The Books of Psalms 40:4, Nahum 1:7 and Proverbs 3:5 speaks to mankind about the power of having trust in him. Psalms 40:40 reads: “Blessed is the one who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Eva Harris alumni are continuing to prepare for their upcoming school reunion that will be held July 14-16 in Brookhaven. The preparation for this event and for any other event takes lots of work and finances. One of the fundraisers includes a Valentine’s Day raffle. On Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. the organization will host a raffle at the Lincoln County Library. The raffle prize will be dinner for Valentine’s Day. Two winners will be selected. Tickets for the drawing are being sold for $1 each. President Curtis Tyner, vice-presidents Marian B. James and Mozel Jackson, committee members and loyal supporters are excited about this upcoming reunion, and they are encouraging your input and participation.

Alexander High School alumni will host a Valentine’s Ball at the FEMA building Feb. 11. Tickets are available for $10 at this time. A time will be announced. The fundraiser will help with the alumni’s scholarship fund in 2018. Chairperson Phyllis Sterling Watkins and the committee members are encouraging all former students and former teachers to get involved.

I would like to wish Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a “Happy Birthday.” King was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1948 and was ordained as a Baptist minister. While studying theology at Crozer Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania,  King attended a lecture on Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent struggles for freedom for the people of India. Grandhi’s teachings had a profound effect on King. Upon graduation, he received a scholarship to pursue a doctoral degree at Boston University. There he met Coretta Scott, who was studying voice at the Boston Conservatory of Music. The two were married in 1953. They were the proud parents of four children.

King’s involvement in nonviolent protests began in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, where he led a successful boycott of the city’s buses. Throughout 13 years, he promoted nonviolence as a means for African Americans to achieve their civil rights. He was jailed several times during this process. King also founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. Internationally, he was viewed as an eloquent and forceful proponent of nonviolence protests. He was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Four years later, at the age of 39, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, King’s birthday is celebrated as a national holiday. We salute a man who stood for equal rights, justice for peace, nonviolence and freedom for all mankind.

I will leave you with this thought for today, “he will never leave you, nor will he forsake you.” Put your faith and your trust in God and he will direct your path. May his peace, understanding, mercy and comfort be with each of you as you go through life.

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