News for July 14, 2008

Each week I have been writing an e-News letter to the people of First Baptist Church in Carthage, Tennessee. This is the e-News for July 14, 2008:

• First Baptist E-News
  July 14, 2008
  
  Good Morning!
  
  I have been thinking all morning about the services yesterday and especially about the last point of the morning message. That statement is, “God created the universe for His divine purpose. The creation of God is a great testimony to His majesty and power. To consider the vastness of space, the enormous size of the galaxies and the intricate complexity and variety of every created thing makes me sit back and say, “Wow, what an awesome God.”
  
  But the true marvel of all creation is that God created all that is for His divine purpose, to have a personal relationship with men and women. The universe is created to provide a dwelling place for the ones God loves, human beings. He created us to know Him, to spend time with Him, to “walk with Him in the cool of the day.” That makes you very special to God. You are not just one of the billions of living creatures on the earth. You are a person made in the very image of God with whom God desires to have a real, loving, personal relationship through Jesus Christ.
  
  Think about that this week and take some extra time to spend with the One who loves you so much, your Heavenly Father, God Himself. Have a blessed week walking with God.
  
  Your Pastor,
  Bro. Tim
  
  Here’s the news for the week:
  1. Congratulations to the winners of the Men’s Bake-Off and the Family Feud this past Sunday night. The men out did themselves in the baking and appreciation goes to each one who brought baked goods. The “judges” selected Jerry Hutchins’ cake as the winner and Jerry Wilmore and Dave Shiverdecker as first and second runner-up. The Family Feud was a lot of fun and the grand champion team for the night was Michael and Selicia Collins, their friend Tim, and Karen Wilburn.
• 
  2. Several of our senior adults are living in other parts of the state in assisted living facilities and they would love to hear from members of the church from time to time. Three of these ladies are:
  Modena Nixon
  801 W Main St
  Lebanon, TN 37087
  
  Martha Fitzpatrick
  Blakeford S-252
  11 Burton Hills Blvd.
  Nashville, TN 37215
  
  Hazel Grandstaff
  1658 Lascassas Rd Apt 364
  Murfreesboro, TN 37130
  
  3. Here are several dates for your calendar from the Church Council meeting:
  July 18-20 Youth Whitewater Rafting Trip
  July 20 Singspiration - Super Summer Sunday Nights
  July 27 Church-wide Softball Game at Crump-Paris Park
  July 28-August 2 Smith County Fair
  August 3 Lord’s Supper
  August 9 Awana Training
  August 10 Awana Kick-Off
  August 11 Deacon Rally FBC Gordonsville
  August 17 Ministerial Alliance Joint Picnic and Service
  August 17 FBC Leading Service at Defeated Creek
  
  4. The Church Council and Deacons discussed the benefits of the Sunday Evening Service beginning at 5:30PM. We will have a time of discussion in the monthly business meeting this Wednesday, July 16 at 6:30 PM. The immediate benefits were noted as:
  Correspond to starting time of Awana Classes for children.
  Provide time after services for fellowship and discussion.
  Provide an earlier dismissal time during the Fall and Winter.
  Provide heightened emphasis for the Sunday Evening services.
  
  5. First Baptist will have a booth at the Smith County Fair, July 28-August 2 and we need everyone to join in this mission effort to our community. Each evening from 5:30-8:30 PM we need volunteers to help in the booth distributing water, painting faces, making balloon animals and other ministries to those attending the fair. The Women on Mission will serve as the coordinators each night and provide the resources for the booth. You are asked to sign-up for at least one night to help in this mission. Send an e-mail to tfrank@fbccarthage.com and let me know what day is best for you. Send me your phone number and one of the coordinators will be calling you with all the details.
  
  6. After Sunday’s message on Creation you may have questions about the subject. Here are several great web sites that you can check out on the Biblical view of Creation:
  Answers in Genesis (My favorite): http://www.answersingenesis.org/
  
• Institute for Creation Research: http://www.icr.org/
  (Be sure and check out their Resources and Archives sections.)
  
  Apologetics http://www.4truth.net/
  (This is a ministry of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and contains many articles of interest to believers in defending their faith. Creation articles are under the Science heading.)
  
  7. This Great Advice list was sent to me last week by Billy Friel, our Interim Director of Missions:
  
  GREAT ADVICE
  1. Take a 10-30 minute walk each day. As you walk, smile--it is the ultimate anti-depressant.
  2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
  3. Eat more foods that grow on trees & plants...eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
  4. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts.
  5. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
  6. Don't waste precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, or negative thoughts.
  7. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
  8. Life isn't fair, but it is still good.
  9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  10. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  11. You don't have to win every argument.
  12. Make peace with your past, so it won't spoil the present.
  13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  14. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
  15. Forgive everyone for everything.