Carolyn Francis Tuten, age 78, of Atlanta, GA wnet home to be with her Lord on Saturday, February 7th, 2015 after a lengthy illness.
We are Not Perfect
Today’s featured article is written by Richard D. Stafford, Ph.D.
Recently, Rev. Joel Osteen, the engaging minister and author at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas created a media controversy when he said in an interview, “The Apostles Paul, Peter and John, were wrong and need to be rebuked.”
Many Christians, in their first reaction, took offense at Rev. Osteen’s comments, believing that the Apostles were incapable of saying or doing incorrect things and that every word they uttered, even after Jesus was crucified, were inspired by God and considered indisputable.
Unfortunately, if we carefully read Jesus’ own accounts of events during his short ministry, we often find him rebuking all three of these particular disciples, in word and in action. In fact, he used the Apostles actions and reactions as illustrations for what not to do, or think, or say. I find it hard to believe that on the day of Jesus’ resurrection that the Apostles immediately became sanctified, infallible, or perfect. And so it seems likely in some situations they may have continued some of the same errors they had already previously committed, especially in the area of women’s roles in a church, who may enter the kingdom of God, and forgiveness of sins.
To make mention that the Apostles may have said and even done things Jesus would not approve of after his Resurrection, appears to some as an attack on the Holiness of the Bible. Not me.
As we understand from reading some scriptures, there are many directives, or religious laws, that if we followed today in American culture we would be arrested, found guilty by a jury, placed in prison, and in some situations, put to death by a jury. And in many of those instances most of us would probably agree that following some scriptures, religious laws, would actually be morally wrong, if not legally wrong. In fact, isn’t that why Jesus was crucified? He dared to question written religious laws and the purposes for many of those laws and the terrible impact they had on society?
I like to look at exactly what is recorded in the New Testament as being the words and parables attributed to Jesus Christ. I have come to see that his own words, assuming they were recorded and interpreted correctly, have a powerful message in my little world. I am not able to find any message that seemingly came from Jesus to be questionable in any way. Even today, his own words and parables seem to be a solid way of life giving and forgiving.
But like Rev. Joel Osteen, and many other Biblical scholars, I can indeed find reasons to question words and actions of the Apostles, and even find them to seemingly be at odds with what I suspect Jesus would say, if he had the chance. This perspective causes me to stop and think about all the many conclusions we come to about what it means to be a Christian in 2015 in the Southern United States. Do we misapply religious law, directives, rules, expectations and give ownership of those to Jesus Christ and our Christian life? I find it valuable to examine what I believe and then measure it exactly to what Jesus said…not to what others may have said, thought or done in his name.
It’s not supposed to happen
Today’s featured article is written by Loretta Dalton.
“It’s not supposed to happen to people like the Frank Pages,” writes Mike Huckabee using a statement from Page’s book, “Melissa”. It’s not supposed to happen to people like the Rick Warrens, either. Some might go so far as to say it’s not supposed to happen to Christians, but the tragedies experienced by these two men of God prove that it does happen. They both belong to the same club; a club no one wants to join.
Frank Page is a longtime pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention president. He now serves as president and CEO of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is a popular Christian speaker, having spoken at the White House and on various national television programs. Named one of the Fifty Most Influential Christians in America, Frank Page is also the father of a troubled child, a child who suffered from mental illness, and a child who eventually took her own life.
Rick Warren is a pastor and bestselling Christian author. He founded Saddleback Church in California, which is now the eighth-largest church in the United States. His book, “The Purpose Driven Life” has topped the New York Times bestseller list a record number of times having sold over thirty million copies. Warren’s book is the second most translated book in the world, after the Bible. Warren, a popular Christian speaker and writer, is also the father of a troubled child, a child who suffered from mental illness, and a child who took his own life.
While dealing with my own grief, I stumbled upon Frank Page’s story. His daughter died just eight months before I lost my son; our experiences are very similar. Page’s book, “Melissa,” walks the reader through the passion of loving a child unconditionally, the pain of watching a child self-destruct, the agony of the most devastating loss, and the perseverance of a Christian father who places his hopes in a loving God whose goodness is found even in the darkest times. Page’s purpose for writing the book was to help other families who may go through the same experience and to reach out to anyone contemplating suicide. After each chapter, there is a letter to anyone who feels life is too hopeless to go on.
