Recent Articles | About Authors | About the Syndicate | Archives

"Juan Williams, "Say What?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 1/20/12 (660 words) 

During the January 16th Republican debate, Fox News panelist Juan Williams issued this challenge to Newt Gingrich. “You recently said black Americans should demand jobs, not food stamps. You also said poor kids lack a strong work ethic and proposed having them work as janitors in their schools. Can’t you see that this is viewed, at a minimum, as insulting to all Americans, but particularly to black Americans?”  Here’s one American who intends “at a minimum,” to set Mr. Williams straight....

“Why E.T. Isn't Phoning Home”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 1/10/12 (1230 words) “ As 2011 came to a close, two Earth-size planets orbiting a sun-like star were discovered less than 1,000 light years away.  And this was just a couple weeks after it was announced that another planet orbiting another star at the right distance to allow for liquid water and therefore the possibility of life.  The excitement of astronomers and other scientists was palpable....

"Did God Win It for Tebow?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 1/10/12 (660 words) 

After Denver’s spectacular overtime playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, some fans may be wondering if God is actually fixing games for Tim Tebow, Denver’s quarterback, who very publically celebrates his faith in Jesus Christ. However, you’ll never hear Tebow himself claim that. In fact he constantly has to deny and correct that distorted view of God. The question remains, how did Denver pull it off? ...

“In Defense of Capitalism”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 12/22/11 (850 words) “Those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it.”  That well-known adage may end up being America’s epitaph, if we continue along the road we’re on from a capitalist to a socialist system.  It is a road to nowhere.  The socialist experiment was actually undertaken by the Pilgrims when they first settled in Jamestown, and it proved utterly disastrous...

“After 2000 Years, The Message Still Cannot Be Silenced” By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 12/22/11 (410 words) Good and evil, moral failure followed by redemption, forgiveness, unconditional love, sacrifice, equality, free will and liberty; these are concepts deeply ingrained in the human psyche.   They are the themes of great novels and movies. Civilizations have been established on their principles—“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness...”   They define human existence on planet Earth....

"The Importance of Famous First Words" By: Jan White.  Posted 12/22/11 (545 words)  There’ve been times in my life when I’ve told a friend or family member about something I was determined to do – such as go on a diet and exercise more.  Sometimes I hear the reply, “Famous last words!”  That’s because my resolve doesn’t always produce results.  When a prominent person dies, their last words are often preserved for historical records ...

"Santa, Your Children, and The Truth" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 12/19/11 (635 words)  "Pastor, what do I tell my children about Santa Claus?"  It's a question I can depend on from a nervous parent this time of year.  Many Christian moms and dads feel a real tension, if not betrayal of their convictions, over the issue of how to deal with Santa Claus without compromising their belief of what Christmas is all about....

“Celebrating the Light Amid the Darkness”  By: Greg Asimakoupoulos.  Posted 12/13/11 (420 words)  Seattle-ites will never forget December 2006.  A freak windstorm toppled trees and power lines rendering thousands without heat, lights and electricity for eight consecutive days. It was a week in which darkness dominated their lives. I ought to know. I was one of them. It was an unforgettable week in which we were reminded just how dependent we were on flashlights, candles or the glow of a cell phone screen to navigate the halls of our frigid homes. In addition to being a major inconvenience, it was eerie. It just wasn’t right....

“The Three R's of Christmas”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 12/13/11 (875 words) The cost of everything is going up these days, and that includes the cost to purchase everything in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song.  As calculated annually by PNC Wealth Management, that would now run you $24,263 (up from $23,439 last year).  And what would you get for all that money?  Certainly nothing that relates to the yuletide season.  I mean, what do turtle doves, french hens or swans-a-swimming have to do with ...

"He Became One of Us, So We Could Be Like Him" By: Jan White.  Posted 12/7/11 (505 words)  Paul Harvey once told an unforgettable story that’s especially meaningful during the Christmas season.  It seems that one bitterly cold night a farmer heard a thumping sound on his kitchen storm door.  Standing near the stove, he looked out the window to see what was causing the noise.  The light from the kitchen cast a glow through the ...

"Giving the Best Years of Our Lives" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 12/7/11 (750 words)   They call you into the office late one afternoon and the somber faces announce what is coming before anyone utters a word.  Once spoken, the sentences are devastating.  Your services are no longer needed.  The termination has been swift and sure.  The company is moving forward but some people are being left behind.  Despite decades of hard work and loyalty, you won't be making the journey with the team.  You began the day as an employee; you finish it as a statistic. This is the end of the road.  Welcome to the club nobody wants to join. You are now unemployed....

