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About The Advocate-Democrat. (Crawfordville, Ga.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 2024)
PAGE 3 THE ADVOCATE DEMOCRAT, Crawfordville, GA, Friday, May 17, 2024 He asked them “What are you discussing so intently as you walk alone? They stopped short, sadness written across their faces.” (Luke 24:17) Someone once said / didn’t know I’d have to be tom down before I could be built up. Certainly the disciples on the road to Emmaus had been torn down. They had heard Jesus and watched Him perform miracles. They had followed Him and placed their hope in Him, only to see Him crucified and buried. A rumor floated around about an empty tomb, but who knew? No wonder the disciples walked along with sadness written across their faces. When life tears us down, sadness seems the only logical response. Missed opportunities, financial setbacks, a broken marriage, sickness and disability, the loss of a love one. But God! While things crumble Jesus builds. On the road to Emmaus, He walked along with the despondent disciples, teaching them, strengthening their faith, and opening their eyes to their risen Lord and Savior. In the same way, He walks along side us! We are torn down disciples today. But He’s right there to comfort, encourage, and strengthen us. Amen. Message From Wayne Usry God promises some things when you ask in sincerity: for example, forgiveness of sins, salvation, eternal life, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and heaven as your eternal home. He has not promised health, freedom from pain, material prosperity, long life, or escape from death. He does promise that whatever the trial, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). The purpose of prayer is not to get God to do our will. Rather, it is to get God’s will done through us. Honoring our veterans who gave all Memorial Day 2024 Monday, May 2 7 Memorial Day honors the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives in service to our country. These courageous individuals have given everything they had to defend our freedoms and way of life. Thank you for reading The Advocate Democrat! Don’t miss an issue... subscribe today! $12.84 - in county $16.05 - out of county Call 706-453-7988 Email news, announcements, public notices, letters to the editor, etc. to greensboronewspaper@gmail.com May 18 Dorsey Cooper Magy Woods Curtis Lamar Nix Jon Baldwin Elaine Nunn May 19 Tameka Burley Shaquille Thomas Joseph Clemmons Andre McLendon May 20 Doug Brown Crystal Ellington Hoke Flynt May 21 Valerie Moore Reginald Meadows Eva Moore Joshua Roberson Clay Jones May 22 Donnie Burgess Joe Sayers May 23 Keenan Rudison Eugene Rudison Jack Lawrence Herrin Hope West May 24 Jamie Young Ellen Kinnon Norma Pittman Dorothy Rhodes Walter Marshall None Words of old hymn are befitting for Mother’s Day By Dink NeSmith cc TA recious memories how IS they linger; how they ever flood my soul” As we sang those words last Sunday morning, I thought about the upcoming Mother’s Day. And precious memories of Marjorie Dink NeSmith Vines NeSmith flooded my soul. If Mother were alive, she’d be 100 on Oct. 11. Instead, she died at age 90. On her deathbed, she clutched our hands and whispered to my sisters and me, “Please don’t worry about me. I can’t lose, If I live, God allows me to spend more time with all of my loved ones here on earth. If I die, I can’t lose. Because I will be in Heaven with your daddy.” Her final words were “I love you!' On the way home from church, I scrolled through these memories that keep Mother s spirit alive in my soul: ■ Mother was a talker. She grew up in an era when Lucky Strike cigarettes had a slogan: “LSMFT, Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco* Her girlfriends had another interpretation: “Let’s Stop Margie from Talking" ■ But talking helped pay for sisters Sandy and Sheila and me to go to college. She was the receptionist for Rayonier, the pulp mill with 1,000 or more workers. Mother was legendary for recognizing voices and remembering names. Children could call the mill’s switchboard, and Margie would know their voices and connect them with their mother or father. When she retired, two people did her j ob. ■ You could hear her smile in Mother’s voice. I’ve had