The Visitor » 2010 » May » 28

Here and There by Wes Price will resume when Wes recovers from surgery. We pray he will be back with us soon. =========================================
It’s Nice to Be Remembered
Roger Owen

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It used to be called Decorations Day. It is a day for remembering those who gave their lives for the freedoms of this country. The first Memorial Day was observed to remember those in the Civil War who sacrificed their lives to keep this country united. According to World Book (no, I am not into “Google” all that much, yet!) several communities claim to have started Memorial Day, but the Federal government officially gave the credit to Waterloo, N.Y. who first observed the day on May 5, 1866 to honor union soldiers who had died in the civil war by closing businesses, decorating soldiers graves and flying flags at half mast. Our government designated Memorial Day as an official federal holiday by law in 1971.

Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, and Tennessee observe Confederal Memorial Day in April, May or June mostly on a day other than the traditional Memorial Day. Texas observes Confederal Heroes Day on January 19.

Over the years, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and now Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have been added to the rememberance observance. It is important that we never forget what it costs to be free of the tyranny of other countries-free to worship God and assemble in Jesus’ name, free to choose our own government, free to live peaceably without government oppression.

It is not pleasant to feel “forgotten”. Have you ever felt forgotten or left out? God does not want to be forgotten, either. When He rescued Israel from Egyptian Bondage He instructed Joshua to pick a man from each of the twelve tribes and have them pick up a stone from the bottom of the Jordan River as they passed into Canaan on dry land behind the ark of the Covenant. “When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you? then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever’.” (Joshua 4:6-7).

Jesus did not want to be forgotten, either. On the eve of His arrest, He initiated a feast to be observed on a weeky basis in His kingdom. Luke tells us of His instructions, “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19).

As we become more and more comfortable in our freedoms both physically and spiritually, it is easy to take them for granted and fail to remember how we got them. Today, Memorial Day means a whole lot more to those families-young as they may be-who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan. Everyone in this country knows someone who has fought or is fighting for our country to free us of terrorist attacks, and many have died or been wounded in that fight.

But the bottom line to all of this is that we don’t “win” unless God helps us to win! So, tomorrow, remember how good we have it and how we got here. Remember the sacrifices many men and women have made to achieve what we have today, and especially remember to thank God and ask Him to continue to bless us with freedom so we can continue to teach others about Him. “So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.” (Numbers 15:40).
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Sylvia and Muriel McMillion would like to send a “Big Thank You” for all the prayers and love for them during Sylvia’s radiation treatments. Also, thank you for the prayers for their cousin, Carol Diamond and her husband Pete who has brain cancer. Please continue your prayers for all of them. This thank you is being sent with much love.
Sylvia and Muriel McMillion
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PRAYER LIST
Wes Price–Charlton Methodist– A Tower, Room A 3117. May have short visits. Is slowly improving. Remember to limit your visits to 10 minutes. He tires very easily.
Ann Taylor is recovering at home from her fall last week.
Jimmy Mooney will have day surgery for skin cancer at Charlton Methodist at 7:15 a.m. on June 10.

Let us all pray that Roger and Linda Owen and their family have a safe, enjoyable trip, and a safe return . See you when you get back.

REMEMBER ALL OTHERS ON THE PRAYER LIST
Adrain Arthur (great nephew of Theresa Bersano); George Bailey; R. C. Bell; Addie Bennett; Dr. “J” Coats; Urbanelle Cox; Pete Diamond (cousin of Sylvia & Muriel McMillion); Evelyn Dillon; Tom Duvall; Ruby Faas; Gloria Garcia; Magdalena Gonzalez; Rita Harrison; Doris Henry; Bill Hinton; Ed Horn; Mary Catherine Jayroe; Jean LaPine; Nancy Lindley; Mark Locke; Sylvia & Muriel McMillion; Dorothy Mooney; Billie Morgan; Bobby Muirhead (sister of Billie & Jean Thompson); Lula Murray; Henrietta Pummill; Rick Ramsey; Sherry Reynolds; Lois Rodriquez; Mary Russell; Mildred Sala, Nancy Spurgeon; Treva Traylor; Marie Works.

Vital Signs: Bible Study-57 Morning Worship-78 Afternoon Worship-30 Wed. Evening- 5/19 – 30

Offering: $2,875.50 Budget: $2,893.27

Bobbie Vivrett has moved to a Care center in North Richland Hills. She reports she likes her new apartment and loves the food. As soon as we have her address and phone number we will post it on the bulletin board and put it in the bulletin.
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We want to offer our much love and sympathy to Jimmy and Belinda Watson and family. Jimmy’s brother, Carl, passed away on Monday, May 24, 2010. His funeral was at Ferris, TX on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Carl Watson was a resident of Red Oak, TX —————-
Address to send sympathy cards for Buck (O.W.) Reed :
Bobby & Beverly Reed
2021 McAlpin Road Midlothian, TX 76065

“Reflections”

by Jack Armstrong
We’ve been blessed to have Roger Owen and his lovely wife, Linda, with us while Wes and Alma Faye are out at this time. Roger has done a fantastic job in class, and his sermons are so down to earth and heartwarming. In lots of ways he reminds me of Bro. Wes because it’s easy to see he is a peoples preacher, and by that I mean he gets along great with folks and lives what he preaches.

Bro. Wes seems to get a little stronger every day, but still has a way to go, and as Alma Faye often reminds us, let’s all be “cautiously optimistic” and pray each day he will be back with us before too long! While we are praying, remember to include Alma Faye in our prayers, because this has been a long, tiresome ordeal for her as well, and she is at his side constantly.

Oleta and I were out eating this week and we ran into a couple from another congregation that had heard that some of Wes’ medication had caused a relapse, but this is not RIGHT. The doctors are trying to find the right medication for his problems and sometimes it does cause a problem, but is quickly corrected. We all have to be careful to not let rumors spread.

We have never seen such care and interest in one person as is being shown in Bro. Wes. All the churches and the preachers from those congregations are keeping folks well informed about Wes’ progress, which I think is as it should be.

We all want to thank Roger for his column in our Visitor each week. The one on May 16 was on a subject that we’ve all been too well acquainted with, hearing folks say…”I Don’t Get Anything Out of It.” It’s like John Kennedy once said…”Think not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”! Only in this case add the word “Church”.

The lessons he preached on “Peace” for many weeks have been some of the best I’ve ever heard.

It is our fervent prayer all of our sick and shut-ins are doing much better. We love you and miss you!
By the way Bro. George Bailey is doing better. He and his wife are in their apartment in Green Bay Village at the Christian Care Center in Mesquite. His phone number is: 972-686-3100 and as he says…
REMEMBER OUR GOAL… “When Duty Become Desire”
Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful)