About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (July 24, 2025)
» Your hometown newspaper since 1861 The Eatonton Alessenger THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2025 | C5 For Heaven's Sake Mike Morgan BEATS ME! I’M JUST TRY ING TO AVOID SUN- STROKE! 28 7/21 I 34 37 Jay, the good shepherd 29 30 32 33 35 36 38 39 LOOKS LIKE YOUR LAWN MOWER >ENGINE’S QUIT RUNNING, REV. RIGHTEOUS .35 THAT A TWO-STROKE OR A FOUR- STROKE? 31 It is conventional wisdom that you should never do business with family. And, for the most part, that is probably true. Unless that family member is an honorable, God-fearing man like the one that my niece, Nicole, was wise enough to marry and bring into our family. Let me tell you about doing business with Jay. For over 20 years, he has handled my investments, then Tink’s since we married. He is ethical, smart, and has done a dog-gone good job for us. He has never faltered. Whenever there is a storm in our family, he is calm in the center. However, there is one investment that has been troublesome. Let me make a very long story short: I invested part of an inheritance that Tink had received and it wasn’t working out as expected. To get out of it meant taking a loss. I’m from the mountains and we don’t take losses, even if we should. We stay put. Mountain people are too stubborn for their own good. Then came the day that made me wish I had city ways. Jay called and explained that the fund was down in value but it would work out. “I wanted to give you a heads up,” Jay said. Then the mail arrived with the statement. I opened the envelope and my heart crashed to my stomach. I called Jay. He reassured me that it would be okay. “Really?” “I think so.” He sounded a little less confident. I couldn’t bring myself Ronda Rich Dixie Divas to tell Tink where my mountain stubbornness had landed his inher itance. For a month, I worried and carried that heavy burden on my shoulders. Finally, I decided to get mad at Jay. I was working my way through the stages of grief. Walking from the front of the Rondarosa toward the back - far from Tink’s hearing - I called Jay to rant. I ended the tirade with, “And what really bothers me is that you’re not more upset about this than you are. I am sick to my stomach about having to tell Tink.” From the other end of the phone, I heard him take a deep breath before speaking kindly. “Well, you’re wrong about me not being upset. I’m very upset about it. I have other clients in this fund. I pray about this every morning. To be truthful, what is helping me get through this is the promise of Psalms 23.” I stopped my rapid pacing next to the pasture where the horses were grazing, unaware that there might not be a future filled with sweet feed for them. “Psalms 23?” “Yes. I’m reading a book that breaks it down line by line. Quite frankly, I know where I put my trust and it’s in a source much greater than anything on this earth.” My upset melted away, my heartbeat slowed, and relief poured over me while Jay continued to recommend the book he was reading. After returning to the kindred spirits that we two are, we said our good-byes, then, with the dogs racing behind me, I marched back to the house to - finally - break the news to Tink. Like Jay, Tink is a man of strong faith. Both study the Bible daily and hunger for a deeper understanding. Showing no expres sion, Tink listened to my story that ended with Psalms 23. He didn’t ask how much the account was worth at that point. He shrugged then said, “That’s the kind of man I trust my money to. I’d trust him with every penny we have.” He smiled and walked across the floor but turned back. He named a number. “Did it fall more than that?” I swallowed and nodded. “A lot more.” An ouch crossed his face before saying, “It’s okay.” Jay and Tink were right. The good Lord came through for us in a mighty rush. Within five months, the account had returned to robust health. And I had ordered “A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23.” Ronda Rich is the best- selling author of Sapelo Island: A Stella Bankwell Mystery. Visit www. rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter. CLUES ACROSS 1. Pacific Standard Time 4. Extracts through heating and melting 10. Express delight 11. More curvy 12. Expression of uncertainty 14. Indicates before 15. Daughter of Hera and Zeus 16. Southwestern CA city 18. Unified 22. Less attractive 23. Base of jellies 24. A large and noisy party 26. He was traded for Luka 27. Wolverine genus 28. "Happy Days" actress Moran 30. Root of taro plant 31. Student environmental group (abbr.) 34. Silk garments 36. Unique power 37. Ray Liotta cop film 39. Leak slowly through 40. Notion 41. Atomic #55 42. Fixed in one place 48. About heat 50. Type of baseball pitch 51. Seedless raisin 52. Large wading birds 53. Similar 54. Time zone 55. Atomic #34 56. Program 58. Old world, new 59. Contrary belief 60. "To the degree" CLUES DOWN 1. Plain-woven fabric 2. Classed 3. Suppositions 4. Midway between south and west 5. Tropical American trees 6. Leveled 7. Published false statement 8. Adolescent 9. Junior's father 12. Aurochs 13. Not low 17. Boxing's GOAT 19. Short musical composition 20. Small immature herrings 21. Eavesdropper 25. Parcels of land 29. Anger 31. Irritations 32. Hindu holy man 33. Wicker basket for fish 35. Natural object 38. Transporting in a vehicle 41. A dog is one 43. Smaller portion 44. Sew 45. Belonging to a thing 46. Horsley and Greenwood are two 47. Scottish language 49. Producer 56. Exclamation of surprise 57. Russian river SEE PUZZLE ANSWERS » PAGE B3 The Eatonton lessenger Support local journalism msgrnews.com — 706-485-3501 LOCAL MATTERS 11 706.485.3501 and ask to advertise on the Worship Page, today! Lake Oconee Lutheran Church A Stephen Ministry Congregation Read breaking news online and subscribe to your hometown newspaper at lwww.msgrnews.com BYTERI GREENSBORO, GEORGIA 7 Q x We are a Christ-centered, mission minded church with traditional worship eager to include you in our church family. Pastor Meg Jackson Clark Website - fpog.org Phone: 706-453-4956 a PC(USA) Church Sunday Scripture Study - 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service - 11:00 a.m. First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro 117 South Main Street, Greensboro, Georgia (next to the Post Office in downtown Greensboro) CHURCH Wednesdays Sundays: 5:15 p.m. - Family Night Supper 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School Children & Adult Bible Study Dr. Craig Williamson, Pastor First Baptist Church 115 Madison Avenue • Eatonton, Ga 706.485.3331 www.FirstBaptistfEatonton.orgl All Are Welcome 2 Sunday Bible Study I 9:00 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Pastor Steven Hayden ============ 706-485-4600 Office LAKE OCONE e , LUTHERAN CHURCH officelolc@gmail.com www.lakeoconeelutheran.org 1089 Lake Oconee Parkway (Hwy 44) Located behind the Lake Oconee Lutheran Community Center Eatonton First Methodist Church 103 West Magnolia Street, Eatonton, GA 31024 706-485-5871 |www.eatontDnfmc.cpm1 Pastor David Wofford GLOBAL METHODIST CHURCH "Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those litthe bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu Episcopal Church 10:50 a.m. - Worship All Angels Episcopal Church 405 North Jefferson Avenue Eatonton, Georgia Holy Communion at ten on Sunday morning Wednesday Night Activities Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. with bible study at 6:30 p.m. Sunday 8:45 a.m. Traditional Worship in Historic Sanctuary 10.00 a.m. Sunday Scbool 11:00 a.m. Casual Worship in Historic Sanctuary /