"Are You Smarter Than a Fourth Grader?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 11/22/11 (140 words)  Here’s a quiz to test your knowledge of current events. According unscientific but credible studies, most fourth graders can probably pass. Let’s proceed.  In the past two years two political movements have arisen to protest what’s going on in the country ...

"Practical Wisdom for Occupy Wall Street" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 11/17/11 (610 words)  I find it providential that the release of my book, The Proper Pursuit of Prosperity, coincided with the protest movement called "Occupy Wall Street."  As a Christian whose values and morals are ruled by what is good, right and true according to the dictates of the Bible, I have a difficult time taking the protest seriously.  Not only is prosperity not inherently wicked, but many of the patriarchs of the Bible were 1%ers to use today's vernacular....

“Hating Tim Tebow”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 11/17/11 (900 words) Tim Tebow was doubted, even from the start.  His mom and dad were Christian missionaries who believed that God would give them a son named Timothy, which means “honoring God,” who would impact the world in a special way for Him.  But soon after Tim’s mom became pregnant with him, serious and life-threatening complications arose.  A doctor told her there was only one course of action to take....

"Jordan's Moderate Arab Spring"  By: Rusty Wright. Posted 11/17/11 (610 words)  As we sat in a Parliamentary conference room talking with Jordan’s Senate president and his colleagues, we could see why Jordan’s Arab Spring has been more subdued than most.  (Short op-ed by Rusty Wright and Meg Korpi)

"Seven Billion People on Earth and Counting" By: Jan White.  Posted 11/4/11 (525 words)  According to U.N. estimates, the world’s seven billionth child was born on the last day of October 2011.  When that baby came from its mother’s womb, it gave cause for celebration of new life and pause for reflection on a population milestone in human history.  Researchers say that in 1800 there were approximately one billion people on earth.  Then 130 years later, in 1930, it reached two billion.  The world’s population increased to three billion by 1960, four billion by 1974, and five billion by 1987.  In 1999, there six billion of us on the planet and now we number seven billion and counting....

"Pausing on a Note of Triumph" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 11/4/11 (745 words)   When Norman Corwin died recently at the age of 101, his name was unfamiliar to many Americans.  That's a shame.  More people should become acquainted with the works of this prolific and thought-provoking writer. His words are as relevant today as they were seven decades ago....

"Mighty Macs Movie - Teamwork Works"  By: Rusty Wright. Posted 10/17/11 (600 words)  The basketball team at tiny Immaculata College – a “pint-sized papal institution” – became an example “for every team that thought they never had a chance” as they played for the national title.  Their story could get you cheering, too.  Rocky meets Sister Act meets Hoosiers.  (Short op-ed)

"Steve Jobs, An Example That Every Life is Valuable" By: Jan White.  Posted 10/11/11 (710 words)  The announcement of Steve Jobs’ death dominated the network and cable news coverage.  Many of the news stories and interviews about his life described the 56-year-old as a visionary for transforming the way we use technology.  Steve Jobs has been compared to Thomas Edison and Henry Ford because of the impact of his inventions on our daily lives.  Jobs has been called one of the fathers of the personal computing era.  A co-founder of Apple computers in 1976 ...

“Israel in the Crosshairs”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 10/4/11 (810 words) The world reached a momentous point last week — one predicted thousands of years in advance, throughout all of Scripture, by Jesus and the prophets.  Yet most people probably didn’t even notice.  Indeed, even as all of the Bible’s endtime prophecies of 2,000 or more years ago come to pass in our time, precisely as foretold, the world pretends that life is going on as normal, and will continue to in perpetuity.  Sadly, though, that too was predicted....

"Refuse the Politics of Envy" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 9/27/11 (695 words)  As sure as roosters crow at sunrise, every election season brings a similar cock-a-doodle-doo from certain politicians who have nothing to offer voters except class envy. The nation has grave problems; who’s to blame? The Rich. Anybody who makes more money than you or me. (In my case, that’s a very great multitude. It’s going to take a gargantuan effort for me to stir up enough envy to pour out on all these evil misers.) ...

