Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. We have had some crazy weather this week with cool days and night for June. I personally am ready for warmth. Keep those Jesus smiles going. We need Jesus more today than ever and people should see the Jesus in your life. Keep up the smiles.
There will not be a Down At the River next week. Peggy and I will be on vacation with our families in the mountains of North Carolina. Call Pastor Josh if you need anything or call the office. We will be praying for you all and hope you have a good week. We will see you this Sunday for Father’s Day.
This past Tuesday, Dad & Mom, Peggy and I went to the Western North Carolina Veterans Cemetery to be a part of my Aunt Rose’s funeral. This was my Dad’s sister. Aunt Rose was the second daughter of Harold and Julia Simmons and the eighth child born to them. They would go on to have 4 more daughters. My Dad came from a large family. Aunt Rose was married in 1963 to a Navy man. She and her husband traveled the United States including Hawaii during his Navy years. They had two sons Danny & Mark.
Aunt Rose and I had a special bond over the past 7 years. We were both diagnosed with cancer the same summer. I with Neck Cancer and she with Ovarian Cancer. We both went through chemo and the various hospital stays. She endured a great deal more than I did. The chemo did a number on her, but during her good times she traveled out to San Diego, CA, to see her son, Mark who moved there in 2007. She fought her fight with dignity and grace. Last week she won her battle with cancer when Jesus called her home to heaven. Cancer no longer has control over her body and she no longer is in any pain from the treatment and its complications.
Now my first real memory of Aunt Rose was right after her and my Uncle Bill got married. Uncle Bill was stationed in Charleston, SC. When Uncle Bill was out at sea and our family would travel from Savannah, GA, to my Dad’s home in Newport, NC, we would stop off and get Aunt Rose and take her with us. She was a petite young Navy wife and she would jump in the back seat with my brother and I and off we would head to Papa & Granny’s. I will never forget that first time she rode with us. Not long after picking her up we were getting ready to drive over the old Cooper River Bridge. That bridge is now destroyed, but back then it was the only way over the Cooper River. It was a two lane, two expansion bridge that was very eerie to cross. It was so high that we always liked looking down at the boats and cars because they looked like matchbox cars. Well it was later in the evening the first time we picked Aunt Rose up. I was a young boy and I remember vividly that when we approached the bridge that Aunt Rose jumped into the floorboard of the back seat and began crying, “Tell me when we are across, tell me when we are across. I hate this bridge, I hate this bridge.” Well I was laughing and saying Aunt Rose don’t you want to see all the lights and how little the boats look in the water. “No, just tell me when we are over. Are we over yet? Are we over yet?” She was hysterical. I was laughing thinking she was being funny, but she wasn’t. She was genuinely scared. I remember when we got off the bridge that she just calmed right down. I remember telling her we were to the other side and she got back up in the seat and was fine. She really didn’t like that bridge. And she hid in the floorboard every time we went over that bridge.
I also remember that Aunt Rose always introduced me to the greatest things. One day when she got in the car we were riding along and she asked me if I wanted a lemon drop. Well I had never had a lemon drop before and I ask what it was. She produced one and said here try it. I did and I was hooked. A lemon hard candy covered in sugar. We at the whole bag all the way to Papa and Granny’s. One time we were staying at their house in Charleston and she introduced me to Snickerdoodle Cookies. I had never had a Snickerdoodle Cookie and until the day she died no one cooked better Snickerdoodle Cookies than Aunt Rose. She will be greatly missed by all of us in the family.
My Aunt Rose was never shy to give her opinion. Yet she was always very good about serving others. She was always active in all of her children’s school activities. She was active in their church. For the past 18 years she has spearheaded a senior group in her church meeting one Tuesday a month. It was called “Happy Tuesday.” They had so much fun and Aunt Rose coordinated it and it brought a great deal of joy to the families in her church. I’m not sure everyone really knew just how much my Aunt Rose did do while she was being a Sailor’s wife. She could host a party or show up at one and follow all the rules. She might have something to say about the rules, but she was the consummate Navy wife.
