By Jessica Breazeale Do you take   more than you give  or give   more than you take ? Humanity seems to have lost care and compassion (collectively and individually). We’ve learned survival mode all too well and at a great cost. It seems like we are all trying to “survive” and society has bought into the lie that it’s “survival”.  Somehow, somewhere in society, we have bought into the lie that we are the center of the universe. Humanity seems to care very little about how our wants, desires, preferences, and choices affect other people and their families   and their situations. With our mouths, we say that we care about others, but our actions tell a very different story. Our actions tell the story that we are all about ourselves - survival of the fittest . Is this the way that Christ wanted us to live? By no  means. I recently watched an incredible movie called “The Hate U Give,” based on a novel by Angie Thomas, and its overall theme is learning to find your voice, use it, and fight the cycle of poverty. Watching this movie got me thinking, do we give more than we take, or do we take more than we give? Do we fight  the cycle or feed the cycle? Do we have poverty - or poverty-brain? Are we financially poor or simply poor in spirit? Are we poor in our bank accounts or poor in hearts and minds. Poverty mindset is any place where we are lacking. Do we have compassion poverty? Selflessness poverty? We can have lots of kinds of poverty mindsets. It doesn’t just affect us, but everyone around us. We are poor, and it shows. We see it and feel it. It’s becoming a cultural norm to put up the walls and be defensive. I wonder if we fight or feed the cycle of poverty. I wonder this because the hate that we give produces more and more hate, and if that’s the harvest that’s planted, we can’t blame the spoiled crops that come out. We can say all day long that we love, but as we all know, love is an action verb. It’s not a word at all. It’s meant to be shown, and you can easily see if you’re loved or not. It’s easy to tell.   This idea of whether you give more than you take or take more than you give is meant to be thought-provoking for social change. Do we honestly want to be the kind of people that expects everything to be handed to them, or do we want to be proud that we rolled up our sleeves and did the hard work because what we learned and gained from it was so much more rewarding than keeping our hands out all the time.   Let us consider these examples: Instead of rolling down our windows and throwing trash out, let’s be the kind of people who go around and clean up trash. Instead of us being the kind of people who are asking to borrow money all the time, let’s be the kind of people who work - and work hard. Stop asking and start doing. Don’t put people in an awkward position to say “no” and be the villain in your life. Rather, bless someone yourself. Do you try to take away someone’s voice, or do you try to help give them their voice? Does silencing someone empower you or give you inner peace? I doubt it.   A few nights ago, at a ball game, my mom and I were walking to the vehicle, and three teenagers approached us to offer to carry our chairs for us. While this act of kindness truly is a rare thing these days, it was the glimmer of hope needed to remind me that there is hope for humanity.   It also reminded me to ask the question…what circles are we in? Are we in the circles where we’re around a bunch of takers, or are we around a bunch of givers? The circle matters because it can also alter our perspective.   Hopefully, we are inspired to leave the world better than we found - to be the kind of people that will give more than we take so that we’ll leave a positive legacy for the generations to come. Downloadable version:

Wesson News Clifford Jackson Sr., known as A.J., a native of Wesson, has launched a new business venture, Power Insulation. Power Insulation, a spray foam insulation contractor, is helping homeowners and business owners cut their monthly energy bills—often by nearly half.   Spray foam insulation is considered the premier product for energy efficiency, and A.J. emphasizes that their work is powered by the mighty hand of God—a ministry that drives them to do this work with purpose.   “We have years of experience in spray foam and we leave no job unfinished,” said Jackson.   A.J. is not alone in this venture. His son, Clifford Jackson Jr., known as C.J., and his father, known as Pops, are all part of the team, contributing to the growth of Wesson’s economy.   “There is no job too big or too small for us. We complete one job at a time with the professionalism you can count on,” said Jackson.   A.J. and his wife, Kita, recently opened a bakery in Wesson, Destiny’s Delights, where Kita manages the daily operations. The bakery will hold its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Saturday, March 7th, at 11 a.m., with free samples and giveaways for the community.   As Power Insulation continues to grow, so does the spirit of Wesson. Residents are encouraged to support local businesses and get involved in town initiatives. For example, the community has voiced a need for better sidewalks along Highway 51, where pedestrian traffic is high.   Residents are urged to contact Wesson Town Hall to share ideas or explore community grants—reach out to Terry Bath, president of the Wesson Chamber of Commerce to join the chamber.   More good news for Wesson is that Grace Foam Solutions (GFS), Power Insulation’s spray foam distributor in Wesson, is expanding and opening a second location in Gulfport this year. GFS opened in 2024, and expansion was always part of the business strategic plan.   “It’s our dream to be able to train and equip local people to be entrepreneurs. That’s what we’re trying to do,” said Ricky Breazeale, CEO of Grace Foam Solutions.   By shopping local, dining local, and supporting these businesses, residents can help drive Wesson’s vibrant growth forward.

