The Person Behind The Beauty

     "You may leave your hometown, but it will never leave your heart."  -Crystal Hall

     Angel Garcia is running in the "Miss SC Teen Pageant" and when she had the opportunity to choose her title she chose one that was close to her heart, "Miss Dacusville Teen."

     Angel was born in Dacusville and lived here till she was seven years old, in 2006 her and her family moved to Easley, however when you have your roots in Dacusville, those roots run deep.

 
 Angel is a fourteen year old who loves to dance.  She dances at Foothills Dance Company; she loves to clog, jazz, and hip hop.  Angel likes to hang out with her friends and she likes to  go swimming.  She loves to go fishing with her dad and her brother.  Angel stated, "I have a redneck side about me."  Could that be the Dacusville roots in her?  Something you might not  know about her is that she loves to eat pickles.  Angel loves to be around her family, friends, and people that love her.  I asked her what made her happy and she said, "To know that I  have succeeded at something."

     Angel's platform is Domestic Violence; "Stop The Silence, End Domestic Violence."  She chose this platform because her friend Daniel Smith and his mom died last year because of domestic violence by Daniel's stepdad.  Daniel's death affected the entire town of Easley and Pickens County.  Some stats that she stated were that 85% women and 15% men are involved in domestic violence every year.  Every 15 seconds women are abused by their boyfriend or husband.  Angel said that 3.3 Million children are involved in domestic violence in the United States every year.  South Carolina ranks #2 in the nation and #1 in the southeast for domestic violence.  Angel has also designed a t-shirt to benefit non-profit organizations such as Julie Valentine, and Mary's house.  Angel has volunteered at Mary's Closet; a consignment shop that donates portions of it's profits to charitable and religious organizations.

     

Angel Garcia-Miss Dacusville Teen

     Angel currently holds 35 titles, some of her titles are:  Miss Royal Beauty of America, SC Cinderella Teen Talent, Joshua Kay Johnson Spirit Supreme Queen Award which she won out of 123 contestants.  She also has won the Lieutenant Governor's Writing Award and the Presidential Education Achievement Award. 

     Behind the great success of our children are the loving, caring, and passionate parents.

     Meeting with Rhonda (Durham) Garcia, Angel's mom you quickly find a loving, caring, and passionate parent that wants to see her daughter succeed.  Rhonda has been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis which can lead to pancreatic cancer.  Rhonda use to work at CVS as a Pharmacy Tech. but she had to resign from her job because of her diagnoses.  Rhonda said that she is very proud of her daughter and what she has become.  She said that she is very proud of both her daughter and her son.  Rhonda said that both children are excellent students in school, and very respectful.  The pageants are a great way to spend time with her daughter.

     Pageants are stereotyped, it's about beauty; hair, makeup, wardrobe. 

     "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold, jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God's sight."
-1 Peter 3:3-4  

     Angel just recently got saved at a retreat she attended with her church, Rock Springs Baptist Church.  Angel's beauty goes further than just skin deep, she is a very caring, loving, and passionate young lady.  She is someone that realizes that her crown and title are just a way that God is using her and she only wants his will for her life.   

     Angel wants to thank the ones that have made a difference in her life.  Her boyfriend Brandon Lee has opened her eyes to see that certain people in her life are not really good friends to be hanging around.  Hunter McClure is someone that has always been there when she needed someone to talk to, and through his preaching is the reason she got saved.  Her parents and her brother Joseph because they have always been there for her.  They support her in all she does; dance and pageants.  She said she is a daddy's girl and he works very hard to support her financially. 

     No matter where the pageants take her she will always remember where she came from.  Angel lives in Easley now but she loves to come back and visit Dacusville.  She said she has family that lives here and she would love to still live in Dacusville.

    

To support Angel Garcia as "Miss Dacusville Teen":

Angel needs votes to become a semifinalists, the teen with the most votes will get the top 16 spots.  It is a dollar per vote and you have to be 18 years old, you can use your credit or debit card, it is a secure connection.

You can VOTE here at www.fourpointsmagazine.com voting ends July 11th at 11:59 pm.

You also can check out other sites to view Angel @ the  websites below. 

www.youtube.com/user/MissSouthCarolinaOrg

www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Dacusville-Teen

www.carolinanow.tv/video/entry/angela-garcia


Angel will be qualifying July 9-13 at the Miss SC Teen Pageant, thank you for all your prayers and support! 
     




      

     

     
       

     

More Precious Than Gold...Two Saved Souls

     "Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.  When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  Peter looked straight at him, as did John.  Then Peter said, "Look at us!"  So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.  Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you....." -Acts 3:2-6

     What is better than silver or gold?

     We value money in our society, Peter and John didn't have silver or gold to give the beggar, but what they did offer him changed his life forever.  I want to share with you what could change your life forever like it changed the lives of two women that are a part of our Dacusville community.

     Our Families..."You don't choose your family.  They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."-Desmond Tutu

     Growing up in an alcoholic family may not seem like a gift from God; to be exposed as a child to alcohol at an early age could set you up for failure.  You watch the two most influential people in your lives, your parents, live out in front of you the effects of alcohol.

     The effects of alcohol on the children could be detrimental.  Pam Lusk and Donna Redding were two sisters that grew up in an alcoholic family.  By the time Donna and Pam were at the ages of 13 and 11 they were already drinking, smoking pot, and taking pills.  Pam said, "We were just mean, had a rotten attitude and beat up on guys all the time."  Donna became pregnant at the age of 14 and had her son when she was 15, she did stop drinking and doing drugs when she became pregnant with him and she said she loves her son very much.  Pam has been married three times and in 2005 the guy she was with left her and she moved in with Donna.  While living with Donna she told Pam to pray for a job and God gave her a job at Carolina Fine Foods.  God has blessed her with a better job, currently she works at The Willows.  In 2006 Pam became sick and for two years she suffered with having low potassium.  Pam said she was just ready to give up and she heard Jesus say in her ears not yet.

