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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2017)
2A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 Everyone needs to be loved. It’s God’s will for us to know and experience His unconditional love and have a personal relationship with Him (see John 3:16 and 1 John 4:16). He created us for ac- ceptance, not rejection, and connection, not separation and aban- donment. When we receive God’s love, we can become stable, mature, healed, whole and vibrant individuals and have the great lives He wants us to have. But when people don’t get unconditional love, they end up with damaged emotions, trying to function day to day in their brokenness. And often, the result is an addictive behavior. Understanding Addictions An addictive behavior is a habit that’s gone wild or something you can’t do without. We can get addicted to just about anything, from alcohol, cigarettes and drugs, to food and eating disorders. People can also be addicted to pornography, hoarding, gambling, and exercise. Then there are addictions to behaviors like worrying and being indecisive or the need to be approved by others. When people become addicted to something, they are usually trying to feel good about themselves or latch on to something that makes them feel they have worth. But addictions are actually bond- ages that keep us enslaved to a behavior that is destructive. The key to true freedom is knowing who we are in Christ and that we are valuable because Jesus died for us. Ephesians 2:4-5 (NKJV) says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” The truth is, you are valuable because God loves you. And He loves you because He wants to—not because of anything you’ve done or can do to earn His love. You’ve Got What It Takes to Overcome If you’re struggling to overcome an addiction, the good news is you can do it with God’s help. The fi rst step is believing God’s Word more than you believe what you think or feel. As a believer in Christ, you are “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor- inthians 5:17 NKJV). And you “can do all things…through Him who strengthens and empowers” you; you are “ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses [you] with inner strength and confi dent peace” (Philippians 4:13 AMP). See, when you received Christ as your Savior, a seed of every- thing God is came into your spirit. When a person is born again, 1 John 3:9 (AMP) says, “God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him.” For the seed of God’s nature to grow, we must water it with the water of His Word. When we do this, the fruit of the Spirit develops in our character: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, good- ness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22- 23). Having self-control means God has given us the ability to con- trol ourselves. We can discipline ourselves to do what we know we should do, even when we don’t feel like it or want to do it. But we have to stop saying things like, “I can’t control myself. I just can’t help it—it’s my problem.” Because God’s Spirit abides in us, as born again believers in Je- sus Christ, we can confi dently say, “I have self-control, and I can do whatever I need to do through Christ who strengthens me!” I realize it’s not always easy. When I wanted to quit smoking, it was hard to do, and I had to start over several times before I made it. But through it all, I learned that anytime we’re willing to do what’s right and we depend on God, His grace is activated in our lives to do it. We just can’t give up! Trade Your Addiction for True Freedom I really want to encourage you to be determined to have the abun- dant life Jesus died to give us. If we want the freedom He promises in His Word, then we need to set aside time to study the Word and spend time with Him. Many times we fail because we’re trying to do what we need to do in our own strength, leaving God out of the loop. We have to stop trying and start depending on God for everything. Don’t try to do anything without praying, “God, I can’t do this without You. Help me. I need You.” Remember, there’s nothing more valuable to you than your per- sonal relationship with God and the time you spend with Him. Put Him fi rst and you’ll fi nd that the power of God’s Word will always prevail over the messes in your life. You don’t have to settle for a life in bondage to any addiction, because in Christ, you can do it! Grant Gording, BC-HIS Board Certifi ed in Hearing Instrument Sciences IN MEMORIAM Hearing Consultant Free Hearing Screening Same Day Appointments Available James Franklin Thrasher 