Omaha News

New Haven News

�Greetings� from our little town down by the Little Wabash River. Well, now that February is half gone it�s looking like we are finally going to have winter. At least, as I am writing this article the weather people are calling for our area to have sleet or snow later in the day! I hope that our snow is light and doesn�t stay very long , I do still wish for some cold weather, so we may appreciate our summer!

Sweetheart Day was on Feb. 14th � I hope you remembered to say �I Love You� to those you care most about!

The 20th of Feb. is President�s Day as we remember presidents Washington and Lincoln-do try to remind yourself of the good things they did for our country!

The whole month of February is dedicated to � Heart Health�. Please try to begin a plan to make yourself heart healthy. Exercise and good eating habits are a good start. Remember to start slow, especially if you are older!

Local Happenings:

The Presbyterian ladies will have their monthly guild meeting on Wednesday Feb. 22nd at 10 a.m. at the New Haven Church annex. There will be light refreshments and a gospel lesson to follow. All ladies are encouraged to attend!

The New Haven Quilt Guild will meet on Thursday Feb. 23d for their monthly meeting. The meetings are being held each month at the New Haven Senior Citizen�s Building. Each meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts about 2 hours. Bring your latest project and a friend, the group would love to see your work!

The local quilters in the area meet every Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Senior Citizen�s building to quilt also. These ladies would also like to encourage you to come and practice your sewing and quilting skills as they quilt on each others quilt tops! They also have light refreshments and coffee!

I had the honor last week to be part of the memorial celebration of the life of my granddaughter �Ashley Weir�. I must tell I was greatly moved by the outpouring of young people who gathered at her grave to remember her life and tell what she meant to each of them. A small candle was placed on her stone in the morning of Feb. 9th and when we all met that evening the candle was still burning brightly. Everyone who came was given a ballon and ask to write a message on it. The ballons were let go at the end of the service. It was a wonderful blessing to me as her grandma to see and hear so many testimonies(a year later) about her! I praise God for the blessings she was able to leave with us and all the young people, they just keep coming, it was such a comfort to know she is remembered!!

Betty's Bits.......SMILE-----It's contagious, but nobody will care!!

Omaha News

F.Y.I:
Andy Pritchett is wanting residents of Omaha to let him know of areas in town that need cleaning or spruced up. Andy and his helper are waiting to get an early start on spring cleaning.
 
 
Friday Night Basketball:
 
On Friday evening John and I attended the NCOE and Hardin County basketball game at Norris City. We enjoyed the combine bands of the grade school and NCOE high school and the playing of the “The Star Spangled Banner“ before the varsity ball game. Grandson Keegan and Granddaughter Julianne were both playing. It was very impressive.
 
On Friday the 10th all past band members are asked to sit in with the current band members. This should be a lot of fun and I will report on it next week.
 
　
At the church:
 
We had a good crowd down at the Omaha Baptist Church Sunday the 5th . Janet Anderson played a rousing special on the piano titled “When the Saints come marching in.“ Also, the Gross girls sang a special song for the congregation.
 
It was good to see the Jackson family, especially Carter and Brooke. They are really growing.
 
Next month we will be having a special singing group. More details in a later article.
 
　
At the Crossroads Church:
 
The Crossroads Church had their annual Super Bowl Party last Sunday night. There were at least 400 people there enjoying the food and football game. There were two viewing areas with large screens in both of them.
 
Paul invited his Dad to attend. So, off went John with a large hot Kroger pizza in hand.
 
John reported that there was an abundance of every type food and dessert thinkable.
 
During the half time all gathered in the sanctuary where games and contest were played with a football flavor.
 
Prizes were given out and everyone had a great time.
 
Topping this off was a whole lot of good fellowship. Needless to say a good time was had by all.
　
　
Elks Super Bowl Party:
 
A crowd of over 75 gathered at the Elks Club 1652 in Carmi Sunday and enjoyed the Super Bowl, too. There were many great home prepared dishes of food for all to enjoy.
 
Many of the old members came out for the party as well as several new members.
 
And there wasn’t only football entertainment but some local entertainment consisting of singing to the crowd by a local, but very talented, Carmi mortician.
 
Elks Lodges bring so much more to their communities than just a building, golf course or pool. They are places where neighbors come together, families share meals, and children grow up. This was seen on Sunday
 
　
Education today:
 
If you happened to read the “Southern Illinoisan” on Super Bowl Sunday you read in section “D” about how educating our children was changing through the use of I-Pods and the internet.
 
John had a nice conversation with our own Dr. Cliff Karnes about this at the Crossroads Church Sunday. He enlightened John that the local school was traveling at a fast pace to keep of with all the advances in teaching techniques that are on the horizon.
 
Supt. Cliff Karnes, also, wanted to report that he has received many calls from people in the district who wanted him to know that the economy has been getting better for them and they wanted to step up to the plate to help the school district or any child in the district who needed some help in any way.
 
