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Billy Powell
. Columnist
Not good
reasons
The lady explaining why
she hardly ever made it to
church on Sunday stated,
“Sunday is the only day I
have a chance to read the
paper and enjoy several
cups of coffee.”
She continued, “ I am con
stantly working with people
all week long. Sunday is my
only opportunity to spend
some time alone and with
my family, to take a
breather from the crowd.”
A man said, “I have to
work hard all week. Sunday
is the only day I can sleep
late and then play some golf
with my friends.”
The young man said, “To
tell you the truth, I am a
party animal and usually go
to a night club every
Saturday night or have a
few drinks with my friends.
On Sunday morning I’m
usually too hung over to get
out of bed before noon and
then I wouldn’t be in a spir
itual frame of mind to go to
church any way.”
The young lady said, “I
don’t have the clothes. The
people down there dress up
like fashion models. I would
be ashamed of wearing the
meager digs I have in my
closet.”
An elderly man said, Last
time I went down there, my
wife and I sat down in a
vacant section of a pew row
and before we could get
comfortable some man
came up with his wife and
complained that we were
sitting in their seats. I did
n’t know seats were
reserved at church for cer
tain people.”
The elderly lady said,
“Well, there is a group down
there that is always stirring
up trouble. They have run
off every preacher we have
ever had and they think
they own the church. The
animosity is so thick you
could cut it with a knife.
You just can’t have a mean
ingful worship experience
so I just stay home.”
The intellectual said,
“You don’t have to go to
to be saved. Neither
do you have to be baptized
or do good deeds. Salvation
simply depends on our
beliefs. I have more impor
tant things to do with my
time than rub shoulders
with a bunch of hypocrites
who act like angels on
Sunday but will cut your
throat first thing Monday
morning.”
The young married man
said, “ The preacher just
goes on and on like a Die
Hard battery. I think he
likes to hear himself speak.
His sermons could be deliv
ered in half the time but he
holds the congregation to
almost 1 o’clock while most
churches let out around
noon so their parishioners
can beat the crowds to the
eating establishments.”
None of the above reasons
are valid in justifying non
attendance. The scripture
declares “Forsake not the
assembling of yourselves ...
where two or three are
gathered in my name, there
will I be also.”
Go to church this Sunday
and worship God!
FRIDAY,
JUNE 24, 2005
God's Grace at work in North Carolina
By ANNA SHYLOVA
HHJ Student Writer
“Those who say they live in
God should live their lives as
Christ did,” 1 John 2:6 NLT
tells us.
Thirteen members of Grace
Church of Perry tried to live
up to that rule in early June
on a Service Works Mission
trip to North Carolina and it
wasn’t easy.
We did all kinds of things
we never thought we would
do: washing, painting, clean
ing closets full of stuff includ
ing mice, loading and unload
ing trash, we 11... pretty much
everything you could think
of.
Every day we had some
thing to look forward to at
night. Whether it was bar
beque praise and worship
concert, swimming, going up
to the mountains, devotions
or just playing games, each
activity was filled with
Christ-like love.
The Bible tells us to “Make
the most of every opportunity
you have for doing good.” in
Ephesians 5:16 TLB.
Helping people in need is
part of being a Christian. It
brings joy, peace, and happi
ness to my heart and every
body else who was there with
me. We had such a great time
meeting new people, sharing
our love and friendship with
them. Nothing delights the
heart of God more than to
seeing us working together to
help others. I know we and
everyone else were making
God smile.
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HHJ/ Charlotte Perkins
Children enrolled in the Oak Level VBS (not in the order shown in the
picture) were Selah Worthy, Jauvieca Jenkins, Nalgeia Brown, Valeah
Jones, Donterrio Jenikins, Tena McGhee, Brianna Hill, Tiana Robinson,
TracyMcGhee, LaKevia Whitfield, La’Keia Whitfield, Dallas Walker,
Calvin Howard Jr., Chaddrick Howard, Sadajah Hayward, Trashondra
Hayward, Deshrick Richardson, Daequon Green, Xavier Green, Mortez
Green, Brianna Roberts and Halexia Felder.