"Courageous Movie Portrays a Different Kind of Courage"  By: Meg Korpi and Rusty Wright. Posted 9/27/11 (610 words)  Courageous is a fast-paced police drama with heart-pounding action and a spine-tingling surprise in the first three minutes. Good-natured banter and comic mishaps had us laughing, but the movie quickly reveals an introspective side that portends a human drama that challenges norms and will get you thinking.  (Short op-ed)

"Airing One's Dirty Laundry Takes New Meaning" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 9/26/11 (610 words)  As a father and grandfather, I am well aware that young people, more often than not, will discount the counsel of their elders as irrelevant, naïve, and ‘old-fashioned’- certainly not something to apply to their lives. Often, they will listen to and trust other entities, such as TV, friends, the Internet, etc. more than an old 'fuddy-duddy'.  Hopefully, some of their more trusted resources will now speak to them about the dangers of unbridled use of social media....

"More People Accept A Vending Machine God" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 9/15/11 (600 words)  The news release stated, several chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling lighting up a plush 5,000-seat auditorium. "A lady scrolls down the screen of her tablet PC as she reads the Bible along with the rest of the congregation, a huge diamond-encrusted ring shining on her finger." "A water fountain hisses in the distance…and millionaire pastors preach the Word."  The story was about the increasing number of Christians who are followers of the prosperity gospel....

"Day 26,000" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 9/14/11 (700 words)  There is a website I sometimes check called “Dead or Alive,” a sort of Who’s Who that keeps track of the living and the departed. It’s designed to answer the question, “whatever happened to . . . (fill in the blank)? Let’s say you want to know about the stars of the old TV series, Bonanza ...

"We Will Never Forget!" By: Jan White.  Posted 9/6/11 (555 words)  For the past decade on each anniversary of September 11, 2001, two words are often spoken about that horrific day when America was attacked – Never Forget!  Never forget the innocent men, women and children flying in the planes that Islamic extremists used as weapons of mass destruction to hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.  Thousands of citizens who worked there perished.  Never forget the first responders – the policemen, fire fighters, and Port Authority personnel – who ran into the burning buildings to save as many lives as possible.  Many of them died in the line of duty....

“Remembering 9/11 Ten Years Later”  By: Greg Asimakoupoulos.  Posted 8/24/11 (595 words)  Where were you on September 11, 2001? That’s a question the vast majority of Americans can easily answer. On that unforgettable Tuesday morning I was driving to work listening to the radio. The announcer interrupted the music and read a news bulletin. First reports indicated a small single-engine plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. Subsequent reports brought the fuzzy news story into fearful focus. We were a nation under attack.  The magnitude of the tragedy soon became unimaginable. Thousands of lives had been lost. Tens of thousands had been personally impacted. The skyline of New York City had been altered ...

“Taxing the Rich Hurts the Poor”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 8/12/11 (835 words)  The debt-ceiling deal hasn’t appeased liberals, either those in Washington or those outside of government, who continue calling for more massive spending, huge tax hikes, and an ever-expanding big government behemoth to pay for so-called “entitlements.”  This is socialism, pure and simple — the redistribution of wealth.  The problem with socialism ...

"Did John Lennon Become a Christian?" By: Jan White.  Posted 8/12/11 (500 words)  Recently, I saw a film producer interviewed on a network news program.  He made a comment that fascinated me when he pointed out the possibility that John Lennon became a Christian during his later years of life.  According to a soon-to-be-released documentary about the former Beatle and several biographers as well, Lennon enjoyed watching evangelists Billy Graham, Pat Robertson and Oral Roberts....

"Evangelicals' Image Problem"  By: Rusty Wright. Posted 8/12/11 (600 words)  

God should have sued Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson for defamation, says New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.  “Few words conjure as much distaste in liberal circles as ‘evangelical Christian,’” he writes.  So why does he sing evangelicals’ praises?  (Short op-ed)

“Satan - Still Alive and Well on Planet Earth” By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 7/28/11 (470 words)  In 1994 when the world learned of the gruesome ethnic cleansing in Rwanda, Time Magazine’s May 16, 1994 cover blared, “’There are no devils left in hell,’ the missionary said, ‘they are all in Rwanda.’”  Earlier this month when the gruesome revelation of the kidnapping and dismemberment of 8-year old Leiby Kletsky was discovered, my thoughts went back to that headline. Such acts of unspeakable violence, being so horrendous ...

"The Benefits of Our Doubts About God" By: Jan White.  Posted 7/22/11 (500 words)  Several people I know are battling cancer and cancer seems to be winning - at least for now.  Watching them fight this disease as it attacks other areas of their bodies makes me feel helpless.  All I know to do is to continue to pray for them because, like me, they believe in the power of prayer.  But sometimes I wonder...

