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The Wiregrass Farmer, December 24, 2008 - Page 5
Obituaries
McCurdy services in Fitzgerald
Wanda Young McCurdy, 52, of Ocilla died
Thursday, December 18, at Palmyra Medical
Center in Albany.
Funeral services were held 4 P.M., Sunday,
December 21 at the Paulk Funeral Home Chapel
in Fitzgerald with Rev. Clayton Dowd and Rev.
Kenny Griffin officiating. Interment followed in
New Bethel Holiness Baptist Church Cemetery
in Ben Hill County. Visitation was held 7-9
Saturday evening at the funeral home in
Fitzgerald.
Mrs. McCurdy was born March 16, 1956 in
Fitzgerald to the late Jake S. and Ada Elizabeth
Kinnett Young. She grew up and attended high
school in Fitzgerald and was a former resident of
Tifton and Ashburn. Mrs. McCurdy was a home-
Church news
Church Fundraiser
The Church of God of Prophecy at 227 South
Cleveland is having a fundraiser selling RADA
Cutlery. The knives are 100% American made
and have a lifetime guarantee. They sell them
selves because of their high quality and excep
tional value. These knives and other merchan
dise come in gift sets or individual pieces and
are great for weddings and Christmas. Please
contact any of our members or Gwen Bridges at
566- 5895 or 567-4458 to place an order or to see
our catalogue.
Church cruise
The Ashburn First United Methodist Church
is pleased to sponsor an eastern Mediterranean
cruise called The Steps of Paul and the Book of
Revelation. This cruise is scheduled for June 19,
2009 will originate in Athens, Greece and sail to
Corinth, Ephesus, Tarsus, Antioch and include
tours of the Galilee and Bethlehem. Imagine
walking the same steps as Paul and visiting the
churches he established. The cruise and tour is
open to all denominations but there will be limit
ed cabins available. For more information call
the church office at 567-2627.
Prayer requests
Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church is
open to the public 11 a.m. until Mon-Fri for
prayer requests and counsel. Call 256-9095 or
567- 0604. Rev. Tommy Washington
Watch Night
The pastor of the New Birth Life Changing
Church (NBLCC) and the church family invites
everyone to our Watch Night / Word Explosion
that will be held on Dec. 31st at 10 pm. You
won't want to miss this. Please come and wor
ship with us. We are located at 127 Condor Dr.,
maker and a former employee of Lankford
Manor in Tifton. She was a member of the
Ocilla Church Of God.
She is survived by two sisters and a brother-
in-law, Latrelle & Bailey Dickens of Lebanon,
TN and Margaret E. Ring of Ocilla, as well as
several nieces and nephews. Along with her par
ents, she was preceded in death by her husband,
Herman McCurdy, two sisters, Hazel Smith and
Jannie Horn and two brothers, Clinton Jake
Young and Larry Festus Young.
To sign the online guest registry go to
www.paulkfuneralhome.com. Paulk Funeral
Home, Ocilla, were in charge of arrangements.
Ocilla. For more info or prayer telephone call
229-468-5008.
Watch Night service
Watch Night Service will be at Greater Saint
Luke Misssionary Baptist Church 232 North
Leary Rd. Wednesday, December 31, at 9:45
PM. Everyone's invited to come and bring in the
New Year singing and praising God. Reverend
James E. King, pastor.
Gospel Extravaganza
A New Years Gospel Extravaganza will be
held Thursday, New Years night at 6 pm, Greater
St. Luke Baptist Church, in Ashburn. Featured
will be The Fantastic Flowers Singers of Macon,
Rev. Tommy Washington and the Holy Lites
Nathan Bartell; reality evangelist Sandra Reed;
The Golden Angels and The Alma Male Choir.
Free admission.
Conference
Brother Willie Frank Prather Jr., will be host
ing a Men & Women on the Battlefield at War
Conference on Jan. 2-3, 2009. This event will be
held at the Turner County High school cafeteria
starting at 7 pm each night. Bishop Dennison
will be bringing the word Jan 2, and pastor
Floyd Amos on Jan. 3. There also will be enter
tainment with praise dancers and singers.
Camouflage attire everyone is welcome to come
and help us lift up the name of Jesus. For more
info contact Bro. Willie Prather Jr., at 229-567-
0017.
New Deliverance
New Deliverance Full Gospel Church in
Sycamore has their church services each second,
third & fourth Sundays with Pastor Bishop
Willie Frank Prather and Prophetess Betty
Prather. Where everyone is welcome.
Free Bible study course
You can take this eight lesson course through the mail. It takes you on a study from the Old
Testament to the New Testament. Simply mail us the following information:
Mail to: Ashburn
Name: Church of Christ
PO. Box 129
Address: Ashburn, GA
31714
City State Zip
Send us your church news
wiregrassfarmer@yahoo.com
wiregrass 1 @ windstream.net
Fax it! 229-567-4402 or Call 229-567-3655
LETTER
(Continued from Page 4)
My Dad grew up in a bro
ken family and when he was a
little boy occasionally had to
steal a chicken for him and his
Mom to have something to eat
back during the Great
Depression. I guess maybe the
guilt of the chicken thievery
contributed to him never want
ing to see someone less fortu
nate be hungry, when Dad actu
ally had a dollar in his pocket.
