Community Rallies for Upcoming Relay For Life Event

My article from the May 27, 2015 issue of the Polk County Pulse

Living in an area where the word “cancer” is heard much too often, it is good to know there are people doing something about it — namely, participating in the Relay for Life.

Relay is an overnight event designed to promote cancer awareness while raising funds to fight the disease.  This year’s Relay For Life of Polk County will be held Friday May 29th at Janssen Park in Mena.

The opening ceremony is 6 p.m. Friday.  The Relay For Life event opens with an inspirational Survivors Lap that symbolizes the steps we are taking toward saving lives. Cancer survivors will wear purple sashes and take the first lap. The opening ceremony honors survivors and caregivers, but everyone is invited to show their support.  From that time on, the object is to keep someone from each of the Relay teams on the walking track at all times until the conclusion of the event.

The community is invited come out and enjoy the evening.  Each Relay team will be fundraising with food for sale, games, and entertainment.  There will be live music and activities.  After dark there will be a Luminaria Ceremony honoring those who are battling cancer and remembering those we have lost to the disease.  Lighted luminaria will line the track and the names will be read.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is the world’s largest movement to end cancer. It unites communities across the globe to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against this disease.   Relay For Life brings together 3.5 million people each year to raise much-needed funds and awareness that enable the American Cancer Society to help people stay well, help people get well, find cures, and fight back against cancer. Together with the support of the dedicated volunteers of Relay For Life of Polk County these events are making a difference.

Nearly every person who participates in Relay For Life has been touched by cancer in some way and has a unique and personal story to tell. It’s these stories that motivate and inspire us to celebrate, remember, and fight back against cancer. Relay For Life unites our community in an effort to find cures for cancer.  Join the hard working volunteers of Polk County at Relay For Life on May 29th.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. I have been fortunate enough to not have any close family members who died in the service of their country.  But as I think about how wartime affected some family members who served and how sad their lives ended, I have come to realize what they sacrificed to serve their country.

On this Memorial Day please don't forget our veterans.  According to the Department of Veterans Affairs 2012 Suicide Data Report, the veteran suicide rate averaged 22 per day.  Many more come home with significant problems as they try to return to non-military society.  As you honor those who died in the service of their country this Memorial Day, please don't forget our veterans and the sacrifices they have made.

One of my ancestors who served his country is my great great great great grandfather, James Vowels.

According to a document that I found, James Vowels was a soldier in the Army of the Revolution.  James was born in Virginia in 1738. He enlisted in 1776 under Captain George Slaughter of the 8th Virginia Regiment.  He fought in the Battles of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, Germantown on October 4, 1777 and several others.  He wintered with his regiment at Valley Forge and served out the time of his enlistment faithfully.

When his enlistment was up, he came home to Virginia and married Anne Fields in April 1781.  After the wedding he again joined the Army and was at the siege of Yorktown.  After the surrender of Cornwallis on October 19 1781, he returned home to Culpepper County Virginia where he lived until his death on April 17, 1815.

My great great great great grandfather was a part of some of the most important events in American history.  He experienced the hardships of Valley Forge.  He was part of the Army that forced the English General Cornwallis to surrender and end the war.  He helped America gain its independence.  He was a true patriot.  I’m proud to be a descendant of James Vowels.

Even though James Vowels didn't give his life for his country, he served valiantly and did more than he was asked to do.  After the hardships he had gone through, I find it amazing that he left his new bride and re-enlisted in the army.  He was a man who definitely believed in what he was fighting for.

A local hero that we remember on Memorial Day is Herbert A. Littleton.


Littleton was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for falling on a grenade during the Korean War.

He was born on July 1, 1930, in Mena, Arkansas. He enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve on July 29, 1948, for a one-year term. After the outbreak of the Korean War, Littleton reenlisted in the Marine Corps. He went to Korea with the 3rd Replacement Draft, fighting in South and Central Korean operations from December 17, 1950 until his death.

Littleton earned the nation's highest award for valor on April 22, 1951, at Chungehon. At the time he was serving as a Radio Operator with the First Marine Division. Littleton was standing watch when a large well-concealed enemy force launched a night attack from nearby positions against his company. PFC Littleton quickly alerted the forward observation team and immediately moved into position to assist in calling down artillery fire on the enemy force. When an enemy hand grenade was thrown into his vantage point shortly after the arrival of the remainder of the team, he threw himself on the grenade, absorbing its full impact with his own body. By his prompt action he saved the other members of his team from serious injury or death and enabled them to repulse the enemy attack. For his valor in the face of certain death Herbert A. Littleton was awarded the Medal of Honor.


At the Polk County Courthouse here in Mena, Arkansas there is a Polk County War Memorial that honors the fallen.  The names of the Polk County citizens who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country are engraved on it.

