Page 4 - Friday, March 31, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
thej enkinscountytimes .com
Just off
the
* Paved
Road
Carmen Bennett
Columnist
The Times
“You ever had the Holy Spirit yank you by
your little chicken neck?”
Have you ever had the Holy Spirit just yank you around by your little chicken neck? Well,
it happened to me this week and I’m gonna tell you all about it. But first- some of you know
my stories about how the Lord has helped me out of a cockamamie mess I’ve gotten myself
into on more than one occasion. But in case you haven’t heard, here are a couple of the
particularly harrowing ones.
In case you ever doubted, this story is for you.
My daddy always said the Lord looks after fools and drunks. I’ve never been much of a
drinker, but I have been a fool a time or two. Or three. Or several.
For whatever reason, I cannot carry a purse. I’ve tried. I just can’t handle it. I am as ADD
as it gets and for me, a purse is just something else to misplace. So, after years of wearing
Queensborough Bank debit cards out in the dryer, and replacing lost cards 1000 times after
sticking them in my pockets, I finally found a system that worked for me. I started using
one of those sticky pockets on the back of my phone! I haven’t lost a debit card or a driver’s
license since. Except that one time in April of last year. My sticky pocket thingy on the back
of my phone had pretty much shredded. One of my sweet students, Lohgan, told me she’d
bring me another one until my new one came in.
The next morning while Addie was feeding horses in the dark, I got my phone from my
bag and checked my Facebook, and when I did, my cards all fell out of that shredded sticky
thingy. I said some choice words and shoved them all back in what was left of the sticky
thingy. Or so I thought.
When Lohgan got to school, she gave me a new sticky pocket thingy and I immediately
went and changed them out. But when I went to put my cards in there, the only cards in
there were my health insurance card and my concealed weapons permit. I just assumed the
driver’s license; debit card and credit card fell in the floorboard in the dark and I hadn’t seen
them. Nope. I looked everywhere in the car. I even used Pete’s supersonic flashlight that
shines clear into the next county. Nothing.
I’ve had a student in my first period whose mother works at the bank. She kept telling me
Mrs Bennett you got to cancel the cards. I was missing my debit card, my credit card, and
my driver’s license. I dreaded having to cancel. It just messes everything up with my online
banking and I didn’t have time to replace a lost license!
So, the next morning when I woke up at 4am I just laid in my bed staring at the ceiling. I
couldn’t go back to sleep. I thought about my missing cards. I said Lord I need to find those
cards. My husband is going to make me cancel everything today if I can’t find them and that
will be a major hassle. I need to find those cards. Y’all I am not crazy. Well, I am crazy. But
not that kinda crazy. I got this strong feeling. Something just said Carmen you didn’t have
those cards when you got in the car. Y’all I sat up in the bed and said Lord I DID have those
cards in the car. I know I did. And again, I felt that same feeling. Carmen you didn’t have
those cards when you got in the car. So, I said okay. Then I only had my phone in one place
before I went to the car. On my nightstand charging. I looked over behind the nightstand and
there they were. All three of them in a nice little stack.
Maybe you don’t believe that was God. If not. I’ll tell you a story soon about how God put
my lost keys in the waistband of my yoga pants in the Home Depot parking lot a few years
ago. If you’re not a believer then, well bless your heart.
This week’s chicken neck sling around was a little different. I have been going 90 miles an
hour lately getting ready for our Ag Department plant sale, getting my oldest ready to grad
uate college and getting my youngest ready to leave for college. And when I get to rushing
around, I leave out the little things- the little things that God uses to comfort and bring joy to
others. Pete and I were driving to Brooklet to visit with his brother’s family and the oddest
feeling came over me. I just felt the need to text a friend and congratulate her on a great
accomplishment. So, I did. And she proceeded to tell me how much her heart needed to hear
those words because she had had a particularly rough week. We talked for a few minutes,
and I thought to myself how I ought to be ashamed that I don’t do that more often. When
someone has a great hair day - tell them! When your kid opens the door for ladies and you’re
so proud of him- tell him! When your friend at church sings so beautifully that it moves you
to tears- tell her. I really do believe God speaks to us and that He intends for us to speak that
same encouragement to others.
