To be honest, I do not like politics, but at the same time I believe it’s my duty and opportunity to vote not the way a party says, but according to what God says. My thoughts about elections, especially presidential, is that it’s not one person governing the country. A president is a front …
Charleston County taxpayers have for decades questioned the cushy, costly CCSD 75 Calhoun Administrative Offices (in Charleston), so I imagine these same taxpayers would be offended at providi…
Ah … politics! If you’re a responsible American, as I often pretend to be, you’ll have watched and read and listened to as much hogwash on every side of every question ad nauseum, and we’ll al…
Dear Editor,
Help! I have to give a presentation to my son’s elementary school. I have no idea what to expect. Can you give me some guidance?
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
“If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a…
Do you know anyone who always seems to have bad luck? Nothing ever goes right for them. Conversely, have you observed people who always wind up okay despite what befalls them?
While walking on the beach this summer, I noticed a similar scenario play out: young women striking a pose as either their friends or boyfriends took pictures of them. Sometimes they would go …
I’ve been addressing the question of how parents can know when they’re overindulging their children. We’ve examined two specific types of overindulgence, as categorized by the late parent expe…
You could call this the "spiny, green, ping-pong ball plant" if you wanted, and why not?
I seldom agree with Post and Courier columnist Brian Hicks' political conclusions. Hicks is Liberal. I'm Conservative. But Hicks is correct in his assumption that James Clyburn has failed to p…
Dear Editor,
Some people have ambition while others don't. But ambition isn't required for happiness. So, does ambition serve a purpose? Ambition is beneficial when it originates from your own desire. Ambi…
Dear Editor,
How can parents know when they’re overindulging their children? This was last week's question, which launched a discussion of the three types of overindulgence, as categorized by the late pare…
Last Sunday, I was asked to bring the morning sermon for a wonderful church in the country called Mt. Lebanon Methodist. I had a dream recently about delivering a message and when I awoke, I w…
I am exceptionally kind to wild animals.
Dear Editor,
He who never made a mistake never made a discovery.— Samuel Smiles
I have probably mentioned John Gerard before, but I can do it again. Gerard (1545-1612) was what we would call an “herbalist," in addition to working at least for part of the time as a “surgeo…
My children have encountered a few small issues at school, likely because my spouse and I have been too indulgent. We were both spoiled in our childhoods, making it challenging to recognize wh…
Life happens. Sometimes that little adage becomes more than a saying on a tote bag or travel mug. Sometimes, life throws each of us a curve ball and we find ourselves in situations which, at f…
In Luke 10:27 and Mark 12:30, we notice that both passages use a fourfold description to explain how we are to love God: Heart, soul, strength and mind. In the Old Testament we find a similar …
Dear Editor,
You have probably seen this one’s bright butter-yellow flowers, the plants commonly very abundant in old agricultural fields and roadsides. The plants are sometimes present in the thousands, a…
Bob Milford popped in for a cup the other day at the philosophy counter of the Mule Barn truck stop. Bob isn’t usually seen in town during the day, as he’s manager of the big Diamond W spread,…
Does art matter? Can you image if there were no book, plays, music or art? Would we be better or worse humans? What is art and why is it important?
My son's teacher praised him for being so independent, mentioning that many of her other students require a lot of help even with basic tasks. She calls it "learned helplessness." So, what doe…
Do you worry about how your son or daughter can handle today’s mental health issues such as bullying, peer pressure, depression, and addiction?
When we think about God being The Almighty, we see Him as having infinite power and authority in heaven and earth, and this is certainly true. Remember the passage in Matthew 19:26 where Jesus…
2 Peter 1: 5-6 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness.
In Jon Muth’s book Zen Shorts, we meet Stillwater, a giant panda who shares stories from China with three children. Addy hears a story about the value of gifting from the heart. Michael learns…
Everyone has problems, challenges, adversity and obstacles they have to deal with. Collectively, these are commonly referred to as troubles. Rather than being a master of our situation, we all…
Obviously, taxpayers asked questions requiring lengthy answers in my "CCSD New Budget CLEAR AS MUD" email to Keith Grybowsky and Anita Huggins, while they were setting up 2024-2025 CCSD Budget…
I saw a report on how many kids in public preschools are getting suspended. Suspending kids that young (or at any age) really leads them straight to prison, especially if they're suspended dis…
Thistles are a marvelous group of plants. Botanists place them all as members of the sunflower (or aster) family, which is a truly gargantuan group with over 20,000 species.
“Mavis, dear, is that coffee HOT this morning?”
As a reader of this column, you are striving to improve your life. You want to attain your goals and bring your dreams into reality. You want to break through your self-imposed limitations. So…
I was reading an article the other day about how most people are confident that just being nice secures them a place in heaven. But is this true? Of course, we want to believe that it’s relati…
Such a terrible tragedy in Georgia where a student killed four people at his high school. I’m thinking about the shooter’s parents. It looks like they made a lot of mistakes. Any takeaways in …
Along with a personal chef and interior decorator, I have made it this far (65 years) without a life coach. But I understand they can make one’s life much more productive and peaceful. Here th…
Do you currently know someone who is being bullied?
In early August the gear began piling up in the dining room. It was official. My son was getting ready to leave for his sophomore year of college. He was excited, but I was beginning to feel t…
Sometimes you go to one of those fancy indoor or outdoor settings, maybe a big wedding reception under a tent. There’ll be a couple of tables with a nice white tablecloth, and plenty of goodie…
Dear Editor,
Dear Editor,
Why do you have an aversion to certain people? Even if you are a saint, not everyone will be in harmony with you. There are various reasons why you may dislike a particular person.
I see a lot on social media about “Gentle Parenting.” What is it, and does it make kids better students?
The difference between a good life and a bad life is how well you walk through fire. – Carl Jung
As a freelance faith columnist and Christian author, I’m honored to have the opportunity to provide thoughts and ideas to relay to others. I’m sure all Bible teachers and pastors feel they are…
