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Family
Lines Newsletter, July 24,
2008
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**It Depends On Your
Focus!**
By David Chadwell
“Do not judge so that you will not
be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your
standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the
speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your
own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of
your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the
log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of
your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)
The following are words from Joyce Chadwell
without David’s editing.
“It is so easy to find fault with
others. A couple of days ago I found a shirt button in my bedroom
floor. I wondered why David didn’t tell me he had lost a button. I
thought, ‘Now I am going to have to go through all his shirts and see where it
belongs.’ I laid the button on my dressing table to put off going through
his shirts or asking him why he didn’t tell me he lost a button. I guess I
preferred to stew about it. Well, this morning I decided to put on a denim
shirt I wore Monday and guess what. It was MY button all the time.
When I started to button my shirt there was a missing button and it matches the
one on the dressing table. To paraphrase what Jesus said, ‘You should make
sure your own shirt has a button before you tackle a closet full of someone
else’s shirts,’ or something like that.” (Used by permission.)
Whew! Narrow escape! I
would not notice a missing button until I put on a shirt she had washed and
ironed! Only then do I say, “Could you fix this shirt?”
Why is it so easy to see others’
faults and flaws and so hard to see our own? May I suggest two
reasons. First, as long as I look at you, I do not have to look at
me. A focus on your mistakes often means I never have to look at my
own. All of us like that! All of us had rather be an expert on
others’ flaws rather than dealing with our own flaws. When someone
calls attention to our flaws, we are shocked. We are the experts!
How could anyone see flaws in us? If such flaws exist, they have a
justifying reason for existing—just listen to my reason and you will ignore my
flaws!
Second, it is much easier to judge
than encourage. Encouragement is just plain hard! It takes
gentleness, understanding, and helpfulness. People are so uncooperative
and suspicious! “What is in it for you?” “What are you up to?”
“What’s your real motive?” What a world—we are more suspicious of kindness
than we are of harshness! However, judging is simple. Package it as
“constructive criticism” from an “insightful person,” smile, shape opinion into
fact, and say anything. The judged should be “grateful” for the
“constructive criticism.”
Aren’t you glad God is not a
human? Aren’t you glad He continues to “go to the trouble” and “makes the
effort” to encourage us in Jesus Christ? God encourages in spite of our
flaws and failures (and He truly knows what He is talking about, sees honestly,
and accurately understands motives). We, too, should seek to be
encouragers because it is godlike, and we wish to be like our spiritual Father
who creates us in Jesus Christ.
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HOSPITAL PRAYER LIST
**St. Edward
Hospital**
http://www.stedwardmercy.com/email
• Aline Story is in room 4318 after having a stroke and
falling.
• Jerry Aldridge is in room 5204 for two weeks of additional rehab.
• Jesus Luna (son of Norma) had an emergency appendectomy Wednesday night.
He is in St. Edward Hospital, room 4209, and will be there for about a
week.
• Patty Kaiser has moved into hospice care, room 5119.
**HealthSouth Rehab**
• Grace
Peters, room 224 B
• Paula May, room 210 B
**Remember in Prayer**
• Carl Capers (father of Carolyn
Hankins) is seriously ill in McAlester, Oklahoma.
• Diane Greenhaw (Rochelle
Brown’s cousin) had surgery to remove a brain tumor on Friday in Springfield,
Missouri. The surgery went as well as it could -- it is an aggressive
cancer.
• Prayers are requested for Donna Wheeler (Tammy Cypert’s friend).
Donna is unable to eat and is scheduled for tests this week on a mass on her
liver. Tammy is very thankful for her West-Ark family’s many prayers for
her friend.
• Lance Haines has moved to a rehab room at Methodist Hospital in
Fort Worth, TX.
• L. T. Burress (grandfather of Chris) is in the hospital at
Magnolia, AR with heart complications. He is the primary caregiver for his wife
who has Alzheimer’s. Please be praying for the whole family.
• Tom Drane was
dismissed from the hospital on Tuesday and has returned to Legacy Health &
Rehab.
• Eddie Lile (son of Marie) is in Sparks Hospital, room 439,
with acute liver failure.
**Continued Prayers**
• Bob
Williams (father of Debbie Belote)
• Harry Smith
• Inez Hatfield
•
Lloyd Priester (Jim’s father)
• Louise Cline
• Margaret Stone
• Randy
Bridges (minister at Washburn and area educator)
**Military Prayer List**
•
James & Megan Johnson
• Jered Goddard
• Jeremy Grist
• John
Clark
• John Lemley
• Lance Hurst
• Michael Priester
• Mitchell
Bryant
• Ryan Almond
• Will Domer
**Historic First for Christians in
China**
On Sunday morning, August 3, we at West-Ark will be joining
Christians around the world in a prayer of thanksgiving for the first meeting of
the Beijing Church of Christ. Christians have been gathering underground in
house churches in China for many years, but for the first time ever, a legally
sanctioned congregation will be established in the capital city of The People’s
Republic of China.
**Missionaries in Prayer**
•
Our missionary families in Vietnam and Laos.
• John Paul & Ruby Lee
Hundley in France and Belgium.
• Evangelists and their families with
whom we work in Ethiopia and Nigeria.
**Prayer Pagers**
• Jessica
Frost, 441-2386
• Family of Ashton Stein, 784-7490
**Baptisms**
Alexandra
Martin
26633 Fair Hill Road
Cameron, OK 74932
Phone (918)
657-3077
Alexandra is the daughter of Kim Shawver.
Catherine Owen
3201 Old
Excelsior Road
Greenwood, AR 72936
Phone: 479 996-6149
Catherine is the
daughter of Barry & Robin Owen.