He always taught me to never
be judgmental of others or look
down my nose at someone
because “There for the grace of
God may go I.” When a bus
full of orphans or handicapped
kids would come to the fair
grounds I remember him get
ting up early to start the gener
ators. The groups of kids
would come to the fair totally
free on many of the different
carnivals that we traveled with
and all of us would put them on
the rides and get them popcorn
and cotton candy, and listen to
their laughter! My Dad wanted
to fly an airplane all his life,
but couldn’t get a license
because he had a bad eye.
Maybe you read the story
almost 2 years ago that Ben
Baker wrote “A dying wish
Granted.” My Dad had termi
nal skin cancer that I didn’t
know was terminal until I
looked up some terms the can
cer center in Florida gave me.
They were running a Medicare
scam milking his bill and
would have continued until I
stepped in. Anyway, I brought
my Dad home here with me,
and Jay Leatherwood put him
behind the yoke of his plane. I
don’t think I ever saw him that
happy! After things started
going downhill he told me as I
was dressing his cancer eaten
skin alongside the Hospice
nurses and getting up with him
at all hours of the night,
“Craig, I think you bit off more
than you can chew!” I was
shocked that after all he had
taught me that he would think I
wouldn’t go to the bitter end
with him! I replied back “
When I was a baby and had
pneumonia, you made sure I
was taken care of, when I got
in fights you may have put the
strap to my butt when I was
fighting for the wrong reason,
but you always cared for my
wounds, when I asked for
something I couldn’t afford
you taught me the value of a
job and doing it well, nothing
in this world or the next could
take me away from you when
you need me the most!” March
27th at 7PM I held him in my
arms when he took his last
breath. I pray to God that I can
be the man he was.
At the Rotary meeting last
week H.R. Wiggins, a repre
sentative from the jobs for
Georgia graduates, and I were
discussing how everything has
been so well off in past years
and the children that have
grown up having things given
to them that our generations
never dreamed of, they have
had a tendency to take things
for granted because they never
had to see the tough times in
the past. Maybe history classes
or Bible study should be paid a
little more attention to?, espe
cially looking at our wonderful
futures and extremely prosper
ous economic situation. So
remember, Don’t look down
your nose at anyone, know
them well and then decide
whether you should turn your
back on them, or if they are
deserving of your care and
compassion. In a perfect world
I wish all to be the latter!
In researching the actual
date of Jesus Christ’s birth I
found that historically there is
no record. There are references
to his birth in many parts of the
Bible, but no officially historic
date. Maybe it was intended to
be that way so we could cele
brate his works every year all
year long! So love your chil
dren and teach them well. Turn
your back on evil and hold
those who are deserving in
compassionate arms as did
Jesus!
Craig Zabriskie
A personal and lasting gift
I like to give gifts and I
enjoy receiving them as well.
As I celebrated my fiftieth
birthday a few days ago, the
church put together a nice cele
bration that turned out a bunch
of my friends. As usual when
one reaches the half-century
mark, there was no shortage of
interesting gifts and words of
encouragement.
My idea of gift giving is
summed up in two words: per
sonal and practical. But in my
decades of learning about life,
I have learned to become a bit
more flexible in this area.
Shortly after Gale and I
were married, when Christmas
rolled around I proudly gave
her one of those personal and
practical gifts. It was personal
because it came from me and it
was practical because she
could use it regularly. She very
graciously received her brand
new vacuum cleaner as a gift
from her brand new and not
very bright husband!
But there is no need to give
me disgusted looks if you see
me around town—I am doing
better now as I have wised up a
Birthdays )
Ka’Moni Delaiah Smith
Smith 1st
Dec. 28, 2008 Moni will be
having his 1st birthday. His
loving parents are Shaquita
Pitts and Martese Smith. Proud
grandparents are Lewis &
Melissa Gamble, Fredrick &
Cindy Smith, and James &
Katherine Pitts. He will be cel
ebrating his birthday party at
the Resource Center on
January 4, 2008 at 3 PM,
joined by family and friends.
We love you Moni-Man!
73
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Inspiration
bit over the past 30 years.
This great time of year is
about gift giving. It might be
true that as a society we have
become extreme about the
focus that is placed on giving
and receiving gifts, but there is
no doubt that this season is
about gift giving. The greatest
Gift of all times came to earth
in the person of Jesus Christ,
Who came for the purpose of
giving eternal life to all who
will believe upon Him.
Centuries before Christ’s birth
in Bethlehem the Old
Testament prophet Isaiah,
anticipating the birth of
Messiah, wrote, “For to us a
child is born, to us a son is
given, and the government will
be on His shoulders. And He
will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV).
