I will forever be grateful for being able to grow up living next door to my second cousins in the little community of Clay, Alabama. Dad and Mom had four children: Ronald, me, Karen, and Stephen. Jim and Emma had seven: Jane, Jimmy, Rodney, B. W., Jerry, Elaine, and Dede. Dad and Jim’s respective mothers were sisters. Our lives were intertwined in so many ways. Continue reading Of Cousins and Baseball →

Late in the afternoon, you can find my wife walking around the yard with a can of beer in her hand. This is unusual given that neither she nor I imbibe in the brew. In fact, the strongest thing we drink is Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale, Birmingham, Alabama’s premier soft drink.

What has driven her to this is war? An ongoing battle to defend her ubiquitous flowers from the onslaught of slugs that slime their way up the pots and plants to nibble away at the tender leaves and petals. After trying a host of deterrents, beer seems to be the most effective and it matters not the brand or cost. The cheapest beer possible works just fine.

Upon entering this battle, she thought it would be a few quick skirmishes and she would wipe out the invading horde with overwhelming firepower (or in this case hops-power). Not so.  This has developed into a protracted war.

Every day, just before dusk, you can see her walking around the yard with a can of beer in hand.  She fills the 14 or 15 little bowls she has strategically placed among her cherished plants and then awaits the next day. She should have kept track of the body count, for every morning there are 3 to 7 dead slugs in each bowl. They crave the beer so much they crawl into the bowls and drown.

The moral of the story: Don’t be a slug! Drink responsibly or don’t drink at all. We choose to do the latter.

Lauren and Jo Ann Helveston are two of the finest people I know. Hailing from Citronelle, Alabama, this couple responded to a call of God upon their lives first to pastoral ministry and then to be missionaries in Ghana. Later, they connected with TMS Global serving in various positions. Their last two roles found them providing pastoral care to missionaries around Continue reading Life Stories: A Tribute to Lauren and Jo Ann Helveston →

Thanksgiving has come and gone, we have survived the national scrum we call Black Friday, and now December is here. Soon, if not already, we will hear the annual refrain, “keep Christ in Christmas.” It happens every year and we will see it on sweatshirts, pins, billboards, Twitter, Facebook, and even websites devoted to the expression.

The point of concern seems to center on three activities that many see as a Continue reading Keeping Christ in Christmas →

If you are a Facebook user, I don’t have to tell you that it is filled with posts that cover the gamut from good to bad, sane to wacky, believable to unbelievable, and pure to filthy. In my feeble attempt to tilt Facebook toward the good, sane, believable, and pure side, here are five of my principles for posting in Facebook: Continue reading 5 Principles for Posting on Facebook →