Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

James Stone

James Stone

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Happy Birthday to March Born Warriors

Warriors born in March typically look on the bright side of things. Guided more by intuition than by structure, they tend to be compassionate and have an open heart that forgives and forgets easily. They have the ability to tap into the feelings of their loved ones, and be empathetic, which is a plus in moments of conflict.

It is often difficult to find someone a loyal as a Warrior born in March. They often set the example for friendship. Apart from being loyal, they are very careful about relationships they hold.

Known as super creative and imaginative, March Warriors enjoy getting lost in their own thoughts and are content to spend time alone.

Notables born in March include Queen Latifa, Shaquille O’Neal, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Irvin, Wanda Sykes, Method Man, Reggie Bush and K. Michelle.

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORDS - YOUR PATIENCE

     I've learned that you shouldn't have preconceived notions about anybody. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance. I can’t talk about anything or write about anything if I don’t understand it. So, a lot of the stuff that I go through and a lot of the time that I spend is understanding. Seriously. I'm not very bright, and it takes a lot for me to get a concept - to really get a concept. To get it enough that it becomes part of me. But when it happens, I get really excited about it. The problem is I am both a procrastinator and a power junkie, so I am very frustrating to work with. Although I don't take myself very seriously, I do take my work extraordinarily seriously.
     In the end, all journeys are spiritual. So go off the main road. Be givers of hospitality and gracious takers of it too. Accept the serendipitous moments of life because, when all is said and done, you may find out that they were not serendipitous at all. And know that faith is as real as bread broken among friends. Your patience will be rewarded. I'm too tired to hate. What you believe will take you far on your journey. If there's something I feel certain of, it is that we're not very aware of each other and that's largely because of social media. I feel a strong wakeup call and need to build social connections.

~Alton Brown~

Kenneth Davis

IT'S TIME FOR 
JUST JOKING MONDAYS

Joke Book - Our Latest Jokes
The best jokes we have chosen for you.

$400,000 Lamborghini

     A young investment banker decides to splurge on a Lamborghini Aventador. After paying close to $400,000 for his dream machine, he decides to take it out for a spin. He stops at a red light and an old man on a moped pulls up next to him. The old man looks at the car and asks the banker, “Which car is this young man?” The banker replies, “This is a Lamborghini Aventador. It cost me $400,000.”
     The old man arches his eyebrows and says, “That is a lot of money to pay for a car. Do you mind if I look inside?” The new owner cheerfully replies, “Be my guest!” The old man pokes his head into the car and admires its luxurious interiors. Just then, the light turns green, and the young banker decides to show the old man what the Lamborghini can do. He floors the accelerator and was soon cruising at 200 miles per hour.  
     Suddenly, he sees a small speck in the rear-view mirror. Soon the speck catches up and zooms past the young banker. Surprised that something could go faster than him, he accelerates again. Up ahead, he sees it is the old man on the moped. He crosses the old man but in less than 10 seconds he sees him in the rear view gaining on him. This time, the moped plows into the back of the Lamborghini.
     The young banker jumps out, concerned that the old man might not have survived the crash. However, he is relieved to see the old man moving. The young banker runs up to him and says, “Is there anything I can do for you?” The old man whispers, “Unhook… my suspenders from your rear-view mirror.”

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

Kenneth Davis

EXTENDING A "21 GUN SALUTE"

TO TRAVIS L. WILLIAMS

OUR MOST RECENT CLASSMATE TO JOIN US

WELCOME TO THE TEEPEE TRAVIS !

Good morning, Travis,

     On behalf of our class and your website administrators, I graciously welcome you to our website. As you search through the pages, hopefully you'll be entertained, encouraged and inspired to contact your classmates with a post or by using our message center. A Class Reunion committee is presently planning our 55th Class Reunion. We've developed a questionnaire to determine the degree of those interested in attending. There's a link listed on our website to complete the form. Should you see the need for specific questions or corrections, please let us know, by listing your remarks on the last line of questioning. Press "Submit" upon your completion. Here's the link: https://forms.gle/x17jZYWs3G6sMZ8d9 . Please copy and paste into your web browser.

    If you run into problems, or need additional information about the website, please contact Estella Wright, Joycelyn Lacy. Contact me directly at btwco1970@gmail.com or through the website. Additional information concerning the reunion will be forwarded to you via email or phone.

