During our visit today I would like to tell you about an interesting experiment that contains a life-changing principle. The experiment begins in this manner: one time some research scientists took a large glass tank and filled it with water. Inside the tank they placed a large fish and a good number of small minnows. At this point, what do you suppose happened? If you said, the fish ate the minnows, give yourself one correct answer. You see, we are off to a good start already, but we continue, and…

Each and every year in our country there are thousands and thousands of people who are fired from their jobs. This is true for a plethora of reasons, not to mention those who are laid off during a downturn in the economy. Of course, most of these people are hired back when things pick up again. My wife Janis tells me that back in the days when Pickles Gap Village was going strong, she had a unique way of firing employees who were not working out. She said she semi-fired…

If I gave you a verse of scripture from the Bible with all but the last three words, what are the odds that you could finish it? Here it is: “Be sure, your sins will …”. If you know the Bible at all, you know those last three words are “FIND YOU OUT.” Here God is saying that when you commit sin, sooner or later someone is going to find out about it, and in most cases they will tell others. For me personally, and for millions of other Americans,…

Dale Brown, former head men’s basketball coach of the LSU Tigers, is a friend of mine. He sends me quality thoughts and ideas almost every single week and has given me blanket approval to share any of it with you. Dale has always been a champion of the underdog, and was the first coach in the Southeastern Conference to include blacks on his teams. In recent days he has mounted a serious campaign to improve race relations in our country, something we must do not only because it is right…

Several weeks ago I spoke to our local Kiwanis Club, and after the customary greetings and salutations, I posed this question: Do you ever feel like God has blessed you more than you deserve? Well, I sure do and I give Him all the glory. I was blessed to have good parents who loved me, taught me right from wrong and, by example, taught me the value and importance of hard work. Let me begin our visit today by saying that in 1968 I took the Dale Carnegie Course, and…

Back in the days before I married my beautiful, talented and creative wife Janis, I had a regular, go-to-the-gym, exercise program. Now, not so much, as I seem to stay busy doing other things these days. We kid each other a good deal about this, but she says I get plenty of exercise with my current routine. Here is the reason I am sharing this with you. A few days ago a friend gave me something titled, “God’s Plan for Aging” and it helps me see her point. Now, I…

There is an old saying that I have heard all my life that goes, “You raise corn but you rear children.” This saying has helped to remind me many times over the years -- especially after I had used the wrong word -- that habits are hard to break. What brought this saying to mind was a recent encounter I had with a young boy who epitomizes what I believe to be a role model for other parents who truly care and wish to rear their children right. If you…

The “Man of The Hour” has been defined as a person who is the center of attention for a specific reason. Well, I have a good candidate for this noble honor to offer to you today -- for one hour back on January 7, 2019, immediately following the 2018-2019 National Championship football game that took place in Santa Clara, California. With millions of people tuned in from all over the world, Clemson University head football Coach Dabo Swinney gave glory to God and to Jesus Christ for their win, making…

My wife Janis is a terrific cook. In fact, she has written four cookbooks that have been sold in stores and gift shops all across the nation. Almost every week I see her with her finger on a page in one of them, selecting ingredients for a dessert or some other dish that is sure to please. We eat most of our meals at home, but because of our busy schedule we also eat out two or three times each week. Our favorite place to go here in our community…