Who Was Mayhayley Lancaster?

When I was looking up the Wadley facts for my students at Wadley High School I found a notation about a soothsayer/witch names Mayhayley Lancaster and could not help following it up.  I have an enquiring mind and just had to know what the rest of the story was.  This is what I found out in Brown's Guide to Georgia:  "By most definitions Mayhayley Lancaster was a witch. Born October 18, 1875, she lived in the ancient family log cabin. She wore short silk skirts, fancy hats, large hoop earrings, and multiple rings. Her one good eye peered from behind gold rimmed glasses perched at the end of her nose.  Mayhayley was telling fortunes by age twelve. She worked hard and purchased rental property, managed several businesses she owned, raised livestock, and farmed cotton and corn. She was one of Heard County's richest citizens, and even ran for the state senate. Mayhayley advised gamblers on the numbers they should play, pregnant women about the sex of their babies, singles on who they would marry, and couples if they should wed. She "found" all manner of lost and stolen property. "It's not a learned gift," she told Atlanta Constitution reporter Celestine Sibley, "it's a borned gift."  Local law enforcement held Mayhayley in high esteem, not because they believed in her special talents, but because criminals came to her to discover if they would get caught. She was the center of a case followed by the nation in 1948. John Wallace was a powerful landowner in Meriwether County, and Wilson Turner was a tenant farmer who stole his cattle. Wallace chased Turner into Coweta County and killed him, then threw the body into an abandoned well on his extensive property. When Wallace had visited Mayhayley to find out who had stolen his cattle, she told him, with an admonition not to harm Turner.  "You killed him anyway, didn't you?" Mayhayley demanded on Wallace's return. "Death, danger, destruction!" she shouted. "The evil deed will see the light," then, "Run, run the trouble's begun. They'll get you too before it's all done." When asked who would catch him, Mayhayley said, "A man who is brave, a man who is true, a man who is just as determined as you."  Frightened, Wallace drafted two sharecroppers, retrieved the body from the well, and hauled it miles to a moonshine pit. There it was covered with two cords of pinewood and ten gallons of gasoline, which was ignited, cremating the body. The ashes were thrown into a creek.  Mayhayley's brave, true, and determined man was Coweta County sheriff Lamar Potts, angered by murder in his county. Deputies were dispatched to consult Mayhayley, where they paid the standard fee for a reading-a dollar and a dime-the dollar was for her, the dime for a pack of dogs that lived on her land. A deck of cards was cut and the ace of spades-the death card-revealed. Mayhayley placed the back leg hair of a possum in her mouth, then spit into the fire and watched the flames and entered a trance, "having a séance with the spirits," her sister said.  "I see a terrible fire," Mayhayley revealed. "Gone from its hiding place...men, horses, a truck, fire.  Armed with this information, Potts searched Wallace's property, finding the well, cremation site, and human remains.  Mayhayley testified at the trial, giving readings in the courthouse square before being called to the stand. Her presence in the courthouse troubled Wallace, who told his lawyer to "get that damned witch...out of here. Every time I look up, I see Mayhayley's glass eye staring at me. She's trying to cast a spell." When Wallace was convicted his lawyer commented, "Not since the seventeenth century has the testimony of a witch been allowed in a court of law." In an appeal, the lawyer claimed, "The prosecution resorted to everything from sorcery to science."  Wallace was executed November 3, 1950, the first time a property owner had been punished for harming a sharecropper, and Mayhayley became a nationally known celebrity. From across the country came visitors, telephone calls, and mail, all asking for readings. Mayhayley doubled her fee, hiding the proceeds in mattresses and holes in the wall.  Mayhayley died October 14, 1955, at the age of seventy-nine, and was buried at Caney Head Methodist Church near Roosterville in Heard County. Vandals slowly chipped away at her gravestone until only a stub remained, although a newer marker now stands beside the original. According to legend, people who take souvenirs from the stone suffer bad luck until they return the pieces of gravestone to the cemetery. One student is alleged to have been killed in a traffic accident after desecrating the grave. Mayhayley's gravestone bears a Biblical inscription-John 7:5, written about Jesus but applicable to Mayhayley: "For neither did his Brethren believe in him." " Mayhayley's story was made famous by publication of the book Murder in Coweta County by Margaret Barnes and the subsequent TV movie, starring Andy Griffith as Wallace, Johnny Cash as Sheriff Potts and June Carter Cash as Mayhayley. Another book, Oracle of the Ages, by Dot Moore and Katie Lamar Smith, tells more of Mayhayley's life.  From Weird Georgia (Sterling Press, 2006).
- See more at:
 http://www.brownsguides.com/blog/weird-georgia-soothsayer-and-witch-mayhayley-lancaster