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     March 4, 2025: I come before you, Lord, with thanksgiving in my heart. I enter your presence with praise. Forgive me for all doubt and unbelief instead of having strong faith and hope. I ask Your forgiveness for any mistreatment of others whether actually or in my thoughts of contempt. Establish me in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Draw me closer to You and renew an upright heart within me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N    
TODAY'S WORDS - ESTABLISH ME

     Our lives are made up of thousands of everyday choices. Over the years these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value. Throughout your life there may be times when you have gone places you never should have gone and done things you never should have done. There are few things more powerful than the faithful prayers of a righteous mother.  Our competition in life is solely with our old self. Take hold of your life and order yourself to be valiant. Some people think a miracle is only a miracle if it happens instantaneously, but miracles can grow slowly, and patience and faith can compel things to happen that otherwise never would have come to pass.
     We are able to feel and learn very quickly through music, through art, through poetry some spiritual things that we would otherwise learn very slowly. Those who choose, conduct, present, and accompany the music may influence the spirit of reverence ... more than a speaker does.  Music can set an atmosphere of worship which invites the spirit of revelation, of testimony. Like most things of great worth, knowledge which is of eternal value comes only through personal prayer and pondering. These, joined with fasting and scripture study, will invite impressions and revelations and the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. This provides us with instruction from on high as we learn precept upon precept. A testimony of the hope of redemption is something which cannot be measured or counted. Jesus Christ is the source of that hope.
     We live in a day when the adversary stresses on every hand the philosophy of instant gratification. We seem to demand instant everything, including instant solutions to our problems. It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Perhaps the greatest discovery of my life, without question the greatest commitment, came when finally, I had the confidence in God that I would loan or yield my agency to him-without compulsion or pressure, without any duress, as a single individual alone, by myself, no counterfeiting, nothing expected other than the privilege. In a sense, speaking figuratively, to take one's agency, that precious gift which the scriptures make plain is essential to life itself, and say, "I will do as you direct," is afterward to learn that in so doing you possess it all the more.
     A testimony is a testimony, and it should be respected, whether it is small or large. Never fail daily to seek for help through prayer. And I promise you that the way will be easier, and you shall have a composure of mind and a confident attitude toward life and the future. You shall be warned of dangers and shall be guided through the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. I'm not ashamed to say that I want to be good. And I've found in my life that it has been critically important to establish this intention between me and the Lord so that I knew that HE knew which way I committed my agency. I went before Him and said, 'I'm not neutral, and you can do with me what you want. If you need my vote-it's there. I don't care what you do with me, and you don't have to take anything from me because I give it to you-everything. All I own. All I am.' And THAT has made all the difference. 

~Boyd K. Packer~

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORDS - STAY FOCUSED 

     Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted. There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist or accept the responsibility for changing them. Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable. The trouble with most of us is that we stop trying in trying times. Accept yourself as you are right now; an imperfect, changing, growing and worthy person. The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply.
     Better to seek change by inspiration, than out of desperation. Courage means to keep working to continue seeking solutions to difficult problems, and to stay focused during stressful periods. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have all of tomorrow. Success depends upon using it wisely by planning and setting priorities. Real success comes in small portions day by day. You need to take pleasure in life's daily little treasures. It is the most important thing in measuring success. Perseverance does not always mean sticking to the same thing forever. It means giving full concentration and effort to whatever you are doing right now. If you concentrate on the present, you eliminate what happened yesterday and any apprehension of what may happen tomorrow.
     Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing. You are an uncut gemstone of priceless value. Cut and polish your potential with knowledge, skills and service and you will be in great demand throughout your life. By staying focused and flexible, you will meet and exceed your major life-forming goals. You are your own scriptwriter, and the play is never finished, no matter what your age or position in life. Success is not a resting-place - it is a launching pad. The price of success is to bear the criticism of envy. Expect the best; convert problems into opportunities; be dissatisfied with the status quo; focus on where you want to go, instead of where you're coming from; and most importantly, decide to be happy, knowing it's an attitude, a habit gained from daily practice, and not a result or payoff. A life lived with integrity - even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come.

