I hope your Thanksgiving was great. I know ours was, despite the loss of my father. We had a sad feeling, but knew he would want us to go on with our family tradition. G.B. and I went to Mc- Cormick, S.C., along with other family members and spent Thanksgiving Day with my sister Nan and her husband, Mickey Goff. ƒHappy birthday this week to our eldest, Shane N. Gaines, Betty Hall, Jennifer Bruce, and Agnes Smith. ƒWe had a nice church service at Ebenezer Baptist Church Sunday. We also had a great crowd. The Advent season is upon us. The Candle of Hope, the Patriarchs Candle were lighted by Tom and Toni Callaway. The pastor's message was "You Must Be Ready" taken from the book of Matthew. Jackie Dupree and Angie Strother sang "Mary, Did You Know." Donna Charping and Lillie Davis were in charge of children's church. Marcha Hall and Teresa Kemp had the nursery. ƒThe Ebenezer youth group prepared 23 shoe boxes for Samaritans Purse. We appreciate our youth. They are selling beautiful calendars and if you'd like one, they are $6.00. Call Teresa Kemp, Marcha Hall, Jimmy Demastes, or see any youth. ƒ I went to Augusta Monday and stopped by to see Carol Dragon and Judy Sleister. ƒPeyton Standard spent the weekend with his grandmother, Linda Standard. Peyton lives in Columbia, S.C. He and his grandma enjoyed shopping for Christmas while he was here. ƒJennifer Bruce was honored on her birthday Saturday. A belated special happy birthday to this young lady. ƒMiss Grace Dunaway has not been feeling well. We send get well wishes to her. ƒOur prayer concerns include Judy Thornton, Melanie Wells, Bobby Myers, Morrison and Priscilla Maxwell, Bonnie and J.W. Boatwright, Linda Albea, Ann Charping, Katherine Wheatley, Rev. Albert Huyck, Ethel Harris, Lois South, Annie Kate Strother, Dot Shank, Helen Ross, JoAnn Webb, Bill and Eula Mobley, W.A. Stevens, Nancy Moon, Frances Moon, Ronnie Callaway, Jenelle Newsome, Blanche Wallace, Warren and Lois Nunn, Claire Nelson, Mike Webb, Linda Stevens, Lila Edwards, Grace Dunaway, Talmadge and Kathleen Reed, Mamie Neal Reed, Bennie Martin, Jane Hudson, Bob and Nancy Rayner, J.D. Crawford, Gary Rogers, Bob Prickle, Gary Mansfield, Duncan Johnson III, John L. Bray, Lisa Broome, Charles Blakey, Lawrence Burton, Lisa Franklin, Sherri Easter, Polly Lewis Copsy, and Thomas Bunch. ƒSincere sympathy to all who recently lost loved ones.