Here are the names as they are engraved on the Memorial.

On this Memorial Day I will remember the men and women, such as Herbert A. Littleton and all the rest of those whose names are engraved on the Polk County War Memorial, who died while serving their country and I will also remember my great great great great grandfather, James Vowels, and the multitude of other men and women who have sacrificed so much serving their county.  Thank You to our men and women who served, are serving, and especially those who sacrificed their lives.

Why We Relay

The 2015 Relay For Life of Polk County celebration will he held May 29th starting at 6:00 P.M. at Janssen Park in Mena.  17 teams of hard working local volunteers have been raising money to be used in the fight against cancer.

Nearly every person who participates in Relay For Life has been touched by cancer in some way and has a unique and personal story to tell. It’s these stories that motivate and inspire us to celebrate, remember, and fight back against cancer. Relay For Life unites our community in an effort to find cures for cancer.

Each one of these volunteers have a story and a reason that they participate in Relay For Life.  Here are some of the reasons that local Relay For Life volunteers have for being involved.

I Relay because of my daughter Melissa.  It was such a helpless feeling for her Dad and I - not knowing what we could do to help her.  Then we learned about Relay For Life and we have been involved ever since.  Raising dollars to help find a cure for this horrible disease is our way of helping Melissa and others. -  Rhonda McKee

I Relay because of my mother in law and brother in law and several friends.  My mother in law and brother in law are survivors but I have lost two very close friends.  It is my hope that if we keep fighting we can find a cure - Terri Harrison

I Relay because I never want a parent to hear the words "your child has cancer".  At the age of 1 year 23 months my son was diagnosed with leukemia.  Cancer is an evil battle and one that needs to go away!  The American Cancer Society is the leader in research and finding cures.  I am proud to support that effort. - Charlotte Wiles

I Relay because I lost my father, brother, father in law, brother in law, and sister in law to cancer.  The loss of them was very hard, but seeing my 2 1/2 year old grand daughter have a bone marrow test and seeing her go through surgery was heart breaking.  Thanks to the Lord and the knowledge he gave doctors, she is a survivor.  I want to raise money for research so that a cure can be found and no other family has to go through what we have gone through. - Toni Tillota

I Relay for one of my best friends and co worker, Betty Johnson and for my two aunts that have passed away from colon cancer.  Relay is a great camaraderie of friends, family and co workers caring for each other. - Debbie Welch

I Relay for the fight against cancer because I have lost a lot of family member to cancer.  My favorite part of Relay For Life is when everyone comes together to raise money for the fight.  The night of Relay is the best because everyone is there for the same reason.  It feels like one big family reunion. - Jared Standridge

I started with Relay For Life because I lost my aunt to pancreatic cancer.  I want so badly to help in the fight for a cure for ALL cancer.  I am amazed that so much of every dollar goes to research.  I Relay for More Birthdays. - Brandi Sachs

I Relay to be involved in my community and for the people that aren't able to. - Samantha Rusert

My team Relays for cancer survivors and for a cure for cancer! - James Hale

I Relay for my son Traven.  We are all in this for a cure for cancer. - Carol Lane

I Relay because I care.  I want a cure. - Jacque Gallego

I am involved in Relay For Life to help find a cure for cancer.  Relay is good people working together for a cure and having fun. - George McKee

My uncle, Delbert Lawry, died from cancer a few years ago. I lost not only an uncle, but a friend and someone who was willing to help anytime. I have come to realize the importance of the work that the American Cancer Society does. It is involved in research, prevention, and helping those who are dealing with cancer.

Two years ago my Mom was diagnosed with kidney cancer.  Because of recent breakthroughs in the treatment of kidney tumors I had hope.  All of a sudden, the work that I have done with Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society came sharply into focus.  It became even more personal.  Two years after the new treatment of cryoablation my Mom is doing great.  That is why I Relay - Richard Lawry

My mother, while suffering with Leukemia, was a part of an American Cancer Society study on bone marrow transplants at the University of Colorado Medical Center. Twenty years later, my oldest sister received a bone marrow transplant that saved her life, from the same hospital. In 2000 I became involved in Relay For Life. The Relay for Life benefits every kind of cancer research and is continually in the process of saving lives and providing money for research, information on cancer, and support.

Relay For Life is what I do, who I am.  I am just a little person from a country town, but I want to do something to help my children and my grandchildren remember me the way I remember my grandmother - serving other people. - Regina Lawry

The American Cancer Society, through the fundraising efforts of volunteers like these here in Polk County along with volunteers in over 5,200 Relays in the U.S., saves lives and creates more birthdays by helping you stay well, helping you get well, finding cures and fighting back against this disease. Thanks to research funded by Relay For Life, many cancers that were once considered a death sentence can now be cured and for many more people their cancer can now be treated effectively.  Every person in Polk County who has been touched by cancer benefits from the research funded by the dedicated volunteers of Relay For Life of Polk County.

