Gratefully Thankful

This week will contain the fourth Thursday in November. Since 1942, by an act of Congress, this date has been Thanksgiving. Before that, it was observed intermittently and on various dates. Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, had proclaimed the last Thursday in November a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth…

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Lost Sheep

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?” Jesus (Luke 15) This is part of a parable Jesus told some people who were…

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Walking With Bears

I just spent a week in Glacier National Park, Montana. It is a rugged and beautiful land with towering mountain peaks thrusting from pine covered glacial valleys that follow crystal clear streams to pristine mountain lakes. The weather was perfect, getting pleasantly cold at night while the days were warm in the valleys and chilly…

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Paradise

When she was just a girlShe expected the worldBut it flew away from her reachAnd the bullets catch in her teethSo, lying underneath those stormy skiesShe’d say, “I know the sun must set to rise”This could be paradise. Coldplay, “Paradise” This was the oddest Easter I have ever experienced. For one, this was the first…

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Cruel To Be Kind

In 1979, Nick Lowe released “Cruel To Be Kind” which peaked at #12 on the US charts that summer. The video for the song was played on MTV on the first day of broadcasting and was shot during Nick and Carlene Carter’s wedding (shooting the video actually made him late for the wedding.) The refrain…

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Some Words Are Deeds

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. – Eliezer Wiesel Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, also called MLK Day, an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. King was the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. While most of…

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All That I Can Give You

My mother makes the best peanut brittle in the known universe. You may think I’m biased, and I probably am, but it is really good. Every Christmas she gives us a very large tin packed with this special treat. It always has a small label on it that says, “Merry Christmas, Much Love, Mom”, in…

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Thanks “Giving”

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. The other holidays all have their draws but for me, nothing can compete with the simplicity and honesty of Thanksgiving. Of course, I love the food. We are all about tradition in our family. The roasted turkey, the family recipe for cornbread and sausage dressing, mashed potatoes with…

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The Best Thing

I was very fortunate to see Mandy Harvey at the Tower Theatre on Saturday evening. Mandy is an American jazz and pop singer and songwriter. After becoming profoundly deaf following an illness at the age of 18, she left Colorado State where she was majoring in vocal music. Mandy became depressed and quit music. However,…

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For Or Against

“The rivalry is with ourself.” – Luciano Pavarotti Saturday morning a good friend of mine messaged me from the Texas State Fair, “It’s 9:08 and you can already feel the hate.” the text said. He happens to be an OU fan, but he is also one of the most empathetic and gentle people I know.…

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