Historical society
I’m including one more announcement for the “Tea with Rosalind” fundraiser for the Jefferson Historical Society on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. On that day, storyteller Rosalind Benton will present the story of tea, along with some music, fancy tidbits, and more. This sounds like a fun event, with folks arriving in fancy or plain attire — and all are invited.
If you have a hankering to sip tea from a favorite tea cup, then be sure to bring one. Reserved tickets are $15 in advance due to limited seating. For more information about the Jefferson Historical Society event, please call 549-5258.
United Baptist Church
We had a beautiful service this past Sunday, Aug. 24. Carrie Devila, one of our guest pastors, led the worship service. Carrie provided a fine sermon. Then there was a special time of welcoming two new members to the church, known as the Right Hand of Fellowship. There was a time of sharing the gifts that our new members bring to our midst, and then the deacons and the whole congregation welcomed them with a hearty round of applause. The new members were presented with certificates of membership.
I hope you will consider joining us for Sunday morning services. Our pulpit is filled with guest pastors every Sunday while we are conducting our pulpit search. If you join us, you will hear a sampling of some wonderful ministers of the Gospel. Worship begins at 9:30 a.m. and choir is at 9 a.m. We are a small church with a big heart for God.
Hurricane Harvey efforts
Here are some ways to donate to nationwide efforts to assist our southern neighbors who are suffering from the hurricane. As I hear about local efforts I will let you know. You can text “HARVEY” to 90999 and make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross or visit redcross.org.
Save the Children can be reached savethechildren.org or by calling 1-800-728-3838. The Houston Food Bank will receive financial donations at this number: 713-547-8623 or online at houstonfoodbank.org. The Salvation Army can be reached at salvationarmyusa.org. Southern Baptist of Texas Disaster Relief fund can be called to make a donation: 1-877-953-7282.
Power of prayer
I know I’ve been praying about the tragic events in our country and the current disaster with the hurricane in Texas. When I talk with folks in my work, many tell me that they are being prayerful as well. These are times of strife and striving and we need wisdom as we reflect, speak, or take action. During crisis we may not have the time to do this.
It is my belief that wisdom and silence must be a daily practice. Focusing on God, a higher power, or the Great Creator, or even a spirit of love and light, can be a way to remain in touch with something good.
All of us, children and adults alike, may become ill at ease, anxious, and depressed at the state of our country. Yet disasters can also bring out the best in us. We have seen both in the past few months here in America.
If you were to talk just with the elders that live among us, you’d hear: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all just get along?” I readily agree. There are guidelines for living everywhere, and if we look carefully at the way our grandparents lived, we find they weren’t perfect, yet most hoped we would grow up to be kind and considerate.
We were taught to be courteous and we were taught to remember that our thoughts and words and deeds were seeds we sowed that brought positive or negative consequences.
My grandmother, Ella Lucy Keene Flagg, was a person who set the bar in our family to be our best selves. She took me to concerts as a child so I could experience the wonder of theater, music, and the opera. She opened my eyes to a wide world that included sensing and appreciating the gifts and efforts of others. She kept the stories alive of our ancestors. She was a builder, a person who could visualize a positive outcome from basic efforts of doing and being. She sowed the seeds of greatness in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It is a kind of greatness that is difficult to put into words – for it isn’t about being “the greatest.” It isn’t ego or competition or trying to become something we are not.
My grandmother taught me to show up if someone was going through loss or tragedy, and to ask this simple question: “What can I do to help?” I was blessed to see her example of love in action many times in my life, for my grandmother was not afraid to reach out. Perhaps you, too, have a person from another time who gave you such gifts of greatness.
I pray today that you and I will remember the legacy of our elders and live in this present time with a sense of connection, offering the best of ourselves to others. I believe the quality of our lives depends on this.