By Misty Strieff Prine “The closer we are to the shepherd, the safer we are from the wolves.” Jarrid Wilson             Have you ever wondered why you seem to have one bad thing happen after another? Maybe your life feels like a suspenseful movie that always seems to have a bad ending. Maybe you go to dodge a ball, and you raise up to get hit by ten of them. Bam! Can I ask you something? When is the last time you prayed? When is the last time you got real with God? I'm not talking about the occasional "go to God just when you are down on your luck" or the "just when you need something" kind of times. I'm talking about praising Him for the life you have...every aspect of it...the good and the bad. We need to thank God for all that He sees fit to give us. We need to learn to go to Him before we search for answers in this world which leads us to even more misery and hopelessness. For the Lord is our shepherd and we are His sheep. Just like a good shepherd does, when one sheep goes astray from the fold, He searches for that one lonely sheep in order that it may be brought back into the fold to fellowship and be kept safe by Him. He knows that the wayward sheep will not fare well among the wolves, and neither will we in this world without Him. May we never get so outside of the will of God that we don't see the wolves, sin and the enemy lurking around every corner waiting to attack us. Being a Christian is not a religion but a relationship with God. We need Him every single second of every single day. When things seem to spiral downward, we need to examine our hearts carefully. Have we fallen out of fellowship with God? Have we drifted far away from Him? When is the last time we prayed? When was the last time we simply thanked Him? Maybe that's the problem. We have forsaken God. May we never get so caught up in the things of this world and our "woe is me" attitudes that we walk away so easily from the One who died for us all.

Special to Wesson News   Blues musician Houston Stackhouse was born in Wesson. While the Mississippi Delta is considered to be the birthplace of the blues, musicians from all across the state sang and played instruments in the unique style.  Several of them had their roots in Copiah County:   Tommy Johnson  from Crystal Springs grew up in a musical family with brothers and an uncle who taught him to play and sing.  A supreme vocalist who could jump from a falsetto to a growl, he sang about what he knew in a raw, raspy voice with a driving guitar.  His lyrics with striking blues compositions incorporated fragments of African American folk poetry and fables.  The movie O Brother, Where Art Thou , which has two scenes shot in Copiah County, portrays him telling three escaped convicts he sold his soul to the devil for the ability to play the guitar – a story first told by his brother LaDell, and a legend now popularly erroneously ascribed to Robert Johnson.   Johnson recorded 14 titles between 1928 and 1930.  He died of a heart attack in 1956 after playing at a house party, and is buried in Copiah County’s Warm Springs Cemetery.   Hazlehurst-born Robert Johnson  (no relation to Tommy Johnson) spend most of his life in the Delta, dying in 1938 at 27 years old under mysterious circumstances.  Over his short life he recorded 29 tracks in a style that has led some to consider him the “Grandfather of Rock and Roll.”  A master of the guitar, the Tommy Johnson story about selling his selling his soul to the devil became associated with him.  The film Crossroads  was based on Johnson’s career, and the Blues Foundation inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1986.    Houston Stackhouse , born Houston Goff in 1910 at Wesson, assumed his stepfather’s surname in 1925 when he moved to Crystal Springs, and was inspired by his uncles Luther and Charlie Williams and other local musicians – notably Lonnie Chatmon and Tommy Johnson and his brothers.  He learned to play the violin, harmonica and mandolin before settling on the guitar, which he taught to renowned blues musicians Robert Nighthawk, Jimmy Rogers and Sammy Lawhorn, and performed on live Delta radio broadcasts.  In the 1970s, he often appeared in Memphis as a solo act after working with Robert Johnson, Tommy Johnson and his brothers, and moving to Helena, Arkansas, in the 1940s and continuing to work in the industry.  He died in 1989 and is buried at Crystal Springs.   