Ecclesiastes

A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth.

It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of every man;
the living should take this to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter,
because a sad face is good for the heart.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke
than to listen to the song of fools.

Pattern to Go By

"Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage, we humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people of Thy favor, and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning,, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of Government, that there may be peace and justice at home and that, through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the Earth. In time of properity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble suffer not our trust in Thee to fail.
In Jesus name I pray AMEN

(Credited to George Washington)

PROVERBS

The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son grief to his mother.

Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,
but righteousness delivers from death.

The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

Lazy hands make a man poor,
but diligent hands bring wealth.

He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.

The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

Working

Imagine an 18-year-old searching the want ads for a job. Because he likes the outdoors, his interest is drawn to an ad about a national wildlife and fish refuge. It lists several job openings, but instead of promising attractive benefits and lucrative pay, the ad warns that the work will include "exposure to heat, humidity, rain, mud, millions of biting mosquitoes, poisonous plants, barbed wire, and hard work." The pay is minimum wage.

Now imagine that the 18-year-old is a Christian looking for meaningful spiritual service. His eyes rest on the 6th chapter of 2 Corinthians. There he finds the apostle Paul describing the highest calling of all, an opportunity to work for the Lord. But again the job description is very candid about some of the stresses that go with the work. Although Paul's experiences as an apostle were unique, his words remind all readers that serving the Lord is not one big vacation. It requires great care and effort, and it takes the highest commitment.

Yes, the challenge of serving Christ is without parallel and will require sacrifice. But we are not in it alone, and that makes all the difference. No price is too great to pay for the privilege of working for the Lord!
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Time To Listen

Saturday evening I attended the benefit dinner for Heritage Christian University. The guest speaker was former first lady, Laura Bush. I do not consider myself a political person, but I always vote and do my part as a citizen for my country and for Jesus' sake. I was not there to be political. I was there to support the university and see what a very important person in the history of our nation had to say.
After her speech, she was asked several questions. One question in particular was, "What is something about your husband that you appreciate, that perhaps would not be known by the American people?" Her answer to this question, I believe, was the most meaningful statement of the evening.
Laura Bush stated that her husband has read the Bible completely through, from Genesis to Revelation, every year since 1987. I don't know about you, but I think that is absolutely fantastic. There are two main reasons why:
1. It is good to know when the leader of your country reads and studies the Bible. We pray for the president all of the time. We pray for the leaders of the world to seek the face of the Creator. We should be comforted when our leaders have not forgotten God.
2. It is humbling to consider that the man who is arguably the busiest man in the world still has time to read the Word of God. We excuse ourselves from the reading of the Bible because of all that is on our plate. We always promise that we will get around to studying; tomorrow, next week, or next month. If the president of the United States has time to read the Scriptures, so do we.
The key to our future, as a nation, and as a church, is knowing and obeying the will of God. If we do not read our Bibles, how can we succeed?
Copied from Pulaski St. Church of Christ Bulletin