In some circles, what I am going to say in today’s column will be about as popular as a skunk at a family picnic. But first, this brief disclaimer. You know that I am not a preacher and I try to never attempt to tell anyone how to live their life. What I am going to say is just some thoughts from my heart that could make a difference in the lives of some readers who need to know or be reminded of some very important things. I also know…

Several weeks ago, I shared a column titled “Arkansas: The Natural State” and gave some information about our wonderful state. If you live in another part of the country, I am sure your state is wonderful, too. In all of us together, we form the greatest nation in the history of the world: The United States of America. After writing this column the thought occurred to me that since most people don’t know much about their own state, must less the other 49, there might be some value, if there…

While none of us likes to get our feathers ruffled, occasionally someone needs to say something to set the record straight. This is especially true when it involves the direction our country is heading – which only leads to a dark rainy night, with no sign, and a bridge out up ahead. What I am talking about is the inordinate amount of excitement for the sports culture in which our nation presently lives. When you pay an assistant college coach $400,000 a year, and he leaves to take a head…

As I am sure you know, human beings are creatures of habit. We just get in the habit of doing certain things and continue to do them until they are acted upon by some outside force. With age, our habits change with certain events in our lives. We get in the habit of going to school when we are young, going to work when we get older, and trying to take it easy when we get old enough to retire. If we form good habits, we will be successful. If…

You know, sometimes fate has a way of taking over in your life when you don’t know enough to do things on your own. Here in my later years, I want to tell you about something that is helping me even as I write this column. There are three books in the Bible that are called “Wisdom Literature.” These books are Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. All are good, but my favorite is the book of Proverbs, written by King Solomon, son of King David and reported to be the wisest…

If you were in the business of selling success motivation tapes to make a living, you would want to look successful, right? Well, me too. When I got in this business back in 1970, one of the first things I did was go out and buy myself a new Cadillac. In fact, I bought a new one each year for the next three years, and even got the third one paid for. Back in those days you could get a new Cadillac, without all the bells and whistles, for about…

The English cleric, theologian and evangelist John Wesley had a saying that applies to many of us in America. A portion of the saying goes, “Do all the good you can, for as long as you can, in all the ways that you can.” To my way of thinking this is a pretty good slogan to live by.  In this vein I try to serve and help as many people as I can, but occasionally I learn of something that I had never thought about before. This is the fact:…

When readers write to me from various locations around the country and say good things about my column, it is like music to my ears. From the very beginning it has been my purpose and my heart’s desire to include thoughts and ideas that will be helpful, useful and encouraging to every person who takes the time to read it. A while back I received a letter from Mr. Lynn Wooley who said, “I live in Cleveland County, Arkansas, and read your column in the County Herald. I have read…

William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, once said, “In acquiring knowledge there is one thing equally important, and that is character. Nothing in the world is worth so much, will last so long, and serve its possessor so well as good character.” While this is certainly a true statement, sadly William McKinley was one of only four United States presidents who was assassinated while in office. But this does not detract in any way, the value and importance of each of us having good character. Over the…

If you will come along, today I would like to invite you to take a trip with me down memory lane. There is a special reason for this that I will explain a bit later. After I dropped out of Arkansas A&M College back in 1958, I made my way to Little Rock, where I had family. After looking for a job for a few days, I went to work in the stock room of a local printer, earning $1.35 per hour. I stayed with this job for seven years…