After 17 wonderful years of being your pastor, I am finally writing my last blog for the bulletin.

We will not say goodbye officially until our last service on August 28. But the clock is ticking

allowing the remaining days to slip by. We wish to thank everyone for your love and support.

For every prayer you prayed for us; for every dollar you gave; for every service you attended;

for every program you supported; we thank you. Although we will soon part, we trust that the

parting will not represent a permanent separation. We hope to be able to return and visit 211 in

the future, maybe the near future. Let's keep each other in our prayers. Farewell.

Of all the events that have ever occurred in the month of July, the 4th is remembered as the day that gives the 7th month of the year its identity. Two hundred and thirty five years ago our great nation voted on July 2 to separate from England. On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed. But the Revolutionary War that gave us our independence started in 1775 and did not end until 1783. Although we declared our independence, it took seven more years to really obtain that independence.

When a person surrenders his life to the Lord Jesus Christ, it often takes awhile for that victory to be enjoyed fully. We have to fight for it. In fact it won’t be until we get to heaven that ultimate victory will be enjoyed. We can celebrate today, but the real celebration will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

June is named for the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. Feeling that marriage in June brings good luck, a lot of marriages are performed in this month. For this reason a lot of brides are waiting for their date in June when they and their groom will be united in matrimony. But there is another bride, the Bride of Christ, the Church, that is waiting anxiously for her day which will begin with the Rapture. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Church is a June bride?

There are only two months in the year whose names may be used as verbs. They are March and May. In March we talked about marching. In May when it comes to commitment we don’t want to talk about the possibility that we may. Instead of saying, “I may,” let’s say “I will.” So we are officially changing the name of the firth month of the year to “Will.” When it comes to commitment to God and His work, say, “I will.”

April gets its name from a Latin word meaning “to open,” for April is the month known for the opening of flowers and trees. As winter is the season of things closed, spring is the season of things open. May April be a challenge to all of us to open up to the Lord. Let’s open our mind and mouth to the Master and enjoy the blossoming of revival.

The word March comes from ancient Rome where March was the first month of the year and was named after Mars, the Roman god of war. March, as a noun, is the name of the third month of our year. March, as a verb, means, “to walk in time and with regular paces, like a soldier.” Considering March as a noun and as a verb, we receive a challenge to march as a soldier of Jesus Christ and to join the battle against Satan and sin. It’s March, so let’s march!

About all that February has going for it besides cold, snow, and dreary days, is Valentine’s Day. We would not have that if several things in history had not occurred. Although they cannot agree on the origin of Valentine’s Day, one popular explanation is that Valentine, a young Roman Christian was martyred on February 14 by Emperor Claudius II for refusing to give up Christianity. Rumor has it that Valentine, as a priest, defied the emperor’s ban on marriages by marrying young people in secret. According to legend in the 3rd C. after Christ, the Emperor Claudius II did not want any of his soldiers falling in love and marrying because he felt women and families distracted the soldiers from their duty to him. In the 5th C. Pope Galasius issued an edict that February 14 should be set aside as a day to honor Valentine. Now we can marry and have Valentine’s Day.