When you think of community how do you feel? Or rather what do you feel?

Could it be the perspective you see when you turn on the television? Maybe what you see from your own perspective when you leave your home every day? On the other hand, is it an individual view that give us each our own unique idea of what community should be...?

Frequent here long enough and Cedar Creek Lake’s aura differs depending on which corner of the lake you choose to enter from and what time of the year you are here.

Travel the entire outskirts and you will realize the immense size of Cedar Creek Lake. One that gave it its title as the 3rd largest lake in Texas.

In each corner of the lake residents include locals and extended locals (those who live here a lot but commute back and forth more). Cedar Creek Lake also allows for weekenders to have an easy commute from the DFW area and those who come to enjoy the summers here.

Some of us get the pleasure of seeing the community with knowledge privy to those who look for it.  

Members of the Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce heard a beautiful story from Chris Quinn this month.

Chris Quinn is from radio station 95.9, KCKL. Chris and other Medias have an innate ability, to have a different view of our community from each of the elegant events that broadcast a simple lake life with amenities... To the ones where too many of our humans here are in desperate economic need.

We also see who picks up the needs in the community and why they are doing what they are doing.

We get to hear their story of how they worked hard and earned their place they are in today and why they choose to give back the way they do.

Life has a way of showing things.

Quinn unloaded a powerful message at the February monthly luncheon, which was held on Valentine’s Day this year. Chris’s message was simple.

We all have a story of who we are.

As does Cedar Creek Lake.

Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is made up of over 400 members and growing each month.

Some individuals, businesses and some joining from organizations. Local cities, fire departments and more.

Chris Quinn spoke from the heart and gave each person in the room a burst energy to take back and apply to life. One that if I were to suspect, will leave a lasting impression on the people in the room for the future of Cedar Creek Lake and the surroundings communities.

There were moments when you could have heard a pin drop if one had in the moment.

We have something different here. A collective community of sorts that is just as proud as the next town of its individuality, but also of its community that shares Cedar Creek Lake.

We have an economy here. One that booms in the summer and slows in the winter.

One that will keep on going until the flow of traffic here stops growing. Which is highly unlikely with Henderson County at a bit over 1% growth while Kaufman County is over 4% in 2017. That number is sure to grow when the numbers come out for 2018. Small, but still growth. To put that into perspective, Dallas, in 2017 had a growth of 1.43%. Little towns can become big cities through slow and steady growth too.

Growth and a few people’s persistence, is what has helped to push the 334 bridge to be redone sooner than anticipated where four lanes will emerge in the final stages.

There is always a reason why things happen. The bridge in Tool at the spillway was closed recently making commuters have an extremely long way to travel to get to Dallas having to drive all the way around the southeast corner of the lake back through Mabank and Gun Barrel City to get to HWY 175. Reason? The bridge needed repair. Roads that are built, have to be maintained. (Right?)

That takes community.

Not just those who are actually fixing the bridge.

Taxpayers help in that area too. So if you own property here, you are part of the community.

Quinn knows and has no worry expressing his opinion that, “this country runs on dollars and cents.” That could not be a truer statement. He made sure we knew he felt that it should run on “Compassionate Love…Love is the key that makes things grow.”

Each time we go to the store, make a purchase, we are contributing to how our local economy is ran.

Here in Cedar Creek Lake, a message is being sent, we have a community, not just a town with a name on a map. That is very clear from the type of growth in Mabank, to the education offered in some of our towns that have reputations of being great schools. All the way to the events for the kiddos of the community on holidays such as ice-skating at the Gun Barrel City park in the winter.

Those places that we frequent every day, making purchases at, also do more then we realize.

Have you ever seen an event that reads, benefiting such and such? Those benefits, are sponsored by someone, or many people and businesses. Business’s that is owned by people. A LOT of those people, are people who live and breathe Cedar Creek Lake just like the rest of us do.

What can we do to help them improve the community? Can we make choices each day to contribute to those changes? Can we get out of our homes more often and into our local community? Could we see where we can use our unique skills to contribute to making this a better place to not only live, but also work and continue building what will one day be a city as big as Dallas will? OK, maybe not Dallas anytime soon but Tyler for sure.

We have opportunities every day to have things or places here if we just put the word out that we are interested in having it.

The Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is almost 20 years strong, built with a solid foundation with many members from the community who are ready and willing to hear what our community is asking for.

I spoke with a husband and wife the other day who owns a local eatery and is a member of the Seven Points Chamber Chapter. One feeling I kept getting was growth is painful but growth is what happens when we are ready to step up and make a change.

This business, is one that the two locals who own it, are willing to sacrifice their time, effort, money, blood, sweat and tears to see their passion come to life. The fruit from that is something that many generations will be able to make memories at because of two people who made a choice (and continue) to think about those they will serve. In this case, they are serving many people here in Cedar Creek Lake, sponsoring events for the benefit of someone in Cedar Creek Lake and even reaching further with their product.

I will not say the business name because I have not asked permission. I do want to say, that watching places like this one, go from a building, to putting their hard work and effort into making a place for a memory not just a meal, is one that sets the tone for as Chris explained, “Customers will want to come back because they like you.” This business will continue to have repeat customers and growth of new ones with the hard work and effort they are putting into FOR the community, not just themselves.

Let us keep building our town with love and with peace in mind for our future generations. Especially with the population growth coming. New people mean new ideas, new energy and a possible shift in the way the town grows.  Quinn explained it is all about “integration” when talking of anything new.  

“We are helped by other community members to find, learn and live our stories.”

Quinn left us with a message that if we are not diligent in our growth, “If the country ever falls, it will fall from within.”

Same goes for everyone in Cedar Creek Lake.

Each of us has a purpose and each of us has a passion.

Each of us has a story and those stories need to be told. Quinn left us with the note that, “We all have a story that is yet unwritten.” I would like to add, we are creating our stories every day when we wake up with a breath that was not promised. Let’s choose wisely and with integrity as we watch our small lake town grow up.

If you want or need any information for the Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce please contact:

903.887.3152

http://www.cedarcreeklakechamber.com

http://959kckl.com/

http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-counties/tx/henderson-county-population/

http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-counties/tx/kaufman-county-population/