Moving would be easier without the piano
My Dad just moved from
my childhood home into a
new house. Talk about a lot
of work! He’d been in the
same house for 34 years.
My brothers had a lot to say
about Dad selling the
house, but I figure I’d
rather have Dad around
than to have him drop dead
from trying to maintain a
place that was too big any
way.
Right on the heels of
Dad’s move, a friend and
her husband found a great
place in Marshallville, and
another friend and her hus
band moved to Lake
Oconee. All this moving got
me thinking.
After two years of apart
ment living, I am finally
ready to experience the ter
ror of home ownership
again. When we moved into
Family Faith
Tish Mims
Columnist
perry.dda@perry-ga.gov
our apartment, we rejoiced
over being able to call a
maintenance man every
time something went
wrong. No more midnight
trips to Wal-Mart to try to
find that gooey plumber’s
stuff. See how up to date I
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submitted
Volunteering on a mission trip from Grace Church were Pastor Ed McMinn, Minister of Service Robert Williams,
Bonnie and Ronnie Bryant, Ann Shylova, Chad Shelton, Marynan McLendon, Katie Beth Yelton, Meg Williams,
Brett Bums, Jason Stansfield, Claire Shaw and Cody Wetherington.
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Oak Level Baptists hold VBS
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HHJ/ Charlotte Perkins
Working together to lead Oak Level Baptist Church Vacation Bible
School were, from left, seated, Bernell Latimore, Ann Guyton, Carolyn
Jenkins, Nancy Walker, Barbara Studstill; standing: Geraldine Little,
Brenda Walker, VBS Director David Rollins, Clarence Copeland,
Hattie Jackson, Carrie Askew, Sherry Turner, Kim Gorman, James
Guyton and Charles Gary. Not pictured: Wynell McGhee, The Rev.
Clyde Turner, pastor; Ben Robinson and Tahoni Robinson.
am on plumbing?
So a few weeks ago, we
started driving around
Perry after supper. To my
astonishment, Greg and I
have found a house that we
like very much (and can
afford) and are currently
mired in all of the associat
ed paperwork. I find myself
lying awake at night, men
tally packing in anticipation
of the actual move.
The last time that we
moved, we didn’t have any
help. All of our friends
helped us move in 2001, the
year that we moved four
times. In 2003, they all
changed their phone num
bers. So, we decided that
we could do it on our own.
We bought a piano mover
for my piano. Let me just
say that I can play four
songs very well. Hence, the
piano must stay with me.
We did manage to get the
piano on the truck with
almost no trouble. Getting
it off the truck was another
story. The new place had a
bit of an incline, and my job
was to hold the piano while
Greg guided it down the
ramp. Let me tell you, that
piano mover with the
wheels on it made my job so
easy, the piano slid right out
of the truck. And Greg’s
hernia surgery went very
well and he was only out of
work for a few weeks.
We never did take the
piano off of the piano
mover. Two years later, it’s
still sitting in the garage,
loaded up and ready to go.
I’ve decided that we either
need to make some new
PAGE 8A
Worn-out young
volunteers catch
a nap on the
return trip from a
busy day. From
left, front row,
Brett Bums,
Anna Shylova
and Cody
Wetherington;
back row, Jason
Stansfield and
Chad Shelton.
submitted
friends, or I need to check
with my health insurance
to see if moving a piano
qualifies as a pre-existing
condition.
Even with the piano
related stress, I’m very
excited about our new
home. I can’t wait to have
my own dirt to play in. I
have plans for my garden
already mapped out, even if
I have to wait until next
year to plant it. I have a
new sewing machine, and I
am seriously thinking about
making my own drapes,
although I have more reser
vations about that than I do
about moving the piano
again!
Keep your fingers crossed
that no one has to have sur
gery this time. I’ll let you
know how it all turns out.