WOW! I am about ready for this clean-up and repair phase of Harvey to be completed! Some of you are still trying to find a clean, safe, dry place to lay your head at night and our prayers continue to be with you. At the parsonage, work is steady, but not nearly fast enough. We are indeed blessed to have a contractor friend who immediately sent a skilled worker to come and stay with us until the task is complete. We have had insurance adjustors come and go and are still awaiting their decision. But, God has shown Himself to be very faithful!

AND, we wish to invite all those who have helped with the Harvey relief to come for a fellowship meal on Sunday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m. We will be turning our Chapel into a dining hall and trust you will come. We especially want our first responders to come and those who have prepared community meals. We want to say “Thanks” for what you have done for our community! The meal is planned to be one to be remembered, so please set aside a couple of hours and come so we can say thanks together!

Remember, our annual Thanksgiving Community Service will be hosted by the Catholic Church this year. It will be on November 12 at 6:00 p.m. Again, we will receive a special offering to help cover the cost of our Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets. We believe there will be many more requests than in past years because I know we have more hurting people as a result of the hurricane. There will be a fellowship meal to follow.

Those in need of a Thanksgiving food basket should contact me by phone between November 5 and November 15. We will be distributing the baskets on November 21. My contact number is 361/218-6693. Please help us find the neediest among us and make sure we feed “need” and not “greed”.

Pastor Joane has been quite busy recently. She was the featured Evangelist at First Assembly in Cuero during the first days of October, and now she is in Haiti on a mission’s trip. She will be home in time for October 22 Appreciation Fellowship Meal. Come, for I am sure she will be sharing informally, if not formally, her experiences in Haiti.

The Chapel continues passing out cleaning supplies for those still in the process. We still have things for the babies needs and, as always, emergency food supplies. We are continuing to have donations arrive from all over the nation, and we sincerely appreciate everyone who has contributed and those who are continuing to help. Recently we received supplies from the kids at a Casa Grande, Arizona school. We are humbled by all the help we have received and will continue to receive all donations, because we still truly do not know what our community is going to need.

Special thanks to Hermano Jesse who has filled the pulpit many times for us recently. He continues leading our Spanish Services each Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy this service which is totally in Spanish.

Pastor Jesse has also just begun to teach from the Book of Romans each Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. Come, enjoy a cup of coffee with us as we study God’s Word together.

Fisherman’s Chapel is an interdenominational congregation, which only means that everyone is welcomed. We offer Bible Study for all ages at 10:00 a.m. We celebrate in praise at 11:00 a.m. and the children have a special service designed just for them. And, we meet each Sunday at 6:00 p.m. and Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. to enjoy the fellowship of each other and glean knowledge about God from His Word. Everyone will find a warm welcome here and all are urged to, “Come, grow with us!”

Seadrift Community Church had its first service in its new building October 1. The service was well attended and the excitement was evident!

Everyone is most welcome to come and visit at 305 W. Broadway. Service hour is Sunday at 10:30. If you show up at 10, there is a meet and greet with donuts!

Writer George Grant wrote: “At the end of the thirteenth century when the Norman English bowmen began to pioneer the powerful new military technology of the long bow, they discovered that the very best precaution that a bowman could take for his weapon was simply to unstring the bow when it was not in use. To release the tension, relax the pressure, and relieve the strain allowed the bow to last longer, snap back faster, and set arrows to flight further. A bow that was never unstrung would quickly lose its effectiveness. A bow that was never relaxed became useless as an offensive weapon.”

Jesus said to His followers: “Come with me by ourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Maybe it is just me, but I surely have been under a lot of pressure lately! Some have called in “Harvey Heaviness”! We have such schedule-demanding work that we must not underestimate our need to periodically relax, laugh, have fun, engage in activities that renew us emotionally, and in general, decompress.

I read recently that most of us have an idol of exhaustion. The only time we know we have done enough is when we are running on empty and when the ones we love most are the ones we see the least. When we fall down in bed to sleep at night, we offer our full appointment calendars to God, instead of praying, believing that God – Who surely must be as busy as we are – will truly understand!

Symptoms of exhaustion look a lot like discouragement, which manifests itself like this: an inability to enjoy simple pleasures; a lack of motivation; tormenting thoughts that tear away at our sense of identity and accomplishment; relationships that are not working; high levels of internalized anger; vulnerability to temptation; and a general sense of living under a cloud. Our enemy (the devil) intentionally exploits unregulated exhaustion to gain a new foothold in our lives. He wants to take us out physically, emotionally, and spiritually while God is working to keep us in the race for the long run. Rest is much more than a selfish indulgence; it is a part of our battle strategy.

