0………. 4
--article continued from page 1—
Are we confident that our light is bright
Vol. 47 February 15, 2022 Number 7
Forget Me Not
Barry Kennedy
This European perennial is one of the world’s most-loved wildflowers, and
though the little clusters of sky-blue flowers are wonderful, the romantic legend of
how it got its name is even better. The plant is a streamside species, so the setting
makes sense. A medieval German knight is said to have been picnicking on the
bank of the Danube with his lady love. He descended the bank to the water’s edge
to gather some of the lovely blue flowers he saw there, but while he was near the
water, tragedy struck. A “freshet” (flash flood) suddenly appeared and pulled the
young man into the churning river. As he was literally swept away, he tossed the
bouquet to his lady on the bank with the three now-famous words: “Forget me
not!”1
It is hard to imagine anyone wanting to be forgotten. Just knowing that
someone loves you and always holds you in a special place of their heart gives a
profound sense of comfort. God has the greatest capacity to remember each one of
us in His heart. “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man,
that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:4). When man chooses to maintain faithfulness to
God, God in turn promises that He will never forget the blessings He has made
available. “He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of
his covenant” (Psalm 111:5). What an awesome thought that God, the Creator of
all things, could even have a thought of us “pass” through His mind! He has
promised us more than just a pass-through, we can have His undivided attention.
“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians
2:18). “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him”
(Ephesians 3:12).
Pointing out the fact that God is mindful of us, can we honestly say that we
are always mindful of God? The prophet Isaiah informed the children of Israel that
they had forgotten God.
Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been
mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant
plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: In the day shalt thou make thy
plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but
the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow
(Isaiah 17:10, 11).
__________________
1
http://www.wildflowerinformation.org/wildflowerfolklore.asp
--article continued page 2--
ELDERS
Mike Childers ............. 397-6453
Dennis Hallmark......... 255-5557
Mark Hitt .................... 322-0917
Bobby Lindley ............ 260-9193
DEACONS
Wade Bryan ................ 419-5552
William Harris ............ 416-8149
Ricky Lindsey............. 255-8136
Jeff Mansel.................. 871-0357
Jimmy Spearman ........ 840-8957
Michael Wilson........... 891-0891
MINISTERS
Barry Kennedy....(931)787-7108
Alex Blackwelder (731)879-9196
SECRETARY
Renee Childers
Office.......................... 842-6116
Fax .............................. 842-7091
E-MAIL
eastmaincoc38804@gmail.com
WEB PAGE
eastmaincoc.com
SUNDAY SERVICES
Worship........................9:00 a.m.
Bible class..................10:15 a.m.
Worship......................11:15 a.m.
Singing or Devotional
Last Sunday of the Month
MID-WEEK
SERVICES
Wednesday Classes......7:00 p.m.
1606 East Main Street
P. O. Box 1761
Tupelo, Mississippi 38802
“Thou shalt observe to do all that they inform thee”
(Deut. 17:10)
--article continued from page 1--
Though it should not be so, it tends to be easy for
people to “forget” God. Just think, if Israel (God’s
chosen people) could do it, it only makes sense that
we would guard against doing so ourselves. Each of
us have countless opportunities which can distract
one from thinking about God.
The first step toward forgetting about God is
done through forgetting His Word. Paul encouraged
Timothy to take heed unto himself and the
“doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:16). The Hebrew writer
made clear the need to remember when he wrote,
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed
to the things which we have heard, lest at any time
we should let them slip” (Hebrews 2:1). Without
giving “more earnest heed” we run the risk of
allowing the Word to slip from our minds. Usually
that unoccupied space is replaced with the cares and
desires of the world. Jesus told of the person who
had an unclean spirit removed but failed to fill the
void left behind. The result was worse than the
beginning (Luke 11:25-26). Holding fast the word
of God is the ultimate defense against Satan’s
forces. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11; see also
Matthew 4:1-10).
There is never a time when we have to say
to the Lord, “Forget Me Not.” On the other hand,
maybe He is telling you and me “Forget ME Not!”
May He always be merciful to us as we endeavor to
maintain a constant remembrance of Him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sympathy
Our sympathy is extended to Donny McKay in the
loss of his stepfather, Marvin Chamblee, on Feb. 17.
Funeral services were held Feb. 20 at Cleveland-
Moffett Funeral Home in Amory.
Bridal Shower
There will be a bridal shower in honor of
Brittney Kennedy, bride-elect of Sam
Quirk, on Sunday, Mar. 6 from 1:30-3:00
pm in the multipurpose room. Brittney &
Sam are registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond
and Walmart. Their wedding website can
be viewed at theknot.com/sambrittney.
Challenge Youth
Conference (CYC)
On February 24-27, several of our
youth and adults will be travelling to
Pigeon Forge, TN for the annual
Challenge Youth Conference. This
year’s theme is “#FORME.” We need
bottled water, canned drinks, and
individually wrapped snacks, chips, cookies, Little
Debbie’s. If you can donate any of these items. Please
put them in the multipurpose room on the designated
table. Thanks so much for your help.
Baby “Girl” Shower
Brent & Codi Hallmark’s new
baby girl, Charlie Grace, was born
on Feb. 2. She weighed 8 lbs. 8 oz.
and was 20 inches long. There will
be a table set up in the foyer until
Feb. 27 for you to leave a gift for
little Charlie Grace if you wish. She
is registered at Amazon and Walmart.
Tuesday Mornings with
the Master
Don’t forget Tuesday Mornings with the Master
every Tuesday in the multipurpose room from 10:00-
11:00 am. Anyone available to come and help sign
cards is welcomed.
