Sleep in heavenly peace
My love for Christmas is a joy that runs deep in my soul. Yes, it's the end of August, but this is when I...
Navigating life’s staircase
Three concrete block steps rose from the street to my great-grandmother's house. The withering front porch sagged a bit, but it was still good...
The cream of the crop
The 2024 Olympics is over. Athletes, journalists, and fans are returning to their home countries. Mementos and memories will tell the story of a...
Fire and brimstone
It was a typical summer Sunday morning in Tennessee. I was seven years old, sitting in a church outside Nashville with my family. After...
The joy of reunion
Summertime is filled with vacations, reunions, and visiting. My friend Michele just returned from a family gathering in Maine where parents, aunts, uncles, children,...
Where does cruelty go?
Just out of his teens, a young man climbed onto a roof and aimed his rifle. He pulled the trigger, attempting to assassinate former...
Those hodgepodges and hurdles
My office is in a dormer portion of a large upstairs room. The more significant part and its closets are the 'hodgepodge' of our...
Our American Playing Field
Am I the only one who feels the pressing need for less partisan politics and attitudes? Our first President, the honorable George Washington, was...
Our pledge to America
Heading towards Independence Day 2024, let's take a moment to revisit first grade. Close your eyes and recall how each school day morning began....
Those summers of yesterday
It is summertime, and the livin' is supposed to be easy, according to George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward, who composed the famous song for...
As the bluebird flies
My friend Karen departed this world a year ago, and I assure you, the world has not been the same since. When those larger...
The right use of strength
After my mother passed away in June 2010, I kept her personal information and papers in a plastic bin. Whenever I want to feel...