Southside Oracle Archive

Vol. 50, No. 38                  SOUTHSIDE ORACLE                      December 7, 2007

The Bulletin Board

Southside Blood Drive - Sarah Borges is in charge of a blood drive at Southside on January 19^th. It will be from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. If you can contribute, come to the church during those hours. To make an appointment or for further information, contact Sarah.

We extend our sympathy to Amelia Melendes in the death last week of her brother, Arthur Moncada, in Fort Worth, TX.

Moving - Gary and Christel Petty are moving immediately to West Virginia where they previously lived. We wish them God's blessings in their move.

                                (*) first service, 106, second service, 63

The Sick - Pat Young is recuperating at home from her recent surgery .... Jose Cervantes, son-in-law of Mary Anguiano, entered St. Luke's Hospital Sunday and is in I.C.U. with bleeding in his brain .... Ossie Melendez's brother, Reuben Melendez, is in I.C.U. at St. Francis Hospital.

Address change - Robert and Sandy Ondrejka.  Contact us for details.

The Sunday Night Live Youth program last Sunday evening went very well. Eighty-five youth and adults attended. Jeff Hill presented the lesson. 

Praise and Palate will be Sunday evening at 6:00 o'clock. Bring chili far the palate part of the evening.

 Calendar of Events

December 9 - Praise and Palate, 6:00 p.m.

December 19 - Christian Workers' Meeting, 9:00 a.m.

January 6 -- York College A Cappella Choir at Southside

January 19 - Southside Blood Drive, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

February 16 - Camp auction and dinner for Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp

March 28 - 30 - Southside youth rally

Don't Ask If You Don't Want It

"Sandwiches always taste better with a little lettuce in them," so I instructed my wife concerning my lunches. She was very good about following my instructions, and I anxiously awaited having lunch every day, opening the lunch bag to reveal what delicious morsel had been prepared for me that day. Then one day it happened. As I bit into my sandwich I realized at once it was one of my favorites. It was peanut butter, the crunchy kind, and you guessed it. Right in the middle was a fresh, crisp piece of lettuce!  To be truthful, I was hungry and ate every bit, but I realized there was a lesson to be learned here.

We often make requests or demands for things that seem to be desirable at the time, but somehow as circumstances change they seem to lose significance. We've all had occasion to covet things we think will bring certain happiness and fulfillment, but after attaining them, come away with a bittersweet taste in our mouth.

We need to be a little more conscious when praying to God for certain results according to our understanding. It should always involve a "not my will, but thy will be done" attitude.

Oscar Wilde put it this way: "When the gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers." Another person pleaded, "0 God, save us from our desires."

Paul said in Romans 8:16, "We do not know how we ought to pray, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

So be careful and perceptive about what you demand or ask for. You could wind up with lettuce on your peanut butter sandwich.                                                                                                                     Gary Cleveland

Fish Fry

The tourist ambled down the pier to watch the quaint old man fish. By and by the line gave a tug. The fisherman pulled in a beautiful fish. Then he methodically pulled out a tape, measured it, and threw it back. In a few minutes he caught another much smaller than the first. He measured this one and put it in his bucket. The tourist was now "hooked" by this puzzling behavior. For about two hours he watched the old man catch fish, measure them, throw all the big ones back, and keep the ones measuring ten inches or less. When he could bear it no longer the curious tourist asked him, "Pardon me, sir. Why do you keep the small fish and throw all the big ones back?" Without hesitation the fisherman replied, "It's simple. My frying pan is only ten inches across."

Foolish? Of course, but no more so than when we throw away our biggest ideas and most beautiful dreams only because our experience is too limited, our faith too weak, our confidence too small to allow us to keep and use the giant opportunities and incredible possibilities swimming by our pier. Imagine what would happen in our personal lives and in the church if we got rid of our "ten inch frying pan mind", and in its place tried some positive thinking ...perhaps even a little "mustard seed faith." The next time you catch a big one, keep it!               ----Selected

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