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Vol. 47, No.
6 SOUTHSIDE ORACLE
April 9, 2004
The Bulletin Board
Coming Up – Two events of importance will transpire the
weekend of April 16 - 18. The annual men’s retreat will be at Camp
Matawa April 16 & 17. The theme will be “Disciplines of a Godly Man.” See
the posted information. Meanwhile, the annual Wisconsin Christian Camp
Youth Rally will be held at Fallhall Glen April 17 & 18. Those wishing
to attend should see Daryl Miller.
Moved – Charles and Jean Lauschner have moved to Clovis, NM to be close
to their family. Jean was one of the charter members of Southside. She had
been unable to attend services for several years. Monroe and Julia Hawley
are the only remaining charter members still with Southside.
The Tweens – We focus much of our effort on work with our teenagers as
we should. But we also have an active program for our pre-teens that we
call the “Tweens” which is the 10 - 12 age group. Last Friday night 27
Tweens crowded into the Giemza home for their monthly program. This
interest bodes well for the future of our youth program because they will
soon be teenagers.
The Sick – Jim Capitonoff is home from the hospital after open
heart surgery and doing well….Esther Christensen is still in St.
Francis Terrace in rehabilitation. Gertrude Bahn is awaiting a
diagnosis for her severe pain.
ATTENDANCE RECORD
Two years ago Last
year Last week Goal
Bible classes
114 144
130 170
Morning worship
186 215 *226 250
Evening worship
67 65 no count 80
Contribution $4259.16
$4177.76 $4364.47 $4500.00
Mother/Daughter Banquet – Because of limited space and the large number
of last minute reservations at last year’s banquet, a cut-off date for
registration for this year’s banquet on May 7th has been set for
April 18th. Those planning to attend should sign the reservation
sheet on the bulletin board by that date.
Praise and Palate for April has been changed to April 18th at
6:00 p.m.
Calendar of Events
April 11 – Elders/deacons meeting, 4:30 p.m.
April 16-17 – Southside men’s retreat, Camp Matawa
April 17-18 – Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp spring
youth rally, Fallhall Glen
April 18 – Praise and Palate, 6:00 p.m.
April 20 – Christian Workers’ Meeting, 9:00 a.m.
May 7 – Mother/Daughter Banquet, Southside, 6:00 p.m.
May 16 – Southside combined morning worship, 11:00
a.m.
June 20 – July 3 – Junior camp session, Wisconsin
Christian Youth Camp
July 4-17 – Middle camp session, Wisconsin Christian
Youth Camp
A Lesson from a
Mule
Some time ago this incident caused much
surprise and interest in the state of Louisiana. A mule grazing near an old
home-site fell hind feet backward into an old dry well many feet deep. All
efforts to rescue him were fruitless. Finally, the owner of the mule,
supposing that the poor creature was severely injured, decided it would be
more merciful to have him killed than to allow him to starve to death.
Unable to think of a better way of
dispatching him, the owner had a cartload of dirt thrown in upon him. But
instead of allowing himself to be buried alive, the mule quietly shook off
the dirt and pressed it down with his feet, thus raising himself a few
inches above his original position. Another load was thrown in with the
same results.
Slowly but surely, inch by inch, he
ascended until the well was filled within a few feet of the top. Then, as
complacently as if nothing strange had happened, his mule-ship stepped out
on firm, safe ground.
Now, it may just offend the pride of some
people to be pointed to a mule for a lesson in living. Yet some of us have
never learned what that mule already knew – that the very thing originally
designed to finish us off, can, if properly used, be the very thing that
will bring us out “on top”!
Since Balaam’s life was saved once by
listening to a donkey, there would seem to be some biblical justification
for you to ponder on this story. It is a truth well attested in the Bible
that our individual response to adversity determines the outcome more than
the severity of the storm.
The very situation that seems to produce
arrogance and bitterness in one person may bring out sincerity and humility
in another, depending on how we respond to the circumstances.
In far better words this same thought is
summed up in the following:
I do
not ask to walk smooth paths,
Nor bear an easy load.
I
pray for strength and fortitude
To climb the rock-strewn road.
Give
me such courage I can scale
The hardest peaks alone
And
transform every stumbling block
Into a stepping stone. __Selected
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