“My Worship Notes”
Sheet
On the table in the foyer
where the worship guides and
Lord’s Supper emblems are on
Sundays, we have placed some
sheets of paper for the younger
children in the congregation to
take notes during the lesson.
Please feel free to grab your
young child a sheet and use it
during our Sunday worship
service as a tool to promote
listening.
Daily Bible Reading
February 23................................. Deuteronomy 8-11
February 24............................... Deuteronomy 12-16
February 25............................... Deuteronomy 17-20
February 26............................... Deuteronomy 21-26
February 27............................... Deuteronomy 27-30
February 28............................... Deuteronomy 31-34
March 1 .................................................... Joshua 1-5
Birthdays &
Anniversaries
Birthdays: Cassie Blackwelder (Feb. 24), Ben
DuBois (Feb. 24), Frankie Estes (Feb. 25), Joe
Minor (Feb. 25), Carrie Hitt (Feb. 27), Aaron
Willis (Feb. 28), Malachi Lindley (Mar. 1).
Anniversaries: Maggie & Norman Simineau (Mar. 1).
Our Sick
Stella Pittman, Star Ray’s mom, is at The
Meadows in Fulton for therapy. She fell and broke a
vertebra in her neck. Joe Cook, Billie McNutt’s
brother, fell & is in NMMC with a cracked vertebra
and fractured foot. Bob Smith continues at The
Meadows in Fulton for therapy. Barbara Bishop
continues therapy at Diversicare, Room 3B, on
Eason Blvd. Crafton Laney will have neck surgery
in Birmingham Marc. 9. Michelle Maclean, Billie
McNutt’s niece, has been diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer. Twinette Wallace’s brother, Donny
Dulaney, is on a low dose chemo. Roy & Daisy
King, friends of Danny & Barbara Wright, both
have cancer.
On-Going Illnesses
Mary Lou Walden, Evelyn Thompson, Annie
Martin, Bettye Davis, Steve Kelly, Frankie Estes,
Shirley Lyons, Caroline Willis, Carol Hood, Bill Goff,
Adam McCurley, Mitch Maclean, Sheba Tuggers,
Larry Kennedy, Brian Carver, Marvin Chamblee,
Lacy Plaxico
Nursing Homes
Randy Attaway, Shirley McCarthy, Bob McClure
EMYG News
Living in a Right-
Handed World
JAY LAUNIUS
I’m left-handed and throughout my life it has been a
source of both inconvenience and at times down-right
difficult. For instance, when I started school as a kid
the desk, we sat at were right-handed, totally opened
on the left side. When I tried to write or draw my left
arm was up in the air and had no support. Other
school supplies caused some frustration as well, the
spiral bound notebook for example. That spiral wire is
right in the way of my left hand. Everyday utensils
that are geared for a right-hand world. Scissors are a
source of constant frustration, try using a pair of
scissors to cut fabric using you’re left hand and it’s
like a toothless dog trying to eat a bone, it gnaws at it,
but nothing happens! Other items seem to cater to the
“righties” like a computer mouse, musical instruments
and even firearms. There are the names associated
with being left-handed, “leftie” and “southpaw” come
to mind. I’ve always wondered why we don’t have
“right-paws”. Yep, it’s a right-handed world alright,
geared to the majority.
If you think about it, being a Christian is a lot like
being left-handed. Christians are not in the majority
and sometimes find it hard to fit into a non-Christian
world. We are to be unique, different, not conformed
to the world around us (Romans 12:1-2). We are to be
“peculiar” people (Titus 2:14 AKJV) who refuse to fit
into the mold of a sinful society. Take a look at your
life and ask yourself, “Am I so different that those
around me can tell or do I just fit in with everybody
else?” We are to be so different that others notice and
ask why we are not quite like everyone else. Notice
Peter’s comment, “But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to
everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in
you, with meekness and fear,” (1 Peter 3:15). One of
the judges of Israel was a unique individual by the
name of Ehud (Judges 3:12-26). Ehud was wise, a
good planner and he was left-handed and by looking
at his example we can see just how important it is to
be a unique child of God.
If you are going to CYC, be at the building
this Thurs., Feb. 24th
at 9:00 am. Please bring
money for 3 meals out! If you have any
medical issues/allergies, please let Alex know.
Men to Serve Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022 a.m.
Announcements................................Michael Wilson
Bible Reading.........................................Ben DuBois
Opening Prayer ..............................Roger Sanderson
Lord’s Supper
Mike Ratliff
Lead Singing....................................Eddie Simmons
Closing Prayer......................................Larry Presley
Ushers ..................Terry Kingsley & Andy Baldwyn
Please meet in the library by 8:45 a.m.
Sunday 11:15 a.m. service
Opening Prayer .......................................Jeff Mansel
Closing Prayer.....................................Jake Kennedy
Lead Singing......................................Hugh Scribner
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Opening Prayer ............................ Rommie Dilworth
Lead Singing.........................................Wesley Bass
The elders kindly request that men leading in public
worship wear the best dress clothes they have.
Contact Ricky Lindsey (255-8136) if unable to serve.
Attendance & Contribution
Mid-Week, 2-16-22 .................................................... 147
Sunday 1st
Worship, 2-20-22 .................................... 179*
Sunday Bible Class..................................................... 170
Sunday 2nd
Worship.................................................... 118
Contribution (budget $7,900) ................................ $7,549
*This does not include the livestreamed views.
Pantry item........................................... Peanut butter
Our Vacation Bible School
is scheduled for
June 12th
-15th
from 6:30-8:00 pm!
There will be classes for all ages including adults.
Make plans now to attend!