Loving Life in Enola, Arkansas

     We’re having another great week up in the country, Enola, Arkansas, population 338 family, friends, and neighbors.  The weather is simply beautiful.  Most of us have been working outside in the yard, planting flowers and vegetables, mowing and feeding the lawn, trimming up the trees after a long winter, and generally enjoying all that comes with this time of year.  I love getting my hands into the soil. The Enola church of Christ now has a brand new outdoor sign that will help us announce our upcoming events and activities in addition to showing and sharing simple statements of faith and encouragement to the community.  The sign has been delivered.  Our men have been busy this week getting the concrete foundation finished.  It could be that the sign will be placed before this Sunday (28^th) for everyone to see.  Our old sign has served its purpose very well in front of our building beside highway 107 north and at least in my opinion would continue to serve us well placed beside the road that runs behind our building.  We’ll see.  Thank you to the men who have given so much of their time and talents this week to getting our new sign in place.

     On Sunday morning our lesson series “Looking for the Door of Opportunity” continues with a lesson that answers the question, How?  We can find the door of opportunity when we associate with the right people.  Think about it.  What we think, what we do, and who we are usually develops from our associations.  If we surround ourselves with negative people, we are tempted to become negative.   If our associates are positive, then there is a greater chance that we will be positive.  If we surround ourselves with people who are disrespectful and disobedient, we are tempted to copy those same attributes.  If we surround ourselves with those who are respectful and submission, then we find that we will be the same.  If we surround ourselves with people who are dishonest and untrustworthy, there is a greater probability that we will not be people of integrity.  If our associates are people of integrity, then chances are, we will be people of integrity too.  Take a look at Timothy.  How did he become the fine young Christian gospel preacher that he was?  Could it be that his mother, grandmother, and of course, the apostle Paul had something to do with opening the door of opportunity to him?  Do you remember when Peter denied Jesus three times?  The third person that asked about Peter’s knowledge of Jesus, said, “Your speech gives you away.”  In other words, people could tell that Peter had been with Jesus because of the way of his life.  We’ll talk about these things.  I hope you can be here for worship, fellowship, and study this coming Sunday.

     On Sunday evening we are doing something interesting.  Our series is entitled “The Old Rugged Cross.”  Series One:  The Old Rugged Cross – Requirements.  Series Two:  The Old Rugged Cross – Experiences.  Series Three:  The Old Rugged Cross – The End Result.  We are using the letters of the word “CROSS” as our points.  This Sunday night (28^th) we will look at series two, lesson three:  In the Way of the Old Rugged Cross we will experience opportunities.  I am enjoying this series very much.  The points are easy to remember and very meaningful to our Christian lives.

     YOUNG ADULTS:  If you are college age to 30, single, single-again, or married, we have a very special Bible class available to you every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the Annex Building.  Andy Kelly and Patrick Breeding is teaching this class.  It is my understanding that a new study will begin this week on Attitudes.  If you are not involved in one of our Bible study sessions, you need to be.  Just get up a little bit earlier on Sunday morning and show up.  We have plenty of room for you.  If you have children, we have Bible classes for them too. 

     The Enola Church of Christ is doing very well.  It is true that some of our Christian brothers and sisters are struggling with various trials, temptations, sicknesses, and negative circumstances.  Life has been this way since the beginning of time.  Together we can keep on keeping on.  Don’t think that you are alone in your trials.  Know that your Christian family at Enola loves you and is praying for you.