Huge congratulations to Seadrift School’s Junior High students for their exceptional performance in the 2025 Texas Keyboarding Challenge. Outperforming 33 school districts, including a large one like Dallas ISD, is no small feat. It truly speaks to the hard work, skill, and determination of the Technology Classes, as well as the incredible guidance and support from Mrs. Tanya Cady and Mrs. Roxane Ochoa. All students showed outstanding performance in both words per minute (WPM) and accuracy.  This is an impressive accomplishment—what a proud moment for Seadrift School!

The recent rainfall, totaling nearly six inches, has brought lush greenery to the garden, promoting vigorous growth among all plants—including weeds. The garden is thriving and the weeds are getting a little too comfortable. At least with the softened soil, pulling them out should be a bit less of a chore.  The softened soil makes the task of weeding more manageable.

Garden Club appreciation goes to Ed Hall for providing his tractor and Danny McGuire for spending three hours to create a pad for the Garden Club’s new tool shed! Their hard work and generosity made an enormous difference, and we genuinely appreciate their support and for making our garden a better place.

The POC Community Garden Club had a wonderful pop-up meeting in Port Lavaca.  Members met at the POC Gardens to carpool to White’s BBQ, where they enjoyed a delicious lunch—courtesy of the generous Stanley Dierlam. After lunch, the group headed over to Melstan’s Feed Store to shop for fresh new plants, just in time for spring gardening.

A big thank you to Val Tiemann for organizing this last-minute gathering and to Mr. Doer;a, for the fantastic meal! Itwas a great afternoon of food, fun, and fabulous plants! Stay tuned for more gardening adventures!

Gentle Reminder: Although all thirty-two garden beds are spoken for, we welcome new members to join the Garden Club!  Membership is only $20 per year, and it is a terrific way to connect with fellow gardeners, learn, and be part of our growing community! Join us today!

 The Lord has been demonstrating His grandeur recently at the Chapel. Following a message about healing from Pastor Joane,  Ray, a resident of Kerrville but here for a few weeks had two tumors in his lungs that were inoperable. He went to MD Anderson’s and both of the tumors were gone! Craig, a winter Texan from Iowa, had a leg that was infected and keeping him from resting at night – Ray prayed for him and Craig’s testimony was that he slept like a baby, without pain! We at the Chapel do not claim to have any special powers but we do know a Savior Who still performs miracles today and He meets the needs of those who ask in faith! We are humbled that we serve such a generous and caring Jesus, Who watches us to see our needs and springs into action to meet wherever He finds faith! 

 We are appreciative to the Port O’Connor Service Club Ladies, who have donated to our Thanksgiving and Christmas Benevolence Food Baskets. Some of the proceeds from their garage sale are placed in the Benevolence Fund at First National Bank to help us purchase the food that we give needy families at those special times each year. If others would like to participate in providing funding for the Food Baskets, they can take them to any of our local churches or to the bank for deposit. If I understand Old Testament Scripture correctly, when we give to help needy, we are lending to the Lord! The New Testament records the words of Jesus saying when we feed the poor, it is like we are feeding Him! 

 Our Calendar of Events has been filled with many activities. We have hosted Retreats and Guest speakers. We have enjoyed great and excellent fellowship meals. We have greeted several visitors, and we had been saddened to see some of our Winter Texans go home! Pastor Joane went to Washington State for a business meeting and was blessed with a trip to see her two brothers who live in Spokane. She rejoiced in seeing that both are doing good for being her oldest brothers.  

  All of our activities have not taken place! We are excited about celebrating Resurrection Sunday. We trust we will see most of you at the Sunrise Service, which will begin at 7 AM at the front beach. Pastor Rich will bring the Easter message. We will be providing hot coffee and sweet treats for those in attendance. At 10 AM, we will join others at the Chapel for our Bible Class. At 11 AM, Pastor Joane will share a message about the Resurrection of our Lord. Following the Morning Service, our children will enjoy an Easter Egg Hunt around the Cross.  It is a great time to get those cute pictures that are available each Easter. (On a personal note, Pastor Joane and I are enjoying a Easter meal with some of our children and grandchildren.) At 6 PM, we will gather for our Evening Service. Yes, it will be a very busy day, but knowing what Jesus did for us to make our Salvation possible is worth all our extra time and efforts! All are welcomed to be a part of it all! 