First Day of Wadley History

I have changed jobs and I now teach part of the day at Randolph County High School and the other part at Wadley High School which is twenty miles away.  The first week of school the principal charged each of us with presenting five facts each day about the history of Wadley.  I love stuff like this so I set about to find some wonderful facts.  My first day was a story about a store owner, some gypsies passing through the area, and a woman named Mayhayley Lancaster.  It went something like this: 

"During Alabama's Depression years, nomadic clans became common sight. A group of "gypsies" traveled through Randolph County with a stop in Malone, Mt. Olive, Motley and finally, Wadley. A woman dressed in a red and yellow floral-print dress asked, "How much for the string of dried peppers hanging on the wall?" Elliott said it wasn't for sale. He would need it "come winter" to rub into his homemade sausage. At the same time, a gypsy elder requested a cut of hoop cheese and five saltine crackers. As the cheese and crackers were placed in a brown paper bag and two nickels exchanged, the unusual group waved goodbye as they loaded onto their panel truck. The next day, Elliott noticed the string of peppers was no longer hanging on the wall. The gypsy woman must have taken it!  The pepper thieves didn't account for much, but now, the merchant had lost a sizeable amount of cash, 30 pounds of sugar and several Blue Buckle overalls. He was so troubled over the invasion, he decided it was God's will to search for the identity of the robber—to make things right and to seek justice. He left his wife, Emily, and daughter, Sadie, at home and traveled across the Georgia line to Heard County for a visit with the mysterious woman named Mayhayley. Surprisingly, after placing a deck of cards across a tabletop, Mayhayley not only told him the trespasser's name, which door the intruder used, but even recalled some of the items taken. Elliott was shocked and left in bewilderment. However, he never confronted the man. He was still half unsure, but really just didn't want his neighbors to know he'd succumbed to the mystic woman. So he counted his losses and placed another order to the Knight & McIntosh Overall Factory in Roanoke."  I had the students all read the story and answer the following questions about the reading….

1.  Who
2. What
3. Where
4. When
5. How

 

 

I Will Praise You Through Life's Storms

My Scripture Text this morning is from Matthew 14: 22-33

A little background might be helpful in understanding our Gospel lesson this morning. Everywhere Jesus went multitudes of people have been following Him. Now remember, Jesus just suffered the loss of John the Baptist, His disciples had just returned from the mission trip He had sent them on. And He had attempted to get away with them by
crossing the sea.

However, the crowds had followed them on foot and were waiting when they came ashore. Instead of turning them away or fleeing from them, Jesus had compassion for them and healed all the sick. Matthew tells us there were 5,000 men including women and children, so there were literally thousands of people present. When the first evening came,
about 3:00 pm, Jesus performed the miracle of feeding them with 5 loaves of bread and two fish.

Now the second evening arrives, which would be around sundown and instead of providing shelter for the night, Jesus commands the disciples to get into the boat and head for the other side of the sea. He also dismisses the crowds and sends them on their way. What happen to the ever so compassionate Christ? What is the urgency to dismiss the people and get the disciples out of there? The answer is found in John 6:15 “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain by Himself.”

