Newspaper Page Text
November 19, 2008
PAGE 7B
^Reporter
Mt. Zion UMC kids send gifts to other kids
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church and the youth group Christ In Action put together 130 plus Shoebox
es for the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child. The gift boxes are sent to children all over the
world for Christmas. Drop off your shoeboxes, filled with gifts for children around the world, Nov. IT-
23 from 3 - 7 p.m. at Dayspring Presbyterian Church at 1045 Hwy 41 South (near Banks Stephens Mid
dle School). Boxes will be shipped out Monday, Nov. 24. Last minute donations will be accepted at
Dayspring from 9-11 a.m. on that day. For more information call 994-4503. To learn more about Oper
ation Christmas Child, go to www.samaritanspurse.org
Pastor’s Column
Ruined nest, rainy day blues
By Scott
Harrell
A s I write this
article it is a wet.
gloomy day. It
has rained most
of the night and
doesn’t look like it will come
to an end anytime
soon. I had two
appointments
scheduled today
but both were can
celed; one due to
sickness, the other
due to weather.
This doesn’t neces
sarily sit well with
me. I like organi
zation. I like hav
ing a plan. I begin
most of my days
with a to do list. I
like to be able to
check off accomplishments.
Now all my plans have
seemed to slip away. Part of
me would rather get back in
bed and nap the day away. I
have no real plans now. So I
set out to make a new to do
list. It wouldn’t take much
for a bit of depression to set
in. I’ve got the rainy day
blues.
Maybe you can relate to
me. Circumstances beyond
your control have hindered
your plans or desires. Even
when you try to re-group
you feel like you are run
ning into brick walls or rain
clouds.
The great poet of the 18th
century, Robert Bums, while
plowing on a November day,
mined the nest of a field
mouse. He then pondered
why the creature ran away
in such terror. He penned
the poem “To a Mouse.” One
of the last lines of the poem
reads;
“The best laid schemes of
mice and men,
Go oft astray,
And leave us nought but
grief and pain,
To rend our day”
Sure sounds like a good
description of my day. I had
it all planned out and now it
has all gone astray.
Many of you remember
reading in high school John
Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice
and Men.” He drew his title
and maybe even inspiration
from Robert Bums’ poem.
The story of Lennie and
George is a perfect example
of how dreams and schemes
go astray. They had dreams
of owning their own land
and animals, but their
schemes (or plans) never
quite worked out
the way they had
planned.
This is a difficult
lesson for planners
and organizers
like me. It is not
that planning and
organizing are
bad. In fact, they
are very good and
necessary traits
for success.
However, if our
plans or schemes do
not begin with God
and end with thanksgiving,
then we are going to end up
with a lot of rainy days and
mined nest.
Let me share with you a
few passages of scripture
that come to my mind as I
ponder these thoughts
today;
Mark 10:27(NIV) Jesus
looked at them and said,
"With man this is impossi
ble, but not with God; all
things are possible with
God."
John 15:5b (NIV) If a man
remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do
nothing.
Success will not come to us
without our pursuit of God.
In fact we will not be able to
discover our real purpose for
this life if we and our
schemes remain apart from
our creator and his plans. It
is impossible.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) "For
I know the plans I have for
you," declares the Lord,
"plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future."
Do you know that God has
plans for you? For me that
gives my life hope, meaning
and purpose. Even when I
find my days filled with the
difficulties of life, his plan
continues, Rain or shine!
Understanding that my life
has a divine purpose seems
to chase away the “Rainy
Day Blues.”
Philippians 4:6 (NIV) Do
not be anxious about any
thing, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your
requests to God.
If our plans begin with
God, then we do not have to
live anxious lives filled with
worry. We can live lives of
assurance knowing that our
God cares about our needs.
We must however, never for
get to offer our thanks to
Him.
Next week, we celebrate a
national holiday. Our
schools, government and
many of our jobs will take a
day off. We will feast around
tables heavy laden with
dishes of delicious foods. We
will be surrounded by
friends and loved ones. We
will watch football, talk
about politics, and reminisce
about holidays of old. The
most important thing we
will do, and we must not for
get this, is to offer our
thanks. Our thanks should
be offered up to the one who
has given us life, hope,
blessings and purpose. Give
God the central place in
your Thanksgiving.
