The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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I was territory I’d not seen before—the mountains of North Carolina. The mapping app took me via interstate the entire route to Asheville, but I decided I’d take my time on the way home and drive the backroads. Little did I realize how isolated these backroads would be. I remember the intersection where I messed up. I should’ve turned left on highway 74, but I turned right on highway 28. I’m not sure why. It was a winding road in the middle of nowhere. I lost cell service and couldn’t follow the...
I enjoyed O.S. Hawkins’ new biography of legendary pastor W.A. Criswell, a role model for my generation of pastors. Criswell served 50 years at First Baptist, Dallas, and was an itinerant preacher and an avid writer. Hawkins is remarkably honest about Criswell’s successes and failures. Criswell taught young preachers to devote Saturday nights to rest, and weekday mornings to time alone in study and prayer (he maintained a home office for his study). I tried to follow this guidance for many years...
One of the ministry traditions I grew up with is that older ministers would often give us younger ministers a treasured book—either one from their libraries or a copy of one they found encouraging. I think this tradition is all but over now. Many of us older pastors have tried to give away portions of our libraries we’re not using now, only to find that the “young bucks” don’t value books like we do. Research suggests the typical pastor in my day acquired a library worth $50,000 or more. I think...
Unlike some other types of hunting, pursuing the turkey is very enjoyable doing it with a partner; especially if one is doing the calling and the other is doing the shooting. Most people who have hunted turkey for any period of time will tell you they enjoy calling in a bird as much as shooting one. Not only do you get to share in a successful shot, but the caller gets a sense of pride in knowing if it weren’t for his calling the shot would’ve never been made. Most of the time, shooting a turkey...
I’ve always heard that writing is more about perspiration than inspiration. It’s true. Even though it is very fulfilling to write about the outdoors, it is also difficult at times to continue to find worthy subjects and stories. Sometimes my mind soars with information faster than my fingers can type. Other times those same fingers seem like they’re waiting impatiently for the next command. During the times of inspiration I can’t wait to get to the computer. During other times I dread its cal...
One of my comedy excuses I’m known for when I come up empty-handed from a hunting or a fishing trip, is that my friend, partner, guide, etc. “dry-ridged” me. I forgot where I first heard that term, but I use it quite often to blame other people for my lack of success. It refers to the belief that they purposefully placed me in a location where they knew no game would be. I mean after all, who wants to put me on their favorite spot or let me know where their honey-hole is? Hunters aren’t nearly...
It was a church conflict in my early days over something that’s a “back burner” issue now. We had a college student helping on an interim basis with our music. One Sunday she came to church dressed casually. I asked her in the following week to dress more formally for the pulpit. She grew angry and asked what dress had to do with worship. I gently explained I believed that we represented God and needed to dress accordingly. When I was in college our pastor, Bill Jackson, took several of us “p...
“What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve said from the pulpit?” he asked. It was a strange question, but a pastor friend asked privately at lunch, so I felt it was fine to respond. I didn’t have to think long, and it was a word not even in scripture. I was preaching about the different postures of prayer, the point being that whether we’re standing, walking, sitting, driving or kneeling, many postures are acceptable in prayer. Two classic hymns have lines about “falling prostrate at...
Fishing is a great sport that millions of men and women participate in each year. Most of the country boasts of its places to fish and each area has its specialty. For instance, my area is known for its lakes. Other areas are known for their rivers or streams, and some for their access to the ocean. There really is something for everyone. What I forget many times about fishing is how my success today is based on what has happened yesterday or even the past several days. It may be beautiful and...
The turkeys are gobbling the woods down. Their call is one of the most recognizable in all of nature. Whether one is a turkey hunter or not, everyone knows this familiar sound. And even though a tom turkey will gobble the entire year, he is especially vocal during the spring mating season. The turkey is an amazing bird. Just a few years ago there were so few, most hunters turned into fishermen during the spring. Now, the turkey is in every state except Alaska. And not only are they surviving,...
A property committee member complained some “knucklehead” installed the wrong bulbs in a room at church. I had to confess the knucklehead was me. I mistakenly took LED tubes from the supply closet and tried to insert them in fluorescent fixtures. No damage, but no light, either. This reminded me of the old joke about how many Baptists it takes to change a light bulb. In this case, the correct answer is “two.” But the traditional answer to the pun is, “Change? What’s that?” Thom Rainer of Chu...
It’s been my experience that funeral home directors generally have a great sense of humor. I asked a gentleman about this once and he explained that a sense of humor is the only thing that saved him from awful depression. I can imagine these men and women deal with the greatest of tragedies. But on the other hand, I’ve heard some interesting stories from them. One funeral home employee told me about trying to salvage a graveside service after several pallbearers were drunk, and one fell into the...
