By Evangelist Eric Smith “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” Ephesians 1:7. The next portion of the sentence we are pursuing is verse 7. The whole sentence is verse 3 through verse 14 of Ephesians chapter 1. This portion of the sentence we are looking at has a powerful message for us today. Paul continues to amazes us with his phraseology in portraying these great truths.
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.
"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub." By Rev. Kenneth Marple, M.A. Avoidance Can Backfire
Avoidance is an important survival strategy for all people. Most of us have learned how to use avoidance to stay out of trouble! The Bible cautions: "Avoid every kind of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22); "avoid sexual immorality" (1 Thessalonians 4:3); "avoid godless chatter" (2 Timothy 2:16). One of our old hymns warns, "avoid evil companions." In addition, most of us try to avoid pain, accidents, taxes, late charges, and overdrawn checking accounts. He or she who can avoid can live well.
On July 1, Deborah Stackhouse, of Hughesville, wrote in a letter that a friend of hers, who lives in Picture Rocks, found a decapitated rabbit inside her fenced-in-yard. Although the rabbit’s body was untouched, it appeared as if its head had been cut off with a sharp knife.
Deborah went on to write that she too had found a rabbit killed in the same manner. These ladies were curious as to what killed the rabbits. The great-horned owl’s signature method when dealing with large prey is to behead its victim and take only the head to its nest or eating perch. In Kansas, a study had been done on 28 kills by great-horned owls, with 60% of these kills having been decapitated. The great-horned owl will also crush the bones of its prey to make it more compact for carrying; however, if the prey is too heavy to fly with even after dismemberment, this owl will, on occasion, return to the kill site to feed on the carcass. Canton Fitness Center Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes
Last week I talked about natural products with amazing capabilities. This week I have a few recipes that can get you started on making your home less chemically toxic, while still keeping it clean and fresh. • Laundry Detergent: 1 bar Fels naptha soap – grated, 1 c Arm & Hammer WASHING Soda, ½ c 20 Mule Team Borax, (All of this can be found at Walmart in the detergent aisle on the bottom shelf). You will also need a large spoon, 5 gallon (or larger) bucket or tub with a lid, optional is 20-50 drops of essential oil. Grate your Fels naptha with a food processor if you have one. Melt the grated soap with approx. 1/2 gallon of water over high heat. Heat another large pot of water until hot but not boiling and dump into your bucket. Add the Washing Soda & Borax stirring until dissolved. Add melted soap mixture and essential oil. (I used Nature’s Sunshine Essential Shield) Now add enough hot tap water to fill to the 5 gallon mark. Stir all together. Allow this to sit until cool. Once this is cool it will look and feel like Jell-o. Use a spoon or your hands to stir it and break up the lumps and make it more of a liquid. You can leave it in the tub or use gallon jugs. I use 1/2 cup for most loads - more depending on soil level and washer type. Note: you may have to re-stir or shake it to break up lumps again before use. By Stratton "Lefty" Schaeffer Still the Best System
In the World This past week all it took for John Q Public to be informed about the workings of government was to read the local newspaper or listen to radio and television reports. True, depending on the news source, a certain amount of bias may creep into the message but compared to many of the largest countries in the world we've still got the opportunity to stay informed and influence the decision making for our elected representatives and those seeking office. Last week's political activities brought to mind a quotation by Sir Winston Churchill, “It has been said that Democracy is the worse form of government , except for all the others that have been tried.” Last week was an example that our system, as imperfect as it is, still represents the best system in the world. The GOP debate among no less than seventeen presidential hopefuls was available to the entire world for observation. By Esther Butcher My yard didn’t need mowing this past week, it needs a big drink of water. Some people are mowing with a big cloud of dust.
Saturday, Brian Crandell had his 40th class reunion at Pine Lodge. Several attending, Brian and Cindy spent the night at the cabin. Bill and Gloria Johnson, Powell, and Esther Butcher attended a birthday party at Bill and April Barnes, Danville. It was the twins', Zach and Dani, 2nd birthday. It was largely attended and good food. The kids all had fun and it was fun to watch them. Sunday Keith and Alex Bishop, Vermont arrived as Alex is spending the week with his grandparents, Gary and Esther. Sharlene Colton attended her 1953 class reunion on Friday for lunch at the 1110 Restaurant on West Main Street in Troy. Hope we get some rain tonight, it is so dusty. Have a good week. By Jim Lewis Do you ever listen to the disclaimers at the end of prescription medicine commercials? The description and testimony of the product is lively and positive, then at the end there is this quiet monotone list of warnings and restrictions. Some go on for a long time! I sometimes find myself asking if the risks outweigh the rewards. At least the medical ad disclaimers are usually understandable. I get a kick out of the ads where at the end there is someone who talks super-fast giving the list of additional conditions and expenses. How about those commercials with the very tiny and lengthy paragraphs at the bottom of the screen? The law says they have to tell you, but they make it next to impossible to get the information. High definition or not, I'm not sure you can even read some of them! The premise of all these ads is the same. What we say about the product is true, if...
By William Bower
By Canton Fitness Center Clean Up Naturally
Cleaning your home is one of the easiest ways to keep your family healthy because it kills germs that make you sick. However, have you ever thought about all of the chemicals in the cleaners that you use? What about all the fragrances? There are natural solutions for your cleaning duties. Not only will these help kill germs and clean the dirt, but they will reduce toxic chemicals and very likely save you money! With just a few simple ingredients and a few essential oils, you can significantly reduce the number of commercial cleaning products in your cabinet. The Sage has learned a lot as his life went by. How about YOU?
Age 5 - I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing "Silent Night." Age 7 - I've learned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either. Age 9 -I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. Age 12 - I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again. Age 14 - I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. Age 15 - I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me. Age 24 - I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice. Age 26 - I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures. Age 29 - I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have followed me there. Age 30 -I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. Age 35 - I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it. By Evangelist Eric Smith “In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” Ephesians 1:5-6. The next portion of the sentence we are pursuing is the end of verse 5 and verse 6. The whole sentence is verse 3 through verse 14 of Ephesians chapter 1. Having examined this sentence to the point, it is amazing what Paul has revealed to us concerning Jesus Christ. We will see even more as we continue to examine the sentence and strengthen our faith.
“In accordance with his pleasure and will” does not take away the individual’s opportunity to make their own choices and decisions. From the time God created mankind His desire was for mankind to be with Him. The problem, sin got in the way. God had to punish the sinner for disobeying and the punishment was death. By Jim Lewis “Try not to get old.” That’s what an old-timer once told me. I have been trying not to, but… A friend was recently told that he has a tooth that needs to be extracted. It has been worked on in the past, but is finally worn out and is to the point where it cannot be saved. It’s going to be yanked out and where it was will be a void. Are you getting older? Do you see your life like my friend’s tooth? Have you been worked on, worn down and are eventually going to be yanked? Let me tell you what my friend found out.
By Anna Belle Leonard The Gillett Senior Citizens held their regular Thursday meeting on July 30th and finalized plans for the annual picnic on August 20th at Wells Township Park.
We will only have meetings at the Township building on the first two Thursdays, as the third week is the picnic and August 27th our leader will be away at a leadership meeting. |
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