Crystal Springs born Sunny Ridell  in 1945 as Thomas James Oria Murray, he played as New Orleans as a backup for Fats Domino, Lee Dorsey, Little Richard and other notables when he was a teenager, and later performed, toured and recorded with musical legends.  Before embarking on an acting career in the films Leadbilly and Outlaw Blues , he led the band Sunny Ridell and the Eight Counts of Distinction.  He died in 2018 and is buried in Crystal Springs.   According to the website Mississippi Blues Trail, there are at least 16 museums throughout the state devoted to blues, including the Robert Johnson Heritage & Blues Museum at Crystal Springs and the Mississippi Music Museum at Hazlehurst.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB Christian music biopic “I Can Only Imagine” had a surprising performance at the domestic box office back in 2018. The film made $83 million despite never finishing above the #3 position on any given weekend. While it never escaped the shadow of “Black Panther,” which beat it every weekend, it did manage to ultimately outdo the Alicia Vikander “Tomb Raider” and badly-received kaiju sequel “Pacific Rim: Uprising,” both of which had better weekends in their respective debuts in the film’s first two weeks. The film did well because it had stamina and passionate support. Now sequel “I Can Only Imagine 2” has also debuted in the #3 position, behind the second weekends of both “Wuthering Heights” and “GOAT.” Will it have the stamina and support to pull off a similarly impressive showing? Probably not, but only time will tell. I did not see the first film, but I understand that it ended with songwriter Bart Millard (J. Michael Finley) penning one of the biggest Christian crossover hits of all time following the death of his abusive, yet redemption-seeking father (Dennis Quaid). Millard starts this film by assuring us that his story did not end with his achieving financial success in the early 2000’s. Life went on, and as life does, and it contained hardship. In the wake of the song’s success, Bart and his wife Shannon (Sophie Skelton, taking over the role from Madeline Carroll) have a scare when their son Sam suffers a diabetes-related seizure. He’ll have to spend the rest of his life receiving regular insulin injections, which scare him tremendously. Ten years later, in the early 2010’s, Sam (Sammy Dell) is a sullen teenager, while Bart and Shannon, having had four more children, aren’t as financially stable as they once were. Brick (Trace Adkins), manager of Bart’s band MercyMe, informs them that their upcoming tour is in jeopardy due to the headliner pulling out. The tour can continue with MercyMe as headliners, but they’ll need a new opening act. With curiously no time given to the decision-making process, the film introduces Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia), a struggling musician with a loving wife (Arielle Kebbel), an obsession with hymn “It Is Well With My Soul,” and a suspicious gratitude for every day that suggests he has been told his days are numbered. Bart, Tim, and the rest of MercyMe go on tour, with Sam tagging along to spend some quality time with his dad. Though Tim and Sam get along well, with the professional even inviting the aspiring musician to perform with him, the relationship between Bart and Sam is fraught with tension. Bart needs Sam to take his insulin shots on schedule, and Sam wants to avoid them at all costs. Bart wonders if he’s being a monster by “hurting” Sam, the way his father was a monster by hurting him. The film treats this insecurity like a legitimate question, but… the answer is no. Flat no. Bart’s father’s beatings didn’t take the form of delivering life-saving insulin. It’s not the same thing. Next dilemma, please. There are plenty of dilemmas throughout “I Can Only Imagine 2.” Both Sam and Tim struggle with health problems, Bart is under a lot of pressure to write another hit after ten years, his marriage has seen better days, the bus breaks down at one point, etc. But, this being the “uplifting” movie that it is, you can probably guess that faith will see these characters through their various crises. Faith is certainly not a guarantee that these characters (or anyone else) will not experience loss or despair, but genre expectations are such that things aren’t likely to end on a down note.   Grade: C   “I Can Only Imagine 2” is rated PG for thematic material and some language. Its running time is 110 minutes.   Contact Bob Garver at  rrg251@nyu.edu .

