White Bluff
CHAPEL

The Final Test of Love
    Mar 8, 2020
    John 21:15-17
    Dr. James Pool

Not This Again: Revisiting an Old Story
    Mar 1, 2020
    Luke 10:25-37
    Dr. Hulitt Gloer

Bible Studies

All meet at Fellowship Hall

Sunday Mornings, 8 am

Men's Ministry
  Mondays, 7:30 am

Wednesday Evenings
  6:30pm (6:00 supper)

Bible Study Fellowship
  Thursdays, 10:15 am

Community Ladies Bible Study
  Fridays, 10:00 am

	ission				WBC Trio Returns from Cuba Mission Trip
		oment			Posted March 26, 2020

This mission trip to Cuba in mid-February, 2020 was a spiritual, emotional and truly uplifting experience. Eleven men from the Whitney area made up our team, including three White Bluff Chapel members, Tom Duncan, Ron Roberts and Todd Williams. We traveled to Santiago de Cuba for six incredible days to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to Cubans in rural areas. We joined local interpreters and church people to go door to door to spread the Word of God. Carrying backpacks with Bibles, water, snacks and "tracts,"* we each visited 25 to 30 houses per day over a 4-day period. Daily excursions were preceded by devotionals at local (and very humble) protestant churches. We met with residents who had agreed to allow us into their homes and typical audiences were one to two women with occasional children running about. Men attended but rarely participated. The entire trip occurred over eight days, including travel to and from our hotels. Before reading the article, you may want to check out a list of a few interesting facts about today's Cuba.

*tracts = prepared scripts to refer to for assistance/ideas while dialoguing with people

Reaching our Destination

Late Friday afternoon of February 14, the three of us from White Bluff Chapel gathered at the Open Range Cowboy Church to join eight other men for the drive to DFW airport. We departed for Miami that evening at 9:30 and arrived around 1:00 AM to wait for a 7:00 AM flight to the city of Holguin, Cuba, in the southeast corner of the island of Cuba. The flight there from Miami was only an hour long.  We passed through customs on tourist visas and met up with our guides for the week. From Holguin it was a 2 ½ -hour bus ride to the Hotel de Americas in the city of Santiago de Cuba. Our eventual arrival came after dodging huge potholes, 1952 dump trucks, ’57 Chevys, horse-drawn carts and motion sickness. Needless to say, we were ready for a nap, dinner and a little relaxation.

First priority was to contact loved ones at home to notify them that we had arrived in one piece. We were able to purchase WI-FI for CUC1.00 ($1.00) per hour. After typing in an extensive user id and password, we could use FaceTime audio to call home.  Sometimes it worked and sometimes not…..depending on your phone and the distance from the front desk. We were also warned that somebody (Fidel’s spirit?) was likely listening in.

Read more about the remainder of this Mission Trip to Cuba, along with numerous photos.

	ission				Musings on the Current State of the Sports World
		oment			Posted March 26, 2020

Brian Firle of Athletes in Action has been ever faithful in providing the Chapel with regular updates on his progress in bringing Christ to the riders in the world-wide Pro-Cycling arena. This message addresses the changes occurring in his niche of the sports world that are due to the Coronavirus. His comments come in two parts; Part One brings us up-to-date and Part Two (which can be accessed at the bottom of this write-up) is a powerful aide relevant to everyone. It discusses "Two Paths" that are facing us all and helps clarify how we might approach them. You've probably noticed over time that Brian has a very unique way of seeing through the mist and fog of everyday life to bring home the way God works through him as he ministers to his cyclists.

Spring plans thwarted, globally

By now your inbox has been overloaded with emails talking about the global crisis. At this point I am worn out from hearing about it and from my Apple phone’s newsfeed blowing up every 5 minutes, so much so that I've hesitated all week about sending this email. There are, however, a handful of things I think are worth sharing that give you an eye into the sports world and how we, as a ministry, are affected by it.

If you have been watching any professional cycling news outlet, you will know, like other sporting events, that the 2020 season has more-or-less been put on hold. Athletes are quarantined in different countries, some in Italy on total lockdown, (including our good friend, American and Christian athlete Ben King, who rides for Dimension Data and is based in Lucca, Italy). We have been relying on athletes around the world keeping us up-to-date on what's happening; but for now, everyone is pretty much on lockdown, making our ministry a moving target.

Many Americans have returned home after their European campaigns were shut down for the time being. It has made for an interesting reshuffle of where we are investing our time and travel, or lack thereof. Todd and Tabitha, who have been stationed in Spain for the last month, decided it was time to return home after the travel bans were beginning to be put in place. They are currently in Washington D.C. awaiting their return flight to Colorado. I was also planning on hosting a training camp for our affiliate staff next week in Austin, Texas, for some pre-season discipleship and community. I called it off after this week's development in the United States grew exponentially. In attempt to keep everyone safe and socially conscious, we are asking everyone to observe as much social distancing as possible.

Our ministry is adaptable and pliable since the sport we minister to is a traveling circus most of the time. So our response is really just an extreme version of what we’re always doing: adapting to where athletes are; how to serve; love and disciple them; and build community with each other and with God. Our goals remain the same; they will just look a bit different from what our usual ones in March and April tend to. 