This book is a must read for any pastor who is or may one day find himself/herself ministering to someone struggling with suicidal thoughts or recovering from a loved one’s suicide. It is also a must read for anyone contemplating suicide or anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide. As it did with me, “Melissa,” will give hope and comfort to those who are living the nightmare. Perhaps even more important, it can save others from this pain by shining light on the signs, symptoms and solutions to self-destructive behavior. Examples of God’s love and grace leap from the pages.
In April of 2013, Rick Warren’s son lost his battle with mental illness and took his own life. Although devastated, the Warren’s have already begun helping others. As stated on Kay Warren’s website (kaywarren.com), the Warrens believe, “Jesus cared for mentally ill people. As Christ followers, we are compelled to continue His work today by extending compassion, acceptance, and unconditional love to all who suffer from mental illness.” The website also notes, “On Friday, October 10, 2014 (World Mental Health Day), Rick and Kay Warren hosted ‘24 Hours of Hope,’ a free global online event designed to encourage individuals living with a mental illness, educate and support their families, and equip church leaders for compassionate and effective mental health ministry.” The mental health awareness seminar focused on these mental health illnesses: depression, Bipolar Disorder, eating disorders, addictions, anxiety, and Personality Disorder. The Warrens are looking beyond their own grief and helping others. Their hope is to remove stigmas associated with mental illness, especially among Christians, and provide hope and counseling to those who suffer.
Because of the courage, strength and testimonies of these two Godly men and their families I have hope; hope that God’s grace is sufficient for ALL things; hope that others may be helped from our tragedies; and hope that God brings good from even the darkest circumstances.
If you or someone you love suffers from a mental illness, you are not alone; in fact, you are in good company. Cry out to God for wisdom, mercy and healing, and please, seek the help you need. There is light in the darkness.
Deal Appoints Maggie Rickman to JQC
Maggie Rickman of Tiger has been appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the state Judicial Qualifications Commission.
Susie T. Poole
Susie Thompson Poole, age 82, of Cornelia, Georgia passed away on Thursday, February 5, 2015.
Wills wins spelling bee
VFL board member Bill Loyd of Piedmont College (left) and Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper present Wills with her prize check for winning the 2015 county Scripps Spelling Bee.
Grace Wills is Habersham County’s new spelling bee champion!
The North Habersham Middle School 7th grader took top honors last night during the Habersham County Scripps Spelling Bee in Mt. Airy. Wills outlasted ten other middle and elementary school spellers to win. She claimed the championship title in just under 45 minutes by correctly spelling the word d-o-u-b-l-o-o-n-s. Demorest 4th grader Jayson Bentley was runner-up.
Both Wills and Bentley received trophies and cash prizes. Wills received $100 and Bentley $50 from Now Habersham.
Wills says she spent lots of time preparing for the bee and describes her experience on stage as, “Very nerve-racking, but worth it in the end.” She now advances to the next round of competition with a chance to go on to the state and national finals. Bentley will serve as alternate in the event Wills is unable to compete.
Baldwin – Alarrika McMillan; Clarkesville – Autumn Fry; Cornelia – Joseph Aguilar; Demorest – Jayson Bentley; Fairview – Jamie Gant; Hazel Grove – Luke Atwood; Level Grove – Brady Edwards; Woodville – Hayden Hulsey; Wilbanks – Kayli Bongolan; North Habersham – Grace Wills; South Habersham – Nevaja Brown.
Spelling bees have a reputation for being slow and methodical but the young Bentley turned that notion on its head last night with rapid fire responses to every word he was given to spell. He says he was able to do that because he studied with his parents. His father Carey Bentley could hardly contain his excitement, “I was just ecstatic. To see him get up there and not be nervous and just come out and spell the word. It’s just awesome and great to see that as a parent.” As for the prize money, Bentley says he plans to use it to open up a college fund.
