Carol Boeddeker-Genet has had a wonderful week as she hopes all of you did, with family, friends and in giving thanks. Rachelle Boeddeker “sneaked” home on leave, having made grandma promise not to tell anyone, arriving the night of the 22nd. The next morning Carol prepared a pancake breakfast and invited all the family. My goodness, when the family realized that Rachelle was here the hugs seemed to last forever. What a wonderful surprise for all. Lots of catching up to do! If you recall, Rachelle spent several months in Afghanistan earlier this year.
Randy Boeddeker was home for a week and was busy getting things caught up on the farm. He really appreciates niece Regina living in his home and taking care of the day to day things, especially the cattle. Randy had a very nice visit with the Nels Christenson family as their sons were home last week. Randy popped into Taco Bell and had a short enjoyable visit with Coach Silvey, who of course remembered Randy from football playing days in the last century. Randy also did some deer hunting but…..he guesses all the good ones were taken. He is happy with his elk.
The Boeddeker Thanksgiving doings were on Saturday the 27th. With all the in-laws and out-laws it is difficult to plan such doings. No one wants to go to a delicious meal at one home and 3 hours later be expected for another outstanding meal at another home. One cannot do justice to the cooks! There were 17 here to enjoy the love, the food, the jokes and the silly remembrances, and to receive phone calls from those far away, Ron from Alaska and Ryan from California. Tom and Kim Woods stopped by that evening and shared the sad news that Tom’s mother, Eva Woods from Mansfield, has cancer of the bone marrow. Tom said Eva will appreciate all prayers.
Regina’s husband, Dan, is presently in Afghanistan and has called home to ask Regina to get as many children’s winter coats as she can gather and ship them to him, all sizes. Dan said it is very cold there, and many of the children have no coats. If you are of a mind to help these unfortunate children, coats can be dropped off at Carol’s place, on the porch if she isn’t home. I suppose if someone wanted to slip some hard candy into a few of the pockets it would be very much appreciated. Even though the vast majority of residents there do not believe in Christ, we can still share our Christian love with them.
From the desk of Jamey Herd: Pleasant Ridge had a good service with Brother Carl bringing the message from the book of II Corinthians 9: 1-7. Wanda Dugan blessed us with a song and so did the children before going to Children’s Church. Lavita and her helpers, Susan Dugan and Angie Modar, had six little ones in Children’s Church. We were glad to have Lloyd Respress and Laura in service. Lloyd is an over the road truck driver. Pleasant Ridge will host their annual Holiday Dinner on Saturday the 4th at 2 p.m. The community is invited to join us. Turkey and Ham will be furnished by the church, just bring a side dish.
Saturday night the 20th was the end of the revival service and it was held at Goodhope General Baptist. There was wonderful singing and preaching that night and finished with a carry-in meal in their fellowship hall.
Billy Joe and I traveled to Carl Junction for Thanksgiving with our daughter, Susan Doyle. Daughter, Janice and family came from Augusta, KS and Ron Herd and family from Rogersville. There were 24 gathered for dinner that day. It was great to have so many of the children and grandchildren together for the day. There were a lot of great dishes to sample and turkey and ham. We all gathered in a circle before we ate and each person voiced what they were thankful for, then son-in-law Charles Doyle led us in prayer.
We had rain on our way to Carl Junction but it changed to freezing rain before we got to Avilla then we ran out of it and the roads were dry the rest of the way. Our surprise was seeing snow as we got back to Springfield on the way home. We didn’t have as much here in Dogwood as Ozark had but that is ok. We are so thankful for the rains we have gotten lately to replenish the ground moisture and fill the ponds.
I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving and now to get ready from Christmas. It seems it comes quicker each year. Till next time, God Bless each and every one.
Susan Sinclair reports as Christian congregations across Douglas county gather on Saturday or Sunday, some even on Friday evening to worship God through his son Jesus Christ, each group rests on the foundation that a person can only be saved by approaching God through His son Jesus. We all agree that salvation comes only through Christ, and it is our belief that His sacrifice paid the price for our sin, so our salvation comes from Him. We may agree that salvation comes only through Jesus, but how many folks know what is grasped when a person receives salvation? Most of us would say it means we get to go to heaven, and that is true, our spirits and souls will be with Jesus when we depart these bodies, but salvation means so much more than just being with Jesus after we die. (The Bible uses the term ‘sleep’ since Christians don’t really experience spiritual death)
Salvation applies to each born again believer right now, here on earth, and if we can grasp the truth about salvation many born again believers will be set free from the bondage that the devil has held us in.
Here is what Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible says of Salvation:
This is from the Greek, 1) deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation
1a) deliverence from the molestation of enemies
1b) in an ethical sense, that which concludes to the souls safety or salvation
1b1) of Messianic salvation
2) salvation as the present possession of all true Christians
3) future salvation, the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated and eternal kingdom of God.
Many Christians are unnecessarily held in bondage, physically and mentally, by the devil through illness or disease because we don’t realize that we do not have to be subject to his rule any more. As Children of God, we have been delivered from molestation of our worst enemy, the Devil. Scripture says that Christ has born our sins and by His stripes we are healed, that is part of a Christian’s salvation, but we must understand how to use the authority we have. The Bible says we are to submit ourselves to God, and resist the devil and he will flee, but it is a challenge to do that when our faith is weak. To strengthen our faith and receive what Jesus has already provided for us we need to get in agreement with God, and practice saying out loud what God says, despite the lies and lying symptoms the Deceiver throws at us.
The bible says faith can only come by hearing the word of God, so I encourage each born again believer in Christ to speak out loud in agreement with what God says. For example, 1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.
It takes time, and it takes effort, but let God be true and every man a liar, as the scripture says. When we get our thinking and our speech in line with what God says in His word, and apply it to ourselves, our bodies will follow. In the meantime, we continue with medical care, until we grow in faith and learn to rely on our authority as Christians to beat the devil, and to believe in Christ’s wonderful healing provision.
Until next time, God bless you and your loved ones.
