Holidays Are For Family And Friends

Greetings from the island everyone. I hope all of you are doing well and settling into the early beginnings of South Texas winter, which officially arrives next week. Last Friday morning was a reminder that it is right around the corner, with the island temps dipping to 42 degrees and wind chill of 34 that morning. Of course I don’t get the lower readings out here across the water like on the mainland, but I certainly get more wind, which makes it feel much colder. Oh well, such is island life, just grin and bare it and throw on another quilt at night.

I’m hoping that everyone had a most wonderful Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. This time of year is certainly for family and friends to get together and give thanks and celebrate. On the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving, Corky and I ventured across the bay and I attended church services at Assembly of God in Seadrift with my mom. It was a special day for her as she had all five of her kids with her at church, including my younger sister, Darla, who had made the drive from California. We had a great meal afterwards that Pastor Tim Smith and his congregation had prepared.

On Thanksgiving day, I had the honor of enjoying a wonderful get together and meal with great friends in Port O’Connor at Susan and Britt’s house, along with Lori, Don, Leo, Brenda, Earl (aka Santa), Carla and many others. We ended the night by sitting around a cozy fire pit. . . it was a very enjoyable day. I’ve come to realize over the past few years that there truly are great people out there, and they can become wonderful friends. I’m looking forward to many years of their company.

A few nights later, on Saturday, we all enjoyed another beautiful beach bonfire under the stars, and celebrated several birthdays of close friends. Some Seguin friends, Cricket and Jim, joined us and are now officially hooked on the night beach bonfires. I mean seriously, how can anyone not love such a peaceful setting such as that. As long as there is wood on the beach, there shall be bonfires.

I was without a boat on the island for about two weeks, as my motor developed some issues and had to be towed in for repairs. Just a minor hiccup in island life living. Thanks to Bubba and Chuckie for helping me out during that stranded time. Once again, good friends are invaluable.

This is the time of the year that I’ve gotta stay stocked up on supplies, especially propane and gasoline and canned goods. The nasty weather and extremely low tides will prohibit me from making my regular supply runs into the mainland. I also have to keep extra plumbing, electrical and miscellaneous parts on hand for repairs. Right now I’m having an issue with my water well not supplying me with my outside water, so I’m troubleshooting what could be wrong. Again, just part of island life.

Well that’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and have a most wonderful and Merry Christmas!

For making this a wonderful year for the Friends of the Port O’Connor Library, Inc.

We are so grateful for the community support in our efforts to raise funds to build a new library. Thank you for hosting, for volunteering, for attending our fundraising events and for your donations. Each and every donation is greatly appreciated.

Also thank you for your patience. The goal is in sight and we are in the process of obtaining cost estimates for both the building and furnishings. Working with our Calhoun County Library Director and a library furnishing consultant, we are reviewing plans for the interior space. We hope to have those and plans for the building elevation and exterior design for the approval of the county and to provide to the public within a few months. Progressing as quickly as we can, we are at the mercy of the professional’s schedules.

Since beginning our Capital Campaign a little over 2 years ago we have now have reached over $500,000 in assets. Those assets include cash, pledges and in-kind donations for air conditioning and heating and plumbing. An experienced and successful grant writer has graciously agreed to assist us in obtaining grants toward both the construction costs and furnishings. The projected budget for the project is $750,000 and with continued effort we hope to reach that in the near future.

The Board of Directors, our Fundraising Chairlady, our Advisory Council and many other wonderful volunteers have worked very hard and plan to continue working toward building a new asset for Port O’Connor’s citizens and visitors alike. There is not enough space here to thank each of you individually but please know that we do appreciate you. And, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge our local business community for their continued support. Thank you Dolphin Talk, Hooper’s Bar and Grill, Teresa’s Salon, Sisters, Hurricane Junction, Josie’s, Dock’s, Tigrett Real Estate, Russell Cain Real Estate, Port O’Connor Rod and Gun, POC Liquor, Island Liquor, The Sanctuary and everyone who has donated auction items.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy and Healthy New Year!

Judy Whitworth,
President, Friends of the Port O’Connor Library, Inc.

A Faithful Contributor to Port O’Connor Friends of the Library
Board members presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Jim Hooper of Hooper’s Bar & Grille
for his generous contribution to The Friends of the Port O’Connor Library. Proceeds were from Hooper’s annual Chili/Gumbo Cook Off.
L to R: Virgil Price, Jimmy & Barbara Crouch, Ursula Price, Judy Whitworth, Hooper, Virginia Lichac, Jerry Lichac, Vera & Joe Wiatt

Barbara & Jimmy Crouch

Jimmy and Barbara Crouch (pictured above) will soon be starting an exciting new chapter in their lives. After more than 40 years of making Port O’Connor home, they will be moving to Bastrop, Texas to be near their children and grandchildren. Son Jimmy, Jr., daughter Joni, their spouses and the grands CC and Shawn will be welcoming them. Both grandchildren are recently engaged and will be getting married soon, so lots of excitement is stirring. Still, it is bittersweet to Jimmie and Barbara to leave this town they lovingly call home.

Jimmy lived and worked hard here as a radio announcer known as ‘the mouth of the south,’ ran fishing charters on his loved boat the ‘Can’t Miss,’ was a trusted house sitter for part timers and was well known as a talented bird carver.

Barbara taught 4th grade in POC for 18 years, shaping the lives of many of our leading locals. She also skillfully played the organ at 1st Baptist for more than 16 years, was an active member of the book club, is an avid shell collector and beachcomber and a highly competitive bridge player.

They lived in Lockhart for a time, but POC is home sweet home. They have a new house awaiting them in Bastrop with many chosen features and custom touches they will really enjoy. Barbara hopes they can find some fun activities and new friends in the area and make it feel like home soon. With tears in her eyes and a catch in her voice the beautiful Barbara said she would miss the water, the town, but most of all the people here. She said they have been a part of Port O’Connor for so long, it feels strange to move. “We hate to go, but we have to. We may need our children’s help and support and we want to be there for them, too.”

Blessings as you go, Jimmy and Barbara! You will be missed, but the mark you made on our community and its people will remain.

Seadrift School Second Graders sing Christmas songs at First National Bank, Seadrift
-Photo by Collin Anderson

When I was just a child, I danced in a recital to the tune ‘I got the Chicken Pox for Christmas.’ We wore pink footie pajamas and fake pox marks on our face. Funny thing is I then got the real Chicken Pox for Christmas and was confined to my house for almost the entire Christmas holiday. No parties, no, shopping, no visiting Santa. My daddy hired a helper Santa to come to our home and visit my little sister and me while we were sick. We were so excited. It was a special treat. I have wondered if Daddy told the man we were contagious. I don’t know if he did or not, but he came and shared his Christmas Day with us.

My Daddy often said attitudes and outlooks are contagious too. He would ask us if ours was worth catching. Is your holiday spirit worth catching? Is your holiday outlook spreading joy or woe? As you celebrate this holiday season, maybe you have reason to not celebrate. Are you lonely, grieving for one you miss, struggling to make your obligations, feeling overwhelmed?

Please do not stay in the isolation you feel. You do not have to sing carols and wear light up sweaters to celebrate. Maybe you need quiet reflection and music soft as falling snow. Maybe you wish for gentle words and friendly care instead of jolly ho, ho ho’s. That’s okay! There is a Christmas joy for everyone, even you. You can share in the season in whatever way fits you. You may need to ask others to join you in muted merriment or connect with you in Christmas calm. They may even long for the same and not even realize it until you offer a respite from the holiday hype.

Presents are not necessary to be present with others. Parties and special events are not required to create special memories with people you love. Travel is not required to meaningfully relate to relatives. So, find opportunities to join hearts, share love and commemorate the season of Christmas with those who matter to you.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a very Joyful New Year. I pray you find health in your home, someone dear to share your cheer, a surprise in your stocking, nutmeg in your eggnog and resolve in your resolutions. I pray you catch a serious case of Christmas spirit and joy contagious to all in the New Year.

It is my special privilege to share words with you here and I look forward to seeing you here in January where we can catch up again and share the latest
news.

Blessings always…Kelly Gee

Congratulations Clara Stryker on your second year in the Nutcracker. You made a cute little mouse. We are so proud of you. Love, Dad and Mom!

Girl Scout Troop 9510 help decorate the Calhoun County Public Library Christmas tree.

Thank You to the fine folks of the Toy Run and all the hard-working, generous volunteers who give of their time, talents and finances to make Christmas in our area so special.

How would we feel if we were invited to a birthday party in our honor and were totally ignored? How would we feel if things were all decorated for our birthday and everyone was interested in each other and I was left out of the celebration? What about our spending much too much money for birthday presents, but none of them were for us — just for those throwing the party? There was a large and extravagant meal, but I was excluded — my name was not even mentioned?

Is this how Jesus is going to feel at our homes? Ignored, slighted, left out of a party in His honor?
Jeremy Benthan (1748-1832) is considered by many to be the father of modern hedonism. Bentham promoted the philosophy that pleasure is the highest good and ultimate purpose of life and that pain should be avoided at all cost.

When I view the world today, I believe that when it comes to the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of suffering, there is not much difference between the Christian and those who choose not to follow Jesus Christ. And, as I have grown older, I notice that the hedonistic way of life has become more prevalent with each new generation. For instance, the subject of conversation today is more likely to revolve around “The Walking Dead” or the “Kardashians” than any meaningful discussion of eternal things! It is far more likely that “selfies” and Facebook postings will be shared than devotional materials.

The love of pleasure is not a new concept. The Christian leaders of the early church saw the hedonism of the Greek culture as a great threat to the new Christian movement. Nearly every book of the New Testament contains warnings about indulging in “the lusts of the flesh”. This craving emerges from one’s fallen nature that drives a person to go after the sins of his choice.

I find many modern believers now face a level of temptation that First Century Christians could have never imagined. The prosperity we enjoy and the technological advances of our age have put nearly any desire within our reach. Such a “flesh-pleasing” lifestyle can quickly get out of hand because the more one attempts to satisfy the “fleshly-passions”, the less satisfied he becomes.

A hedonistic mindset can end up in a person who sees himself as the center of his universe. He might be willing to incorporate a few moral concepts into his life, but his heart remains unchanged and unconquered. As long as “Self” remains enthroned within, one will continue living as a “committed hedonist”! The more one goes to the empty cisterns of this world to seek pleasure, the emptier he becomes. Once a person becomes addicted to pleasure, it is increasingly difficult to find contentment in anything else and that person will do anything to feed his addition!

At the heart of hedonism is the life of sense: “If it feels good, it must be right!” One’s feelings determine everything – good and bad! If we happen to feel moral, we follow that, but “if we do not…” Obedience becomes a matter of subjective convenience and choice – all revolving around how one feels at the moment. “My feelings determine my choices. I accept only what makes me feel good, happy, comfortable, excited, and I reject what disturbs or troubles me, or is too demanding or difficult, or threatens my personal pleasure. I reject whatever has ceased to thrill me. I reject what is boring.”

Another form of hedonism in our day is the frantic pace of life with which we live. We are living in a time of unprecedented activity. Movie producers now say that in order to hold a viewer’s attention, the scene must change every three seconds or the viewer will become bored and move on! We want what we want and we want it NOW! With our overbooked schedules, ringing telephones, scores of emails, rushing from appointment to appointment, we no longer have time to see the Christ Child even at Christmas!

What would happen if at this Christmas season we would spend less time in front of the television or on the Internet and learn to quiet ourselves before the Lord? We can not change the fact that we live in a fast-paced world, but we can change the atmosphere within our own homes as we learn to quiet ourselves and think of eternal things! If motion and noise characterizes the spirit of this age, perhaps as Christians we would allow silence and stillness to play a more important role in our lives so that we will be able to determine what is eternal!

My heart hurts for the youth of today, who are not learning the simple things of life that can be enjoyed. They have to have entertainment 24/7 or life is boring! They must have things to do and places to go or “why not just sleep the day away?”

Dads and Moms, I plead with you to pause the activities for this season and allow the Christ of Christmas to find His way into your family. Truly celebrate Whose Birthday It Is — Christmas is about Jesus’ birth! There is everything right about having extra family time, but do not fail to include the Christ for Christmas! I personally am not threatened by Santa, as long as I find him kneeling before the Manger!

Slow down and enjoy Jesus’ Birthday. Work on changing the most apparent belief system of our day – “hedonism” – at least in your life! AND, I believe 2017 will be a much better year when we reject personal gratification as a way of life and seek to follow the Christ of Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!