Jessie Mae Tilford, 90, of Amarillo died Saturday, March 22, 2008.

Graveside services were at 2 p.m. March 28, 2008 in Llano Cemetery with the Rev. Bobby Powell, pastor of Carter Chapel CME Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Warford-Walker Mortuary, 509 N. Hughes St.

Jessie Mae Tilford was born Oct. 28, 1917, in Quanah. She was a member of Carter Chapel CME Church. She was employed by the Stanley Marsh family for many years.

Survivors include a special friend, P.D. Walker of Amarillo; several nieces, Florence Terry, Betty Terry, Thelma Carey, Linda Terry and Maxine Reeves; and many friends.

No matter your position, this young man gives us hope. Check it out.

Mae Katherine Clark, 68, of Amarillo died Saturday, March 22, 2008.

Services were at 11 a.m. Saturday March 29, 2008 in Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. Morris Mitchell, pastor, officiating. Burial in Llano Cemetery by Warford-Walker Mortuary, 509 N. Hughes St.

Mae Katherine Clark was born Sept. 29, 1939, in Wellington, the beloved daughter of the late Ebb and Evelyn Titus. She worked for many years with Tech Spray and Levi Strauss and most recently at Wal-Mart. Mae was a very caring and loving person. She could always make you laugh and was known for being willing to help anyone she could. Mae was a longtime member of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles Clark; her precious daughter, Janice Baker; a granddaughter, Talesha Mitchell; and her special friend, Vernon Vance.

Survivors she leaves to cherish her memories include a sister, Helen Carey; two brothers, E.B. and Wade Titus; a daughter, Teresa A. Mitchell; four grandchildren, Veronica Clark of Arlington, Ezell Clark of Grand Prairie, Tamesha Somerville of Amarillo and Coby Baker of Fort Worth; eight great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Follow Me:

Romans 1:20-21: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

We must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything and accept our humble position in God’s creation.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.”

We must all realize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness. We are not worthy of God’s grace.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Through Jesus, God gave us a way to be saved from our sins. God showed us His love by giving us the potential for life through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If we remain sinners, we will die. However, if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and repent of our sins, we will have eternal life.

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Just confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved!

Romans 10:13 “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

There are no religious formulas or rituals — Call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved!

Romans 11:36 “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

Determine in your heart to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life today.

Roman Road: Are You Ready to Accept God’s Gift of Salvation?

If you truly believe the message of the Roman Road, and want to accept God’s gift of salvation right now, it’s a matter of repenting of your sins and turning the rest of your life over to Jesus Christ. Again, this is not a ritual based on any specific words or prayers, but rather, a willful decision and a sincere step of faith.

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

If you decided to receive Jesus today, welcome to God’s family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.

• Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
• Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
• Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
• Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.
• Find a local church where you can worship God.

Crucify That Man! Easter 2008
by L. Arthalia Cravin

I must confess that I am totally miffed by the current controversy about Barack Obama’s pastor, Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright. I am still trying to figure what he did, or said, that was wrong or that would upset anybody in America, black or white. My “miffness” is based on my own understanding of two things, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and the roots of the Christian Coalition.

The Christian Coalition, the offspring of the late Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority,” came into being in the 1970s as part of the neoconservative movement. That movement was birthed by mostly Republican intellectuals of every sort who had a basic and fundamental disagreement about how the government was addressing certain social issues as well as what they viewed as a country drifting toward a too liberal society—women’s rights, gay rights, minority rights, and especially the government’s intrusion into “traditional” arrangements between the races in the South. As a result of a concerted effort by writers, the media, and conservative talk shows, a well-crafted strategy was put into place to address certain social/racial issues that seemed to be upsetting a mostly white middle class. The solution was a direct appeal to Southern preachers and evangelists, such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Roberson, and James Robinson to come off the sidelines and to infuse religion with politics. One of the chief proponents of the religious inclusiveness movement was one Paul Weyrich, a so-called “secular new right” leader. Weyrich and others took it upon themselves, with missionary zeal, to mix religion and politics. In fact Weyrich said, in an article in a 1982 book entitled, “New Right Papers,” that, “It is my basic philosophy that God’s truth ought to be manifested politically.” And so over the next several years, the “new right” mentality invaded the politics of the south, turning once white Democrats into Republicans, where they have largely remained.

