Author: Buddy McElhannon

  • Where Have All the Statesmen Gone?

    Where Have All the Statesmen Gone?

    I have tried to minimize the topic of politics in my blogs.  However, as another Presidential election looms, it seems every media format is filled with a growing number of caustic political ads, promises, and accusations that cannot be ignored. The vitriol from both the left and the right reminds me of vomit.  It may…

  • A Higher Call

    A Higher Call

    I have learned never to ignore coincidences, especially when they come in threes. An unexpected gift from my wife, a chance meeting at a golf course, and the discovery of a long sought after book at a used bookstore all within a week’s time made me sit up straight.  Three strangely “coincidental” occurrences all dealing…

  • The Most Quoted Preacher of the 20th Century

    I doubt many Christians can name the preacher that Billy Graham claimed to be the most quoted in the 20th century. Vance Havner doesn’t readily come to mind. If you never heard him preach, you really missed something.  Rather you missed someone who was a passionate conveyor of the Word of God, the “Dean of…

  • Dancing in the Rain – Part 2: The Joy of Living and Laughing

    Dancing in the Rain – Part 2: The Joy of Living and Laughing

    It’s no joke.  Laughter is good for you.  A good laugh feels good, but it actually has many positive physical benefits. It’s a great form of stress relief, stimulates internal organs as you breathe in oxygen-rich air, and it spurs the brain to release endorphins.  And endorphins are a good thing.  The list goes on…

  • Dancing in the Rain – Part 1 – Laughing at Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments

    Dancing in the Rain – Part 1 – Laughing at Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments

    Laughter can be good medicine…if not for the body, surely for the soul.  And thankfully so, for life has its moments when a good laugh is a desperate need. For me, embarrassing moments have become more than a reflective chuckle  but entertaining fodder for future family tales around the fireplace.  “Let me tell you what…

  • Queen of the Night

    Queen of the Night

    Photos have immense power.  They capture a moment in time, and every so often, they touch the heart and encourage the soul.  Recently one particular photo catapulted me back in time to a thirteen-year-old conversation I had late one Monday evening with my late wife. I remember the time, the day, and the date as…

  • A God Who Stoops

    I love Max Lucado. I love the way he writes, the way he tells a story, and the way he creates images that forever linger in your mind.  A gifted writer who nourishes your soul is a rare commodity these days.  But calling Lucado a gifted writer is like saying Niagara has a nice Fall. …

  • Pitching a Fit

    A recent conversation with my wife inspired me to write the following summary of that verbal exchange.  I titled it, Pitching a Fit. Pitching a Fit My wife bought a Fitbit. Then a smart-scale to link to it. Now, a Fitbit, says she, I am to git. In our budget, says I, it may not…

  • Finding My Voice

    Finding My Voice

    I have a confession to make.  As a Christian, there were times when I could be arrogant and judgmental.  This critical spirit manifested itself especially as it regarded one’s prayer life. That was until 2011.  Up until then, I considered the best prayers to be those spontaneous, heartfelt expressions spoken from one’s heart.  No rote…

  • Echos of Easy Rider

    I heard the rumble and knew instinctively what was about to pull up beside us. The echos of Easy Rider reverberated through the hot breath of a South Alabama July morning as the midnight chrome Harley came slowly to a stop and waited for the light to change.  For a few brief seconds, my eyes…