Do You Have A Place For Me?

"I'm Ruined"

I'm ruined, toss me out.

I have a past, there is no doubt.

I don't fit in, I don't belong.

I tried to do right, all I've done is wrong.

Toss me out, or help me out?

I just need to find a different route.

(Author-Crystal E. Hall)

       Will you be the one to help?
   

Meet the children of Radiant Church.

     Lisa Freeman is a teacher at Dacusville Elementary School, but she is also the children's director at Radiant Church. Lisa grew up not going to church, neither parent had a relationship with God. When Lisa was in high school her friends introduced her to Jesus and she got involved with the youth group. Lisa's passion was foreign missions, she traveled to Australia, Africa, Romania, all over the world to share the
gospel. Radiant Church started from a Mission trip to San Diego. Her and her husband went to help on the mission trip. While on this mission trip they experienced  how it feels for the native people from San Diego to be unchurched; it was a refreshing feeling to minister to people that are not the stereotypical church people. The mission team started praying and asking, "What would this look like back home?"

     They tossed some ideals around such as, there are already hundreds of churches so how do we make this work, we need to just step out, try and see how it goes, and who will we get to lead our group? At the time, Ricky Motes was a youth pastor at Washington Avenue Baptist Church where he intended to stay.  But in April 2009, God woke him up with a different plan to pastor a new church plant. The group of five families started the planning process.

     In September 2009 Radiant Church was birthed, they started meeting at Berea High School with 40 members.  God gave Ricky a vision to do church a little different. He wanted them to reach the de-churched, the people that don't fit in traditional church, and the people that haven't given church a chance. In the online article "De-Churched:  Why They Left" by Thom Schultz, he defines de-churched as "people that are done with organized church, in some cases they are wounded, in other cases they are just disinterested. They are tired of what Jesus' church has become, they want real relationships, real love. They are not looking for perfection or polish or pious professionalism, they are looking for real people who are willing to admit they don't have it all together, but realize we're all in this together."  Ricky Motes is a police officer so his teaching style is evangelistic because his job allows him to always be around the lost, he sees the worst of the world daily. Monday through Friday he is around hurting people with a bad past. Sundays, he is preaching to hurting people with a bad past.

Pastor Ricky performing a baptism.

     Lisa said that Radiant Church is based on the book of Acts; Peter and John were ordinary unspoiled men but spent time with Jesus. No one in this group had ever ran a church before, but they felt like God had prepared them. They received redirecting from their family and friends when they shared the news of starting Radiant Church. They made a comment such as they don't need to start a new church, just help other churches. Their family and friends were not against the ideal, just questionable about it. The church wasn't questionable about it, they knew God was calling them to start Radiant Church.

     "And he said unto them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."-Matthew 4:19  Lisa said that when they started the church they wanted people that didn't go to church because they wanted to bring fish in, not trade fish, however everyone is welcomed.

     Have you ever been hurt by the church, or had a bad experience?

     Could we all say we have experienced this one way or the other?  The church is made up of imperfect people, but it has stood the test of time.  It will prevail because the foundation is Jesus Christ, and he is the builder, "on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail."- Matt. 16:18  No matter how people get things wrong and mess things up, Jesus will raise up a church body to love and show the way.

     What is different about Radiant Church?

     First, this body of believers don't meet in a traditional building; they meet in a school, not because they have to but because it is God's plan for them now.  They are not affiliated with any organizations or denominations. Lisa said, "Lost people don't care about organizations, denominations, or doctrines, they are looking for hope and the love of Jesus." Since they are a portable church, they have to move their equipment every Sunday, they have to set up and tear down, and that takes a lot of work. Since this takes a lot of work, they need workers so there are always ways to serve. Their church congregation is not made up of traditional church members. It's made up of people with a past, hurting people, wounded people, people that are not so easily accepted. Would you allow someone to come into your church that is a quite, timid person, that didn't graduate from high school, callused, rough, with tattoos serve in your church? Radiant Church welcomes it with open arms. They don't only welcome these people, they desire these people to be part of their church body.

     Radiant Church has a vision to be:  Relevant. Relational. Radical.

*Relevant worship experience
*Relational by building deep relationships
*Radical, serving others radically

Radiant: "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was "Radiant" because he had spoken with the Lord." -Exodus 34:29

      Radiant Church currently meets now at Dacusville Elementary School at 10:00 on Sunday mornings. They have no evening or Wednesday night services, what they do offer are Life groups which meet at members homes. They have no paid staff and no church office. When they moved their church body to Dacusville, in their thoughts were, we should have done this all along.

