The worst game of hide and seek ever
“Fat dog can move!” That was the primary thought bouncing around in my mind like a pinball as I went racing through the woods behind my house a few days ago. The “fat dog” in question is my faithful mutt of questionable lineage, Riley.
I had been working non-stop, wide open from early that morning: hospital visits in distant cities, calls on members, and much time at the desk preparing for Sunday. And so, late in the afternoon, I decided to take a walk in the woods behind our house to clear my head. On a whim I decided to take the dogs with me, Echo the Labrador (appropriately nicknamed “Chewy”) and old, decrepit, fat Riley.
Now, Riley has been on a shock collar for a while, since he likes to wander. So I removed the collar and put him on a leash for our walk. Once we had gotten pretty far back in the woods I decided to let him off the leash and see if he would A)stay nearby, or B) come when I called.
As you have guessed from my opening sentence, the answer was C) neither of the above.
Probably 500 yards (30 ticks, 22 briar gashes, 3 near coronaries) later, I caught him. Exhausted and perturbed, I cut through the woods and came straight home.
Pretty quickly the home phone rang, and I had to go on another pastoral call. I took my wife’s cell phone since I could not find mine and, sure that it was in my office somewhere, I asked her to find it for me while I was gone.
I got back very late. When I arrived, Dana called me to the computer screen and showed me two blue dots. She said, “See this dot? This is us, here in the house. See this other dot? That is your phone, way out in the woods somewhere...”
Forty-five minutes, in the dark. That is how long it took me to track and retrieve it. I am fairly certain I uttered several “Christian
William Cecil Cooke, 89, Fort Oglethorpe
William Cecil Cooke, age 89, passed away Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at Rosewood Senior Living in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. He was 89.
Cecil was born Dec. 4, 1927, in Winston Salem, N.C.
He was a WWII Navy Veteran stationed in Japan.
Throughout his working career, Cecil worked in banking and sales. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and past president of the LaFayette Rotary Club.
One of his past time hobbies was singing in a Barbershop Quartet.
Cecil was a long-time member of LaFayette Presbyterian Church where he enjoyed singing in the choir.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Fay Edwards Cooke.
Survivors include:
His daughter, Mary Ellen Salmon of Richmond, Va.; brother, Jack Cooke (Patricia) of Greensboro, N.C. and devoted friends, Gene and Jean Skates of LaFayette.
Visitation: Tuesday from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Graveside service: Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. in LaFayette Memory Gardens with Rev. Ken Waddell officiating.
Online guestbook available at walliswilbanksfuneralhome. com.
Arrangements: Wallis-Wilbanks Funeral Home, LaFayette.
Goldon (Geneva) Hammett Starkey, 88, LaFayette
Mrs. Goldon (Geneva) Hammett Starkey, of LaFayette, Ga., passed away Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. She was 88.
She was born Jan. 1, equivalency curse words” at Riley (Rotten, unsanctified, Philistine of a dog...) along the way. But I found the phone. It was too important for me not to.
And, as is so often the case, when my heart rate had slowed, and my nerves calmed, the Lord seemed to whisper for me to pay attention, and think in bigger terms.
We expend the greatest efforts on the things that matter most to us.
I went running after a dog, and then trekking through the woods in the dark to retrieve a phone. I wonder, does our fellowship with the Lord rate so high with all of us, or any of us? Psalm 42:1 says, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
Panting for God. Thirsting for him like a deer thirsts after a stream of clear water. Oh, what anguish smites my heart as I realize that so very
1929, to the late Gordon and Martha (Smith) Hammett in Chattooga County, Ga.
Goldon loved meeting new people and had an avid interest in family genealogy. She had been a member of both the Walker County Historical Society and the Chattooga County Historical Society.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Starkey; daughter, Jan Starkey Webb; granddaughter, Holly Brock and siblings, Myrtle Sanford, Eunice Railey, Clara Smith, R.L. Hammett, Pauline Chapman, Charles Bynum, Billy Bynum and Joann Kitchens.
Survivors include: Son, Jimmy (Diane) Starkey; daughter, Kathy Starkey Brock; granddaughters, Wendy (Steve) Pickard and Marylin (Ruben) Hernandez; great-grandson, Zach (Courtney) Allgood; great-greatgranddaughters, often Christians, myself included, do not have that type of desire for the God who gave himself for us on the cross of Calvary.
Even worse, we probably do not even recognize that failure.
I said earlier, “We expend the greatest efforts on the things that matter most to us.” That is a pretty good test for us to determine what our priorities are. What do we expend our greatest efforts on? Money? Possessions? Physical health? Popularity? Entertainment? Where does God fit on the list?
We have all eternity to enjoy heaven. We only have a little time to show God by our efforts and pursuit of him that he means more to us than anything else.
Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Mooresboro, N.C., a widely traveled evangelist, and author of several books, including a kid’s fiction book about the Battle of Chickamauga, “Broken Brotherhood.” He can be emailed at 2knowhim@cbc-web.org.
Brecklynn and Briley Allgood and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation: Thursday from noon-4 p.m. at the funeral home.
Funeral: Thursday, Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. from the Wilbanks Memorial Chapel with Minister Michael Houston officiating.
Burial: LaFayette City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a charity of your choice or the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association.
Online guestbook available at walliswilbanksfuneralhome. com.
Arrangements: Wallis-Wilbanks Funeral Home, LaFayette.
Richard Doyle West, 71, LaFayette
Mr. Richard Doyle West, of LaFayette, Ga., passed away Tuesday,
Jan. 24, 2017. He was 71.
Survivors include: Wife of 48 years, Thelma Mae Snider West of LaFayette; daughters, Tammy West of LaFayette, Barbara Davis of Summerville and Joaine King of Chatsworth; son, Charles West of Lyerly; sisters, Ann Wallin of Ala., Carolyn Brown of Ringgold, and Evelyn Meranda of Fla.; 13 grandchildren; 11 greatgrandchildren; several nieces and nephews also survive.
Visitation: Sunday from 1-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Funeral: Monday, Jan. 30 at 1 p.m. from the Wilbanks Memorial Chapel.
Burial: Chattanooga National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m.
Online guestbook available at walliswilbanksfuneralhome. com.
Arrangements: Wallis-Wilbanks Funeral Home, LaFayette.