“Forever is composed of nows” – Emily Dickinson
~ Madeline and Kim McClurg, Clarkesville, GA
Life in Motion
HABCO commission meeting tonight
The Habersham County Commission holds its regular monthly meeting tonight. The commission is expected to take up a number of issues including discussion of the proposed Soque Scenic Byway.
The byway has been heavily debated since the commission first formally endorsed it. The proposed route covers 46.9 miles of existing roadways in northern Habersham County. The plan to designate the route as a scenic byway must be approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Supporters say the byway will preserve the area’s natural beauty and attract tourists. Opponents say they fear a state byway designation will lead to burdensome regulations and infringe upon their property rights. They’ve launched a petition drive to stop it and are asking commissioners to rescind their support for the project.
Other items on tonight’s agenda include: Consideration of alcoholic beverage license renewals for six county businesses, the proposed sale of county owned property to the Airport Authority and overtime pay for emergency and essential personnel who work when the courthouse and administrative offices are closed due to inclement weather.
To view the complete agenda click here.
Tonight’s Habersham County Commission meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Habersham County courthouse.
“The best gift is ________” (updated daily!)
The best gift is for you and by you. Simply post your ideas in the comment section here or on facebook on The Best Gift is……post and we will add your ideas. Let’s put our best show on this holiday season!
To start us off,
Does Grandmother have a beloved family heirloom piece of furniture, or does Dad have a chair he loves but has seen better days? Expert Furniture and Carpet in Cornelia can repair and clean them both. Even if it is leather that the cat has scratched.
How about a knitting class and supplies from Bumbleberry for that crafty person?
New baby on the way? How about a family photo session from some extremely talented local photographers like Katie Rivers, Brooke Gragg, Lane Gresham, Christy Berry and more…..
How about having your child invite their friends to Splash studio in Clarkesville to have some fun and make their own gifts?
How about a flyfishing excursion at Blackhawk Flyfishing on the Soque?
Shop at the Haberdashery and buy a handmade bag from “A Frayed Knot” for that teen who wants something different that not all their friends might have…..
Have a busy Mother on your list? How about a gift certificate for a massage or for a mani/pedi ….a treat they wouldn’t do for themselves…..
For that family member who has moved away, put together a gift basket with locally made products like Abby J’s salsa, a piece of locally turn woodwork or pottery from Soque Artworks in Clarkesville?
Aspiring artist? How about a basket of supplies from the Artful Barn?
Something for the woman who has everything? Have the family go in on sending a flower arrangement every month from Blue Willow or All Occasion or Cornelia florist….
Okay, now let’s hear from you!
Shop local – Why is it important?
Heading into the holiday season (that appears to have started shortly after Labor Day this year) ads trumpet “Black Friday” deals and big-box stores open not only on Thanksgiving but early Thanksgiving morning. This year, as you plan your shopping list, pause for a moment. What if each dollar you spent not only bought a gift, but also created a new job in our community, supported Circle of Hope, the Homeless minstry, repaired a road, paid the hospital bond, supported the football team? It can, and it’s easy. Simply pledge to buy all your gifts in Habersham County, with local small businesses. Instead of rushing down to battle traffic and parking and crowds to buy from big box retailers things that are made overseas, stay home. Stay home and shop with your neighbors and give your community a gift.
There are a myraid of studies that have examined the economic impact of shopping locally and shopping small. For each $1 spent in our community, $.52 comes back to us. For each $1 spent with a big box, chain store, only $.14 comes back to the community. If you spend $1 at a local restaurant, the impact is even greater, $.79 comes back versus $.30 with a chain. If you shift 10% of your annual shopping back to local, small business, you could help create more than 100 new jobs and add more than $14 million to the tax base of Habersham county.
