------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Family Lines Newsletter, March 30, 2006
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
**What Does Faith in God Mean?**
By David Chadwell
 
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
 
Questions: Is God at work ONLY when good things happen to us?  Or is God working when ‘bad’ things happen to us as well as ‘good’ things?  How can we know when what we perceive as a ‘bad’ thing is actually a ‘good’ thing?  If what we want would eventually destroy our souls, is what we want a ‘bad’ thing or a ‘good’ thing?
 
Was God at work when Moses was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter?  Was God at work when Moses killed the Egyptian?  Was God at work when Moses fled to the wilderness?  Was God at work at the burning bush?  Was God at work when Moses finally agreed to return to Egypt to lead Israel out of Egypt?
 
Was God at work in the ten incredible events?  Yes.  Was that a miserable time for some people?  Yes.  Was God at work when Israel left Egypt at night?  Yes.  Was that a convenient moment to begin an exodus journey?  No.  Was God at work in the wilderness?  Yes.  Was that a wonderful, simple vacation experience?  No. Was God at work when Israel conquered Canaan? Yes.  Did Israelites die in that conflict?  Yes.  Do you think that was ‘family fun time’ for those grieving the losses?
 
Consider.  Was the fall to the Babylonians fun?  No.  Was the Babylonian captivity fun?  No.  Was God at work?  Yes.  Were Daniel and other righteous people taken captive? Yes.  When Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls, was it ‘fun time’?  No. Was God at work?  Yes.
 
What about the crucifixion of Jesus? Or the death of James? of Paul? of Peter? of a number of Christians? of persecutions? of imprisonments? of riots in protest of faith in Jesus Christ?
 
Is our attitude to be ‘if it’s good, God is at work; if it’s bad, God is absent’?  Is a real war between God’s purposes and Satan’s anger raging?  If so, will there be casualties?  Can God’s purposes be accomplished as surely through the wounding or death of Christians as certainly as through good things happening to Christians?
 
To me this is an obvious truth throughout the Bible: God works through sacrifice as well as reward.  God’s people do not belong to Him because they cannot be touched by evil circumstances.  God’s people belong to Him because evil circumstances cannot defeat them. Because they are so strong?  No!  Because in any circumstance, Satan is NEVER bigger than God.
 
Christians place full confidence in Jesus’ cross!  They place equal confidence in Jesus’ empty tomb!  Evil may hurt any of us physically, but it cannot stop the triumphant resurrection of every person in Jesus Christ!  Because we are good?  No!  Because God is good!  Of that there is no question in the heart of every Christian man or woman!
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 2 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
**Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday**
Spring forward!
 
**In Our Thoughts & Prayers**
• Alice Jean Rogers will have an angiogram Friday morning (March 31) at Sparks Hospital.
• Audra Bocksnick received a good report from the Mayo Clinic and will go back in six months for a recheck.
• Chuck Cunningham (cancer treatment)
• David Hardy will have kidney surgery in Memphis on March 30.
• Joan Jenkins (See Dena’s note in Family Update)
• Joel Prigge (brother-in-law of Louise Howard; cancer treatment)
• LeRoy Null (Bob’s dad) is home from the hospital.
• Malcomb Gordey is in Sparks Hospital, room 694. He is the uncle of Donna Miller, Marilyn Selby and Laura Smith.
• Myra Flippo is scheduled for lung surgery on April 10th at Sparks Hospital.
• Paul & Marlene Tucker’s 15 months old grandson is going to a pediatric gastroenterologist in Little Rock next week (April 4 & 5).
• Raegon Waid (8 ½ week old niece of Patrick and Dana Pruitt) has had her second surgery and is off the pacemaker.
• Sandy Ahart, aunt of Brian Robbins, has advanced lung cancer. The Robbins family appreciates your prayers for Sandy.
• Vicki Anderson had surgery on Tuesday. She is in St. Edward Hospital, room 4201, and will probably go home by the weekend.
 
**Bereaved**
Our love and sympathy is extended to Judy Walker in the unexpected death of her sister, Beverly Locklear, in North Carolina.
 
