During these days of stay-at-home, isolation, seclusion, social distancing, shelter-in-place, quarantine, and virtual lock-down, Americans have learned how easy it is to practice something they probably thought they weren’t really cut out for: obedience...

They are always there. At times we hardly notice them. Sometimes, more often than not, we take them for granted. But we sure notice when they are “under construction” or if there is “road work ahead” or if some river becomes angry and decides to swallow a few miles of asphalt on its way downstream. ...

My heart breaks. My heart breaks for the souls and the families of those who have been murdered by overzealous, rogue police officers across our nation. My heart breaks for those whose businesses, homes and lives are now being devastated by the rioting, looting and — yes — killing going on across our nation, supposedly in the name of protests against police brutality. ...

She finally did it. After 21 1/2 years, Laura, retired from her position as nurse at Benton Elementary School in Marshall, Missouri. She truly has loved her years at Benton. She loved working with the students and her co-workers. The kids have greater needs than just bandages for skinned knees and cans or buckets to vomit in. ...

Note: Here are the lyrics of a song I wrote for a special presentation at the rural one-room school house my father and his brothers attended in Luber, Arkansas. The four boys grew up not far from the small school, and all of them — at one point or another — married and, like many from the south, moved north to find work in factories. ...

I have been trying to keep up with the news as much as possible during the current pandemic and its related closures, restrictions, etc. Recently, I saw an article (connected no-doubt to a YouTube video somewhere) with the headline … “How to Survive The Current Apocalypse” or something like that. That got me to thinking. How many people actually understand the word apocalypse?...

“I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” … Psalm 86:12 During our current “stay-at-home” situation, many people have been getting their weekly dose of worship on the internet, or sitting in their cars in a church parking lot. And I, for one, am glad so many have such options. It was not so not too many years ago...

So … Some local churches have been holding “parking lot” services recently. You know the ones: everyone parks in the parking lot and stays in their cars and listens to the service via their car’s radio. Very handy for those who can’t make it into the church, or, just for kicks, those who have been told they cannot go into the church because of a certain viral contagion going around. ...

After watching for more than a week as the so-called civilized world went nuts over toilet paper and hand sanitizer, I am now watching as the United States (and other countries) try to ascertain how to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus that seeks to be wreaking havoc on our lives. I am, for safety’s sake, doing my best to stay in and stay away from large groups of people. I am, after all, now part of that high-risk group known as the “over-sixty” crowd...

Over the past 52 years, I’ve played six-string guitar, 12-string guitar, bass guitar or stand-up bass violin at one time or another. In middle school and high school I played the stand up bass in orchestra and the bass guitar and/or stand up bass in jazz band. ...

I’ve heard — and read — a lot of people talking about how it has been 50 years since the Chiefs won — or even played in — a Super Bowl. That started me thinking. Yes, 50 years is a long time. I guess it’s not really that long if you look at it through an “eternity” lens, but for most humans it makes up well over half of our expected lifetime. As I draw nearer and nearer to moving into what society likes to call the golden years, I think time...

I think, sometimes, about our schedules. I think about how they are supposed to be helpful; about how they are meant to assist us with our daily lives; how they should be tools to help keep our lives in order and to help keep us “on track.”...

Those of you who have been regular readers of this column know that I truly love October. It has always been my favorite month, and I was not ashamed to share that fact with the reading public. However, in 2009, my brother lost a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer in the middle of October. The son-in-law of some dear friends lost his long battle with cancer a few days later. Needless to say, October became, for me, a month that no longer held such a sweet place in my heart...

As I write this, I am still reeling from the news that 58 or more concertgoers were killed, and at least 515 (and counting) injured, when a lone gunman opened fire from a hotel window on the strip in Las Vegas. I am, once more, wondering what our world — our nation — has come to. ...

I don’t mean to sound overly sentimental, but I can say that my heart felt extremely heavy recently as I watched Internet reports (because television news wasn’t covering it) of so many wildfires burning out west. Our family has driven through the same places that were burning and spent a lot of time enjoying others...

If there is one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s this: things are never exactly as they seem. It’s like the carnival midway setting up outside my office in preparation for the annual street fair. If you walk down the middle of Main Street, all is colorful and bright and inviting, especially for young people. ...

Last week we celebrated St. Valentine's Day -- a time when all thoughts turn to love and sweethearts and hearts, flowers and candy. But many do not know that San Valentino was a real man who lived, probably, in the third century and was martyred sometime between 296 and 273 A.D. ...

We all know someone, or lots of someones, who might be considered "elderly". They've lived long lives and raised their families. Some have had the pleasure of meeting, holding and loving their children's children, and even their children's children's children. They've also lost loved ones and old friends ... to distance and war and time and accidents and disease...

I recently was reminded of one of the songs I used to like as a young teenager, and one that has been re-written countless times to make it more "Christian." The song was made famous by a group named The Monkees, and the name of the song "Hey, I'm a Believer."...

As we enter into a new year, let's remember to put first things first in our lives. In the sixth chapter of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs those who believe in him to focus on what is necessary to be a success as a Christian. Note, he does not tell us to focus on those things that will make us a success in the world. But, rather, a success as a Christian. He says we are to "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness."...