Think about it this way, the next time your child’s school has a festival or fundraiser, where do most of those donations come from? Local businesses. After you ask local businesses for donations and to buy ads in your programs and yearbooks do you shop with them? Yes, major retail stores in our county do make donations locally but outside corporate donations are limited. Compare outside corporate giving to what Fieldale, the Copper Pot or Haberhsam Hardware donate? These local businesses donate thousands of dollars more per year.
We know that not everything you are looking to buy can be bought locally. That’s understandable. We simply encourage you to “think outside the box” before you head out of town to shop.
We also know that all of us need a little help thinking of that perfect gift. NowHabersham is here to help! On our Facebook page and on our web page we have a special section where you can post your best gift ideas. They must be purchased or made in Habersham County and we will continually update the list through Christmas Eve. It’s called “The Best Gift is…..”
So this year, let’s all give our community a gift. Shop local, shop small throughout the holiday season and then, make it a habit. That will be the best gift of all for all of us.
Marriage and ministry; a young couple’s journey
To look at them you’d think they were still college students. To talk with them you know they’ve advanced beyond that uncertain, path-finding stage. Josey and Brian Butcher of Clarkesville may just be in their twenties – 25-years old each, to be exact – but they’re focused, skilled and driven. They’re married to each other and to the ministry. He’s the Director of Youth and Children at Clarkesville First United Methodist Church and she’s the Director of Evangelism and Communications at Clarkesville UMC.
Brian and Josey grew up in the Atlanta area – he’s from Roswell, she’s from Marietta. They attended high schools that stood just one mile apart. They even had mutual friends but they didn’t meet until their freshman year at the University of Georgia in 2008. They began dating the next year. “Our best friends started dating and so we started hanging out a lot more,” Josey explains. It was through that mutual connection and their involvement with the UGA Wesley Foundation that Josey and Brian not only found each other but a calling.
The Wesley Foundation is a Methodist campus ministry. It’s one of the largest campus ministries at the University of Georgia. Josey and Brian both served on the foundation’s leadership team and interned at a church in Athens, Georgia. When they weren’t working they were concentrating on their studies. Josey was a management major in the Terry College of Business. Brian majored in communications at the Frankin College of Arts and Sciences and minored in religion. He helped out with summer camps and youth retreats and began considering a possible career in ministry early on in college but, initially, ministry wasn’t on Josey’s radar.
Then, something changed.
“I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do leadership (through the Wesley Foundation) until I learned about an opportunity to work with a local youth ministry,” Josey says. She went to work as a small group leader at St. James United Methodist Church in Athens and, over the course of three years, moved from being a small group leader and intern to St. James’ full-time youth minister. She says it was all in God’s timing. “It was unbelievable the way that He just kind of opened doors and made that calling very clear.” Brian joined her at St. James as in intern the year he graduated from college in 2012.
“For a year I was his boss,” Josey laughs. “He was my intern which makes things even more interesting from a relationship perspective because you have to learn to draw those boundaries and figure out ‘how do you be the boss and how do you be the girlfriend.'” Brian agrees it was a balancing act, “There certainly was an adjustment period when she became my boss…we had to learn to leave work at work.” He adds, “I had to learn how to honor her, not just as my girlfriend but also as my boss. I learned that, in some ways, serving her when we were doing ministry also meant serving her in our relationship.” The pair managed and had fun in the process. “We both have a passion for the same thing so that’s really cool to do together,” Brian says.
Obviously Brian and Josey struck the right balance between their relationship and work. They got married seven months ago.
Prior to their wedding, Brian accepted a job as Director of Children and Youth at Clarkesville First United Methodist Church in May 2013. Josey joined him in ministry at the church following their wedding a year later.
Marriage and ministry
“The Lord just kind of opened some doors and closed some doors and just through a lot of prayer I felt like the Lord was calling me to take up the position as the youth and children’s director here,” Brian says. He says Clarkesville UMC Pastor Brian Butler and the congregation were very welcoming. Brian Butcher accepted the job with his then future wife in mind, “It was also a place that I thought I could see Josey coming to and fitting in well in the future.” For Josey it seemed obvious God’s handwriting was on the wall. “My maiden name is Butler and the pastor’s name is Brian Butler so it was one of those things that we looked at and laughed and thought, ‘God are you really doing this?'” God did do it; He led Brian and Josey to Clarkesville First United Methodist Church and both say they’re glad that He did.
