Most everyone has seen some of the proceedings for the funeral of Pope Francis this week. The Vatican shared some of his final writings, including some on death.
He wrote, “…the reader is presented with a consoling certainty; death is not the end of everything, but the beginning of something. It is a new beginning,…the beginning of something that will never end,” He added, “And it is precisely for this reason that it is a new beginning, because we will live something we have never fully lived before – eternity.” Pope Francis wrote this in the preface to a book by Cardinal Angelo Scola, retired archbishop of Milan. The book “Awaiting a New Beginning: Reflections on Old Age” was published on Thursday April 24 and was supposed to be available on Amazon but was not there when I checked last.
I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about various things around Lane this week, including me. As I was thinking about what positive things we should be thinking on instead of the negative, I came to the conclusion that it is a fact of life that our days are finite, even though we do not dwell on that fact much.
And I think our days here should count for something. My Dad always told me to make sure that I left every place that I visited better than I found it. I have been contemplating whether I have left the places I have been better and what I can do to correct those places where I did not live up to my Dad’s expectations.
Another of his words of wisdom come to mind when I think about what I need to be doing to better the place I am in right now… “To do something – You have to do something.” … always delivered with a steely glint in his eye that meant right now would be a good time to start.
I think Dad’s moto was a paraphrase of Thomas Jefferson’s quote, “If you want something you never had, you have to do something you've never done.” One of my husband Jack’s favorite quotes was from Edward Everett Hale, “I am only one, but I am one; I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by God's grace, I will do.” So, I am chanting the “do something” quotes this week to see if I can do something more than I have been doing and complain less about what has not been done.
I recently saw a little news spot that listed Oklahoma as one of the southern states that was growing. So of course, I had to look it up. The population of Oklahoma in 2023 was 4,063,882, an increase from the 2021 population of 3,992,238, which was an increase of 71,644 from the 2020 U.S. Census for Oklahoma. So, we are growing.
The population of Lane in the 2020 census was 300. But Data USA reports the population as 314 in 2022. Looks like we are growing as well. You can look up Lane Demographics at Oklahoma Demographics by Cubit at https:// www.oklahoma-demographics.com>land-demographics and find more information.
With 322 people, Lane is the 441st most populated city in the state of Oklahoma out of 834 cities according to the most current US Census data. That means there are 393 smaller towns than Lane in Oklahoma. So, I was curious as to how the population of unincorporated towns like Lane is determined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
It seems that it is determined by distributing county population estimates based on the number of occupied housing units and average persons per household within that specific area. That means that any count of the population in the unincorporated towns is just an estimate.
The cooks at Boheler/Crystal Community Center say that they have a meal each Friday except for the holiday weeks. The doors are open at 9:00 a.m. and they eat at noon… then, they are open until everyone goes home. There is no charge for the meal, there is just a donation jar. If you cannot pay, the meal is free.
The Blessing Closet at the Old Coben’s Store is sponsored by Church of the Rock and will be open from 9:00 a.m. to Noon next Saturday, May 3rd . They are open on the first Saturday of each month unless announced for a different date. There are clothes from babies to adults, as well as shoes, a few household goods, and other donated items. Everything is FREE. The Blessing Closet is at Justin Humphrey’s red office building at the corner of Highway 3 and Iron Stob Road.
Iron Stob Pentecostal Church is still looking for a pastor. They request that if anyone knows someone looking for a church to give them their name. They are holding regular weekly services at the church located at 893 S Iron Stob Rd in Lane.
Lane Baptist Church will finish their Revival tonight, Wednesday, April 30th. They invite you to join them for their Wednesday evening meal at 6:00 p.m. and the final Revival Service at 7:00 p.m. The evangelist is Clint Sinclair and music will be provided by the Harmony Baptist Praise Team. Revival Services will begin at 7:00 p.m. . Lane Baptist Church is located on Iron Stob Road, just off of Highway 3.
Pastor Phil Barton says they are preparing for Children’s Bible School which will be coming up soon. If you would like to volunteer to work in Bible School or help in any way, you can call 918 652-5052.
Church of the Rock will host Dale Tarp (Josh Brecheen’s father–in–law) on May 18. Morning Worship Service begins at 11:00 a.m. and Dale will preach Morning Service beginning at 11:30.
Regular Sunday services at Church of the Rock begins with Ladies Bible Study at 10:00 p.m., Worship Service at 11:00 a.m., Preaching and Children’s Sunday School at 11:30 a.m. and Wednesday evening services at 7:00 p.m. Men’s Fellowship is Mondays at 7:00 p.m. and Women’s Prayer on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. Church of the Rock is located on the north side of Highway 3 in Lane just across from the Dollar Store. Church of the Rock 11273 E. Highway 3 Lane.
Lane Church of Christ states that “we are dedicated to the teachings of Christ and to serving Him.” We would be happy to welcome you to worship with us on Sunday morning at 10 a.m., Sunday evening at 6 p.m., and Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. Lane Church of Christ is located off of Highway 3 on W. McGee Creek Road, just before Lane School.
Pastor Glen Cook invites everyone to join the church family at Crystal Baptist Church located at 12010 S. Hwy 109A in Crystal, OK… that’s downtown Crystal folks. With a focus on faith and fellowship, the church offers regular worship services, prayer meetings, and opportunities for personal growth and reflection.
Lane School is wrapping up the school year. The last day of school will be May 15. Kindergarten graduation will be May 15th at 10:00 a.m. and Eighth grade graduation will be that evening at 6:00 p.m. on the 15th of April.
May 1 is an All-Day Sports Event FIELD DAY @ ATOKA 3RD-5TH grades May 2 NO SCHOOL May 9 NO SCHOOL May 2nd and May 9th are unused snow days that are worked into the calendar at the beginning of each school year. If these days are not used, they must be taken off for the number of days required by the State.
Thelma’s Thought for the Day: True happiness comes from living a moral and just life, guided by reason and virtue, not from external pleasures or possessions. Plato
