If you have ever served as a pallbearer at a funeral, you may really appreciate what I want to share with you today. Several weeks ago, I lost my very best friend that I had on this earth. We were the same age, grew up in the same county, and later spent countless hours fellowshipping with family, playing golf together, and duck hunting and deer hunting on his property. To protect his family, I best not tell you his name. I might add, he was a terrific golfer, shot a…

If you are the parent or grandparent of very young children, I have some thoughts to share in this column that may be the most important thing you have ever heard with reference to the future success of your child or children. A few weeks ago, we had the Honorable Chris Carnahan, District Court Judge in the Arkansas First Division, speak to our local Kiwanis Club. He talked about a number of things, but mainly the types of cases that came before him. The acoustics were bad, and I didn’t…

“To the glory of God, this book – “Your Future Begins Today” -- is unlike any that has ever been written, anytime, anywhere or by anyone else. The author is uniquely qualified to write this book. It is written from the perspective of an era when we did not have to lock our doors at night, take the keys out of the car’s ignition and it was safe for women to walk the streets alone, at night, even in our large cities.” Faulkner County Judge Jim Baker, who wrote this…

‘Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not -- nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not -- unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not -- the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.’ What you have just read is a famous quotation “Press On”, by J. Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States of America. Over the years I have read and used thousands of quotations, many by famous people, but I…

In my younger days I learned the value and importance of setting goals. For a goal to be valid it must be specific and not general, and it must have a time limit, as this creates a sense of urgency. However, there is another element that I did not learn until later in life, and that is to ask God for His help and to bless it. I would often set goals that I did not reach, and I came to realize that His timetable was better than mine. Granted,…

There is a statement that I have frequently made over the past several months that may be hard to believe, but it is nevertheless true. Here is the statement: There are more than 100 million Americans in our nation who would like to go back to the days when we felt safe in our country, did not have to lock our doors at night, did not have to take the keys out of the car ignition, and felt safe walking the streets alone at night, even in our large cities.…

If I were to ask you what is the central question of life, what would be your answer? In most cases this question is sub-conscious and is not expressed verbally or in writing. The way I see it, the central question of life is “What’s In it for Me?” It is just human nature to always want to know what an idea, product or service will do for me when we are asked to make an investment of time or money in that product or service. Another way to say…

The other day I heard a humorous story. I’m not sure if it’s true, but I thought it was sure worth passing along to you. The reason I say this is because sometimes we get so caught up in our problems that we forget to stop and smell the roses. The story goes that a man who lives out on the West Coast made the decision to visit all the great churches in America and, as you probably know, there are lots of them. He first visited the great churches…

If you have very young children or grandchildren, I have some ideas to share with you today that could make a real difference in their futures. Let me begin by sharing something that I read just this morning that really got my attention. It was an article with this heading: “Reading Among Kids Plummets: Advancements and Ingenuity Helping Kids Love Reading Again.” It is no secret that a child who learns to read well at an early age has a leg up when it comes to making good grades, staying…

It has been said that “an honest confession is good for the soul,” and I know this is true. Often after being introduced to an audience, the first thing I say is that I am “just a sinner who has been saved by God’s Amazing Grace.” The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” This verse is true, like the entire Bible, because this is the nature with which we were all born. I am sure you know the story…