January 17, 2008
MEDITATION
The Kings Mountain Herald
CHURCH NEWS
Always put God first Benefit concert slated at David Baptist
For over thirty years, the New Year has been welcomed with a
televised celebration that takes place in Times Square in New York.
It features Dick Clark, whom many call “the
world’s oldest teenager.”
I was a bit less than a teenager when I first
began watching the “ball drop” on New Year's
Eve, but as I watched the familiar scene this
year, I found that I felt a bit older than usual.
Perhaps it was because this New Year is the one
year anniversary of my son’s death. Or maybe
it’s because I am recovering from a total hip
replacement. Whatever the reasons may be, the
arrival of this particular New Year seemed to be
more than an average reminder that I am grow-
ing older.
Of course, growing older is not necessarily a bad thing. After all,
the Bible celebrates the gift of wisdom that comes with experience,
and there is a blessing in knowing that God grants us another year.
In fact, each day is really a gift, and I think all of us should praise
God for the opportunity to put our feet to the floor each morning.
In addition, history tells us that there are many who have had
some of the most productive experiences of their lives after they
have grown older.
For example, Moses was around 80 when God called him and,
although he cited many excuses for not doing what God wanted,
he never mentioned his old age as one of them.
The Philosopher Socrates gave his greatest wisdom to the world
after he had reached 70 years of age. His student Plato was still
learning at age 50, and he produced some of his own most memo-
rable work after turning 60.
The artist Michelangelo was still composing poetry and design-
ing structures in his 89th year. In fact, he painted the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel while he was on his back on a scaffold, and he was
near 90 years of age when he did it. The Roman statesman Cato is
said to have begun studying Greek at age 80 and the Italian schol-
ar Petrarch reportedly started studying Latin after his 70th birth-
day.
If these examples are correct, then it is obvious that growing
older does not have to be a bad thing. It can, instead, be a gift, and
this New Year can be yet another chance for us to seek to-honor
God with our daily lives. The biblical book of Ecclesiastes under-
stands what it is like to grow older. In chapter 12 the writer speaks
metaphorically of an aging human body as if it were like an old
house. Because of this understanding, the writer exhorts all of us
to remember our Creator in the days of our youth.
Whatever 2008 may bring us, and whatever our age may be on
our birthday this year, I hope all of us will follow the advice of the
Scriptures and put our Creator first in all of our activities.
Jeff Hensley
Meditation
Dr. Jeff Hensley is pastor of Kings Mountain Baptist Church.
CHURCH BRIEFS
Grace United Methodist Church, 829 Cleveland Ave., will have
an all you can eat country buffet breakfast Sat., Jan. 19 from 6:30-
10 a.m. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 7-12. For
more information call 704-739-3763 or 704-739-8676.
David Baptist Church, 2300 David Baptist Church Rd., Kings
Mountain, will host a BBQ benefit for the Missy Wiggins Van Fund
Sat., Jan. 19 from 1-7 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Pork or beef plates
are $8 and can be eaten in or carried out.
Shady Grove Baptist Church, 3240 Tryon Courthouse Road,
Cherryville, will host a hot dog lunch Sat., Jan. 19 from 11 am.-2
p.m. in the Family Life Center. The cost is $5 per plate. Dine in or
take out. Proceeds will go to help sponsor a mission trip to
Tanzania, Africa. The public is invited.
Beulah United Methodist Church, 1534 Stony Point Rd., Shelby,
will host a breakfast buffet Sat., January 19 from 7-10:30 a.m. The
cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12.
Kingdom Life Covenant Ministries, 114 S. Railroad Ave., will
host “Moving Beyond Religion 2008” Sat., Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. and
Sun., Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. For more information call Carla Ellis at 704-
734-0082:
MILY WEAVER
: eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
“1 once was lost, but now I'm
found; was blind, but now I
see.” Those simple words to
“Amazing Grace,” have a pro-
found meaning to eight-year-
old Kayla Elise.
She was born blind. But
through God’s amazing grace
and a little help from the
National Federation of the
Blind, she has learned to “see.”
The NFB, one of the largest
organizations of blind people in
the U.S., has helped Kayla and
thousands of other blind chil-
dren learn to deal with their dis-
ability and, as much as possible,
to function as normal.
A benefit concert will be held
for the NFB on Saturday,
January 19 at David Baptist
Church in Kings Mountain. The
doors will open at 6 p.m.
Tickets will be sold on a first
come, first-seated basis for $5
for teens and $10 for adults at
the door. Children 12 and under
will not have to purchase a tick-
et, but a love offering will be
accepted. People will still be
admitted if they cannot afford
the full price.
Event organizer and band
leader Brandon McSwain, a
Kings Mountain native, said
that the concert will open at 7
p.m. with performances from
“The Last,” a modern worship
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Kayla Elise will give a special
performance at David Baptist
Church on Saturday night with
other bands to raise money and
awareness for the National
Federation for the Blind.
band, out of Charlotte. A special
guest performance and appear-
ance from Kayla Elise will fol-
low.
Even without the gift of sight,
Kayla embodies great vision in
music. At her young age, she
plays the piano, sings and
writes her own music, McSwain
said. The bass player in the
“Brandon McSwain Band,” Joey
Williams, is Kayla’s stepfather.
“The guys in the band have
really gotten to know her and
love her,” McSwain said.
Having her around and being
‘able to mentor her, he added,
has “been very encouraging for
7”
us
The “Brandon McSwain
Band” will close the show. “Our
music style is more of acoustic
jazz,” he said, although they
have performed some
pop/rock-like songs.
If he had to compare their
musical styles to a mainstream
artist, he said that their sound is
similar to that of John Mayer.
“All of us are Christian and we
do a lot of conferences and we
have led worship in the past,”
he said. “But our heart is in get-
ting a message of hope out to
the world.”
McSwain, son of Tim and
Doris McSwain, has been writ-
ing music for the past eight
years and is also a gifted piano
player, lead guitarist and vocal-
ist. After graduating from Kings
Mountain High School, he
attended ASU and moved away
to work in the music industry.
He has since returned to North
Carolina and is working on put-
ting the final touches on his
band’s first full-length album,
which is set to be released in
April.
This benefit, he said, will be
the first in a string of self-pro-
moted concerts and benefits for
the NFB cause. “NFB has done a
lot for Kayla and the family,”
McSwain said. “We just want to
do this to raise money and
awareness for the organiza-
tion.”
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