Pearl News

The Annual Labor Day Weekend Atchley Fish Fry and Scholarship Auction at the Pearl Church of Christ was a complete success this year. In fact, over $17,000 has been raised for His Kids and local scholarships – all proceeds go toward these two causes.

To thank everyone involved with the continued success of this annual event would take pages. At the top of that list, we thank our God who blesses the Fish Fry and Auction more and more as the years go by. Then there’s the crew of guys who endure all sorts of weather—usually hot and humid—to prepare the fish for days and then stand outside for hours and hours to cook the fish. Those guys are tough and determined, and we can surely call them heroes. Of course, there’s Linda Ray who performs the unbelievably difficult task of gathering the auction items, arranging them to look so appealing, and then tagging each and every item. It’s a daunting task! Finally, there are the above and beyond generous souls who give wholeheartedly by bidding generously and by making extra donations to this very worthy cause. All of these folks are the ones who love, pray for, and care about the future of our kids. I feel certain that the stars in their crowns will shine with a splendor we can’t even imagine on this earth. Plus, those crowns will probably be kind of heavy.

Speaking of His Kids, the founder of this group was a lovely, Christian DPS trooper named Richard Williams. He had a heart for kids, especially the kids who had struggles in their lives. He began a Bible study group in Lampasas that served these kiddoes once a week at least 30 years ago. He also fed them, took them to extracurricular activities, and often provided things like music lessons—all out of his own pocket.

That group grew as the years went by and eventually became known as “His Kids.” Richard also began preaching at the Pearl Church of Christ once a month about the time the group was founded. The first time he filled the pulpit there, Richard brought his family, including his grandkids. They sat on the back row that day. When Big R’s time to preach came (and his name was very apropos as he was a big, tall, strong guy), he started walking down the aisle toward the pulpit. At the very same time, the grandkids spilled their Skittles. Those little candies went racing noisily down the old wooden floors at Daytona 500 speed. The Skittles reached the pulpit before Big R did. That gentle giant just kept on going like nothing happened. He knew this church loved kids, too. (And still does!) That is one of the many cherished memories of Big R and his family. The most wonderful thing is that His Kids is still alive and well today, thanks to the vision of a very humble man who just loved God and His children with all his heart. What a joy to see that many of Big R’s kids lead His Kids today. Now that’s a success story. We miss you, Big R, and your legacy is in good hands.

Upcoming event: The Pearl Baptist Church is having a festival on Saturday, Sept. 17, to benefit the Evant Fire Department. The hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be games for the young and the rest of us, music, food and a silent auction. Checks may be made to the Evant Fire Department. For more information, please contact Connie Long at 254 223-0621.

The Pearl Cottage Bookstore enjoyed a wonderful day on Saturday, Sept. 10. David Scott from The Gatesville Messenger was among the patrons and visitors. Even that crazy, teeny weeny, turquoise greeny, stringy bikini was excited to see him. The Bookstore ladies love and appreciate all of their customers and look upon them as friends. They also look forward to making many new friends in the future. If you’re not familiar with the purpose of the Pearl Cottage Bookstore, you may enjoy knowing that every item in the store has been donated, and every dollar received in the bookstore goes toward local charities. Countless Pearlites and those in the surrounding communities have been blessed with much needed help during difficult times by this small but mighty store. If you’re looking for a super-friendly place to shop for books and various and sundry other items, go to Pearl on the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exception of September which is the second Saturday. The next time the Book Cottage will be open is Oct. 1. Sometimes it’s like “shopping and a show” in this little cottage, and laughter abounds. You’ll thank me for the recommendation, I promise.

This week’s Bible verse comes from Psalm 141:3— “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” NIV

Contact me at betsyclark47@yahoo.com to submit any Pearl news.

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There’s no place like Pearl.