2A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL May 18, 2016
Volunteers clean up
Fort Harrison Park
Living a life of NO
compromise
I
t’s an honor for us to
be chosen by God to be
alive at this time on the earth.
God has a great purpose for
each of us, but if we’re going
to fulfi ll His plans and the
“assignments” He’s created
us to accomplish, we have to
make up our mind how we’re
going to live every day.
To compromise means you
go a little bit below what you
know is right. Many Chris-
tians are settling for a life
of compromise: they live for
God on Sunday, but on Mon-
day, they live like the rest of
the world. This is NOT God’s
best for us, and there is noth-
ing in the Bible that ever en-
courages or approves of it, in
any situation.
But it’s easy to justify de-
cisions to compromise when
we’re being tempted or pres-
sured by circumstances that
are hard for us to face.
I remember a time years
ago when I had a job balanc-
ing the accounts of clients
with the company I worked
for. My boss wanted me to
zero out a credit balance of
a particular account so we
wouldn’t have to send them
a check, and I knew if I did
it, I’d be helping him steal
their money.This was so hard
because I really needed that
job, and I could think of all
kinds of reasons I had to have
it. For example: I made good
money. We only had one car
at this time and Dave and I
worked in the same area so
we could carpool. And the
list goes on.
But I came to the decision
that even if it meant I would
lose my job, I couldn’t help
him steal that money. So I
prayed for God to give me the
courage to do the right thing,
and the next day I went to his
offi ce and said, “I’m a Chris-
tian, and I can’t zero-out this
balance because if I do, I’ll
be helping to steal their mon-
ey. I’d be going against my
conscience if I do this.”
Now my boss was obvi-
ously annoyed by what I said,
but he told me to go back to
work. I thought he was going
to fi re me, but when it was
almost time for me to leave
for the day, he came to my
desk and said, “Send them a
check.”
Over the next few years, I
ended up getting promoted
several times in that compa-
ny, and eventually ended up
in a position just below my
boss. Because even though he
didn’t agree with my values,
he respected me for standing
up for what I believed was
right.
Looking back now, I be-
lieve that situation was a test I
had to pass to get where I am
today. Wherever you may be
in God’s plan for you, I want
to encourage you to resist the
temptation to compromise
and make up your mind to
always do what is right in
God’s eyes. If you don’t, then
some of the things you give
in to now can keep you from
living out the fullness of your
destiny.
Colossians 3:1-2 (AMPC)
says, “If then you have been
raised with Christ [to a new
life, thus sharing His resur-
rection from the dead], aim
at and seek the [rich, eternal
treasures] that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the
right hand of God. And set
your minds and keep them set
on what is above (the higher
things), not on things that are
on the earth.”
These scriptures are telling
us to get our mind on what is
really important, rather than
wasting our time thinking
about things we can’t con-
trol or that don’t really mat-
ter. I fi rmly believe in setting
my mind and keeping it set
on God and His plan for my
life every day. And I’ve dis-
covered that when you make
your mind up to do what
God wants you to do – what
you know in your heart He’s
leading you to do – then He is
faithful to give you the ability
to do it.
I want to say it again: Any-
thing God shows you to do,
either through His Word or
what He speaks to your heart,
He will be faithful to give
you the power and ability to
perform it if you are willing
to set your mind and keep it
set on things that are above.
Maybe you need to make
your mind up about some
things in your life that
you’ve been struggling with
or you’re afraid to confront.
I want to encourage you to
trust God completely and
make up your mind that you
won’t compromise what you
know is right because of fear
of being rejected by others or
hurt in some way if you don’t
do what they want you to do.
The truth is, the same people
who tempt us to compromise
will disrespect us when we
do.
Remember
Colossians
3:1-2. In Christ, there’s noth-
ing stronger than a made-up
mind, so set your will to do
the will of God every day.
When you’re tempted to
compromise, ask Him to help
you do the right thing by His
grace, with His strength. Re-
mind yourself of promises in
God’s Word, like Philippians
4:13: “Whatever comes my
way today, I can do whatever
I need to do through Christ
who is my strength!”
Joyce Meyer is a New York
Times bestselling author and
founder of Joyce Meyer Min-
istries, Inc.
She hosts the Enjoying
Everyday Life radio and TV
programs, which air on hun-
dreds of stations worldwide.
For more information, visit
www.joycemeyer.org.
courtesy photo
Last Saturday, May 7, Brenda Sawyer, Shae Steele, Joey
Farmer, Destiny Summerville and Shawn Farmer as-
sisted Cottage Grove’s award winning graffi ti removal
laureate Marie Longfellow with a complete clean-up of
Fort Harrison Park, located north of Harrison Avenue
between Second and Third Streets. The group of vol-
unteers picked-up trash and gave the park a general
spring cleaning.