Maybe it sounds crazy to think with everything going on in the world that God’s worried
about my keys and my Discover card and my friend’s rough week. But I don’t think that’s
the point. Try this week to see and hear God in the details. And when you hear His voice,
pass it on to someone else. You have no idea how badly they may need to hear it.
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By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
Last week I went to the dentist. Well, let’s back up. For the past two weeks I have been at
the dentist office. You know how when you go in for a cleaning and they ask you if you’ve
had any problems? Well, I’ve had problems. When I told Kim, “every now and then when I
bite down it hurts,” she told the doctor.
Dr. Tommy comes in and pulls some metal thing out of his pocket, then he goes to beating
on my teeth. I’m thinking, what is wrong with this man? Every few taps he stops to ask,
“you feel that?” Well yes, you are beating my teeth with a hammer! As he starts to put that
tool of pain back in his pocket he gives it one more tap and suddenly I’m like a cat, stuck to
the ceiling and hissing!
Oh my God! Sweet Baby Jesus! Dr. Tommy must be on crack! I told him as much as tears
welled up in my eyes. “Well Joe, you have a fracture so instead of capping it. I’d like to fill
it.” I asked him, “how does it make you feel to know that after 52 years, I have not one, but
two fillings and you’ve done them both?” He replied, “I’m honored.” Ha, did I tell you Dr.
Tommy is crazy!
We make the next appointment last week, at 8 a m.! Y’all, have you ever been to the dentist
at the crack of dawn? That is way to early to have fingers in your mouth, let me tell you!
Am I the only one who hates the sound of the drill? Oh wait! I left out the part about the
Novocain. So, Dr. Tommy thinks he’s gonna be sneaky and hide the syringe from your view.
“You know I can see you right?” I asked him.
My friends, most of grew up with the old adage, “rip the bandaid off, it will only hurt for
a minute.” Not Dr. Tommy! His Mom wanted to prolong the pain so very slowly he shoots
that stuff into my gum and I’m thinking the top of my head is coming off! It brought tears
to my eyes, let me tell you.
Anyway, the work is done. Dr. Tommy did a great job as usual. That night I dream that all
my teeth fall out and when I call Mary Alyce to tell her she says, “oh, that happens when
you get old.” To which I replied, in my dream mind you, “you could have told me before I
spent $300 on a filling!”
That’s all for now, take care!
Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are welcomed and encouraged. These are pages of opinion,
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By Debbie Hearn
for
The Times
Carol Bauman Lopez
Born in 1951 to Duane Bauman and Emma Lesser Bauman (one of sixteen siblings) and
raised in Yakima, Washington, Carol was the middle child of three. Eight years separated
Carol from her older sister and eight years separated her from her younger brother. She
loved living in Yakima which is located almost the center of the state and only 70 miles east
of Mt. Rainer and 200 miles west of Spokane.
Carol attended a private school from kindergarten until her sophomore year then attended
Davis High School for her junior and senior year. After graduation, at the ripe old age of
eighteen, she got married and started her family. Proud mom of two daughters and one son.
Eventually, that marriage would end in divorce <and as Carol chuckled> for her husband's
lack of interest in working.
In 2007 she married her husband, Tomas Cruz. Tomas is from a very large family that are
spread out in different areas of the country. While taking a 'let's go visit family' trip, Tomas
and Carol's daughter traveled to Metter. The seed was planted. Carol and Tomas discussed
it and decided to move to Georgia in May of 2022. First buying a house in Statesboro and
before they even moved in a cousin of Tomas' found a place in Perkins for them, bought it
and as they say, the rest is history. They love being the grandparents of their three grandkids,
two granddaughters and one grandson. Living in Jenkins County has been wonderful.
Everyone is so friendly. We enjoy coming to the auction [Spring Creek Auction] every
weekend. It's our weekly get-out-of-the-house. Come to eat supper and visit with the friends
we have made.
Q. What is different between you growing up and today's generation?
A. We were taught respect and to honor our elders. Nowadays, it's sad to say,
kids don't even know what that is.
Q. What is your parting words of wisdom?
A. Don't get old!
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531 Colton Avc * MMIcn. GA. 30442
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issue 4 March 2023 is published weekly by on Friday
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