     Working at Dacusville Elementary, Lisa gets to see how our community comes together, how all the churches come together in unity to make this the best community for our children.  Cross Roads hands out book bags with food to less fortunate children to have over the weekends.  Nine Forks donates supplies for teachers with encouraging notes attached. Mount Carmel offered our kids the Good News Club after school program.  Other area churches are always giving to meet the needs of our children. Lisa sees the needs that are being met and what needs still need attention. Clothes for the children who have emergencies at school are often bought by the school nurse out of her own pocket, so Lisa knows that her church needs to collect and donate new underwear, shirts, and pants to meet this need.  "This is what Jesus had in mind:  folks coming together, forming close-knit communities and meeting each other needs-no kings, no major welfare systems, no president necessary..." -Shane Claiborne

     When Radiant Church came to Dacusville, they knew that there were already many churches in the area. They also know that you can have many different varieties of churches running after the same Jesus because we are all different, with different needs.  You may, or may not have known about Radiant Church meeting at Dacusville Elementary School, because the church meets at a school they are not allowed to place signs of any kind on the property.  This has been an issue on how to let the community know about the church.  The church did sponsor a free Spring Fling for our community in April. At the Spring Fling they passed out cd's to let the community know about the church. As the cd says, "It's a place where you can be real and not feel intimidated.  Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and be ready to be greeted by people who want to do life together."

Pastor Ricky Always Welcomes You With Open Arms!
(Spring Fling- April, 2013) 

     "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."-Romans 15:7
Everyone wants to feel accepted, Radiant Church has a place for you.


*To contact Radiant Church Click Here

Disclaimer: "U.S. Supreme Court provides for the use of public school buildings by churches, religious and political groups on a viewpoint-neutral basis, if the public school districts are already renting their facilities after hours to other community groups... One appellate court, the 2nd Circuit, ruled in 2011 that a school board’s prohibition of hosting a particular type of activity, religious worship services, was constitutional."-FFRF   Lisa Freeman is not affiliated with Radiant Church during regular school hours. 

   



   

           

   

   

Leaving A Legacy To Be Proud Of

     As I drove up McConnell Rd. here in Dacusville it was a cool 77 degrees.  The sun was hidden behind all the rain clouds that we have been experiencing for the past two weeks.  I had my window down and was enjoying the ride because it's such a beautiful, peaceful area.  I looked to the left and there was the sawmill, so I knew that I was at the right place.  As I pulled in, first I was greeted by a large dog and behind that dog was a tall man wearing glasses and a cap, with a big friendly smile.

Tim McConnell

     Tim McConnell is the grandson of the late Drake and Janie Attaway McConnell, and the son of the late Charlie and Ruby McConnell.  The McConnell family is a well-known family in our small Dacusville community.  I was interested in finding out more about this family especially since it makes up a large part of our community.  

     Tim began telling me the history of his family, how they are Scott, Irish, and English descendants.   They lived in Anderson and a couple of brothers moved to Dacusville back in the 1900's.  His grandfather Drake McConnell started the sawmill that is still being used today by Tim and his family here in Dacusville.  Tim shared with me the stories of how the area changed over the years.  Peter's Creek use to be a school that his aunts and uncles attended.  It was a one room school building with several grades on one side and several grades on the other side before it became Peter's Creek Baptist Church.  Jones Hill Church of God came to exist through brush arbor meetings.  You can read about the History of brush arbor meetings by checking out http://www.ehow.com/facts_6067135_history-brush-arbors.html 

     Janie Attaway McConnell, Tim's grandmother, wrote a personal diary to leave for her family to read and I felt privileged when Tim shared it with me, and I want to share some excerpts with you. Janie wrote this diary from 1903-1941. She wrote each year during the celebration of her anniversary to her husband Drake McConnell.  She shared in her diary how hard life was, how she missed her husband because he had to work so much to provide for their family, and how each year seemed to bring a new child. 

*March 30, 1904:  Just one year ago today I was made the wife of J.D. McConnell, the dearest man on earth.  I never tire of looking at him.  He is in all my thoughts.  Poor boy!  He has a hard time.  His dear slender shoulders have a heavy load to carry.

*March 30, 1908:  What is to become of us?  What are we to do with so many babies--four here on our fifth wedding anniversary?

*August 5, 1908:  God gave and God has taken away.  Our family circle is broken--a place made vacant in our home that can never more be filled.  Our little Harvey, our pure, sweet, little baby boy, has been beneath the sod two weeks today.  I didn't know last year what I was to do with so many babies, but it didn't take God long to show me.  He took Little Harvey home to Heaven.  Little did I think when I wrote last year about having so many babies, and not knowing what to do with so many, that God would take one of my darlings away from me.  But he knows best.  Could we but see ahead!  What changes we would make in what we do and say.

