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Page 4 - Wednesday, December 29, 2021 The Millen News themillennews .com Opinions, yours and ours from the Desk -Joe Brady Millen News Editor Another Christmas is in the history books. As I am technically in the middle of my vacation, I confess to enjoying the quiet. There aren’t any festivities at my house. I have napped, watched Masterpiece Theater, and caught up on my reading. New Year’s will be spent much the same way, in case you were wondering. And some of you thought my life was so interesting! This time of year is fun and full of renewed promise. Dare I say we go through a metamorphosis? January 1 is that renewed hope in fresh beginnings. It’s our chance to start anew, to throw out the old and reveal the new. From our resolutions, mine has been to lose weight for the past twenty years, but that hasn’t stopped me from discussing gym memberships with Josh. All of you may agree silently with my statement, don’t dare remind me of it when you see me. Like Stanley Thompson did a few days ago, the conversation went something like this, “Joe, are you still on your diet?” Grabbing my belly in both hands, because I can’t hold it one, I replied, “does this look like a diet to you?” Anyway, I digress as usual. We all make those resolutions, we promise to save money, lose weight, be kinder people, go to church, be more considerate, pay attention, the list goes on and on. Research shows that most New Year’s Resolutions go unfinished. We abandon them by March, usually. Now, why someone would do research on that is beyond me. Isn’t there more serious topics to do research on? The truth is, most of us are probably satisfied with our lives the way they are but it’s the promise of being reborn, to forget the past and start fresh, that holds the promise during this time of year. If you remember, New Year’s in my family meant we walked around with a penny in our shoe all day. Granny swore that we would have money all year by doing it. Oh yeah, we had to eat black eyed peas and collards as well. Granny wouldn’t hear any discussion on how this really didn’t make much sense. “You had money in your pocket all year didn’t you?” Yes, but that wasn’t because of the penny in my shoe, it’s because I had a job. Of course, for one more holiday spent with her, I’d gladly walk on a stack of pennies all day. So, let’s get our pencils out and start our New Year’s Resolution lists. Josh, I’ll be calling directly. But don’t judge me if you don’t see me in that group with Diane Wasden sweating to the oldies. I work out with my mind. That’s all for now, take care and Happy New Year! Editor’s Letters to the editor of The Millen News are wel comed and encouraged. These are pages of opinion, yours and ours. Letters to the editor voice the opinions of the news paper’s readers. The Millen News reserves the right to edit any and all portions of a letter. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters must include the signa ture, address and phone number of the writer to allow our stall' to authenticate its origin. Letters should be limited to 400 words and should be typewritten and double-spaced or neatly printed by hand. Deadline for letters to the editor is noon on Fridays. Email Letters to the Editor to: themillennews@gmail.com Chartered 1903 The Millen News is published weekly by The Millen News 856 Cotton Ave. • Millen, Ga. 30442 Phone: (478) 982-5460 • FAX: (478) 982-1785 Periodical postage paid at Millen, Georgia. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: 856 Cotton Ave. Suite A • Millen, Ga. 30442 Roy Chalker Joe Brady Sam Eades .. Debra Hearn. Publisher Editor .. Advertising Sales .Layout and Design Subscription Rates (Includes tax): 6 Months In Jenkins County $14.00 1 Year In Jenkins County $26.00 2 Years In Jenkins County $46.00 Elsewhere in Georgia $33.00 Outside of Georgia $39.00 >URNEV OF, Pastor Brad Asbury pastorbradasbury@gmail.com The “R’s” of the New Year Life is full of seasons. Eccle siastes 3 reveals this to us in a most vivid way reminding us that we are always in changing seasons of life. Every season is to be embraced. Some seasons come with great difficulty, other seasons are peaceful and calm. Some seasons provide us times of life and vibrancy, other times provide us with darkness and unfortunately times of death. The new year provides a season for us that is often excit ing and frustrating. By the end of the year, our lives look like our homes. Usually cluttered, full of stuff, and time to get rid of “things.” Resolutions are made, often out of our frustra tions of where we have gotten to by the end of the year. We resolve to lose weight, exercise more, spend wiser, clean more, spend more time with family, etc. Resolutions often last days, sometimes weeks, and if we are fortunate months. For the new year, follow the 5 r’s of keeping resolutions. First, take time to remember. It is important to remember the goodness of God in the past year. Remember the good days, and even remember the bad days. Take to remember God’s goodness in every moment. Remembering keeps all things in perspective. Secondly, take time to reflect before the new year begins and throughout the year. This helps us to find meaning in all moments, and it helps us realize sometimes there is not an an swer to moments in life and that is okay. We desire to see the big picture and how all things will turn out in the end. We have to be okay with the fact that we may never see the big picture on this side of eternity, and on the other side of eternity we will realize it was all in God’s hands to begin with. Third, learn to refuse. Refuse to give up. Refuse to compromise. Refuse to back down from your plans for the year if they are truly attainable. Refuse to let others bring you down. Most importantly, refuse sin and the compromise it causes. Learning to say, “no” may be one of the best things we do in 2022. Fourth, take time to renew. This may be the most important step. This may be necessary daily. Renew your walk with the Lord daily. His mercies are new every morning, delight in those new