Vacation was wonderful – visiting with relatives from both sides of my family. My brother, John, brought catfish from Louisiana and cooked them up for us one night. His wife even brought her special potato salad. Yum-yum! It was especially good to be able to preach where my Papa Dollar and my dad preached many years ago in Alabama. I received a very nice reception especially since most of the congregation had never heard a woman preacher before. There were lots of Dollars in the pews that day but they did not fit into the offering plate. There were eighteen first cousins on the Dollar side at our get togethers. Our one aunt that is remaining is 90 and was present as the family matron.
There were four of us Partridge cousins together in North Carolina. My cousin David had put out the crab pots a couple of days before we arrived so we had plenty of fresh crab meat and shrimp. I shopped and went out on the beach while there. Archie enjoyed pier fishing and going out into the Bogue Sound fishing. I cooked the fish from the Sound trip (Red Drum). They were delicious. Mom taught John and me well. Although we never cooked growing up – we watched. It was her kitchen. Needless to say – we ate too much while we were away.
I know that we have some good voices in our congregation. I am appealing to you to consider joining the choir. We really need you. Tina finished her internship which means her daughter, Sarah, is also no longer with us. Kristi has to finish her last year at Penn State on the main campus which means she can’t be with us this year. It only takes one night a week and Sunday morning. Please consider joining us as we sing praises to God. This is a wonderful way to give a gift to support your church. Just try it – we have a good time.
On a somber note – it was really a shock to many people when they heard of the death of Rev.Bob Herrala. When I heard the news I couldn’t believe it. I had just been with him the morning before for our prayer meeting. He was only a year older than I am and was planning to retire next summer. At his funeral he was remembered fondly.
The reason I mention this is that it has made me think about what will people will say about me when I am no longer in this world. This comes from Leonard Sweet in his book “A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Café”.
“God wants us to be like cathedral art, the stained glass that sheds his light on the world around us. Keith Green, wrote his own version of this in his song, “Stained Glass,” taken from Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
We are like windows
Stained with colors
Of the rainbow
Set in a darkened room
’Til the Bridegroom
Comes to shine Thru.
Then the colors fall around our feet
Over those we meet
Coloring all the gray that we see,
Rainbow colors of assorted hues
Come exchange your blues
For His love that you see shining
thru me.
“What spiritual heirlooms are you and I bequeathing to our children, our neighbors, our church, our community, our world? You can’t leave anything for posterity if you don’t get off your posterior.”
Blessings to all of you!