1925-2017 James (Jim) Franklin Thrasher, 92, of Cottage Grove passed away August 12, 2017. Jim was born in Cottage Grove, OR on August 9, 1925, to Joel and Rachel (Smith) Thrasher, and grew up hunting and fi shing on Rat Creek outside of the old town of Dorena. Jim attended Cottage Grove High School until he joined the Merchant Marines, in which he served during WWII in the Pacifi c Theater. He married Verla Jean Whitlock of Cottage Grove in 1946, and they were together for 56 years until her passing in 2002. Jim was a successful Salesman and Business Owner. He started what many believe is the fi rst taxi service in Cottage Grove in 1945. With Jenna Buetow his sister, Maybelle McRenolds, he opened and developed Martin Creek Quarry, and also owned and managed over thirty home rentals in the Cottage Grove area. Jim enjoyed the outdoors, and was an avid hunter. He and Verla traveled the country in their motor home. He enjoyed restoring classic automobiles, and won numerous awards. He was a member of the Elks. Jim is survived by a sister, Allie Lee Quigley of Port Townsend, WA, and a son and daughter-in-law, James G. (Greg) and Jean Thrasher of Cottage Grove, as well as 5 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A private memorial will be held at a later date. Arrangements in the care of Smith-Lund- Mills Funeral Chapel in Cottage Grove. www.grantshearing.com z King-Karen Lee King, 76, of Cottage Grove, died August 29. Arrangements by Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel in Cottage Grove. BIRTHS Jamie and Dylan Millsaps of Cottage Grove welcomed a baby girl on August 10 at Peace- Health Sacred Heart Medical Center-RiverBend. Livia and Chet Hendrickson of Cottage Grove welcomed a baby boy on August 30 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Med- ical Center-RiverBend. Wendy and Dean Johnson of Cottage grove welcomed a baby girl on August 22 at Peace- Health Sacred Heart Medical Center-RiverBend. Stacey Lynn Munro 1980-2015 On August 19, 2015, we lost Stacey Lynn Munro, daughter to Joanne and John, sister to Trevor and Kendra. After 35 years of challenging and persevering through life’s obstacles, stereotypes and preconceptions, she fell asleep and did not awaken. Anyone who spent signifi cant time with her reassessed their own challenges. She remains our spirit of sweetness, decency, tenacity, forgiveness, appreciation, wonderment, courage, compassion, love and all the things good in this world. Stacey was born in Pullman, WA, and moved from there to Moses Lake, WA, Coos Bay, OR, Pierce, CO, then fi nally to Cottage Grove, OR, where she attended London School, Lincoln Middle School and Marist High School. After graduation from Marist in 1999, she attended Lane Community College and took courses from many different departments, including singing in Concert Choir for a number of years. Stacey’s love of music was contagious and has been a conduit for our thoughts, emotions and memories of her. Stacey had a sense of humor and enjoyed telling stories about funny occurrences that happened during her childhood. She had a superb memory and was the keeper of our family history. She was looking forward to being an aunt when sister Kendra, and her husband Paul, became parents to Julia. When Julia was tiny, Stacey would sing to her to make her stop crying. Stacey enjoyed trips to the coast and our many family vacations at Odell Lake. Privately, her family scattered her ashes at both Florence and Odell Lake. We said we’d walk together…come what may And come the twilight, should we lose our way If as we’re walking, a hand should slip free I’ll wait for you Should I fall behind Wait for me. Forever, always missing you. Love, Mom, Dad, Trevor, Kendra, Paul and Julia A celebration of Stacey’s life is scheduled for September 23 at the Cottage Grove Elks Lodge. We will be serving pizza, one of Stacey’s favorite foods. If you would like to bring a side dish or dessert, feel free to do so. Remembrances may be made to the LCC Foundation/Music Scholarship Fund. å Funeral & Memorial Planning Cremation Options e Monuments & Memorials & e Memorials Cemetery Options e Monuments Cemetery Options e Funeral & Memorial Planning e Cremation Options e 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 DEATH NOTICES Farley -- Leroy James Farley, 8I, of Drain, died Aug. 30. A memorial service and reception will be at I p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Drain Church of Christ in Drain. Arrangements by Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel in Cottage Grove. 1498 E. Main St., CG 541-942-8444 z www.smithlundmills.com å
