Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

— Psalm 133:1-3

Our community has just been shocked to its core by last week’s tragic vehicle accident involving the golf team of the University of the Southwest.

One of the victims was Karisa Raines, a graduate of Fort Stockton High School and a senior at the University of the Southwest.

A celebration of her life will be held in the special event center at the high school this Saturday, March 26 at 1 PM.

I include this as my pastor’s paragraphs for this week because her passing has truly brought Fort Stockton together as the caring community that we can be.

The outpouring of love to family and friends from such gifts as the Go Fund Me account on Facebook to all the countless expressions of love and appreciation have been overwhelming.

This has been an event that has hit so many of us so hard.

The way this community has expressed its love and support have truly been a testimony to the life of this devoted Christian young lady.

It truly has reminded all of us that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8) and “if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. (Romans 14:8).

Let us pray that whatever transpires in life, that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can grow closer to each other and closer to God.