*March 30, 1916:  Thirteen years passed, gone.  We are still struggling to live.  I hope to live until I can get a new apron without feeling like I'm stealing.

*March 30, 1927:  We are still living hard--one little old cow, no hogs to kill and nothing much to feed this crowd on, and nothing to wear either.

*March 30, 1932:  It seems that times are worse than ever.  Can't sell lumber or get money any way, but we have bread, milk, butter, meat, lard, syrup, eggs, and canned goods at home.  We are thankful, and as happy as anybody, I guess.

*March 30, 1936:  My children found the Lord last summer at the brush arbor.  They received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and I did too.  I'm glad that we learned about that wonderful blessing.  The boys have started the new Church of God down at Jack's place.

*April 3, 1941:  I haven't done much good in this world, but I've done the very best I could.  I've lived a clean, pure life that you children and grandchildren need never be ashamed of.  I have loved the Lord and kept his commandments to the very best of my ability.  I have never been lazy. I have worked with my hands to provide for your needs and comfort.  I am praying daily for each child of ours, that God will save you, and that our Big Family of 18 will be unbroken in Heaven, where there will be no pain, where we won't be hungry, or have to wear rags.  We will all be glad someday, we can all sing and shout and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy.  We have lots to be thankful for now.  The barn is full of fodder, hay, and corn. We have milk and butter, chickens and eggs, pretty good health, and better clothes than we once had.

Janie Attaway McConnell passed away on February 20, 1942.  She was laid to rest beside her son Bill, in the Jones Hill Church of God cemetery. Bill was killed in an auto accident.

Drake and Janie McConnell in the center of the picture with two of their children.

     Life was not easy for the McConnell family, they had to work hard at the sawmill and at farming.  If you had the chance to read the complete diary you would understand more of the struggles that they had. What they did have was a wife/mother that stood strong to her beliefs and she knew that her God would see them through.  Tim shared that they were not left with a heritage of a large sum of money, but of land and of a spiritual heritage. 

     Tim has seven brothers and sisters.  Charlie and Ruby, Tim's parents first child was a girl and then they had a boy and the sequence went like that through the rest of the children.  Tim has a twin sister named Tammy.  Tim said that Tammy is older because she was born on November 24th at midnight and Tim was born on November 25th.   

     The family owned a general store on their land where they sold gas, meat, and candy.  Tim's parents ran the store as a second business.  Now the store has been restored and is being used as the office for their sawmill business.  One day when they were young his brother Jerry took a chocolate bar from the store.  He had chocolate all over him after eating it, and his dad told him he knew better. Jerry responded by saying, "The Lord told me to take it."  His dad said, "No, the Lord didn't, that was the devil."

     Tim said that his family killed hogs in the fall, cured them with spices, wrapped them in toe sacks and hung them in their garage.  His dad would kill, clean, and cut up the hogs and Tim at the age of six would be given the fresh liver to take to his mom to cook for that night.  They also raised cattle, Tammy and Tim bottle fed the calves and at the time didn't know they were being raised to eat.  They just knew the cattle was gone and in the next few weeks they had hamburger meat.  The family had the biggest gardens, they canned food, and they had bees for honey.  Tim's dad would be logging and find a nest of bees and bring them home to get honey from them.

     Tim's parents were ones that lead an example for their children to follow, and they were consistent in doing so.  They taught their children how important hard work and honesty are and they lived this 24/7.  Tim said that his dad got up every morning and cooked breakfast for him until Tim graduated from school.  Tim's dad prayed every morning  and every night, he taught the kids the Lord's Prayer and had devotions with them.  Tim's mom was a very giving person.  She became a beautician and had clients until the last couple of years of her life.  The salon was always busy and Tim always had someone to play with. Tim knew all about the salon business and went into selling beauty supplies for 13 years.  Tim's mom also was a seamstress, she made quilts.  She made quilts for all of her children. 

     Tim said he learned this very valuable lesson when his dad passed away, "Never take for granted the words of your love ones when you depart." Tim didn't know that the day his dad said, "Treat people right, honest and fair, love everyone and you'll always have all the business you need", that these would be the last words he would ever hear his dad say.  Later that day he died of a massive heart attack at the age of 62. Tim said that thirty years later people still come up to him talking to him about his dad.  Tim took over the sawmill business three years after his dad passed.  Living in Dacusville and and being raised by his parents that taught him hard work and honesty, Tim said that when he did spend time selling the beauty supplies he was showed a different side of people, an ugly side.  He saw that outside of Dacusville and his family that people lie, cheat, and they don't pay their bills.  He said that he's been so blessed to be apart of his family.

