Would You Like to Help the Teen Girls of the Contact Church?

We received the following e-mail from Sarah Logsdon this morning:

Dear Friends and Supporters of Contact Church of Christ,

For the past three months our teen girls have been working to raise money for a trip to Houston. The purpose of the trip is to provide an opportunity for the girls to have new experiences, learn something of the world outside of Tulsa, and open their eyes to new possibilities. The girls, along with their chaperones (Darlene Lawrence, Cathy Gotcher, and Devin Dupree) hope to visit NASA's Houston Space Center and the Holocaust Museum, as well as journey to Galveston to see the ocean, something none of our girls have ever seen before.

We have had our car washes, bake sales, and a big thrift sale to raise money. The girls have worked hard to earn their way to Houston, and God has definitely blessed their efforts.

However, we are still several hundred dollars short of what we need to make this trip. This is where you can step in and help! We are having a "No Bake, Bake Sale." Instead of donating baked goods for us to sell, we are asking you to take the amount of money you would spend on sugar, eggs, butter, etc...and donate that to us. We are grateful for any amount you feel you can give.

Please mail all donations to:

Contact Church of Christ

ATTN: Teen Girls Ministry

1529 W. 49th Street

Tulsa, OK 74107

The girls leave on July 10th, so we need to wrap up our fundraising as soon as possible. Please mail all donations by this Friday, June 27th; however, we will continue accepting donations throughout the rest of the summer. Thank you for caring about these girls and helping to make this trip happen for them. We also ask that you offer up prayers for this trip and these special girls. We especially ask for prayers that this trip will provide them with a new vision of how God can work in their lives.

In Christ,

Sarah Logsdon

P.S. Attached is a picture of the girls who are going to Houston: Jeneva, Porsche, Brittany, Jimisha, and Breanna.

I'm Going to Miss the Contact Church Again, But for a Good Reason!

"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:3-4, NIV).

For members of the Contact Church who may be missing us, we will not be with you again tomorrow. We had planned to return to our normal schedule after vacation, but we need to miss one more Sunday with you. (And we are definitely missing you!)

I received a call from my sister Tina a few minutes ago. Her son Aaron just let her know that he wants to be baptized tomorrow morning at the Southside Church of Christ in Rogers, Arkansas. He has asked that I baptize him, since I baptized his mother (my sister) 20 years ago. How could I say "no" to such a request? So, we will be traveling to Arkansas tomorrow for the celebration of my nephew's new life in Christ!

Hopefully, we will be back with the Contact Church of Christ soon, but I can't think of a better reason to miss you guys!

Childish Criticism

"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.'

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."' But wisdom is proved right by her actions" (Matthew 11:16-19, NIV).

Jesus knew that some people could not be pleased. They criticized John the Baptist for his reclusivity and Jesus for his friendliness. How petty could they get? Even Jesus became frustrated with their silly criticisms.

Nobody can please everybody.

I could be criticized for a number of legitimate reasons; but if I am criticized for many illegitimate reasons, I may build up an immunity to legitimate criticism. I could stop listening.

Christians should be careful to eliminate childish and petty criticism from our conversations, so that when it is needed, it will not be ignored.

Vacation Memories 2008 Part 2

Above: We are visiting the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Above: Christopher and Janet

Above: All of us

Juneteenth

"And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:18, NKJV).

In honor of Juneteenth, Marvin Williams has written a good devotional for Our Daily Bread at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/06/19/devotion.aspx.

Vacation Memories 2008

We spent the past week on vacation in Oklahoma City and Dallas.

On Sunday morning, we headed to Oklahoma City for the annual Oklahoma Rural Letter Carriers Association convention. I served as a delegate from the state's northeastern district. While I learned a little during the informational sessions, I found myself in the minority during every vote on substantial issues that would make a positive impact on my job or reform my union. I'm accustomed to being in the minority, though.

Before arriving at the convention, we met Bobby Ross (http://www.therossnews.com) and his family for worship with the Edmond Church of Christ. Unfortunately, Tamie was feeling sick. However, we were able to enjoy a nice lunch with Bobby, Brady, and Keaton.

On Monday, I skipped the convention and took the family to the Science Museum. Christopher loved all of the hands-on activities and the Storm Chasers movie in the Omnidome.

On Tuesday, the convention wrapped up. Jason and Tara Hicks (http://thehixaregrowinglikeweeds.blogspot.com) invited us to dinner at their house. Tara is the former children's minister for the Contact Church of Christ. Time flew as we ate a great meal and talked for hours. Christopher enjoyed playing with their son Liam.

On Wednesday, we visited the Frontier City amusement park. (Thanks, Bobby, for letting us know about the coupons!) In some ways, we were reminded of Silver Dollar City. Then we went to see the latest Indiana Jones movie. (Is it just me, or is the latest movie much more ridiculous than those made in the 1980s?)

On Thursday, we spent the day at the Oklahoma City Zoo. We enjoyed watching the sea lions perform tricks in their new show, feeding the ducks and geese at the lake, and seeing the new lion cubs.

On Friday, we traveled south to Dallas so that we could spend the weekend with Janet's brother Ken. Since he was home on vacation from his job in Iraq for the first time in about 16 months, we joined most of the family in visiting him and his wife in Dallas.

Before returning home on Sunday, we visited Stonebriar Community Church to hear Chuck Swindoll speak.

In the next day or so, I will try to post a few photographs of our vacation. Thanks for reading!

Barton W. Stone: Family Man

With Father's Day approaching, I would like to share John Rogers' description of Barton W. Stone as a devoted family man. Two hundred years ago, Mr. Stone was a leader among the early American Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. Mr. Rogers' description of his family life helps explain why so many disciples of Christ respected his leadership during his lifetime.

I have retained the original spelling in this excerpt:

"B.W. Stone possessed all the elements of a truly great and good man. In the domestic and private walks of life, where men act under least restraint--where they develope their true principles, there he shone with peculiar lustre, as the imbodiment of every private and domestic virtue. As a husband, he was kind, devoted, tender, obliging, faithful; as a father, he was fond and attentive; he lived to promote the happiness of his family. Never man loved the domestic circle more than he. He carefully brought up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; night and morning asking the divine blessing upon his family, and committing and commending himself and them to the care and protection of the Heavenly Father. His was truly a house of prayer--his a Joshua's resolution: 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' The writer of this sketch was much about the house of the venerated Stone, for many, many years; and it affords him peculiar pleasure to say, he never heard him speak a harsh or unkind word to any member of his family; nor does he remember to have seen him angry, during an acquaintance of a quarter of a century. In patience he possessed his soul" (The Biography of Barton Warren Stone by B.W. Stone and John Rogers, p. 248).