In 2018 while I was on Sabbatical I got to go to worship with Uncle Bill and Aunt Rose. We entered her small Episcopal Church and she introduced me as her nephew. She always had a way of saying it that made me smile. She was proud of her church and I was happy that I got to be with them that Sunday. Of all the things that impressed me about Aunt Rose was her dedication to getting a job done. When she was so sick with cancer treatments getting her down, she never failed to make sure that “Happy Tuesday” still took place. She was committed to those senior adults and to this program of good food, good fellowship and good times. Sometimes I think we forget about the importance of that within our churches today.
Aunt Rose thank you for all the things you taught me growing up. Thanks for being a part of my life and loving me. Thanks for the time I visited in Jacksonville, FL, and the time Peggy and I spent with you in 2007. You were always going out of your way to make us feel like more than family. Thank you for being a committed disciple of Jesus. You did your part and you did it well. I will be forever grateful for the time I spent with you. Thank you for instilling those same important lessons in your sons. I will miss you and promise to do my best to continue to fight my cancer until I win also.
Talking about my Aunt Rose has got me to Just Thinking! How much are we pouring into those around us? We do our own thing today without thinking about those who are around us. And how committed are we to the jobs that God calls us to do? We often find the simplest excuses to not participate or shirk the responsibilities that God gives us because we are tired or feel under appreciated. Yet when we are called to do something for God we should do it with all of our might.
My Aunt Rose left a legacy. She left something behind to remind others of her life and to remind us to keep the light burning. Are we teaching our children, grandchildren, others that we come in contact with the necessary lessons in life? Are we leaving a legacy for others to remember?
One of the things that we do not have in the church today is commitment. We are easy to make church our last priority. We are quick to put other things in front of church. When asked to do something at church we have to make sure we don’t have other commitments. For seven years my Aunt Rose fought cancer, but “Happy Tuesday” continue every month even during her toughest times. She made sure that the meeting and event was planned and provided for. It was a commitment. Are we committed to the task that God calls us to?
Just imagine all God could get done if we just had commitments that mattered. I just wonder where the church would be if we were all committed to doing our part. They say that 20% of the people do 80% of the work in a church. Imagine what a difference it would make if 80% of the people were committed to doing their part. Wow! The church would be transformed. Will you be committed?
Dear Lord, help us to do our part. Help us to step up to the plate even when we might be by ourselves. Help us not to depend on others before we do our part. Give us the opportunity to serve you in ways that will make a difference for the Kingdom of God. Lord be with Danny and Mark as they grieve the death of their Mom. Help them as they have lost both of their parents in less than a year. Give them strength by your hand to carry on. Lord, thank you for Aunt Rose and her example. Thank you that I was influenced by her wit, strength and ability. Help us all to be committed to you in all you would have us to do. In Jesus name, Amen.
Let’s read the Bible together:
Thursday – 1 Chronicles 5-6; 2 Corinthians 5; Proverbs 18
Friday – 1 Chronicles 7-8; 2 Corinthians 6; Proverbs 19
Saturday – 1 Chronicles 9-10; 2 Corinthians 7; Proverbs 20
Sunday – 1 Chronicles 11-12; 2 Corinthians 8; Proverbs 21
Monday – 1 Chronicles 13-14; 2 Corinthians 9; Proverbs 22
Tuesday – 1 Chronicles 15-16; 2 Corinthians 10; Proverbs 23
Wednesday – 1 Chronicles 17-18; 2 Corinthians 11; Proverbs 24
Thursday, June, 25th – 1 Chronicles 19-20; 2 Corinthians 12; Proverbs 25
Friday, June 26th – 1 Chronicles 21-22; 2 Corinthians 13; Proverbs 26
Saturday, June 27th – 1 Chronicles 23-24; Galatians 1; Proverbs 27
Sunday, June 28th – 1 Chronicles 25-26; Galatians 2; Proverbs 28
Monday, June 29th – 1 Chronicles 27-29; Galatians 3; Proverbs 29
Tuesday, June 30th – 2 Chronicles 1-2; Galatians 4; Proverbs 30–31
Wednesday, July 1st – 2 Chronicles 3-4; Galatians 5; Proverbs 1
This week at the river:
Peacemaker’s quilt class is meeting at 9:30 am in the FLC.
