One time, several years ago now, I had the opportunity to attend the annual Awards Banquet of the Arkansas Press Association. One of those honored as “Headliner of the Year” was Joe Ford, Chairman and CEO of the Alltel Corporation. I can remember back in the days when this company was known as Allied Telephone Company with a few hundred employees. It grew to more than 26,000 employees and did business in more than 20 states before selling to Verizon Wireless in 2009. Mr. Ford was a big part of this…

St. Augustine, a Roman North African who lived from 354-430, once said “patience is the companion of wisdom.” This truth has certainly hit the nail on the head with me, because one of the hardest lessons a person with a type “A” personality has to learn is patience. In past years, with me it’s always been, “Lord, give me patience, but don’t drag your feet, because I want it right NOW.” Is it possible that this could also be a problem for you? Are there things in your life that…

It has been said that “birds of a feather flock together,” and from personal experience I know this is true. We just love to be around people who talk like us, look like us, believe like us, have the same hobbies, and have a lot of things in common. When I meet someone new, one of the first things I usually do is ask them where they are from. Because I have made speeches in 72 of the 75 counties in our state, I usually know someone they know, and…

If you read my column on a regular basis, you know the various topics and subjects I address are not about current events, but rather they involve principles or examples that are timeless and we can apply to our lives. Such is the case today, as I want to talk about the senseless violence that is taking place across our nation with regards to members of our law enforcement community. While there are bad apples in every profession, let me say here in the beginning that I totally support our…

There is a path that many people take through life that, while appearing attractive at the time, ultimately leads to nowhere. I’m talking about the Path of Least Resistance. Since making wise choices is what success is all about, it might be worth investing a little time to determine if you are on this path. In a general sense, the person who is on the Path of Least Resistance usually looks for the easy way, and if there is a short cut they will take it. From a psychological standpoint,…

Several years ago I had a secretary by the name of Desmond Walls Allen, who did a fantastic job of typing the manuscript for my daily radio shows. In our casual conversations around the office, she also taught me a lot about life. She had some health problems and I remember her telling me about visits to her doctor. She said, “I told my doctor, ‘I don’t want you to pat me on the leg and say ‘Honey, everything is fine’. I want you to tell me like it is.…

As I begin today, let me say that I just woke up from a dream, and what follows is the essence of it. My friend Nancy Ballard sent me a terrific article the other day and I would like to share it with you. It begins, “I grew up in rural America in the ’50s and ’60s. On any given day, you could walk through the high school parking lot and observe that half the vehicles parked there were trucks with windows rolled down and doors unlocked. Most of them…

I would like to tell you a true story about “Three Life Sentences” that I believe will touch your heart. I know it has mine. Several years ago I met a man here in our community by the name of Don Bingham. Don is a very fine man, but he is also one of those multi-talented individuals who have distinguished himself in a number of different fields. He is a gifted musician, author and entertainer, and he is also a fantastic chef. He has hosted his “Celebrate with Cooking” show…

As the old saying goes, “Houston, we have a problem,” and that problem is that every day, Socialism becomes more and more popular among young Americans. You would not think so much about this were it not for the fact that if this trend continues there will be a future day when they will take over our country and the system of Capitalism and Free Enterprise will be replaced with Socialism. You may say, “What’s wrong with that?” Well, if you don’t know, I am delighted that you are reading…

Some time back I got a letter from a young lady who lives in Mill Shoals, Illinois. After stating her name she said, “I would like to ask you a question about teenagers. I am writing a book about teenagers. I also think that this past year will make teenagers much more aware of our constitution and our government. My question to you is this: What do you think of teenagers today? I am almost thirteen and this is my project for the summer. Please answer it if you can.…