Our love and sympathy is extended to Laurie Armstrong in the death of her mother, Anita Maxwell.  Anita died March 24th after a long illness with cancer.  Anita and the Armstrong Family are all former members of West-Ark.  Funeral services are March 30th in Fort Worth, Texas. If you would like to send a card to Larry and Laurie, their address is 5436 Clear Creek Blvd., Fayetteville, AR 72704. The Armstrong family has prayer pager 441-6639.
 
Carolyn Ferstl’s father, O. P. “Junior” Parks, died last Friday, March 24th after battling many health issues. Services were Tuesday at Freewill Baptist Church in Van Buren. We extend our love to Carolyn and the Parks family in their loss.
 
**Prayer Pagers**
A 441-1648 Vicki Anderson
B 441-1734 Jane McGowan
C 441-2290 (unassigned)
D 441-2344 Sharon Barker
E 441-2591 John & Melody Priester
F 441-2593 (unassigned)
G 441-6639 (unassigned)
H 784-7490 (unassigned)
I 441-1791 (unassigned)
J 441-1792 Amanda Daws
K 441-2388 West-Ark Elders (group)
Pagers A-J as a group: 441-2395                                   
 
**Additional Prayer Lists**
Missionary: Thomas Kweekul in Thailand; John Paul & Ruby Lee Hundley in France; our missionaries in Laos and Vietnam.
Jim and Deborah Wilson are traveling and working in Ethiopia for several weeks.
 
Military: Mitchell Bryant, Shane L. Newton, Adam Morrissun, Alan Todd, and Charlie Remaley.
 
**Elder Appreciation Dinner**
Please join us on Tuesday, April 25
at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center.
RSVP by calling the church office at 452-1240 by April 18th.
 
**New Address**
Jon & Liz Huff
Ben, Elijah & Jabin
20363 East 32nd Street
Broken Arrow, OK 74014
 
**Car Clinic**
Our April Car Clinic is Saturday, the 1st from 8 to 11 a.m. (weather permitting).
 
**Faith Comes By Hearing**
Week 11; Days 71-77
April 2: 1 Tim 1-5
April 3: 1 Tim 6 – 2 Tim 3
April 4: 2 Tim 4 – Philemon
April 5: Heb 1-5
April 6: Heb 6-9
April 7: Heb 10-11
April 8: Heb 12 – James 1
 
**Widows/Widowers**
Saturday, April 1, we will eat a quick sack lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Annex and then board the buses for our annual trip to Parks Brothers Nursery. Come and eat lunch even if you don't go to look at the flowers.  Call Mary, Bobbie or Janice if you need transportation to the Annex.
 
**Notes of Thanks**
My family and I want to express our love and gratitude for your prayers and all the many acts of kindness during my recent surgery and hospital stay.
 Billie Neisler
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Dear friends,
Thank you for the many prayers and the comfort of a prayer pager for Jeana. So many of you have demonstrated your compassion and found helpful and thoughtful ways to strengthen and encourage all of us. With the grace of God, healing will come.
 With love and gratitude,
 Ron, Debbie & Jeana Belote
 
Dear Family at West-Ark,
Thank you so much for the many prayers that you have offered up for me and my family. Our family at West-Ark stepped up and was our "real" family, providing meals for us, cards, prayers, emails. You were there for us and we love all of you so very much. I will be turning the prayer pager back in this week, but it has been such a HUGE blessing. At times when I was so sick and weak and all I could do was lay there and cry, it seems at moments like that the prayer pager would buzz almost non-stop reminding me that you were all praying for me. ... THANK YOU!!!!!!!  I love all of you so very much. You have helped hold us up through all of this.
 Sharon Barker (3/27/06, edited)
 
West-Ark Church of Christ
Thank you for your tribute gift of $100 to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in honor of Maile McDonald. Your contribution is important to our ongoing commitment to helping kids throughout Arkansas and beyond. Thank you very much for this meaningful expression of your care and concern.
 With deepest gratitude,
 Fred Scarborough
 Vice President, Gifts
 
