By TOMIE LUNSFORD
Telegram Staff Writer
The night was nothing she expected.
At first, Lisa Griffin of Nolanville thought she was attending the July meeting of the American Business Women's Association as the guest of a friend - Bonnie Hunt of Temple.
'At least that's what I thought when I agreed to go,' Ms. Griffin said laughing.
But Ms. Hunt had a plot. The club needed a guest speaker for the evening's program, so Ms. Hunt asked Ms. Griffin if she'd mind giving an impromptu presentation.
'There wasn't much notice,' Ms. Griffin said. 'I was invited two weeks beforehand, but it was one or two days before the meeting when that part came up.'
Ms. Griffin hesitated.
'I don't care for public speaking,' she said. 'I don't like being in front of a crowd, but I thought about it. The ABWA is a good group, and Bonnie's my friend. So I agreed to do it.'
Ms. Griffin's surprise program was on organizational storytelling.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Sea shells out lessons
By TOMIE LUNSFORD
Telegram Staff Writer
Debbie Potts of Temple watched Luke, her seizure-prone son, suffer through brain surgery after brain surgery.
He was afraid, but she saw him face the challenge and overcome it. So she wrote a story about hope.
Connie Weeks of Austin is the mother of Elliott, a marine who's served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
She spent more nights than she cares to remember in tears, praying he'd come home safe. Though bullets fired all around him, his only word to his mother was that he was proud to be serving his country. So she painted a sea at battle in a storm and at peace in the sun.
Each mother created a survivor - and together they created 'Ocean Surprises,' a children's book that teaches the merits of courage.
Telegram Staff Writer
Debbie Potts of Temple watched Luke, her seizure-prone son, suffer through brain surgery after brain surgery.
He was afraid, but she saw him face the challenge and overcome it. So she wrote a story about hope.
Connie Weeks of Austin is the mother of Elliott, a marine who's served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
She spent more nights than she cares to remember in tears, praying he'd come home safe. Though bullets fired all around him, his only word to his mother was that he was proud to be serving his country. So she painted a sea at battle in a storm and at peace in the sun.
Each mother created a survivor - and together they created 'Ocean Surprises,' a children's book that teaches the merits of courage.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Area revivalists pray for God's presence at meeting
By TOMIE LUNSFORD
Telegram Staff Writer
Revival is here.
'And the speed is picking up,' said Pat Dalrymple, coordinator of the Central Texas Prayer Network. 'It's like someone's putting a foot on the gas petal.'
Her remarks opened the Aug. 4 prayer rally at St. James United Methodist Church in Temple. More than 30 people from 12 churches attended to praise Jesus in anticipation of the upcoming Just Give Me Jesus revival.
More than 11,000 people are registered to attend, and at least 700 of those are from the Temple-Belton area.
Part of the revival's attraction is its keynote speaker - Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham the evangelist. Her last Texas program took place in 2004 near Dallas.
'She's an outstanding speaker and a strong Christian,' said Lynn Ringstaff of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Temple. 'She has a God-given gift of bringing the spirit of revival wherever she goes. It'll bring more hearts to Jesus, and I want to be a part of it.'
Telegram Staff Writer
Revival is here.
'And the speed is picking up,' said Pat Dalrymple, coordinator of the Central Texas Prayer Network. 'It's like someone's putting a foot on the gas petal.'
Her remarks opened the Aug. 4 prayer rally at St. James United Methodist Church in Temple. More than 30 people from 12 churches attended to praise Jesus in anticipation of the upcoming Just Give Me Jesus revival.
More than 11,000 people are registered to attend, and at least 700 of those are from the Temple-Belton area.
Part of the revival's attraction is its keynote speaker - Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham the evangelist. Her last Texas program took place in 2004 near Dallas.
'She's an outstanding speaker and a strong Christian,' said Lynn Ringstaff of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Temple. 'She has a God-given gift of bringing the spirit of revival wherever she goes. It'll bring more hearts to Jesus, and I want to be a part of it.'
