A NEWSLETTER FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE GREENWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

VOLUME 5 NO. 5                                           March 30, 2008

With or Without God?

By Kelsey Harris

I like to be by myself, but I can't stand being alone.
I love the dark, but I hate not being able to see.
I enjoy meeting new people, but I hate being with strangers.
I want my voice to be heard, but I despise talking loud.
I want to be in a hall of fame, but I don't like being the center of attention.
I want to have my most complicated problems solved, but I don't want complicated answers.
I want to always be healthy, but not have to take medicine.

The answer:  GOD!

With God, I can be away from the world, by myself, but not be alone, for He is with me.
With God, I can be in the dark, be blind, but see more than people of this world can.
With God, I can meet new people, but they won't be strangers, because they are children of God, just like me.
With God, my voice can be heard even when I whisper.
With God, I can enter His hall of fame, but not deal with the pressure of earthly fame.
With God, I can have even my most complicated problems solved with a simple answer.
With God, I can have an incurable disease, yet be healthy in what matters most.

Without God, I will be with the world, and be totally alone.
Without God, I will walk around with my eyes wide open, but not see as much as the Christian blind man sees.
Without God, I will meet all the people in the world, but they will always be strangers.
Without God, I will have to raise my voice as loud as I can to be heard, but still not be heard when it matters most.
Without God, I will have work extremely hard to get into a worldly hall of fame, but not get into the highest one.
Without God, my most complicated problems, can't be solved, and the attempts will be so complicated, I won't understand them.
Without God, I will have to take pill after pill, but will always be incurably sick.

With God, I can achieve anything.
Without God, I will achieve nothing.

What's your choice?

This poem was written by Kelsey Harris a 15 year old young Christian lady who is courageously fighting brain cancer.  She is the daughter of Simon and Teresa Harris.  Simon is a gospel preacher in Jonesboro, Arkansas.  Teresa is not a stranger to health issues as she has had her share through the years.  Yet, the faith that these two have in God is definitely showing through in Kelsey.

Solomon states there is a season for everything and a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  The Harris’ are another family in a long list of fine Christian families that are in a season of health issues.  The outpouring of love and kindness from brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world certainly should give us strength and courage to face the seasons this life brings.

Who Deserves The Credit?

By Roger Banks

This is a quote from Theodore Roosevelt:  “It is not the critic who counts, pointing out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds should have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, but knows great enthusiasm and great devotion and spends himself.”

It is always easy after an election like the one we have coming up for someone to say, “I would have done it differently.”  Monday morning quarterbacks are not hard to find after the game has been played.  It is much like the weather; everybody talks about it, but no one does anything about it!

The Basics

By Paul Sain

A football team can have powerful, talented athletes, but if they neglect the “basics” of clean blocking, tackling, etc., they will likely be unsuccessful.

For years the “basics” of education has been neglected and many have difficulty even filling out a job application.

In religion, many have moved away from the “basics” in favor of gimmicks and fads in order to have growth numerically.  If we forsake the “basics,” we will eventually pay the price.

If you desire to grow (as God desires), follow these “basics”…

1. Read your Bible everyday
2. Regularly talk to God in prayer.
3. Live a pure, Christ-like life.
4. Help others learn the gospel.
5. Look for ways to serve others.