Phone: 479-754-3707

Open Mon. - Sat., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Directions: Take Hwy. 21 N of Clarksville
to Ludwig, turn right on Hwy. 292, go 1 3/10
miles, turn left on Hwy. 818, go 1 mile.
Cox Berry Farm
Apples
U-pick &
Picked
Page 1B - - THE SPECTATOR, Ozark, Ark., Wednesday, September 10, 2014
A Long Hot Summer
by Clydene Overbey
This summer has been a
long hot summer like the
ones from my early child-
hood. Bright, sunny, hot
days and warm, windless,
still summer nights. A cool
break at just the time Im
thinking I cant stand this
darn heat another minute.
Almost every evening
before I go to bed, I spend a
great deal of time thinking
and praying. I sit here where
I can gaze out at the night
sky and a few nights ago I
stopped for a moment and
turned my gaze upward to-
ward the stars. It always
amazes me when I stop and
look at all those stars. It ac-
tually sends chills through
me when I ponder what I
see. The vastness of the
universe, the billions of
stars, the planets, all com-
bine to remind me just how
very small I am.
I feel insignificant and
unimportant, but thats not
a bad thing. Its a good thing,
a very good thing for all of
us to be reminded that we
are not that important. Even
the rich and powerful, who
walk and live high above me
enjoying the benefits of
power, privilege and money;
these mighty ones are just
as trivial as the rest of us
compared to the awesome
grandeur of the universe.
We are all just drops of
water in an endless sea.
It comforts me to know
that no matter how crazy
things get, how bad things
seem to be, no matter what
happens to me that in the
end the universe is unfold-
ing exactly as it should. In
our daily lives we might not
think things are going our
way; we might feel we have
not had a fair chance in life,
we might feel our luck has
not been good. But one
thing is for certain, tomorrow
will be what it will and not a
single one of us; neither the
meek nor the powerful can
change it. While that might
be discouraging to some, it
is profound and comforting
to me. I know that I can pray
and have a talk with Jesus
and if He thinks need be, He
will change it.
And it occurs to me, as I
ponder the universe and my
own existence, that our time
on this earth is so very lim-
ited we do not have time to
understand time at all.
While gazing up at the
majesty of the stars and the
light from some of these stars
I get the feeling of the vast-
ness of Gods creation. And
I realize just how blessed I
am to be here to experience
the incomprehensible vast-
ness and splendid beauty of
the universe; to perceive
time yet be unable to under-
stand it, humbles me.
I feel fortunate to be a
tiny part of the universe
even if my life amounts to
an insignificant grain of
sand in the boundless enor-
mity of it. I call it glorious
insignificance. I feel so
blessed to have been born
and am able now to look so
far back in time in the light
streaming from stars that my
great-grandparents might
have gazed at leaves me
breathless, awestruck, and
humble. And I realize that no
matter how smart any of us
may be, none of us can even
begin to comprehend the
meaning of the universe or
the meaning of time.
During my childhood
and my years in school I ea-
gerly awaited each years
long summer vacation. Sum-
mer vacation was the time
when the days stretched for-
ever before me. Each day of
summer vacation was an
endless chain of hours cre-
ated especially for me to do
whatever I wanted, free from
teachers, books and bells.
But as each summer waned,
I began to look forward to
autumn, going back to
school and being back with
my friends. Summer when I
was young seemed to last
forever. Summer seemed a bit
too long then.
As I grow older I notice
that compared to my youth,
months are beginning to
pass like weeks used to and
years are passing like
months. It doesnt seem fair
that when we are young,
with our entire lives stretch-
ing before us, that time
passes so slowly. Seasons
last an eternity. Days last
weeks and months last
years.
As we grow older and the
days remaining in our lives
grow fewer, than the days
which have passed, time be-
comes compressed and
passes so much more
quickly.
We cannot change our
perceptions of time because
none of us will ever have
enough time to understand
time at all. Maybe that is a
very good thing. Im sure
that the universe is just ex-
actly like it is supposed to
be. And time will always be
only what we perceive it to
be.
I know I have Jesus in my
heart and His angels sur-
round me. I am not afraid of
what lies ahead and what lies
behind doesnt amount to a
hill of beans or even a box of
rocks.
Ecclesiastes: 3: To ev-
erything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose
under the heaven; A time to
be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time
to pluck up that which is
planted; a time to kill, and
a time to heal; A time to
break down, and a time to
build up; A time to weep,
and a time to laugh; a time
to mourn, and a time to
dance; A time to cast away
stones, and a time to gather
stones together; a time to
embrace, and a time to re-
frain from embracing; A
time to get, and a time to
lose; a time to keep, and a
time to cast away; A time to
rend, and a time to sew; a
time to keep silence, and a
LITTLE MISS FRANKLIN COUNTY OF 2014 is Maci Ellis (right). Other pageant winners Saturday were (L-
R): Top raffle sales, Hailey Williams; Audience Appeal Award, Madalyn Holder; Miss Congeniality, Abriona Muniz;
fourth runner-up, Lynlea Schwartz; third runner-up, Marlee Cagle; second runner-up, Lauren Bailie; Parade Award
and first runner-up, Jaydon Davis.
JUNIOR MISS FRANKLIN COUNTY WINNERS Malea Smith (right) was selected 2014 Junior Miss Franklin
County here Friday night. She also won top raffle sales. Other winners (from left) were: Audience Appeal Award,
Keticia Holder; Parade Award, Shyanne Miller; fourth runner-up, Maggie Jackson; Miss Congeniality and third
runner-up, Jade Boen; second runner-up, Emma Reardon;and first runner-up, Hattie Martin.
Take It to Go food
on AETN marathon
AETN (Conway) This
time of year everyone has
something to do and some
place to go. That means tak-
ing the time to make a
healthy, home-cooked meal
the family can enjoy be-
comes very difficult.
Learn how to create
simple, healthful, flavorful
meals and a unique bag to
take it all with you.
Sara Moulton, Laura
Theodore and Pati Jinich are
the chefs who are up for the
challenge! Not to be out
done by our sewing maven
Nancy Zieman.
See them all on Take It
to Go on the weekend mara-
thon at 6 a.m. Saturday, Sept.
13, and 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept.
14, on AETN.
time to speak; A time to love,
and a time to hate; a time of
war, and a time of peace;
What profit hath he that
worketh in that wherein he
laboureth? I have seen the
travail, which God hath
given to the sons of men to
be exercised in it.