Over the past year, thousands of student archers competed in regional tournaments throughout the state for a chance to draw their bows at the 2024 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Alabama State Championship in Montgomery on April 4-5. During the event, nearly 2,000 archers from 105 schools competed for top honors and the opportunity to advance to the NASP Eastern National Championship on May 9-11, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. This year, the Alabama Department of Conservation and...
We planned a dream vacation several years ago to Las Vegas where we heard Barry Manilow and The Temptations (these are acts loved by old people). Part of the trip was my taking the short flight to the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif. and the short drive to spend a day at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The library acquired the retired Air Force One in 2004, and the Air Force One Pavilion is a grand site. It’s been featured several times in Republican presidential debates. I r...
We planned a dream vacation several years ago to Las Vegas where we heard Barry Manilow and The Temptations (these are acts loved by old people). Part of the trip was my taking the short flight to the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif. and the short drive to spend a day at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The library acquired the retired Air Force One in 2004, and the Air Force One Pavilion is a grand site. It’s been featured several times in Republican presidential debates. I r...
The Jimmy Carter administration faced a number of challenges, but arguably the high-water mark of achievement was the Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel. Carter invited Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President Anwar Sadat to the presidential retreat to discuss some 50 issues remaining from the war of 1967. The anticipated several days became nearly two weeks and was beset with problems. Both men grew angry and threatened to leave. Carter summoned Vice President Mondale to Camp...
The way Baptists do it probably isn’t best, but nobody yet has made us change. Some denominations require an apprentice program for fledgling ministers. But when a Baptist young person declares a call to ministry, the pastor says, “Great! You can preach next Sunday.” This is like throwing someone in the lake to teach them how to swim. I know this because I was once cast into the ecclesiastical lake. Heaven holds great reward for patient church members who’ve listened to 16-and 17-year...
I was the new pastor still learning my way around when Jim came to see me. He was chair of the budget and finance team. He wished me well, then shared a concern. “The committee met lately, and we have an issue with the visitor’s envelopes you’re using,” he said. “We believe we shouldn’t ask visitors for money.” Churches used to welcome visitors and give them a card requesting contact information and sometimes a ribbon to wear. This was before we learned to call them “guests” and since learned mo...
My mind goes to so many outdoor activities this time of year. It's the middle of February so mostly I'm planning for the next couple of months. Not only will turkey season be upon us soon, but some of the best pan fishing is knocking at the door. The walleye run will put fishermen elbow to elbow in the river and the crappie will have boats side by side at the lake. These two fish are my all-time favorite varieties to eat. And the bonus points my wife gives me when I bring them home are enough...
She sat next to me at the hair salon. She leaned over and said, “Mister, has anyone ever told you that you have a striking resemblance to Harrison Ford?” Of course, I was pleased with my introduction to her, and immediately felt gratified that she thought I looked like a movie star. I told a friend about this later and he deflated me. “Well, Harrison Ford is a bit ‘long in the tooth’ now!” he said. Ouch. Anyway, this was my introduction to Cherry Starr, wife of legendary quarterback Bart Starr....
The college I worked for asked me to go to Washington, D.C. for a seminar with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities. I didn’t have to be asked twice! It was a great several days on the CCCU campus a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. I met with 30 or 40 college students who were interning in government that semester. We later invited a CCCU rep to our campus in Marion to explain the “Best Semester” program, and as result, had a number of our students to attend one of the three...
The wind in my face was bitterly cold in downtown Dallas a few years ago since the winter weather was yet lingering. My continuing education classes had ended at the seminary in nearby Ft. Worth, so the afternoon was free for some sightseeing. A chill came over me independent of the temperature when I walked onto Dealey Plaza and saw firsthand those sights emblazoned in my memory from childhood: Elm Street, the triple overpass and the sixth-floor window. I thought back to that terrible Friday...
The largest youth archery competition in Alabama, the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Alabama State Championship, will be held April 4-5, 2024, at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl located at 220 Hall St. in Montgomery, Alabama. The media and public are invited to attend. This year's event will feature nearly 2,000 student archers in Grades 4-12 from schools across the state who earned an opportunity to compete in the state championship after competing in one of eight regional...
Winter undoubtedly thwarts many outdoor plans in most parts of the country. If you don’t believe me, just wait until the first warm weekend in February. There will be more lawnmowers heard than any other time of the year. It’s not that they want to mow their lawn, but it’s just that they have cabin fever. Another problem with the winter is the amount of light in each day. There have been several times when one could hunt all day and stay out less than twelve hours. That means twelve hours in th...
Ever since last summer, I have been watching one particular buck. He’s not a giant but he has a short third beam that protrudes straight out from the bottom of his main beam. It’s only about 5 inches long but has another point growing from that. The deer is a mainframe 8 but this anomaly has always made the rack intriguing to me. And I decided early on, if I had the chance to harvest this one, I would. It would be my first non-typical. During hunting season, it has shown up on my trail camera ma...