Wesson News   A major arts and crafts expo featuring name artisans from throughout the Southeast will debut on May 2 and 3 at Lincoln Civic Center.   “This expo will bring together the recognized pros,” says Lincoln Civic Center Director Chaston Bullock.  “The exhibitors must formally apply to participate.  They will be thoroughly vetted, and their crafts will be authenticity screened.  This won’t be a show of amateur hobbyists no matter how good they are.”   Among the expected 30 to 35 exhibitors will be Randy Castan, known for his forged and fired knives; potter Janet Smith and Larry Cotton, who makes hummingbird houses and feeders.  In addition to displaying their products, the exhibitors will present special shows about them and their crafting techniques.   The Arts and Crafts Expo is among an array of shows and events the Lincoln Civic Center and Brookhaven/Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce (BLCCC) are producing and promoting in the area during 2026.   This month, BLCCC kicked off its program year once again by giving area residents a taste of a New Orleans style Mardi Gras festival.  On Saturday, February 7, the Whitworth Avenue area near the main stage by the log cabin in Brookhaven was the site of its annual family-oriented Downtown Jazzed Up from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. with live music, food vendors and jumper inflatables for kids.  Downtown Brookhaven restaurants also served specials throughout the day.   Upcoming events are:   February 21.   Krew of Ceres annual Brookhaven Charity Ball  at Lincoln Civic Center, a benefit for area service organizations.  The court is presented at the ball, and the king and queen are crowned. Tickets can be purchased from any Krewe of Ceres member. Call 601-823-9064 for more information.   February 26 – March 2.   The Classic Kids Consignment Store , kids clothes and furniture on sale at Lincoln Civic Center.   March 7.   Go Into Town  Car Show  produced by area truck and auto parts and accessories suppliers and promoted by BLCCC Tourism Council.  The show featured 350 vehicle last year.   March 16-May 31.   Diamond Youth Baseball competition at Lincoln Civic Center ballpark.   March 23-26.   Wood Magic produced by David Livingston at Lincoln Civic Center explores the logging industry.  Oriented to school students.   March 30-April 4.   Bunny Hop , an annual Easter-themed shopping event in downtown Brookhaven featuring more than 20 participating retailers, prize drawings, and special promotions.  Organized by  BLCCC.   April (date to be determined).  Annual BLCC breakfast with area lawmakers  following Mississippi State Legislature 2026 session discuss actions and answer questions.   June 12 & 13.   Tri State Rodeo Association Shelby Bearden Ole Brook Rodeo attracts participants from throughout the nation who compete for cash prizes and to move on to vie for championships in varied categories worldwide.   June 25.   Girls Night Out.   This BLCCC signature event is the perfect way for the savvy or social shopper to experience the best of retail and restaurants in Brookhaven.   June 26 & 27.   Beautifully Broken Ministries  conducts a women’s religious conference at Lincoln Civic Center.   July 4.   A spectacular 30-minute fireworks display  sponsored by area lawmakers celebrates the 250 th  birthday of the USA starts at 9 p.m. on the grounds at Lincoln Civic Center.   Food will be available from vendors.  Music accompanies the display on Super Talk Radio.   August 21-23.   The Southwest Mississippi Wildlife Expo , a family-oriented outdoor event held at Lincoln Civic Center  features hunting/fishing vendors, wildlife exhibits and conservation education. It serves as a regional showcase for outdoor gear, with live demonstrations, competitions (i.e., turkey calling), and celebrity guests.      October 3.   The Ole Brook Festival , a BLCCC event held in downtown Brookhaven, features more than 100 arts, crafts and food vendors. A tradition since 1974, it offers live music, a classic car show and a kids' zone.    December 3.  Brookhaven Christmas parade sponsored by BLCCC.   During the spring, summer and fall, BLCCC also sponsors concert series featuring area bands and entertainers, dates to be determined.               For more information about BLCCC events and promotions, go to visitbrookhavenms.com on the web.  Visit www.lincolnciviccenter.com  or call 601-823-9064 for information about Lincoln Civic Center events.