~Denis Waitley~

Kenneth Davis

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY

 Home - Mental Health - Happiness

This Is the Happiest Time of Day, Finds a New Study

By Lauren Gray - Published on Feb. 11, 2025

https://www.thehealthy.com/

     A study of almost 50,000 individuals revealed there's a window of the day—and the week—worth safeguarding and savoring. Whether you blame it on the rain, news alerts on your phone, or circumstances in your life, consistent data on anxiety and depression show that most Americans feel like they’re living on a rollercoaster of emotions. However, there’s a sacred little window of your day that you might want to shield whenever you can to help keep your spirits up. Whether you use precious morning time to walk the dog, practice prayer or mindfulness, feed the family, or savor a hot drink, a January 2025 study led by a team of three U.K. psychobiology doctoral researchers, then published in the prestigious British Medical Journal ‘s Mental Health, has pinpointed that this time of day tends to be experienced as the sweetest.

     The researchers analyzed data from 49,218 adults over a two-year period beginning in March 2020 (remember this was the start of the pandemic, when mental health became more vulnerable in many parts of the world). The data was originally collected as part of the COVID-19 Social Study (CSS), an effort by a team at the University College London (UCL) to track the psychological and social impact of the Covid pandemic within the United Kingdom. The team used questionnaires and numbered scales to quantify participants’ depressive symptoms, anxiety, overall wellbeing, and loneliness over the course of the two-year study period. Ultimately, they recorded roughly 18 observations per person, for a total of 908,769 observations across their follow-up sessions. They found trends suggesting that time of day showed a meaningful impact on mental health and wellbeing—they note: “Although the differences across time were small, outcomes were consistently best early in the day,” the team wrote.

     Indeed, on average, participants experienced their lowest levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness in the mornings. They also reported their highest levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and a greater belief that life is worthwhile. The researchers also noted that there appears to be a happiest time of the week: “Measures of mental health were worst mid-week, with morning relief from depressive and anxiety symptoms not found on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” the team noted. Meanwhile, Fridays and Sundays, typically associated with leisure, showed the lowest levels of anxiety (that’s despite what many Americans have come to refer to as “the Sunday scaries“).

     The Cleveland Clinic suggests you shouldn’t wait until you’re in a funk to prioritize your mental health. To stay uplifted, their experts recommend:

⦁ Getting outside and spending time in nature

⦁ Exercising regularly

⦁ Eating foods that help regulate mood, including plenty of fruits and veggies and fewer processed foods

⦁ Practicing deep breathing, meditation, or mindfulness

⦁ Trying light therapy

Cleveland Clinic experts add that other factors might be considered when it comes to a low mood, such as an underlying health condition, difficult sleep, hormonal changes, side effects from medication or substance use, or mental health condition. Speak with your doctor or a mental health professional to learn more about what your own mood patterns could indicate, and how to influence them in healthy ways.

     This is for information purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.

Kenneth Davis

        T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORDS - TURNED THE PAGE

     Things aren't ever what they seem to be when you first look at them. What's important is that you keep your mind wide open and try to understand what's going on from a lot of different angles. I often tell young people that as a writer you are very powerful, that you can make absolutely anything happen. A bud is a flower-to-be. A flower in waiting. Waiting for just the right warmth and care to open up. It's a little fist of love waiting to unfold and be seen by the world. And that's you. Write for the love of writing and you can't go wrong. Writing has always been a sanctuary or a refuge for me, any time I'm stressed or anxious or worried I find that a couple of hours expressing myself by writing always seems to have a calming effect on me. 
     I write because I love to. I'm very, very fortunate to have found something that I love doing that also earns my living. But to be honest, I'd write even if I weren't being paid to. I try to make the writing as regular and regimented as possible. I usually get up at around 5 a.m. and read what I wrote the day before. Some of the time, after I read, I think the writing's very good and some of the time I feel embarrassed by what I've written. You have to learn not to pay too much attention to these feelings. Besides the soothing effect it has, I think my favorite part of writing is being able to use my imagination and creativity to make new ideas and people and situations come to life. I'm sure there's some philosophy that says one of the best ways to deal with any of your problems is to take a deep breath and step away from them for a while, writing does this for me.
     Probably the only thing that isn't great is the time when I know I'm very close to finishing the actual writing of the story and I'm overcome by this sense of loss. I think it's because I know I won't be "talking" to the main character anymore; it's sort of like what you feel when you know a friend is moving away and you probably won't be seeing her again. But you just got to understand that that's the way it is and keep on stepping'. Work at your craft, write daily, and follow your dreams because dreams do come true. As soon as I got into the library, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I got a whiff of the leather on all the old books, a smell that got real strong if you picked one of them up and stuck your nose real close to it when you turned the pages. Then there was the smell of the cloth that covered the brand-new books, books that made a splitting sound when you opened them. Then I could sniff the paper, that soft, powdery, drowsy smell that comes off the page in little puffs when you're reading something or looking at some pictures, kind of hypnotizing smell.

