Beech Tree News Network

Jesus’ mother Mary stands out as a great example of a godly woman. She was the one chosen by God to be Jesus’ mother (Lk. 1:28), and as a result, she has become the focus of admiration, but sadly, gossip and slander, and even idolatrous acts. It seems that folks’ reaction to Mary has run the “spectrum” just as it has with Jesus. In this article, let us see what God said about Mary.

Summer foods are so good! I appreciate the abundance of berries, fruits, melons and fresh vegetables. Even iced tea tastes better during the warm months, and homemade ice cream is a special treat.

I asked a few ladies about sharing some of their favorite summer recipes and their responses are below. Gail Sheehy (an American author, journalist, and lecturer) said, “When men reach their sixties and retire, they go to pieces. Women go right on cooking.” Like many of you, I enjoy cooking and look forward to trying these recipes.

July 4, 2013 marks the 237th anniversary of the birth of this nation. In 1776, a Declaration of Independence was written, stating that God granted to men “certain unalienable rights,” among which are “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Therefore, every July 4th, we celebrate the anniversary of the day in 1776 when we declared our freedom, or liberty from England.

At the Barber Shop- The barber shop has always been the place to swap stories and talk about the goings-on of the day.  How exactly did the barber shop become the social hot spot and corner of conversation? Let’s delve into this subject a bit.
Barber comes from the Latin word “barba”, meaning beard.  In previous times, allegedly, barbers performed surgery as well (they were known as barber surgeons. I say allegedly because I can’t imagine a a barber performing surgery.  Although,  they are removing hair, so who knows?

Last Sunday, our church had an “old-fashion day,” so dressing in outdated or casual clothing and eating outside were part of the day’s planned activities. We met at Joe and Fran Belcher’s home. We worshiped under shade trees, sitting on hay bales or in lawn chairs. Lunch was served on a large wagon and included a variety of delicious foods. This type of service is common in our region of the country.

I got the opportunity to help with the two-year-olds at VBS last week.  It was wonderful!  I took my granddaughter, who cried every night as we left the church, because she didn’t want to go home.
    There were songs and crafts and snacks and spills and laughter and tears.  All of the things you come to expect at any VBS.  Shawn, the sheep, was there.  He sprang to life from Ms. Gail’s hand bag to give the children high-fives, teach them Bible verses and lead them in songs.
    “Is he real?” a little girl asked.

In our society, we are used to people “getting away” with certain things, aren’t we? It has become almost commonplace to hear about a person hiring a “dream team” of lawyers so as to avoid criminal charges and prosecution. Closer to home, we may notice people “getting away” with theft by eating displayed food at the grocery store without buying it; or taking extra time on their breaks at work and getting paid for it. Perhaps someone we know has been dishonest (lying). Don’t men tend to ignore this sin?

Antagonists can be found all over this world. From Bill Maher calling Sarah Palin’s special needs son “retarded” to any local bullying.  I’ve done a column on online bullying in the past.  Maher’s, among others, has another wide media audience: television.  I recall Maher’s former show on ABC, called Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.  For some crazy reason, I sometimes watched the show.  I know about freedom of speech.  That’s one of the great things about this country.

Who doesn’t enjoy a beautiful wedding? June is the most popular month for weddings in the U.S. My oldest daughter chose to marry in June, and their anniversary is next week (Happy 20th anniversary!).