Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6B
January 1, 2014
Pastor’s Corner
Reporter
Love letters to God is a special way
M y mom is how
this idea start
ed. My
younger sister
and I were
awakened every morn
ing before my mom
went to work and
“made” to pray. We
would complain that
we did not know how to
pray and did not want
to pray out loud be
cause we did not know
what to say. She then
said to us, ‘Write down
your prayer and when
it is your turn just read
out loud what you wrote.”
That began what I call ‘love
letters to God.”
You know how siblings
sit up and talk about the
good, or not so good, ol’
days? Well a conversation
came up between my sis
ter and me in which she
told me “to this day I do
not pray aloud because of
that.” I thought that was
weird and told her it took
the fear out of prayer for
me and helped me to do
so many other things in
my life with courage. I
write it down
and am then
able to read
it like a
script. This
allows me to
speak from
the heart
without judg
ment and
later on give
direction for
myself or
others in the same situa
tion. Typing a prayer for
a friend in need rather
than just speaking the
words to them over the
phone or in a group set
ting gives the opportuni
ty to continue to confess
these prayers of love from
a friend through God to
and for them and their
situation. This reminds
Angela Johnson
me of how Jesus inter
cedes for us at the right
hand of the father, which
is one of the many bless
ings of His Ascension.
It also made me think of
the other statements God
makes to us in the bible
of Him: being our first
love and our husband, of
us being engaged to
Christ for the coming
wedding. Knowing this
excites me like when I got
married in the natural. It
makes me think of the
Song of Solomon being
poetry from God to me
and our prayers being a
response, and how our
belief in the entire Love
letter from God, the
Bible, gives Him honor
for His strength, power,
love, provision, all that
we learn about Him and
His love and jealousy for
us.
As I write my personal
prayers and prayers in
response to others’ prayer
requests, I think of the
Love of the father as
Jesus taught when He
was asked to teach us to
pray. I thought it was
interesting that He
always acknowledged who
His daddy was and how
He was sent here to be
about what God was all
about. He said when you
pray, do it like this: “Our
Father.” Not to confuse
Him with some mere man
that you may love but to
acknowledge that you are
speaking to the Love of
your life, the almighty
Love, the ultimate Love,
the one who is Love and
can be nothing else.
The acknowledgement
of where He is located is
how you Love Him in
these letters (prayers). As
I think of heaven and all
that it encompasses, it
puts me in awe of this
awesome father who
to talk with Him
would love me enough to
listen to me or be willing
to allow me in His pres
ence.
When you have an
interview with a mere
person, you practice
anticipating what they
may ask and what you
may answer; the awe
someness of God makes
me want to come before
Him holy because He is
holy. It causes me to
write, rewrite and then
write again; then reading
it is like the hook for me.
Faith comes by hearing
and hearing the word of
God. As I prepare to pray
I read the Word and see
what love He is sharing
with me on that day.
Then my Prayer is a love
letter in response and/or
the inclusion of my
request for what I know
He can do and is yet to do
for me and others as His
kingdom comes and His
will is done.
We write the story as
the prophets of old, the
disciples and those
inspired by God to write
the bible. My letters will
be just an addition to that
encouragement in the
future. I also think of the
letters as a permanent
copy of what I believe
God can do, a reminder.
So when doubt tries to
come in like a flood, I go
back to my letters in
response to His love for
me and realize they are
my standard against
doubt.
The Pastor’s Corner is
sponsored by the Monroe
County Ministerial
Association. Angela
Johnson is the director of
Reconciliation House,
where volunteers prepared
270 meals for Christmas
Day and delivered 112 of
them to share Christmas
joy.
Local Zeta Phi Beta Sorority chapter is busy with service
BY BRENDA
PHILLIPS
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,
Inc., Psi Rho Zeta Chapter
and its’ youth groups par
ticipated in the State of
Georgia Community
Service Day on Nov. 2 by
planting flowers at the
Rubye Watts Senior
Center in Forsyth. In
keeping with one of Zeta
Phi Beta’s newest initia
tives, Elderly Care, the
local chapter coordinated
a presentation on safety
for senior citizens.
One of Monroe County’s
finest, Capt. Jeff
Thompson, spoke to the
seniors at the Rubye
Watts Center on being
safe at home and in the
community. Thompson
assured the group that the
Sheriff’s Office is only a
phone call away if they
need assistance.
Thompson entertained
questions and provided
the group with materials
on safety.
Psi Rho Zeta’s Youth
Groups members
Khadajah Bradley, Cierra
Hughley, Kierra Hughley,
Kailyn Jacobs and
Kynnedy Steverson were
recognized for high aca
demic achievements in the
southeastern region,
which is comprised of
Georgia, Florida and
South Carolina.
They exemplify Zeta Phi
Beta’s emphasis on aca
demic excellence. Their
sponsors and parents are
very proud them.
