West-Ark Newsletter, 26 May 2005

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Family Lines Newsletter, May 26, 2005
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Luke 12:18-21 Then he said, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

A few mornings ago I took an early morning walk. As I traveled my usual route, I noticed something ahead of me in the road. It just was daylight, and I could not make out what I saw. I see lots of different things in the road on my morning walkssquirrels, possums, skunks, raccoons, a variety of fast food containers, and beer bottles. However, the shape of this object was different. It seemed much too still to be a living creature.

As I drew closer, I saw a large turtle just beginning its journey across the street. By the shape of its shell and its movements, it seemed to be the kind of snapping turtle I saw around lakes in my boyhood days. A golf course pond was behind itI assume that is where it came from. Who (but it) knew where it was goingon the other side of the road is the beginning of a very large hill with no lake or pond.

Suddenly, a strange drama began unfolding. Early morning traffic picked up. A couple of cars dodged the turtle, and other cars slowed down to make certain they missed it. Would the turtle live to see the other side of the street?

Several things occurred to me. Only the turtle knew why it was going. I am sure that to the turtle its journey made sense, but from any other perspective the turtles journey was just plain stupid. Second, the turtle did not have a clue about the danger it was in. In the blink of an eye, the turtle could go from very alive to very dead. Third, the turtle would regard any attempt to help it as an attack. I quickly thought better of my inclination to remove it from the road.

I realize how much we are like the turtle. We think we know what we are doing, but we dont. We think we know where we are going, but we dont. However, we are certain we must get thereuntil we arrive. Too often we regard any attempt to rescue us from danger we do not see with indignation. When we are determined, a caring act is perceived as a hostile attack. Too often we mistake our journey with life itself.

One of lifes essential lessons learned only with great difficulty: our journey must not consume our existence. Who we are is more important than where we are. If we take proper care of who we are, we avoid many predicaments. The nature of our journey is never as important as who we are. Where we are is important only when it affects who we are. Who we are impacts our eternal destiny far more than where we have been.

Oh, by the way, when I walked back by, the turtle was nowhere to be seen. Only it knows where it is and why it wentor maybe not even it knows.

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**In Our Thoughts & Prayers**
Don Green has prayer pager 441-2593.
Wendell Fenton (Natalie Nelsons father) has prayer pager 784-7490.
Bill Moss is in Sparks Hospital, room 475 recovering from surgery. He did not have to have a kidney removed. Bill has prayer pager 441-6639.
Treva Hills grandfather, Charles Hill, is in room 4528 at St. Edward Hospital.

**Continued Prayers**
Adam Jenkins
Anita Maxwell
Betty Pence, mother of Cyndi Glidewell
Bill Houlker (Roy & Joyce Dunavins son-in-law)
Chuck Cunningham
David Collins (Jennifers husband)
Frieda Belote (Rons mother)
Gene Smith
Jay Wood
John Fowler
Kathryn Simms (Melody Priesters grandmother)
Larry Treat
Maile McDonald
Paul Flippo
Therese Wieser
Vicki Varvel (daughter of John and Nadine Hawkins)

**Missionaries in Prayer**
__________ in Laos
Thomas & Kindy Kweekul in Thailand and Laos
__________ in Vietnam
John Paul & Ruby Lee Hundley in France

**Prayers for Men in Service**
Continue to pray for Matthew Faries, Shane L. Newton, Daniel Kweekul, Aaron Bailey, Philip Lux, Adam Morrissun, Ronnie Wheat, David Jennen, and Jacob Roper. Praise! Matthew Faries is home from Iraq for a visit with his family.

**Bereaved**
Our love and sympathy is extended to Barney Puckett in the death of his aunt, Tressa Puckett, of Booneville. Funeral services were Wednesday.

**Guyana Prayer Support**
As an aid to remind us to support our Guyana Team in prayer, wristbands will be available in the foyer starting this Sunday, May 29. Get yours while they last, and start lifting up the team to the Father. To Him be all the glory! Eighteen people from West-Ark will be leaving Saturday, June 4 and returning June 12.

Christy Anders
Sandy Berger
Azia Blasdel
Missy Blasdel
Michael Blasdel
Richard Bullard
Shirley Bullard
Michael Cole
Joyce Dunavin
Roy Dunavin
Colleen Frost
Jim Hardin
Nancy James
Glenda Lewis
Jack Lewis
Charlotte Pinedo
Larry Roper
Niketa Stinchcomb

**Welcome New Members!**
Brent & Carol Evans
Hayden, Haleigh & Hope
410 S. Pecan
Sallisaw, OK 74955
Phone: (918) 774-0121

**Baptisms**
Alex Tomlin
Route 4, Box 194-1
Muldrow, OK 74948
Alex is the son of Jeff & Marcia. He was baptized May 15th by Brad Pistole.

**Wedding Showers**
A shower honoring Britney Beard is planned for Sunday, May 29, from 2:00 4:00 p.m. in the home of Danna Turpin, 2405 Rannoch Lane (Fianna Hills). Britney is registered at Dillard's, Linens 'N Things, and Target.