~Christopher Paul Curtis~

Kenneth Davis

TIME FOR ANOTHER 

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY

OF

JERRY BUTLER

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Edward Johnson's mother transition. Arrangements are pending.  Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

     The "Sacred Bonds" within the Class of 1970 remain strong. Join us, October 18, 2025, as we crown a 55th Reunion "Queen & King".

Kenneth Davis

     Just a reminder for the upcoming class reunion. Please make all Checks, Cashier Checks or Money Orders for the reunion, payable to BTW Class of 1970 Reunion. All monies should be sent to Ms. Bonnie Pippin Mills - 1784 Tahiti Ln. - Memphis TN 38117.

Kenneth Davis

Brenda Louise Hughes
March 7, 1952 - February 21, 2025

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORDS - EXPLAIN YOURSELF

     There are three values: Feel good, be good and do good. Your strength is how calmly, quietly and peacefully you face life. You cannot live by feelings and emotions; you have to live by your intuition and consciousness. Your greatest strength is love. Your greatest weakness is fear. Be so happy that when others look at you, they become happy too. This path belongs to those who are not cold, whose hearts have not become stone, and whose heads have not become so swollen that they can't hear the voice of the soul. This path will belong to those who, with all their strengths and weaknesses, will still serve others.
     I define friendship as a bond that transcends all barriers. When you are ready to expect anything and everything from friends, good, bad or ugly... that's what I call true friendship. Friendship means only one thing: you don't create fences around you but try to remove fences from the life of another person. It's very hard to find true friends when your life is a bumpy ride full of twists and turns. But I'm glad that amidst all the ramblings in my life I have managed to win some great friends. If your words do not have a smile, if you do not talk heart to heart, and you decide everything with your head, it is better to keep a dog as a friend rather than you.
     Your mind, emotions and body are instruments and the way you align and tune them determines how well you play life. Love is the ultimate state of human being where compassion prevails and kindness rules. Compassion is for the very strong. Compassion does not come to the weak. People who are unkind, bullies, use rude language, are not strong people. They are very weak people. There are days where you do everything right and nothing goes in your favour. Talk to everybody with reverence. Listen to everybody with reverence. Say things with reverence. You will always be happy and graceful.
     It takes the same energy to complain as it does to compliment. When there is a short circuit, there is a complaint, and when the energy is flowing, there is a compliment. Regardless of what we understand or do not understand, we are what we speak. That's how we are known. Sometimes people do go wrong. There is no judgment needed. Wrong will take a short time or a long time to make the individual aware that something is wrong, and that is the beginning of that person's awakening. Make an attitude to be in gratitude. You will find the whole Universe will come to you. The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do prayer when you are in difficulty. Pray when you are not in difficulty! That is the attitude of gratitude. You don't have to explain yourself. Let your weakness be yours. Let your strength be everybody's. You understand the principle? Either you face the challenges in life head on or back out. And I am not someone to back out from challenges.

