Welcome to “As We Serve with Significance”! I try to serve with significance in my community every day, a community which varies from day to day. Yesterday I took food to a friend recovering from surgery. Today I met with my prayer group. Tomorrow I plan to call four friends to wish them Thanksgiving blessings. And so my life goes, as I serve with significance.
One of the significant things no one can escape from is the history of their surroundings. Johnson City, Tennessee, my hometown, is preparing to celebrate our Sesquicentennial, or 150th birthday, on Sunday, December 1.
On December 1, 1869, Johnson City “received its first charter from the state of Tennessee under the name of Johnson City.” (Source: Greater Johnson City A Pictorial History.) Certainly much significant and lengthy work went into that event, well before the advent of devices that would ease the process today.
This is a picture of Henry Johnson, the founder of Johnson City. Thank you to http://www.stateoffranklin.net/ for providing it. And http://www.stateoffranklin.net/ is a treasure trove of great information!
The December 1, 1887 issue of The Comet, the first Johnson City newspaper, reported that “Boston society has promised to read the Bible this winter. Boston fashionables are always looking for something new.” While it’s not a new practice, I’ve tried to read the Bible through every year for many years. And most years, I’ve accomplished that. Certainly the Bible is significant!
In the December 2, 1915, issue of The Comet, the Frank Taylor Store advertised “big reductions on all our Suits and Coats for the next few days”. The store was located at 212 Main Street.
What’s significant to you?
Copyright, November 21, 2019 by Rebecca Henderson
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Wedding Dresses? Repurposed!
Since many of us are doing our spring cleaning, I am following last week’s guest blog post by Angie Hyche with another blog post you may have seen previously. If you have a wedding dress, veil, cocktail or prom dresses or anything of the sort that you’re thinking of clearing out, read on! This is… Read more
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Welcome to Guest Blogger, Angie Hyche
I’m repeating the guest blog post by Angie Hyatt because it makes me want to spring clean! I bet it will make you want to do so, too! I can’t remember how I met Angie Hyche, but I know it was several years ago. I believe it was at a Kingsport Chamber of Commerce event,… Read more
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Dogwood Winter
Where I live, and as I write this, we are experiencing dogwood winter. It’s a seasonal cold snap that comes when the dogwoods are in bloom. Just like we expect the sun to rise every morning, we can expect the chill that’s in the air when the dogwoods bloom. With that said, this week’s blog… Read more
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Welcome to Ronna-Renee Jackson!
I met Ronna-Renee Jackson several years ago when we were both on the board of directors of Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians, headquartered in Knoxville. Over the years, Ronna-Renee and I served together on several committees. We quickly discovered that we were both members of the Junior League. We are both bloggers, as you’ll… Read more
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Happy Birthday in Heaven, James Robinson, DVM!
Thank you to Rick Thomason, President of Six Rivers Media, LLC and to Stephanie McClellan, Editor of the Johnson City Press for allowing me to republish the following. It appeared in substantially the same for in the Johnson City Press in November, 2020. My original blog post from April of 2020 follows. The picture above… Read more
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Welcome, Guest Blogger Dr. Anne Littleford!
I hope you’ll give a warm welcome to Dr. Anne Littleford, who is my guest blogger this week. Thank you, Anne! I’ve known Anne since we were in the fourth grade. Anne is a true prayer warrior, a great neighbor and a fabulous friend. I asked Anne to write her own bio for the blog.… Read more
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Devotions for 2021, Part II
You might think it’s peculiar that I’m doing Part II of Devotions for 2021 just now. I don’t think so at all, because this is Holy Week. On Good Friday, we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus, but on Sunday, we glory in the celebration of His resurrection. With that in mind, I want to share… Read more
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Welcome to Guest Blogger, Angie Hyche
I can’t remember how I met Angie Hyche, but I know it was several years ago. I believe it was at a Kingsport Chamber of Commerce event, but I’m not sure. Angie has recently published a book, Unholy Mess What the Bible Says about Clutter. I read it earlier this year as part of my… Read more
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Jack Henderson’s Final Moments, 2021 Version
This is a picture of my father, John Henderson. It was taken in May, 1952, about six months after my parents were married. I believe he had just purchased that car, but I’m not positive. The berries surrounding the picture are Nandina berries. I can trace my Nandina bushes back to my grandparents farm. I… Read more
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Welcome Guest Blogger, Joe Chastain!
I hope you’ll welcome Joe Chastain as my guest blogger this week. What follows is really a very abbreviated autobiography, one that I hope you’ll find inspiring, especially as we prepare to celebrate Easter in a few weeks. I’ve read Joe’s book and recommend it to you. I believe you can purchase it via the… Read more
Congratulations on starting your blog! I think what’s significant to me about serving others is remembering that it should be rooted, watered, and covered with REAL LOVE. Just as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we can give all kinds of efforts and sacrifices and words to others, but if our motive isn’t genuine love for our fellow man, it’s all just smoke and mirrors. Too much of the time we offer “service” that is based on manipulation, self-aggrandizement, or obligation (and I’m guilty as charged) instead of actually caring for other people. I pray that, as we follow your blog, God will use your words to let His love well up inside of us, so that we become His fountains of life-giving service!
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