"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is."

Hopefully you have had a blessed weekend, and were able to celebrate the accomplishments and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in some way.  If your week wasn't good, then I pray for the blessings of the Lord to be yours as you inherit His peace that passes all understanding.  Let us continue to pray for the people of Haiti and innocent people in war torn areas, and the people in California battling the mud slides and rain.

Trinity AME Church

The J&S Young People's Choir of Trinity AME Church celebrated their tribute to Dr. King on Sunday, Jan. 17th with yours truly presiding.  Others on program were Jasheima Carter, and Shannon Sumpter and all members of the choir.  The choir was under the direction of Mrs. Mildran Walker and Ms Kim Davis Walker.  Rev. Herman Ford, Jr., is the pastor.

Dickerson AME Church

Dickerson AME Church celebrated its annual Red and Black program on Sunday, Jan. 17th at 4 p.m. with Minister Leroy Moultrie presiding.  Others on program were: Brother Kiah Williams, organist, Rev. Susan Green, Rev. Deborah Joyner, Brother Billy White, Sr. and the choirs of Williams AME Church of Columbia, SC. and  the Dickerson AME combined choir.  The speaker for the occasion was Rev. Lester Drayton, formerly of Georgetown, and the pastor of Williams AME Church of Columbia.  Sister Suette Mickel was the chairperson and Rev. Patrick Staggers is the pastor.

Georgetown District African, Methodist, Episcopal Churches

The Georgetown District African, Methodist, Episcopal Churches will present, "A Tribute to African American Women" witht the theme, "A Virtuous Woman", on Saturday, Feb. 13th, 2010, at 7 p.m. at the Georgetown National Guard Armory.  The guest speaker will be Rev. Juenarrl Ketih, the presiding elder of the Orangeburg District. You may get ticket information from James Holmes at 843-240-0385; Allen Anderson at 1-302-346-8476; Marvin Neal at 843-240-5725; Victor Lance at 843-240-2011; or Zach Grate at 843-240-6715.

Childhood memories

 I love writing about my childhood days in the North Santee area of Georgetown.  I am so surrounded by such beautiful memories of an exciting childhood.  One of my fondest memories is of living with my  grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and Jannie Witherspoon Sumpter.  They were lovingly called, "Buh Tom  and Maa Jannie".

They lived in a plain white washed house "up the road" from my parents home.  It took less than five minutes to walk from home "up the road".  My grandfather was from the Pee Dee area and was a known farmer.  He grew the biggest watermelon of different varieties along with corn, beans, peas, etc.  He also had a cow that gave delicious milk.

My grandmother made the sweetest clabber from that milk.    On a crisp September morn, you could reach out of the back door and grab a handful of brown, succulent muscadine grapes.  The grape arbor reached a good piece "down the field road" in back.  The field road was a short cut to my parents house through the large fields my grandfather planted.

 In the spring of the year, buzzing bumble bees gathered around the purple Wisteria flowers. that lined the "up the road path".  Late October was sweet potato digging time.  After the potatoes were harvested, my grandfather would store them in potato banks for the winter.  These were heaping banks of sand similiar to a minature Eskimo's igloo.  The potatoes were banked in straw and covered with the sand.  There was nothing like a nice big potato in the winter cooked on the ashes that were pulled down to the bottom tray of the old iron belly heater.  The outside of the potato looked gray and charred, but inside was the red, delicious flesh of the fresh baked potato.  At night, whenever my grandfather sat up a little pass his 7:30 bedtime, I would dress in my grandmother's dress stuffed with a pillow in back and other items in front and put on a show for the two of them that kept them in stitches for a while.  It seems as if I can still hear their laughter to this day.  I also did my studying for elementary school by the light of the old kerosene lamps that surrounded the room.  I felt like an only child at my grandparents home leaving my 4 older siblings and 2 younger siblings behind me.

Idonia and Tidie

Another precious memory about living at my grandparents home was that my aunt, Idonia and her daughter, Tidie, lived right beside them.  It was like I had two homes to choose from.  Aunt Idonia had all the modern conveniences after a while, and I would go over and watch television, or eat fresh baked raisin cake or lemmon meringue pie. My aunt was a great cook  While I learned to cook grits and meats on my grandmothers black iron cook stove, I learned to iron sheets and pillowcases and to wash dishes in the white electric sink at my aunt's house.  I loved being with my cousin Tidie.  She was about 5 years older than I was, but she was a great mentor and an only child until my cousin, Randy came along a few years later.  When Randy came, I learned to wash diapers as a suprise for my aunt whenever she returned from her trip to "town".

 When my grandfather died, my grandmother and I moved into my aunt's house at night.  It was there that I had the chance to see my aunt as a very special person, and I loved her very much.  I especially loved her long, black thick hair.  She would roll it on brown leather flat rollers, and whenever she took the rollers out, the hair would just bounce up and down on its own.  I would tell her how pretty I thought she was, and I could tell she was flattered.  She would say, "Thank you Glo".

 My aunt was my protector whenever I walked to and from school.  We didn't have buses then and had to walk pass her house to Mt. Zion Elementary School.  I remember one evening a fellow older female school mate, decided to punch me full in the face for whatever reason I still don't know.  I begin to cry up to the point where I got to my aunt's house.  All of the children started saying, "Oh, you hit that girl for nothing and she's crying". These words were in full reach of my aunt's ears who usually waited for me on her porch.  When she learned what had happened, all she had to do was threaten the one who had done it, and the ones who were thinking about doing it, and I never had that problem again.

My aunt was an outspoken person.  She didn't bother anyone, but she was not going to let anyone walk over her either.  For that reason, people of many races considered her mean.  But so it is with people when you speak up for yourself.  Maybe they won't love you a whole lot, but there is some depth of respect.  My aunt was well respected.

A few days ago, after a long illness, my beautiful aunt passed from this life into one that is beautiful and eternal.  I had entered her room a few days prior to her homegoing.  She was peaceful and pale.  I touched her now white hair and went directly into prayer along with Tidie.  When the prayer was finished, she whispered, "thank you Lord, thank you Lord" and just like in the days when I complimented her on her good looks, she quietly said, "thank you Glo".  Beautiful memories never to be forgotten.  Her funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Mt. Zion AME Church in North Santee.  We solicit your prayers.

Prayer

Please remember to pray for the sick and shut in, the bereaved, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the homeless, the hungry, those out of the family of God, our men and women on the battlefield in Iraq and their famiies, the leaders of all lands that God will be exalted and for each other.  

Afternoon Blessings

Please join me on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on 1470 AM WLMC for Afternoon Blessings.  God bless you and keep you, and cause His lights of peace and joy to shine, shine on you!