You are invited to join your friends and neighbors at the Pavilion by the boat launch at the Seadrift Harbor for “Bay Praise”.

There will be food, fellowship, a whole lot of music, and an inspirational message.

The fellowship begins at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 24th, and everyone is welcomed.

Hungry for meat and steady food to sustain them on their way, the Israelites prayed and fussed and complained about their status on the trek to the Promised Land. “Give us meat!” And the quail came. But what they did not know was that in this part of the world the quail always came. Quails in that part of the world winter in Africa and migrate northward in the spring in vast conveys. It is an exhausting flight, done in stages, and we read that when the birds alight to take a rest, they are often so exhausted they can easily be picked up. But in this ordinary event the Hebrews see the sacred, the hand of God, the deliverance of the Almighty.

It was the same with manna. For many years it was thought that the manna was a substance produced from the tamarisk bushes. In fact, in early Christian centuries, some Greek monks lived in the Sinai on the sweet manna from the tamarisk bushes. A chemical analysis reveals that the manna contains a mixture of three very basic sugars with pectin. The sap of the tamarisk bush is rich in carbohydrates but low in nitrogen. This manna is produced much like honey from the bee is developed, but God uses a different insect. In this ordinary event, the sacred is clearly seen.

We need, in our developed world, to find in the ordinary the presence of the sacred. Burning bushes, failing quail, and mysterious “manna,” which means “what is it?”must be placed in the context of God making the normal spiritual.

If we are not developing our spiritual sensitivities, then we will be like the people of Jesus’ day who always were looking for signs. They looked at Jesus, who was flesh-and-bone, and demanded signs of God’s grace and presence. “What sign can You give us that would prove God is here?” The fact that He was a man, the ordinary, the everyday, caused them to stumble and they were unable to see Him the Divine. “Let God knock us off our feet and we will believe.” Is it not enough that a man stands before them who heals broken hearts, inspires confidence from inferior spirits, and makes acceptable the outcasts, drown fear in floods of love, and knits up the unraveled wounds of the human dilemma?

Are not these miracles in the mundane? Is not the sacred in the ordinary? “The new manna for the journey of life is the vision to see the Divine in the daily and the holy in the humdrum, the godly in the gabble.” When we understand this, then we will become the superordinary in the ordinary, the new manna, the light to the world, a city set on a hill, and the salt of the earth. We will stop constantly looking for God to show us a sign. We will be WAITING! Remember, the old manna was not meant for keeping for another opportunity. It was meant for daily use. When we attempt to save it for tomorrow, what was meant for using today, it spoils. We try to make entertainment worship; we try to make our worship Divine by claiming it is for the family; we make our prejudices Biblical!

Either waiting to use tomorrow what was meant for use today or trying to turn the ordinary into the sacred instead of seeing the sacred in the ordinary can spoil the manna.

We are called to be saints, believers who are sacred in the ordinary and become the new manna. With a little courage we become the new manna for the world and for our Christ!

“Beacon of Light…Anchor of the Community”

Library News:
POC Library Hours: Phone Number: 361-983-4365
Sunday – Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Friday: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
*Note: Special closures and holidays – Saturday, August 31st

Local libraries are hubs of learning and socializing that house so much more than books. At most libraries, you can access many other free services. They give us a green light to something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and focus on what matters most.

Congratulations to the winners in our Adult Reading Program:

Linda L. Emery won the grand prize, an iPad, for her future reading.

Roxanne Ochoa won the Stanley cup..

Congratulations to Isaiah Ochoa for being our grand prize teen winner of an IPad!

THANK YOU to Our August Donors

• School supplies were collected and fines were paid this year while helping our schools at the same time. For every new and unopened supply that was donated to our local schools, we credited accounts by subtracting $1.
• A huge thank you to the Madden Foundation for supporting our Summer Reading Program!
• We are delighted to express our deepest gratitude to Mary Ann Voigts Claiborne for her generous donation to the library for July 24th’s bingo event. Mary Ann has been a dedicated volunteer for nearly forty years and her unwavering commitment and her enduring support have been invaluable to our community. She is a treasure who has made such positive impacts on so many lives, and we are fortunate to have her as a part of our library.
• Heartfelt thanks to Brenda Carter for the donation to the Kid’s Corner! The kids immediately began having a great time with it.
• A huge thank you to Kathy Pullin for donating her book to add to our library!! We appreciate her for all that she does for our community.
• The Stalcup Family for bringing goodies for Coffee & Conversation.
A huge thank you to our Calhoun County Public Library Association President, Brigid Berger, for graciously donating the matted print,“Nesting Kemp’s Ridley Matagorda Island” by Jim Harrison.