Brian’s job is twofold. He oversees the children’s church ministry by organizing volunteers and arranging activities for the younger children but he’s most directly involved with the middle and high schoolers. Those are tough years. It’s the time in life when young people begin discovering who they are and what they like and begin searching for ways and places to fit in. The older age group Brian serves, 12-18, is the age group many people shy away from and, yet, Brian thrives on it. He says he enjoys helping young people navigate through the sometimes treacherous waters of self-discovery. “It can be a challenge just to see the kids go through their ups and downs and the struggles they have. You want them always to turn to Christ and to look for help and seek wisdom and to model their life after Him but I can’t make them desire that relationship with Christ. I can talk to them and I can show them Jesus and I can love them but I can’t make them want it.”
In Brian’s line of work it’s the example-setting and being there that often matter most. He doesn’t do it alone. Although her primary job is to promote Clarkesville UMC and help extend its outreach, Josey also helps her husband with the youth group. She calls it their “sweet spot.” She says middle school was hard for her and she enjoys watching young people, especially girls, come into the knowledge of who they are and who they’re becoming.
Loving their jobs and the community
Brian and Josey both speak glowingly of their Clarkesville church family and the Habersham community. When he first moved here from Athens as a bachelor Brian says the church congregation took him under its wing. A group of ladies from the church cleaned up his apartment and got it move-in ready for him and the congregation showered the young couple with gifts when they wed in April 2014. The Butchers say it’s not just the church though that has welcomed them, it’s the entire community.
“People here are so friendly,” Brian says. He points to a day not too long ago when they were filling up their car at a local gas station and their car battery died. “Someone came up to us and asked if we needed a jump. We didn’t even have to ask. They just came and looked out for us just because we were there.” Although they both grew up in larger cities the Butchers say they like living in Clarkesville and say their Atlanta area friends are secretly jealous.
“Habersham definitely has its advantages,” Brian says. “My friends in the suburbs drive an hour to work and we’re like, ‘nah,’ we live half a mile from the church.” It takes them less than five minutes to get to work but they try not to rub that into their friends’ faces. “The traffic was backed up all the way to the Square the other day,” says Josey. “I nearly took a picture to send to my friends.” Content to let her friends deal with interstate gridlock while she deals with ten-car backups at the traffic light near the Clarkesville gazebo, Josey says the lack of traffic congestion is just a side benefit to living in Habersham; the big appeal is the community’s heart. “I really like the smaller community. I like being involved in a community where folks really do care about each other and seek to help each other. To not be from up here and to still be included and very, very welcomed has been really neat.”
The different ministries that their church offers also are, to steal a line from Josey, ‘really neat’. In addition to traditional worship services on Sunday at 8:30 and 11 a.m. and standard Wednesday night gatherings, there’s a contemporary worship service that meets Sundays at 9 a.m. in the old Habersham Bank building on Washington Street. Ladies in the church make and send prayer shawls to shut-ins and others in times of crisis, one church group visits the nursing home for singing and fellowship once a month, Clarkesville UMC also raises money for charity through its thrift store on the Clarkesville Square called “Community Thrift” and a group of men in the church devotes its time to building wheelchair ramps and other necessities for people in Habersham.
The future
Inevitably every young couple gets asked, “Do you have children?” The Butcher’s short answer is “No.” Their long answer is, “No, but we have a dog,” proudly referring to their black lab, Lilly. Both say they want children some day but they want to first grow as a couple. “We’re still focused on learning to be married and learning to love each other well. Not that you can’t do that with a kid but if we can buy some time and have a few years of focusing on us and learn to be a great husband and a great wife then that would be good,” Brian says thoughtfully.
