Today is January 1, 2019, the 250th-anniversary of….wait. Before you start celebrating, a little background might be in order. It begins with a man named John. Born in 1725, he spent the first seven years of his life in England. With his father at sea, his loving mother doted on her son, taking him to … Continue reading But Now, I See
Today is November 1st. On the Christian calendar, it is a holy day of remembrance. Called All Saints Day, it is a time to remember and honor the faithful departed. Recently, my wife and I did just that when we took a self-designed cemetery tour. While you may think that we have run out of … Continue reading The Great Cemetery Gratefulness Tour of 2018
If you see a Southern Baptist Church on every street corner, a Dollar General every few blocks, and a Waffle House at every major intersection, fear not, you are not lost. You are probably cruising through the great state of Georgia. Down here, you can Eat, Pray, and Shop without leaving your neighborhood. In the … Continue reading Living Southern: Scattered, Smothered, and Covered
It is never easy to contemplate the end of your life when you are in the middle of living it. But long ago I realized if you love your family, you will be sure to have a current and valid will. So, when I recently updated mine, it prompted much thought about what I will … Continue reading A Spiritual Legacy
Author’s Note: Thirty years ago, I purchased a 60-year-old fourteen-foot long church pew during a fundraising program at my church. In time I had it cut down to seven feet, re-stained and polished to become a cherished family treasure. I have often pondered what that pew has seen and heard in the decades it spent … Continue reading View from a Pew
Last week, our country celebrated its Independence Day. The 4th of July, for me, has always been filled with memories of fireworks, barbecues, and hot, sunny days at nearby Lake Oconee. In this land of the Free, we often forget the cost of that freedom or how cherished it is, especially for those who have … Continue reading Nails at Noon – Lessons from a Nail Parlor
Soon after our wedding last year, I discovered an unexpected blessing from having married a woman who can sing. Patrice serves as one of the cantors who leads our church congregation in singing. She has perfect pitch and a musical range that few possess. Yes, I am not at all objective about this, but … Continue reading Love Lifted Me
There are those among us who consider the reading of fiction to be a supreme waste of time, at best pure escapism. I am not among them. I will be the first to admit there is a lot of literature that deserves the dust it gathers. Yet reading fiction for me has never been … Continue reading My Digory Moment
James Harrison was 14 years old and could not help but wonder, “Why me?” He had just undergone an eleven-hour-long surgery to remove a lung. He required 13 units of blood to save his life and still had to spend the next three months in a hospital. Troublesome times for an Australian teenager in 1951. … Continue reading Power in the Blood
Since 2010, America has been fascinated with a History Channel television reality series named American Pickers. The camera follows Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they scour the country looking for antiques and collectible items. Mike has a penchant for old motorcycles; Frank adores antique toys. Regardless, these two fun-loving, affable characters scrounge through dilapidated … Continue reading The Great Collectible