Sunday, June 21st Information:
“Taking Fatherhood Seriously”
Psalm 128:1-6
No Sunday Evening Service, Enjoy your Father’s Day!!
Important Dates to Remember:
The Sunday School Teachers will have an important meeting on Sunday, July 5th at 9:45 am in the Adult Assembly. If you are a teacher please try and be present. We are trying to decide when to regather for Sunday School and we need your input. The meeting will be about 30 minutes long so that you can dismiss and get to the worship service.
Sunday Evening, July 12th at 5 pm you are invited to the Ordination Service of Josh Slatten. It will be at Ebenezer Welcome Baptist Church on Hwy 414. We will not have evening worship at Reedy River and you are all invited as we finally get to ordain Josh to the Gospel Ministry.
We remind you that we continue to live stream Sunday mornings only on the Reedy River Website at reedyriverbc.org. Open up the website and click on sermon. You will find the live steam on this tab. You can also keep up to date and read Daily Devotions.
Birthdays for the weeks of June 18th – July 1st:
Candy Poindexter – today
Ann Golightly – Saturday
Morris Greene – Saturday
David Wingard – Saturday
Randy Hensley – Sunday
Cleta Hamer – Thursday, June 25th
Anniversaries for the weeks of June 18th – July 1st:
Allen & Judy Dean – Saturday
Praise & Prayer:
Praising God that Karen gets to go in and be with Ray after surgery. Praising God for good doctor’s report. Praising God for His many blessings.
Please pray for the following:
Ray Batson – Had surgery, biopsies taken, waiting for several days for results.
Chris Bass – health issues
Roger Bennett – heart issues yesterday, at home
Joyce Branton - shingles
John DiNatale – had stress test, gets results today
Betty Garren – had a procedure on arm yesterday. home
Donna Gillem – hernia surgery 6/24
Donnie Henry – recovering from foot surgery
Bud Hudson – health issues – St. Francis hospital, moving to Heartland today
Lauren Mayer – getting ready to deliver baby
Candy Poindexter –taking chemo pills at home
Ralph & Carol Roberts – health issues at home
Scott Carpenter – health issues – Karen Batson’s son
Lorine Cain – procedure 6/5 – Friend of Dee Dees
Kathy Evans – health – cousin of Preston and Ann Golightly
Carlie Freeman – health issues – Bruce & Jean Freeman’s granddaughter
Landon Hartman – 8 year old with cancer
Eleanor Hoagland – lung cancer – Ken George’s sister
Jimmy Jones – home after heart surgery doing well – Rudy Jones brother
Kenny Keown – had surgery, not as bad as they thought, recovering, pray for salvation – Bill Kewon’s brother in Texas
Karen Kress – brain cancer – friend of Linda Ray
Mr. Morrison – kidney stone – Tammy Davidson’s Dad
Rachel Robertson – Had surgery on Monday, home recovering – Larry & Palma Simmons’ granddaughter
Joy Patterson – bladder cancer – Loretta Lovelace’s Mom
Judy Price – Stage 4 lung cancer – Friend of Linda Ray
Georgia Vance – cancer – Nena’s Mom
Jerry Whaley – liver cancer – friend of Tommy Chandler
Justin Wheatly – burn on top of foot – Darrell & Shannon Mercer’s son
John Wooten – prostate cancer, waiting for next procedure – Tammy Davidson’s uncle
Lin & LeeAnna Bradley & boys – Lin is finished at Fort Jackson. He and the family are going to travel to Fort Bragg and then be shipped out overseas.
All Missions and Ministries
All healthcare workers, civil servants, teachers, students, and everyone dealing with this virus in a different way.
Dear Jesus, we ask for your mercy and grace to be extended on these that we love. We ask that you will hold them in the palm of your hand and give them rest. We pray for the caregivers and ask that you will provide for them and give them extra strength and courage to deal with the situations. Help us to show our compassion and show our love. Thank you for always being there for us in every situation. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
Love God! Love People!!
David M. Simmons
864-293-2391
Job 13:15
Psalm 100:3
Proverbs 3:5-7
John 10:10