mercies. Daily bow before the Lord and pray, as did the Psalmist, restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Lastly, put this list on repeat. Unfortunately, we are prone to forget. We forget His goodness. We forget His mercies. We forget our purpose. Life gets in the way, and we forget. We must consistently come back to these r’s of the new year and fight forward to be resolved to have a 2022 that is focused first on Him. Unearthing Camp Lawton Dr. Ryan McNutt, Ph.D, FSAScot, R.RA. Grass; I Cover All As the 9th Alabama Cavalry retreated (as discussed last week) in the face of Shemian’s advancing corps: the 20th behind them, and the 14th to their north, the picture of their movements becomes even fog gier. Presumably, they made their rendezvous at Beaver Dam Creek in Screven County. Reattached to Wheeler’s com mand, they protected the retreat to Savannah, moved back northwest to defend Augusta’s munitions factories, and into South Carolina in February of 1865 to defend Augusta from Kilpatrick’s cavalry at the battle of Aikin. But there were desper ate attempts to stave off the in evitable. Sherman’s inexorable march to the sea had already taken Savannah on December 21st, 1864, which he presented to Lincoln as his Christmas gift. From Savannah, after a month I Am the of rest, Sherman stmck north into South Carolina, driving for the capital at Columbia, and from there into North Carolina. Strikes at Augusta by Kilpatrick and disparate other actions were smokescreens, maneuvers to keep the limited Confederate forces stretched to the breaking point and guessing at his true route. By March, Johnston’s Army of the Tennessee had been hammered at the Battle of Bentonville in North Caro lina, with Wheeler’s cavalry driven in in the final actions and savaged. On April 9th, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House. On April 26th, 1865, General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Durham Sta tion, Orange County, in North Carolina with the Army of Ten nessee, and Wheeler’s Cavalry, including the 9th Alabama. A little less than a hundred men from the 9th Alabama lived to seek parole and swear the oath of allegiance and loyalty to the United States of America. Four years of war were at an end. And the desperate engage ments at Lawton were barely footnotes in its history. And what of Lawton itself? A poem by Sandburg perhaps best sums up the aftermath of conflict, and the immediate need to heal by forgetting: Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo. Shovel them under and let me work— I am the grass; I cover all. And pile them high at Gettys burg And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun. Shovel them under and let me work. Two years, ten years, and pas sengers ask the conductor: What place is this? Where are we now? I am the grass. Let me work. At Lawton, the grass went to work. Remnants of the fortifica tions, of the stockade, and the Confederate camp survived. People from Lawtonville, the small settlement around Lawton station, mentioned seeing the still visible remnants of Camp Lawton as late as the 1890s, but now denuded, slowly collaps ing and being reclaimed by pine forests and the grass, carpeting over the site of trauma, death, and indeed, conflict. Lawton Station itself still functioned as a station into the 1900s; See LAWTON page 5 Eaqle Notes -Tara Cooper, Jenkins County School Superintendent As the year 2021 ends, I am reflecting on what went well this year, and what absolutely did not. It’s not like the school systems around the globe haven’t been hit with challenges never before seen for the last couple of years. They have! We have seen, personally, how school personnel must act as “doctors” (we have gotten really good at that one), as well as - this year - cybercrime analysts (we are still working on that one). But there is always learning. And we have learned some things as we have experienced those seasons. I refer to times in life as seasons. Not the traditional seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall, but the metaphorical seasons when phases of life happen. This season of Covid has now become a norm - and has brought heartache and worry, but the reality is that it will never go away. Hopefully the variants will weaken. We are better equipped to deal with it now. Wash your hands, exercise, and take care of yourself. We had a season once long ago when Luke was sick all of the time with ear infections, bad coughs, and allergies. We did all the things that were recommended by the doctor, and powered through that season - with worried hearts and little sleep. I feel like September gave us, at the school, that same season. But we made it through. October brought worry about safety, and we made it through. I look forward to January with hope and promise. I look forward to the next season of school. Second semester is always exciting, although I hope we do not have to go through anymore learning experiences- ha! Covid and emails did enough of that this past half of the school year. Ecclesiastes 3 says, “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” We will, as a school system, continue to work through every season to keep our students safe. As a new year with new challenges and new celebrations begins, I look forward to this season. Whatever it may bring, we have proven that we will do the work. I can’t see the future, but I know a peace like I never have. I hope this next season is the best one yet for you all as well. Happy New Year! "We’re SOLD on Being the DIFFERENCE’ , RKATGA COMMUNICATION We strive lo make your experieme with us personal, We keep you wtH-informed of all changes and new information as soon as it is available to us. PFlUFESSIUNftL PHOTOSHOOT o As your Professional Service Coordinators, we coordinate a Professional Photoshoot with erne of our prefered vendors at no cost lo you. SOCIAL MEDIA We (over U teunties in Georgia fl have developed an original, innovative marketing approach to best serve our clients & allow us to reach more mobile users. 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