It is graduation season. Social media is saturated with photos of new graduates from every institution of learning. Some of these graduates have so many colored ropes draped over their shoulders they can barely turn their heads. Others are just happy to get school behind them. Some of them are going off to a university […]

For a full year of my life, I had the privilege of being on the ministry team at First United Methodist Church in Guntersville, Alabama. That year was full of wonderful opportunities to get to develop relationships with new friends and deepen relationships with old ones. One day I was sitting at my desk, pondering […]

Sometime in the early ‘90s Mother’s Day fell on May 10. That sounds like a rather mundane fact that can be verified by looking back at calendars from the period. There is really no reason anyone would remember Mother’s Day falling on the 10th of May unless it was your birthday; or maybe your child’s […]

I honestly don’t remember the last time I was ecstatic over anything. Maybe life has a way of sucking the exuberance out of the little things we used to enjoy so much. As a child, the greatest joy was building a dam in the ditch when a spring rain fell. Later it was the joy […]

I think the problem with our nation right now has something to do with gas cans. Neither my 1961 Chevy Apache 10 nor my 1985 Jeep CJ7 have functional fuel gauges. That means that most of the time I have a gallon or so of fuel tucked away in the back. Today I made a […]

How many businesses do you know of that have occupied the same location and provided the same service for over 80 years? This week, Amberson’s Clothing store in Boaz was recognized for meeting that criterion. They opened in 1939 and are currently operated by the third generation, Phillip Amberson. The massive oak roll top desk […]

Within the shadow of Easter, our nation has experienced yet another senseless shooting. Another act of a single person that sends shock waves through our country. The Christian community has celebrated the greatest event in history. An event where a man rose from the dead. This event reflects the power and authority of God over […]

Today flags are flying at half-staff. Another wound has been opened on the American conscience. In what seems to be a random act of intentional evil, six souls lost their lives in a senseless shooting in Nashville. My heart is torn for each family member who is mourning such a needless loss. What happened? I […]

Several years ago, my wife, Denise, and I were traveling out west. We had driven through miles of beautiful country as we approached a long desolate stretch of two-lane curves. Signs warned us that there was no service for over 100 miles. We stopped and topped off the tank and stocked up on necessities like […]

The air is filled with yellow snow, trees are beginning to bud new life, yellow Jonquils are waking after a winter nap. All this means one thing: weddings are around the corner. Most valuable knowledge has escaped me. However, I know something about weddings. Well, the truth is that was an attempt at humility. The […]

It was fourth grade and parents’ day was approaching. Parents’ day was the one day of the year that parents come to the school, meet the teacher, and admire the small work of art or craft their child has created. It is also the dreaded day when both my parents would meet each of my […]

Travel is my weakness. Truth is, I am an addicted traveler. I don’t travel like a tourist, but more of an explorer. My interests are off the beaten path and places where only the locals can find. My travels have taken me to 49 states and as many countries. Our cultures may change from place […]

Making spending money can be difficult for a kid who is not old enough to mow yards. At least, that was my experience. Before I began mowing yards for $2 per acre, I made my spending money patrolling the ditches and roadsides for empty Coke bottles. It might be worth noting that in the south, […]

Metter, Ga., sleeps somewhere between Savannah and Macon, and just north of Interstate 16. Though I have driven I-16 a number of times, I had never stopped in Metter. This changed last fall when I was asked to speak at the annual “Metter Men’s Retreat.” This event is sponsored each year by the First Baptist […]

This week, I traveled to UAB hospital to visit a dear friend who had just undergone a significant surgery. On my way north on I-59, I passed an exit where a big red sign proudly announced a Krystal restaurant. We don’t have a Krystal in Guntersville, but I really wish we did. I stopped. As […]

The Super Bowl is in a matter of days. Leading up to that final game, every game was more important than any of the previous games of the year. To lose a playoff game is to end the entire season. When you lose, you go home. If you win, you take one more step toward […]

Recently my wife, Denise, and I traveled to New York City to celebrate our 40 th wedding anniversary. Our anniversary is Dec. 17; her birthday is Dec. 27; and every year that we have been married they have put Christmas on Dec. 25! Yes, some would say I am a scheduling genius. We like going […]

The other night, my wife and I joined about 30 million of our closest friends and watched “Monday Night Football.” The Cincinnati Bengals were hosting the Buffalo Bills in a clash between two of the finest teams in the league. The matchup promised to be high scoring and full of aerial attacks from both teams. […]

What is time? We are all slaves to it. We plan our lives by it. However, few of us can actually give a workable definition to the thing that controls our lives like a puppet master. Few of my close friends have ever seen me without a time piece affixed to my wrist. I am […]

If ever you have the chance to visit Athens, Alabama, please do.  For seven wonderful years I was blessed to serve as Pastor of First Baptist Church in Athens.  I love the place dearly. No visit to Athens would be complete without viewing the courthouse.  The courthouse was built at the turn of the last […]

My Uncle George was a big man. He stood about 6-foot-6 and when asked his weight, he would reply with a booming voice, “I weigh 300 and plenty!” I don’t recall anyone pressing the question any further. He made a good living servicing the maintenance needs of factories, bus shops, and farmers. His favorite customers […]

Long before flashing amber lights flashed to warn drivers of road hazards, we had smudge pots. They had various brand names such as Flambo, but the common name was just a smudge pot. It was a common name for the least noble of all traffic engineering equipment. The smudge pot stands about 8 inches tall, […]