Oh my stars...what excitement in the air!

Oh my stars.....Is it Labor Day at Rector already?? Excitement is in the air! You can feel the hustle and bustle happening all around. We are seeing lots of new faces in town, it just has to be because of Labor Day, cause you all know that is about the only time Rector gets those electric waves sweeping though the air. The only problem is Labor Day is September 6 and today is August 4???? What in the world is going on?

THE BENEFIT CONCERT!! Rector Helping Hands benefit concert is tomorrow!!! Kevin Williams, Mark Lowry, Grammy winner Jason Crabb, Charlotte Ritchie, Gene McDonald and Vincent and Daily are in Rector ready to volunteer their talents to help the students of Rector High School. Oh my stars!!! We are so lucky. Do you have any idea how many organizations would give their eye teeth to be to in our position? These artists are so wonderful, filled with love for their fellow man and so passionate about the gifts that GOD has given them, that they do not charge Helping Hands one penny! You got it! Not one! This is the third year that Kevin Williams has been here, I just don't know if we could have a concert without him. Kevin Williams acts as if he has known all of us his whole life, he could move into Rector today and you would think that he has always lived in town. He calls you by name! Now, that may not impress you, but it does me, I can't even begin to imagine all the people that he works with all year long, city after city, venue after venue, stage hands, producers, band members, newspaper reporters, the list is endless. Last year one of my jobs during the concert was to kind of watch over the artists and see if they needed anything and make sure they got over to the Meet and Greet on time. I went to get Kevin Williams, walked into the dressing room, said hello and "started" to introduce myself and tell him why I was there and before I could get anything out of my mouth after hello, Kevin Williams said, "Hello, Barbi, how have you been this year?" Now, does that seem right to you? Oh my stars I was so taken aback, this man who is so talented remembered my name from last year. I know we are all just as important as the other, but get real, he lives a whole different life then we do, he could be so full of himself. He is so talented and funny and real... I just wanted Kevin Williams to know how much I appreciate his love for our community, our students but most of all his love for the LORD, only can someone who understands that GOD is the reason behind all of his success could be as real, as warm and as kind as Kevin. Thank you for coming again to help us help our future, our students, and our children. Jesus tells us in Matthew that when we reach out to those who can't help themselves, we are reaching out to Him. We are supposed to take care of each other.

Here is where Bill Carter, General Baker, Sherland Hamliton, Gloria Reed, Gregg Sain, Joey Pruett, Cathy Manning, April Lindsey, Pam Forrest, Kay Huggins, Lisa Manchester, Mark Manchester, Ron and Nancy Kemp, Lenland Blackshare and so many others come into play. For the most part this concert happens because of the people who live right here in town all year long, we all work together for the greater good. We get to see the great things that this concert produces every day. The teachers of our school let Helping Hands know who is in need. The student whose grades just continue to slide and no one knows why, their teacher understands, they have seen that student squeeze their eyes shut and refocus hoping that may help them see the board more clearly. That child needs glasses, but their father has been laid off, maybe their mother has been sick, stuff happens, money is tight, and they don't have insurance. Helping Hands steps in and provides. The young person who just needs to be involved in something, anything to make sure they get the direction and guidance of someone who cares but understands that their mom and dad cannot afford football cleats, cheer camp, the costumes for drama, the FTA trips, or a band instrument, Helping Hands steps in for these young people.

Our students need dreams, dreams of health, dreams of spreading their wings and becoming all they can be, dreams of an out reached hand. These students are our future, not only our future for Rector, but our future for Arkansas, our future for America, our future for the World. Someone reached out to some young men one time, their names are George Baker, Bill Carter and Sherland Hamilton, these young men left town and touched the world, even changed the world. Sherland lives in Rector, you all know him, he and Barbara do wonderful things for people worldwide, they don't scream it, they don't want most people to know all the wonderful things they do, they feel it is their responsibility, they have been given a gift and they need to share. And they do! Bill Carter worked for JFK! The Rolling Stones! I am not even going to try and tell you all the stuff Bill has done, people he has worked with and for over the years. I will tell you this; I have heard they call him "Mr. Nashville". Really! Rector is very, very fortunate that Bill remembers where he came from!! Thank you Bill. George Baker. How many TWO STAR GENERALS do you know? You just don't "become" a TWO STAR GENERAL! Talk about world changing. General Baker has definitely changed our world with some of the choices he has made for our county over the years. Thank you General! Thank you all for remembering what is was like to grow up in rural Arkansas. Thank you for acting on a feeling that you got one day while visiting your hometown. Thank you for all the hours that were spent putting Helping Hands together, and thank you for allowing wonderful people like Gregg Sain, Cathy Manning, April Lindsey, Kay Huggins, Mark Manchester, and many more, the room to take your dreams and run with them.

So excited! You bet I am! I am excited to have professional artist in Rector performing, but I am mostly excited about the love shown by our town! Oh stars, how I love Rector!!!