As a reminder, Mississippians need to be aware of upcoming important dates and deadlines for the 2026 Primary Election for U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate on March 10. Visit the My Election Day portal to receive election information tailored to your specific address, including a sample ballot. As you type your address into the system, similar addresses should populate. Simply click on yours to get started. Mississippians are encouraged to educate themselves on all races prior to heading to the polls.   In-Person Absentee Voting Circuit Clerk's Offices will be open this Saturday, February 28, from 8:00 a.m. until noon for in-person absentee voting for the 2026 Primary Election. The last day to vote in-person absentee is Saturday, March 7. Circuit Clerk's Offices will be open from 8:00 a.m. until noon. All mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, March 10 (Election Day). To track your mail-in absentee ballot, visit the My Election Day portal . To learn more about absentee voting requirements, visit the Secretary of State's  Absentee Voting Information webpage .   UOCAVA Voter Registration Deadline For non-registered UOCAVA voters to vote in the 2026 Primary Election, Circuit Clerk's Offices must be in actual receipt of a completed Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) from a UOCAVA voter by Saturday, February 28. For more information regarding how to cast a UOCAVA ballot, please contact your local election officials or email  UOCAVA@sos.ms.gov .   The Secretary of State's Office is your primary and trusted source for election information. For questions, please contact the Elections Division at 1-800-829-6786, email  ElectionsAnswers@sos.ms.gov , or visit  YallVote.ms . 2026 Primary Election Dates for U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate February 28 - Saturday In-Person Absentee Voting Begins for the 2026 Primary Election March 7 - In-Person Absentee Voting Deadline for the 2026 Primary Election March 10 - Primary Election Day (U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate) Deadline for the postmark of mail-in absentee ballots

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com If I was still a teen in high school, I would love AI. I could have my writing assignments for English done in a flash and be out the door. And have a lot better grades to show my parents than I did years ago. And later on, with those gnarly issues at work when I became an adult? “No problem, boss. I’ll just let my trusty friend who lives somewhere out there in NeverNeverLand figure it all out for me. I’ll get back to you on that in a little while.” But for the professional writer to use AI? Mostly, no way. For research? Great. Technique? Oh sure, there’d be great technique , “Hey Gemini, I need this column on ‘KIDS HAVING CELLPHONES’ written from a sarcastic humorous viewpoint. And, oh yeah, it needs to be no longer than five hundred and twenty words, please.” And presto, print it out and I would have a masterpiece worthy of my own puny plastic Pulitzer. But for creativity? There’s the real issue. There is no way you could really know how I feel about that subject. The real ME would be absent from that column on kids and cellphones. It’s not going to reflect the individual spark within that causes me to have my own feelings and thoughts. And after a few months of that kind of writing, the real me would be dealing with guilt, resentment, and very likely a stomach that keeps asking for more Pepto Bismol. Why guilt? Simply put, because I think it’s cheating to claim something as your own, when it’s not. Why resentment? There would be no outlet for the God-gifted creativeness that lies within. No doubt it would be great stuff, but just not my stuff. And great stuff is a poor substitution for personal satisfaction. Just like in any other field.  The carpenter who loves the feel of wood in his hands and takes great pride in his final product knows the satisfaction of creativity. A person born with a love of music and has a beautiful God-given voice would shrivel up inside if denied the satisfaction of singing. The naturally-gifted athlete feels compelled to move, and God help the people around him if he doesn’t get to use that gift. People denied the opportunity to use their natural gifts can get a mite testy. Now, if you’re a meteorologist with the safety of thousands at stake? By all means, use AI to your heart’s content. A construction engineer working on building plans for skyscrapers that will house thousands? The banker dealing daily with millions of dollars? Definitely. You people should use every tool available to you to do those types of jobs that affects the safety and wellbeing of so many. But writers? Unless your book, magazine article or column is vital to the safety of the human race, I believe AI has no business taking your place. Your own thoughts, research, tears of frustration, and hours spent pecking away at your keyboard should be the only contributors to your work.

