The city of Seadrift has lost one of its seafood business operators, Anthony Godinich, who operated Seadrift’s Alby’s Seafood, a branch of Alby’s Seafood in Fulton, Texas.

Anthony had worked the Seadrift fish house since 2018. Because of Hurricane Harvey the fish house had sustained considerable damage. We are thankful for the work on the building that Anthony was able to get done.

Anthony, also, was a pleasure for the city to work with! Marilyn Dufner, Seadrift City Clerk, can attest to that fact.

Anthony was fifty-seven when he passed October 20, 2022. He leaves two sisters, Hope Godinich, and Robin Godinich Pistone, Robin’s husband John, and their three children and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father Anthony, Sr. (Alby) and his mother June. Many who knew or worked with the Godinich family will miss Anthony. They were known to treat all fairly and with respect.

Anthony’s memorial service was held on December 10, 2022 at the Vietnamese Catholic Church in Fulton, Texas. You can go to charliemarshallfuneralhomes.com to share a memory or send flowers.

Dieter Erhard, proprietor of ArtBoat Seadrift, and member of Erlangen-Schloft, Germany Rotarian Club, created his artwork “Legend” as a tribute to the aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. It has been exhibited at several venues in Germany, and now is being viewed in Guatemala.

Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) was an aviation pioneer and women’s rights activist from the USA. She was the first woman to cross the Atlantic in a non-stop flight. She was hailed as a heroine and voted “Woman of the Year”, even though she was not at the controls of the plane. This had flown the pilot Wilmer Stultz. Four years later, she was the first woman to cross the Atlantic in a solo flight. She took off on 20 May 1932 from Newfoundland towards Paris in a modified Lockheed Vega 5B. Due to technical problems and the increasingly deteriorating weather, however, she did not reach Paris, but had to make an emergency landing near Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, she made it and received the gold medal of the National Geographic Society from US President Herbert C. Hoover.

Erhard’s “Legend” is now display at the Guatemala City airport, where it was delivered along with a container of medical aid supplies packed by the Erlangen Rotary clubs. Josef Fischer from RC Guatemala-Norte and Dieter Erhard were already waiting at the site in Guatemala and immediately began distributing the relief supplies.

POC’s “Hooked On Books” held its December Book Club Meeting, and Annual Christmas Party, on December 13, 2022 at the home of Hank and Michelle Lippold, and it was a fun and festive event!! The covered dish affair provided a scrumptious spread of appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts, and beverages, including the hostess’s delicious Champagne Punch, and the ladies enjoyed the feast over cheerful visiting, laughing, and Yuletide merriment!! Following the meal, the group held a discussion of December’s book, Timepiece, by Richard Paul Evans, and all agreed that it was a great book, with both happy and sad times, teaching the importance of love, forgiveness, and perseverance in life. The Ladies wrapped up the event with a highly competitive, boisterous, and entertaining “Chinese Christmas Gift Exchange”, with a lot of good-natured stealing, swapping, and chiding!! It was a fun and wonderful afternoon, and a great time was had by all!! Thank you, Michelle, for your warm hospitality!!

The Club’s next meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 and January’s book is Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11 by Kevin Tuerff. If you are interested in joining “Hooked on Books”, please email your contact information to alanehaardt@yahoo.com. All ladies are welcome!! The Book Club Ladies wish you all a very “Merry Christmas 2022”, and a “Happy New year 2023”!!

I know I will lose most readers by this first sentence – Christmas has never been about gifts we receive! I remember asking a 5th grader, “What is Christmas all about?” Her answer was, “IT’s all about the presents!” She was partially correct because Christmas is truly about God sending His Son to earth, Who was born on what we call Christmas Day (whatever day that truly was we are uncertain)! It is all about “The Christ”! I am grateful when people wish me a “Merry Christmas” instead of saying, “Seasons Greetings”! I am honored that people care enough that they bring me PIE or some other present! I love the colorful lights, the beautifully decorated trees, the grand Nativity scenes, and the other decorations that make this time “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”! I enjoy watching Christmas movies, even the ones I remember as a kid – in black and white! In fact, there is very little about a true Christmas Celebration that I do not appreciate!

But, may we all remember that it is NOT ALL ABOUT US! Christmas JOY should stand for J=Jesus, O=Others, and Y=Yourselves! The JOY of Christmas is our giving and must never become about what we receive or what we wish we had gotten.

When I think of giving, I think about my role, at least what my role has been for over 50 years, Pastor. Now, I am trying to retrain to become Associate Pastor to Pastor Joane! I am not doing very well at that – I still make decisions that she should be making and finding myself trying to back out of commitments I so easily and familiarly make. The role of Pastor is to provide an earthly example for people to see a Holy God through their activities. I call my task being
“A Servant Leader”.

Jesus was the ultimate example of a Servant Leader. At the core of His leadership was the spirit of humility. When we examine the Good News – Gospels – we notice that everywhere Jesus went, He was self-abasing serving others! It was never about Him, but always about those who came to Him with any and all needs.

I think there are at least three qualities found in leadership that the whole human race is called to follow. They are not the most popular in our culture, but they are Biblical, and I always desire to follow Scriptural morals.

Humble servants always guard their motives. Motives are driven by attitudes and actions. We have to check our motives frequently if we are to stay the course. Often my attitude does not match my core being, and I must “check my attitude at the door”! I read recently that people will identify my attitude from twenty steps away! Before we even meet, others have read my attitude! With faulty attitudes comes less than desired actions. Leaders can say and do all the right things but when motives are wrong, they are doing nothing more than manipulating people for personal benefits! The JOY of Christmas begins with proper motives!

Humble servants always value others. In a message I was delivering recently, I made a very unpopular statement – “God cares less for our pets than He does for other parts of His creation!” I understand that God made your pet snake, or lizard, or even your cats and dogs, but He sent Jesus to die for His children – people! I am not quite sure, but it may be “all dogs go to Heaven” but Heaven is being constructed for people who have asked Jesus to be their Savior and Lord! Leaders will not only value people, but they will also always be trying to add value to people. To serve adequately, we must focus on others and not on ourselves.

Humble servants always leverage power for the good of others. Those in leadership have the responsibility of helping those under whose authority they lead. I am only walking if I have no one following me! But it is extremely important that no leader ever look for a position to “feather their own nest”! We have many examples from our society showing us how some leaders are abusing their power, but Jesus taught us to use our abilities and opportunities to help those who are following our lead. As out example, He never used His position or power for His own advantage, but only to help mankind. Christmas JOY will come from the inner peace of making others’ lives better!

Author John Dickson provided a powerful challenge to leaders when he describes humility as “the noble choice to forgo your status, deploy your resources, or use your influence for the good of others before yourself…The humble person is marked by the willingness to hold power in service of others.”

Being a Servant Leader is never easy, but it is how we make our leadership count for more than just our time served!

Christmas Joy comes from deep inside. It never comes with outward stimuli, but from within us where peace is created.

May the JOY and PEACE of Christmas be ours this year!

The January meeting for Calhoun County Democratic Club will be held Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at the Calhoun County Library, in the community room, 200 W Mahan St., Port Lavaca.

Social/potluck is at 5.30pm and the meeting starts at 6pm.

The following meeting will be February 7th.