 At the end of the week after Easter, we are joining in with a Ladies Meeting from 10 AM to 4 PM, hosted at the Chapel by Terri Tedford. Ladles from around the area will gather for a time of fellowship, and Gospel inspiration. A noon lunch will be served. All ladies are welcome to attend and bring other ladies with them. 

 On the last Wednesday, April 30, we will be hosting a group of ladies from Saving Grace, a rehabilitation facility. Our own Jessica (Gonzales) Locklear will be leading this service. Our fellowship time will feature Shrimp Bisque and Meatballs with Gravy for our non-seafood friends. Jessica grew up in Port O’Connor but found herself in life-controlling problems. After attending Saving Grace, Jessica went forward and became a director of group homes. We are delighted to welcome Jessica home and she wants to invite all her friends to come and be in this special activity! The Fellowship and Service will begin at 7 PM. 

 Mother’s Day is extra special this year at the Chapel. We not only will be celebrating mothers, who will have many of their children present for the morning activities, but it is also Erny’s birthday. I was born on Mother’s Day and was the worst of the six children my mother bore! I could not cry for the first six months of my life, due to anemia – I was too weak! However, all of us know that I passed that stage long ago! It will be my “29th Birthday” again! Please come and join all these celebrations. We would love to see you!  

 Our friends from Sam Houston University will be with us for a retreat at the end of May. It is always a delight to host these fine young people who are training for a lifetime of service for our Lord!  Look for more information as they share their plans with us. 

 Fisherman’s Chapel has served this community for over 30 years. We have enjoyed growing in the Lord with this community. One will always find a warm welcome at the Chapel, whether on Sundays at 10 AM, 11 AM, or 6 PM, or it is on Wednesdays at 7 PM. All are urged to “Come Grow With Us!” 

The latest gathering of the Hooked on Books Club was held on Tuesday, April 8th. The wonderful hostesses, Susan Bertlshofer, Erin Turner, and Darla Miles, created a warm and welcoming atmosphere and complimented the assembly of members with a delightful spread of refreshments to reflect the book’s settings in Atlanta and Up Island in Martha’s Vineyard, which added a fitting touch to the afternoon.

The event began with a lively meet-and-greet, followed by a delicious assortment of appetizers, desserts, and beverages. Book club members enjoyed dips, crackers, and chips; peach jelly spread over cream cheese; stuffed jalapenos with crab meat, sliced cheeses; deviled “swan” eggs; clam chowder, Coke floats; and coffee and tea.  Guests enjoyed mingling, sharing stories, and soaking up the camaraderie before immersing themselves into an engaging discussion of Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Following refreshments, the hostesses introduced a fresh format for our discussion, leading to some truly engaging conversations. We explored a playlist of songs tied to themes from the novel, such as separation, isolation, healing, and divorce. The lyrics sparked deep reflections on Molly’s resilience and themes of loss and renewal. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ “Sherry,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,” Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” were a few of the songs, and the format was an absolute “hit” of the day.

The various musical genres revealed the complexities of the book and rich character development. The lyrics also ignited discussions on personal transformation and how life’s challenges can lead to new beginnings. Many admired Molly’s journey from a sheltered, dependent wife to a strong, independent woman. Overall, we all agreed that Siddons perfectly captures the essence of personal growth and the bittersweet journey of starting over.

All in attendance agreed that it was an engaging and fun-filled afternoon. They thanked their wonderful hostesses for the ingenuity, expert planning, and hard work put into making it all happen. It was an afternoon to remember!

Hooked on Books’ next gathering will be on Tuesday, May 13th, the last meeting before our summer respite and promises another exciting literary adventure! Members voted to read another book published by our local author Megan Freeman. Away is a companion novel to Alone, a New York Times best-selling novel that members read in 2024.  We look forward to another great discussion with Megan!

Mark your calendars for our upcoming summer break during June, July, and August. Another intriguing discussion is in store for September 9th with our next selection, Run Brother Run by David Berg. This summer’s read is sure to inspire deep reflection and lively dialogue at September’s meeting.