“On Giving and Receiving”  By: Greg Asimakoupoulos.  Posted 7/14/11 (620 words)  This coming Sunday I'll walk my middle daughter down the center aisle of a Chicago church. In over thirty years as a clergyman, I have performed countless weddings. But this will be the first one as father of the bride. I have it all rehearsed in my head.   I am guessing that I'll feel something like a sliver in my heart as my feet progress slowly ...

“Don't Know Much About History”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 7/14/11 (950 words)  Four years ago, I was in the jam-packed audience at a cultural center for an enthralling evening with the great historian David McCullough.  He spoke that night with great urgency about a gathering storm that doesn’t involve terrorism, nuclear proliferation or the national debt.  Yet the crisis he confronted was every bit as much a threat to America's future, over time if not quite as immediately, as any of these others — that is, our nation’s loss of its own history.  McCullough, who has won Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies ...

"There's an App for Everything You Need in the Bible" By: Jan White.  Posted 7/8/11 (510 words)  I wonder what Thomas Edison, George Eastman, and Alexander Graham Bell would think if they could see an iPhone – a cellular telephone and media player developed by Apple computers.  The three famous inventors of a movie camera, Kodak camera, and the telephone would be surprised to see a hand-held electronic device that can record videos, take digital photos, and make phone calls....

"Judge Rules Prayer May Cause Irreparable Harm" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 7/1/11 (470 words)  It happens every spring--A student in the good old land of the free and home of the brave is officially forbidden from exercising the 1st Amendment right of the exercise of religion....

"Don't Take This Foreign Language" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 7/1/11 (700 words)  In high school a good friend once told me he thought I might have a future as a writer. I looked up to him because, having sneaked a peek at our counselor’s unattended record book, I noted that this buddy had a higher IQ than mine. And he was a nice guy.  A year later I entered the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to enrolling...

"Gay Mayor, Christians in Surprising Alliance"  By: Rusty Wright. Posted 6/28/11 (600 words)   Portland, Oregon, mayor Sam Adams gets “calls from mayors of liberal cities all across the United States asking me if I’ve been abducted by aliens.”  He tells them the churches and the city really do cooperate in social services and that “we’re better for it.”  (Short op-ed)

"Our Political Role:  Restoring the Foundations" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 6/27/11 (700 words)  The Declaration of Independence and its daughter, the United States Constitution, form a towering political project unsurpassed in human history. The Declaration elegantly sets forth America’s purpose, vision and essential identity. Eleven years later, the Constitution translated the Declaration into a majestic design for principled government.  Without any apology, the Declaration honors God, the Creator, as the source of human equality, dignity, life and liberty. The Founders ....

“Sliming Sarah”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 6/15/11 (710 words)  There’s a hilarious scene in the comedy Ghostbusters in which Bill Murray is attacked by a not-so-friendly ghost and his fellow practitioners of paranormal science, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, rush to his aid.  When they reach him, they find Murray laid out on the floor covered in gook.  “He slimed me,” Murray tells them in his famous deadpan delivery.  The ghost obviously felt very threatened by Murray and went on the attack.  In much the same way ...

"Atheists Say the Nastiest Things" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 6/15/11 (670 words)  I’ve just written an e-book with the above title, taking some atheists to task for their really bad manners. Almost all of those cited are intellectuals, most dead – like Darwin, Marx, Freud, and John Dewey – but a few still alive, like Christopher Hitchens, author of the nasty attack on believers: god Is Not Great; How Religion Poisons Everything.  Some of my friends have sent encouraging blessings, but not all ....

“Have You Ever Had A "Come to Jesus" Meeting?" By: Jan White.  Posted 6/3/11 (525 words)  Recently, a friend commented to me that she had a “come to Jesus meeting” and then she shared what had happened in her life.  Hearing the words “come to Jesus meeting” made me wonder about the origin and meaning of the familiar phrase.  Several sources state that the phrase has its origin in America, particularly in the South.  The term refers to ...

“Pride of the Yankees”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 5/27/11 (890 words)  The New York Yankees were playing the Boston Red Sox on national television Saturday night, May 14.  That meant the greatest rivalry in all of sports was back in the spotlight, at a time when the Bronx Bombers were in a funk while the Sox were on the verge of reaching the .500 mark after a dismal start to the season.  And yet, despite the magnitude of the rivalry and all the drama surrounding the game, this wasn’t the headline story.  It wasn’t even close....