people tell me—dozens of times—that they’d call the mill just to hear her voice, One man told me, “If I was having a bad day, I would call Rayonier. Margie would make me smile.” ■ Sister Sandy was 6.1 was 4. A bar of chocolate Ex-Lax disappeared from the medicine cabinet. Mother quizzed both of us. We shook our heads. “Well,” Mother said, “the truth will come out.” And did it ever. I smiled—because it wasn’t me. ■ On Feb. 9,1964, Mother made the First Baptist’s youth choir smile, too. My friends and I were fretting about missing the Beatles’ American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was being televised that Sunday night. Mother, the youth director, said, “Shhhhh. Here’s what you do. Sing your special song, and while Brother Jenkins is praying, quietly slip out and go hom e.” That’s what we did. And when the reverend opened his eyes and turned around to thank the youth, he was baffled by the empty choir loft. Sixty years later, Mother is still their hero. ■ Mother thought all Baptist boys should go to Mercer University. Better yet, they should attend Brewton-Parker for two years and then go to Macon. “But Mother," I said, “I want to go to the University of Georgia.” “It’s so big,” she countered. “You should pray about it* I did. When she asked, “Well, what did you and the Lord decide?’’ I said, "Mother, I’ve narrowed it down to two places: Vietnam or UGA.” She barked,“Go, Dawgsl” ■ No doubt you’ve heard the post office is struggling and losing money. One reason is that it is missing Mother’s tsunami of cards, notes and letters. She didn’t start the day without sticking stamps on a stack of handwritten missives. She called writing her ministry. A friend- battling cancer—showed me more than 350 notes of encouragement that he had received. A doctor’s desk drawers are stuffed with uplifting messages in my mother’s distinctive penmanship, He professed her words had healing power for him, his staff and his patients. In the South, old-timers would say, “That boy (or girl) could make a preacher.” Indeed, Marjorie Vines NeSmith could have. She had a scripture for every occasion. And if she was asked to give thanks before a meal, you could count on the biscuits being cold. But that didn’t bother our three, Alan, Emily and Eric. They were convinced that their grandmother had a direct line to God’s desk in Heaven. They never faced a big test unless Grandmother had lifted a prayer for them. Yes, indeed. “Precious memories how they linger; how they ever flood my soul.” Happy Mother’s Day. dnesmith® cninewspapers. com (For more commentaries visit www.dinknesmith.com.) As chairman of the Richard B. Russell Foundation in 2012, I interviewed (Vlother for the First-Person Project. The project will be archived in the Richard B. Russell Library at the University of Georgia. In the hour-long interview, she talked about growing up in Southwest Georgia, attending college, the day Pearl Harbor was bombed, marrying my dad and the evolution of our family. PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN LOPEZ TcdjCufiyvto- Counit/ 7^oca£ T^feivs. Jamie, Travis and Easton Young and Tristan Hembree visited Donna Taylor at church Sunday. They had lunch at Pizza Hut in Greensboro after church. The Youngs live in Loganville. Luna Peterman spent 4 days with Gigi, Donna Taylor, last week. Her birthday is Friday so they went shopping fora bicycle and helmet for her. She went home Saturday and then to visit her granddad, David Peterman, Sr, in Savannah. Melanie and James Finney were so glad to have daughter and son-in-law, Heather and Brett Howell and granddaughters, Livie and Maddy visit for Mother’s Day. Projects for Mother’s Day at the park-with the help of Tito. So creative. Christina and Amber enjoying and relaxing at the park Saturday after making their Mother’s Day gifts. A.H. Stephens State Park Vickey Rhodes and her girls, Hannah and Emily, spent Mother’s Day together with grandsons Jackson and Greyson. She will soon have a granddaughter, Maggie. Gwen Markert was in South Carolina for Mother’s Day and had a great time visiting grandchildren and other family. She did some roaming around to local businesses (we are sure she shopped!) and some other landmarks while there. She is pictured above with granddaughter Harbour (Ruthie).
