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Page 10
Thursday, January 13, 2022
Food drive benefits CRO Hats off to students at Mt. Holly Middle School for their highly successful canned food drive. The food went to the Mt. Holly Community Relief Organization. The kids were able to raise over 2100 canned goods, weighing over 2000 lbs. Way to go Beta Club for helping collect, count and deliver the goods. You made a huge positive impact to your community.
Hawes
Matz
Royston
Watts
National Board Certified teachers... Congratulations to the following teachers who earned National Board Certification: Erica Hawes, Bessemer City High; Amanda Matz, North Belmont Elementary; Kelly Royston, Stuart W. Cramer High; and Kathryn Watts, Southwest Middle.
Connect the Dots: It’s all about Him America is strained financially; many people’s finances are exhausted and at their lowest possible point. How may we change course? There is a children’s story about Three Little Pigs, two who built their lives on poor foundations and one that built wisely. The one who built wisely weathered unavoidable hard times and we can too, if we wake up and restructure our foundation. Much of earth’s bedrock these days is granite. It has been mined and used for thousands of years as architectural and dimensional construction material. Granite is a composite of feldspar and quartz and because of its beauty is often used as an interior wall panel, flooring, tile or countertop. Durability and permanence, availability, and beauty; those are characters we most desire with granite. But is granite the most durable and beautiful; the best most reliable bedrock? We need to be careful because Granite, while hard, is not impervious. It can be damaged with a hot skillet, wrong chemicals or even an abrasive scrubber. So when selecting practical firm foundations we need to use God’s wisdom; so too as we consider firm foundations to stake our lives on. Is the stock market a firm foundation; is gold and silver? How about real estate investments, bomb shelters, or buying a secluded island? This unexpected Corona virus has certainly blindsided us worldwide; shaken many foundations. What can we count on? How do we understand life and where can we get rock solid advice? Two conflicting thoughts have contributed to many arguments throughout history. 1. Is it possible that an eternal all powerful, creator God really exists? 2. Can we place reliable faith in a cataclysmic accidental start to everything 14 billion years ago?
Darwin posited the theory of evolution in his Origin writings to come to grips with what he thought he believed. He came to see God as creator but distant; watching. He didn’t believe in Dennis Siracusa Hell, and likened all religious belief “to the mistakes his dog made in thinking a parasol blowing in the wind was alive.” Darwin grew up in the Church of England with designs on becoming a parson. He wasn’t an atheist; he was trying to understand what he was seeing. We do that too but sometimes, like falling off a cliff attempting a selfie, we make terrible mistakes or we create an atmosphere for others to exaggerate and build on with harmful conclusions. As Richard Dawkins noted, “Only after Darwin was it possible to become an intellectually respectable atheist.” So we’re humanly inconvenienced with questions. If what God says is true and only two eternal ends are possible; life eternally with Him in heaven or eternal separation from Him in hell, then that doesn’t leave any wiggle room. But wiggle room is what we want for lots of reasons. We don’t want to be good, or accountable, or forgiving, or loving to others. We want life “my way.” And there are many voices offering alternatives to God’s truth. Our critical decision is to grasp God’s bedrock truth available to everyone; His beautiful, durable and reliable truth, and build our lives on it; (John 3:16, 17 NIV.)
Abbey Men’s Tennis news... The Belmont Abbey men’s tennis team has been selected the favorite in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll, the conference office has announced. The Crusaders received three first-place votes, among the conference’s 11 schools. The Abbey returns 23 players from a team
that went 14-11 last season, which included a 7-1 Conference Carolinas record, and a trip to the conference championship match. Senior Kent Shiell, junior Nelson Stafford, and sophomore Andres Golindano were listed as Players to Watch in the upcoming season. Belmont Abbey photo
Belmont Adult Spring Soccer Leagues signups The City of Belmont Parks and Recreation will be offering two adult soccer divisions for Spring 2022. Team registration dates are: January 10th- February 11th and can be done online or in person. Season: March – 1st week of June. Registration beginning January 10th online at: www.cityofbelmont.org Walk-in: 1401 East Catawba St., Belmont NC 28012 (1st Floor) Parks and Recreation Office. Mail-in: City of Belmont, 1401 East Catawba St., Belmont NC 28012. Attn: Brian McGonagle. Checks made payable to: City of Belmont. Adult Competitive High School/Young Adult (8v8 League) Team registration dates: January 10thFebruary 11th A form of ID may be required for proof of age. Players under 18 must get permission/ signed waiver form from a legal guardian. Ages 15-24
*Birthdate as of May 1st, 2022 In-City Team: $325.00 Out-of-City Team: $375.00 Includes 7-8 league games and a post season tournament. 1st place team (14) individual player awards Adult Recreational/Semi-Competitive 8v8 League Play A form of ID may be required for proof of age. Ages 25-Over *Birthdate as of May 1st, 2022 In-City Team: $325.00 Out-of-City Team: $375.00 Includes 7-8 league games and a post season tournament. 1st place team (14) individual player awards. More information contact the Belmont Parks and Recreation Athletic Program Supervisor, Brian McGonagle at (704) 9012070.