Contentment

Have you ever noticed how the world promotes dissatisfaction? We are constantly bombarded with something newer and better that will make our lives complete once we buy it. If we listen to the world, we will always be comparing the lifestyles and possessions of others with our own, and we will always be dissatisfied. Paul had enjoyed the benefits and pleasures of life, yet he could give them all up and still be filled with the joy of the Lord. His contentment did not depend on his environment but on his obedience to Christ (Philippians 4:11). Contentment frees you to enjoy every the good God has given you (James 1:17). Work hard to be grateful for all that God has given you.

- by Kyle Campbell

 

Six Questions For Young People

1. What kind of son or daughter will I be? The world says, “You are only young once, so enjoy it in every way you can.” This is easy for most to accept because they want freedom from restraints. However, young people should be obedient to God and to their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3; Proverbs 10:1; 13:1).

2. What kind of character shall I develop? It takes no planting, watering, or cultivating to grow weeds, nor does it take effort to grow worthless character.  Careful attention and diligent effort are required for noble character (Ecclesiastes 7:1; 1 Timothy 4:12).

3. Who will I choose as my friends? Good friends promote good morals and vice versa (1 Corinthians 15:33). Avoid the crowd that drinks, dances, uses profanity, and ridicules people who serve God.

4. What will be my occupation? In far too many instances, too much emphasis is placed on money (Matthew 16:26). Furthermore, one must be careful to choose an occupation that is honorable and legitimate. Dishonest gains and get-rich schemes must be avoided (Proverbs 16:8).

5. Who will I marry? If there is ever a place for clear minds and true ideas, it is in marriage. God’s laws must be understood, respected, and heeded (Matthew 5:32; 19:9). Marriage is for life (Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39). Marry someone who will encourage you in the way of salvation.

6. What will I do with my life? If you have never obeyed the gospel, you should answer, “I will be a Christian” (Luke 9:26). If you are already a Christian, you should answer, “I will be faithful” (Matthew 24:12-13).

- by David Riggs

 

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America"

 

Last Tuesday marked a momentous occasion for our nation in the annals of politics.  Next Tuesday, November 11th, marks another momentous occasion for our nation too.  I think that it's now time to leave the realm of politics and take our editorial time to pay honor to those who actually deserve that honor and recognition.  Far more so than any politician.  I'm speaking, of course, about our military veterans from all the wars in which our country has been engaged.  

 

I know that there are many people who never served in the military and I do not fault them for that.  However, I do believe that those who did share something between them that the non-servers can never feel and that's a comradeship forged by those who were in the arena together.  Way better than I can say it is some words offered by an unknown commander and I'll repeat them for you here.  He said......

 

"I know why men who have been to war yearn to reunite.  Not to tell stories or look at old pictures.  Not to laugh or weep.  Comrades gather because they long to be with the men who suffered and sacrificed, who were stripped of their humanity.  I did not pick these men.  They were delivered by fate and the military.  But I know them in a way I know no other men.  I have never given anyone such trust.  They were willing to guard something more precious than my life.  They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me.  It was part of the bargain we all made, the reason we were so willing to die for one another.  As long as I have memory, I will think of them all, every day.  I am sure when I leave this world my last thought will be of my family and comrades....Such good men."

 

I can assimilate with those words plus, I had the reward of again sharing those emotions with my fellow policemen in my civilian career.  There is a like bond between the police who serve on society's front lines, so to speak, and the military men and women.  It's a bond that can only be understood by someone who's "been there."

 

I also have another editorial thought regarding veterans that I'd like to make mention of.  Some of you may have seen an article in a recent edition of our local newspaper about a lady whom most people never knew about - Pamela Murphy.  But, I can assure you that many veteran's either know her or know of her.  I recall an article about her from back in 2010 and I'd like to share a few things about her life with you today.

 

Pamela was the widow of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WW2.  Most of us recall that he went on to become a movie star and that he died in an airplane crash in 1971.  What most don't know though is that, at the time of his death, he had squandered millions of dollars on gambling, bad investments, and sad to say, other women.

 

Upon her husband's death Pamela had to move from their spacious ranch home into a small two-bedroom apartment where she raised their two boys.  Because of having to pay off her husband's debts, she took a job as a clerk at the Veteran's Hospital in Sepulveda.  She spent the next 35 years there working full-time.  She retired in 2007 at the age of 87.

 

It was said of her that "Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy."  They also said that she never called a veteran by his first name.  They were always referred to as "Mister" because of her respect for them.  Reportedly she was reprimanded on a few occasions for shepherding a veteran into a doctor's office because they had been waiting longer than she thought they should have.  But, that didn't matter to Pamela.  Only her boys mattered and to them, she was "their angel."

