APRIL 2011 EDITION

You probably heard it from your parents when Elvis appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show years ago…”The World is going to Hell in a hand basket”. “What is happening to kids today?” It was worse when The Beatles appeared on that same show some years later. You would have thought the world was ending! Then the Hippie movement arrived with the attendant long hair, loose morals, free sex, drugs, and flag and draft card burnings. Our parents were apoplectic!

I was a parent of teens in the 1980’s. Things seemed relatively calm on the national scene. It was a time of the “Me” generation. There was relative prosperity. We saw the demise of communism. All-in-all things were not too bad…seemingly. As a parent, I did not like my kids’ music, but what else is new!

Now here we are in 2011. Our economy is on the verge of collapse in light of our enormous and ever growing debt. America is losing its status as the superpower of military and industrial might. Institutions like marriage and the church are under attack to a greater degree than ever. Our country seems no longer to shine as a beacon of freedom in the world. We are involved with wars in two countries and militarily involved with one more. Our country is more politically polarized.

Where is all this headed? Who knows?

Until a few years ago, I did not care for uncertainty. I liked to know what is happening next. I liked being in control. Then, Peggy and I had the opportunity to travel to Italy. We did it “on the cheap”. We bought a 3000-kilometer train ticket and had “Buddy Passes” given to us to get us over there and back. We knew the places we wanted to see, but we had no itinerary other than the first night in Milan. Now, my “modus operandi” for travel was usually “pack it all and sort it out when I get there”. This was not going to be possible. We had to pack very lightly. We would be gone for about ten days. We did not want to lug big suitcases around Italy. We ended up with one small backpack/suitcase each and did fine. As we moved from town to town, we would ask the concierge at our usually three star hotels to help us make arrangements in the next town with the help of our Rick Steve’s Guidebook to Italy. At first, this stressed me out “to the max”. As time passed, however, I began to relax and see each day as a new adventure.

Oswald Chambers, in his devotional for April 29th, speaks of uncertainty. If you will allow me to quote him, "Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life-gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises."

I love the saying,"I do not know what the future holds, but I do, however, know the One who holds the future." That works for me.





MINISTRY NEWS

As of the writing of this newsletter, final preparations are underway for the 1st Annual “Duck If It’s Buck, Plaid Pants Open” Golf Tournament to be held on May 6th at Marietta Country Club. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude for the many people who have worked so diligently to make this a fun and different golf tournament. I would particularly like to single out the work of the tournament committee members: Ed Brooks, Marshall Dye, Dr. Dan Norris, and Neal Sisson. I would also like to thank Marie Sisson and Cindy Dye, who are working on the Women’s Round Robin Tennis Tournament to be held in conjunction with the golf event. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the wonderful hospitality of Marietta Country Club, particularly Kathleen Pappaterra, Membership Director, Stephen Keppler, Director of Golf Operations and Joe DeFoor, Director of Tennis Operations.

I continue to enjoy leading the Friday Morning Bible Study each week. We had an especially poignant discussion on Good Friday.

I have had a great many opportunities to walk alongside men in their day-to-day struggles and offer counsel and encouragement.

***Please note***
We have a few more slots open for golfers for our tournament. Call 678-986-4814 to reserve your slot.


NET WORK MINISTRIES, INC. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

NET WORK MINISTRIES, INC. EXISTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF BRINGING TOGETHER GOD’S PEOPLE AND HIS RESOURCES TO PRESENT THE HEALING MESSAGE OF CHRIST’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, THROUGH WORD AND DEED, TO A HURTING AND LOST WORLD.


NET WORK MINISTRIES, INC.
2671 OLD HICKORY DRIVE, N.W.
MARIETTA, GA., 30064-1833
770-422-8638(office) 678-986-4814 (cell)
E-mail address – buckreese41@yahoo.com
Website: www.networkministries.blogspot.com