I learned this principle first hand, which was taught to me by some volunteers at the Warrior’s Weekend. We all had cracked “thousands” of eggs the evening before, and had arrived at the Community Center before 3:00 a.m. All of us were working tired. We needed someone to drive my pickup to H.E.B. in Port Lavaca to retrieve the milk, chocolate milk, orange juice, etc., the things we could not refrigerate locally. I was asking for a special volunteer who would stop what they were doing and run this errand. Someone said, “Pastor, go yourself!” I protested that I had too many things to accomplish to make sure those breakfast tacos were ready to 7:15. “Go, it will give you an hour break and provide you with much needed rest.”

At first, I was incensed – did anyone think I needed a break or rest! Others had been working right alongside me and needed just as much rest as I. Protesting did no good, so I went, had people load the products in the pickup, drove them back, and others unloaded. AND, I felt much better!

Recently, a pastor called saying they needed some of our help for their event to help with hurricane relief. I told him that I would gladly share, but he would personally have to come and retrieve it! Then I told him my experience at the Warrior’s Weekend. He came and said it was the most restful time of the week!
Some have said that we think we are too important to allow others to help us and to personally take a break – and in my case I might admit to being guilty! It could be a bit of pride or super ego! It could be that we want to feel needed so we push ourselves to the limits of our endurance – maybe a bit of lack in our self-image. Most of us need to trust God and allow Him to take care of things for a while!

One has said that we also might be fighting a false guilt when we rest. That is me too much of the time! But guilt is like cholesterol – there is the good kind and the bad kind. There is “Godly sorrow” and “worldly sorrow.” Separating true conviction from the Holy Spirit from the false guilt that has been so familiar to most of us is probably a lifetime journey. Yet pacing ourselves, replenishing physically and emotionally, and doing what it takes to be healthy and durable is worth the battle against false guilt. I truly need to remember that self-denial and self-neglect are two very different things.

It is not just the preachers who need this lesson, but all of us need to learn to follow the words of Jesus, “Get some rest!” Decompress!

My neighbors Parker and Patty are always telling me how proud they are to be a part of Port O’Connor, Texas. They say it is a great community and so friendly. For many years Patty would hide the kids Halloween Candy after trick-or-treating to protect their teeth from too many cavities. One year, her young teen son found several jars of candy tucked away in a high cabinet. He recognized it from 2 years earlier as his from the last year he was young enough to trick-or-treat. He questioned his mom who had told him it was mostly eaten and the rest thrown out, and she finally admitted to him that she hid it for his own good. Now, every year on Halloween, Patty’s son mails her a good-sized bag of his children’s trick-or-treat candy with a card that says, “Want to say thanks mom for my good teeth. I am now investing in good teeth for my own children. Happy Halloween.” Patty laughs and adds to her candy bowl on the coffee table. Often when the grandkids visit in November they enjoy some of their own candy, but they never know the difference.
Happy Halloween!

To All Concerned:

I would like to start by Personally saying, “Thank You” to Lydia & Marvin Strakos for putting together a benefit/raffle fund-raiser for me and my medical expenses. Also, “Thank You” to everyone who donated items and/or purchased tickets. This will help in ways you wouldn’t believe possible.

I would also like to thank my family & friends (many I never have met) for their support through everything. There are too many people to individually list, so “Thank You” to all.

God bless you all.

Love,
Nancy Harborth

Editor, Dolphin Talk,

It seems part of the news is dominated by the “protests” by NFL players, who have decided to kneel, sit or not even show up for the playing of the National Anthem before their games. Because some of our children look up to these athletes, we see this disrespect of the flag and Anthem trickling down to them. Most often these “protesters” cite the racial inequality in our country as their cause. That might be noble, but it is the wrong way to make your point.

If these athletes would do their research, they would understand exactly why Francis Scott Key penned those specific words to the “Star Spangled Banner”. Those words came to him through the night in September, 1812, as he watched British warships pound the American stronghold with cannons throughout the night. This young country was once again fighting hard to preserve the vision of freedom that had inspired the Revolution only 30 years before. He was deeply moved by the brave defenders who were willing to give their very lives to make sure “that our flag was still there”, which signaled to all that our cause was still alive.

Since that night . . . time and again, our military and other heroes have fought valiantly to protect that vision of building the United States of America into a shining beacon of freedom and opportunity. Our flag and our National Anthem have become our unified recognition . . . and thank you . . . for the kind of heroism which allowed this country to be formed in the first place, and that has allowed it to remain the most broadly successful example of “people’s rule” to ever shine on the Earth.

Are we perfect? Far from it, but standing tall when the anthem is played and the flag raised is not our blind agreement that all is well. Rather, it is our opportunity to pause for a few minutes and stand together in respect for those who gave their lives so that we could continue to try to get better as a nation, and as individuals.