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Girls rock!: Sales help families with sick children
By TOMIE LUNSFORD
Telegram Staff Writer
Earlier this year, they made a 100 on their science test about rocks.
Then the two friends had an idea: 'Why don't we collect them and sell them?'
So this past Easter, Haily Dyer, 8, and Kennedy Cox, 9, went to work. They hunted high and low for cool-looking rocks.
'I looked at our school (Kennedy-Powell), in my back yard and at my grandpa's ranch,' Miss Cox said. 'There's all kinds of rocks in regular dirt.'
And Miss Dyer, she said she's found some.
'But most of the time I help Kennedy polish the ones she found,' Miss Dyer said.
Once the girls collected rock No. 50, they decided it was time to start selling.
Big rocks the size of volleyballs cost $10, medium ones the size of softballs cost $5 and little ones cost $1.
'And the money, we thought could go to the Ronald McDonald House,' Miss Cox said. 'I live really close to it, and I think it's nice that families can stay their while the kids who are injured or ill are in the hospital.'
Telegram Staff Writer
Earlier this year, they made a 100 on their science test about rocks.
Then the two friends had an idea: 'Why don't we collect them and sell them?'
So this past Easter, Haily Dyer, 8, and Kennedy Cox, 9, went to work. They hunted high and low for cool-looking rocks.
'I looked at our school (Kennedy-Powell), in my back yard and at my grandpa's ranch,' Miss Cox said. 'There's all kinds of rocks in regular dirt.'
And Miss Dyer, she said she's found some.
'But most of the time I help Kennedy polish the ones she found,' Miss Dyer said.
Once the girls collected rock No. 50, they decided it was time to start selling.
Big rocks the size of volleyballs cost $10, medium ones the size of softballs cost $5 and little ones cost $1.
'And the money, we thought could go to the Ronald McDonald House,' Miss Cox said. 'I live really close to it, and I think it's nice that families can stay their while the kids who are injured or ill are in the hospital.'
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Man moons over pictures: Brian Floca succeeds as an author and artist
By TOMIE LUNSFORD
Telegram Staff Writer
Going to the moon wasn't his childhood dream.
But drawing it was.
And that's just what Brian Floca did when he grew up.
The 1987 graduate of Temple High School drew the big, bright moon on the cover of 'Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11,' his most recent book as author and illustrator.
'I've been wanting to do that project for a long time,' Floca said. 'The first time I tried to put it together, it was too complicated for a picture book, but this time it worked.'
Critics are saying the Simon & Schuster children's book is a success.
'The main text is beautifully illustrated with line-and-wash artwork that provides technological details and visually stunning scenes,' said Carolyn Phelain of Booklist.
Her favorite scene in the book is the image of Earth as seen from the moon.
'Then there's picture of a lone astronaut looking up,' Ms. Phelain said. 'It shows the enormity of it, and the fine details.'
The perspective is dead-on, according to astronauts who've read the book.
'Reading it gave me the feeling I was back up in space,' said Michael Collins, command module pilot of Apollo 11.
Telegram Staff Writer
Going to the moon wasn't his childhood dream.
But drawing it was.
And that's just what Brian Floca did when he grew up.
The 1987 graduate of Temple High School drew the big, bright moon on the cover of 'Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11,' his most recent book as author and illustrator.
'I've been wanting to do that project for a long time,' Floca said. 'The first time I tried to put it together, it was too complicated for a picture book, but this time it worked.'
Critics are saying the Simon & Schuster children's book is a success.
'The main text is beautifully illustrated with line-and-wash artwork that provides technological details and visually stunning scenes,' said Carolyn Phelain of Booklist.
Her favorite scene in the book is the image of Earth as seen from the moon.
'Then there's picture of a lone astronaut looking up,' Ms. Phelain said. 'It shows the enormity of it, and the fine details.'
The perspective is dead-on, according to astronauts who've read the book.
'Reading it gave me the feeling I was back up in space,' said Michael Collins, command module pilot of Apollo 11.
