Hello everyone. Hope you are planning a safe and fun Memorial Day. While Victory Christian School was out for summer last week, May 18. Today is the day for Pell City and St. Clair County Schools to be dismissed for the summer. I know all of the kids are happy.

Thought for today: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1.

Please keep the family of Maddie Wentworth in your thoughts and prayers. Maddie passed away last week at the age of 13. She was a student at Williams Elementary in Pell City. Special prayers to my friends, LC and Debbie Beavers, who are grandparents to Maddie. If you would like to help the family, a GoFundMe account has been created at gofundme.com/25adh6c.

Also, we are saddened to hear that Judge Charlie Robinson passed away on May 24. Thoughts and prayers go out to Charlie and Tommy and their families.

Majestic Outdoors will hold its annual Youth Field Day on May 28 beginning at 9 a.m. at their outdoor camp at 883 Dogwood Ridge, Pell City, off Hwy 174. If you have a child between the ages of 8 to 18 that would love to learn about tree stand safety, gun safety, archery, skeet shooting and many more outdoor activities, then you don’t want to miss out on this fun filled day for the entire family! You can find more information and register participants at majoutdoors.com.

Pastor David of Victory Christian Church (VCC) has been teaching on the series, “Heroes.” Part I, he taught on Abraham and Part 2 was on Moses. These have been wonderful and inspiring teachings. You are welcome to join us at either the 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday mornings.

Congratulations to VCC 2016 graduating seniors. VCS seniors include: Gracie Cheatwood, Amanda Johnson (Valedictorian), Tanner Love, Jaiden Montgomery, Aubrey Venkler, Keaton Rogers, Cheyenne Tate, Shelby Tims, Hayden Tumlin (PCHS), and Blanton Haynes (Bremen).

Vacation Bible Schools: Victory Christian Church will be June 20-22. First Baptist Church for grades K5-sixth will be June 5-9 from 6-8:45 p.m.

Happy birthday to Cody Callahan, Gail Brown, Brian Reaves, Kayla Batton and other May birthdays.

Today, I am writing about a prior Alabama Speaker of the House, William Bankhead of Jasper and his actress daughter, Tallulah Bankhead, a silent screen actress (whom I remember). Speaker Bankhead got along famously with then president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was a great supporter of Roosevelt’s New Deal, thus clashing with most other Southern Democrats in Congress at that time. In 1934, he was chosen House Majority Leader by fellow Democrats, and in 1936 was chosen Speaker of the House. At the 1940 DNC, 3 months before his death, he finished second on the vice presidential ticket, losing to Henry A. Wallace. Roosevelt had asked him to drop out, because he had chosen Wallace as his vice president, but he carried it to the convention, because Roosevelt had promised him that he would not interfere with the race. In the end, Roosevelt prevailed. Bankhead was very disappointed since he had supported Roosevelt in all of his endeavors, but Roosevelt felt he was too old at age 66. Still, Roosevelt admired the Alabama congressman and was among the attendees at Bankhead’s funeral. Also attending was FDR’s Cabinet and numerous congressmen and senators, including Harry S. Truman.

When my siblings and I were small and we would travel to visit our grandparents, we drove through Jasper and would always pass by the Bankhead house. My father would always point it out to us and we felt in awe that we would be seeing a famous person’s home. A week or so ago, I had asked my friend, Connie Millican, who grew up in Jasper, about the Bankhead family. Before she could get me any information, I found this newspaper article about William Bankhead in the Birmingham News.

May is National Foster Care Month so please lift up the children who are in foster care, through no fault of their own. Also, pray for the foster families who readily accept and nurture these children in the system. In Alabama, there are approximately 5,540 children in foster care. We need to care!

Remember: Beloved, God’s Word says that “…He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29). Be confident that God hears your prayer! (Joseph Prince).

Please pray daily for our country, its leaders and for Israel.

Have a wonderfully blessed and safe week and give me a call at (205) 338-7746 with any news. You can also email information to my daughter at annette_snow@yahoo.com.