Mary Ann Claiborne

Brenda Carter

Children’s Program, Sat. Sept. 14: Paint the Sidewalk, 10-11 a.m.
Children’s Programs are held the second Saturday of each month.

Adult Games & Activities:
See What’s Up for a list of days and times for these weekly activities.

Friends of the POC Library: Friends of the Library are also the heart of our community, turning a library into a place brimming with possibilities and connections. Tell a friend, bring a friend, and come network at the library and have amazing experiences.

Submitted by Darla Miles
Friends of the Port O’ Connor Library, Publicity Committee/Historian

POC’s Library first children’s event featured a salute to aviation, providing insights into some of the first founders of flight. We explored historical figures in aviation and learned how the most basic structures can teach us about the capabilities of almost and ANYONE can soar in their dreams of flight!

Speaker will be Tom Glass, founder of Texas Constitutional Enforcement

Tom Glass

The Calhoun County Republican Club will be hosting Tom Glass to speak on Texas’ Resistance to Federal & Globalist Overreach, on Monday, September 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.

Tom Glass is the founder and leader of Texas Constitutional Enforcement, which focuses on how Texas elected officials can stop the feds and globalists from violating the U.S. Constitution in Texas. Tom also runs several other groups, including Texas Legislative Priorities, focused on seeing that the legislative priorities and other platform planks of the Republican Party of Texas are enacted, and Protect the Texas Grid, focused on hardening the grid against all hazards.

A catered meal is available with a reservation for $12 beginning at 5:00 p.m. Please call (361)552-6313 to RSVP for the dinner. This meeting is free and open to the public.

Email CCRCLUB@proton.me for more information.
Location: Drifters Hall
5287 Fm 3084, Port Lavaca, TX 77979

These have been exceptionally busy days! We are seeing a lot of people coming to our Retreat Centers for times of refreshing and instructions. We had a family and a large group of leaders from Sam Houston State University here during the Lone Star Shoot Out Tournament. They were afforded special consideration from our County Commissioner to have an event on the Front Beach and several of the students had never been in salt water. The following week, we had a group from Fort Worth here and they had a great time fishing and relaxing to renew their bodies and spirits for special activities they had planned.

This past weekend was a very busy but rewarding one. On Friday, we observed our  youngest grandson’s, Layne’s Birthday – he turned four (4). The great party was scheduled and attended by about 30 folks and was a lot of fun! They all wanted to see Grandma’s new car.  Pastor Joane now has the car of her dreams – a 2019 VW Beattle! When you see this pretty, blue VW running around here, give her a big “howdy!” She has told me for years that she wanted one and now she is enjoying!

We had a smaller Retreat with some leadership ladies from San Houston this past weekend and they enjoyed an inspirational instructive time on our campus. One of the ladies told me that she will never forget POC because she had never seen such a beautiful cross. We have learned that it can easily been seen from the Island as well as the Big Jetty. Again, we sincerely appreciate all who have contributed to the Cross project and when we complete just two (2) more steps, we will have a big dedication.

The months of September and October are quite busy with planned events. There are several Retreats scheduled, some business trips planned, and spiritual renewal conferences to attend. Your continued love and supportive prayers will help us continue this important work.  Yes, we are still gleaning fish and giving away food to needy families – the pantry is alive and very active. We continue having fellowship meals for the community each Wednesday at 7 PM. We are committed to making Port O’Connor the best community we can!

Fisherman’s Chapel is an interdenominational congregation. We celebrate Jesus each Sunday at the Bible Class at 10 AM, the Morning Service at 11 AM, and the Sunday evening service at 6 PM., and on Wednesdays. as previously mentioned, at 7 PM. One will always find a warm welcome at the Chapel and all are urged to, “Come Grow With Us!”