**Widows/Widowers**
Tired of
cooking and cleaning up for yourself??? Join us in the Annex Saturday, August 2,
at noon to enjoy the pleasure of having lunch served to you and others to do the
dishes! Don’t miss this opportunity for great food and fellowship. Call Bobbie, Mary, or Janice for
transportation.
**Car Clinic**
Car Clinic for
single women and anyone over 60 will be Saturday, August 2 from 8 to 11 AM in
the Annex parking lot.
**Sunday PM Guest
Speaker**
July 27 -- Larry Mitchell (minister for Booneville Church of
Christ)
**August 3 -- Harding
Evening**
Our guest speaker will be Dr. David B. Burks, President of
Harding University. Everyone is invited to hear Dr. Burks. Please join us
if you are an alumni of Harding, planning on going to Harding, or if you are
just interested in Harding.
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**Welcome, Blessed Baby**
Name:
Ava Jordyn Wesley
Born: July 22 to Clay & Vanessa Wesley
Weight: 6
lbs. 5 ozs.
Length: 19 1/2 inches
**Wedding
Invitation**
Elizabeth Wagner and Michael Jones
invite you to share in the
joy and celebration of their marriage
on Saturday the 26th of July at 10:30
in the morning
Anniversary Rose Garden, 200 South 12th Street, Fort Smith,
Arkansas
Reception following at Riverfront
Amphitheater, 121 Clayton Expressway.
In case of inclement weather, the
ceremony and reception will be at West-Ark Church of Christ.
**Pictorial Church Directory
**
Update In Progress
Mat Griffin is now booking photography appointments
for Sundays and Wednesday evenings. If there have been any additions or
changes to your existing directory photograph, see Matt Griffin on Sunday.
A table for making appointments has been set up in the church
foyer.
**“Let’s Start
Talking”**
“Let’s Start Talking” is the name of a program used by Jack &
Glenda Lewis in Croatia to teach English as a second language using the
Bible. A person does not need to be able to speak a foreign language to
use this method of teaching. If you would like to learn the “Let’s Start
Talking” program, contact Jack or Glenda Lewis.
The Lewises have one student already signed up and will accept as many students
as their schedule will allow!
**Financial Peace
University**
August 24 - November 16th
Sunday Evenings, 5:00 - 7:00
PM
West-Ark Main Building
Childcare will be provided.
Enjoy 13 Lessons
that deal with different topics each week that will change the way you think
about personal finance. You will learn how to save money, live on a budget,
communicate about money, eliminate debt, find bargains, and experience the joy
of giving like never before. *All the materials are in and the class has
only 2 seats remaining. To register, or for more information, contact Jeff or
Michelle Lovelace.
**We will not have a 4th Sunday
evening fellowship meal this week (July 27th).**
**How Sweet It Is!**
Ice Cream
Fellowship at the Canfield Home
Sunday Evening, August 31!
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**youth group //
news**
Paintball // Saturday, July
26
- Vans leave at 8:30 AM and will return around 3:30 PM.
- Bring
money for lunch at All American.
- Cost is $20, this includes everything.
Give your money to John.
- You must fill out All American’s
Waiver. You can’t play without one! Copies
are
on the youth table. If you filled out a waiver the last time
we played, you
do not need to do it again.
End of Summer Lock-in //
Friday, August 1 – Saturday, August 2
- Meet at the church at 6:00 PM.
Please eat before you come.
- We will begin the evening by seeing "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon
Emperor.'
- Cost: $10 (movie and
lock-in)
$8 (movie no lock-in)
$2 (lock-in no movie)
Please give
your money to Jackie Sofio or John Berger.
- If you aren’t going to the
movie, meet at the church at 9:30 PM.
- Pick up is at 8:00 AM on
Saturday. You won’t be allowed to
leave before
then--you are locked in!
- We will play
lots of fun games and munch on yummy snacks. You won’t
want
to miss it!
- Parents we need your help!!
Contact Jackie or John if you are able to help
with the
lock-in.
Devil’s Den Day Trip with
Pleasant Valley // Saturday, August 9
- Families are welcome to join
us. More details to come!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Andrew Todd for
being named preseason first team All State in football! We are proud of
you!
**Library Memorials**
In honor
of Betty Monk from West-Ark Church of Christ:
• Hope in the Face of
Cancer by Givler
• What Cancer Cannot Do / Stories of Courage
•
A Reason for Hope by Barry
**Happy
Birthday**
(If you or a family member's
birthday is not in the weekly
birthday list, please call the office at 452-1240 or e-mail Janice at
Janice@westarkchurchofchrist.org. We list all
the birthdays we
have, but are missing many -- and we don't want
to leave anyone out. Thanks :~)
July 27
Lou
Winchell
July 28
Miriam
Gunn
Retha Wood
July 29
Caroll
Robison
Jerry Selby
Bill Yick
July 30
Cathy
Harris
July 31
Jerry
Aldridge
Adam Bailey
Anetia Livesay
Ashley Scott
Thad
Stancil
August 1
Pat Beard
Ed
Grist
Myra Puckett
Patty Smith
August 2
Cara Hickey
Paul
Tucker
**Morning Nursery**
Sharon Faries
Berniece
Rogers
Kristin Smith
**Evening Nursery**
Denise
Lusby
**Attendance and Contribution
Count**
Sunday AM Worship.….….559
Sunday PM Worship………214
Bible
Classes……………...358
Contribution……….….$14,173
Children’s
Homes…..….…$185
Wednesday Classes……....NC
Lao
Worship
Attendance…………….….36
Contribution…………….$200
Iglesia
de Cristo
Attendance………………...54
Contribution……………..$315
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"Making
disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve
others."
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