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Family Lines Newsletter,  February 7, 2008
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**Got You Again!**
By David Chadwell
 
“When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).
 
One of the distinctions between God and us is seen in the use of words.  God takes care about what He says; we often fail to be careful about what we say.  While emotions exist in God, God’s words are not chosen by His emotions; too often our emotions choose our words.  God uses His words wisely; we often use our words regretfully.  God knows the full context of what is said; we too often are deceived by adding or imagining context.  God knows both the motives and actions produced by words; we do not.  God is not deceived by words; we are.
 
On one occasion, those who led people religiously were certain that Jesus’ miracles could be “explained” as acts of evil.  They accused Jesus of obtaining his power from Satan.  Jesus declared the inconsistency between who they said they were and their acts.  Jesus’ concluding observation is still chilling: “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36, 37).
 
Many years ago, I heard an illustration that focused on a dying man who had multiple sons.  The sons could not get along.  Just before death, the man asked all his sons to come to his bedside with a wooden board, a nail, and a hammer.  The sons gathered around their father’s bed with the board, nail, and hammer. He asked the oldest to drive the nail through the board.  He asked the middle son to pull it out.  He asked the youngest son to pull the hole out.  Then the father, looking at his sons, said, “Be careful what you say about each other.” Upon saying that, he died.
 
Too many times I have exerted every effort known to me trying unsuccessfully to unsay something I said in great confidence.  Too many times I have been forced to watch the destructive impact of something I said.  To say with heartfelt meaning, “I am sorry!” does not remove the hole left by what I said.  God, deliver me from trying to fill the hole with self-justification, emotions I failed to control, or excuses! 
 
Perhaps most painful of all is to discover years later (with greater spiritual maturity) the destruction caused by something I said.  There are times in my study today at specific moments that I say to myself, “I said what?”  There is little so foolish as the self-assurance of partial knowledge prancing in the deceptive costume of total understanding.  If we could limit to ourselves the hurt done, that would be awful, but when that hurt envelops the blameless—that is horrible!
 
Why would Jesus include our words in our judgment?  In the same incident, Jesus said, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matthew 12:34).
 
“But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way” (James 3:8-10).
 
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**Say A Prayer For ...***
• Ashton Stein is the 2-year-old son of James & Debbie Stein, and the grandson of Bob & Charlotte Rye.  Ashton has a tumor in his eye and is at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis for evaluation and treatment.  No diagnosis has been made yet. The Steins have 5 other children who are staying at home while James & Debbie are with Ashton. The children are sharing a prayer pager – a different child carrying and sleeping with the pager each day!
• Bob Fisher is in Sparks Hospital, room 400, after having a heart attack Monday night. There were some blockages and two stints were implanted.
• Carrie Burress requests prayers for one of her students, Caleb LeBow (a 7th grader at Ozark), and his family. Caleb’s father, Sgt. Richard LeBow, was the Arkansas State Trooper killed in an accident near Mulberry on Monday.
• Carol Schaper (Grant’s mother) is recovering from a broken arm.
• Connie Hixson has a recurrence of breast cancer. She sees her doctor Friday.
• Ed Grist makes the following request: My granddaughter, Madelyn, has another lung infection (due to cystic fibrosis), and my daughter-in-law, Wendy, is having another bout with lupus (gaining water weight again). My son, Jeremy, is in great need of prayers also as he cares for his wife and daughter.
• Isaac Mobley is in Sparks Hospital, room 518. 
• Lloyd Priester (father of Jim) is recovering from pneumonia and also found out that he has heart problems. He’s at home now; please keep him in your prayers.
• Ruth Burns is recovering from out-patient shoulder surgery last week.
• Trish Carson had elbow surgery on February 5.
• Vicki Hardin (former West-Ark member) has been hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer.  If you would like to send a card, Jim and Vicki’s address is 17029 Ridgewood Drive, Edmond, OK 73003.
• Wilma Son is in Covington Court Rehabilitation, room 33B. She has a new cell phone number, (918) 688-2414.  Visitors are welcome!
• Virginia Mobley was scheduled for additional surgery (as an out-patient) on her ankle Wednesday.
 
**Continued Prayers**
• Bob Callicott
• Bob Williams (father of Debbie Belote)
• Clarice Tisher (grandmother of Carrie Burress)
• Donna Wheeler (friend of Tammy Cypert)
• Gene Beckham (Wanda Wear's brother)
• Gerald Jones (friend of Karen Carter)
• Joel Prigge (Louise Howard's brother-in-law)
• Margaret Stone
• Marshall Kid (father of Margaret Moss)
• Mary “T” Kolb
• Patty Kaiser
• Rusty Howard (son of Wilburn & Louise)
• Tommy Holmes (friend of Curtis McDonald)
• Willard Lewis (aunt of Sandy Chavis)
 
**Managing the Prayer List**
The office appreciates your phone calls and e-mails that keep us informed of the prayer needs of your loved ones! To review our prayer ministry guidelines, go to http://www.westark.org/prayer-requests.htm. Printed copies are available in the Information Center.
 
**Bereaved in Prayer**
Remember in prayer these families:
• Peggy Pistole in the sudden death of her cousin, Gary McCartney, of a heart attack on January 31.  Gary was a member of the Branch Church of Christ.
• Sandy Chavis in the recent death of her uncle, John Childers, of Memphis, TN.
• Karen Benjamin in the death of her great-aunt, Pat Gosnell, in Hot Springs. Funeral services are Monday (2/11/08) in Arkadelphia, AR.
 
