This Month at PAYH: Monthly Newsletter, May 2022

Honoring America’s Heroes

By James Lowe
After America suffered much loss of life in WWI, WW2, Korea and Vietnam, Decoration Day had a name change. It became known as Memorial Day to honor all those who lost their lives fighting for the USA. The date also changed. Instead of the original May 30th, the observed day became the last Monday in May. Then in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971.

Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings or participating in parades. This marks the unofficial start of summer in the U.S.

We may ask ourselves, “Why do we remember these people?” or, “Does remembering these people help anything?” The answer is, “It allows us to be thankful to the fallen who gave the ultimate gift to us by dying to protect our country.”

Years ago, my friend Ben Martin stated that much of the Christian faith was REMEMBERING. As I contemplated the statement, I saw that he was right.

First, our initial faith is based on believing–through the Holy Spirit— often the testimony of a Christian. This person voices the REMEMBRANCE of their life prior to Jesus saving them and God’s changes in their life since becoming a Christian. The listener hears about specific events that the testifier REMEMBERS and the various ways God has worked in their lives.

Next, our testimony is based on God’s work in our lives. We stand on God’s Word. We REMEMBER our Salvation experience! We also remember verses on which we stand. Key verses include the following: 1 John 5:11-12, “11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has the life; whoever does not have the Son does not have the life.” 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

As we mature as Christians, we read the Bible, listen to sermons and podcasts, go to Sunday school/Bible study, listen to Christian music, and so much more. During this time, our faith grows, because we hear God’s Word. Hebrews 11:6, “It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” The Holy Spirit helps us to REMEMBER scripture when we need it. One example is protection from evil. (Jesus fought the Devil with scripture in Matthew 4.) We REMEMBER scripture for comfort and strength. John 14:26, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will REMIND you of everything I have told you.”

Finally, we MEMORIZE verses as Christians so that our souls may feed on them and so that the Holy Spirit can bring them to our minds in times of need. Our young men at PAYH memorize verses weekly. When a young man graduates from our program, he will have learned between 175-200 verses of the Bible!

Through all of this, we should gain an appreciation of God and his Word! Much like Memorial Day, much of our REMEMBERANCE of God’s Word and God’s blessings in our lives should cause us to be thankful!

Happy Memorial Day 2022!!

References: pbs.org; history.com; Bible (New Living Translation)

Volunteer Spotlight

One of the non-negotiables here at PAYH is making sure the young men have access to the highest quality of care. We have an amazing physician who volunteers his time to make sure our guys are physically healthy.

Dr. Jesse Scott is a Board Certified Internal Medicine physician. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia and completed his internship and residency at Memorial Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia.

We want to thank Dr. Scott for his dedication to making sure all of the young gentlemen are receiving preeminent care.

Good Friday Activities

What an awesome Good Friday! Devotional time in God’s Word, a marvelous egg hunt (candy included), followed by beautiful weather to set the stage for an afternoon of fishing. The young men had a great day!

Easter Service at the Knoll

One of the traditions here at PAYH is to have an Easter Service at the outdoor chapel, where Paul used to come and pray, meditate on God and just spend time with Him. We call the location the Knoll. After the morning service, the young men have a nice brunch at Shoneys, followed by some leisure time playing sports in the afternoon. A perfect end to a perfect weekend!

29th Annual Paul Anderson Golf Classic

This year, the Paul Anderson Youth Home celebrates its 60th Anniversary. For 29 years, the Paul Anderson Golf Classic has been one of our key events. Through your generosity, this tournament has raised over 7 million dollars to help change the lives of young men, offer them second chances, and introduce them to Jesus Christ. You can register online by clicking here.

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