Listen & Shut Up

I’ve had a sticky note in my Bible for years—16 years to be exact.  It’s written in Romanian and says, “Asculta si upcineste—Bogdan.”  It was given to me on a mission trip in the summer of 2007 by a Romanian friend, Bogdan.  I kept it because Bogdan signed his name to it, not because I knew what the phrase meant.  All these years, I never knew what the note actually said, so this week I looked it up.  The Romanian phrase means “listen and shut up.”  I laughed out loud when I typed it into Google translate.  I have no idea what was going on when Bogdan wrote that, but he had a way of saying things at important moments that made you think.  So, I began to reflect on my own life and how I have often needed someone to say, “listen and shut up.”

James says in James 1:19, “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”  How often have you been in a conversation and realized part of the way through you were more interested in what you were going to say next than you were listening to what the other person was saying?  Many people believe they are good listeners, but when it comes down to it most of us only retain about half of what other people say in a conversation, according to research.  We are easily distracted by our own thoughts, what someone across the room is doing or saying, what we want to say next, etc.  Yet, Scripture calls us to listen better than we speak.

This week, I challenge you to “listen and shut up”—concentrate more on what other people are saying than what you want to say next, what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, who’s playing this weekend, etc.  Be interested in people.  One of the reasons I think God is so adamant about us being good listeners is that it mirrors God’s listening to us.  Scripture says God listens to the cries of his people (Psalm 40:1)—let’s listen to the conversations of others.

                                                        Scott McFarland

Mother's Day Crossword

JOY Bus Inspection Update

The JOY buses passed the bus inspection on Wednesday.

Preacher Ponderings Chuck Schultheisz

Chuck Schultheisz – Aberdeen, Washington

On my way into town the other day, driving past one of our infamous bikini barista coffee huts, I noticed an unusual amount of traffic and commotion around the stand, including a long line of cars waiting to place their order. Must be free coffee day, I wondered. So, on my way back home, passing the stand again, the reason for the commotion and backup was clear. A van at the window had it’s hood up with a large car-hauler facing it and several fellows leaning into the engine compartment.

I had to chuckle. This would be my luck, were I ever to take a notion to visit one of these pink coffee shacks. I’d pull up to the window, praying no one I knew had spotted me, and my care would die. No wonder the poor sap had the wrecker service in front of his van – after all, you probably don’t want to call your wife in that situation and have her come get you, and something tells me the girl in the bikini isn’t going to know much about alternators or fuel pumps.

But what struck me as interesting, in addition to the van with the hood up, was the line of five cars behind him, whose occupants were so intent on seeing what they wanted to see, that they would patiently wait in line. I mean, the coffee just can’t be that good, nor the show that captivating.

Sin is an interesting creature. When we’re tempted through our own lust, we know that there exists always that possibility that we could really get busted. We could get caught. We could find ourselves in a very embarrassing situation. It could be revealed to all the world around us what our otherwise hidden desires have been. But the devil somehow persuades us that it’s all worth taking that chance. “After all,” he whispers into your ear, “there’s always that chance that you will get away with it.”

Sin can be so enticing that you’re willing to wait patiently for it to come to you. You’re not going to flee from the devil, as the inspired writer James instructs. No – you’re going to literally wait in line for your turn with him. And the fact that giving in to this temptation didn’t work out so well for the guys in front of you in line doesn’t really bother you. “That’s just him,” you reason, “It won’t happen that way to me. I’ll get my kicks, my satisfaction, and life will go  on peachy from there.”

Satan is a liar and evil to the core to be sure, but he’s not stupid. He’s actually quite a smooth operator. He knows who the stupid one is, and he entices accordingly.

Avoid every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Mission Support Updates

M.A.G.I. Box Donations

Bible Class Update

Congratulations to the following Bible Class students for “Winning Gold” in this quarter’s Bible classroom:

Hannah McFarland     Willow Bates

Kylee Jones                 Trace Ruger

Josie Friday                 Reagan Britton

Colton Jones                 Tempie Harris

They can recite the books of the Old Testament or the New Testament, and find the following on a map: Jordan River, Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, Nazareth and many other facts have been learned as well. Be sure to congratulate them if you see them today.

Also thank you to all of the quarter’s teachers: Carla Rose, Sue Dearth, Bev Jones, Jewell Neville, Paul Eikleberry, Russell Roth, Trisha Eikleberry, Denise Harris, Bob Burrow, Rudy Gauding, Stephanie Gauding, Jeff Seidler and Eric Carothers. Your love and encouragement for our children does not go unnoticed.

Thank You

Thanks so much to Ron & Kathy Beardmore, they have done an amazing job updating the teen room! It looks great! 

Veterans

If you are a veteran, we would love to know! Please sign the sheet in the foyer with your name and the branch of service you served with.

Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort

Dear friends,

Currently, we are sending supplies to Florida due to hurricane Ian’s devastation, and the destruction it caused. We are continuing to help Eastern Kentucky and Western Virginia after the flooding that took place there. Earlier this year, we helped tornado victims in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas. We continue to send appliances, mattresses, furniture, and water heaters for low income and uninsured families to replace the items they lost due to these disasters. We stay prepared for the next major disaster with nonperishable food, personal hygiene, infant care, and prepacked cleaning supplies ready to ship at any time.

Thanks for your support and please keep us in your prayers as we continue to help others in need.

Yours in Christ,
Mike Lewis
Executive Director
Church of Christ Disaster Relief Effort Inc.