With the ever increasing temperatures, the Chapel is thinking “Christmas”! We are planning our second “Christmas with Ric” for Sunday, August 3. Again, we will decorate, sing Christmas carols, exchange gifts, and enjoy some “Christmas food” like ice-cream! There will be Christmas music and a Christmas message! REALLY! Our special guest, Ric Gorden, wrote a song that talks of all the problems we have with December 25 – you know, the commercialization, long shopping lines, etc., but the biggest problem is that often we forget Whose birthday we are celebrating. So, according to Ric’s song, why don’t we choose a day in August to celebrate the birth of our Savior and get away from all the complications of the December date!

We trust you will get in the true Christmas Spirit and enjoy this special day with our special guest and friend, Ric Gorden. Activities will begin at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. A Christmas Fellowship Meal is being planned for noon.

Pastor Joane has been doing an excellent job presenting the teaching of Beth Moore and her study titled, “Breaking Free”. These classes meet on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. at the parsonage. Everyone is invited to attend.

Our men enjoyed a Mens Retreat at Smiley recently and were blessed with other church mens groups coming along with us. It was a great time of target practice (getting ready for the hunting seasons), games, food, but best of all – FELLOWSHIP! When men (and future men) get together, there is a growth in them personally and corporately. It was a great time, and we trust you will plan to be a part of our next one.

What can we say about Poco Bueno, except, “Thanks, Mr. Fondren, for allowing us to be a part of it!” We have not received all the reports yet, but last year we fed over 6,000 meals from the generosity of the tournament and the fishermen who donated their catch for a worthy cause. Again, we called on our friends from South West Houston to help us with the task and in distribution of the meals. Poco Bueno is always a lot of hard work for many people, but I believe when we stand before our Lord, He will reward us with a “Well done”. Thanks for your help – whether donated fish, you cleaned and bagged fish, you helped with clean up, or whatever of the hundreds of tasks that you help accomplish – and we are praying that the Lord will bless you for it!

We have been asked again to help with the “Lone Star Shoot Out” tournament this year. Thanks to Randy Bright, we have another opportunity to “glean fish for the hungry”! One of the tasks of the Chapel is hosting the Community Food Bank where food of all kinds is distributed throughout the entire year. We have had more needs than usual this year, but people are helping us provide food for the needy! Thank you for all you do and this tournament is exactly what we need.

Due to the many activities of the Chapel, we will be having no Friday Night Youth activities during the month of July. BUT, get ready for August and back to school, because we have several special activities that are being developed – like another Sunday School Class and a “Kid’s Crusade”! Be watching for the announcements.

Our ladies invite all area ladies and girls to their “Ladies Breakfast” at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 27. It is always a time with great food, fellowship, and a timely devotion. We all need one another and this is an opportunity for ladies to get together and have time that is tailored to meeting their needs.

Fisherman’s Chapel meets at 10:00 a.m. for Bible Study, 11:00 a.m. for Morning Service; and 6:00 p.m. for Evening Service each Sunday. We also have a Mid-week Service at 7:00 p.m. each Wednesday. Additionally, we have other activities for special interests. We just want all to know that you will always find a warm welcome at the Chapel. We are an interdenominational congregation whose goal is to help people in their walk with Christ. You are urged to, “Come, grow with us”!

Summer Activities in Port O’Connor are still in “Full Swing”! Our two Church Summer Camps for all Children and Youth have been successfully completed and everyone enjoyed the Camps at Camp Zephyr and Palacios Baptist Encampment. The Youth had 18 young people and chaperons and the Children’s Camp had eleven children to experience the exciting events in Palacios. A BIG THANK YOU to the Camp Chaperons, RAYMOND GRANT, CANDICE STRYKER and DIANE COOLEY.

Everyone is looking forward to the upcoming Port O’Connor events, POCO BUENO on July 16 – 20, the LONE STAR SHOOTOUT July 22 27, the SPEEDY STOP KIDS FISHING August 9 and the BIG LABOR DAY BASH in September.

The Senior Adults are looking forward to their BIG FALL RETREAT at Camp Zephyr in September. The four day Retreat will be September 22 – 25 this year and all Senior Adults are invited. For additional information on cost and reservations, please call Doyle Adams at 983-4866.

The Church has experienced a lot of visitors in our morning worship services lately, some relatives of our members and some new Port O’Connor residents. What a joy to meet and greet our visitors! This past Sunday everyone enjoyed the morning Worship Service with a fantastic Children’s Sermon by Bro. Raymond
Grant and our Pastor, Bro. Donnie Martin singing the Special Music Solo “There Is A River”. We have welcomed several new members to our Congregation.

