2A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JUNE 28, 2017
Rules for keeping it simple
T
hroughout my journey
with God in this life,
I’ve found that spend-
ing time with Him and acknowl-
edging Him in all of my ways is
the most important and reward-
ing habit I can ever develop (see
Proverbs 3:6).
I can tell you from experience
that God’s help and presence
in our lives is vital. He is the
Author of all true success and
everything that is good. And
spending time with God through
prayer and His Word is a prereq-
uisite for having a great life and
fulfi lling your purpose.
Now, it’s true that we can
improve ourselves through dis-
cipline and even have some suc-
cess, but will power will only
bring us so far. The truth is that
nothing can really take the place
of having a healthy relationship
with God.
I absolutely love Hebrews
11:6. It says that God “is a re-
warder of those who diligently
seek Him” (NKJV). When we
draw near to Him, He fi lls our
lives with His strength, peace,
joy, provision, and favor…and
blesses us in ways we can’t even
imagine.
If we are diligent in seeking
God, slowly and surely we be-
come better people.
Putting First Things First
When it comes to our every-
day lifestyle, it’s important to
ask: Am I putting God fi rst?
It can be easy to put ourselves
fi rst…or our friends…or our
possessions. But when we put
everything else ahead of the
Lord, we cheat ourselves out of
the good life that God wants us
to have.
I tried for many years to work
God into my schedule, but it
seemed like I never found time.
I had good intentions, but pro-
crastination got the best of me. I
was always going to spend time
with God later on…or after the
“one more thing” I needed to
do.
The result? Not much was
working right in my life or in
my ministry. I was frustrated
most of the time and felt like
I was barely making progress.
I’m grateful to say that God fi -
nally got through to me! I have
learned how to work my sched-
ule around God, rather than try-
ing to work Him into my sched-
ule.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28,
“Come to Me, all you who labor
and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest.”
The answer to my problem
(and yours) is simple: Come to
Jesus!
It’s not about having a pro-
gram to follow—it’s simply
about forming a habit of putting
God fi rst in everything we do. If
we will seek fi rst His Kingdom,
He has promised to add every-
thing else that we need. (See
Matthew 6:33.)
Where to Begin
I remember when my ten-
year-old granddaughter came to
me and said, “Grandma, I want
you to tell me how to spend
more time with God because
I’m so busy.” I thought that was
cute. I thought, Honey, if you
think you’re busy now, you just
wait!
I told her what I’m about to
tell you: Just start somewhere.
So many people never start at
all because they think they need
a huge chunk of time to begin.
Or they end up doing nothing if
they feel like they can’t do ev-
erything.
Here’s what I recommend:
Start by taking some time in
the morning to talk with God
in prayer and read His Word—
even if it’s just fi ve or ten min-
utes.
If you plan on spending your
time with Him later in the day,
then I encourage you to take
at least a few moments in the
morning to get started with God
on your mind. Acknowledge
Him and ask for His help. It can
be as simple as saying, “God, I
love You, and I appreciate ev-
erything You do for me. I really
need Your help with my day.”
Sometimes we are defeated
because we try to begin where
we should be fi nishing, or we
try to do what someone else is
doing. The truth is that God will
meet you where you are right
now. As you take a step of faith,
He will give you the grace and
strength you need!
So don’t allow yourself to
do nothing simply because you
can’t do a lot. Start small and go
from there.
Today, I can truly say that I
am addicted to spending time
with God—He has become a
necessity that I require every
day! If you are at a point in your
life where you are ready to make
Him your number one priority
in every area of your life, then
take a moment right now and
ask Him to help you get started.
As you do, you’ll fi nd that
His guidance and presence are
things you just can’t live with-
out.
For more on this topic, order
Joyce’s fi ve-teaching CD series
Keeping It Simple. You can also
contact us to receive our free
magazine, Enjoying Everyday
Life, by calling (800) 727-9673
or visiting www.joycemeyer.
org.
Ladies, join Joyce Meyer
for the 35th Annual Love Life
Women’s Conference Septem-
ber 21-23 in Saint Louis, MO.
For more information, go to
www.joycemeyer.org/lovelife.
