The Visitor » 2010 » July » 02

Here and There by Wes Price will resume when Wes recovers from surgery. We pray he will be back with us soon. =========================================
Happy Anniversary!
Roger Owen

I hope you don’t mind if I again share with you something about Saturn Road. Once again I do so because it helps me make a point. If you start getting tired of it, let me know. Ok, here we go. When Saturn Road built a new Auditorium, additional classrooms and a chapel, the old Safeway building we had bought for classroom space was re-modeled and given a face-lift as well. We made as much of it as we could afford to into a Family Center for parties and receptions, etc. The facilities deacons decided that when there were parties, weddings, and anniversaries that were not church related ministries, those having the party should pay a fee that covered the cost of custodial help, security aid, and light/sound technology. The church had built a very sophisticated light and sound system in the auditorium that not just anyone could run – it had to be run by a trained professional.

When the deacons presented this fee program to the eldership for approval, the elders’ “rubber stamped” the proposal with one exception: They added the clause that when the building was reserved for a fiftieth wedding anniversary, the fee would be waived, there would be no charge. The elders’ reason was that fiftieth anniversaries are very special AND have become very rare in our society today.

For the last eleven years I have been responsible for dealing with this policy. In these eleven years, I have not averaged even ONE fiftieth anniversary per year. The toal number is less than the total years the new building has been in existence (seventeen)! Now I think back over the last six weeks or so, and here at Jefferson Blvd., we have averaged MORE than one anniversary per week! I have never sung “Happy Anniversary” so much in my life! And several of them were OVER fifty years!

What a great history you have! People across the country ought to look at this church to find out what marriage is really about. You have shown us the way with your example. Linda and I managed to celebrate our twenty-fifth anniversary in May of this year, and hope to live long enough to match you and experience what you have experienced. When lives lived together keep getting better and better each year, I can’t imagine how much greater my live will be with Linda even ONE year from now, let alone twenty-five more years! I’ll have to learn from those of you who are already there.

Was it worth it? The looks in your eyes and smiles from your mouths tell me everyone of you would say, “YES”! You would probably say what Solomon said, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22). Or this comment in Ecclesiates 9:9 from Solomon: “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.”

And I know that if I surveyed you to find how you stayed together that long, there would be some general ingredients that apply to everyone, and there would be some individual ingredients that apply only to you. I am going to discuss what I know to be the general ingredients, and if you have any specific individual ones you would like to share with me, if you give them to me in writing where I can remember them, I will share all of them in a few weeks in this space.

Marriages don’t last fifty years unless there is COMMITMENT to the marriage by both the husband and wife. Genesis 2:24 says “There-fore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This verse is quoted in four New Testament passages, but the real commentary on being “one flesh” comes from 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 – “the wife should not separate from her husband,…and the husband should not divorce his wife.” That’s what commitment is. Also involved is SACRIFICE. Solomon says of the worthy wife in Proverbs 31:15, “She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household.” 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us “if any man does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his houselhold, he has denied the faith and is worse than in unbeliever.” And when Paul says, “Wives, submit to your own husbads…”, we men have no idea sometimes what level sacrifice is sometimes required to do that!

Then, there must be TRUST/FAITHFULNESS. Proverbs 31:11 tells us of the worthy wife, “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.” And tied to this must be much PATIENCE. I Peter 3:7 tells husbands to “likewise live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life.” And the final one of course is love. You know the words of Epeshians 5 well. Reread them regularly.

My final thought about this is God’s comparison of the church being the bride ofChrist. I just realized that I celebrated my fiftieth anniversary of being part of the bride of Christ two years ago! Guess what it took for me to get to this place? COMMITMENT, SACRIFICE, TRUST/FAITHFULNESS, PATIENT ENDURANCE/ LOVE! What a coincidence!!! ==================================================
PRAYER LIST
Wes Price went home Wednesday. He began rehab at Methodist Central Friday.

Evelyn Dillon – Methodist Rehab, Room 121. Direct phone number is 972-708-8721.

Mary Ruth Percival fell and broke her ankle. Will be out for a few weeks.

Continue to remember: Sylvia McMillion, Rick Ramsey, Jimmy Mooney’s mother (Dorothy), R. C. Bell, Lois Rodriquez, and Donna Denise Allen who came forward last Sunday morning asking for prayers for her health problems. She is a member at Garza Avenue Church of Christ.
Let us all continue to pray for the Tyson Family.

REMEMBER ALL OTHERS ON THE PRAYER LIST
George Bailey; Addie Bennett; Dr. “J” Coats; Perry Cotham; Urbanelle Cox; Carol & Peter Diamond; Tom Duvall; Ruby Faas; Rita Harrison; Doris Henry; Bill Hinton; Bob and Madeline Hinton; Ed Horn; Mary Catherine Jayroe; Jean LaPine; Nancy Lindley; Jimmy Mooney; Billie Morgan; Bobby Muirhead (sister of Billie & Jean Thompson); Lula Murray; Henrietta Pummill; Sherri Reynolds; Mildred Sala, Nancy Spurgeon; Treva Traylor; Marie Works.

Please find on the table in the foyer: The July, 2010 Calendar

The new Power for Today: July, Aug., and Sept., 2010
Vital Signs: June 27, 2010

Bible Study 55 Offering: $2,494.00

Morning Worship: 73 Budget: $2,893.27

Afternoon Worship: 42

Wed. Eve. Bible Study, 6/23: 33

GOOD NEWS

World Bible School reports one of Debbie Morris’ students, Lucy Wangari, of Nairobi Province was baptized. We rejoice with the angels over this. A number of our ladies continue to meet on Wednesday afternoons to mail out more lessons.

CONGRATULATIONS to Elaine & Jim Birkhead. They are celebrating their 8th Wedding Anniversary today, July 4th.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Schoolfields on the birth of a new great granddaughter, Cailin Ailie Russell (pronouned K-lynn A-lee), 8 lbs. 3 oz., born on Monday to Chris and Helena Russell.

Nora Rylie McCarty, great niece of Rita Wood and daughter of Patrick and Mira McCarty, is now home and clear of infection. Nora was born Sunday, June 27 and weighed 9 lbs. ==================================================== “Looking Forward”
by Jack Armstrong

The past 90 days have shown us many things about our preacher that we didn’t really know, but the main thing was to trust God, under unknown and all manner of conditions. The thought had to come to him…”Why me, and when is it going to get better? The only time I can remember Wes saying anything about his long, hard, illness was one time he told me he regretted not being more patient. I told him that if I had been on my back for as long as he had that I would be a terror to all those around me. I only wish I had half the patience he has shown. Let’s not forget Alma Faye and the rock she has been through all these trying days. Never have I seen anyone more faithful and loving as she has been. Rick Ramsey is another who has been so faithful to look after Wes and his needs. Also each loving member of ours and all the other congregations of friends who have asked about and kept him in their prayers constantly. Thank the Good Lord, Wes seems to be heading in the right direction now and will be back before too long.

We were so sorry to hear from Vernon that Mary Ruth fell and broke her ankle and will be laid up for a few weeks. We pray she will not be in too much pain, and will be back soon. We all love you Mary Ruth! Call us if you need us Vernon.

We are also sorry to that Evelyn Dillon is still having problems and is back in the hospital. We love you Evelyn. We pray all of our sick and shut-ins are doing much better, and we’ll see you next time the Good Lord Willing. See you soon… “Here and There”

Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful)