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Family
Lines Newsletter, February 2,
2006
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**Even Christians Know Sorrow**
By David
Chadwell
Romans 9:1-5 “I am telling the truth in Christ, I
am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have
great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself
were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as
sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple
service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ
according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever.
Amen.”
In this existence, sorrow comes in many
forms. There is no escaping sorrow in this life. Even if there were
no sickness, no disease, no pain, no needs based on privations, no struggles, no
accidents, and no reverses, sorrow would exist.
“Oh, if I had all my needs met and never
experienced physical pain, I would have no sorrow.” Really? Consider just
two sorrows.
First is the sorrow produced by the unwise
decisions or wasteful choices made by one we care about deeply. All of us
experience seeing someone we care about doing or deciding something
“dumb.” It is horrible to see one important to us make foolish
choices! It is worse than horrible—it is the agony of a torn heart!
Second is the sorrow produced by aging.
Picture a lifetime as an hour glass. In youth, there is so much sand in
the top that life seems to stretch before you endlessly. When middle age
comes, there is no reason for alarm. There is as much sand in top of the
glass as at the bottom. Yet, the moment comes when the sand in the bottom
is much larger than in the top. Strength diminishes. Energy
diminishes. All desires diminish. The gnawing awareness is what “I
could do” and what “I can do” are separate discussions. Often in that fact
is the regret only sorrow understands.
Good news! There is something much, much
larger than human sorrow. It is so big that not even an execution on a
cross could end it! It is so huge that not even a tomb could hide
it. It is so powerful that it is available to everyone! It is so
wonderful that it can make any life endlessly meaningful! Incredibly, it
has no age limit on its hope—it is for the old, the young, and all in
between!
At the core of this good news is personal
transformation. One of today’s advertising campaigns makes an “easy
button” a popular concept. This is a superior button—it is the “renewal
button.”
In Jesus Christ God provides us opportunity to
start over. There is opportunity to become what God intended when He made
us. We can be new creatures with new values and new purposes. Those
values and purposes are not dependent on physical need, and they do not produce
pain. They produce hope arising from the discovery of a new reality.
Interested? Read Ephesians 4:17-24 and Colossians 3:1-11.
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**Prayers and Thanksgiving**
• Miranda Graham
(age 10), daughter of Chad and Kim Graham, is scheduled for heart surgery at
Arkansas Children's Hospital on February 9. Miranda will have a heart valve
replaced. The Graham's will travel to Little Rock on February 8th. Please
remember the family in prayer this week as they make preparations. Miranda’s
prayer pager is 441-2591.
• Robert Beshears (Patti Anderson's father) is in
St. Edward Hospital ICU with congestive heart problems.
• Montie Ray, Karen
Carter’s father, is at St. Edward Hospital with heart problems.
• Frances
Strawhacker is in Summit County Hospital, Room 260, with heart problems.
•
Slats Slaton, Brian Pistole’s father-in-law has advanced cancer of the eyes and
stomach.
• Ruston Byrd, the victim of the North Albert Pike car accident, is
in St. Edward Hospital ICU in critical condition. He is the cousin of Kathy
Rosalez. So far, he is not stable enough for surgery that is needed.
• Ollie
Amos is in Sparks, Room 674.
• Billie Neisler is in Sparks, Room 596. She is
recovering from knee replacement surgery.
• Good news! Jim Pratt is home now,
and his arteriogram showed minimal blockage, and no stints are needed.
•
Shannon McRay is dismissed from the hospital.
• Anita Maxwell’s cancer has
returned. She appreciates your prayers.
• Please pray for comfort for Anna
Ramsey in her final days of battling cancer.
• Joel Prigge (Louise Howard’s
brother-in-law)
• Kaila Cartwright, a relative of Angela
Dunavant
**Prayer Pagers**
• Corey Johnson 784-7490
•
Duane Walker 441-2593
• Jane McGowan 441-1734
• Miranda Graham
441-2591
**Military in Prayer**
Shane L. Newton, Adam
Morrissun, Jacob Roper, Jackie Luong, Bob Mason, Alan Todd, and Charlie
Remaley.
**Missionaries in Prayer**
• Thomas Kweekul
begins traveling 2/2/06 on a four-month mission trip.
• John Paul & Ruby
Lee Hundley in France.
• Our missionaries in Laos and Vietnam.
**Attention Joy Bunch!**
Arrangements have been
made for us to see the movie, “The End of the Spear,” on Monday, February 6th.
The movie is at the Malco theater next to Central Mall, and it starts at 4:30 in
the afternoon. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5.50. We will meet at
the Malco around 4:00 or so. If anyone needs transportation, please call
the Turpins.
**Blessed Event!**
Congratulations to Josh and
Kim Bice on the birth of their daughter, Harper Jane, on January 26.
Harper weighed 8 lbs., 13 ozs. and was 20 3/4 inches long. Congratulations also
to John & Beverly Lankford (grandparents); Doris Karr (great-grandmother);
and Ruth Choate (great-great aunt).
**Refrigerator Still Needed**
The LFC campus
ministry is in need of a refrigerator for its campus center. If you have
one and would like to donate it to this ministry, please see John
Priester. It doesn't need to be big or fancy, just one that keeps food
cold.
**DYNAMIC MARRIAGE CLASS FORMING**
Current plans
are to start the class in mid February 2006. We will need commitment from
at least 10 couples. The cost for everything needed is $130.00. Paul
Shirley and Mat Griffin are facilitators certified by Family Dynamics Inc. Let
one of them know if you are interested in participating.
Paul Shirley
Mat Griffin
**MEN’S BIBLE CLASS BEGINS**
Tuesday
morning
February 7, 10 a.m.
Annex Meeting Room
Teachers: Russ McConnell
and David Chadwell
Any man of any age is welcome to come to all or part
of the classes. We begin our study in Luke with the goal of continuing
into Acts. We will break in May for the summer. It will be an
informal, interactive class. Please come as we draw closer to God and each
other!
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**LFC LIFE GROUP**
Sunday, February 5
5:00
p.m.
Gary & Rochelle Brown’s home for life group and the Super
Bowl!
**CAMPUS ENCOUNTER**
FEBRUARY
17-19
LFC's! The time is now for you to sign up for Campus Encounter at
OSU. The cost is only $10. Come and share in this wonderful event with other
state school ministries from all over the mid-west. Sign up now so we can
be sure to have housing for the event. See you there!
**LTC ANNOUNCEMENT**
Sunday, February 5, is the
deadline for pre-convention forms to be turned in to Clark or
Nancy.
**Area Wide Prayer Breakfast**
Valley View
Church of Christ in Greenwood, Saturday, February 4th, 7:30 a.m.
**Happy Birthday**
February 9
Austin Curtis
John Holley
Mike
Williams
February 10
Howard Hughes
Marceil
Stevens
February 11
Jessica Bryant
Lance
Haines
Elaine Kamp
February 12
Joyce Dunavin
Keli
Rothwell
February 13
Ava Jones
February 14
Barbara Abernathy
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**Teen/Joy Bunch Dinner**
Rescheduled for
Saturday, February 18th, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
The Teen/Joy Bunch Dinner originally scheduled for
December has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 18th. The dinner will take
place in the Family Life Center from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
You will find a new sign-up list on the board just
outside Room 100. Please sign-up as soon as possible so we can begin making
plans for food and drinks. You don’t need to bring anything. Everything will be
provided!
We are so thankful to you for all that you do for
the kingdom of God and this is our way of saying “Thank You!” We look forward to
seeing all of you on February 18th.
We are putting the final touches on all of the
plans for this summer, so keep your eyes on the youth website for updates on
coming events.
Go to http://www.westarkchurchofchrist.org/youth
and click on calendar of events for more Information.
**A.M. Nursery**
Melissa Walker
Dena
Jenkins
**P.M. Nursery**
Dixie Burkhart
Gina
Williams
**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Sunday AM
Worship 685
Bible Classes 463
Sunday Evening NC
Wednesday
Evening 304
Contribution $16,788
Children’s Home
$213
Laotian Attendance 29
Laotian Contribution $190
**Iglesia de Cristo**
Attendance
50
Contribution $203
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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