Faces & Places

“Sitting next to grief and allowing it to root through your former life while slowly unfurling into your new life requires the kind of patience, gentleness, and self-love that many of us have never had to summon before.

Hope: A Special Easter Message

(This week’s essay is a special Easter message that’s on my heart.) Today is a good day to focus on hope. Sometimes, it can be hard to focus. We’re busy. Our attention gets pulled too many ways at once.

PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUYS

When Kathy L. Murphy had her hair salon/bookstore in Jefferson (Beauty and the Book) some women invited her to a meeting of their book club. When the meeting was over, Kathy said, “This is fun. What book do we read next month?

Little boy, scared ...

Are there some things in life worth believing in ... whether they are true or not? Like most of my generation, I was raised by a veteran of the Second World War. Tom Brokaw labeled them “The Greatest Generation” and as I’ve mentioned before, I agree.

Check Your Mirrors

April—National Poetry Month, so that means I do not have to explain why I am again sharing poetry. This month will include some contemporary verse, such as the one in this week’s column, but look for some classics and originals, too.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

The latest report on child maltreatment fatalities and near fatalities, compiled by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, indicates 251 children in Texas died in fiscal year 2020 due to abuse and neglect.

Old Glory News

I do hope everyone had a wonderful Easter The sky is so cloudy, it would sure be a Blessing if we could get a nice rain. Pray for Rain. It's been another windy week, but I guess we have gotten use to it. Our sincere sympathy to the family of Tommy Sampson of Clyde.

THE LICENSE PLATE MAN

I met Jesse Perez at a car and motorcycle swap shop in Fort Worth 6 years ago. Among the hundreds of vendor booths, Jesse’s seemed to be the most popular. For one thing, Jesse is friendly and outgoing and has a personality that makes you want to be around him.

Is it time to begin stepping into the light of normalcy?

What is your new normal? It’s your choice. I think my life is forever changed, even though I’m not sure what that means. I believe the pandemic has had a profound and maybe permanent impact on my life. Around the time this shut down began, I received a serious health diagnosis.

Faces & Places

“You must make your choice: either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God.