“Apocalypse Now?”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 5/25/11 (870 words)  So the Rapture didn’t take place at 6 p.m. Eastern time on May 21.  Not that this was ever really in doubt.  After all, the broadcasts, billboards and promotional materials hyping a May 21 Rapture were all the work of Harold Camping, a false prophet who had made a similar prediction back in 1994.  This is one of the ways he raises a lot of money — a reported $72 million, in fact — and while many of his followers have been giving significant amounts of their own hard-earned cash ...

"Dealing With Post-"Rapture" Pain?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 5/24/11 (700 words)  So . . . you’re still here. You expected to be in heaven by now, but something has gone awry. You’re not exactly sure why you and Christ’s other faithful few have not yet ascended. It’s an unexpected mystery. Disturbing. Maybe Harold Camping will explain it all on his next radio broadcast.   While you’re pondering these imponderables, ask yourself some basic questions starting with, “Why did I believe ...

"Think Before Tossing Around the Hypocrisy Label" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 5/20/11 (600 words)  The recent admission by Arnold Schwarzenegger that he fathered a child with a household employee, has sparked many emotions, from anger, to indignation to indifference. Political pundits were quick to shout, 'Hypocrisy!', declaring that 'another' Republican has been caught violating the family values they often preach...

"Is It Wrong To Celebrate Bin Laden's Demise?" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 5/17/11 (620 words)  It was nearly a day later that I learned world enemy #1 was permanently restrained from orchestrating anymore death, and despair on innocent men, women and children.  My first words were, "Thank you Lord" and frankly, I was happy.  As the day progressed I was following threads on Facebook from Christians who were "okay" with the military use of force, but were struggling with the appropriateness of "celebrating" Bin Laden's demise.  More than a Facebook sound bite was necessary....

“'Judgment Day' Will Not Be May 21” By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 5/17/11 (635 words)  They stood suspended above I-287 in northern New Jersey last January like specters on a highway overpass; two hooded figures in black raincoats braving the elements during a rare rain event in an otherwise cold and snowy month.  The banner they held between them ominously warned northbound motorists: “Judgment Day May 21.”...

"Without Serious Change Financial Collapse is Imminent" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 5/12/11 (605 words)  It surprises people when I tell them that Jesus had more to say about the proper use of money than he did about any single issue, including heaven and hell.  Jesus knows us, what can I say?  We spend the majority of our lives trying to maximize our earnings, and that insatiable desire for more sometimes heightens an innate lack of sense. A Kansas man walked into a Topeka, Kwik Stop, asked for all the money in the cash drawer but was dissatisfied with the small amount of cash.  This mastermind then tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours--until police showed up and busted him....

“Ideas Have Consequences That Can Impact the World" By: Jan White.  Posted 5/12/11 (580 words)  Everybody has a worldview.  Simply put, it’s how you view the world.  Your viewpoint is based on what you believe.  Everything people think, say and do communicates their worldview.  “Today many think that it does not matter what a man believes, but it does.  What a man believes tells him what the world is for,” Richard Weaver writes in his book, Ideas Have Consequences.  The consequences of ideas can impact the world – for good or for evil....

“Why Did Jesus Die?”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 4/28/11 (810 words)  Does hell exist?  That question is being raised in the controversial new book Love Wins by Rob Bell which rejects the biblical doctrine of hell.  The book is garnering a great deal of attention, if only because the media is promoting it so aggressively.  Since the media tend to be disinterested (at best) or hostile (at worst) to Christian theology, the fact they’re suddenly so enthusiastic about this book and so positively effusive in their praise for it should tell you something....

"Warning:  Tsunami Approaching" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 4/28/11 (670 words)  Folks, we’ve got a problem, a federal spending problem. We’re borrowing and spending money so fast that the national debt is evolving into a giant tsunami that’s going to sweep us away.   We also have a leadership problem. The president of the United States refuses to join in the battle against runaway spending and soaring debt. He has no plan, no budget proposal to bring government under control. Seven months into fiscal year 2011, the recent hastily arranged budget, despite much posturing by all parties, resulted in a measly 1/3 of a billion “cut.” Both the president and Congress have failed to execute their fiscal responsibility. Both lack courage and conviction.  How bad is this failure? ...