**Prayer Pagers**
• Donna Wheeler, 441-2378
• Greg, Dena & Caitlyn Russell, 441-2387
• Brothers and sisters of Ashton Stein, 784-7490
• Connie Hixson, 441-1792
 
**Welcome, New Member!**
Nathan Daniels
1526 South 34th, Apt. B
Fort Smith, AR 72903
(404) 906-2244
 
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**Guest Speakers**
Dr. Charles Siburt (ACU) will be our guest speaker Sunday morning for worship and combined adult Bible classes in the Auditorium.
Brent Murphy from Southern Christian Home will be our guest speaker Sunday evening.
 
**Tutor Needed**
A tutor is needed for a well-behaved little boy (2nd grade), Tuesday afternoons from 3:20 to 5:00 PM.  Contact Sheila Vaught if you can help.
 
**Notes of Thanks**
I would like to thank the body at West-Ark for their many prayers, cards, phone calls and greetings.  It seems unreal what my Mother has been through the past 4 months, losing three brothers and a sister. Also, thank you for your continued prayer support for my son, Jeremy as he takes care of his wife and daughter.
 In Christ’s love,
 Ed Grist
 
Thank you so much for the flowers, calls, cards, and prayers during the passing of my mother.
 Sincerely,
 Judy Walker
 
I would to share with everyone the autopsy results of my great-granddaughter, Jaylie Walker, who died in October at the age of three months. We learned this week that she died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Thank you for praying for our family during this difficult time.
 Jeanetta Falls
 
**JOY Bunch Potluck and Valentine’s Party**
Saturday, February 16
6:00 PM in the FLC
 
**House Fire and Response**
Joe and Rhiannon Corley’s house burned down last Thursday afternoon (1/31/08). Thankfully, everyone was safe. The funds that West-Ark members donated to assist Joe & Rhiannon have been used to purchase furniture, household items, groceries, prescriptions and clothes. The Corleys have moved into another home located at 1400 North 29th Street, Fort Smith, AR.
 
**Wedding Shower**
A shower is planned for Adam & Candice Davis on Sunday, February 17th, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in the Annex.  Adam & Candice are registered at Wal-Mart and Linens ‘N Things.
 
**Pray for Our Military **
Brian Perkins
John Clark
Michael Priester
Mike Gooden
Mitchell Bryant
Ron Wheat
 
We wanted to let you know that Shawn Walker-Bandy is home and safe.  He returned from Baghdad Jan. 21st.  PRAISE GOD! We appreciate you putting him in the military prayer list. Truly there is nothing like the power of prayer.  God Bless.
 In Christian Love, 
 Richard and Sandy Bandy
 
**Pray for Our Missionaries**
• Our missionary families in Vietnam and Laos.
• John Paul & Ruby Lee Hundley are home for a visit from their work in France and Belgium.
• Evangelists and their families with whom we work in Ethiopia and Nigeria.
 
**Prayers for Other Missions**
Rick Johnson, a former West-Ark member, is currently on a short-term mission trip to India. He is scheduled to return February 28th.
 
**Youth & Family Ministry Search Team Members**
Bill Kamp
Colleen Frost
Dave Cogswell
Bruce Davenport
Lisa Grace
Mary Burkett
Chris Benjamin
Jackie Sofio – Ex officio providing administrative support
 
**LTC Practices for Feb. 10**
3:00 Elem. Signing
        Jr./Sr. High Puppets
4:00 Elem. Drama
        Jr./Sr. High Drama
5:00 Elem. Puppets
        Jr./Sr. High Chorus
6:00 Elem. Chorus
        Jr./Sr. High Signing
 
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YOUTH GROUP NEWS
 
**Winter Retreat**
Some of our teens will leave Friday for a Winter Retreat in Siloam Springs. Please pray for a safe and spiritually uplifting trip!  They should return between 12:00 and 12:30 PM on Sunday. If you have not turned in the $45 for the retreat, please give it to Jackie soon.
 
**Valentine's Banquet Honoring Our Widows and Widowers**
Wednesday, February 13, Family Life Center
Please sign-up to serve at the dinner. Be there at 4:45 PM to help set-up and get things ready. We will have a great opportunity to show how much we love and appreciate our widows and widowers by learning more about them and their loved ones. We will share our class time with them after the dinner in room 106 in the lobby.
 
Note: Please remember to clean up after yourselves if you use the teen media room. It has been left in a mess quite a few times. Thanks!
 
Please continue to pray for the Search Team and their efforts!
 
**In Loving Memory**
of Jeannie Thompson (Paul Quenin’s sister) by West-Ark Church of Christ:
•Science and Christianity (4 Views) by Carlson
• One-Another Christianity by Poyner
• Prophecy and Apocalyptic Dream by Russell
 
**Happy Birthday**
 
February 11
Brandon Daws
Lance Haines
Elaine Kamp
 
February 12
Joyce Dunavin
 
February 13
Ava Jones
 
February 14
Barbara Abernathy
 
February 15
Mary Hudson
Ron Smith
 
February 16
Arianna Heras
Charles Mondier
 
**Morning Nursery**
Vicki Anderson
Trish Carson
Dwonne Cogswell
 
**Evening Nursery**
Terri Jones
Marquetta Walker
 
**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Sunday AM Worship  647
Bible Classes  420
Sunday PM Worship  163
Life Groups 25 
Contribution  $23,267
Children’s Homes  $243.58
Wednesday Classes  280
 
Lao Worship
Attendance  32
Contribution  $170
 
Iglesia de Cristo
Attendance  61
Contribution  $246
 
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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