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School Supplies for Those in Need |
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Posted August 8, 2019 |
by Betty Newman
It's hard to believe that summertime will soon be gone and our area students will be returning to school. The Lake Whitney Ministerial Alliance (LWMA) and Salvation Army are here to help.
Did you know that Whitney ISD has a 61.8% Economically Disadvantaged rate (TEA designation)? More than 60 kids at every grade level cannot afford to buy all of their school supplies.
There are two school-supply assistance programs for the 2019-2020 school year: the annual Lake Whitney Ministerial Alliance’s "Stuff the Teachers' Closets" and Salvation Army’s "Stuff the Bus".
LWMA continues its annual "Stuff the Teachers' Closets" program for the Whitney Community. Through your donations, the Ministerial Alliance will purchase supplies for the teachers who discreetly distribute to students who cannot afford them. Those supplies were delivered to the schools this past week. Your donations (see below) will help cover the costs.
This year we are pleased to announce another opportunity to assist. Hill County Salvation Army Service Unit in collaboration with Wal-Mart nationwide invited each community to help them "Stuff The Bus" with school supplies for local children. This event was held on August 3, 2019.
Both organizations are asking parents to buy as much as they can afford for their children. What they cannot afford to buy will be supplied at their school.
LWMA developed a new website this summer, https://www.lakewhitneyministerialalliance.org/ . It outlines the five components of the Ministerial Alliance’s service:
- Food Bank for help with food supplies, and student weekend / summer nutrition;
- Benevolence for help with clothing, utilities, prescriptions and transportation;
- School Supplies for elementary and intermediate school students;
- Joint Committee for Christmas (JCC) for help with meals, toys and clothing before Christmas; and
- Chaplaincy for nursing-home church services, community fellowship, and kids' events, such as Easter egg hunts and Trunk or Treat.
Additional information on the LWMA website can be found at:
Volunteering - https://www.lakewhitneyministerialalliance.org/volunteer.html
Donating - https://www.lakewhitneyministerialalliance.org/donations.html
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On the Road Again |
Lately I've Been Wondering:
What Would Be God's Favorite Verse?
Posted August 8, 2019
by Bill Burris
Whether while doing my daily devotionals, attending worship services or having thoughts about God throughout the day, I sometimes wonder if God has a favorite verse from the Bible. It would be easy to just say it was the entire Bible and that would be a probable truth. But I still think that somewhere in His written word there's a verse that causes Him to smile just a bit more.
For consideration, there are verses that demonstrate someone following His commands: David finally confessing his sins and asking for God's forgiveness; Daniel when he refused to bow down to anyone but God; perhaps the Gospel writers when they related the truth of an event; or maybe Paul's faith in God while enduring numerous times of punishment. I would also include Mary's accepting becoming the virgin mother of the Messiah.
As God looked over the end result of His creation, I can imagine him smiling and saying to himself, "Well done." But what I believe might mean more to God would be someone standing up to His challenge, such as watching Abraham actually going through with God's request to sacrifice Isaac. That could also have been a dry run for a future event when God did not interrupt Christ's crucifixion.*
There are chapters in the Bible that many people turn to in times of pain and sorrow, as well as in times of joy. In both cases, we look to Psalm 51 and 139. But when it comes right down to it, there is a single Biblical passage that I am certain would give God a huge grin should everyone in this world choose to follow it. That passage appears in Joshua 24, the last sentence of verse 15: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
God sees us through different eyes and with His heart. I find the following comment worth sharing:
"We can sometimes view ourselves only as we have been--with all of our failures and shortcomings. But God sees us as new creations, not who we were but who we are in Jesus and who we're becoming through the power of the Holy Spirit. O God, teach us to view ourselves and others in this way."
-Peter Chin, writer for Our Daily Bread
* That 'dry run' might be something like God foretelling the world He is going to sacrifice his own Son for the sins of the world and proving that Abraham was a righteous man. Watching Abraham's torment gave God insight into what He would feel when He chose not to spare Christ at the cross.
Go to the On the Road Again page to see prior "On the Road Again" articles.
What We've Done
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What We've Done page to see prior "What We've Done" articles.
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