　
Fire Meeting:
 
On Monday, February 6th , the members of the Omaha Fire Department had their regular monthly work meeting. Ten members were present.
　
 
Boy Scouts Meet:
 
On Wednesday Feb 8th , the Bear Boy Scout Troop #320 of the Norris City and Omaha area met at the scout building in Norris City. There were 4 boys and 2 adults present.
 
This meeting the boys learned to make low fat pita pizzas with two kinds of low fat cheese. For dessert they each assembled their own banana boats. They are working on their badges in their boy scout book.
 
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development
organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness
 
 
Home Coming 2012:
 
Homecoming Dance was Saturday the 11th. I went with grandson Keegan and he picked out his tux and shoes last week. A full report will be in next weeks Omaha News.
 
　
Finally:
 
Old folks are worth a fortune with silver hair (white) gold in their teeth, stones in their kidneys, lead in their feet and gas in their stomach.
 
I have become a lot more social with the passing of years: some might even call me a frivolous old gal. I’m seeing five gentlemen every day.
 
As soon as I awaken, Will Power helps me get out of bed. Then I go see John. Then Charley Horse comes along and when he leaves, Arthur Rittus shows up and stays the rest of the day! He doesn’t like to stay in one place, so he takes me from joint to joint.
 
After such a busy day, I’m really tired and glad to go to bed with Ben Gay. What a life!
 
This came from a fellow ladies aid. I thought you might enjoy.
　
 
Birthdays for the week:
 
Phyllis Wood                 February 22
Breanna McPherson      February 22
　
 
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News From First Baptist

Something new is in the works for First Baptist in Shawneetown!  Our Associate Pastor Mike Rushing is building a website for our church.  It is a work in progress.  However, you can go on line and check it out.  To get on go to www.shawneetownfirstbaptistchurch.com.  In fact, you can watch from day to day as there is more and more added to the site.  One of the things I am excited about is the prayer link.  You can get on the website and make prayer requests.  I want you to know that I will check each day and pray about your requests.  We will take the prayer requests very seriously.

   Sunday was another sad news/glad news day at Shawneetown FBC.  Scott Luckett, one of our very faithful members and Sunday School teachers, announced that he would be leaving us (at least for a while).  That is the sad news—sad not only for our church but for Scott himself.  But the glad news concerns the reason Scott is leaving.  Scott will be preaching at a church in Junction that is without a pastor.  We are glad because that is actually the reason First Baptist of Shawneetown exists—so that we can grow disciples and send them out to do what our Lord, Jesus Christ, has commissioned us to do.  At the beginning of Sunday’s Morning Worship, we had a prayer of blessing and commissioning for Scott just before he left to go and preach at Junction.

   One of the most important things in God’s plan for His church is that every believer recognizes God’s call in his or her life and to obey that call.  The first time the call of God is remembered by most people is in Genesis 12 where God calls a man named Abram to leave his home and family and go to a place that, at the time, he did not know where he was going. (Heb. 11:8).  Abram was promised by God that He would make him “into a great nation” and bless him and make his name great. (Gen. 12:2).  Abram eventually was given the name Abraham and now we call him the “father of the faithful.”  Abraham was not a supernatural being.  He had his sin and difficulty just like you.  But Abraham believed God and obeyed Him and God used him!

   Moses received and unusual call of God from a bush that “was on fire but was not consumed.” (Ex. 3:2).  God called Moses to go and deliver the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt.  Moses, like many of us, made all kinds of excuses before he went; but he went and God used him in a miraculous way!

   In the New Testament, God called a man named Saul, a Pharisee, a persecutor of the church in a dramatic way by striking him blind. (Acts 9:8).  Saul’s life was turned around that day.  And, he became just as adamant and zealous for the church as he had been against the church.  If it were not for this persecutor turned preacher, much of the world would not have known the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We now know him as Paul, apostle to the Gentiles.

   God is still calling men and women to go to that country that they don’t know about to spread the good news of the Gospel.  He is still calling those who are willing to go and deliver people from some kind of bondage.  He is still turning people’s lives around in ways that seem spectacular.  He’s still calling people to Junction, to Shawneetown, and to wherever He sees there is a spiritual need.  In fact, God has called every believer, not to sit idly by while someone else delivers the message of salvation; but to “Go, make disciples!”  What’s God calling you to, Christian?

   “Reach Up!” Basketball & Cheering started last Saturday with a bang!  We have over 60 kids making up 6 teams.  There are two Kindergarten teams, two teams of first and second graders, and two teams made up of kids in grades 3 through 6.  There was a lot of action in the Family Life Center of First Baptist.  From 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., there were kids running back and forth, wall to wall parents on the sidelines watching, and cheerleaders popping in every now and then to do a cheer!  It is a fun and exciting time!  I’d like to invite any of you to just drop in any Saturday for the next 7 weeks just to check out the excitement and to watch our kids have fun! 

--
Bro Jack
I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)