Special to Wesson News   Hadleigh Denton (left), a Wesson Attendance Center, student and Maggie Miller, a Wesson resident who attends Copiah Academy, received a Gold prize at DTU competition for their duet.              Four dancers from the Precision Dance Company in Wesson PDCW brought home prizes for their solo and duet routines from the Mississippi Dance Teachers United (DTU) competition and convention at Hattiesburg January 23 and 24.               Harper Moore earned a Gold and placed ninth overall for “Mirrorball” solo routine.  Riley Floyd’s solo “I Lived” also earned a Gold prize.  The duet “Birthday Party” performed by Maggie Miller and Hadleigh Denton placed them seventh overall with a Gold prize.  Denton also placed eighth overall and received a Platinum prize for “The Life of a Showgirl.”               The DTU event was a warmup for the larger NYLA (New York-Los Angeles) competition on February 14 at Petal, Mississippi, in which PDCW will bring its full 32-member team to perform in 18 group and solo dances.  At Hattiesburg, the PDCW dancers also took full advantages of the convention experience which includes classes in which they learned and were inspired by teachers from throughout Mississippi. Riley Floyd (left), a Crystal Springs homeschooled student, and Harper Moore from Brookhaven High School, received Gold prizes for solos in DTU competition.               Kaila Denton brought Precision Dance Company to Wesson from Florida in 2023 to work with the Nena Smith School of Dance, which she took over in 2024 to serve dance students three years old to 18 years old in the Copiah, Lincoln, Lawrence and surrounding county areas.               The growing studio continues to be housed at 1047 Grove Street across from Wesson Attendance Center where Nena Smith taught dancers for many years.               “We are passionate about inspiring dancers through quality instruction in a supportive, family-friendly environment, Denton says.  “Our motto is ‘passion, perseverance, positivity, and precision,’ and we reflect that as we encourage our dancers to build confidence, creativity, and discipline.”   PDCW offers recreational classes in combined jazz, tap, lyrical, and ballet, as well competition dance team opportunities – about three group competitions and five solo competitions annually.  The studio also offers private classes and lessons, including offerings in jazz, tap, lyrical, and ballet, as well as ballroom dance, wedding dances, and custom choreography for special events, solos and groups.    For information, email precisiondancecomp@gmail.com   or call 601-643-2406

Special to Wesson News   The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration (NLCC) will return February 26–28, 2026, bringing three days of events, speakers, performances, exhibits, and conversations centered around this year's theme, "Stories of American Freedom."     The 2026 celebration brings together nationally recognized authors, historians, scholars, artists, and performers to explore the diverse narratives that have shaped the American experience. The majority of the NLCC is hosted at the Natchez Convention Center.   Thursday, February 26, 2026:   The festival opens with a lively and immersive musical event entitled "Raise a Glass to Freedom: Bar Songs from Then to Now" that brings the energy of the American Revolution to life. Taverns were more than watering holes during this era -- they were hubs of debate, dissent, and dreams of liberty. This rowdy, spirited program revives the raucous bar songs that echoed through colonial taverns, reimagined for today.   Guests will experience the soundtrack of revolution with a modern twist and step into the soundscape that helped inspire the founding of a nation. Plan to attend this exciting event hosted in partnership with the Natchez Festival of Music at Bowie's Rabbit Hole (100 Main Street) from 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at https://www.colin.edu/community/natchez-literary-cinema-celebration/ .   Friday, February 27, 2026, with most of the events at Natchez Convention Center :   From 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Vance Fellows and William Winters Scholars Luncheon will be held at The Carriage House in the Queen's Room, located at 401 High Street. This special luncheon celebrates distinguished scholars and fellows for their academic achievements.   Beginning at 1:00 p.m., art exhibits highlighting "Stories of American Freedom"  will be on display throughout the festival in the Natchez Room. These works, presented by local artists, explore themes of identity, liberty, and the evolving American narrative.   At 1:00 p.m., the Opening Ceremony takes place in the Tupelo Room, featuring remarks from Dr. Dewayne Middleton, President of Copiah-Lincoln Community College; Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson; and Dr. Pernell Goodwin, Vice President of Co-Lin's Natchez Campus. The ceremony includes special presentations by the Natchez High Choir, and a video made by local students.   