Hello everyone. Hope everyone enjoyed the 240th celebration of our great country on Monday, the fourth. And I understand the fireworks were spectacular again. I didn’t see them, but my daughter and son-in-law, Annette and Tommy, along with their sons, Marty and Michael, daughter, Kayla, and Kayla’s friend, Issak Vines, all took their boat and watched them from the lake. Hope you got to enjoy also.

Thought for today: It’s never too late! Every day is a fresh start. Let go of yesterday and press on into new things. There is always a new beginning with God. (Joyce Meyer).

We all know that Barack Obama is now President, and Joe Biden is our Vice-President; but, do you know who would be president if both of them became unable to serve? The answer is the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan.

Annette and Tommy’s family just returned from a week at Gulf Shores, while I spent the week with my daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Hugh Dobbs, and son Quinton. Weather was hot, but perfect beach weather and we all enjoyed spending time with family.

Correction from last week. My grandson, Michael Snow and friend, Shepard Sargent, attended the Bruce Pearl Basketball Camp at Auburn. It was last year that Michael attended the Chuck Person Shooting Camp there. See Michael’s and Shepard’s picture with Coach Pearl from camp this year. Also, see my granddaughter, Kayla Snow’s, picture with JSU Softball Coaches McGinnis (head), Boland, and Wiseman, taken when she was at JSU softball camp.

Special birthday wishes go out to my daughter, Deborah Turner, today, July 7 and to my granddaughter, Kayla Snow, who will turn 16 tomorrow, July 8. Also, to Kayla’s friend Savannah Tipton, who will also celebrate her 16 birthday on July 8. Other July 7 birthday wishes go to Dawn Reed and Larry Mullinax. Happy birthday to Jim Whitlock on the 5th, Robin Muir on the 8th, and to Carsa Harris, Rebekah Klinner, Kaitlyn Gossett, Clayton Alexander, Olive Dewberry, Gretchen Baker, Kathy Donnan, Abby Hodgens, Cindy Stefaniak, Olivia Dewberry, Mary Honeycutt, Everett Strickland, Carolyn Weems, Sara Beth Whitten, Lee Tuggle, Clyde Tidwell, Marie Manning, Mike Staggs, Camaran Payne Williams, and Dana Merrymon. Lots of July birthdays.

Ladies, “Seasons of Motherhood,” a free event, is scheduled for Thursdays from now through July 28 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Eden Campus, hosted by Eden Westside Baptist Church. In “Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood,” you will learn how to nourish your own heart, mind and soul with the wisdom you need to become the mother you long to be. Free childcare and awesome activities are planned for your children, birth-sixth grade, while you attend the Bible study. The Eden Campus is located at 223 Wolf Creek Road North. For more information, please contact Paulette Bowman at (205) 338-7711 or visit their website at edenwestside.org.

News from Judy Smith: Scarlet and Tommy Walker’s son, Adam, has graduated from Chelsea High School and plans to attend Auburn, Montgomery campus. Their daughter, Leigh, is in her second year at Troy University. Scarlett and her family live in Chelsea, where their other son, Tyler, attends Chelsea High School. The Smith’s daughter Rachel Creswell and her husband, Jeff, are residents of Moody, and their son, Elliott, is a senior at Moody High School. Elliott is celebrating his 18th birthday. Happy birthday, Elliott. The Smiths have another daughter, Julianna Ramsey. She and her husband, Jamie, have two children, Amanda and Zachary. They live in Riverside, where Julianna and her siblings and mother grew up, near Judy’s parents’ home, George and Bernadine Sisson.

The Petros Student Ministries’ youth from the Pell City First Baptist Church are home from a recent mission trip to Alaska.

Congratulations to Victory Christian School, who had two students medal at the State Track Meet in Cullman. Gracie Cheatwood won Bronze in the 1A Girls High Jump and Silver in the 1A Girls High Jump. Brodie Holliday won Bronze in Boys 1A Discus. This is the first time VCS has earned a team medal at Sectionals and students have medaled at State Meet. Gracie placed in high jump and long jump, even though the school has no practice facilities in these events. She graduated this year with a full ride scholarship to the University of North Alabama, where she will be a cheerleader. Brodie will be a junior and will play football and compete in track. He throws discus, shot put and javelin.

Congratulations to the Pell City Softball All-Star team who won the state championship at only six years old. The win got them an invitation to the Softball World Series, held in Gulf Shores.

Congratulations to the Pell City High School (PCHS) Bass Fishing Team, who qualified for National Championship, to be held at Kentucky Lake in Tennessee in August. Members Ean Davis and Grayson Hanson finished sixth at the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation High School Team Trail State Championship on Lake Wheeler.

Congratulations to former PCHS baseball player, Cole Billingsley, who was named to the 2016 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Division 1 Gold Glove Team. He has played 151 consecutive games at University of South Alabama (USA) without committing an error. Cole, who just completed his redshirt junior season at USA and who will forgo his senior year there, was selected in the 19th round by the Baltimore Orioles.

Remember: If you have a need or lack, believe that our Lord Jesus is more than willing and able to provide for you (Matt 8:2–3).

See you next week. Please pray daily for our country, its leaders and for Israel. Contact me at (205) 338-5590 with information about your family’s news and gatherings. Have a wonderfully blessed and safe week. You can also email info to annette_snow@yahoo.com.