We have really been blessed with rain lately.  It’s good for the gardens and farms!
Well, I survived another attendance at the Annual Conference at Brentwood UMC last week.  I saw a lot of minister friends, including  Leland Carden, Billy Ray and Charlotte Panter, Carlton and Carol Thackston, Phil Tollett, Vincent Baker (attended the memorial service for his wife, Joann), Horace and Margaret Bass( he was my DHS Commissioner several years ago), Randall Ganues, Charles and Ruth Poole, Bob Spain, Chris Haynes and many more. 
I sat with John Purdue and his brother, Paul, during one session. Then I sat with Terry Little at the Retirees Luncheon.  I had lunch, one day, with my Gainesboro friends, and I also chatted with our in-coming minister, John Carpenter.
Speaking of Terry Little, he preached at First Methodist last Sunday and will preach again next Sunday.  Terry, one of my favorite ministers, is an excellent preacher. He served this church from 1969-1977.  That's a record breaker!
Continued prayer wishes go to:  Phyllis Bennett, Elene Hayes, Gladys Knowles, Sara Brown, Louise Frazier and Chris Smithson.
The Country Treasures Shoppe on Walnut Street is getting ready for the Jamboree visitors.  Bill Maffett, a former Smithvillian, engineer and architect, has taken up art.  He brought in many unusual prints for his booth in the Shoppe last Saturday.  They depict Smoky Mt. bears, birds, farmhouse scenes, a moonshine still, an old mill at Pigeon Forge and many other familiar scenes.  He calls it functional art. When you come in to view, you'll see why.
Jordan Wilkins, president of the DeKalb County Young Democrats, Eli Gill and Emma Rigsby attended the Young Democrats State Convention in Lebanon, recently.  Congratulations to Jordan and Emma who were elected to the 6th Congressional Dist. Representative seats. Gill was appointed to serve as a member of the High School Outreach Caucus.  We should be proud of these young American citizens.  I predict a political future for Jordan.
I want to share one of my goof-ups before you hear it from another source.  I hired Nick to paint my kitchen porch one day.
Keep in mind, the door on this porch is my main entrance.  So, I left him painting and cruised downtown to my dentist, Dr. Tatum.  I returned about lunchtime and guess what?  I had forgotten to leave another door open, thus I couldn't get in my house.  By this time, he had finished painting all the porch a pretty green.  I stood there hungry and needed a nap.  So I proceeded to visit my sister and told her my dilemma.  She didn't comment on my forgetfulness but gave me a sandwich and a glass of tea and pointed to the couch.  Thank goodness for sisters! She was my Good Samaritan.  By late that afternoon, the porch was dry.  I'll try not to make that mistake again.
I hope everyone had a good Father's Day weekend.  Our family had a cookout.
Only nine more days until the famous Fiddlers Jamboree.  Get your fiddle and straw hat ready. Whoopee!  
Amen.