You see the Jewish people were looking for the promised Messiah and would have accepted Jesus as that Messiah, except for one thing. He did not fit the mold, He did not fit their idea of what the Messiah should be and do. They wanted a Messiah that would lead a revolt to overthrow the Romans and re-establish Israel to a Davidic type kingdom. Isn’t that just what some people do today, accept Christ but only on their terms? Jesus alone again, goes up into the mountain to pray, to recharge His batteries, and to spend time with the Father.

Meanwhile, the disciples, who were only following the Lord’s command, are between 3 and 3 ½ miles from land and they encounter a fierce storm. This is also a symbolism for us Christians today. Just because we accept Christ as our Savior, just because we do what is right, doesn’t mean we are promised fair and clear weather for the rest of our lives. By following Christ we will also encounter rough seas in life. Fair weather will be ours in eternity.

Shortly after the death of their daughter Robin, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans met a pale little boy who stuck out his hand and said, “Howdy, pahdnah!” He had been abandoned in a Kentucky motel, and was physically and mentally disabled. Roy and Dale adopted him, calling him Sandy in honor of his hair. He was bright-eyed and good-natured.
During a Billy Graham Crusade, Sandy became a Christian.  Roy and Dale enrolled him in military school and he loved it. At seventeen, he enlisted in the army “to prove myself.” Sandy worked hard and won respect. He was sent to Germany, and then volunteered for
Vietnam. “Put your faith in the Lord,” he wrote home, “because (as I have found out) he’s always around when you need him. All he asks in return is your devotion.”  Then one day, Dale Evans, returning from a trip, was met at the airport. “It’s Sandy, Mom. He’s dead.” Sandy had returned from 26 days of maneuvers, dog-tired. His buddies had taken him out for the night, needling him to “prove you’re a man.  ” Sandy, who couldn’t tolerate alcohol, had given in. They fed him hard liquor until he collapsed. He was found dead in his bunk the next morning. Dale Evans survived the sorrow only by drawing strength from Scripture, particularly from Job 13:15. “Tragedy in a Christian’s life is a refiner,” she wrote. “God has not promised an easy way, but peace at the center of the hard way. The clouds of sorrow have been heavy, but I have reached the point of no return in my Christian experience,
and with Job I can cry, ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.’ ”

Sometime between 3 and 6 am, the fourth watch of the night, Jesus seeing the disciples in distress comes to them walking on the water.  The disciples when they see Jesus are afraid and cry out. They think they are seeing some kind of a ghost! Can you just hear their teeth
chattering and their knees knocking? I don’t know about you but I think I would have been afraid myself. Isn’t that just like us though? When we are in the mist of the storms of life, we fail to recognize Jesus.

One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I’ll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame,
smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can’t see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that’s all that matters."

Jesus says; “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” It is literally translated from the Greek, “I am”, again giving indication that Jesus is God. No matter what the storms, no matter what the trials, Jesus is always there for us. Now Peter, hearing Jesus’ voice says “Lord, if it
is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus’ response was short and direct, “come.” Now don’t think Peter doubted that this was Jesus; instead see the great trust he showed for the Lord. Would you and I have stepped out of that boat?

Peter did exactly that he got up and stepped out on faith and was walking on the water. As long as he focused on the Lord, he walked but as soon as he turned his attention to the storm, he sank like a rock. That is just what we do so often isn’t it? We step right out on faith, doing God’s will. Answering God’s call for our lives, then the storms of life strike. Our children rebel, we lose our job, or we just feel that no matter what we do, we can’t get it right! We have looked away from the Lord and we also, sink like a rock – it is very important
that we remember to stay focused on our goal – to trust that God will see us through despite what is happening all around us.

