From: R & S Scarcella & Family [inbox@webpastor.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 26 January 2000 8:33 PM
To: inbox@webpastor.com
Subject: CoGS Weekly Hits! 2000 Vol.1 No.4

YOUR CoGS WEEKLY HITS! - FREE NETMAGAZINE
distributed by Rev. Rocco & Mrs. Susan Scarcella from
Church of the Good Shepherd Bossley Park NSW Australia
WEBSITE: www.webpastor.com
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WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?: http://www.christianity.net.au
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Dear NetFamily,
Wonder how your week has been. Sue must have contracted the Millennium
"Bug" as she has been quite sick (let's hear a big sigh for Sue ..
"Ooohhh" ),
but not so sick that she can't help put out the Weekly Hits.(Now let's hear
a
big cheer for Sue!"Hooray!")As they say in the biz, the show must go on.

READING FROM THE WORD OF GOD
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel
of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men,
and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile,and
also about Jerusalem. They said to me,"Those who survived the exile and are
back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of
Jerusalem
is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."
Nehemiah 1:1-3 (NIV)

When the story of Nehemiah begins, the walls of Jerusalem, "The City of
Peace"
were in pieces. Now, anyone who knows the Jewish people, knows what the City
means to Jewish people. It is the centre of their world, and if it is so
now,
even more so was it in Old Testament times. To the Jews, it symbolised the
relationship of God to His people. It was a physical symbol of His heavenly
seat. It was the visible sign of His covenant with them: I will be your God,
and
you will be my people. Its destruction at the hands of the Persian king
symbolised
the real threat to that covenant relationship. The city was burned: the
people were
in disgrace. Most were in exile, while the rest were eking out a mere
existence in
Israel. Nehemiah was chosen by God to tell the people that God had not
abandoned
them, despite their rebellious hearts, that forgiveness was available to
those who
turned to Him, and that the covenant could be renewed and strengthened, as
surely
as the walls of the great city could and would be rebuilt. God's message is
no
different now. And His eternal sign of His faithfulness is the Cross.


TESTIMONY
"A year ago I developed a very painful stomach ache and spent weeks in
the hospital. At times,I could not sleep or even walk. No one knew what
was causing the pain. I prayed and wondered why God wasn't helping me.
I even blamed Him for my problems. Exploratory surgery revealed I'd had
endometriosis and that my intestines had grown together. They said, "They
had fixed everything and I should be back to normal." Two weeks later the
pain returned. The only relief I have is when I pray. I would not trade
this experience, because of the close relationship I have gained with
Jesus Christ. I know now that this is God's will and I can rely on Him
to help me get through it. "My grace is suficient for you. My
strength is made perfect in weakness." II Corinthians 12:9.
**Lynette

PRAYER POINTS
*Thank God for His faithfulness, even in the face of our sin.
* Praise God for His love, shown in the sacrifice of Jesus.
* Pray for Diane G's brother-in-law:he was in accident 10 weeks ago,
it crushed his face, serious brain damage, broken neck, both legs broken,
"he is alive by the gift of God, he needs to accept the Lord as his saviour,
his family has no money, he needs full time care because he is confused,
brain damage, and permanently blind.  His wife has to work.  Please pray for
his spiritual, physical needs to be met and for God to heal his family,
which is severely damaged due to his prior alcoholism. Thanks"
* Pray for young Jasmine T: She has 90% of her body covered with third
degree burns.
* Keep praying for those pregnant mums, Cathy, Gina, Trisha and Violet,
and new mum Rosa.
*Also keep those in mourning in your prayers.
* Our Christian brothers and sisters in Indonesia are under severe
oppression,
particularly in Ambon, Lombok and East Java.
*For Mitch & Kevin to find work soon.
*For Peter J. making his slow recovery after lung surgery.
*For Dorrie now recovering in a Nursing Home.

HAHAHA CORNER

***GOODBYE, CHARLIE
In honor of Charles Schultz, who's retiring Charlie Brown and the gang.

Most cartoon characters remain frozen in time. Though they've been around
almost 50 years the members of the Peanuts gang are in some unspecified
elementary school holding pattern. But what if they had been allowed to age
like the rest of us? With apologies to Charles Schulz:

Charlie Brown:
Operates Good Grief Counseling Inc., which specializes in manic-depressives
and people who are just having a bad day. Moonlights as a pitching coach at
high school and college levels. Married to Marcie. They have a roundheaded
son who wears glasses.

Linus:
Developer of Security Blanket Software, which is a hot item on the New York
Stock Exchange. Worth millions but is actively involved in charitable
causes, including the Great Pumpkin 5K Fun Run every Halloween. Only man
who makes Bill Gates nervous.

Lucy:
Serving her seventh term in Congress. On her third husband. Claims she
hasn't thought about Schroeder in years, but the background music on her
answering machine is Beethoven.

Schroeder:
After years on the classical performing circuit, he runs a piano bar in
Carmel, Calif. Won't let anybody lean on his piano.

Sally:
Never quite got over being spurned by Linus. Has a cat named Sweet Baboo.
Sells Mary Kay.

Peppermint Patty:
Women's athletic director at a Midwestern university. Her fashion credo:
"Sandals go with everything."

Snoopy:
In dog years, he'll be 350. What do you think would've happened to him?
Linus has created an endowment at Daisy Hill Puppy farm in Snoopy's memory.

[forwarded by Mike Hardy]--submitted by Paul Dugas

***
In Boston our flight was delayed at the terminal for about an
hour.  When the plane finally taxied onto the runway the captain
came on the intercom to apologize.  Making light of the issue,
he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to apologize for the
delay.  It is crucial to the company that we provide the same
service to all of our customers.  The ground crew was on break and
we had to wait for them to return to insure that the right number
of bags were sent to the wrong location."
--anon.

***
Things that Make You Say Hmmmmm.

To the world you might be one person;
but to one person you might be the world.

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going
to McDonald's makes you a hamburger.

Real friends are those who, when you feel you've made a fool of yourself,
don't feel you've done a permanent job.

A coincidence is when God performs a miracle and decides to remain
anonymous.

Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the Same
side.

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

Lead your life so you won't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the
town gossip.

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% of how you respond to it.

Did it ever occur to you that nothing occurs to God?

Life is like an onion; you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you
weep.

Learn from the mistakes of others.  You can't live long enough to make
them all yourself.

There are two things I have learned: There is a God. And I'm not Him.

Following the path of least resistance is what makes rivers and Men
crooked.

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's
grace.  And your best days are never so good that you're beyond the need
of God's grace.
--submitted by Pammi

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Sue:(calling from her sickroom): "Rocco, Rocco my head is spinning!"
Rocco: "Oh? Would you like me to nail your other foot to the floor,dear?"
(Sympathy is rationed in this household!- LOL)Keep in touch!
And to all Australians, we say: "Happy Australia Day (26th Jan)!"
--Rocco and Sue.
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