There is much that could be
said about this Gift given by
God, but I simply remind us of
one powerful aspect of what
Christ brought to earth: God’s
Gift was a personal gift to
humankind that came straight
from His heart of love with
absolutely no deserving on the
part of humanity.
I was invited to a Christmas
gathering a few weeks ago and
each person was asked to bring
a gift. All the gifts were
placed under the tree and dur
ing the event the gifts were
randomly passed out. But
there was a catch—we did not
get to keep the gift we received
at that moment. We played a
game which resulted in the
gifts changing hands many
times, so what we went home
with was far different from
what we originally received. It
was fun, but not very personal
since I do not know who I
received the gift from. The
truth is, I did not even know
everyone there.
But then, last Sunday I car
ried some peanut brittle to a
Methodist pastor friend and
handed it directly to him. He
and his wife know Gale and I
and they know we would only
give them something that is
safe and good. It was a person
al gift that they received with
joy-
God’s Gift of Jesus Christ
for the spiritual salvation of
humankind is as personal as a
gift can get, for He gave of
Himself. I am convinced that
the words of John 3:16 really
sum up what Christmas is all
about: “For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting
life” (KJV). We can receive
His Gift without reluctance or
fear because of His great love
for us.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Spill
City of Ashburn, Ga
Sewer Dept.
Wastewater collection system
On Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. after a 4+
inch rainstorm, a manhole located at the intersec
tion of Rockhouse Road and Sylvia Drive started
overflowing stormwater diluted wastewater into the
roadside ditch. The flow was further diluted by the
ditch runoff before entering Hat Creek. The man
hole stopped overflowing at 9:58 a.m. We estimate
approximately 4400 gallons spilled from the man
hole. The Health Department was notified
Thursday morning and the area of the spill was
posted with warning signs.
Attend the Church of your choice this Sunday
Ashburn First Baptist -302 McLendon
Ashburn First United Methodist - N. Main St.
Bethel Baptist - Hwy 32 E. Sycamore
Christian Union Church of God - Industrial Dr.
Church of Christ - Industrial Dr.
Church of God By Faith - W. Madison
Clements Chapel United Methodist - Sycamore
Dakota Baptist - Hwy 4IN.
Double Run Bapt. - Hwy 159 N
Dayspring Church of the Nazarene - 983 North St.
Friendship Baptist - Story Rd
Grace Fellowship - 133 N. Gordon
Harmony Baptist - W. Turner County
Haw Pond Baptist -1511 Hawpond Rd. Arabi
High Hill Baptist - 5 miles N of Ashburn
Inaha Baptist - Hwy 41 S.
Independent Faith Baptist - Sycamore
Jesus Temple of God, 194 Pate St.
Living Waters Fellowship - 417 E. Madison
New Providence Baptist Church - W. Washington
Morningside Baptist - 215 E. Monroe
Mt. Zion Church of God - W. Monroe
United Pentecostal - Sycamore
New Hope Baptist - Bussey Road
New Mt. Olive Baptist - E. Washington Ave.
New Mount Zion Baptist - Jefferson St.
New Prospect Freewill Baptist
Oak Grove Baptist
Piney Grove Baptist - Rebecca
Pleasant Hill Baptist - Rebecca
Rebecca Baptist - Rebecca
Rocky Mount Baptist
New Hope BaptistChurch-222 HC Willaims Rd. Sibley
S. Ashburn Holiness - Pearl Ave
Sycamore Baptist - Hwy 41 S
Sycamore United Methodist - Sycamore
Terrell Baptist - Hwy 112 W
Trinity Baptist - Pineknot Rd
Rebecca United Methodist - Rebecca
Wideman Chapel - Rebecca
Zion Hope Baptist Church - 521 Joe Lawrence Rd
Emmanuel Missionary Baptist - Sycamore
Amboy Baptist - Hwy 159 N
Israels Temple - 635 W. Washington
St. Luke Missionary Bapt. - North Leary Rd.
New Mt. Pleasant - 200 Dunlap Circle
El Shaddai Ministry 536 Carlos Ave.
Greater Faith C.O.P. Ministries - 250 Adams St. New
Jerusalem Freewill Baptist - Lee St.
New Jerusalem Holiness Church- 210 Carlos Ave.
Southland Chrysler
Your Chrysler-Dodge Dealer
Highway 41, Cordele, GA
273-3473
Bishop Well & Pump
Service
Tifton, 382-6117
1-800-342-9345
Parker
Chevrolet
Gorday Drive
Ashburn, 567-3306
You can
advertise here
567-3655
C9LQNY
515 E. Washington Ave.
Ashburn, 567-4383
QUALITY
CHRYSLER-PLYMOUTH
DODGE, INC.
322 N. Grant Street
Fitzgerald, 423-5720
East Washington Ave.
567-9031, Ashburn
ft South (.icurgiii
Ranki ug Company^
561 E. Washington St.
Ashburn, GA 31714
567-9686