Joyce Meyer is a New York
Times bestselling author and
founder of Joyce Meyer Min-
istries, Inc. She has authored
more than 100 books, including
Battlefi eld of the Mind and 20
Ways to Make Every Day Better
(Hachette). She hosts the Enjoy-
ing Everyday Life radio and TV
programs. For more informa-
tion, visit www.joycemeyer.org.
Please note: The views and
opinions expressed throughout
this publication and/or web-
site are those of the respective
authors and do not necessarily
refl ect those of Joyce Meyer
Ministries.
Grant Gording, BC-HIS
Jenna Buetow
Board Certifi ed in
Hearing Instrument Sciences
Hearing Consultant
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1498 E. Main St., CG
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IN MEMORIAM
Glenda Klansnic 1950-2017
Glenda Louise Klansnic, 66, of Creswell, Oregon, passed away June 18, 2017. She
was born September 30, 1950, in Westwood, California, to James Thomas and Lorene
(White) Perkins. Glenda graduated from Cottage Grove High School in 1968 and was a
homemaker. She enjoyed making fl ower bouquets, crafts and wreaths. Glenda also en-
joyed spending time with her family and lovin’ on her grandkids. She married Stephen
Richard Klansnic, Sr. in May of 1976. Glenda is survived by her daughter Leslie Swan-
son of Cottage Grove, son Stephen Klansnic, Jr. (Jennifer) of Creswell, sisters Lenora
Stewart of Crooked River Ranch, and Sue Allen of Cottage Grove, fi ve grandchildren,
and 2 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Stephen Klans-
nic, Sr. in 2015. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Cottage Grove Faith Center, at
2:00 PM on Sunday, July 9, 2017. Arrangements are in the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel in Cottage
Grove.
DEATH NOTICES
Funeral & Memorial Planning
e Funeral & Memorial Planning e Cremation Options e
Cremation Options
e Monuments
& Memorials & e Memorials
Cemetery Options e
Monuments
Cemetery Options
Please Celebrate the 4th of July Safely!
123 South 7th,
Cottage Grove, Oregon
th
123
South
7
,
Cottage
Grove, Oregon
541-942-0185 •www.smithlundmills.com
z
www.smithlundmills.com
SEITZ-William Gene Seitz, 83, of Cottage Grove, died June 13. Arrangements by
Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel in Cottage Grove.
BIRTHS
Katelynn Hargrove and
Jesse Humphries of
Cottage Grove welcomed
a baby girl on June 23 at
PeaceHealth Sacred Heart
Medical Center Riv-
er-Bend.
Nicole and Alejandro
Avila of Cottage Grove
welcomed a baby girl on
June 21 at PeaceHealth
Sacred Heart Medical
Center River-Bend.
VWF Independence Day Picnic
& Raffl e
PICNIC: July 1, 2017 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
at the VFW (3160 Hillside Drive-CG)
FOOD FOR SALE: $7.00 Roasted Pig on a Bun or
Hebrew National Beef Hot Dog with Potato
Salad, Corn Cobbettes, Watermelon, soft
drinks, coff ee, & tea.
(No Alcohol, drugs or fi reworks allowed)
MUSIC: Th e Country Classic Band,
“Anderson Family & Friends”
12:30pm – 4:30 pm
DEDICATION PROGRAM: 2:00 pm
Just 30 minutes
That’s how long the average mammogram appointment
takes. One 30-minute screening appointment could
save your life. Now that’s time well spent.
Prevention O Screenings O Treatment
RAFFLE
Over $2000. Worth of Donations To Give Away!
Provided by the Merchants of Cottage Grove
• Chest freezer with beef included donated by Brad’s Cottage Grove
• Dinners • Car Services • Massages • Gift Certifi cates • Golf
• Health Club Workouts and much more. All this can be yours for just
$2.00 per raffl e ticket 3 for $5.00 or 7 for $10.00 you do not have to
be present to win the winner will be notifi ed by phone or mail
541-942-7099
All proceeds go to our
Veterans Supporting Veterans Program
peacehealth.org/mammogram
The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-1L1-15-003 from the U.S. Department
of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the
responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.
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