LAUREL HILL — More than 120 residents who attended the Laurel Hill Harvest Supper face the coming holidays filled not only with a bountiful meal but with God's spirit as well.
The annual event, at which congregations from many of Laurel Hill’s churches gather for fellowship and feasting, launches the holiday season in Okaloosa County’s most northern municipality.
On Nov. 18, Magnolia Baptist Church members hosted their friends and neighbors at the traditional First Baptist Church fellowship hall. Their pastor, the Rev. Bob Smith, shared the message after a community praise-song sing.
“One of the things we need to do is to go back to God’s word” during the holiday season, Smith said.
“The purpose behind Thanksgiving is to be thankful for what we have and remember those times of want,” he said. “Thanksgiving is a Christian holiday. It is a time to celebrate God’s blessings. ‘This day is holy with the Lord,’” Smith said, quoting the book of Nehemiah.
After community worship, homemade dishes filled the long center table, with desserts waiting nearby.
Owen Kerwin, 7, eyed all the selections, indicating those he wanted his mom, Lindsey, to scoop onto his plate.
“It was good!” he said afterward.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill welcomes the holidays with Harvest Supper (PHOTOS, VIDEO)