Author: Buddy McElhannon

  • A Grand Old Flag

    A Grand Old Flag

    In 2017, my wife and I visited Charleston, S.C., and decided to tour Fort Sumter. As it happened, we were the first tour group to visit the fort after it had been closed for two weeks following Hurricane Irma. When we arrived at this historic sea fort, we were invited to help raise the 20…

  • Pursuing the Wow in Marriage

    It’s hard to believe that I could learn something about love and marriage from my two-year-old grandson. But I did. In church, no less. Years ago, my wide-awake, perpetually curious two-year-old grandson sat in the Crying Room at church. While he was well-behaved on this particular Sunday morning, a nearby four-year-old could not sit still.…

  • Do Fathers with Daughters Live Longer?

    Recently, a surprising study from a Polish university revealed that fathers with daughters live longer. Even more interesting is that the extended lifespan is also impacted by the number of daughters a father has.  What about sons?  Nope, sons have little effect on a father’s life span. Having raised two sons, I doubt that conclusion. …

  • Idol Worship?

    Idol worship.   The phrase conjures up all kinds of images — ancient biblical names like Baal and Moloch, and modern idols like sex, power, money, and fame. I recently discovered another blogger, BeautyBeyondBones.com, who shared a reflection titled, The Idol of Self. It was an honest, open admission that anorexia had nearly claimed her…

  • My Oxford Year and Secular Rom-Coms

    This past weekend, my wife and I were in the mood for a good romantic comedy. Netflix had just released what appeared to be another Hallmark-like rom-com, My Oxford Year. To our surprise, it proved to be more of a tearjerker than an emotionally satisfying feel-good experience.  It was also a perfect example of the…

  • Tender Mercies

    Over the years, my faith has grown in spurts.  But it is growing.   I have long purposed to always-be-a-student in regard to my faith journey.  I worship the God of the Old and New Testaments, and as a Christian, I delight in discovering some new insight that draws me closer to my Creator, my…

  • Shooting My Age

    I shot my age recently.  Well, sort of.   Every golfer dreams of shooting an 18-hole round with a score at or below their age. Since my good friend Tom Mitchell did it last year, my goal has been to do the same. Of course, getting older helps — as long as I stay physically the same.  …

  • My First Calculator

    I have lived long enough to witness more technological changes in one lifetime than at any other period in history.  One might describe it as a journey from turning knobs to touching screens. And the changes just keep coming. Music alone has evolved from 33 RPM and 45 RPM records to 8-track tapes, cassette players,…

  • Fear Stalks a Hospital Waiting Room

    Maybe it’s because it was Friday the 13th. Maybe because it was the waiting room of a Cardiac Surgical Center in one of the largest hospitals here in Augusta. Maybe because you are sitting in a room with people who share the same heavy anxieties. But fear stalks a hospital waiting room like a hungry…

  • The Redemption of a List-Maker

    I like to make lists. I have my own to-do lists, my vacation checklist of things to take, and a list of my favorite books and movies. My wife, always concerned that I might become too sedentary, has a never-ending honey-do list. Since I handle the grocery shopping for the family, I always keep a…