All of the school-level winners and alternates were awarded trophies last night in recognition of their impressive academic achievement. Volunteers for Literacy of Habersham County (VFL) purchased the trophies and paid registration fees for all eleven schools to compete. The non-profit, United Way agency sponsors the annual spelling bee championship in partnership with the Habersham Association of Educators (HAE).
Piedmont College Vice-President for Institutional Advancement and VFL board member Bill Loyd served as pronouncer for the evening. He was joined on stage at the Habersham Central High School auditorium by judges Robin Skelton of HAE and the Habersham Success Academy and Chastity Adams of North Habersham Middle School.
For more pictures from last night’s spelling bee visit vflhabersham.com.
Life in Motion
“Peace is seeing the sunset and knowing who to thank.” ~ Unknown Author
Sunset over Mount Yonah as viewed from Purcell’s Christmas Tree Farm in Clarkesville.
The Little Things
Today’s featured article is written by Sarah Beth Cody.
“It’s the little things.”
We say it when a stranger offers an unexpected gesture, when we lay eyes on a beautiful sunset, when we sink our teeth into something we’ve been craving all day. When all else seems mundane—or maybe it seems like everything has gone wrong and nothing can go right—we latch onto the seemingly small things that offer a glimpse of hope and happiness in the midst of that which does not. And then we acknowledge them out loud, as if speaking it into the universe is enough.
I have to wonder, what if we did this with Jesus? How much more intimately would we know Him if we acknowledged the “little things” He does for us?
Experiencing a wave of peace during an unsettling moment. Having kind words escape our mouth towards someone we’ve resented. And yes, even laying eyes on that beautiful sunset.
Those are all Jesus. All of them.
We know that he desperately wants to give us those little things, because “if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you.” (Matthew 6:30) He will give you what you need, and He will certainly give you the little things, too.
It seems too good to be true that the God of the universe would care enough to go beyond saving and forgiving and loving us. But oh, how He really, truly does. The One who is “over all and through all and in all” is, indeed, in all. (Ephesians 4:6)
Invite Him into the little moments. Let Him orchestrate the little things. They will suddenly seem bigger, better, sweeter. They will become more frequent because you’ll see them for what they are. And your encounters with Jesus will multiply, because you’ll be looking for Him in everything.
The “little things” will become “Jesus things,” and that’s where life is lived at its fullest.
‘Driving Miss Daisy’ comes to HCT
Habersham Community Theatre presents Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Driving Miss Daisy,” in Clarkesville for two weekends in February and March.
Performance are scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Feb. 20-21 and Feb. 26-28; with 2 p.m. shows on Sunday Feb. 22 and March 1. For tickets, call 706-839-1315 or visit www.habershamtheater.org
The play affectionately covers the 25-year relationship between “Miss” Daisy Werthan (Alta Moseley), a 72-year old wealthy, white Jewish widowed school teacher, who lives in Atlanta with the aid of an African-American housemade name Idella. Her son, Boolie (Justin Dudkiewicz), stops by on a regular basis—as long as he can do so without getting in trouble with his wife. In Hoke Coleburn (Bruce Martin), Boolie finds a man who seems able to handle Miss Daisy’s temperament, a feat Boolie never quite accomplishes.
Both Miss Daisy and Hoke are outsiders, Hoke because of the color of his skin, and Miss Daisy because she is Jewish in a WASP-dominated society. As they learn to tolerate each other, their relationship moves from that of employer and employee to friend.
Smith named NGTC early childhood director
The Early Childhood Care and Education Program at North Georgia Technical College, started last year on the Clarksville and Currahee Campuses, is a popular choice for students entering college. This January, Kelly Smith, was tapped as the Program Director.
Smith is familiar with the curriculum, the campuses, and the students because she has been teaching as an adjunct in the program. “It is a wonderful place to be,” she says. “Both the Currahee and Clarkesville campuses have their own personalities and the students are very eager to learn.”
With nearly thirty years in elementary schools in Alabama and Georgia, Kelly brings a wealth of experience into the college classroom. Her enthusiasm and creativity is highly valued by her colleagues as well. “She’s so cool,” commented one of her peers at the college’s January commencement ceremony.