A shower honoring Paige Freeland and Bill Wilson is planned for Sunday, June 12, from 1:30 3:00 p.m. in the home of Jill Roberts, 2304 Dundee Drive. Men are welcomed to attend. The couple is registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Dillards.

**Notes of Thanks **
Dear West-Ark Church of Christ,
Thank you so much for the silk spray of roses. It was just beautiful. We appreciate Roy Dunavin for all his help. Your thoughtfulness and prayers was greatly appreciated. Thanks to all the ladies for all their help and the great food!
J. C. & Sharon Calvert
The Hundley Family

**Car Clinic**
Well meet Saturday, June 4, from 8 11 a.m. at the Annex for our car clinic (weather permitting).

**Widows/Widowers**
June 4, well leave the Annex at 11:30 a.m. to go eat lunch and ride the trolley. Bring your appetite and memories of yesteryear for a fun day!

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**Vacation Bible School 2005**
Its coming soon! July 18-21 will be here before we know it! Be watching for more information for the kids and for how YOU can help! There is a place for everyone! If you already know you want to help or have questions, please contact the following:

To be a Family Leader/Helper: Rochelle Brown (646-4105)
To be a Marketplace Shop Keeper/Helper: Karen Benjamin (414-8166)

If you have questions about what the above means or any other questions, please call Carolyn Harrell (646-3325) or Dena Jenkins (478-6486).

Lets all work together to make this the best VBS yet so our kids can learn more of our Savior and His Church! To Him be all the glory!

**Daytime Workers Needed**
CURE needs to develop a crew of people willing to work during daytime hours. Please see or call Bob Fisher or Kevin Vaught if you can be on a daytime crew roster. Thanks!
Bob Fisher, cell 651-6591
Kevin Vaught, cell 414-4304

**Kids for Christ News**
Due to the Memorial holiday weekend, KFC will not meet this week (5/29/05). Sunday night, June 5, at 6 p.m. well begin the KFC Summer Video series!

**Jump Start Your Week**
Summer LIFE Groups will combine and begin meeting together Sunday, June 5, 6:00 p.m. in Room 200. Join us next week!

**Summer Camp! **
Help a kid take a break from the pressures of this world by sending him/her to camp for a week. The cost is about $100 each, and we have 15 to 20 children in our inner-city programs who would love to go. To help, make your check payable to the church and mark it for camp. Questions? Call Jack Lewis at 459-0168.

**Church Directory Update**
Please stop by the table in the foyer and check your familys directory information (names, address, children living at home, and telephone number). This is Phase 1 of a project headed by Mat and Jo Griffin to produce an in-house pictorial church directory.

**LFC Coming Event**
Tuesday, June 7
The LFCs will lead Green Valley Bible Camp evening worship. (Seniors from West-Ark youth group are at GVBC in a retreat that week.)

**Lions for Christ & Operation Razorback**
The LFCs are collecting used CDs and DVDs to send to Operation Razorback, an organization that supports local troops (from Arkansas and Oklahoma) while they are stationed in the Middle East. The LFCs have a box in the Campus Room for donations.

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Excitement fills the air! Kids are running and leaping for joy! Thats rightschool is out and the summer is here!

I hope you have made plans to strengthen your spiritual walk during your summer break, and here are some great ideas to help get our teens and families started:

We will leave with a group of 10th-12th graders for Senior Week at Green Valley Bible Camp on Sunday, June 5th and we will return on Saturday, June 11th. Jackie Chesnutt, the preacher from the Southside congregation in Rogers, AR, will be leading us through a daily study of 1st Timothy.

There are a few spots still available, and we will be providing transportation to and from camp. The cost for the week is $80, and it includes meals, lodging, snacks, and class materials. You wont need money for anything else. See Brad for more details.

Then we will leave on June 24th for the Heifer International Project in Perryville, AR. This 3-day program will teach our teens more about global hunger awareness, what it takes to survive in a 3rd world country, the importance of service to those in need, and team work. We will return on Monday, June 27th.

Summer Events: We have a lot of great things planned for this summer for our 7th-12th graders and their families. Do your part to get involved, make a difference in the life of others, and grow in your spiritual walk with Christ. If you do, it will be a great summer break!
Go to www.westarkchurchofchrist.org/youth/calendar.htm for more details about summer events.

**Fifth Sunday Nursery**
A.M. Nursery
Cristy Pressley
Kay Pressley
Hannah and
Maddie Pressley
Louise Howard
Cami Stancil
P.M. Nursery
Robertta Moses

**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Sunday AM Worship 727
Bible Classes 459
Sunday Evening 347
Wednesday PM 340
Contribution $14,816
Childrens Home $189
Hispanic Contribution $137
AM Hispanic Attendance 53
Laotian Contribution $216
Laotian Attendance 25
The Way Contribution $114
The Way Attendance 50

Office Phone (479) 452-1240
Fax (479) 452-5767
office@westarkchurchofchrist.org
www.westark.org
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"Making disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve others."
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