DeSoto Hills Baptist Church

They say that time flies when you are having fun, but the older I get, the more I believe that time flies period.  Some of you were reminded of this over the past few weeks as you watched your children march across the stage to receive diplomas when it seemed like only yesterday they started their first day of school.  Well it may be hard to believe, but it is time once again for an event of staggering proportion and importance to take place at DeSoto Hills – Vacation Bible School is upon us.  We are down to the wire.  All our planning and preparing has come to this.  Students will be here on Monday and the festivities will begin.  I want you to know in advance of the kids arriving that we could not have gotten this far without you.  Many of you have helped out, although you can’t work in this year’s VBS.  Let me encourage you to continue to pray for some specifics things next week.  Pray for:              …SMILES Attitude among the workers is critical and can make or break the experience for a child.  Smiles that come readily on Monday may be slipping a little by Wednesday, so keep lifting us up.  May we convey the love of Christ to all those who come.  As always, it’s easy to love some and a little more challenging to love others, but hey, that’s life.             …STRENGTH I cannot over emphasize how physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining a week like this can be on the workers.  Often we start the week a bit weary from all the preparation and there is really no slowing down until it is all cleaned up on Friday afternoon.             …SUNSHINE We are using every available large space inside the church and we are really dependent on our outdoor spaces for snack and game time.  We can work around the rain, but it would be easier to work without it.              …SALVATION Most of all pray that those who attend will be impacted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For some that may mean salvation, for others it may mean a closer walk of service.            Bound for Rome,  Bro. James

Near a little community called Pleasant Hill, Tennessee on Highway 70 is small country church and large cemetery bearing the name Smith Chapel.  It is like countless others that dot the landscape all over the United States, but for me, this one is unique.  Many of my family members are buried there, including both sets of my grandparents, as well as my beloved dad who died several years ago.  As a child I remember going there to place flowers on graves once a year.  It was always held on the same Saturday and all kinds of folks would gather to “decorate the graves”.  It was a time not only to remember the dead, but also renew friendships with the living.  I began to hear the stories about family members who had died long before I was born.  Somehow this simple act of placing flowers on their graves kept their memories alive.  In that same vein, did you know that Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day?  The name was officially changed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the20Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  It is now celebrated it in almost every State on the last Monday in May in accordance with the National Holiday Act passed in 1971.  Unfortunately, for so many the true purpose of this holiday has been lost.  It has simply become a long weekend that is viewed as the unofficial start of summer.  At DeSoto Hills, we want to stop this Memorial Day to remember those who have given so much that we might continue to enjoy the freedoms associated with living in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Such freedom is a pricey thing. Counting the cost, Bro. James

Be sure to attend services this Sunday Morning to support our graduating seniors. College students who’ve recently received your degree please contact Michael Bucy at the church offices and let him know what degree you’ve received and where you received it from. We will want to acknowledge you guys as well!

If I have learned anything over the past 30 plus years of ministry it is this:  God’s classroom is big and school is always in session.  The pupil that understands this will be ahead of the game, not only in what they learn from the Lord, but also what they accomplish for the Lord.  I was reminded of this a few days ago while on a trip back from Nashville.  Kathy and I had gone to check on my mom and help get a jumpstart on her yard work.  As usual, we had to sandwich the trip in between stuff, so we left in the wee hours Thursday because we needed to be back on Friday.  We had a productive day with Mom and got up the next morning ready to head home.  Mom lives north of Nashville, so from experience I knew traffic would be an issue if we didn’t time it just right.  You have to get ahead of rush hour or behind it.  We decided for the latter.  We ate breakfast with Mom and admired our handy work in the yard, letting the traffic thin out before hea ding home.  True to plan, we breezed through Nashville with little difficulty.  I even commented to Kathy how well this had worked out.  Nashville was now behind us and we would be through Memphis long before their afternoon rush hour. It seemed like smooth sailing ahead.  It was about then that it all came to a screeching halt.  There were brake lights as far as the eye could see.  We begin to creep along.  The trucks were headed for the right lane so that’s where I headed.  Of course, as always, people were zipping past in the lane that was pretty obviously closed up ahead, but I really did not let that get to me.  I kept my cool and my place in line.  We rolled the windows down and puttered along.  Then we saw it- a small waterfall was cascading down the rock face on the side of the interstate.  It was a lovely and soothing site that would have been missed at a high rate of speed.  We saw it because we were going slowly.  Sometimes those interruptions can be t he best part of your day. Another lesson from the road, Bro. James

It would be impossible for me to overemphasize how blessed we are to be hosting the 2009 Mississippi Baptist All-State Youth Choir and Orchestra at our church on Friday evening, June 12.  This auditioned choir features “the best of the best” from Baptist churches all over our state.  Four of our own students will be traveling with the choir this summer: Ashley Huling Adison Jones Calland Manning Dianne Shelton The Lewis family is certainly no stranger to this choir.  Marc and Jami are both alumni.  I traveled with the choir for two years serving as camp pastor and Kathy chaperoned for three years.   However, the greatest blessing that came out of our years with the choir is Jennifer, our beautiful daughter-in-law.  She and Marc first met at All-State and the rest, as they say, is history.  I hope you will join us for the concert June 12th.  We also need your help housing this large group.  Please contact Bro. Mark or the church office if you would be willing to help keep students or adults in your home.  You will be blessed. Thankful for our red head, Bro. James