Smith completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science, both in Early Childhood Education, from Brenau University. She also obtained her Administration and Supervision Specialist degree from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. “That was a unique experience in distance learning,” she noted. “The networking with other students in that program was absolutely invaluable.”
Kelly and her husband, Hazel Creek Baptist Church Senior Pastor Trent Smith, live in Mount Airy with their four children, Katelin, Josh, Andrew, and Leanna.
For more information on the programs of study at North Georgia Technical College, visit www.northgatech.edu.
Search for new Demorest city manager continues
It’s been nearly four decades since Demorest last conducted a search for a new city manager and there are lots of people who want the job. Mayor Rick Austin says 21 people have applied for the position so far. He says a few of the applicants are local, the rest are from out of state. “There are applications that range as far as the upper mid-west, the state of Texas, the east coast – we have one from Colorado – so, we have a number of folks that are out of state looking to come here and a number of qualified applicants from within the state, as well.” Austin says more than half of the applicants are male and some are former military.
The job of Demorest City Manager was left vacant last week when long-time city manager Juanita Crumley resigned/retired. She held the job for 39 years.
The search for her successor was posted through a state website. The posted deadline application is March 1st but Austin says the city is amending that to account for the possibility that someone may be hired before then. “If we find the right mix, the best fit for both the city and the individual, we’ll close it off and we’ll have a new city manager.”
The Demorest City Council is currently reviewing applications. “We expect that within the next week we’re going to whittle that pool down,” Austin says. Once the council decides on its top three candidates their names will be made public.
Legislative update: GA Senate approves autism bill
Sen. John Wilkinson serves as the Chairman of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee and Vice Chairman of the Education and Youth Committee. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns counties and portions of Hall and Jackson counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at [email protected].
The legislative session has gained momentum over the past two weeks. As a member and sub-committee chair on the appropriations committee, I have spent time working on the amended budget for FY 2015. The budget must be revised to account for unexpected expenses and growth. The Governor has recommended that the Amended budget include an additional $134 million to cover school enrollment growth, $4.8 million for Georgia Regents University to conduct clinical trials for the use of cannabidiol oil to treat children with severe seizure disorders, and $15.4 million for the improvement and expansion of child welfare services. An additional $20 million is slated for strategic economic development project grants and loans for local communities.
We spent last Monday through Thursday in the Senate Chamber doing the work of the people, and passed the first bill of the session on Thursday. With the passage of Senate Bill 1 insurers will be required to cover children six or younger who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Currently, one in 64 children are diagnosed somewhere on the Autism scale; if left untreated, this can cost an additional $3.2 million over the course of a lifetime. It is simply unacceptable that some of these children are not covered due to a medically proven ailment, and on Thursday, the Senate body changed this. In a sign of unity, the Senate passed SB 1 unanimously, 54-0. I will second what Lt. Governor Cagle said, “I am proud of this body.”
This week the Senate unanimously approved Senate bill 2 by a vote of 56-0. Senate Bill 2 addresses post-secondary high school education and it provides students who complete mandated requirements the opportunity to earn a high school diploma instead of a GED. The most important component in our state’s economic development is a well trained and educated work force. I believe this is a step in the right direction. Again, I am also proud of the unanimous vote. The welfare and education of our children is not a partisan issue.
As reported two weeks ago, we are at a critical junction in our transportation infrastructure funding. This week, the House of Representatives announced their proposal for $1 billion in state funding to maintain our vast transportation infrastructure. Their plan would convert Georgia’s combination of sales and excise taxes on fuel to a 29.2 cent-per-gallon excise tax. When implemented, the package would create a new $200 annual fee for alternative fuel vehicles, with the exception of hybrids. Mass transit systems in Georgia would have access to a combined $100 million in bonds next year. This bill was introduced in the House and will be considered by the Senate after it passes the House.
We will back in session Monday, February 9th, for day 12 of the 40 day legislative session. As we continue to move forward, I will continue working on your behalf. If I can be of any assistance, I encourage you to reach out to my office at 404.463.5257 or by email at [email protected].