Yes, we are flawed, but all those brave fighters over the past 200+ years didn’t turn back because of those flaws. They charged into battle, gave their lives and limbs in protection of a purpose larger than themselves.

Those 2-3 minutes are not for you, or me, or any of us. They are dedicated to those who served and those who died to give you that right.

You don’t have to agree with everything that is going on to be a true American. But it is not asking much for you . . . and all of us . . . to set aside our grievances and disagreements for 2-3 minutes and stand together to honor those who died so we could live free.

Terry Koehler

Attention, POC U.S.P.O. Mailbox Holders:

A postal worker in our local post office lectured me about how to put a box number somewhere in an address; she would not listen as I tried to explain those options are not always available online. Plus, I have had companies favor the physical address even when the box number was entered in the mailing address option. That is what just happened when FEMA sent us our benefit check for Hurricane Harvey. My husband received a phone call from FEMA saying they sent us our check, but it kept coming back!

We had previous problems of lost and delayed bills and a package having been sent back. My husband complained to the postmaster in Victoria. The postmaster said that they look up the recipient to find out their box number and deliver the mail. He could do nothing about our P.O.’s choice to refuse to deliver mail without a box number because it is not technically illegal.

Your money and everything else may be out there – it’s just going to take a while for you to receive it.

A Dissatisfied Customer

Working Together

Seeing our friends and neighbors pitch in to clean up and rebuild our area and surrounding communities following Hurricane Harvey came as no surprise to the Friends of the Library. This same spirit and can-do attitude has resulted in our ability to announce the ground breaking for the new library.

Thanks to our volunteers and generous donors, ground breaking for Phase 1 of the new Port O’Connor Library will be held October 27, 2017. This first phase will include all site work, foundation work and erection of the building.

The Friends will continue to work diligently to raise the funds needed for the second and final phase of the project which is estimated to be $150,000. It will be with our generous community’s support, as well as grants and in-kind donations, that we will complete this project and provide a new and improved library for Port O’Connor.

We look forward to this exciting event for Port O’Connor and sincerely hope that you will join us on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 10 AM at 506 West Main, Port O’Connor, Texas.

Sincerely,

Ursula Price, President
Friends of the Port O’Connor Library
www.friendsofportoconnorlibrary.org
libraryfriendspoc@gmail.com

We Need RO System

The letter to the Dolphin Talk from the POC ID made it  sound like that all of the directors were out in the field working, that is not true.  There was only one and that was Nathan ONeill who did a good job of helping get the system up and running.  One of the directors told one of the workers that he needed his sewer fixed first and that he was a director.  I say that I am sorry Mr. Director you get waited on last because you are a public servant.  El Presidente was not even in town and where was the other two, who knows.  U S Water would have done a great job if they were allowed to bring a crew, but instead they were told to stand down.  What are the plans for the next emergency and what will it be?  Do the directors know what effect the highways: 59, 35,185, 1289, and 238 could have on the people of Port O’Connor?  All these highways cross our water supply at some point.  If an 18 wheeler carrying chemicals has a wreck and spills their load on certain parts of these highways we could be without water for quite a while, just look at what just happened to Corpus Christi not long age.

If we had an Reverse Osmosis (RO) system in place all we would have to do is close the valve from GBRA and we would still have safe water.  Also our water supply from GBRA runs right through the Dow Chemical Plant, if they have a spill in the right spot we are out of water.  It runs through a lot of farm land.  We need to make sure we have safe water.

Our water is safe at this time but accidents can happen.  We need the RO system that the voters voted for in the tax bonds issue.  It seems that 3 of the directors are not even thinking about this issue at this time.

You can’t just put an RO system in overnight.  The quicker it is put in the quicker we can make sure that we will have a safe water supply.  A safe water supply should b a top priority at this time.  I don’t want to gamble when it comes to having safe drinking water.  If you don’t want to gamble either then you need to let your directors know now.

Teddy Hawes

The Dolphin welcomes letters from our readers on any subject that is of general interest to our audience. Letters should be 300 words or less (with exceptions at the Dolphin’s discretion). Letters reflect the opinion of the writer, and not that of Dolphin Talk staff, and we retain the right to determine suitability for publication. It is the policy of this newspaper to promote area interests: therefore, complaints against local businesses should be directed elsewhere. Letters must be signed and include day and evening phone numbers, which will not be published. Your name will be withheld upon request, but anonymous material will not be considered for publication.
Letters to the Dolphin:
Dolphin Talk, PO Box 777 Port O’Connor, TX 77982 dolphin1@tisd.net