The afternoon continues in the Tupelo Room with a series of author sessions. At 2:00 p.m., Dr. Cynthia Kierner discusses The Tory's Wife , followed at 3:00 p.m. by James W. Miller presenting King of the Gunrunners . At 4:00 p.m., Dennard Dayle shares insights from his book How to Dodge a Cannonball , offering an hour of engaging conversation and literary exploration. A book signing will follow from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the lobby, giving attendees the opportunity to meet the day's featured authors,   Two evening events round out the day. From 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., the Scholar's Mixer will be held in the St. Louis Room, offering an informal gathering space for the William Winters Scholars to connect. At the same time, the Nashville Room will host a screening of Natchez , a powerful documentary that examines how the city's residents navigate and interpret its complex history. The film, which won Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, provides an intimate and thought-provoking portrait of the community. Saturday, February 28, 2026, with most events at Natchez Convention Center:   The day begins with the art exhibits on "Stories of American Freedom"  in the Natchez Room, open from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., offering visitors a chance to explore powerful visual storytelling on the theme of liberty in America.   Author sessions start in the Tupelo Room at 9 a.m., with Dr. Miki Pfeffer presenting Southern Ladies and Suffragists . At 10 a.m., Brian Altobello shares insights from Whiskey, Women, and War , and the morning concludes with Dr. William C. Meadows at 11 a.m., who discusses The First Code Talkers . After the morning sessions, attendees are invited to a book signing in the lobby from 12 to 12:30 p.m.   A special ticketed luncheon event, Food Power Politics: The Food Story of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement , takes place from 12 to 2 p.m. at Rolling River Reloaded (406 Main Street). Dr. Bobby J. Smith II, author of the book, leads an engaging conversation on how food shaped Black freedom struggles in Mississippi, from dinner tables to protest lines. Guests will also experience a tasting of dishes inspired by the stories discussed, creating a unique blend of history, culture, and culinary exploration. The cost is $25 per person, tickets can be purchased at https://www.colin.edu/community/natchez-literary-cinema-celebration/ .   The afternoon author sessions continue back at the Convention Center in the Tupelo Room, beginning at 2 p.m. with Dr. J. Janice Coleman presenting Three Years in the Life of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, an American Catalyst for Change . Dr. Coleman is a professor of English at Alcorn State University, and she is also a quilter and a storyteller. She will use her Fannie Lou Hamer "Is This America?" Quilt to tell the story of a poor, uneducated sharecropper on a plantation in Ruleville to a powerful voting rights advocate on a national stage.   At 3 p.m., Dr. Erin Grayson Sapp explores themes of racial justice and football as a vehicle for social change in Moving the Chains , and the day's author program concludes at 4 p.m. with Louisiana Poet Laureate Alison Pelegrin discussing Our Lady of Bewilderment . A second book signing follows in the lobby from 5 to 5:30 p.m., allowing attendees to meet the authors and collect signed copies.   The day culminates with a ticketed banquet, Voices of Freedom: An Evening with Gloria J. Browne-Marshall , in the Tupelo Room at 6:30 p.m. This evening of reflection, resilience, and resistance celebrates civic action and the ongoing fight for justice in America. Keynote speaker Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a legal scholar, playwright, and author, draws from her acclaimed book A Protest History of the United States  to explore stories of ordinary people who demanded extraordinary change, from the American Revolution to the present day. Browne-Marshall highlights how protest has shaped—and continues to shape—the soul of the nation. Tickets are $45, and can be purchased at https://www.colin.edu/community/natchez-literary-cinema-celebration/ .

By Jessica Breazeale God has eyelids?  Psalm 11:4 says in a poetic metaphor that “His eyelids test the sons of men,” and that has me wondering if it’s maybe not a metaphor. What if God really did  have eyelids? It’s possible. We are  made in the image of God. Is God so astronomically gigantic, and we are super itty-bitty versions of Him? We’ll never know. Things that make ya go hmmm…    There are planets and stars known to be “lonely”. The loneliest star is often considered  Fomalhaut , a bright, isolated star in the southern constellation Piscis Austrinus that appears to shine alone. There are even lonely planets. The loneliest planets are  rogue planets  such as  CFBDSIR2149-0403 , which drifts untethered by any star. These objects, often called "orphan worlds," float alone in the galaxy, unbound to any parent star. Now, THAT’s lonely.     Did you know honey never expires? Reader’s Digest said it’s because the combo of the honey’s low water content, high acidity, and antibacterial properties means the honey doesn’t spoil. This probably explains why modern archaeologists found pots of edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs. Maybe that’s why wisdom, kindness, God’s laws, His scriptures, goodness, words are described as “honey”. These things never get old or go out-of-date.    