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The Ozark Letter – September 2008
By MMCG.ORG | September 1, 2008
SEPTEMBER GREETINGS: “A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love
one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34
A Publication of the Mid-Missouri Church of God
September, 2008
Volume XII, Issue 9
The Ozark Newsletter
Lake of the Ozarks
School has started and do you find yourself wondering, “Where has this summer gone”? Feast of Trumpets, Day
of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles is just around the corner and it seems like we just finished Pentecost. The
first day of fall is September 22 and with fall comes the changing color of the leaves and yes, the subsequent fal-
ling and raking of those leaves. The MMCG Youth are planning an outing on Sabbath, September 20th
after ser-
vices. The hayride, at the Gitthens, will be on October 25th
, following the regular Sabbath services that day.
We want to mention again that Mid-Missouri Church of God will be sponsoring a Feast site at their Eldon loca-
tion. Hank and Ruth Weinmeister are the coordinators and can be reached at 573-392-0915. A block of rooms
has been reserved at the Heritage Inn just outside Eldon. Call 573-392-2100 to make reservations and mention
Hank Weinmeister’s name to get the discounted rate of $69 plus tax. Since other groups will be keeping the same
dates, you are encouraged to make your reservations as soon as possible. We will be having some of the same
activities that we have had in the past, but are open to suggestions if you have any new ideas or if you want to
volunteer your services in any way. The theme this year is “The Second Coming of the King of Kings”. Check
the website for a tentative schedule of events and we would appreciate if you would please register on the web-
site if you plan to attend with us. csh*************************
2008 HOLY DAY CALENDAR
• Sept. 30—Feast of Trumpets (Tuesday– 11:30am) Speaker – Don Wilhelm, Potluck to
follow
• Oct. 9—Day of Atonement (Thursday– 5:00pm) Speaker – Dannel Roberts, Catered
meal or meal at restaurant to break the fast
• Oct. 14-20—Feast of Tabernacles (Tuesday-Monday)
• Oct. 21—Eighth Day Festival (Tuesday)
At Wit’s End by Erma Bombeck
There was a time when “out of the mouths of babes’ came messages of wisdom and truth. On television this sea-
son, children have the mouths of stopped-up sinks. If I see or hear one more family sitcom where a small kid
smarts off to an adult and gets by with it, I may become a national spokesperson for zero population growth. I’m
not suggesting kids don’t talk back to authority in real life. It’s the laugh that bothers me. Somewhere along the
line, parents have become the straight and children the stars.
Surely adults with children could not be writing this dialogue. They have to be someone like my Uncle Wesley, a
young bachelor who saw a child twice a year and thought it hysterical to whisper lines in his ear that got him con-
fined to his room until he emerged to an arranged marriage. When I was growing up, I never got the zingers. For years I played second banana to my mother the comedian.
If I said, “Why do I have to be your servant?” she answered, “Because you’re the only one small enough to fit in
the uniform.” (Ba, ba, boom!) “You use that tone of voice with me again and you will lose your permanent
teeth!” I never got the starring role or the lines until I had children of my own.
Television heads contend this is the language of the new generation; this is how they really talk. Maybe it is. But
television has a chance to turn that around, and instead of elevating brats to stardom, it could deplore the language
and instill respect and manners in young people.
The kids on “The Cosby Show” and “The Wonder Years” have been criticized for being dangerous to a diabetic,
too wholesome, too goody-goody. Critics say the children are still under the thumbs of their parents, who call all
the shots.
I will always remember a letter I received from a kid a few years ago after I published a book called “Family: The
Ties That Bind…and Gag!” He spent four pages detailing the horrors of his family. He had a mother who drank,
a father who had split, hours of loneliness, frustration at never fitting in, and the despair of not knowing where his
life would take him.
In the last paragraph he wrote, “I really enjoyed your book on family life. I didn’t relate to a word of it, but I
liked knowing there was a family who laughed and had a good time with each other. That’s the kind of family I
want when I get married.”
Maybe that’s the role of television.
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Page 2 The Ozark Newslet ter Volume XI I , Issue 9
“Leno Lets Loose!”
By Tim Flora (originally printed in the “Eldon Advertiser”, reprinted with permission)
The following diatribe is courtesy of late-night talk show host Jay Leno, and is definitely food for thought:
“As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about
us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark.
The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe.
It must be true given the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and
69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just
ain’t happy and wants a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ‘What are we so unhappy
about?”
A. Is it we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
B. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?
C. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?
D. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has
seen in the last year?
E. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without hav-
ing to present identification papers as we move through each state? Page 3 The Ozark Newslet ter Volume XI I , Issue 9
F. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary
shelter?
G. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough
either.
H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and
even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
I. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.
J. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will ap-
pear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and
your belongings.
K. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, and an officer
equipped with a gun and bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.
L. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents.
Neighborhoods where 90 percent of the teenagers own cell phones and computers.
M. How about the complete religious, social, and political freedoms we enjoy, that are the envy of everyone in
the world?
Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy. The fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful,
spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens.
They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we
don’t have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who
has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after
9/11?
The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been
called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist at-
tacks?
The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?
Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so
unhappy you couldn’t take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it . .
are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the ‘Media’ told you
he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may
have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn’t have to go. They are able to
refuse to go and end up with either a ’general’ discharge, and ‘other than honorable’ discharge, or, worst case sce-
nario, a ‘dishonorable’ discharge after a few days in the brig.
So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?
Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody
will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The me-
dia knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to Page 4 The Ozark Newslet ter Volume XI I , Issue 9
defend their actions by ‘justifying’ them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow O.J. Simpson to write a
book about how he didn’t kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way ….Insane!
Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage.
Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most
blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative. ‘With hurri-
canes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to an-
other, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, ‘Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of
Allegiance?”
MID-MISSOURI CHURCH OF GOD
PO Box 92, Eldon, MO 65026/mailing address. Street address is: 602 East North Street. Phone: 573-392-1232 or 573-498-3775;
Email: info@mmcg.org Website: www.mmcg.org The Mid-Missouri Church of God (MMCG) holds Christian Sabbath
services each Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at 602 East North Street, Eldon, MO… A Bible Study and song service is scheduled at
10:30am before Sabbath services. Potluck meals after services are planned for the fourth Sabbath of each month. A weekly Bible
study is held each Thursday at 6:00pm. It is best to call ahead and confirm times if you are traveling any distance to visit us (see
the phone numbers above). Occasionally we will cancel local services to attend en masse elsewhere. Come and enjoy the fellow-
ship! Also, the first Wednesday of each month the ladies meet for a “get together” and you can contact Martha Roberts at 573-
496-3203 or Charleen Gitthens at 573-392-5965 for location and time if you plan to attend.
Joshua Becomes Israel’s New Leader
(Joshua 1) Fill-in the words
WORD LIST
LORD MOSES AFRAID STRONG
JOSHUA COMMAND COURAGE OBSERVE
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