Hey Gang, hope you are out enjoying the days that sunshine comes our way. Whew, another month behind us already, this 2016 is really ‘on the wing’ so to speak. Nothing new there though, right? It seems like time actually flies after you pass 60 and after 70, you never seem to catch up. Just to put the icing on the cake, time for all ages, speeds up March 13th – Daylight Savings Time begins. Rah! Rah! Yeah, right!
The Lenten season (40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter) is in mid-swing and Lent is a good time to take a really good look at ourselves and see what we might want to change, or add, to make our life better, or at least, more interesting. Easter is March 27th and I always think of Easter as being a new beginning, sort of a Christian New Year.
Pastor Bobby preached Sunday on “Walking the Talk” or on not being a hypocrite; if you claim to be a Christian, it should show in how you live your life. Everybody sins and messes up, falling short of the Glory of the Lord (Romans 3:23) but there ought to be some evidence showing in our lives that we are trying to live up to Christ’s example and follow His commands.
Jesus said if we love and honor God first and then love others as we love ourselves, we will have fulfilled the commandments of God. Everybody knows the Ten Commandments (or at least knows of them), think about it…all 10 are covered if you love God first and then all others. Of course, the only way to truly ‘love and honor’ God is to accept His Son’s sacrifice on the cross for us, accept the hope confirmed in His resurrection for us, and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior; love (and everything else) follows that.
Markland Baptist is hosting a ‘pancake breakfast’ this Saturday morning, March 5th, at 9 a.m., everyone is invited and it is all completely free of charge. It is a ‘fellowship breakfast’, kind of a ‘love gift’ from MBC to the community; make plans to come out and join us. There will be no preaching, studies, or offerings taken up, just friends having breakfast with friends. Hope to see you there.
Belated Birthday wishes in February to: Michael Martin (1st), Betty Williams (24th), Cyndi Jo Ledbetter (24th), Weston Martin (26th) and Judy Judy on the 28th. My apologies, I should have put these dates and wishes in the end of January column.
March Birthdays (yet-to-come) are: Gayle Rayles (6th), Lily Jester (10th), Sara Dickerson (11th), Rodney Ledbetter (12th), and Dylan Leach on the 16th.
We wish the warmest of birthday blessings to all of those celebrating another year, Happy Birthday!
Several of the women of MBC, and some friends, are attending a special women’s seminar in New Albany this Saturday. No, they won’t be at the breakfast but not to worry, the men are cooking the breakfast and they do a pretty good job.
Mary and Jessi Martin took the boys (Elijah, Weston, and Landon) along with Jessi’s niece Riley and her father Jake, to Lowe’s for a special free workshop for children last Saturday. The kids made toys (I think Mary said wooden trains) and she said they had a really good time. I believe Mary enjoyed it as much as the kids did.
We want to extend sincere condolences to Gayle Rayles, her brother John, and the rest of the family in the loss of her mother; and also to Julie Hazeldean and her family in the loss of her beloved aunt, Mary Dawn. We pray God will grant each of you comfort through His all-encompassing love.
We had several on our ‘Prayer Concern’ list this week: Frank and Donna Miller, Peggy Eckerty, Joy Hazeldean, Charlotte Kroening, Tracy Harcrow and her husband Jim (Mel’s mom and dad), Bobby’s father Robert Brundige, Chuck Schmit, Amanda Taylor and her husband, Unsaved family and friends, Service personnel (both civilian and military), Unspoken requests, and blessings for Gospel ‘seeds’ planted. We praised God for Melissa Park feeling much better (she said there was still room for improvement); she got her first full night’s sleep Saturday night, the first in a while; she has been fighting some kind of ‘bug’.
Patti Miller and I got in a game of RummyKub last Tuesday and of course we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves (we just love to ‘beat’ each other silly.) Haven’t had a Bridge gathering this whole winter; what with one thing and another, we couldn’t seem to get together for a game.
Heard a cute joke the other day and thought you might get a kick out of it. Miss Dixie asked her Sunday school class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. She was puzzled by Larry’s picture of four people on an airplane, so she asked him which story he was illustrating.
“Oh, it’s Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus on their flight to Egypt.”
“But who’s the fourth person, Larry?
“Oh, that’s Pontius the Pilot.”
It really sounded like something one of my great-grandsons might say.
Spring is springing all around, the daffodils are up several inches, buds are swelling on the trees and bushes, bird’s songs are becoming more numerous in the mornings, folks are thinking about the gardens they want to plant (the nice thing about ‘thinking of gardens’ is that they never have any weeds in them), and some folks are even thinking ahead to vacations. Yes, Spring has almost sprung!
Don’t give up hope, there is a light at the end of winter’s long tunnel. One sure sign of spring is that my ‘spring time pets’ are back; Glenn Crandell used to tease me about the ants that just seem to love my house, he called them my ‘spring time pets’. And speaking of pets, I have been adopted by another cat; naturally it is another full-grown tomcat. Tiger and Flake (resident ‘toms) are particularly perturbed by the addition – we are in the middle of another ‘armed detent’, sometimes quite loud and noisy.
Most of this winter, I have been holed up in my big comfortable chair reading dozens of books but now it is time to start ‘moving’ again. I must get back to the ‘Y’ and get in shape to start digging in the dirt (I just love to play in the dirt), even do a little cleaning (I said a little, not to much though; I wouldn’t want anybody to think they were in the wrong house, ha.)
Until next time, may the Lord bless and keep you safe from harm and sheltered under the wings of His love, God bless.