Greetings Readers, God speaks to our hearts about gratitude and thanksgiving in Psalm 100:4 and 147:7 and 1 Timothy 4:4 and they read: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise: give thanks to him and praise his name. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving, make music to our God on the harp. Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” We pray that each of you will have a happy and a blessed Thanksgiving.”

The football season is coming to an end with the final playoffs being played. We would like to take this time to thank the coaches and the players for your contributions to this sport of entertaining your school, you family, friends, and your peers at the games in the various communities. Your team may not have won all of their games but they played with a winning spirit and for this we should be thankful. Special prayers are extended to the various players who were hurt during this football season in the various neighborhoods that you will start healing and recover very soon. Starting with my grandson Michael Anthony Harvey II, Parker Flowers and Laken, who are three young players of Loyd Star.

Basketball season has started in the various schools throughout the many, many communities. As this basketball season begins we wish for a blessed and a delightful winning season. Special blessing for the safety of all coaches, players and spectators during every game played at your home court and those played away on the road. The fans are looking forward to attending your games and cheering you on!

The Eva Hall Harris and the Lincoln County Schools’ Alumni 10th Reunion banquet was held at Lincoln Civic Center located on Beltline Road from 7 to 9:00 p.m. on July 11. The enthusiastic and joyful Carolyn Upkins and Anthony Brown, both of the Eva Hall Harris Class of 1971, were endowed the pleasure to serve as the mistress and the master of service for this occasion. They were pleasing and gave great enjoyment to their audience. A wonderful program was presented followed by special presentations of grand marshalls Evangelist Willie Ray Watkins, Robert Barnes Jr., Cora Bracey Edwards and Curtis Tyner. The Honorary Grand Marshall Mrs. Augustine T. Buie was recognized for her services to the alumni. Dinner was served of a wide variety of delicious foods that were prepared and served by Mr. Donnie Mitchell and his staff. Special tributes were observed to commemorate the 50th reunion of the Eva Hall Harris Class of 1964 who celebrated in 2014 and the Eva Hall Harris Class of 1965 who celebrated in 2015. Both were honored during this banquet. The Eva H. Harris class of 1974 and the Eva Harris class of 1975 were both honored for their 40th year anniversary during this banquet. Rev. Charles Watkins sang a special song to the teachers for their untiring service and love to the students of Eva Hall Harris School. The teachers who attended this 10th School Reunion were: Mrs. Annie Lou Dillon Tillman, Mrs. Celess Barnes McEwen, Mrs. Augustine Tillman Buie, Mrs. Alice Lawrence Black, Mrs. Alberta Clark Humphrey, Mr. James Belton, Mrs. Mae Bell Byrd Fells, Mrs. Mary P. (Mr. Matthew) Smith and Mary McMorris, the widower of Mr. Melton McMorris. We were happy to see our teachers and their spouses or other special guests that were with them. We thank God Almighty for each of you, and we pray that we will all meet again in 2017. We love each of you, and may God continue to bless and keep each of you.

Well, you say you can dance! Well, everyone who desired to do so, was afforded the opportunity, after the banquet from 9 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. This was a time for socializing and dancing with music provided by DJ  Mr. Fuzzy of Hazlehurst. This was a blessed and a fun night to remember from the beginning to the end of the night. We thank God for allowing this group and their teachers, guests and friends to come together for another school reunion.

The next alumni meeting and the grocery raffle will be Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. at the public library. Please plan to attend and please don’t forget your grocery items for the baskets, your raffle tickets and your money to turn in. Thank each of you for your cooperation and your participation in this great fundraiser.

Damascus Church Mission Group will have their annual harvest festival today at 1:30 p.m. with the focus on the four seasons with a guest speaker for each season: spring, Sis. Hattie Faye Young of Galilee Holiness USA in Jayess; Summer, Min. Ruby Adams of Damascus M. B. Church; Fall, Bro. Andrew Spiller of Mt. Wade M. B. Church and Winter, Rev. Byron Catching an associate minister of St. James M. B. Church of Brookhaven. Come out and hear what these men and women of God have to say about the physical and the spiritual side of each of the seasons.

If you have any Loyd Star area news to report, please call Carolyn E. Beard Humphries at 601-833-5753.