A helicopter pilot who flew from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific  told this story.  "I was flying the helicopter back to the ship when a blinding fog rolled in. Flying at a low altitude, I knew that a single mistake would plunge my crew and me into the ocean. Worse yet, I was
experiencing a complete loss of balance – which is common for pilots flying by instruments. This loss of balance – known vertigo – was so bad that despite the instrument readings I was certain that I was lying on my side. For 15 minutes I flew the helicopter by its instruments, fighting the urge to turn it according to my feeling. When we finally broke safely through the fog, I was deeply thankful I had been trained to rely upon my instruments rather than on my
feelings.

That is what people who live by faith do – they remember that feelings can be misleading, but the truths in God’s word are reliable, trustworthy, and consistent. Peter’s going down for the third count when he cries, “Lord, save me!” The Lord reaches without hesitation
and takes Peter by the hand. Oh yes, He gently rebuked him for his little faith and asked him why he doubted. Then He takes him to the boat and when they step in together the storm ceases and there is calm.

When we take a risk for the Lord, when we dare to do what is right, when we decide to go an extra mile – a mile that we need not walk  but which Jesus tells us we can walk – He is right there to us to help us. We do not need to doubt the outcome. We do not need to fear the
adversity we encounter on the way.

The Christian life, like walking on water, is humanly impossible. It can only be lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. As long as we look away from every other object to Jesus only (Hebrews 12:2), we can experience a supernatural life. Like Peter who stepped out of the boat and walked on the water towards the Lord who had called him – we too can step out, and we really ought to step out, to respond to the Lord who bids us come to Him.

When we do power flows. When we do marvelous things happen. When we do we discover new things about our world and ourselves. We can risk, because we have a powerful Lord watching over us. We can trust, because we have a forgiving God caring for us. We can step out because we have a God who is sure to save.

Thanks be to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Key to Success Hodge Podge

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge, your mid-week key to happiness. Add the link to your answers at the end of Joyce's post, then go say hi to the other key players. Ha! There is no end to the pun fun here today! Here we go-

1. What do you think is the key to success?
Hard work and determination are the keys to success in my book. 
2. Have you ever been to the Florida Keys? Any desire to see that part of the US of A?
I grew up in West Palm Beach and we went to the Keys often on the weekend for Key Lime Pie and to see the sunset at Mallory Square.  When I was in college we would go down and snorkel.  There is no place as beautiful as Key West at sunset.  I have been many times since I moved away too.  
3. An old Portuguese proverb says, 'Beware the door with too many keys.' What do you think this means? Share an example of how this has proven true or false in your own life.
I agree with Joyce's first answer on this one. I too think maybe this is saying be your own person. Don't neccessarily 'choose the door' everyone can open. 
4. When and where did you last see a real live donkey? Monkey? Turkey?
Our back yard neighbors had donkeys for a while.  They have been gone a while.  I live in the country and donkey's are very common in most of the pastures around here.  We have one across the street that brays every single morning starting at about 5:00.  I guess the last time I saw a monkey was on a trip to the zoo which has been a while back. As for the turkey I see them all the time.  I almost hit one last year going to work.  We saw a ton of them in Cades Cove the last time we were there.
5. Besides your home, vehicle, and special jewelry, what's something you keep under lock and key?
We have guns under lock and key.
6. When did you last get keyed up about something?  This is an easy answer....This past week.  I have a new job and have been getting ready to begin a new school year on Monday in a new school in a new system....closer to home.  My school is now only 13 miles from my house.  Gone will be the 59 mile trek.7. Who thinks we need an easy one right about now? Key lime pie...yes please or no thank you?
Oh most definitely.  I make a killer one....but my favorite comes from Key West.  They use real Key Limes.8.  Insert your own random thought here.
The kids start school on Monday.  I grew up in a system that did not begin until the first Tuesday after Labor Day.  What about you?  When did YOU start school?  When did you end.  We ended up the first week in June.  My school this year gets out for the summer on May 22.

A July Bride

About The Book: A year’s worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.  In a moment of total panic, Brendan left Alyssa at the altar. What will it take for him to win her back?  When Brendan Meyers became a “runaway groom,” Alyssa Pennington’s heart broke. But she’s returned the unopened gifts, exchanged the dress, and is ready to get on with her life…and forget Brendan.  The problem is, Brendan can’t forget. He can’t forget the love he and Alyssa shared and can’t forgive himself for what he put her through on their wedding day. He can never undo his actions, but at least he can try to win Alyssa’s forgiveness. And maybe, someday, another shot at her love.  Dalton Landreth was the only person not disappointed about that botched wedding. He had been eyeing Alyssa since high school—with his gorgeous, magnetic blue eyes—and when Brendan ran out the church doors, Dalton heard opportunity knocking.  Within months of being jilted at the altar, Alyssa finds herself being simultaneously wooed by the love of her life and the best-looking man she’s ever seen. Not bad for a small-town girl with a broken heart.
About The Author:  Award-winning, bestselling author Beth Wiseman is best known for her Amish novels, but her most recent novels, Need You Now and The House that Love Built, are contemporaries set in small Texas towns. Both have received glowing reviews. Beth's highly-anticipated novel, The Promise, is inspired by a true story.
My Thoughts About The Book:  I was so excited to have a chance to review this book.  I am a huge Beth Wiseman fan and thought this would be a great read.  The opposite was true and I found this book not only to be my least favorite Beth Wiseman book, but also my least favorite of the "A Year of Weddings" books as well.  I am glad it only took me a few hours to read this book.  Wiseman is usually a master in character development and I always leave feeling as if I have known the characters my whole life.  These characters were very thin.  Not one of my favorites at all, but at least it was a quick read and can be read in one sitting.     

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the Book Look Bloggers Program in exchange for an honest review.  The thoughts are entirely my own.  Thank you for this opportunity.

Some Gave All...

My Scripture today is Matthew 14:13-21

I want to ask you a Question today….Do you give it all you’ve got?  There was a time when I was made to feel really stupid, as if I couldn’t do something to save myself.  I took baton lessons from a neighbor girl at the YWCA.  I was good.  I marched in the Orange Bowl parade several times between the ages of 8 and 13.  When I went to Junior High I had big plans to be a majorette in the band….there was one small problem…I did not play an instrument.  Nothing….Nada.  I wanted to be in the band…..so I went to the introduction session where the band director tried out instruments with each student to find a perfect fit….the flute, trumpet, clarinet….none of them worked for me….and I could not read music to boot.  I attended every day for a week….hoping beyond all hope that I would fit in.  I learned a valuable lesson…when I could not even play the cymbols….somebody else’s road might seem better than my own.  I was not meant to be in the band….I was meant to sing in the choir.  I never twirled again.  I wanted people to see me twirl….I was good…..but I was not good enough.  Can any of you relate to those feelings?  Have you ever tried to be good enough at something so as to earn the respect of your friends.  This attitude is what stops a lot of people from coming to God and even stepping out to be used of God.  If only I was better at this particular area of my life then I could be used of God.  This is a great lie from the devil!!!! Let’s read and see what the Word of God says about this.

Jesus told his disciples at the big meeting….. “They don’t need to be sent away you give them something to eat”

The disciples thought….YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING JESUS THERE’S 5000 OF THEM!

Does that sound like any one you know?  Excuse me….You want me to do what God? No way, I could never do that.

The disciples said, “We only have 5 loaves and 2 fish”

Jesus responded by saying…. “Good bring them to me.”   He directed the people to sit down on the grass,

TAKING THE 5 LOAVES AND THE 2 FISH He fed everyone until they were full. 

What is the important thing here? The disciples did what they were asked and gave him the fish.  When God tells you to do something, it might take you by surprise and you might even say, “you got to be kidding” but know this  If you give to God what you have even though you think it might not be enough then, God is going to take it and you will be surprised to see what you can do with what He gives back to you.

