It is just human nature to want to be successful, even outstanding, in whatever we attempt to do, including having a successful life. I have an interesting concept to share with you today that will not apply to every reader, but it is still worth thinking about. I want to share a new definition for success. This definition is very simple, and you will have to determine if it applies to you. If you happen to be married and have children, you will be successful people if all of your…

There is a natural law that operates in the universe that literally controls our lives and, for the most part, is untaught in our nation’s educational system. At least I have never known of it being taught before. This is the natural law of Cause & Effect, and as I said, it literally controls our lives. Most people do not know much about the law of Cause & Effect, which simply means that for every effect there is a cause, and for every cause there is an effect. One natural…

There are very few things in our nation that really distress me, but one of those is when I see students rioting on college campuses and waving a flag other than “Old Glory,” the stars and stripes of the United States of America. Without a doubt, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. When students come here from other countries, most do not know the background or the history of our nation and what it took for us be called the “Land of the Free…

When Jim asked me to write this column, I appreciated the vote of confidence, but maybe the title should have been “Things My Mother Taught Me.” You see, my mother could be classified as the Proverbs 31 woman of the Bible. I was raised by Godly parents who both taught me many life lessons that helped me grow into adulthood as a responsible, likable young lady. I was taught to have friends, you must be friendly, likable, caring and kindhearted to everyone. Therefore, I was voted Girl Class Favorite by…

Here is a question I would like for you to think about with me for a few minutes today. My question is this: are you a people watcher? If you are, then you belong to a great club called “The People Watchers of America,” and we have several million members. Of all the creatures that God placed on this earth, without doubt human beings are the most interesting of all of them. The idea for this column came one day recently when Janis and I needed a few things from…

If you happen to be up in years, say past 75, I have some ideas to share with you today that may be of interest. I might add, these are ideas that could save your life. And if you are a younger person, you may have family or friends who can benefit from these ideas as well, so please read on. Here in our area, we have what I call a new Indianapolis 500 Speedway, but some people call it Interstate 40. If you live in another part of the…

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…