St. Patrick's Day in Savannah and Charlotte's Birthday

Recent Sermon

Here's a sermon from March 21!

Did You Know?

• Alcohol is the drug most widely used by America's youth. It is responsible for 5,000 deaths per year in persons age 12-20, yet most youth don't even consider alcohol a drug.
• Every day in the United States, over 5,000 kids under age 16 have their first full drink of alcohol.
• Children who drink are 22 times more likely to use marijuana and 50 times more likely to use cocaine than children who never drink.
  
• Those who begin drinking alcohol before age 15 are 5 times more likely than those who start at age 21 and older to develop alcoholism.

Bulloch County Town Hall Discussion March 25, 2010 6:00 PM- 7:30 PM Statesboro Bulloch County Parks and Recreation Department Honey Bowen Building

Panelist discussion including law enforcement, restaurant/bar owner, students, parents, and you!

Music's Top Earners

Interesting figures and personalities that made the list.
http://www.billboard.com/news/2010-money-makers-list-1004071338.story?tag=hpflash4#/../../news/money-makers-page-1-1004071200.story

Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and he who is mighty came and in his compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall.

St. Patrick, From His Confession

It's that wonderful time of the year when Savannah turns green, not with envy but with Irish culture and tradition. We are so excited about celebrating another St. Patrick's Day at Mamanon's (Fran Pagliarullo)! The green grits, green shirts, parade festivities all remind me of the man who felt the call of the gospel to go back to Ireland and preach the good news to all who would hear. The quote above reminds me that God's grace was the same for Patrick as for me and you. May we remember that Patrick's life teaches us about God and his ways during the festivities this week. Erin Go Bragh!

America's New Drug of Choice

Crystal Meth is the new drug of choice even among sophisticated business people because it is essentially speed, so it heightens your senses and keeps you a
wake and alert for long periods of time. I read an article not long ago about factories in Texas in which the managers/supervisors knew that the workers were using meth but they didn’t do anything about it. Consider the long term effects of crystal meth: highly addictive, destroys a person’s appetite, literally ages you and sucks the life out of you, causes tooth and hair loss, very difficult to break the habit. It is an addiction that totally owns you.

During 2009 I stumbled upon a band from Athens that I had heard of before but never bothered to listen to, Drive By Truckers. Although I only have the one disc, they quickly found their way to upper echelon of my listening preferences. The music they create is beautiful and dark at the same time! They have an uncanny ability to name the ordinary, common elements of life and expose them for what they are or are not when you look below the surface. They are not people of faith, as best I can tell, but the lyrics are definitely influenced by some religious exposure along the way. It's interesting that it doesn't take a Christian to point out the problems with substance abuse.

YOU AND YOUR CRYSTAL METH

You’ve become such a mess. You and your crystal meth You lost your family and wrecked your truck, I used to love you but now you suck We were friends, among the best; You and your crystal meth I ain’t exactly a no-drug guy, Don’t dig the way that you get high Hope your kids don’t see you throwing up, Hope they ain’t there if the house blows up Hope you ain’t murdered in your sleep, Up all night with that cranked out creep You ain’t eaten and you ain’t slept; You and your crystal meth Indiana and Alabama, Oklahoma and Arizona. Texas, Florida, Ohio, Small town America, right next door Blood soaked your pillow red; You and your crystal meth

Patterson Hood / Hood, Neff, Cooley and David Barbe © Razor and Tie Music (BMI)

A Quote from Saint Patrick

"Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me. "
Saint Patrick

Only one week until St. Patrick's Day in Savannah!!