my upper desk drawer I keep lens pads just for this purpose.
The reason for this mechanical activity before I get down to the important matters of writing articles and preparing for sermons is that looking through dirty glasses affects my view of everything. Without clean glasses life is seen through a haze. Sharpness of vision is lost.
In Matthews 6:22-23 Jesus taught, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"
Jesus speaks of two extreme eye conditions. One eye is clear and unclouded and able to allow light to pass through and illuminate the body. It is thus filled with the grace of God and spiritual blessings that money cannot purchase and man cannot take away.
The other extreme is the eye that is bad, i.e. evil and dark. In this case, the bad eye is so hazy and impenetrable that light cannot shine through; the body is filled with darkness. In such a life hopelessness, worry and despair reign.
In the context Jesus applied the concept to the person who desires the material things of this world. In the verse before, He declared, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Basically, Jesus is saying that what you have an eye for, i.e. what you desire most in life, is what your life will seek and what you seek will be your treasure. Depending upon the clarity of the eye of one's life, the whole body will be filled with light or darkness one or the other.
The text obviously begs the question, "How is the eye of your life these days?"
I must admit that for me, the cleansing of the eye of my life is much more difficult than preparing my physical vision for a day's work at the office. It is not as easy as wiping it with a cloth. Even preachers at times struggle to see clearly the light of God's grace. Materialism, worldliness and greed can also cloud our eyes.
What can be done to cleanse this eye of life and allow the light to come through?
The answer is perhaps best summed up in a popular hymn, Take Time to Be Holy.
Take time to be holy,
Speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always,
And feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children;
Help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing
His blessings to seek.
Observe what the song recommends: prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and service. Unless we take the time to do what holy people are supposed to do, the world will blind us to the riches of God's blessings and grace.
