Thursday, May 29, 2008

"No God, No Peace- Know God, Know Peace"

There have not been many bumper stickers that state more truth than the one above. The world looks in every nook and cranny for “World Peace.” It is like the girl hunting a “good” man in every bar, casino, and dive in town. The problem is not that she is not looking, it is that she is looking in all of the wrong places.
Without God, there can be no peace. He is rightly called the “God of peace” (Romans 15:33). One of the reasons why if there is “No God” then there is “No Peace,” is because without God there is no hope. Paul said in Ephesians 2:12, “that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” What a horrible world it would be without the promises of God to trust that there will be tomorrow. John wrote of the hope of the saints, saying, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (Rev 21:4). Too, there is the peace that comes from a mind of contentment, free from the guilt of sin, knowing that God has wiped away all of our sin. Furthermore, there is more peace with others when we have the love that the Bible teaches. It is sinful lust that James said is the source of wars (James 4:1-3). No God, no peace.
But to know God is to know peace. What a blessing to be free from anxiety and the source of so many of our concerns. Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7). To know God is to know a peace that surpasses human understanding. This is one of God’s greatest gifts. The Psalmist said, “The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalms 29:11) Do you know peace?
David Courington

Beware of Quiet Children


Some people get upset when kids make lots of noise. The wise adult will begin to worry when there is no noise. Levi and Hannah had a fun Memorial Day, as you can see.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Just Chillin'

While we are reminded of the great sacrifices of those who have gone before us on Memorial Day,(or as Addi says, "Memorio Day") it is also great to have a day to just pretty much chill out.
The last couple of weeks proved pretty stressful, because of the busy time, appointing new church leaders and Mom's fall. With appointing new church elders and deacons, all went great. But some past experiences, as well as the experience of others have made me a little gun shy about it. We have 2 new elders at Sylvan Springs. I know that Marty Glenn and Mark Wylie will do a great job. They both have the knowledge, love for God and his people, and the heart to do it. 3 new deacons include Brian Maddox, Paul Kelsey, and Josh Courington. These guys are have already been taking a lead in the church and are hard workers. We are fortunate to have them. Congratulations to all of you guys.
Another factor in last weeks stress was Mom took a bad fall on Wednesday. A terrible knot on the head resulted, but a catscan showed no serious injury. Her face was about 75% black by Saturday. I have seen many serious car wreck victims that looked better, but thankfully there were no breaks. Actually, she and Dad seemed to be doing pretty good by weeks end.
The swimming pool is ready, the grands are coming over, pork chops and fish that Josh caught last week at the gulf are in the plans- just chillin' is great.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Happy Mother's Day- What Is A Mother Worth?

Here is an article that I wrote for the bulletin this week.

(I thank God so much for my nurturing grandmothers, my loving Mom, my sacrificial mother in law, my children's wonderful mother, and my daughter and daughter in law, and all godly mothers who are(were)the most giving people that I know.)

A recent study by Salary.com as reported by AP found that if a mother could paid in dollars, she would make “a nifty sum of nearly $117,000 a year.” They took into account pay levels for ten job titles that she usually performs, including housekeeper, daycare teacher, van driver, psychologist, and CEO. The mother who works outside the home was estimated to get $68,000 for her “motherly duties.”
One interesting aspect of this theoretical salary is that most of her pay would be for overtime, since a typical week for a stay home mom would be 94.4 hours and 54.6 for working moms. This does not really surprise those of us who have been blessed with hard working mothers and wives. Even in the 60’s, my Mom did so much more than just the cleaning, cooking, and sewing that was often described. Today, with the increased demands on children in most every area, from school to sports, Mothers are not only “working,” but they are “overworking.”
This speculation about pay is interesting, but the more important worth of a mom lies beneath what she might be paid if her work was a business. I am reminded of what the apostle Paul told Titus, “the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- [4] that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, [5] to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” (Tit. 2:3-5)
Here we might ask, “What is a mother’s love worth?” Mothers will sacrifice for their children like no one else. Thinking back, I realize my Mother sometimes went over board in doing things for us. James and John’s mother went too far for them in Matthew 20:20-25 in asking that her sons might set on Jesus right and left hand when he ruled in his kingdom. Though she was wrong, most of us could show examples where our mothers went to bat for us, when no one else would. That is just how mothers are. But millions of children today are suffering, because they do not have a mother who really loves them. There is no substitute.
Then we ask, “What is a mother’s example worth?” In the text above, the discreet, chaste, reverent woman is God’s ideal. I could say so much good about my children’s mother, but I doubt anything could compare to the wonderful example that she has set for them. Those of us who had the good example of a godly mother should give thanks to God always for it. All mothers should set their sights on being the best example possible for their children. No other role model will be more important than this one.
Furthermore, “What is a mother’s teaching worth?” As the older women teach “good things,” it is handed down from generation to generation. It was no accident that Timothy had the same “genuine faith” that his grandmother Lois, and mother Eunice had (2 Tim. 1:5). He had known the Holy Scriptures “from a child.”(2 Tim. 3:15).
What is a mother worth? The real answer will only be revealed in eternity.
David Courington

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Music Downloads

A couple of years ago I ordered a cheap MP3 player. The instructions were in Chinese, the music I downloaded to my computer from Walmart was license protected, and I never could figure out how to do much of anything with it. It was so complicated, I got frustrated and just gave up. I should have called a 5th grader.
I decided to try again and ordered a Sandisk player and got it day before yesterday. I joined Emusic yesterday and have had some success, even though they have already charged me for one song I didn't get. The music sounds great. Any suggestions of good places to download(esp. Bluegrass) or any tips would be welcomed.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Update

Just a little update.

*The fishing expedition on Friday was lost of fun. We caught nothing in the morning, but had lots of fun with a bream bed in the afternoon. Never could locate any crappie. It was hot. We did see a deer swimming right beside us. And as usual, there were some funny moments. This time at the landing- As I got on the land out of the boat, my cell phone fell off in the water. It was right at the edge and I retrieved it quickly. Luckily, it was off and it worked the next day after drying out. Then we had a horrible time getting the boat on the trailer. The ramp(if you would call it that) was very rocky and uneven. I backed the trailer and James tried to drive to boat on to get it out. We made 3 or 4 attempts,and finally got it on and out of the water- with the boat motor still running. The keystone cops or three stooges probably couldn't have done a better job. But we did have fun.

*Mom and Dad and doing well. I visited with them yesterday and while there, Kim came in with Addi, Levi, and Lila. What a great dose of medicine for Mom and Dad! For me too!

*I have been in a gospel meeting this week at Quintown. Long time friend, Tommy Alford preaches there. Also, for those of you who know them, Jennifer recently had a miscarriage- Pray for her.
It has been a joy, and continues through tonight, though I have missed being at Sylvan Springs.

*Pam Glenn had to have an appendectomy yesterday. It hasn't been long since she had some other surgery. Pray for Pam.

*My dear sister in law, Mary, is still waiting for a liver transplant. She looks so healthy, but is having some rough days. Keep her in your prayers.

*I must get back to my sermon work. It has seemed like Monday morning, every day this week, probably because of the sinus problems I have been having. But it is a beautiful day.

*Ever wonder if it is worth the time it takes to blog? Here is a thought. Is it worth the time it takes to make new friends and keep up with old ones?

*If I haven't told you lately, I love you, and more importantly- God does too.
Happy blogging!