While they may not yet have children of their own Josey and Brian Butcher have been entrusted with the spiritual well-being of hundreds of children and youth throughout their own young lives and ministries. Where will that lead? Truly only God knows. Brian says he wants to attend seminary and, perhaps one day, become a pastor. In the meantime he says he’s happy to serve as a youth minister and will continue to do so as long as that’s where God wants him. “If that never changes that’s awesome, if that does change and I end up as a pastor great.” He says he’s never questioned his decision to go into ministry. “There’s nothing that I’m more passionate about than sharing the Gospel with students.”
For her part, Josey says she greatly enjoys her work at Clarkesville UMC. She’s learning new skills working in PR, handling advertising and managing the church website. While she may have traded-off a high-paying job in business management to join the ministry she says she knows she’s right where the Lord wants her to be. “There was no denying for me the calling that the Lord put on my heart. Looking at our relationship helps to motivate and encourage me that I am doing exactly what I need to be doing because we wouldn’t be where we are if I was working for a management firm or doing consulting or any of the other things I could be doing. Where the Lord has led us as a couple is evidence of what he wants us to do. I know what I’m doing is worth it and I know it’s for a purpose and I know it’s the right thing.”
Wherever their ministry careers take them it’s a divine bet the Butchers will serve together. Josey says she is thankful for the breadth of experience and knowledge she’s gaining at Clarksville UMC and hopes that if the Lord leads them elsewhere some day she can use those gifts to plug into her husband’s ministry. For now, though, there is no talk of leaving, only talk of how grateful they are for the church and community that have embraced them. “We’re very thankful,” Brian says. “The Lord has been faithful to us.” Josey adds, “We’re just constantly overwhelmed at the generosity of people and how welcoming people have been. When we stop to think about it it’s just crazy how we got here.”
Crazy or divinely mysterious, however you describe the Butcher’s journey to Clarkesville if you’re a person of faith there’s no denying it was meant to be. Two teenagers who went to nearby schools and had mutual friends, who met at a huge university while studying for different careers, brought together by their best friends who were dating (who, by the way, didn’t end up together) who eventually wound up together in ministry and in life. Hmmm, that will be a great story to share with their kids one day. For now, they say they’ll keep sharing the Word with those they meet on their journey; praying, trusting and thanking God each step of the way.
For more information about Clarkesville First United Methodist Church and its ministries visit the church website at www.clarkesvillefirstumc.org. Josey Butcher also contributes to Now Habersham. Look for her inspiring devotionals on our Faith page.
At 75, “I am still dreaming”
This featured article is written by Irene Hart Cordell of Athens, Georgia
In the mirror, I see my mother.
It seems like only yesterday she was 75, and now it’s me. My hands are hers. My smile. The coloring of my eyes. The wrinkles outlining my cheek bones.
I often joke, “Oh Lord, I am as old as my mother!”
What do you do when you reach 75 years of age?
In the words of my very wise mother, “You have to get behind yourself and push.”
If we live long enough, everyone will reach 75; but, how we handle it – or any age for that matter – is totally up to us. And for my mom, it is how hard you push when times get rough that makes all the difference.
I have a friend who is originally from Cuba, and her philosophy is that we all have four seasons in our lives: spring is from birth to 25, where we are planting and growing; 25 to 50 is summer where we are blooming and producing; 50 to 75 is the fall where we are harvesting and enjoying the fruits of our labors; and, at 75 the winter season begins where we reflect on all our accomplishments.
But, it doesn’t end here.
I have always been a dreamer. I love art. My whole life I’ve been an artist. Currently, I love to paint porcelain china. The act of taking plain white porcelain and converting it into the perfect plate or vase is exciting. I haven’t achieved perfection; yet, I’m still dreaming!