They ride for the fun of it
By TOMIE LUNSFORD
Telegram Staff Writer
Don't let the club's name fool you.
The Bell County Gunslingers Riding Club doesn't have any guns.
'We're about horses,' said Rena Burleson of Temple, one of the club's founders. 'We go riding and have a bunch of campouts. It's pure enjoyment.'
Fellow founder Jimmy Adams nodded.
'This ain't no job, this is recreation,' Adams said. 'The day it starts being a job is the day I quit.'
The Gunslinger reference is a nod to old western movies.
'That's what the cowboys were called,' Burleson said. 'Thought it would make a good name.'
The club meets every weekend at a Temple ranch on the corner of East Adams and Friendship Road.
'We've got about 30 members,' Burleson said. 'Whoever can make it shows up, and we get the horses out and go riding, in the direction that suits us.'
Telegram Staff Writer
Don't let the club's name fool you.
The Bell County Gunslingers Riding Club doesn't have any guns.
'We're about horses,' said Rena Burleson of Temple, one of the club's founders. 'We go riding and have a bunch of campouts. It's pure enjoyment.'
Fellow founder Jimmy Adams nodded.
'This ain't no job, this is recreation,' Adams said. 'The day it starts being a job is the day I quit.'
The Gunslinger reference is a nod to old western movies.
'That's what the cowboys were called,' Burleson said. 'Thought it would make a good name.'
The club meets every weekend at a Temple ranch on the corner of East Adams and Friendship Road.
'We've got about 30 members,' Burleson said. 'Whoever can make it shows up, and we get the horses out and go riding, in the direction that suits us.'
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Church helps special needs families with night out
By TOMIE LUNSFORD
Telegram Staff Writer
Everybody needs a break.
Nothing could be more true for parents of special needs children.
'Their job is 24 hours a day, seven days a week,' said Marsha White, volunteer with the special needs ministry at Temple Bible Church. 'It's tough to find a few minutes for a shower, much less an evening out.'
That's where TBC's His Kids program comes in handy.
'Every second Tuesday of the month, the parents can drop their kids off and go do what they want for a couple of hours,' Ms. White said. 'They can have a date night, go grocery shopping, pay bills or take a bubble bath. All those little things they've been putting off because they don't have time.'
Susie and David Marek of Salado are grateful. They've been participating since last fall along with Logan, their 14-year-old autistic son.
'Logan can stay here and have fun,' Mrs. Marek said. 'And we can go out to eat and relax for a bit.'
All of them look forward to His Kids Tuesdays.
'The days are marked on our calendars,' Mrs. Marek said. 'And as soon as we pick Logan up from one of the nights, he's already talking about the next one.'
'It's a blessing to a lot of families,' said Lisa Prince of Temple, another mom. 'It's so much easier to take an evening off when you know your children are safe and happy.'
Telegram Staff Writer
Everybody needs a break.
Nothing could be more true for parents of special needs children.
'Their job is 24 hours a day, seven days a week,' said Marsha White, volunteer with the special needs ministry at Temple Bible Church. 'It's tough to find a few minutes for a shower, much less an evening out.'
That's where TBC's His Kids program comes in handy.
'Every second Tuesday of the month, the parents can drop their kids off and go do what they want for a couple of hours,' Ms. White said. 'They can have a date night, go grocery shopping, pay bills or take a bubble bath. All those little things they've been putting off because they don't have time.'
Susie and David Marek of Salado are grateful. They've been participating since last fall along with Logan, their 14-year-old autistic son.
'Logan can stay here and have fun,' Mrs. Marek said. 'And we can go out to eat and relax for a bit.'
All of them look forward to His Kids Tuesdays.
'The days are marked on our calendars,' Mrs. Marek said. 'And as soon as we pick Logan up from one of the nights, he's already talking about the next one.'
'It's a blessing to a lot of families,' said Lisa Prince of Temple, another mom. 'It's so much easier to take an evening off when you know your children are safe and happy.'
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