Why would God want to bless us when we are oftentimes pretty terrible people? God blesses people despite their actions because of His nature, not based on human merit. Blessings are a reflection of divine grace, intended to lead people to repentance, show kindness to all creation, and empower them to become conduits of goodness to others. How does God have such a gracious, kind, and generous nature? How is this possible? I can only guess it’s because He’s more like a dad.   A black hole is known as an  astronomical body  so compact that its gravity prevents anything, including light, from escaping. A black hole is not even a hole. It’s actually an object containing massive amounts of matter packed into a very small, dense region, not empty voids. NASA explains that these are the most mysterious cosmic objects , much studied but not fully understood. No matter what you call it or how these are described, I don’t like the dark, so I do not want to check out the inside of a black hole.   I don’t want to be around one to potentially get sucked in either. One thought is that according to  Luke 2:52 , Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and men, highlighting a balanced development—physically, intellectually, and spiritually—from childhood to adulthood. This growth signifies that while being divine, Jesus underwent a normal human maturation process, maturing in body and spirit, providing insight that maybe his development was not "lopsided" but balanced.   Max Liebermann's The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple (1879) caused a major scandal because it rejected idealized, divine imagery in favor of raw realism, portraying Jesus as a common, intellectually sharp Jewish boy. Critics and the public in 19th-century Germany reacted with anti-Semitic outrage, viewing the depiction as blasphemous and "crude. The public objection was so awful that it was debated in Bavarian Parliament. Arguments: Jesus didn’t look divine enough. The rabbis looked like critics rather than scholars. Even art and its viewers have always had their fair share of drama.   Did you know there’s a galactic year, also known as a cosmic year? It’s the duration of time required for the  Sun  to  orbit  once around the  center  of the  Milky Way Galaxy .   One galactic year is approximately 252 million  Earth years . This should get us all thinking more long-term. Why do we overly concern ourselves with the few years we are on planet Earth?     Did you know it's impossible for pigs to look up. Their neck muscles and spine structure make it physically impossible for them to look directly up at the sky. They can maneuver around to make it work if they wish to view the stars. If a pig can change its perspective to get a better view, surely we can, too. Can’t see the bigger picture?  Try moving into new, different positions .   That’s enough thinking for one day. At some point, I have to do some work! Downloadable version

A new bakery called Destiny’s Delights will have its grand opening and ribbon-cutting on Saturday, March 7th, 2026, at 11 a.m. The bakery is located at 2037 Highway 51 in Wesson. Owners and Wesson locals, Clifford and Nekitha Jackson, will offer free samples and giveaways. Everyone is invited to join the fun. The Jacksons say that Destiny’s Delights was born from love, faith and a passion for bringing joy through sweet treats. Founded in 2010, what began as homemade sweets prepared in the Jacksons' kitchen quickly grew into something much greater than a hobby. Baking became a calling to serve others, to comfort hearts, and to celebrate life’s sweetest moments.  Each recipe is made with care, intention, and a deep belief that God can use even the smallest gifts to make a big impact. “Our name, Destiny’s Delights, honors the beautiful life and memory of Destiny Amber Jackson, who tragically passed away in 2009. Destiny had a deep love for sweets and a special place in her heart for Kita’s creations,” said Nekitha, known locally as “Kita”. Naming the bakery after her allows her joy, light, and spirit to live on through every dessert we serve.” For years, Destiny’s Delights has proudly served the local community, built on the foundation of faith, family, and great sweet treats. The Jacksons say they hold close the scripture: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” — Proverbs 16:3 “This verse reflects the heart behind our journey—trusting God with our work and allowing Him to guide each step,” said Nekitha.  “We’re excited to continue growing by serving handcrafted coffees alongside our signature desserts. Whether you’re joining us for your morning coffee, a special celebration, or a moment of comfort, we are honored to serve you.” "To our customers: thank you for being part of our story. Every visit, every smile, and every bite supports a legacy of love and remembrance. When you walk through our doors, you're not just enjoying a treat- you're becoming part of the Destiny's Delights family. We pray our sweets and service bring warmth, joy, and a little sweetness to your day." “We are beyond grateful for everyone who comes out to support us. Seeing our bakery filled with smiling faces, kind words, and so much love truly means the world to us,” said Jackson.  This is just the beginning of their journey, and the owners say they’re so excited about what the future holds. “Thank you for believing in us and being part of our story…we can’t wait to continue serving you and creating sweet memories together,” said Nekitha. For more information, visit the Destiny’s Delights Facebook page or call the bakery at 601-643-4062.