I love to sew, do needle work, trace ancestors, and refinish furniture. To take something that appears useless and transform it into something worthy of a second chance energizes me. Although, I have many pieces to go; I’m still dreaming.
I am not unlike my grandmother, who at the tender age of 75 moved to Athens, Georgia, a widow, and purchased a colonial home with no heat and a lot of acreage. She needed money to restore the house so she started Athens’ first subdivision in the 1930’s. And she never stopped dreaming.
My thoughts to anyone in any season of life are to always have a dream – no matter how big or small. When you think you couldn’t possibly do what you are dreaming to do, get behind yourself and push.
I love to look in the mirror and see who I’ve become.
“I thank the Lord I am as old as my mother.”
Goodbye, Miss Vickie
She was that person many people in Habersham knew but didn’t really know; a familiar face who made you feel at home whenever she greeted you. Vickie Lynn Brewster Black of Cornelia worked at the Waffle House in Cornelia. She had one of those smiles, those hearts, that instantly drew you in and made you feel as though you were part of her family. Better known as “Miss Vickie,” she saw people at their best – and their worst – during her 10 years at the restaurant and she served and befriended them all just the same.
Miss Vickie died Friday. Since then tributes have been pouring in through social media from people shocked, saddened, by the news of her passing.
To anyone that ever stepped foot inside Cornelia Waffle House late at night, you knew Ms. Vickie. Whether she knew you or not, by the time you left she had made you a part of her family. From students at Piedmont, that crazy third shift crew at Walmart, the early-rising hard workers, those out of towners that would pass through, to the bunch that would stop by just to say ‘hi’. She had something to tell you. And you could always take it to the bank. Habersham lost a wonderful lady and the Waffle House of Cornelia will never be the same. ~ Jami Dailey
“…never in my life have I met a woman with such a big heart. I remember the students at Piedmont would all make plans of going to Waffle House at the same time just to see the big smile on your face…I love you Mrs. Vickie, see you in heaven one day!” ~ Sabrina Page
“…Miss Vickie, you are the only reason I ever came to Waffle House. I can’t believe you are really gone. I love you…” ~ Latisha Champlin
“…every time I go to Waffle House I will think of Ms. Vickie and of her kind words covered in the best sort of sass. She was a people lover and we have all learned so much from her presence in our lives.” ~ Brittany Marie Sharer
“Miss Vickie you will be missed…You have been there for me like a mother…you are loved…I will miss you greatly but I will never forget you and how amazing you were. RIP My dear friend!” ~ Kimberly Martin
“I am beyond heartbroken. To meet Vickie was to never forget her. Habersham lost an icon tonight and Waffle House lost a cornerstone.” ~ Brianna Bell
“RIP to one of the strongest ladies I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. So full of life and what a spitfire she was….Loved by so many and definitely a small town celebrity. Gone but never will be forgotten.” ~ Befnee Preez
“My heart absolutely hurts. You were always there for me, helped me through some very rough times, never judging only loving…I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if it weren’t for your advice and love. Rest in peace sweet woman.” ~ Chelsea Rose
Vickie Black was born on August 26, 1954, in New Mexico to the late Charley Brewster and Evelyn Everton Brewster. She settled in north Georgia and, according to her Facebook page, attended North Georgia Technical College and at one time worked for the Habersham County School System. She was a member of Baldwin Baptist Church.
Miss Vickie leaves behind her daughter, Chastity Nix of Gainesville, two grand-children, Mary Grace and Olivia Nix, a sister and two brothers as well as a legion of fans and friends throughout Habersham County.
Graveside services are scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at Baldwin City Cemetery. Whitfield Funeral Home in Baldwin is handling the arrangements.
Those wishing to pay tribute may send flowers or make a special memorial in Vickie Black’s honor to the Piedmont College Scholarship Fund at www.piedmont.edu/giving.
Those wishing to express online condolences to the Black family may do so by visiting www.whitfieldfuneralhomes.com.