Grant Gording, BC-HIS
Jenna Buetow
Board Certifi ed in
Hearing Instrument Sciences
Hearing Consultant
FREE Hearing Screenings
FREE Hearing Aid Checks & Cleanings
Just call to schedule an appointment!
Grant's Hearing Centers
COMMUNITY BRIEFS www.grantshearing.com
1498 E. Main St., CG
Clure earns
scholarship
Christopher Clure, a Cottage
Grove High School senior, has
been awarded a $2,000 health
care career scholarship by Kai-
ser Permanente. The nonprofi t
announced on May 9 that the
Kaiser Permanente Health
Care Career Scholarship pro-
gram has awarded $46,000 to
Lane County students, includ-
ing Clure, who are planning
careers in health-related fi elds.
The local awards are part of the
regional awards totaling more
than $500,000.
More information is at http://
k-p.li/1rRlxgq. The awardees
are eligible for renewal of their
scholarships in future years.
Cemetery
clean-up
‘Tapping
Technology for
Parenting
Support’
541-942-8444
z
å
On Thursday, May 19, Dr. Ed
Feil, an Oregon Research Insti-
tute senior research scientist,
will share research and ideas
about using mobile technology
to support parenting of young
children beginning at 6:30 p.m.
e
e
at First Presbyterian Church, e
216 S. Third St., in Cottage
Grove.
e
e
e
Feil’s talk is the third in a se-
ries of Thursday evening events
taking place through May in
Cottage Grove to mark Mental
Health Awareness Month.
For more information or to re-
123 South 7th,
Cottage Grove, Oregon
quest a sign language interpreter
th
or other accommodations, call
541-942-0185 •www.smithlundmills.com
South Lane Mental Health at
(541) 942-3939 or visit www. z
å
slmh.org.
Funeral & Memorial Planning
Funeral & Cremation
Memorial Planning Options
Cremation Options
Monuments
& Memorials & Memorials
Cemetery Options
Monuments
Cemetery Options
Please Celebrate the 4th of July Safely!
123 South 7 , Cottage Grove, Oregon
www.smithlundmills.com
A work party to clean up Tay-
lor-Lane Cemetery will meet
Saturday, May 21 at 9 a.m. at
the cemetery. For more infor-
mation call 541-206-9756 or
541-607-1156.
We Want Your News!
Directory helps locate
farmstands, you-pick farms
A smartphone can be used to
easily fi nd farm stands, u-pick
fi elds, on-farm festivals — and
get driving directions — with
Oregon’s Bounty at www.or-
egonfb.org.
Strawberries,
asparagus,
squash, and salad greens — not
to mention a vast array of bed-
ding plants, fl owering baskets,
and fresh-cut fl owers — are just
a few favorites of the agricultur-
al bounty of spring. But if you
want to buy directly from the
source on a trip out to the coun-
tryside, where do you go?
“Everyone knows where their
local farmers market is. But
what about farm stands, u-pick
fi elds, and on-farm festivals out
in rural areas? That’s where Or-
egon’s Bounty comes in,” said
OFB Communications Director
Anne Marie Moss.
Oregon’s Bounty at oregonfb.
org is a searchable directory
of over 300 family farms and
ranches that sell food and foli-
age directly to the public.
Easily navigable with a smart-
phone, Oregon’s Bounty allows
visitors to search for specifi c ag-
riculture products -- like straw-
berries, caulifl ower, and eggs --
Customer Engagement 24/7
Web Design & Development
and/or search for farms within a
region of the state. Visitors can
also do a search for “u-pick” or
“events” to fi nd farms that offer
those activities.
Once a farm stand is located,
visitors can get driving direc-
tions from their current location
or another address.
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
wants to be your source
for all things Cottage Grove.
But we need your help!
If you’ve got a news tip,
we’d be glad to hear about it:
$ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM
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Email: cgnews@cgsentinel.com
Office phone: 942-3325
Light the
Way to a
Cure
Luminary Ceremony
Friday, 10pm, July 22nd
Give the gift to the American Cancer Society & keep the
light burning with a luminaria in memory of someone lost to cancer,
in honor of someone still fi ghting, or in special recognition
of someone who has beat the disease.
Please complete and return this form to the address below.
(Note: to order more than one Luminaria, please photocopy this form.)
WHITE LUMINARIA $5 • PURPLE LUMINARIA $10
In Honor of: ___________________________________________
In Memory of: __________________________________________
In Support of: __________________________________________
We can personalize the Luminaria for you.
List some of your loved ones likes and hobbies.
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Ask us how we can help grow your business.
Cottage Grove Sentinel
Please make checks payable to
American Cancer Socitey
and mail to:
Luminaria
2350 Oakmont Way, Ste. 200
Eugene, OR 97401