**Family Update**
Joan had an appointment with her chemo oncologist today, and unfortunately, we did not get good news.  She has new spots on her lungs and also now has cancer in one of her kidneys as well as the recently diagnosed brain cancer.   While this is not the news for which we had hoped and prayed, we know that God is still in control and will see Joan and the rest of the family through this journey. Please continue to pray for Joan’s strength, peace & comfort in knowing that the Divine Healer is with her.   Cards are so encouraging and comforting to her!  ~~Dena Jenkins 3/28/06      
 Joan Jenkins
 706 Brighton
 Paragould AR 72450
 
**LTC Announcements**
April 2
• 3:00 Sr. High Chorus
• 4:00 Sr. High Bible Bowl
• 5:00 Elementary Drama
• 5:00 Jr./Sr. High Puppets
• 6:00 Elementary Puppets
 
**Choral Parent Performance**
All choir parents, grandparents, and friends are invited and encouraged to come listen to the choir Sunday at 3:00 p.m. in the Auditorium and have a celebration party afterwards.
 
**Rehearsals**
There will be rehearsals for all performance groups (chorus, puppets, and drama) on Friday, April 7. It will last from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Pizza will be provided!
 
**Important Meeting on April 9th**
Sunday, April 9th at 5:00 in the FLC we’ll have a meeting for everyone going to Tulsa, parents and children.
 
**FLC Code to Be Changed**
Friday, March 31, all codes for the FLC outside keypad entrance will be changed. Please see Lynn Dickey if you need to schedule the FLC.
 
**Motherly Love Dinner**
Titus 2:3-5
The “older” women of West-Ark invite the younger women to a dinner on Thursday, April 13, in the home of Donna Beneux from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. We will be privileged to hear Brenda Richardson (Karen Benjamin’s mother) speak about “Our Heritage of Faith & Service.” Please sign the list in the Information Center by April 9. We encourage you to invite your friends and share the evening with us. If you have questions, please call Coleen Shirley.
 
**Happy Birthday**
 
March 29
Karsten Beneux
 
April 3
Sherrell Buchanan
 
April 4
Helen Blackman
Carolyn Johnson
Wade Pressley
 
April 5
Michael Wear
 
April 6
Ron Orick
Seth Seiter
 
April 7
Gary James
Rachel Null
Jeff Pressley
 
April 9
Saige Blasdel
Jackie Hamilton
 
April 10
Clayton Amos
Michelle Boozer
Lisa Hollomon
Robbin Murphy
 
**Community Outreach Day**
at The Hope Chest
Saturday, April 1
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
717 North 4th & H Streets
Fort Smith, AR
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
**Family Life Ministry**
By Brad Pistole
 
The new month is fast approaching and it will hold some great opportunities for your family. Make plans now to take part in one of two great events during the holiday weekend of April 14th-15th.
 
Leadership Training for Christ in Tulsa and Harding University’s Spring Sing will both take place on April 14th-15th. Most area schools are out of class for Good Friday, so take advantage of the long weekend and make some spiritual memories with your family and/or youth group.
 
A large number of our elementary students, teens and family members will be traveling to Tulsa for LTC. This is a great event that takes place each year on Easter weekend. It teaches our kids about various kinds of church leadership and it encourages them to “get involved” right now!
 
I will be taking some of our high school students to Harding University to Spring Sing. This will be our first trip to Searcy in several years as this event always takes place on the same weekend as LTC.
 
I am excited to introduce many of our students to the environment found on a Christian College Campus and to the type of activities that go along with an event like this. Some of our high school students will be staying on campus with several of our former youth group members who are now students at Harding. What a blessing this will be to our students!
 
Thank God for all of the wonderful opportunities He has provided in the near future for us to grow together in our relationships with one another so that we may be strengthened and be better prepared to serve Him!
 
**A.M. Nursery**
Melissa Walker
Suzi Jennemann
Dena Jenkins
 
**P.M. Nursery**
Dixie Burkhart
Gina Williams
 
**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Sunday AM Worship 665
Bible Classes  467
Sunday Evening 329
Wednesday Evening 286
Contribution   $16,890
Children’s Home $215
Laotian Attendance 33
Laotian Contribution $183
Iglesia de Cristo
Attendance 60
Contribution $227
 
Office Phone (479) 452-1240
Fax  (479) 452-5767
office@westarkchurchofchrist.org
www.westark.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Making disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve others."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------