Our Sunday Evening Worship Service is at 6:00 p.m. and we invite everyone to this “relaxed” time of Worship. You will be inspired. Our Wednesday evening Prayer Meeting at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall is a favorite for many of our members and friends. Come and join the group this Wednesday Evening at 6:00 p.m.

See You In Church Sunday!

Only a few days ago, our community, along with the rest of our nation, celebrated our country’s Declaration of Independence, 238 years ago. I for one, rejoice in having been raised in a free country. The gift of liberty is something I hold near and dear to my heart. I am a grateful recipient of the benefits of freedom. I’ve never known anything else.

Unfortunately, America has experienced an eroding of its freedoms in recent years. I believe Proverbs 14:34 sheds light on the cause of these losses. That verse says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” With all my heart, I believe our nation needs to return to God, and seek His forgiveness. God should no longer be relegated to the periphery of American life, but He should be where He belongs; at the very core of American society. Only then can this nation continue to be the beacon of liberty she has been for over 200 years.

Having said that, I believe there are a couple of inherent dangers in never having experienced the perils of bondage. The first of these is that of forgetting that freedom has never been free. The value of liberty is made precious by the sacrifices made to purchase and preserve it. The price paid for the “inalienable rights” we enjoy as a nation has been monumentally horrific and tragic—the blood, sweat, tears, broken bodies and the very lives of our country’s finest. We must never forget the cost of freedom.

In addition to the first danger, mentioned above, is that of forgetting the fragility of freedom. Edmund Burke once said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” The foundation of liberty can be destroyed by the complacency of good people who chose not to get involved. Freedom must be constantly maintained and guarded, for one skirmish in defense of liberty will not permanently guarantee its existence. As a nation, we must ever be vigilant to protect our country’s freedom.

In 1831, a distinguished admirer of America, French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, made the following observation:

I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests—and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning—and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!”

May we as citizens of America stand in the gap (Ezek. 22:30), and pray fervently for our beloved nation that God has so graciously blessed. Let us not forget that freedom isn’t free. It’s fragile. Therefore it must be diligently guarded.

God bless Port O’Connor; and may God bless the United States of America.

Three books this time; all involving three different departments of our government; and all involved to some point with the security of our government and our country.

Michael Lawson is a new author on our shelves and one I certainly hope does not remain a stranger. His first book, THE INSIDE RING was a donation from one of our many friends, and I’m looking to find his next, THE SECOND PERIMETER. But the first book deals with Washington D.C. and the involvement of the Secret Service in the care of the President. Also suggests much of the power behind the scenes with the machinations of the Speaker of the House, a longtime member of Congress.

The plot begins with the scary premise of the killing of a member of the Secret Service guarding the President on a short vacation, and continues with the questions: who was the assassin really aiming for.

Another new author to our shelves is Mark Henshaw, the author of RED CELL that features in too much detail another portion of our government, the CIA. And what an eye-opening this book is! The Red Cell is a highly secretive department of analysts in the CIA, and these analysts are trained to spot any change in the actions of various world governments. The plot depicts the constant tension between the governments of Beijing and that of Taiwan; one being Communist-controlled and the second being Free. And with the sudden contretemps of the Red Chinese forces aimed at Taiwan with the second underlying force to involve America in this military action, it became extremely difficult to put the book down.

The plot is more than a little scary, but the characters ring true; description of the unmitigated and relentless force of the Chinese Intelligence Service is terrifying. The question is: Does the Red Cell exist?

The third book, REIGN IN HELL by William Diehl, the author of several previous books features various cabinet officers as well as the President of the United States as the main characters along with a fanatic, hell-and-brimstone preacher who also handles snakes and officers of an ultra-right wing militia. But the main character is repeating his appearance from other books, Martin Vail, a not-by-the-rules prosecuting attorney from Illinois. Vail has been hired by the Attorney-General of the US to prosecute these members of the militia on RICO charges; his role is to be the Assistant Attorney-General with the heads of other Intelligence Departments reporting to him. And then terror begins with the right-wing militia, the Sanctuary opposing directives from Vail and the AG and turning to military action.

The frightening matter of this book is the memories of Ruby Ridge and Oklahoma City; situations that few wish to remember and all hope not to repeat.

DON’T FORGET: We have several shelves of books for sale; hardcover for $1.00 and softcover for $0.25. These books are great to take along when traveling; this means, you never have to worry about a due date! Come check us out; you just might find your favorite author with a book you missed! And the funds derived from these sales go to provide a few needed extras for our Library.

“When an old person dies, a Library burns down!”
Karin Gillespie