Welcome to The Little Town with a Big Heart”
A man’s daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.
“I guess you were expecting me,” he said. “No, who are you?” said the father.
The minister told him his name and then remarked, “I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up,”
“Oh yeah, the chair,” said the bedridden man. “Would you mind closing the door?”
Puzzled, the minister shut the door. “I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,” said the man. “But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer,” the old man continued, “until one day, four years ago, my best friend said to me, ‘Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest...’” ‘Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky, because He promised, ‘I will be with you always.’ Then just speak to Him in the same way you’re doing with me right now.’” “So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.”
The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.
“Did he die in peace?” the minister asked. “Yes. When I left the house about two o–clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But, there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?”
The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, “I wish we could all go like that.”
In the absence of Bro. Jamie Leach at Grace United on Sunday, Bro. Ronnie Blass brought the devotion. We dad a good attendance and Bro Jamie was there on Sunday night.
My deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Ms. Lorene A. Smith, 100, of Little Rock. Services were held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 at Center Ridge Baptist Church with burial in the Providence Baptist Church Cemetery. Bros. James McMillan, Bobby Everette and Jackie Strebeck officiated.
Survivors: include eight children; a daughter-in-law; 23 grandchildren; 54 great-grandchildren; 36 great-great-grandchildren; and a sister in Law, Kate Alexander. She was preceded in death by and her husband of 73 years, Roy C. Smith.
Prayer requests go out to Dannie Walker, Norman Snowden, Jerry Griffin, Irvin Hicks, Carol Ann Alexander, Jack Graham, Shirley Griffin, Marie Eason, Bonnie Walker, Cheryl Stacy, Bill Matlock, Lorene Smith family, John Patterson, Doyle Gibbs, Doyle McMullan, Cili Norman, Johnnie McMullian, Micheal Roland, Aaron Stokes, Stephanie Roland, Betty Kennedy, Janie McMullan and Stacy Stevens.
Shut-ins are Christine Herd, Ola Jean Parker, Mary Stamper and Abertine Walker.
Birthday requests for Oct. 12 go out to Lalah McEhlheney; for Oct. 13 to Curtis Walker and Andy McMillian; for Oct. 14 to Jennifer Mosley and Harry Nickalalson; for Oct. 15 to Hunter Morgan, Carla Cluff and Jonathan Thorne; for Oct. 16 to Mike Brown, Kristen McDonald, Stacy Roland, Ginger Hand and Sara Ford; and for Oct. 17 to Scott Nunley, Ryan McMillian and Ann Airhart.
Anniversary requests for Oct. 12 go out to Dan and Carol Gardner; and for Oct. 14 to J.R and Michelle Addy.
Recipe for the week: Dixie’s Pecan Pie Cobbler
Ingredients: 1 box refrigerated pie crust, 2-1/2 cups light corn syrup, 2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, 4 teaspoon vanilla, 6 eggs, lightly beaten, 2 cups chopped pecans, cooking spray, 2 cups pecan halves, vanilla ice cream for topping, (optional but highly recommended).
Instructions: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 13” x 9” glass baking dish. Remove one pie crust from package and roll out to fit the baking dish. Trim edges. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Whisk until well combined. Stir in chopped pecans. Spoon half of filling into crust. Remove the second crust from the package, and roll out to fit baking dish.
Lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake 14-16 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees and carefully spoon remaining pecan filling over crust. Arrange the pecan halves over the top and bake 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
From the communities of Hickory, Berry, Sand Springs, and Mount Vernon and Poplar Springs, email or call floraoverstreet64@gmail.com or call 601- 479-9044 with your news.