To view Vickie Black’s obituary click here.
Goodbye, Miss Vickie. Thanks for serving, caring for and sharing your heart and love with our community. You will be missed.
PC Lions beat BSC Panthers
Birmingham, AL – The Piedmont College women’s basketball team made it three straight wins over the Panthers of Birmingham-Southern College earlier today holding on for a 68-63 win on the road to open 2014-15. In what was a very even game statistically, the Lady Lions recovered from a second-half surge by the Panthers that saw the home team lead for 16 minutes, but it was Piedmont who led late when it counted with BRIANNA BARRETT knocking down 4-of-6 at the line to ice the win.
Youngster JULIANNE BAYER scored Piedmont’s first six points as the Lady Lions established the post game early with the sophomore hitting on three of her first four tries from the field. Bayer would go on to tally 14 points on nearly 50% shooting from the floor.
Despite a few standout individual shooting performances, neither team shot well from the field in the opening minutes of the 2014-15 season combining to hit on eight of their first 30 tries. Piedmont did most of its damage from the free throw line connecting on six of their first seven attempts at the line while the Panthers could not get to the charity stripe themselves in the first half.
Back-to-back threes from a pair of youngsters in the closing minutes gave Piedmont a 27-21 lead as first BRIANNA BARRETT connected from distance before freshman BRIDGETTE KELLY earned her first points as a Lady Lion on a three with 2:02 to go before half. Barrett closed out the half hitting four of seven from the field going 2-for-4 from beyond the arc as Piedmont held a 28-24 lead at the intermission.
The Panthers shot the ball much better after the break going on a 11-0 run from the 18:01 mark in the 2nd half until 14:41 remained to take a 39-32 lead.
Piedmont played catch-up for most of the second half twice cutting the deficit to just one point before finally reclaiming the lead on a Barrett three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining in the game. Though Birmingham-Southern tied it back up on a pair of free throws seconds later to make it 61-61, a three-point play the old fashioned way by CARLY SALES gave Piedmont the answer it needed to the push from the hosting Panthers.
With the three-point lead in hand under 90 seconds to play, it was mathematical from that point on for PC who sent BRIANNA BARRETT to the free throw line six times to close out the game. The sophomore having a standout contest knocked down four of those tries to salt away a big 68-63 win on the road over the Panthers. Barrett’s point total was a career performance as bested her previous high of 13.
Three Lady Lions were in double figures on the afternoon, led by Barrett’s 18 on 60% (6-of-10) from the field. The sophomore was an incredible 4-of-6 from three-point land with her four made three’s also a new career high.
Bayer had 14 points on five of 11 while sophomore CARLY SALES wasn’t far behind with a dozen also shooting 5-of-11. Sales’ 12 boards gave her a double-double in the opener, her first double-double since a 22 point-13 rebound performance against NC Wesleyan on January 12, 2014.
Next up for Piedmont College will be a conference opener as the Lady Lions are set to host Mary Baldwin College a week from tomorrow in Cave Arena. The Sunday, November 23 matchup is set to tip off at noon with coverage provided courtesy of the Mane Event Broadcasting Network.
Piedmont also opened up USA South play with Mary Baldwin College last season knocking off the Fighting Squirrels by 34 on the road in early January. Mary Baldwin’s last visit to Cave Arena came on January 19, 2013 when Piedmont took a 95-41 victory.
For more information on the Piedmont women’s basketball program, follow Piedmont on Twitter (@PiedmontLions), like the Lady Lions on Facebook (facebook.com/PiedmontCollegeLionsor facebook.com/pages/Piedmont-College-Womens-Basketball), or sign up for the Lions’ Roar text-messaging score & news alerts through the “All-Access” pulldown menu on the main page at PiedmontLions.com.
Vickie Lynn Brewster Black
VICKIE LYNN BREWSTER BLACK, age 60, of Cornelia, Georgia, passed away on Friday, November 14, 2014.