Okay. Don't

anybody laugh. Yes, it's me. That used-to-be-young,

energetic, ambulance-chasing, relentless, snoopy-nosed

reporter of yesterday who worked for the

"other" paper. I am now your religion editor.

Actually, I have been doing this for a few months now. I

just hoped you wouldn't notice who was doing it.

"Judy?

Religion editor?" you say, trying to suppress a

snicker. Yes, miracles do happen, you see, and I am no

exception. It took several bonks on the head, two

near-death experiences, the warmth and charm of the

members of a little country church and a very special

Internet friend to open my eyes and turn me around, but I

am definitely a changed person. It could only be for the

better.

Of course,

we all mellow out a little as we get older. Achieving

official senior citizen status with the arrival of my

first Social Security check and going into

semi-retirement helped a lot too. And the feeling of

being a grandmother-I'm awaiting the fifth, many of

you will remember my first-leaves little doubt in

your mind that there is a higher power at work out there.

So, when Cal needed someone part-time to do the religion

section, I was primed and ready to fill the position.

I have

enjoyed this job immensely. Poring over the church

bulletins has given me glimpses of church life in Fayette

and Coweta counties I could not have received had I not

been doing this. I have anguished with you over the

losses and illnesses of your members, cheered with you in

your successful fund-raising efforts, tried to put a

little extra spark into the announcements of your yard

sales, Wednesday night dinners, revivals, retreats and

special events, and done some soulful thinking about your

pastors' messages.

And therein

lies the purpose of this column. Much of the information

in your bulletins and newsletters is about upcoming

events-that's what I try to single out each week and

put into a religion brief or story. But also, within

those newsletters are what I call "precious

gems"-things that perhaps are not newsworthy as

news goes, but definitely worth passing along.

So, each

week, in this space, I will pass some of those

"precious gems" on to you-things that will

touch your heart, maybe brighten your day, and make you

think.

The first

comes from Rev. Jim Ellison, pastor of Providence United

Methodist Church in Fayetteville. It's called "The

Second Ten Commandments." Enjoy...

THE

SECOND TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Thou

shalt not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of

all human activities.

2. Thou

shalt not be fearful, for most of the things we fear

never come to pass.

3. Thou

shalt not cross bridges before you come to them, for no

one has succeeded in accomplishing this.

4. Thou

shalt face each problem as it comes. You can only handle

one at a time anyway.

5. Thou

shalt not take problems to bed with you, for they make

very poor bedfellows.

6. Thou

shalt not borrow other people's problems, for they can

better care for them than you.

7. Thou

shalt not try to relive yesterday, it is forever gone.

Concentrate on what is happening in your life and be

happy now!

8. Thou

shalt be a good listener, for only when you listen do you

hear different ideas from your own.

9. Thou

shalt not become "bogged down" by frustration,

for 90 percent of it is rooted in self-pity and will only

interfere with positive action.

10. Thou

shalt count thy blessings, never overlooking the small

ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.

Thanks,

Jim, for allowing us to share this with the community. I

hope someone will read it and perhaps have a burden

lifted from his or her heart today.

I'd like to

hear your response to this type of column. I don't think

anything like it has ever been done before in this area,

at least in the 17 years I've been in the newspaper

business here. You can write to me at the Citizen, P.O.

Box 1325, Fayetteville, GA 30214 or e-mail me at [email protected] .

Until next

week....

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