Read more »

Erma Washington, 49, of Amarillo died Monday, March 17, 2008.

Services were at 1 p.m. Thursday March 20, 2008 in Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors Memorial Chapel, Fifth Avenue and Pierce Street, with the Rev. James Collins officiating. Burial  in Llano Cemetery.

Erma Washington was born Sept. 2, 1958, in Levelland to Bennie and Tommie Mitchell. She was a special person who loved everybody and was a hard worker and a football fan.

Survivors include a daughter, Joy White of Amarillo; her father, Bennie Mitchell of Amarillo; a sister, Donna Jones of Amarillo; two brothers, Bennie Mitchell Jr. and Samuel Mitchell, both of Amarillo; and a special friend, William Foster of Amarillo.

Alyssa Danielle Morgan, 1½-month-old daughter of Monica Mason and Daniel Morgan of Amarillo, died Monday, March 17, 2008, in Oklahoma City.

Services were at 2 p.m. Friday March 21, 2008 in North Heights Church of Christ with Nat Countley, minister, and Mariland Sims officiating. Burial in Llano Cemetery by Warford-Walker Mortuary, 509 N. Hughes St.

Alyssa Danielle Morgan arrived on Jan. 29, 2008, to the delight and joy of her parents, Monica Mason and Daniel Morgan.

Survivors include her parents; her grandparents, Jo Anne Mason of Amarillo and Vance and Vicki Morgan of Odessa; and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.

The family suggests memorials be to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 411 S. Fillmore St., Amarillo, TX 79101 or texasplains.wish.org.

Clara Pyles, 96, of Amarillo died Saturday, March 15, 2008.

Services were at 11 a.m. Thursday March 20, 2008 in New Birth Bible Fellowship Church with the Rev. Edgar J. Cofer, pastor, officiating, assisted by the Rev. Charles Love. Burial in Llano Cemetery by Warford-Walker Mortuary, 509 N. Hughes St.

Clara “Momo” Plyes was born Dec. 14, 1911, to John and Lizzie Birdine in Greenville. At an early age, the family moved to Quanah, where she attended Douglas School and was a member of the C.M.E. Methodist Church.

In 1950, Mrs. Pyles moved to Amarillo, where she joined Carter Chapel C.M.E. Church. She worked for Vivian’s Nursing Home for 13 years and was then employed by Dr. W. Moore until she became ill.

Clara was very headstrong, feisty and tough. She felt she could handle anything without fear; however she had a heart as soft as cotton that left a lasting impression on everyone. She was family orientated, loved to fish, cook and eat. She was a role model for her family.

Her parents, four brothers and four sisters preceded her in death.

Survivors include a son, Joe Frank Kemp of Amarillo; two daughters, Kay Francis Scales and husband Joseph of Sacramento, Calif., and Johnnie Mae Murkeldove of Amarillo; 11 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Ester Lee of Quanah; and other family members and friends.

Avon Hines Jefferson, 52, formerly of Amarillo, died Thursday, March 13, 2008, in Fort Worth.

Services were at 11 a.m. Wednesday March 19, 2008 in Lake Como Church of God in Christ in Fort Worth with Superintendent Jimmy Smith officiating. Burial in Cedar Hill Memorial Cemetery by Gregory W. Spencer Funeral Home of Fort Worth. Local arrangements are by Golden Gate Mortuary, 1416 N. Hughes St.

Mrs. Jefferson was born April 28, 1955, in Talco to Tony and Lola Hines. She was a devoted and faithful woman of God. While living in Amarillo, she was a faithful member of New Light Ministries until her health failed.

Survivors include a daughter, Lakeysha Jefferson Smith and husband Ron; her mother, Lola Hines; three sisters, her twin, Evon, and Sharon and Diane, all of Fort Worth; a grandson, Damian of Fort Worth; her cousins, Joyce Mims, Rosemary Bowser, Brenda Roberts, Vanessa Everhart and Van Haley III, all of Amarillo, and Sandra Gardner of Plainview; and an aunt and uncle, Morris and Genetta Brown of Amarillo.