In addition to a tutorial
program designed to assist
students in their academic
program and mentoring
that focuses on social
skills and self esteem, par
ticipants in the Leon
Goodrum Foundation
Program are privy to other
bonuses.
On a recent Saturday,
Steve Simmons, who was
a 1971 graduate of
Monticello High School
and attended Notre Dame
University, spoke to the
students on careers in
Corporate Security.
Simmons owns a company
that provides security for
businesses in Nigeria. He
provided information on
the geography of Nigeria
Lions name
poster contest
winners
Pictured are Forsyth Lions Club president Virginia Remick, left, Zoe
Potts holding her winning Peace Poster and $100 check, and Lion Ce
cil Daniels, holding a certificate presented to Zoe for her entry.
Forsyth Lions Club had
its annual covered dish
dinner on Dec. 10 at the
Forsyth Presbyterian
Church Parish house with
19 members and guests
present. The dinner
looked like Thanksgiving
with turkey and all the
trimmings.
Prizes were awarded to
winners of the Peace
Poster contest, which has
the theme 'Our World,
Our Future.' First place
went to Zoe Potts, an
eighth grader at Monroe
County Middle School.
She received a
check for $100,
along with a
certificate. Her
poster placed
second at the
district contest.
Second place
was Nancy Lin,
a 6th grader at
MCMS. She
won a check for
$75 and a certificate
Third place went to Evan
Hoyt, who is home
schooled. Evan was
awarded a check for $50
along and a certificate.
Special guests at the
dinner were Zoe's mother
and Evan's parents and
sister Alice, who was an
International Merit win
ner in the Peace Poster
contest in 2012. The
meeting ended with
singing Christmas carols
accompanied by Mrs.
Hoyt on the piano.
Incoming Forsyth city
council member Julius
Stroud shared some mo
tivating thoughts with
students at Monroe
County Achievement
Center. Pictured are, left
to right, back, Marquez
Penamon, Stroud,
Michael Brown and Lan-
don Lovell;
front, Blake Griffin, Am
ber Conwell and Kinsey
Rowland.
Veteran JUlius Stroud encourages
students to prepare for the future
BY MICHAEL
BROWN, SHAKAYIA
WHATLEY, KINSEY
ROWLAND
The students of the
Monroe County
Achievement Center had
something more to be
thankful for going into
the Thanksgiving holi
days: Mr. Julius Stroud
III spoke to the students
and gave them wonderful
advice and words of
encouragement. Mr.
Stroud is strongly moti
vated by four things: God,
his strong belief in educa
tion, family, and good peo
ple surrounding him. He
said that he was lucky
enough to have people
around him who were
willing to provide him
with the tough love he
needed to thrive and be
successful.
From a young age, Mr.
Stroud was interested in
many things. He knew he
wanted to be able to help
people and motivate kids
and young adults to reach
for their dreams. He
wanted to let them know
that with hard work,
dreams are attainable.
People often ask him
how much he makes and
he likes to tell them “It’s
not what you make: it’s
what you do with what
you make” and “Always
ask yourself why you
want to do a certain
thing” Another coined
phrase from Mr. Stroud is
that you should always
“Work at work”. This
means that when you are
at work or at school and
you are supposed to be
doing work, actually do it!
Your education and your
job are important, so do
your best to be successful
in life.
Mr. Stroud taught the
students to prepare for
their life and future now.
“Be prepared for the
future before the future
becomes your present.
Always expect the best
and know that you will
succeed. This is your life,
be great and make it the
best life you can.”
We are thankful for Mr.
Stroud taking time to
speak to us and give us
encouraging words.
and the oil industry.
Corey Stewart, a stu
dent at Mary Persons
High School and Georgia
Academy of Aviation, pro
vides assistance to
Foundation participants
math, including calculus
and trigonometry. He has
applied to several colleges
and universities including
Georgia College, Georgia
Tech, Carnegie Mellon,
and MIT. On Saturday,
Nov. 22, students were
treated to a field trip to
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NOTICE OF PROPOSED BUDGET
FOR THE CITY OF FORSYTH
Notice is hereby given that the proposed budget for the City of
Forsyth for the year 2014 will be submitted to the Mayor and
Council of the City of Forsyth at the January 7, 2014 City Council
meeting.
A copy of the proposed budget is on file in the office of the Clerk of
the City of Forsyth at City Hall and may be examined and inspected
by the public at such place during regular business hours.
On the 7th day of January, 2014, at 6:00 PM or as soon thereafter
as the matter may be reached, the Mayor and Council of the City of
Forsyth at Council Chambers at City Hall Annex will conduct a
public hearing at which time any persons wishing to be heard on
the budget may appear.
And on the 21 st day of January, 2014 at 6:00 PM or as soon
thereafter as the matter may be reached, the Mayor and Council of
the City of Forsyth at Council Chambers at City Hall Annex will
consider the adoption of a resolution enacting the budget for the
year 2014.
This 17th day of December, 2013.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORSYTH