I hope everyone’s week is going well. I’ve looked at my thermometers several times in disbelief, but they seem to be reading properly.

Sunday, I was sure someone poured hot water on the silly thing, even in the shade it was reading 108! I’m not too sure about the egg on the rock, but I’ll bet if you put a clean sheet of metal outside, you could cook yourself up an egg in no time at all. I wonder what the “dog days” of August are going to bring to us?

I saw Thomas Alston’s ad in the paper about cleaning up our yards. I’ll back him 100% on that idea. There are junk dealers who would love to come and haul away your metal trash so that your yard could be mowed. A mowed yard is like a made bed; it makes the whole area seem neat and clean. We really do have a lovely town; it just needs a little tender loving care to be absolutely beautiful.

Barry Fikes was telling us about the time he came back to visit his Mom after being up in the big city. He toured the entire county visiting favorite places. When he returned home; he told his Mom he hadn’t realized he was reared in paradise. So keep up the good work everyone, and help keep our town beautiful.

We have a couple of new students this year, Brandie and Brendie. The girls are Lou Templeton’s great-granddaughters. It was a pleasure to see four generations attending church together.

Bev Cohn gave a praise report to the congregation. Her daughter Mary is a diabetic. She went into a diabetic crisis while driving down the highway with two of Bev’s grandchildren and two of her great-grandchildren. Truck drivers saw her car weaving and hemmed her in until they could move her to the safety of the ditch/side of the road. They called 911 as they were doing this maneuver. The car crashed into a rail but police were there. One officer jumped into the back of the car and turned off the ignition. Praise the Lord, no one was hurt thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of these road heroes and the hand of the Lord!

All VBS kids should be receiving a call this week. The First Baptist Church will be showing a slide show of the week’s activities on Sunday. Any kids who want to take part in the singing, please leave a message with Mrs. Fikes or Mrs. Hill. All parents are welcome to take part in this presentation. I tried to edit out any pictures of myself, but the photographer, my husband Russ, does not listen to instructions!

I’ve had several comments and thanks for the pictures of our Richland Springs' activities. Please feel free to email pictures to me or to the paper. It is always good to post community pictures. It’s one of the perks of living in a close knit community; you get your picture in the paper!

Monday was Playday at the arena again. Carol Bryant emailed me to say there are several more events scheduled. I originally wrote these events through July, but according to Carol, “there will be several more Playdays - Monday, July 28th; Monday, August 11th; and the final one of the summer will be Saturday, Sept. 6th.

The kids have been accumulating points and will be awarded belt buckles for All-Around Champion in each age group. Breast collars will be awarded to the Reserve Champions. I will try to get some pictures in the paper of this fun-filled family event. I had some good ones that Russ took but I didn’t have names, so I couldn’t send them in to the paper.

Did I forget to mention it is time to think about a bond election for the school? My record is scratched, but still plays the tune loud and clear. Our school needs some major repairs; surely, there is some compromise that can be reached that will allow that cafetorium to be paid in full, and our classrooms in the outbuildings to be made secure and energy efficient?

I know Mr. Winn has been looking into some alternative solutions, but nothing can be done without our citizens and school board being in agreement. Let’s get something ready and at least present it to the voters for approval or not. It would save money if it was on the ballot this November; no special elections. I know there’s this big debate about sports and academics; but the fact of the matter is, we need to repair our classrooms.

Split the bond up into packages, so that each part can be examined and voted upon by our citizens. We may have strong opinions in this town, but we aren’t dumb. Let’s get our school fixed. Shucks, I’d go for some of those energy efficient windows, if nothing else! The new windows in the gym make that old building look like new money! I sure hope everyone gets on board with this bond proposal. You know who the members are; send them a note, or leave a message that outlines your ideas. They may not take the whole package, but compromise can be a beautiful word when spoken with gentleness.

I’ve had one of those weeks where you look at the words that come out of your mouth and just get sick. Don’t get me wrong, I avoid gossip if at all possible, but someone called me a while back and told me I was negative. I guess sometimes it sounds that way, but it’s not always what I feel, but what others are portraying. Where my mouth gets ugly is the day to day complaints. It’s when you come face to face with someone who has overcome horrendous adversity and they smile at you, and say praise God, they are doing well! Oh, the conviction that fills my soul!

I had a card from a friend who has been bedridden for six years. Not only was she bedridden, but wracked with screaming level pain. She wrote to tell me “until about six months ago, I saw no one, and rarely even spoke to anyone. God has slowly been healing me, and I feel almost normal.” She then wrote the scripture, “O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.” (Psalms 34:3). How can you justify your gripes in the face of such a testimony?

I look at this plump but healthy body; the friends and neighbors that enrich my life; the beauty of my surroundings; and feel shame that I even think I’m mistreated! There’s a song that says, "Give thanks unto the Lord, glorify His name; make known His works among the nations." (1Chronicles 16:8). My resolve is to be more thankful for my many blessings and give praise for little trials that come and go with life. The alternative is not nearly as much fun! Maybe!

I hope everyone has a blessed week. Please remember to pray for our wonderful country, our government leaders, the elections, and our precious troops. May God bless and keep them; may He be with their families. May He provide that strong arm to comfort and support them at all times. God bless America.