     In 2010 Pam and Donna's mom passed away and it was then that their lives changed forever.

     Even in the home that they grew up in there was a shimmer of light, and that is all it takes to break the dark.  Pam and Donna's mom, even though she was an alcoholic would pray with the girls and talk to them about Jesus.  After their mom passed away God spoke to them to go to  church, they both fought it for a while and then they did visit with East Pickens Baptist Church and it was there that they got saved.

     "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."  Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk."-Acts 3:6-8

     Pam and Donna was crippled, not as the beggar was crippled physically, they were handicapped by their circumstances.  Just as Jesus instantly healed the man's feet and ankles and they became strong, Jesus has healed Pam and Donna through salvation.

     I grew up knowing Pam and Donna, I knew the way they were before they became saved.  In the bible after the crippled beggar was healed he walked around jumping and praising God, and when the people saw him they recognized him as the beggar, they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.  I too was filled with wonder and amazement after hearing that Pam and Donna got saved.

     God not only has saved these two women but has changed their lives forever.  Both women are different people now, when God enters your life he brings with him his light.  Pam said she has experienced that light because her life was full of darkness, but not anymore.  They were able to experience the difference God makes in our lives when their mom passed away.  Donna said that when their mom passed away they almost could not bare losing her, she said that they fell into deep depression with no hope.  They said they were just sad all the time.  Just recently they lost their brother and the difference between losing him and their mom was night and day.  Donna said she knew God was there and he was helping them through it.  She said that she felt like she wasn't sad enough when her brother passed away.  God brings an inner peace that can't be described.

     What do we value?

     We value our health, our relationships, our freedoms, and we value our family.  No matter what family you come from you value them because through them is who you become.  If you have been crippled by your past Donna wants you to know that it's okay, you are never too bad to where God can't save you.  Pam would tell you to pray, cry out to Jesus and in doing so you too can receive as the beggar did.

*Pam Lusk (left) has a son Matt Lusk, daughter Morgan Pitts, and a son Josh Pitts

*Donna Redding (right) has been married to Jesse Redding for 17 years and have been together for 23 years, together they have a son Jesse II, and a daughter Brianna Redding.

They have lived in Dacusville since they were 4 or 5 years old.

**Addiction runs in their family, could you lift this family up in prayer because they have family members that need to find Jesus.




     

     Both Pam and Donna would like to dedicate this post in loving memory to their mom, 
Linda Jean Lusk and their brother, Jerry (Bubba) Lusk Jr.

"We don't know where we would be today without you telling us about Jesus and loving us through our "rough days".

The Secret To The Fountain Of Youth

     I had the privilege of meeting a man named Joe Elias at Pickens County Seniors Unlimited while doing my internship for school.  I first spoke with Joe over the phone, I was making calls to the clients asking if they were still interested in using our services.  You could tell that Joe needed someone to talk to that day, so I listened.

     Joe began by telling me how he wasn't happy with his current situation.  His nephew just moved him out of his home into an assisted living facility called Clemson Downs in Clemson, SC.  Joe talked for a good while about different things and I listened, but what really struck something in me was when he made this comment, "I am 102 yrs. old and I think God has forgotten about me!"

     Old age, should we fear it or embrace it?  While speaking with Joe he shared with me that he has nothing left to live for, that each day is the same.  Our conversation went on for a good thirty minutes and he ended it by saying I needed to come visit with him.  I did get the chance to visit with Joe and he is a remarkable man that still has so much to offer even in his 102 year old body.  Everyone at Clemson Downs talked so highly of Joe and I truly enjoyed our visit.  He did give me an impression of how it could feel to be 102, and from my encounter with Joe I wrote this poem:

     A poem on how it might feel to be trapped in an aging body.....
   

   Stuck Within

 Trapped.....fight to get out

Scream.....but no one can hear you

Escape.....you can't

You're Stuck Within

Long Days.....that last forever

Wasted Time.....with nothing to do

Moment by Moment.....you live without

You're Stuck Within

Outer Vessel.....deteriorating quickly

Strength.....that fades away

Spirit.....dies inside

You're Stuck Within

                                                                

(Author-Crystal Hall)

     .....but don't let this poem define you as you age, as Tim McConnell put it we should embrace each stage of life.  "Embrace each stage of your life that God gives you, enjoy the days of your youth while you are young but when you are old embrace it also because God is good in all stages." -Tim McConnell.

    There is a man that lives in our Dacusville community that is embracing old age.  This man is almost ninety years old, he gets up at the crack of dawn and works on his farm till sun down.  He believes in staying active, he doesn't take the time to let age get in his way. Staying active is the secret to the fountain of youth.

     We find two different scenarios in these two men, yet are they really different?

     Is it our bodies that trap us, or is it our minds? In Philippians 4:12, God tells us to be content in every situation.  Both men have lived a long life, is it possible to wake up each morning and both men have a happy and productive day?  What if Joe took on a new way of looking at things? What would be the difference then?

     In Ecclesiastes, we read that life is meaningless but it doesn't have to be because Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullness." -John 10:10  The real secret is not in finding the fountain of youth but in finding the one that will give you life to the fullness no matter the age.