Daily Focus, March 2, 2020

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”  James 4:8

Daily Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 2:26 (“All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.”)

This Week’s Memory Verse:If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”  1 Timothy 3:15

Remember These In Prayer:

James Hunt is scheduled to undergo surgery today.  Rebekah asks that we pray for all to go well.

Brenda McKinnis will leave today for appointments on Tuesday at Vanderbilt Medical Center.  She asks for our prayers for safe travel, and for God’s will in findings from a mammogram that will be done.

Jennifer Easterling is scheduled to have radioiodine ablation on Wednesday at Holston Valley Medical Center.  This is a treatment related to her recent thyroidectomy.  Prayers would be appreciated that all will go well.

Mary Lou Cooper continues to meet with oncology specialists as she gets ready to begin both chemotherapy and radiation treatments next week.

Basil Barkley has been having some challenging health issues in recent days.  He is to consult with his doctors this week.  Donna would appreciate our prayers for improvement.

Joyce Hall is recovering at home after a week-long hospitalization last week for cellulitis in her leg, the fourth such occurrence of this in the last 6 months.  An MRI found infection in the bone of one of her toes, and this is being treated aggressively with IV antibiotics for the next 6 weeks.

Karen Stevens is recovering at home from recent cancer surgeries, and from a 6-weeks stay in the hospital.  She is anxious to be back among her Central family, but for now it is best that there be no visitors.

Boyd Lewis, husband of former Central member Wanda Lewis, is in serious decline in his health.  Wanda reported on Sunday that he has been non-responsive for the past 3-4 days and is not expected to live much longer.  Boyd and Wanda have lived in St. Augustine, Florida for the past two years to be closer to their son.

Kimberly, sister of David Huff who lives in Huntsville, Alabama, has the flu, as do her daughter and granddaughter.  The granddaughter is in the Children’s Hospital in Huntsville.  David asks for our prayers for all of them.

The family of Anna Ashby, mother of Sheila Walker, is mourning her passing on Friday night in Grundy, Virginia.  The funeral will be today.

Dr. Mark Landis, son of Judy Von-Dollen, has asked for our prayers for Christians in the region of the Philippines in which he lives and does mission work.  There have been seven confirmed cases of coronavirus in the community, and others are being observed.  Mark asks that we pray for God’s protection of the Christians.

Linda Fenner responded to the invitation on Sunday and asked for prayers that she might be more faithful in her service to the Lord and His church.  She has had a difficult time adjusting to the unexpected passing of her husband last January.

James Simmons also responded for prayers on Sunday morning.  He asks that we pray for God’s wisdom to guide him in dealing with issues with the men who share his house, his brother and his cousin.

A New Sister In Christ!  On Sunday afternoon Abbey Gross, daughter of Rachel and Isaac Gross, was baptized into Christ.  Her father Isaac baptized her, and several family members were present.  Abbey, who had been considering this decision for quite some time, is the grandddaughter of Teresa and Eugene Wolfe, and the great-granddaughter of Judy and Earl Von-Dollen.

Support Sought:  Morgan Stansell is a first-year medical student who has been worshiping with us since last July.  She grew up in the Minerva Drive (now Salem Creek) Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, and is a graduate of Freed-Hardeman University.  Morgan is seeking help to raise support for a mission trip to Nicaragua this summer.  If you would like to know more about the trip and her needs, a letter is posted on the bulletin board in the old foyer.  You can contact her at stansellm@etsu.edu or text/call her at 615-785-9688.

Monday Night For The Master will return to active service on Monday, March 16.  Join us for a delicious meal, fine fellowship, and simple ways to serve the Lord.

Ladies’ Day Registration Open: If you had earlier tried without success to register for Central’s Ladies’ Day, scheduled for Saturday, April 4, repairs have been made to that web page, and all should be working now.  Click here to learn all the details about the day and to register to attend.

A Delightful Visit: On Sunday we were very happy to see former Central member Pam Billingsby among our number.  Pam was in town for the funeral of an uncle, and flew back home Sunday afternoon.  She reported that her husband, Terry, was recently installed as an elder for the Naples (FL) Church of Christ.  Interestingly, another former Central member, Hugh Travis, was also installed as an elder of the same congregation on that day.  The words of 3 John 4 come to mind.

Free Items: There are some boxes located at the main Welcome Center with items from the now-closed Earth Fare store.  The items are new, and range from supplements and natural remedies to makeup.  All are free to anyone who can use them.  (Our thanks to Laurie Norton for making these items available!)

A Student’s Mind:  *  “Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.”  (Og Mandino)  *  “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.”  (Proverbs 3:13,14)