Jesus took the five loaves of bread….and the two fish….He gave thanks and broke the loaves, then He gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave they ALL ate….and they ALL were satisfied.  Not just the ones closest to the front….Every Single One.

The disciples were just people like you and me. They couldn’t feed 5000 people on what they had, but God certainly could. In their obedience God used them to do the very thing that was impossible to them.

So, let me ask you….What have you missed out on because you have said NO to something that someone has asked you to do. Not only do you miss out on seeing God come through but so does the person that God had intended to bless through your obedience.  God goes on and shows the giver a powerful illustration on what He will get for doing Gods will.  The only condition is that we remain open to being used and be prepared to do what He calls us to do.

Remember when I tried to be a band member?  I was really embarrassed….I was the ONLY ONE NOT CHOSEN.  I was 13.  It was devastating. What mattered here….was that wasn’t God’s plan for me….being in the choir was.  I was meant to sing…..not twirl in the band.

God wants to use each one of us no matter how or what we feel about ourselves, how your game is going. Give to Him what you have and let Him use you in ways that you could never dream.

Have you said NO to God before?  Have you felt like I’ll never be good enough?

Good because that’s when God can use you, Honestly….We(on our own) will never be good enough…. but by God’s grace he enables us to do great things for Him, just give Him the opportunity.

Does God create no-hopers?

Satan will try to convince you that He does but here’s the truth,

GOD DOESN’T MAKE MISTAKES!  So go ahead...give it all you’ve got.  The disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over

What is He saying here?

When you give out then there will always be enough left over for you, He will never leave you to go hungry.

When you start with little God can make up the shortfall.

God loves to use people who understand this principal.

After you have been used of God then you have His assurance that you are now ready to be used again.

Jesus withdrew to a place of solitude, SO SHOULD WE! The people saw where he was going and ran around the lake to meet Him when he landed. We see Jesus step out of the boat and he is into another time of ministry and healing. Jesus had just come from a great time of ministry.

Remember this:  God will always replenish your supplies from one harvest to the next.

Matthew 14 Children's Sermon

Today my sermon for big church comes from Matthew 14:13-21

I wanted to talk this week about a mistake I make. Maybe it's a mistake you make too?  You see, I love to read. One of my favorite things to do is go to bookstores. And when I go - whether it's a big bookstore or a small one - I always seem to find something I feel like I need to buy. Sometimes I find two or three things!  The problem is as much as I love to read, I also have a lot to do. I have a busy job and on the weekends I like to go out do fun things with my family - and the truth is I don't really get to read all that much.  So what do you think happens to all those books? That's right. All around our house are big piles and shelves full of books that - while I wanted them - maybe I didn't really need.  Maybe you do the same thing? It might not be with books, but whether it's toys or books or shoes or food...we probably all sometimes make the mistake of thinking we just don't have quite enough, when actually we probably do.

In our gospel story today….. A huge crowd has gathered to hear Jesus and as they look around they notice that they don't have enough food to feed them all. In fact for the crowd of five thousand people they have only five loaves of bread and two fish!

They start to get a little worried and they suggest that Jesus send everyone home because they just don't have enough. But Jesus surprises them. He tells them to start feeding the crowd - and when they do they find that not only do they have enough for everyone, but they even have leftovers!

And while this is story is very famous because it's one of Jesus' miracles, for us it can be a kind of parable too. It can help us to remember that when we really think about it we have an awful lot. Often so much more than we realize!

So next time you find yourself spending a lot of time thinking about "needing" something new, will you remember the loaves and the fish - and that God has already given us so much? Good.

Will you pray with me?

Dear God,

We know that, like the disciples, sometimes we wonder if we have enough in life - when really we have so much more than most. Thank you for blessing us with health, food, shelter, and even some fun things now and then. Help us not to become greedy by focusing us upon the needs of others.

Amen.