Pastor Charles’ Reflection

Rayfield Wright was moved from tight end to tackle by the Great Former coach Tom Landry to help protect the Cowboys new quarterback Roger Staubach. He said he never questioned the authority is elders. If it was good for them, it was good for him. After 22 years of eligibility, those in charge finally came to their senses and inducted him into the NFL Hall of Fame. He was named to the NFL’s all decade of the 70's.
Today, Wright is a 61 year old grandfather. He didn’t give a speech at the induction into the Hall of Fame, but shared his wisdom gained from a difficult life. He spoke of a poem he read in the 8th grade, “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost. Wright said the other road was grassy and wanted wear. He said, I learned that life would give me choices, and recognizing those choices proved to be the greatest challenge. My instinct was to always take the easy road, but growing up in Griffin, Ga., the easy road never came my way.
His Mother Opel, and grandmother reared him with love and spiritual nourishment. In the 50's the kids in the neighborhood didn’t wear $100.00 tennis shoes and never went to a sporting camp. After chores and homework, you’d find them in an empty field playing football, basketball, and baseball.
Wright never made his high school football team and was headed for the Air Force when Stan Lomax, who became his father figure at Fort Valley Georgia State, offered him a scholarship. He spurned an offer by the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA to turn pro, because “I needed to stay in school and get my education.” In 1976, he was drafted by the Cowboys.
Wright acknowledged his rivals and said his body still hurts when he hears the names of Deacon Jones, Claude Humphrey and Carl Eller. He gave credit to his line mates. He singled out the “Angels” in his life: Big Mama, his grandma, brother Phillip and Cowboys’ legends, along with his coaches. He called his mom, Opel, sitting nearby in a wheelchair, “My Rose Garden.” He said she “watered my life each day with your love, faith and prayers,” his voice cracking. He asked parents to “teach your children well, to encourage them.” He said, “Parents are the windows through which your children see the world. “ Take notice, he said, of yourself and the things that you do in hopes that your example will stir their dreams, and souls.
“To every young athlete, it takes courage to dream your dream. Don’t let them sit in the locker room. Take a leap of faith. Listen to your parents and respect your elders. Learn from your success and your losses. Be satisfied you gave the game everything that you had and remember this :”Don’t be afraid to travel the road less traveled, because Larry Rayfield Wright did and you can too.” The NFL has put a great one in its NFL Hall of Fame. He received what he deserved and justice was done.
See you Sunday if Jesus tarries.
In His Grip, Pastor Charles

---

Some Things to Think and Pray About
October 29-30 at White Oak Conference Center, Winnsboro, S.C. 2010 Regional Woman’s Prayer Retreat. Registration cost of $50.00 which includes material and meals. More on lodging later or the group may desire to commute. See Roxie if you are interested.
AND
Mature Adults Glory Conference in Ridgecrest N.C. at the Ridgecrest Lifeway Conference Center near Asheville, N.C. The conference includes great preaching, some of the best Gospel music, NY Yankees legend 2nd basement, Bobby Richardson from S.C., a comedian, delicious buffet and a comfortable senior adult friendly environment. Of course the fall colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The cost on Plan A which includes conference, concerts, and 2 night lodging. $129 person with 4 in a room; $139 with 3 in a room; $169 with 2 in a room and $199 with in a room. Plan B includes conference, concerts 2 night lodging and 4 buffet meals. $169 per person with 4 in a room; $189 with 3 in a room; $199 with 2 in a room and $239 with one in a room. Conference only $75.00 per person, no lodging and no meals. Think about it, save some of your money, pray about it and let Pastor Charles know if you are interested. A deposit of $25.00 per person is required at time to confirm reservations. The balance is due no later than 30 days before the Glory Conference (Sept. 24th.)

We are so grateful for our Ebenezer ARP friends for their hospitality and thoughtfulness in allowing us to invade their campus for the next 10-12 days. They have been more than grateful in helping providing their facilities to lodge and to feed our friends from Barnwell. Thanks again to Nadine for getting the ball rolling.

On Sunday, July 18th, we will vote on Jason Adams to become our Minister of Music. On Wednesday, July 21, we will have our Quarterly Business Meeting. We encourage all department and organization chairs to give their report and present the written report to Michelle Goodman, our Church Clerk.

PEWS FOR OUR SANCTUARY— We thank you and praise God for this phase in our plans for the sanctuary. We have two different sized pews. A six foot pew will cost $500.00. We now need 20. A nine foot pew will cost $750.00. We now need 28. The cost includes a brass plate with the donor’s name and the name of the person to be honored or memorialized. Please put a check in an envelope and mark clearly that it is for a pew, giving size and amount included. Thank you for your help.

A VIEW FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE
From where I am sitting on Tuesday morning of the 13th., it is sort of like sitting in the middle of a bee-hive. I don’t get here until 9:00 so I am not sure what happens earlier than that, but I know things are happening, because they come back around lunch time full of excitement and smiling faces. I know some are doing a sports camp down at the Associational office and some are out doing out-reach work. I do know that the workers here on the church grounds are almost indescribable in their work on the new building and in the kitchen. There is lunch being served every day and I know from my 20 hrs. a day viewpoint, I am just seeing the tip of the iceberg in the amount of work that is being done. God has certainly blessed the efforts here so far, even with the rain yesterday. I cannot wait to get here in the morning and would like to just sit in the parking lot and watch the work!! And to see Pastor Charles in his do-rag is priceless!!! I am sure there will be (and are) many “thank-you’s” going out to all the workers and many prayers of thanksgiving going up to God for this week. It is an almost spiritual thing to watch. I am thankful for this opportunity.
Anne

Thank You Notes:
To the Members of NewKirk: Words cannot express how grateful I am for the use of your Kitchen on Bryan’s wedding weekend. We needed it more than we expected. Thank you for your sweet kindness to the lives of my family. I’ll be praying for your building project. Thank You! Caroline Bogue
AND
From Hannah Gordon— “This small card comes with a BIG Thank You! Thanks for the Devotional Book and the graduation Lunch! It meant so much!”

The last verse of “The Star Spangled Banner: Please note the sentence about our motto toward the bottom of the verse. How can people want to take God out of everything that is America when He is so very interwoven into all of America’s life from the very beginning.
“Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand. Between their loved home and the war's desolation!. Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land. Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

THANK YOU TO all the food workers Sunday!! We had wonderful help and plenty of food. Even some left over was taken to the soup kitchen. Any dishes left over this week can be picked up out of the “flower room” or the room where the freezer is stored. God Bless our wonderful cooks and volunteers.
Renee

OTHER MINISTERS FOR SUNDAY, July 18, 2010
Children's Church: Donna Daniels & Helper
Infants’ Nursery— Laurie & Caroline O’Dell
Usher/Greeter Teams– Russ Trotter, Travis Jackson, Jeff Vinson, Hayley Potter
TELLER: Monday, July 19—Bonnie Stafford

CHURCH CALENDAR
July 18—9:45—S.S., 10:45-Worship, No Youth
July 19—7:00-Church Council
July 20—7:00—GROW “R” & “O”
July 21—6:45-Church Conference, 7:30-Choir Practice