Happy Labor Day

By James Lowe

Historically, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It became a federal holiday on June 28, 1894, when it was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland.

While we presently enjoy this respite from work or school, the reasons behind the holiday are rooted in turmoil, danger, and hardship. In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the U.S., the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in several states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories, and mines across the country. They earned a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages.

Workers faced extreme unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks. Labor unions grew in prominence and vocalism. They began organizing strikes and rallies. Many of these events turned violent. Some rallies even resulted in deaths.

On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. The idea of “workingmen’s holiday” caught on and was celebrated on the first Monday in September in many industrial centers across the country. Many states passed legislation recognizing it. Twelve years later (1894), Congress legalized the holiday for the nation.The holiday remains an American favorite over 125 years later!

While the summer season starts the third week of June, the traditional beginning of summer in the USA is Labor Day. It is usually warm enough to go to the beach or river. Yet, it is often pleasant enough for a barbecue or picnic. Schools are generally out as well. This allows families to enjoy a three-day weekend at an optimum time.

As Christians, we also have a “Labor Day” each week. It is called the Sabbath.

Exodus 20: 8-11; 8. “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. 9. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

In our modern, hurried society, we certainly need to take a moment to observe the Sabbath. This is a day for our minds and bodies to rest. This is a day set aside to worship the Lord our God.

Strength For The Day

Each week, PAYH shares a devotional; “Strength For The Day,” by Chaplain (Col) Stephen W. Leonard, USA, Ret. In addition to being a retired US Army Chaplain, he is also the husband of our Co-Founder, Glenda Anderson Leonard. His writing is both moving and inspiring and will most certainly lift your spirit and encourage you in your walk with Jesus. To receive his weekly writing, you can subscribe online at payh.org. You can also read past writings by clicking here.

Celebrating a PAYH Alumnus – Ben Carney!

We are proud to recognize Ben Carney, one of our Paul Anderson Youth Home alumni, on his graduation from military training in Electromagnetic Warfare!

Ben has shown incredible resilience, discipline, and commitment—values he began cultivating during his time at the Home. His pursuit of excellence and service to our nation is a powerful testimony of God’s redemptive work and the potential within every young man.

Congratulations, Ben! Your PAYH family is cheering you on as you step into this exciting and impactful role. Keep pressing forward and standing strong!

Thank You
Nickey Gregory Company

We are so grateful to Nickey Gregory Company for blessing the Paul Anderson Youth Home with a wonderful selection of fresh fruits and vegetables for the boys!

Your generosity enables us to provide healthy meals and snacks that nourish their growth and development.

A special thank you also to Sam McCaw for making the trip to Atlanta to pick up the produce and ensure it arrived safely at the Home.

Your kindness and support make a lasting impact on the lives of these young men—thank you for investing in their futures!

Thank you Lions Club Of Lyons

A huge thank you to the Lions Club of Lyons, GA for inviting our Bike Ride Boys to share their experiences from this year’s Ride during your luncheon at Chatters Restaurant.

We are grateful for the opportunity to tell our story, reflect on the journey, and highlight the lessons learned along the way. Your hospitality and encouragement mean so much to us!

Through A Child’s Eyes:
A Legacy Of Love At The
Paul Anderson Youth Home
Part 2

by Olivia Hendley

In last month’s newsletter, Olivia Hendley began sharing her heartfelt memories of “Aunt Nell”—stories that revealed the quiet strength, gentle humor, and steadfast love of a woman who made every person feel like family.

As Olivia’s writings draw to a close, one truth shines through: Aunt Nell’s legacy is not measured in titles, awards, or grand gestures, but in the countless small acts of kindness that shaped the lives of everyone around her. Whether she was offering a listening ear, slipping an encouraging note into someone’s hand, or simply being present, Aunt Nell lived out the heart of Christ in a way that left an indelible mark.

For Olivia, those moments became treasured life lessons—about faith, service, and the power of showing up for people with your whole heart. And for the Paul Anderson Youth Home, Aunt Nell remains a cherished reminder that love, when given freely and faithfully, can ripple outward for generations.

Her footprints may have been made in the quiet corners of everyday life, but they lead straight to the heart of what this ministry is all about.

Enjoy the conclusion of the series of memoirs written by Olivia:

I don’t know how often that happens to a person, but it seems kinda rare to me. It may not have been that way for her, but I sure did feel that way. I know I haven’t experienced that kind of friendship much, especially not until that point in my life, or really ever since. Thinking of it, she may have been one of my first real friends. She made me feel special. I know she loved all her “kids” and the hundreds of youth home boys she’d loved on forever, but I just felt like our connection was something closer. Maybe not, but I sure loved her a lot, a whole lot more than she probably ever realized. She’d introduce me as “…this is one of my young’uns, I raised her…” One time she told me that she knew I was going to be a girl before I was ever born. I reckon her intuition told her. She told me that she asked my mama, “when is my little girl coming?” And sure enough, there I came, just like she said I would.

