Weekend spent cooking, canning

What different weather we're having for mid-summer. Seems it storms every day or so and the power goes off. But how great it is to get the showers? We don't get as much rain here in our area as the Madison area gets; we are thankful for every little bit.
And what a beautiful weekend we've just experienced. Most of the day was spent cooking or canning on Saturday, as we always have extra guests for our homecoming and that means extra food. Sometimes we actually run out of food. Sunday was great as our homecoming services were opened with Clarke Kesler and Friends, and how they did thrill the congregation. We missed Freddie Smith but the extra singers took up the slack and voices blended beautifully with Michael, Tracy, Sandy and Jennifer as they joined in with Clarke and Doyle. After the special singing service,  Butch gave his sermon from Judges 13:1-5 and Judges 14:4, talking to us about a very familiar story– the story of Samson.
We do thank each of our visitors for coming and pray you received a blessing and will be back again.
Don't forget that our revival begins on Monday night through Friday night at 7 p.m. with Dr. Ed Kirsche.
After the service  we all enjoyed the delicious barbecue pork and chicken and the stew, with all the extra dishes prepared by our ladies. Don't we have some great cooks in our little church? I think there were two banana puddings but when I got to the dessert table it was all gone. Oh well. That cheesecake and pecan pie was good, too. Thank you to all the ladies that worked so hard to make the meal so special.
And I'd like to say a special "thank you" to Eleanor Johnson, Cindy Smith and Stephanie Martin for the great job they do "fixing up" the fellowship hall for special occasions. Sometimes we tend to overlook special people like this.
I've just had a couple of prayer requests come through asking prayers for Brenda Bryans and Angie Webb who are both having heart problems today and are hospitalized, and as Clarke announced on Sunday he will be having hip replacement surgery in the very near future. Seems everyone is doing better on our listings and that is a blessing. Always remember Mike Walker and his family as he improves daily.
This coming fifth Sunday night I will be singing at Sewell Methodist Church, located just off Newborn Road, at 6 p.m. Also the Jonesmen Quartet are the special singers; plan to attend. Thursday night  at Bechamp's Gospel Barn, AKA "The Chicken House," Mark Fuller will be in concert.
Our Ladies In Faith Together are working on the Samaritan's Purse Shoe Boxes for Christmas. 
 So much and many activities coming up in the next few months. Don't forget, only one more Sunday to bring your donations to benefit our food pantry, with the winning class getting breakfast made for them in August.
Happy anniversary to Wendy and Don Patterson on the 29. And birthday blessings for Ginny Bell on Aug. 1.
Not much going on, or I haven't been notified, so I'll close with this.
So until next week, may the Lord bless you real good.

Printed in the July 26, 2012 edition.