In these days of Covid-19 and the Omicron variant, there is a great success story I am honored to tell. When you see a barge being pushed up or down the Arkansas River, you can smile because you are reaping the benefits every time you go to the store. Several weeks ago, we had a terrific speaker at our local weekly Kiwanis Club meeting. Her name is Cassandra Caldwell, and she was not only knowledgeable but also very articulate. Cassandra is the director of the Arkansas Waterways Commission based in…

In today’s column, please understand that what I am going to say is not meant to brag or toot my own horn, but rather to express sincere gratitude from my heart for my listeners and readers across the nation who have blessed me with your wonderful letters and phone calls over the years. For this, I can only say “To God be the glory.” During the decade of the 1970s it was my privilege to work with our nation’s schools as a business consultant. It became my joy to speak…

You know, sometimes the best lessons in life can be explained with a very simple analogy. The other day I ran across something on Facebook that was posted by a childhood friend I have not seen or had contact with in more than 60 years. Her name is Melba Woodard, and she lives in Star City, Arkansas. Her analogy, which was shared with her by a friend, was about a man who was holding a cup of coffee. Someone came along and bumped his arm, and coffee went everywhere. He…

Did you know that America is crying out? You may say “crying out about what?” When I say, “America is crying out,” I am talking about the American people. While looking at Facebook, I see that there are millions of people in our nation who would like to return to the “good old days” when we did not have to lock our doors at night, take the keys out of the car ignition, or worry when walking streets alone, even at night in our large cities. Now, you may think…

An important and interesting word in the English language is the word “Focus.” According to the dictionary it means “The adjustment of the eye, camera, lens, etc., so that a clear image is produced.” This is only one of six different definitions listed -- most are about cameras, images and so forth. Focus is a very important part of a successful life. For example, where would we be when it comes to threading a needle if we couldn’t focus? On a more practical and personal note, my wife Janis and…

Back in the early 1970s when I was working for the Nightingale-Conant Corporation based in Chicago, I heard a man speak by the name of Dr. Dennis Waitley. This man was one of the featured speakers for a conference attended by Earl Nightingale distributors from across the nation. He was not only a great speaker but the author of a good number of books, his most famous being “The Psychology of Winning.” We were all impressed with him. The reason I share this is because his book helped me clear…

I have a story to tell you today that will make your heart proud, just because you live in the greatest country in the history of the world. The story begins when a young man by the name of Andrew Watson, who lives here in Arkansas and I know personally, worked with children as part of a juvenile probation program. As he did his job, he began to see the answer to the problem of children who needed a loving home where they could grow up. As a result, he…

Looking at today’s topic “Optimism is a Happiness Magnet,” I knew generally what the word “Optimism” meant. However, I wanted to get it from an official source, so I went to my dictionary and looked it up. I was so pleased when I did this because there were three meanings listed, and they made me glad that I am an eternal optimist. Here is what the dictionary said: 1. A disposition to look on the bright side of things. 2. The doctrine that everything is ordered for the best. 3.…

Ever since we married back on Sept. 8, 2015, my wife Janis has read, proofed and made suggestions for all my columns. Well, today we have a “first,” as she has some things she would like to share, and she will become my very first “guest writer” since I began this column back in 1995. You should know she is not a novice, as she has written and published four cookbooks, wrote articles for the Arkansas Hospitality Magazine while she was president of the Arkansas Travel Council in 1994, and…

My fellow Americans, we have a situation in our country that demands our immediate attention and action. You probably have seen the news about organized mobs out in the city of San Francisco going into dozens of stores and looting them, leaving the shelves completely bare. This could be called looting or shoplifting, but there is another word that is more appropriate, and that word is stealing. This is wrong and must be stopped. God takes a very dim view of stealing and made it one of His Ten Commandments…