Aunt Nell also loved all the animals, whether they were hers or not. I remember being told of a dog Aunt Nell loved; that dog belonged to Aunt Nell And Uncle Bill. Her name was Tina. I don’t remember meeting her, but my dad has always talked about her, “a big, fat, fluffy, ratty, Tina. Looked like a short Lassie dog with a white belly and matted fur.” Among other endearing descriptions, she sounds like a kindred spirit to me! I remember knowing that they buried her down by the old fence row that was somewhat of a pet graveyard. A romantic place to be buried if you ask me, with honeysuckle or Jasmine Vines growing along there. My dad befriended Aunt Neil first, he’s always been good about being friendly with all the old ladies. He could make friends and connect with most anybody, and his mama says he’s always been that way. He tells me, they just hit it off. In all honesty, he’s just as much of an old soul as I am, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In fact, some of my earliest and vaguest memories are what I believe to be of her farm, where we’d go to visit and pick pomegranates.

I don’t even remember how to get there or what it looked like. My older sisters got a better memory of that, I just remember it was plain and dim inside. The house might have been red, or I could have just made that up. There’s another old house that I used to pass fairly often, and it reminds me of her old farmhouse for some reason, and it’s an old red color.

We had these two cats one time, named Tigger and Olive. Olive was the mama, a Calico, and she had five kittens. The only litter we let her have, really didn’t want too many cats running around. Tigger was a boy, the oldest born in the litter and the only kitten we kept. He had a pretty gray striped look to him. They were inseparable. They were ours, but they were also Aunt Nell’s, and she would bring them all sorts of leftovers from the dining hall nearly every day. They always ate real good, and they practically moved down the sidewalk to live with her on her front step. If my suspicions are correct, she’d make them both their own plates to go, as well as herself. Aunt Nell had a way with them, and Tigger was the only cat I ever knew to like eating raw carrots. Aunt Nell would have that effect on you. For no good reason at all, pet genders really matter to me as a kid, but the older generation has never seemed to be able to keep it straight. Not that it even mattered, but to me, they were Olive and Tigger, and to Aunt Nell, they were just “her girls.”

I can tell you of someone Aunt Nell didn’t have so much patience for, and it wasn’t just her opinion. This particular person was our neighborhood aggravation. This kid from up the road, I won’t mention his name because that’s not important, but anyone of us could tell you who I’m talking about. His two best friends were Mario and Luigi, and he had a wildly vivid imagination. He usually wouldn’t take no for an answer, a persistent little feller. He was right smart, but Aunt Nell was even smarter. When all sorts of vegetables would grow in the garden, this neighbor kid would bring some down to the playhouse for Aunt Nell. Looked like a lovely, thoughtful gesture, but we all knew he just wanted to be rewarded. He knew all too well of the stash of Dum Dum Suckers, Tootsie Pops, and other treats that Aunt Nell kept in her dresser drawer. Well, day after day, routinely more than once a day, here he came with a random assortment, squash or zucchini or a cucumber or potato. The poor woman was up to her ears in untouched vegetables, she couldn’t keep up with her supplier. Finally, but not before she’d complained enough privately about it all, she told that boy to stop bringing her veggies and that she give him peppermints as many as he wanted if he would just stop bringing her things!

I think it worked out, and they both got what they wanted. She always spoke her mind and was as blunt as an overworked garden hoe. Some people lose their filter as they get older, but I don’t think Aunt Nell ever had one. If anything, she may have settled down a bit in her old age.

Many things still remind me of Aunt Nell, but I don’t think of her all the time, much like I used to. Not sure if that’s a happy or sad thing. I remember obsessing over it, needing to go visit her when she was living at the nursing home. I tried, but I’ll likely keep on livin with the thoughts that I wish i’d tried harder. I bet she wouldn’t want me to think like that. I just don’t want ever to forget these precious memories l’ve got. I was rather disappointed in her funeral, the man officiating mainly talked about himself and how he knew her. But I remember her telling me she never wanted a big ‘to do’ anyway, just a simple homegoing. I can imagine her saying, “Howdy do, and I’ll see y’all over yonder!” I suppose anyone who lived a life like her doesn’t need a fancy funeral. She speaks for herself in how she lived, worked, served, and loved others and her Lord.

I feel like anyone who had a figure in their formative years, even remotely similar to my Aunt Nell, is beyond blessed; I just hope they realize it like I have. Living life dwelling on the past and feeling regret comes real natural to some of us, but I think there is a better way. I wish I had some great quote of something Aunt Nell would say to that, ’cause I know she probably would have, but I don’t. One thing I do know is that everyone, is perhaps due for a good dose of reminiscing on the good old days, on those nostalgic years, and speaking aloud those stories, so they don’t get lost and forgotten. One song that makes me think of her is ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’ by Frank Sinatra. It says: you make me feel so young, oh you make me feel like spring has sprung, and every time I see you grin, I’m such a happy individual….. And even when I’m old and gray, I’m going to feel the way I do today, ‘Cause you make me feel so young. I don’t know if she liked that song or not, but I do. You should look it up sometime and listen to the lyrics; it’s a happy song.

Oh, and Aunt Nell loved Elvis. And I could probably keep going on forever. I have been wanting to put down on paper for some time now, a few things about my Aunt Nell to keep, and maybe to share. I’m glad I finally did. In retrospect, some of these vivid recollections of mine aren’t feeling quite so vivid anymore. She does deserve more recognition in this world than she’s got, or more than I could give her. But I know she sure wouldn’t want it. So this is how a simple lady of no real relation to me, a child with an old soul, became like family. A special someone, like a great grandmother, my Aunt Nell, told through the eyes of me and the way I saw it as a child. Maybe it offers a different perspective for those who also knew her. I’d claim her any day, and I certainly do; I’m more than proud to be able to say that she claimed me, too.