 

The reporter who wrote the article in 2010 said that he once asked her to be the focus of a Veteran's Day column for all of her work at the hospital.  He said that she just "Shook her head" and said "No, honor them, not me" as she pointed to a group of veterans waiting in the hallway.  "They're the ones who deserve it."

 

In 2002 something interesting happened that speaks to the respect and esteem in which "her boys" held her.  Her job was to be eliminated due to budget cuts as she was considered "excess staff."  The veteran's certainly did not consider her job of helping them get service as being "excess staff" so they held a giant rally at the hospital gates for her and what do you know?  The VA administration decided that her job was necessary and not "excess."

 

Even after retiring, she couldn't give up on "her boys."  She showed up at a conference regarding "homeless veterans" because she wanted to see if there was something she could do for them, too.  She died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010 at the age of 90 years.

 

Well, what spiritual lessons can we gain from considering our military veterans, the words of the unknown commander and Pamela Murphy?  I can think of a few, and I imagine you can do likewise.  Anyway, here's mine.

 

I once read the following that is said to be the definition of a veteran: "A veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America." Brethren, that is a great example of earthly type honor.  But, let's look at this word "honor" as seen in some Bible passages.  I think that you'll easily see the connection between earthly honor and spiritual honor.

 

First, let's notice the words found in Prov. 22:4 "The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life."  (ESV)   And, spiritually speaking, the righteous, those who "fear God and keep His commandments" know which "life" they'll be honored with.  I particularly like the last part of John 12:26 where Jesus says, "If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."  (ESV)

 

Romans 13:7 tells us that we are to give "honor to whom honor is owed" (ESV) and that makes me think that if we owe "honor" to our veterans for our earthly lives, how much more "honor" do we owe Jesus Christ and The Father for our eternal lives.  So, we "honor" those due it in our earthly life, but we understand that our greatest amount of "honor" is due God.   Paul probable said it best with these words: "To the King of ages immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever, Amen!  (1Tim. 1:17)

 

In the words of the commander, I'm brought to these thoughts: soldiers and policemen trust their earthly lives to each others keeping and that's no small thing.  But Christians trust their eternal lives and souls to God's keeping and that's the ultimate thing.  And, if reunions of veterans are considered great events, how much greater will be the reunion in heaven with all of our "family" and those faithful children of God from all ages.

 

As to thoughts from Pamela Murphy, she is the earthly epitome of Rom. 13:7 in that she always gave "respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed."  In the practical sense, as shown in the proverbs of Solomon, I think her life epitomizes what we read in Prov. 21:21 "Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor."

 

If you have the opportunity next Tuesday and you know a veteran, just simply tell them "Thank You."  They deserve at least that from all of us.

 

Ron Covey

Bible tips on how to live life

• Keep your heart soft (Eph. 4:32).
• Have hands that are willing (Neh. 2:18). 
• Have feet that are ready (Eph. 6:15).
• Maintain an open mind (1 Chr. 28:9). 
• Turn your face toward Him (cf. Job 22:26). 
• Strengthen your back (cf. Nah. 2:1). 

 

What will the future bring?

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE

I don't know about you, but I sometimes get concerned about the future. I
don't know if I actually worry about it, but sometimes it is close to that.
I am concerned about the state of our world; I am concerned about the
financial condition of our country; I am concerned about what the government
will or won't do to the stability of our country; I am concerned about what
kind of world our children and grandchildren will have to live in; I am
concerned with how things will turn out in our lives as we grow older.

Again, I am concerned, but don't worry about it. Every day, just as perhaps
you do, I strive to turn my future over to God. Sometimes I successful,
sometimes I'm not.

I recently read a quote from Corrie Ten Boom that said, "Never be afraid to
trust the future you don't know, to a God you do know". I don't know about
you, but from time to time I need to be reminded of that fact! Don't most of
the issues in our lives have a direct relationship to our reliance upon God
or our relationship to him? Who is it we turn to in times of trouble, is it
our friends and family, our co-workers, or do we first think of God. Your
answer to that question may explain your success or failure in some of your
struggles.

I am endeavoring every day to rely more upon God regarding my future.
Shouldn't we really be able to trust the future to our God we know? In the
scripture we read: "God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I
forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) So, if we know this promise and know the one
who made the promise, how can we not trust our future to his hands? David
said of God in Psalm 31:15, "My future is in Your hands".

We have read the words, we know the promise; we know the one who made the
promise, now it is time for us to live like we believe the promise. Stop
worrying about that which you can't change or can't direct yourself and turn
it over to God.

