Today I would like to pay a special tribute to a new friend of mine by the name of Randy Bowling. But first a little background, back in 2005 when I founded the “Bookcase for Every Child” literacy project where we give a personalized bookcase and a starter set of books to preschool children being reared in low-income homes, I was not prosperous enough to pay for all of this out of my own pocket. It was at this time that another long-time friend, Carolyn Wilson, executive director of the…

If you or other family members are rearing young children in your home, I have some thoughts to share with you today that could make a real difference in your life. As you know, times have changed since the days when I grew up, back in the 1940s and 1950s. Outside of school, our young people are faced with so many more challenges as to who they know and with whom they spend their time. What got me to thinking about this column is one Sunday sitting in church I…

If you would like to have a “world class” blessing I can tell you where to find it. Just read Kayleigh McEnany’s latest book “Serenity in the Storm -- Living Through Chaos by Leaning on Christ.” She says in this book: “It is my joy to bring to life the key cultural and political issues of our time. From the fall of Afghanistan to the Supreme Court’s abortion decision, analyzing world events through the lens of faith and providing readers with serenity in the storm. Our world, without question, is…

There is an old saying that all of us should think about from time to time -- Empty Barrels Make the Most Noise -- because it will cause us to weigh our words more carefully. There is an example that is perhaps better than any in history to validate the truth of what I have just shared with you. This example took place back in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln dedicated the cemetery at Gettysburg near the end of the Civil War. The contrast, or the empty barrel, is when…

Our state today is the great state of Colorado. The state of Colorado is known as the “Centennial State” because it joined the union in 1876, the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is also called the Silver State, and because of its mountainous terrain it is quite often referred to as the “Switzerland of America.” Colorado is a state of unusual natural beauty. I am pleased to say that I have been to this state on three separate occasions: first to go mule deer hunting, next to…

If you are a parent and have children less than 21 years of age, you are doing a great disservice to them if you do drugs, smoke, vape, drink alcohol, gamble, use profanity, and run with immoral or ungodly people. The reason is simple: parents have more influence over their children than anyone else, and if we are going to have a better country in the years ahead, we must begin by having better parents. When we have a “mindset” to do just that, amazing things will happen.  What motivated…

One of the greatest attributes any person can have is wisdom. And let me be quick to point out that there is a vast difference between wisdom and education. A person can have tons of education and still be almost completely devoid of wisdom. What is wisdom? The dictionary says it is “good practical judgment, common sense.” Now that we have that settled, we can proceed. The next question is, if wisdom is so important, how do we get it? From my own personal experience of 50-plus years, the Bible…

There is a very divisive issue in our nation that, in my view, needs to be put to bed. This is the issue of the Civil War flag and hanging it all across our country on a tall flagpole for all to see. We have a group in my state that has raised money, bought some land, and plans to hang a 20X20 foot Confederate flag on a 40-foot lighted pole along Interstate 30 between Rockport and Malvern. The group says they have some very good reasons to do this,…

It’s often been said that “Age is mind over matter; if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” There is a great deal of truth in the saying, “You’re only as old as you feel.” To feel good most of the time is a blessing that many of us take for granted. When it comes to the subject of old age, someone once said, “Old age is a club that, with luck, we all join.” I’m looking forward to it, aren’t you? You may respond by saying, “I’m already old.” This…

Here is a somewhat humorous experience I had back in the late 1960s when I was selling printing and office supplies in downtown Little Rock. You will appreciate this and there is a lesson to be learned here, too. The man who hired me was the late Bert Parke, President of Democrat Printing and Lithograph Company, and he was Co-Chairman of the Goodwill Tours taken annually by the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. I went on three of these tours — first, to San Antonio, then to Houston and the…