It has been said that a small town is where everyone knows what everyone else is doing, and then you read the weekly paper to see if you have been caught in it. Shortly after Janis and I began to see each other back in 2015, we had lunch together at Mather Lodge Restaurant, located on top of Petit Jean Mountain. This restaurant is out of the way and more than 50 miles from home. Wouldn’t you know it, an old friend we both knew came by our table and…

In my 85-plus years I have never seen the massive amount of violence and bloodshed that we have in our nation today. As I write this column there have been more than 200 mass shootings so far this year, and it’s not even half over. To be sure, a lot of people are working on a solution, and most will require massive amounts of money. I have an idea that I would like to share with you and invite you to think about it. If you agree, work with me…

Did you hear about the man who was running for office? When he got to the courthouse to vote, he looked over the list of candidates who were running for the same office, and decided several were better qualified than he was, so he voted for someone else. This old boy was brimming with confidence, wouldn’t you say? There is a famous poem titled “The One in The Glass” that I thought about when I heard this story. If we are to ever succeed in office or in life, we…

As a Christian, I believe it is my duty and my responsibility to speak up and speak out when I see or hear something that is totally un-Godly and un-Christlike, especially when it is not in the best interest of our country. Several weeks ago, I was watching television one evening and there were two beautiful women sitting on a couch together. In a moment they looked at each other and, before I could say “johnny apple seed,” they were in a long and passionate kiss that lasted for almost…

If you have a heart for children, you will really appreciate what I want to share with you today. We all know there are thousands, perhaps millions, of children across our nation who have a rough road to travel. Many are abused and neglected, which to me is a very sad story. I have a friend, and fellow church member, who is making a difference for at least some of these children. Back on August 1, 2007, Andrew Watson and his wife, Marla, officially opened the doors of Soaring Wings…

You know, from time to time life has a way of bringing you back to reality. A few weeks ago, I was invited to submit a copy of my latest book “Your Future Begins Today” to go in a time capsule that will be dug up in 150 years, which will be 2173. This took place as part of the celebration for our county’s 150-year celebration on April 12, 2023. While certainly I won’t be around in 2173, it makes you curious who will be. Will we still be a…

Back in the days when I was selling Earl Nightingale’s attitude motivation programs for a living, I was often invited to come to various companies and teach their people how to be more effective in planning their days and increasing their sales. It did not take me long to realize that one-time motivational talks do serve a useful purpose, but unfortunately, they also wear off very quickly. This is kind of like taking a bath once a month, and we know how that will turn out.             On the other…

In 1875 the sleepy little community of Conway, Arkansas, with a population of around 200, was incorporated. In 1990 the population was 37,586, and in 2020 it was 64,134, almost doubling the population in 30 years. Today I just shake my head as I drive around our community and see the massive amount of construction that is taking place. It seems like everyone, and his brother, is moving to Conway. Why is this taking place? If I had to reduce it down to one word that word would be “Education.”…

As I have traveled around the country for the past 50 years, there is one thing I have truly come to appreciate. We have one fantastic country, with each state having one or more unique features or distinctive things about it. Our state today is the great state of Arizona. It is known as the “Grand Canyon” state, because one of the seven natural wonders of the world is in the Northwestern part of this state. The Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, and the Petrified Forest attract millions of people each…

When I think about the unbridled violence problem we have in our country, I think the American people are getting a bad deal. The term “unbridled” is a wild horse term like the large herds of wild horses in the West that are free to run as fast and as far as they want to without a bridle or bit in their mouth to control them. This is what I see on the screen or television set when I see violence. The sky is the limit, they can have as…