"Unhappy Earth Day Greetings" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 4/28/11 (580 words)  How does this idea from an “Earth Day” editorial strike you? “We need to start . . . recognizing that nature has inherent rights.” Historically, our civilization, especially in the United States Constitution, has recognized that humans have rights. And, because animals can suffer, we acknowledge that abusing an animal is not one of those rights but a cruel wrong....

“How Great A Debt We Owe”  By: Jan White.  Posted 4/28/11 (500 words) 

Our country’s National Debt now exceeds $14 trillion and according to news reports Congress will soon have to vote on raising the debt ceiling.  Like me, maybe it’s difficult for you to crunch numbers and grasp just how much debt we owe.  So I decided to research various news sources.  Here’s what I found....

“Lessons Learned From the "Faithquakes" of Life”  By: Jan White.  Posted 4/15/11 (510 words)  After the 9.0 earthquake ravaged Japan and caused the devastating tsunami on March 11, the U.S. Geological Survey found that the main island of Japan had moved eight feet.  According to NASA, the powerful earthquake caused the Earth’s axis to shift by 6.5 inches.  The scientists said that the quake shortened the Earth’s day by just over one-millionth of a second.  It’s difficult to imagine the death and destruction there that we can only get a glimpse of on television....

“Have You Lost Your Smile?”  By: Jan White.  Posted 4/15/11 (520 words) 

Last week I lost my smile.  It happened rather suddenly on Monday afternoon.  But I didn’t realize it until I looked in a mirror and noticed the right corner of my mouth was turned down.  I tried to smile, but my mouth would not cooperate.  Within a few hours, I had been diagnosed with Bells Palsy and was greatly relieved that I had not suffered a stroke.  My doctor prescribed ...

"Soul Surfer:  A Thought-Provoking Film for the Whole Family"  By: Meg Korpi and Rusty Wright. Posted 4/11/11 (640 words)   A 14-foot tiger shark bursts through the waves and tears off 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton’s left arm. Three months later, she’s surfing competitively again.  If you’re looking for inspiration to thrive in tough times, the true story of this determined teen’s triumph over tragedy will knock your socks off.  (Short op-ed by Meg Korpi and Rusty Wright)

“A Tithe Instead of a Tax” By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 4/11/11 (630 words)  

General Electric reported a $14.2 billion worldwide profit, yet it calculated a corporate tax bill for 2010 that added up to zero, via “a creative series of tax referrals and revenue shifts.”    GE owns NBC which is one of the Big Three Members of the Mostly Liberal Mainstream Media; the other two being CBS and ABC. Since liberals are the champions of bashing “The Rich” for not having paid “their fair share” of taxes, can we expect an outcry from the talking heads on the NBC Nightly News or the Today Show? Don’t hold your breath....

“A Season for Giving Up Control”  By: Greg Asimakoupoulos.  Posted 3/29/11 (600 words)  A month ago I sat with my eighty-four year old mother in her doctor's office. At the end of her appointment, Dr. Rutherford indicated that she had reached a season in her life when it was no longer appropriate for her to be behind the steering wheel of her car. As her friend and physician, he asked my mom to relinquish her keys. She resisted at first. But as the good doctor made his case, Mom eventually gave in.  For my mother, giving up her keys represented ...

“Let us give thanks for Spring” By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 3/16/11 (600 words)  For the last two weeks, the waterfall behind our house has been a thundering cascade of spring runoff. It's been the drum roll leading up to the first day of spring, when the cymbal will crash and the Earth will arrive at that point in its orbit around the sun where it will be light for as many hours as it will be dark.  Finally, we witness the celestial climax to the prelude whose crescendo has been growing now for more than a month in the forests and lakes all around us here in the Northeast....

“The Supreme Court's Puzzling Ruling” By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 3/3/11 (480 words)  As a Christian first and a Baptist second, I am left to wonder about the deeper meaning behind the Supreme Court’s ruling to allow religious hate speech in public on Wednesday.  The high court ruled 8-1 in favor of allowing members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church to continue protesting at military funerals, displaying messages such as “Planes crash, God laughs,” “You’re going to hell,” and “Thank God for dead soldiers.” ...

“The Failed P.C. Fad”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 2/28/11 (860 words)  According to Playboy magazine, I was one of the country’s first victims of P.C. — Political Correctness.  This was in 1991, after my book had been burned on the campus of New York University.  Considering that the book, 1939: The Year in Movies, was an examination of what is considered the greatest year in film-making history, I can honestly say that the uproar was wholly unexpected....

