Swine Flu Response

Dear People,

There was once a woman who went to her doctor. She said, “Doctor, something is seriously wrong with me. I’m unusually tired, and I’ve been experiencing muscle weakness, headaches, and dizziness. I’m sure I’ve got fybromyalgia, and I’d like some medicine for it.”

The doctor said, “Well, let me take a look.” After giving the woman a full medical examination, the doctor explained the prescription as he wrote it out. “Take the green pill with two glasses of water when you get up. Take the blue pill with two glasses of water after lunch. Then just before bed, take the red pill with another two glasses of water.”

“So, exactly what is my problem, Doctor?” the woman asked.

The doctor replied, “You’re not drinking enough water.”

Tiredness, muscle weakness, headaches, and dizziness are in fact symptoms of fybromyalgia, but they are also symptoms of mild dehydration. Of course, a person can go online or open a textbook in order to self-diagnose. But when accuracy counts, it is best to get the perspective of a doctor! We seek expert advice for both the breadth of knowledge and the depth of perspective.

Proverbs 10:13 tells us, “On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found.” Discernment (or “understanding” as the KJV has it) comes from both experience and knowledge. In fact, the next verse in the Bible (Proverbs 10:14) says, “Wise men store up knowledge.” Proverbs tells us that when it comes to seeking advice, we should go to the person who has experience and knowledge. We should seek the counsel of someone who has stored up a wealth of relevant information to give a balanced and informed perspective.

Therefore, to whose advice do I give the most weight when, for example, considering the new strain of swine flu? I listen to a trusted doctor and to the advice of a broader community of doctors—not to my neighbor, a popular news anchor, or an old friend on facebook. I listen to doctors on this one because I am convinced that’s what God encourages us to do in situations like this.

That’s why I am not panicked about the swine flu right now because doctors right now are not panicked. Therefore, I’m just going to keep washing my hands frequently. As a church, we’re going to make sure that our buildings are clean like they need to be. As always, we’re going to encourage people who are sick to stay home from church and recover. We’re going to encourage people who have a fever or are feeling ill to call their doctor to see what they should do. We’re also going to have alcohol-based sanitizing gel available on Sunday mornings for people as they come in and leave. In other words, we’re just going to be conscientious to do what we should already be doing…just like we should be sure to drink enough water every day. The doctors I know tell me that there is as big a difference between forty-one American cases of swine flu and a real national emergency as there is between mild dehydration and fybromyalgia. Let’s not be too alarmed yet!

Peace,

Ernest

National Day of Prayer

Dear Friends,

This year the National Day of Prayer falls on May 7, 2009. More than ever we should realize that prayer is America's hope. The current spiritual and economic crisis is quite real in the lives of families across the nation, and apart from God's blessing there is no hope. Therefore, the theme of our 18th annual National Day of Prayer in Georgetown is "May your unfailing love rest upon us, Oh, Lord, even as we put our HOPE in You." (Psalm 33:22)

I hope you will make it a point to join me at the Georgetown High School Football Stadium (221 North Austin Ave) on May 7 (a Thursday) to pray with others all accross Georgetown from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. In case there is a rain-out, the location will be the Georgetown 9th Grade Center Gymnasium located at 4290 E. University.

Peace,

Ernest

Georgetown Job Cafe

Dear Friends,

Allow me to tell you about something new and exciting happening here in Georgetown. It's called the GEORGETOWN JOB CAFE (GJC). The GJC is a not-for-profit source for local employment information for all residents. The goal of the GJC is to match local employers with qualified job candidates and to match job seekers with local jobs in which they can excel and enrich their lives. Churches from all across the metro-Austin area will supply many of the GJC applicants and employers. This idea of using churches networking employers and potential employees within those churches with other churches in a much larger network is a great approach because statistics tell us that seventy percent of all jobs are "hidden jobs" and are not advertised.

Here's how the GJC works. Churches like Main Street Baptist Church who are active in the GJC network provide liaisons to the GJC. Every week there are weekly support meetings that offer prayer and spiritual encouragement, job search skills training, career counseling and assessment, networking and job leads, resume review and assistance, financial counseling, and online job search tools. At the moment the weekly GJC meetings are being held at the Georgetown public library, but that site could change in a few weeks.

Presently I am the liaison for our church, so if you are an employer needing help, or if you are presently looking for a job, please, contact me at ernest@msbchurch.com. Also, please consider going to one of the weekly meetings at the library. The meetings start at 9:00 and end at noon every Wednesday. If you are just one of these people who likes to help, has a heart for men and women looking for work, and wants to get involved, contact me at ernest@msbchurch.com.

God bless,

Ernest