Russ Lawson

What does curmudgeon mean?

THE BLOOD MOON AND THE CURMUDGEON

Last night we had a total Lunar eclipse which is a wonderful event to
behold, however in our area it was visible at 4 O'clock in the morning.
There has been some discussion about the event being "a sign from God,"
which I think shows a great lack of understanding for biblical prophecy and
events. So, No I definitely don't think it was a sign from God, other that
to show how wonderful the universe he created works.

Now my wife is into those kinds of events and enjoys them more that I. She
talked about getting up to watch the Lunar Eclipse and I told her, "Well,
don't wake me; I'm going to be a bit of a Curmudgeon about it."

Now the dictionary defines "Curmudgeon," as a person (especially an old man)
who is easily annoyed, sometimes easily angered and who often complains or
grumbles." I don't know if I fit into all of those areas of description, but
if you wake me up at 4 A.M. I do tend to be a bit annoyed and grumble about
it. The funny thing is; that I'm often up at 4 A.M. working in my office,
but if I happen to be asleep I like to stay that way.

As things would happen, I woke up at 3:50 A.M. and thought seriously about
trying to go back to sleep. I know that once I wake up, it is very difficult
for me to shut down my brain and go back to sleep. However, I also thought
about how happy seeing these events makes my wife of 47 years (who just
happened to be sound asleep). I thought you have a choice; you can be a
curmudgeon or be a blessing to her. So, as gently as I could, woke her up
and asked if she would like to go out and look at the moon with me.

We pulled on some warm clothes and went out and stood in our front yard
watching the moon and as we watched we saw a shooting star flash across the
sky in front of the moon (another one of her favorite things). We watched
for a few minutes and went in, hugged and kissed and she went to bed and I
went to my office.

OK, what's my point? It is that we have a choice in how we act and how we
relate to other people. After 47 years we still do the things Newly Weds do.
We hold hands, hug and kiss often, fix one another's tea and coffee, massage
sore muscles, go shopping for cloths together and in general do the things
that love demands. even getting up at 4 O'clock in the morning to watch the
moon.

Notice this interesting modern translation of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is
never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high
opinion of itself, love has no pride; Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no
thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of
evil; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; Love
has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping
all things." (BBE)

How about you, have you been a bit of a curmudgeon lately? Maybe it's time
to turn things around and remember what love is all about.

Russ Lawson

Football was never my gift - Jesus was

"From the Ash"

David Ash has loved to play football since he was a child.

Mike Finger reports: "Outside the 15th Street Church of Christ in Temple,
there's a bush where he used to begin his Sunday mornings by hiding a
football. As soon as the service ended, Ash would tear off his church
clothes - he usually had planned ahead and wore his play clothes underneath
- and headed straight for the ball."

"It was a lot faster to get it out of the bush than to ask my dad for the
keys to the car," Ash said. "So I had the maximum amount of time to play
with it."

That love for football - and a lot of talent to go with it - helped David
Ash achieve what many young football players could only dream about: he
became the quarterback for the University of Texas Longhorns.

But last September, he suffered his first concussion in a game against BYU.
Then, two weeks later, he suffered more concussion symptoms in a game
against Kansas State. He sought to work through these issues, but after the
first game of this season against North Texas, he suffered dizziness and
headaches for seven days.

His doctors suggested that he may have to consider giving up football. And
as painful as it was, David Ash made the decision to end his football
career. He announced his decision in a news conference this past Monday. He
said that although it was not an easy decision, he was "at peace" with it.
He had no regrets in his career at UT in which he started 22 games and
passed for 4,728 yards. "I wouldn't change any of it," Ash said.

Now listen to this young man who has had to give up one of his dreams,
something that he has loved since he was a child. "I'm not a victim, I'm a
victor," he said on Monday. "Football was never my gift - Jesus was!" *

He's right. Of all the talents, blessings, and "gifts" that come from God
(James 1:17), the greatest Gift of all is the gift of His Son Jesus, who
died on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).

Without Jesus, we would ALL be lost in our sins and headed to eternal
destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Yet, because God loves us so much that He
gave His Son to die on the cross for our sins, we can have forgiveness and
receive the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23).

We must accept God's Gift on His terms by placing our faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31),
confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized into Christ
for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). Then, as we continue to walk in
the light of His Word, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all
our sins (1 John 1:7).

From the "ashes" of his outstanding football career, David Ash understands
that the greatest Gift is Jesus.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15

Won't YOU acknowledge that great truth by submitting your life in trusting
obedience to the One who died for you so that you might live?

David A. Sargent