"Wisconsin:  Get Rid of the Hijackers" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 2/28/11 (670 words)  I was once an unwilling member of a public employees union. I didn’t freely join. Santa Clara County California made me join, as a condition for being hired by the Juvenile Probation Department. But, happily, during my first month of employment I did have the option of getting out of the union.   I got out. The county deducted one month of union dues from my first paycheck – like a ransom – and I was free....

"Nursing:  A Thankless Job"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 2/28/11 (485 words)  

After visiting a friend of mine in the hospital, I stopped at the station to chat with a nurse.  Five months ago I had occupied the room across the hall as I recovered from knee replacement surgery.  With a little nostalgia in my voice, I told her.  “Knee replacement?” she smiled, since this was an orthopedic wing....

“Christian Worker Murdered in Afghanistan Receives Highest Award”  By: Jan White.  Posted 2/28/11 (545 words)  Recently, President Obama awarded Medals of Freedom, the highest civilian honor our country gives a person for their contributions to our national security or national interest, to fifteen people during a ceremony at the White House.  Among the notable recipients were former President George H.W. Bush, civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, poet Maya Angelou, Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Bill Russell, as well as a Holocaust survivor, an artist, an environmentalist, and a renowned musician.  Also honored was Dr. Tom Little, who was selected posthumously for this highest honor....

"When Life Careens:  Love Child Locates Bio-Dad"  By: Rusty Wright and Meg Korpi. Posted 2/28/11 (600 words)   A former girlfriend phoned, saying, “You have a 27-year-old daughter…She’d like to know if it’s okay to contact you.”  Gary’s life was about to take a wild turn through painful introspection and sweet reconciliation.  In the process, he discovered that he needed his long-lost daughter as much as she needed him. (Short op-ed by Rusty Wright and Meg Korpi)

“Love Isn't Love Till You Give It Away”  By: Greg Asimakoupoulos.  Posted 2/11/11 (600 words)  On November 16, 1959, "The Sound of Music," the timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, began a three-and-a-half year run on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Several weeks before the show’s opening, Oscar Hammerstein was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Prior to being admitted for surgery, the famed lyricist stopped at the theatre to convey encouragement and inspiration to his leading lady. He passed a piece of paper to the young actress playing Maria von Trapp....

"Controlling Language to Elminate Evil Is Just Wrong." By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 2/11/11 (600 words)  I am not alarmist; except when there is something for which an alarm should be sounded.  In the recent past, those who make decisions for us increasingly focus on symptomatic solutions to the major issues facing our country.  In the process, they are ignoring the problems.  In the words of Jesus, "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" No, Jesus wasn't addressing politicians, but he was calling out self-appointed leaders in the community who had become experts in resorting to symbolism over substance....

"Insatiable Government Devours Liberty" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 2/11/11 (700 words)  Lest we forget, the unconstitutional Health Care bill has a sordid history. When the immense, labyrinthine bill arrived, no one was allowed to read it. With incredible logic and contempt for the public, Nancy Pelosi proclaimed “We need to pass it so we can know what’s in it.”  Soon, several legislators realized the bill would severely damage their states. They demanded and received special exemptions from various provisions. Eventually the thing was shoved through, despite huge public disapproval....

“Organizations Campaign Against Human Trafficking”  By: Jan White.  Posted 2/4/11 (515 words)  When the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers play for the world championship in pro-football at Super Bowl XLV, an estimated 100,000 visitors will be in the Dallas area.  The economic impact has been projected to be almost $612 million.  However, large numbers of tourists with large amounts of money to spend at the biggest event in professional football also brings an increase in criminal behavior.  Texas State Attorney General Greg Abbot has described the Super Bowl as “one of the biggest human-trafficking events in the United States.” ...

"Ronald Reagan Saw the Shining City on the Hill" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 2/1/11 (660 words)  Much will be written, and should be, as we mark the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth.  During this centennial observance, let's recapture the vision of America's 40th president and use it as a roadmap for the 21st century and beyond.  Throughout his eight years in the Oval Office, Reagan brought a renewed sense of optimism to a beleaguered nation disillusioned by war and scandal....

“Ricky, Don't Lose His Number”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 1/31/11 (860 words)   “I’d like to thank God for making me an atheist.”  With those words, host Ricky Gervais closed the Golden Globes program.  No surprise there.  Gervais is what might be called an evangelical atheist, someone who not only embraces atheism for himself but works to convert the noncommitted and compel the recantation of believers.  In this, he is no different than most other prominent atheists of our time.  All of which raises a simple question—Why? ...