~Harbhajan Singh Yogi~

Kenneth Davis

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ 

     I never had a problem moving between jazz and hip-hop. Jazz is like a telescope, and a lot of other music is like a microscope. Funk could very easily be called jazz, but you call it funk. Does that really matter? We've now got a whole generation of jazz musicians who have been brought up with hip-hop. We've grown up alongside rappers and DJs; we've heard this music all our life. We are as fluent in J Dilla and Dr Dre as we are in Mingus and Coltrane. 
~Kamasi Washington~

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORDS - THE DAYS AHEAD WILL BE BETTER

     Growing is a lifetime job, and we grow most when we're down in the valleys, where the fertilizer is. Don’t let your life speed out of control. Live intentionally. Do something today that will last beyond your lifetime. Choices not chance determine your destiny. Attitude is the mind's paintbrush; it can color any situation. Grudges are like hand grenades: it is wise to release them before they destroy you. Life is too short to spend it being angry, bored, or dull. All we can take with us to heaven is what we leave behind in the lives we touch. We can never untangle all the woes in other people's lives. We can't produce miracles overnight. But we can bring a cup of cool water to a thirsty soul, or a scoop of laughter to a lonely heart.
     Winners see an answer for every problem; losers see a problem in every answer! Whatever it is probably won't go away, so we might as well live and laugh through it. When we double over laughing, we're bending so we won't break. If you think your particular troubles are too heavy and too traumatic to laugh about, remember that laughing is like changing a baby's diaper. It doesn't solve any problems permanently, but it makes things more acceptable for a while. No one likes change... but babies in diapers. Have we forgotten that we're all born the same way: naked, wet, and hungry? Then things get worse!
     Laughter is to life what shock absorbers are to automobiles. It won't take the potholes out of the road, but it sure makes the ride smoother. How will you use the years God gives you? Will you be remembered for being a faultfinder? Or will you be known for your quick smile, the laugh lines around your eyes, and the twinkle deep within? After all, God gives you your face, but you provide the expression! Always remember that better days are ahead - if not in this life, in the next. We spend our lives dreaming of the future, not realizing that a little of it slips away every day.

~Barbara Johnson~

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

    SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     March 9, 2025: You have been through a distressing time, but you must position yourself to move on. You cannot do anything about the past, but you can embrace My will and purposes for your future. Go forth with open mind and heart. You have learned some valuable lessons that enhanced your wisdom with regard to your ability to handle challenges in the days ahead by trusting Me, says the Lord. Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORDS - OPEN MIND AND HEART

     The people who change the world never lose hope no matter how bleak the outcome might appear to be. I reserve the right to evolve. What I think and feel today is subject to revision tomorrow. Recognizing your own ignorance is the first step toward wisdom. There is no such thing as an insignificant life, only the insignificance of mind that refuses to grasp the implications. When you look at a person who's different and see Yourself, then you begin to understand who and what God really is. If God spent 180 million years making dinosaurs, what makes us think Man is so special, a tick of the clock before midnight? The age of selfishness and greed is over. The age of kindness and generosity is underway.
     Being good or being evil is not something that is inherent in our nature over which we have no control, rather we define ourselves by the choices we make, moment by moment, situation by situation. All it takes is an act of will to be the best that we can be. Good people turn to love, courage and kindness in times of crisis, not hate, fear and cruelty. There are basically two kinds of people: those who have empathy and care about others and those who don't. The ones who don't are creating most of the problems in the world. Despite our differences, I consider everyone with a good heart to be my ally in creating a better, more peaceful world.
     Love is the great truth we all know in our hearts and must eventually recognize. There has never been, nor will ever be, another like you. What will you do with your time on this Earth? How will you contribute to the ongoing story of humankind?  There is no such thing as an insignificant life, only the insignificance of mind that refuses to grasp the implications. Expect nothing and accept everything and you will never be disappointed. Live with an open mind and an open heart. Always choose love over fear and kindness over cruelty. Love is active, not passive. It is our love for one another, for Mother Earth, for our fellow creatures that compels us to act on their behalf. One must always keep an open mind, willing to go wherever the facts may lead. The way to peace, harmony and balance for the planet is through the loving kindness of each individual heart.

~Laurence Overmire~

Kenneth Davis

FINAL ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED FOR 
MRS. GLADYS MAE JOHNSON
MOTHER OF OUR BELOVED EDWARD JOHNSON

     HARRISON MEMORIAL CHAPEL HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH HER REMAINS. FLOWERS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE MILLBRANCH LOCATION ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY.

Edward Johnson

From Edward Johnson and his Brothers and Sister, we thank the BTW Class of 1970 for their prayers and support. 

• Isaiah 66:13: Captures the image of maternal love and reminds us that though she may be gone, the love remains forever.