     After reading Janie Attaway McConnell's personal diary, Tim's grandmother, I felt like I could understand where she was coming from, I felt as though I could feel the struggles that life brought her and her family. With every new entry that she wrote I was in anticipation to read what each year would bring this family.  If I could I would like to meet Janie and tell her thank you for the devotion and love that she had for her family, thank you for the example of hard work and honesty that she passed down to her children, but most importantly thank you for showing them the way to Christ because you see there is no better legacy to leave and be proud of than this, "to hear that my children are walking in the truth." -3 John 1:4  God tells us to, "fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." - Deuteronomy 11:18-19  

     Being around the McConnell family I see the honesty and hard work that has been passed down through their generations, but most importantly I see Christ in their lives and the difference that he is making through them. What a legacy that this family is leaving, Janie you would be proud. 

      

     

The McConnell Family Tree

       

            

     

      

Milestones

     Life has been defined as many things: a game, a gift, a gamble, a chance.  I say life is a path and along that path we place milestones.  

     The milestones we place gives us a chance to stop long enough to pause and create a memory.   All of us are at different places along the path of life but it seems that we have the same milestones, just different memories.  In 1995 my dad passed away on October 4th, and on October 11th I turned 21.  Turning 21 is a milestone that we place along our path, and  for many turning 21 is a good memory, but for me it was another day because I didn't celebrate it.

     Funny thing about the path of life is that we can't see where we are going, only where we have came from.  "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
-Soren Kierkegaard.  We create our plans and our days, but do we really have control over our lives?  "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
-Proverbs 16:9

   

      Dacusville is a special place with special people so I want to tell you about a special person in my life, her name is Taylor Hall and she is my daughter. 

      Taylor just turned 16 and this has been a hard milestone for me to see her hit.  It's hard to watch your children grow up because you know you have to start letting them go and since we can't see the path ahead let me share some special moments that is in her past.  When she was six we were walking through the yard and I said watch out for the spider webs and she told me, "Momma, I will walk through the spider webs for you."  When Taylor was about seven we were discussing what Jesus did for us, how he died and took the stripes across his back for you and me.  Taylor's younger sister was going to have to get a spanking and Taylor said, "Momma, I will take the spanking for her like Jesus done for us."  Taylor has always been someone who thinks of others above herself.  In school she's always made a point to be a friend to new students.  I've watched her take on challenges and come through a champion.

     Taylor you have reached 16 and I hope and pray that you have many more milestones to reach and in reaching those milestones my wish for you is, "this life becomes all that you want it to."- Rascal Flatts "My Wish"  

     ...and as you reach your milestones may they be as special as each one of you are!  

     
        
      
     

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.

Who Are Our Heroes?

     

PFC Barrett Austin

     Just recently our little town of Dacusville mourned the loss of PFC Barrett Austin.  In greenvilleonline.com, "Community Mourns Soldier from Dacusville" it states that "Pfc. Barrett L. Austin, of Easley, died April 21 in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered when his vehicle was hit April 17 by an enemy improvised explosive device in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Department of Defense."

     Everywhere you look in Dacusville you read, "Barrett Austin, Our Hometown Hero". This got me thinking about what is a hero, who do we call our heroes?  Barrett Austin is a hero because he so unselfishly gave his life for our country. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends"- John 15:13. 

     A soldier sacrifices his life to give us our freedom. What is it in us to be willing to sacrifice our own life for others? On a shirt that is being made to show our support for Austin it reads, "A soldier doesn't fight because he hates the enemy in front of him, he fights because he loves what he left behind". In a world that seems to be getting more and more selfish there is a thing called LOVE that is threaded through each of us. As long as we have love, we will have heroes.

     Could an ordinary person be a hero? Sure they can, I think that is what makes the best heroes. We put way too much emphasis on what qualifies someone as a hero. The definition of hero in my book is anyone that loves.
     
     Have you ever considered yourself as a hero? My daughter once told me that I was her hero. We label people all the time, and to have a label placed on you such as a hero is a high honor. I didn't do anything special to be seen as a hero in my daughter's eyes, I just love her and that makes me her hero. 
     
     The greatest hero of all time is Jesus Christ, he loved us and because of his love for us he laid down his life so that we could be saved.
   
       A hero usually doesn't consider themselves as a hero. I am sure that if you were able to ask Barrett Austin did he consider himself a hero he would respond with a no because he was just doing what he done for the people and the country he loved, but because Barrett loved he became our hero.

    Do you have to die to become a hero, of course not.  Most of us are just ordinary people living our lives.  But you could be labeled as a hero, look for someone to love today and become their hero.

     Thank you PFC Barrett Austin for the love you gave!