The Rev. Scott Harrell is
pastor of Rocky Creek
Baptist Church. This weekly
column is sponsored, by the
Monroe County Ministerial
Association.
CLASSIC CUTS
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2093 IV. Highway 42, Ste. E Jenkinsburg
Owner Tammy Richardson
(seated), Sally Jones and
Tina Cato welcome June Miller.
Mt Zion Baptist welcomes
Braley as its new pastor
BY WILL DAVIS
The new pastor at Mt.
Zion Baptist
Church in
Bolingbroke
says Mt. Zion is
a warm, loving
church ready to
grow. They’re
like a Starbucks
that just needs
some more
cups, or people,
in which to
pour.
The Rev. Stan
Braley accepted the call
to serve as senior pastor
at Mt. Zion Baptist
Church and began on
Aug. 17. Braley has spent
most of his 44 years in
Chattanooga, Tenn., and
had been pastor at White
Oak Baptist Church there
for the past eight years
before heeding Mt. Zion’s
call.
He and wife Bridget
have two sons. Spencer is
a senior at Westside High
in Macon and Andrew is a
freshman there.
While it’s his first time
away from Chattanooga,
Braley said they really
like Middle Georgia. He
said Bolingbroke is a
beautiful area and that
Mt. Zion includes a real
eclectic group that wor
ships well together.
“They seem to truly care
about one another, and
that’s a pretty special
thing,” said Braley.
Braley said the church
is getting more
involved with the
community, host
ing a trunk or
treat celebration
at Halloween that
went real well. He
said they also had
a great time when
the church served
as the polling
place for
Bolingbroke,
which allowed
them to greet about 400
people. “I couldn’t have
asked for a better experi
ence,” said Braley The
church offered coffee and
hot chocolate to the hun
dreds of voters.
Braley shepherds a
church that appears to be
on the upswing. The
church doubled in size in
the 1990s and had grown
to about 350 in atten
dance in the early 2000s.
But attendance suffered,
as it sometimes does, dur
ing a change in pastors
last year.
But Braley says they’re
already back up to about
230-250 each week.
“They’ve really held their
own during some turbu
lence and I think they’re
looking toward the best
times to come,” said
Braley. “It’s a very
healthy church.”
Mt. Zion is dually
aligned with the moderate
Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship and the more
conservative Southern
Baptist Convention.
Braley is six hours from
getting his doctorate. He
got his masters from New
Orleans Baptist Seminary
and his undergraduate
degree from UT-
Chattanooga.
The Braleys are leasing
a home while they wait
for their home in
Chattanooga to sell. His
wife is currently substi
tute teaching at Woodfield
Academy in Macon.
For more information
call the church at 994-
0838.
PREGNANT?
“ We care about you! “
free pregnancy test
counseling & referrals
pregnancy, STD,&
abortion information
parenting classes
maternity clothes
& baby needs
All services are free and confidential
THE PREGNANCY CENTER
not a medical clinic
478-994-3173
Mon, Tues, & Thurs 10 - 4:30
www.pregnancycentermonroecounty.org
BRALEY
267 Tift College Drive • Forsyth, GA • 478-994-5144
Custom Framing Makes An
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You'll love this exclusive deep
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If you have any spots return
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Cory McCook
Owner
This system
removes up to five
times more soil
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carpet cleaners
perform.
To see what we
can do for your carpet and rugs,
visit www.mycarpetcure.com
BONUS GIFT: If you book an
appointment by November 26th,
you’ll get a certificate good for_
$100 in FREE gas redeemable at
most gas stations in the Forsyth
area.
Call 478-405-9138 for an
honest, friendly phone estimate
with no bait-and switch.
You'll be glad you did.
Perry B. Wells, M.D.
Board Certified Gynecologist
Dr. Wells-Habla Espanol
Dr. Wells is pleased
to announce that
Alice Tuner has
joined his staff.
Alice is a Certified
Nurse Practitioner.
Now Available
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• Annual Exams
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• Menopausal Management
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100 Martin Luther King ]r. Drive
Forsyth, GA. 31029
478-994-5909
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