Part Two of this Mission Moment is a powerful message containing every person’s options of two paths that Brian discusses.  You should read Part Two, as it contains sound guidance for our lives, whether for a professional athlete or for a humble retiree.

Beyond Infinity VBA: June 22-25
Posted March 26, 2020

In 2020, we’re not preparing for Bible School, we’re preparing for a Bible Adventure.  Our times have already made Beyond Infinity an adventure and it’s only in the planning stage.  With eyes on the Lord and dressed in His armor, we forge ahead.

Registration forms will be available on the White Bluff Chapel website when the time is right.  You will access them in the Children’s Ministry section of the website.

Volunteers are always needed age 13 and up.  If you would like to help, there are many different ways; some without having to deal with children!  You can help with planning, decorating, behind the scenes or for a position that interacts with the children.  The volunteer registration form will be published with the next web update, April 9.  If you’re as excited as I am and can’t wait to sign up, call Kay Lea Scott at 254-479-1347.

Children’s Registration will open in May.  The form and 2020-21 guardian permission form will be available at that time.

God's Whisper in the Darkness
Posted March 26, 2020

Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11

“God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.’

The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

It is infinitely comforting to know that even when the improbable becomes reality, we can live without fear.  During times like this, we need to be mindful of God’s promises.  He is our refuge.  He is our strength.  He is an ever-present help in trouble.  The Lord Almighty is with us.  Even though…you fill in the blank:  waters roar and foam, sickness strikes, markets tumble, trials overwhelm, uncertainties abound, relationships become strained, whatever life brings or your mind can imagine…even though…He is with us, providing us perspective and power from above.  We are confidently assured that He is not just a God “somewhere out there,” rather, the one true God resides at the core of our being.  Today, and every day, God whispers in the darkness of our fears:  “Be still, and know that I am God!”  Stillness before God and relying on His calm, powerful and intimate presence has brought comfort through the ages. His comfort is available to us all, at all times, especially in times like this!

Have a great (and comforting) week!

Randy

Get Me to the Church on Time!
Posted March 26, 2020

by Jim Browder

In the 1956 Broadway musical "My Fair Lady," character Alfred P. Doolittle sang "Get Me to the Church on Time."

A few weeks ago that song constantly popped into my mind as I raced to get to the church in time for the funeral of our dear friend, Mildred Jackson.

For quite a few years Mildred and I had been trading insults, and she always had a perfect comeback. Many insults were about our ages. She always insisted I was older, and she convinced a lot of folks that she was right. Not true. She actually was several months older.

I often told her she needed a passport to get back into Texas after visiting her hometown of Hardy, Ark.

Once while driving on a mountainous backroad in Arkansas I spotted a dilapidated old house. A ragged Rebel flag was flying in the yard. On the sagging front porch was an ancient refrigerator, a dirty old couch, a washing machine and maybe a hound dog. The screen door dated back to the 'twenties. Window panes were covered with newspapers so no one could see inside. I stopped to take a photograph as Lanette yelled: "You're going to get shot!"

Returning to White Bluff with no bullet holes in my body, I presented the photograph to Mildred: "Is this your homestead in Arkansas?"

She looked at it for a second and said: "Could have been."

Years later while visiting Mildred in Hardy, she took us by her homestead. Well...it didn't have a Rebel flag flying in the yard.

Getting back to my race to Mildred's funeral, here's what happened:

I had a dermatologist appointment at 11 a.m. in Cleburne. The funeral was scheduled for 2 p.m. Plenty of time. Sure. I also needed to buy gas and three items at the grocery store. Plenty of time.

Well, it took more than twice the normal time in the doctor's office. Still, plenty of time. Right!

At the grocery I quickly found my three items and hustled to the "quick" checkout line for 15 items or less. Well, the little ol' lady in front of me had at least 30 items in her cart. After the items were scanned she handed the clerk a coupon for 50 cents off a package of batteries. The coupon was good for a different kind of battery. So, she said she didn't want them. Clerk had to adjust the ticket. Next, there is no sacker. The clerk has to sack the groceries and little ol' lady has to put them in the cart.

Now, time is a real factor. As I try to leave Cleburne as quickly as possible, I find myself in traffic, possibly behind three little old ladies driving big old land yachts. It was slow, slow, slow. Finally I'm on the road to Rio Vista. Approaching town I see red flashing lights at the first traffic signal. Two huge trucks block the road--they're working on the traffic signal, so I have to detour through "downtown" Rio Vista.

Once in the 70 mph zone I get lucky--no slow traffic. But I'm running out of time.

Turning off the highway into Blum--more red flashing lights. Yep, there's trouble at the train track. So I'm in line behind 10 cars and two big railroad maintenance trucks. After a couple of precious minutes I make a U-turn and head for the alternate route to White Bluff, which would add 15 minutes to my journey. Then in my rearview mirror I see the traffic moving. Another U-turn gets me across the tracks, the last car before they stop traffic again.

Still, there are eight cars in front of me turning toward White Bluff. In a sudden twist of good luck, all those drivers are in a hurry.

I pull into my garage, finding a note from Lanette on the door: "I left for the church at 1:30."

I rush into the house, put the milk in the refrigerator, wash my hands, change clothes and shoes. I comb my hair (another three seconds lost.) And yes, I got to the church barely in time.

Mildred would have laughed at this story, but she would have added:

"Why didn't you go through the self-checkout at the grocery store, you dummy!"