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A pastor friend of mine recently told me that people in his church complain that there are too many announcements. He replies, “There are so many announcements because there are so many things going on.” Announcements let us know that something important is coming. One may wish to ignore and miss out on the event, or, to listen up and take full advantage of all that is happening. There are some announcements surrounding the birth of Jesus that need our attention. We don’t w

A Georgia State State Trooper once did a traffic stop on a local redneck. He had been going well over the speed limit. The Trooper asked the redneck, “Son, you got any ID?” The redneck replied, “’Bout what?” People who are in addiction have an ID problem. It is difficult for them to identify themselves as addicts. That is partly because it would mean they have to admit to a problem that needs solving and they may not be ready to address it. In addition, they know there is a

Looking over the audience it was clear that two things were at work. First, the Franklin-Elk Municipal Alliance, led by Deputy Mayor of Franklin Township, Dave Deegan, and aided by Steve and Sharon Clair, Lillian Carr and Dawn Gelsi Collins, did a phenomenal job or organizing and promoting this important event. The second is that people in our community are experiencing the heartbreak of addiction. Whether it's overdose, theft of family heirlooms, loss of a family member thr

Our first snow storm of 2017 was beautiful. Blistery cold and quietly blowing across the fields and highways, this heavenly precipitation descended like a dove. Well not quite a dove, but at least like a blanket, which to borrow from Annie Dillard in An American Childhood, “held the houses down and the people in.” The routine warnings had been echoed on radio and television as newscasters and politicians took advantage of the face time to remind people to “stay off the road

What gets your attention about the Christmas story? Is it the miracle of a conception without human contact? Is it the tenderness in this young woman having her whole life turned upside down with an unexpected pregnancy? Add to these the birth of the babe in a manger in Bethlehem, agreeing with the prophet Micah’s prediction from 700 years earlier, and you have a recipe for awesome Christmas contemplation. Several prophetic elements weave together proving the historical a

Tornadoes devastated the southern United States during the spring of 2011. Six EF-5 tornadoes touched down to set records in death and destruction. Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Joplin, Missouri were the most notable. These weather events did not occur without contributing conditions. Unusually warm humid conditions in the lower atmosphere and cooler conditions in the upper atmosphere combined with wind direction changes and increased wind speed to bring the intense, counter-cl

Marcus Lemonis is “The Profit”. His CNBC show offers great advice to business owners. Each episode finds Marcus visiting a struggling enterprise where those in charge are at their wits end and sometimes each other’s throats. Typically he will investigate the operation’s financials and interview some of the workers to find the root of the company’s problems. Eventually Marcus, if he makes an offer to invest, will demand 50% ownership and 100% control. He addresses three m

Following the news in the aftermath of the November thirteenth massacre in Paris keeps our focus on the evils around the world. CNN, FOX News and MSNBC bring us minute by minute updates of the hunt for the bad guys and the political posturing surrounding it. For those afflicted with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) disorder its impact is riveting. Stress levels after 9-11 increased in individuals as well as the nation. People dealt with stress in different ways. While some

Friday’s terror attacks in France, the sixth this year, were well planned and executed with precision. Orchestrated attacks spread out over parts of Paris took everyone by surprise and made clear the intention to harm and kill those who are outside of the Caliphate. The number of dead and wounded is uncertain. Many people conclude from the increase in criminal and terrorist activity that the end is near. Looking at the disintegration of families and the declining intere

Wannabe biker, Dudley Frank, played by William H. Macy, trudged through the desert pushing his Harley Davidson with his riding pals, the Wild Hogs. One of his friends acted irrationally toward Dudley and then quickly apologized. Dudley forgave him and blamed it on the effects of the dehydration they were all experiencing. He explained, “Your blood’s thickening, so your heart’s working harder to pump it through your arteries. Less gets to your head. Our bodies are literal

We knew it had to happen. It is the inevitable result of life on planet earth. Let me be honest with you. When I wrote the article on “The Walking Dead” I never suspected that I would be doing grief counseling for fans of a character eaten by a “walker”. The difficulty was that since it was a pretend death in a pretend world I didn’t know how to offer pretend wisdom. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote in “On Death and Dying” about the stages of grief. She codified five emotional poi

Superhero Batman and his sidekick, Robin, combined as the dynamic duo to combat eccentric villains like the Riddler, Penguin and Joker. None could figure out that Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson were the caped crusaders behind the masks. These vigilantes of justice maintained anonymity with a mere piece of cloth around Robin’s eyes and rubber headgear hiding Batman’s face. “Holy masquerade,” Robin might shout. A mask is an effective tool in concealing a true identity. Disg