This year’s Relay For Life of Polk County will be held Friday May 29th at Janssen Park in Mena.

The opening ceremony is 6 p.m.  The Relay For Life event opens with an inspirational Survivors Lap that symbolizes the steps we are taking toward saving lives. Cancer survivors will wear purple sashes and take the first lap. The opening ceremony honors survivors and caregivers, but everyone is invited to show their support.  From that time on the object is to keep someone from each of the Relay teams on the walking track at all times until the conclusion of the event.

The community is invited come out and enjoy the evening.  Each Relay team will be fundraising with food for sale, games and entertainment.  There will be live music and activities.  After dark there will be a Luminaria Ceremony honoring those who are battling cancer and remembering those we have lost to the disease.  Lighted luminaria will line the track and the names will be read.

Relay For Life brings together 3.5 million people each year to raise much-needed funds and awareness that enable the American Cancer Society to help people stay well, help people get well, find cures, and fight back against cancer. Together with the support of the dedicated volunteers of Relay For Life of Polk County these events are making a difference.

Rejoice With Me

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Luke 15.  It is Luke’s account of three parables, each of which describes the finding of a lost item, and each of which describes the joy and celebration which resulted.

The audience for these stories was the Pharisees who were complaining about Jesus' life style and his welcoming of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus told these stories as a rebuke to the Pharisees.  The stories are about God's love and mercy for sinful human beings.  Jesus was telling the Pharisees that he wanted them to rejoice with him.

It is important to understand who these tax collectors and sinners were that Jesus was eating and associating with.  Tax collectors were Jewish men who purchased from the Roman officials the right to collect various taxes.  They were hated and despised by their fellow countrymen; not only because they were unpatriotic, and dishonest and greedy, but also because their job made them ritually unclean.

For the Pharisees, the term "sinners" was used for a class of people who lived immoral lives or had questionable occupations; people that no respectable Jew would have anything to do with.  Another example would be people with certain diseases or disabilities that many would take as a sign that they committed some great sin. They were physically and morally unapproachable.

These people: the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the maimed and diseased -- basically, the social and religious outcasts -- were coming to Jesus and he was receiving them and eating with them.
But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such sinners?” Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”  Luke 5:30-32

The Pharisees didn't like Jesus’ association with sinners.  The Pharisees found no joy in repentance of sinners at all. What was it that caused them such pain to have Jesus associating with sinners and enjoying them?  In Matthew 23 Jesus gives us some insights into the mind of the Pharisee.  In verse 6 Jesus tells us, “the Pharisees love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues”. In verse 13 He says that the Pharisees, “shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either”.  In verse 23 Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites and says, "you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith".

Why were the Pharisees unwilling to seek to save sinners and unable to rejoice at their repentance? Why were they unwilling to associate with them?  The story of the older brother in Luke 15 represents the Pharisees, who grumble at Jesus’ reception of sinners. In the story, the older brother is out in the fields working when the younger brother returns. The older brother does not know of his younger brother’s return until his attention is aroused by the sounds of celebration coming from the house. He became very angry and refused to go in to celebrate, even though this celebration was called for by the father.

When the father came out to his older son, to ask him to join in on the celebration, the older son refused. The words of the older son are the key to understanding his desires and attitudes.

He told his father, “I have worked hard, but you gave me no banquet”. The older brother was at work in the field when his younger brother returned home. He thought that the basis for obtaining his father’s favor was his works. He didn't need to work to win his father’s approval or blessing; he only needed to be a son. This emphasis on works was the error of the Pharisees. They were “hard at work” with respect to keeping the law, as they interpreted it, thinking that this was what would win God’s approval and blessing.

The older brother told his father, “you have given your other son a banquet, when all he did was to sin”. This is, of course, the flip side of the first protest. The older brother expected to be rewarded on the basis of his works, so he expected his younger brother to have been disowned due to his works, i.e. his sins.

It was not the younger brother’s sins which resulted in the father’s celebration, but in his repentance and return. The older brother not only failed to comprehend grace, but he resented it.  The problem of the older brother, is self-righteousness. His self-righteousness is such that he expects - even demands God’s approval and blessings.  His self-righteousness is so strong that he resents the grace of God and refuses to rejoice in it.

Don’t be a Pharisee.  I challenge you today to see “sinners” the way that Jesus sees them and to rejoice with Him whenever one of his lost sheep comes home!

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You can listen to the audio sermon here.