West-Ark Newsletter, 29 January 2009

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Family Lines Newsletter, January 29, 2009
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Come now, you who say, УToday or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.Ф Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, УIf the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.Ф But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

The other day I was throwing away an empty toothpaste tube. I had squeezed and squeezed the tube until it was impossible for me to get any more toothpaste out of it. Finally, no decision was leftЧthrow the tube away, get another tube, and start over. After all, what is more useless than a crumpled, empty toothpaste tube that yields no more toothpaste?

I have gone through too many tubes of toothpaste to remember or count. I do not ever recall thinking about an empty tube of toothpaste before (I will confess I think some weird thoughts these days). However, some strange realizations immediately came to me when I threw that empty tube away: (1) The moment I take the cap off a new tube, I know in a little while all that will remain is an empty tube. (2) Toothpaste tubes have one functionЧto hold toothpaste. (I have never regretted throwing away an empty toothpaste tube by wondering if it could be used for something else.) (3) I best not waste the toothpaste inside because the time will come when there is no more. (4) Do not assume there always will be another tube, for there are places with no toothpaste and no access to toothpaste. Do not think you always will have toothpaste available or affordable.

(1) Physical life ends. Eat as we wish, exercise as we wish, follow all the healthy practices we can, and still our physical life ends. If you live long enough, the time will come when you cannot do what you easily did in the past. (2) Physical life has a primary purpose. Having fun is not it. Do we know the purpose of life? (3) It is our option to waste life. Life will be used as we choose. However, there will come a moment when no more is left to use, and we cannot recover what we have wasted. (4) It is easy to assume when we are young that we have an endless supply of physical life. It is easy to take physical life for granted. However, the moment will come when we know only Уa few squeezesФ remain. When physical life is gone, it is gone.

Preventing evil in my life is a wonderful thing (to be appreciated but not to encourage arrogance). However, wasted life (selfish pursuits) prevents nothing and serves no purpose. It is devastating when we approach our last УsqueezeФ of physical life to realize we have wasted life, and to know there is no Уdo overФ function.

**St. Edward Hospital**
Send an online greeting -- http://www.stedwardmercy.com/email/
Х Billy Jack McGehee (brother of Michelle Lovelace) is improving with his physical conditions, but prayers are still requested for his full recovery and pain management issues. He is in room 3525.

**Sparks Hospital**
Send an online greeting -- http://www.sparks.org/ecard/
Х Betty Wakefield (friend of Cyndi Glidewell) is in room 516. She went home for a few days and then fell and broke a vertebrae in her back. She is in lots of pain.
Х Glenanna OТMara (sister of Shanna Davis and daughter of Larry & Janice Prater) is in Sparks Hospital with pneumonia.

**Remember in Prayer**
Х Jerry Looney is recovering from cataract surgery and doing well.
Х Kelly Bailey (nephew of Barbara Aldridge and cousin of Gina Williams) has begun chemotherapy treatments for lymphoma.
Х Kathleen Taranto was dismissed from rehab at Covington Court on Monday. She is at home and feeling much better.
Х Mike Burk is scheduled for an out-patient disc procedure on his back today in Little Rock.
Х Retha Wood is home recuperating from surgery and doing well.
Х Ron Falcon was finally released from the hospital on Tuesday to go home. He has a lot of therapy and recovery to go and still needs our prayers.
Х Tom Ed Gooden of Houston, brother of Benny Gooden, has recently been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

**Continued Prayers**
Х Billie Neisler
Х Connie Hixson
Х Faye Jones
Х Joel Prigge (Louise HowardТs brother-in-law)
Х Larry Treat
Х Lloyd Priester (JimТs father)
Х Margaret Stone
Х Sue Grantham (Jennifer DotsonТs sister)
Х Wilma Son

**Bereaved in Prayer**
Our love and sympathy is extended to the following members who lost loved ones this week:
Х Charlotte Pinedo in the death of her brother, Doug Fagan, in Illinois on Sunday night.
Х Kathy Glidewell in the death of her brother, Bob Treadway, on Monday night. Visitation will be Thursday (1/29/09) from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at EdwardТs Funeral Home. The funeral is in the same location at 1 PM on Friday.

**Pray for Our Missionaries**
Х Our missionary families in Vietnam and Laos.
Х John Paul & Ruby Lee Hundley in France and Belgium.
Х Evangelists and their families with whom we work in Ethiopia and Nigeria.

Dear All,
I would like to thank you with all my heart for the cards, visits & prayers you have extended to my brother Billy. As an overall update, he is improving physically but he has a very long and hard recovery ahead of him for multiple reasons. Continued prayers are much needed and much appreciated. I never knew how important it was to have such a wonderful support group surround you when going through a difficult time. So many of you stepped in & immediately responded like family to help with decisions for his care. I will never take your friendship or your support for granted, I have absorbed every bit of it & that is what has kept me strong for my family. I genuinely love you all and thank you for being in my life.
Love,
Michelle Lovelace

I want to express my thanks to so many brothers and sisters who prayed, sent flowers, get well notes and also visits while I was in the hospital and in rehab. It has made my injury so much easier to bear knowing so many prayers have been lifted up to the Lord on my behalf. I am truly blessed to be part of the West-Ark Church Christian family.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Taranto

**Church Office Inclement Weather Policy**
In case of bad weather, the church office will follow the decision of the Fort Smith Public School officials. If school is closed, the office will also be closed.

**Car Clinic -- 8 to 11 AM (weather permitting)**
Saturday, February 7, will be the first Car Clinic of 2009 at the Annex. If you are 60+, or a single female of any age, let the guys check out your auto. They do light maintenance and repairs such as: changing oil and filter, checking and airing tires, changing air filters, replacing brakes, etc. All they ask is that you bring your supplies. If you have a question about what they can do, call Jack Lowry or Marvin Hughes and they can advise you.

**Widow/Widowers Luncheon**
We have been invited to dine with Paul & Coleen Shirley on February 7. The van will leave the Annex at 11:30 AM. Call Bobbie or Mary or Janice if you need transportation to the Annex. DonТt miss this opportunity for a lovely meal and wonderful fellowship.

**Leadership Training for Christ Schedule**
February 1
Elem. Drama, 2 PM
JH Chorus, 2 PM
JH Puppets, No practice
SH Puppets, No practice
Elem Chorus, 3 PM
Bible Quiz, 4 PM
Elem. Puppets, No practice
JH Drama, 5 PM
Signing 1, 5 PM
Signing 2, 3 PM

**Guyana Medical Mission Needs**
Х Sunglasses
Х Eye drops (Single-use vials are preferred, but any type of eye drops can be used.)
Please add your donations to the tote in the foyer.

PARENT MEETING & YOUTH GROUP FAMILY DEVOTIONAL
February 8 // Youth Room // 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
We will take this opportunity to look over this yearТs calendar. We will give parents a chance to sign up to help with events. Remember to bring your planners, calendars, Blackberry phones, etc.
We will also sing, have a devotional thought and play games. Please, eat before you come but we will have drinks and snacks.
Girls Ц Bring drinks
Guys Ц Bring chips or desserts

CHRISTeens YOUTH RALLY // February 20 Ц 22 // West Side Church of Christ, Russellville
Applications will be available on the youth table or by email. Deadline to sign up is February 4. It is open to 9th-12th graders.

**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Bible Classes...ЕЕЕ...Е..430
Sunday AM Worship.ЕЕЕ629
Sunday PM WorshipЕЕЕ.309
ContributionЕЕЕ.Е...$15,069
ChildrenТs HomesЕЕ..Е.$282
Wednesday ClassesЕЕЕ.252