"No Greater Love, Even in Face of Malice" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 1/31/11 (530 words) In light of the recent rampage in Arizona, the age-old question arises:  Why would a loving God allow such tragedy?  This question is often asked when a disaster or a vicious act occurs.  On the face, it seems like a reasonable question, but one which has no reasonable answer, or does it?...

“Take Time for an Annual Fitness Examination”  By: Jan White.  Posted 1/31/11 (550 words)  The news of Jack LaLanne’s death at the age of 96 brought back childhood memories of his early morning television program.  Described as a Fitness Guru, LaLanne’s workout show aired from the 1950’s to the 1970’s.  I remember watching him exercise and encouraging everyone ...

"There's Nothing Generous About Forced Benevolence" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 1/14/11 (600 words)  When is enough, enough?  Senator Bernie Sanders posed the question in reference to keeping the "Bush tax cuts" in place, wondering for how long, to what extent and for whom.  Sanders' followed up his question stating, "The billionaires of America are on the warpath; they want more and more."  The Vermont Senator's rhetoric is a familiar rant of those who want to satisfy their desire for charity through the legislated benevolence of everyone but themselves....

"At Last - A Really Sure Bet!" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 1/14/11 (670 words) 

I am not a gambling man. I don’t buy lottery tickets, and when I pass a casino I feel like standing out in front with a sandwich board sign that reads “Abandon hope, all ye who enter.” But . . . if I could scrape up $10,000 or so I would like to bet Harold Camping that Jesus will not return on May 21, 2011....

"Hot Political Rhetoric Denounces - Guess What! - Political Rhetoric" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 1/14/11 (490 words)  Almost thirty years ago, John Hinckley shot and critically wounded newly elected president Ronald Reagan, along with Press Secretary James Brady, DC policeman Thomas Delahanty, and Secret Service agent, Timothy McCarthy. The would-be assassin was later found legally insane and has spent the past three decades in confinement....

“400th Anniversary of the Book that Changed the World”  By: Jan White.  Posted 1/14/11 (550 words)  The King James Bible, the best-selling book of all time, reaches a milestone this year.  Special events are planned to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the KJV’s publication in 1611....

"Jesus is Coming May 21?"  By: Rusty Wright and Meg Korpi. Posted 1/14/11 (595 words)   We read it in the Washington Post.  “Save the date!” say the billboards.  That’s also our wedding anniversary.  Maybe we should invite him.  (Short op-ed)

“Heisman Trophy Winner's Speech and the Value of Every Life”  By: Jan White.  Posted 1/06/11 (570 words)  When Auburn University Quarterback Cameron Newton won the Heisman Trophy, it was the first time athletes from the same state had won the most prestigious award in college football in consecutive years.  University of Alabama Running Back Mark Ingram won the Heisman the year before....

“Lessons From My Family Tree”  By: Greg Asimakoupoulos.  Posted 12/17/10 (640 words)  Unlike the decorated trees you see in a Neiman Marcus window or on the cover of Martha Stewart Living , our Christmas tree doesn’t boast uniform colored balls or hand blown glass baubles. Our tree is a potpourri of hanging objects. Nonetheless, it is a thing of beauty.  It’s a menagerie of memories.  There are miniature frames containing photos...

“Salvation Was Always A Gift”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 12/17/10 (860 words)   The Christmas story didn’t begin in a manger some 2,000 years ago, but in the Garden of Eden some 4,000 years before that — when the Fall of Man occurred and God foretold the future arrival of a Savior, the Messiah, who would redeem mankind (Genesis 3:15).  This was the first of hundreds of Messianic prophecies given by God throughout the Old Covenant...

“The Promise of the Gift”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 12/17/10 (850 words)   Christmas is, above all else, a celebration of the gift of salvation that came into the world with Christ’s incarnation.  His arrival on the world scene, in the lowly form of a newborn babe, was the fulfillment of a promise that was first made thousands of years earlier.  The promise was from God Himself, and it goes back to the very beginning...

“The Greatest Gift of All”  By: Tom Flannery.  Posted 12/17/10 (850 words)   Christmas is, appropriately, the gift-giving season, for it is a celebration of the greatest gift ever given — that of eternal life.  Contrary to what most the world believes, eternal life cannot be attained through good deeds, pious practices, traditions or religious affiliation.  Salvation is a gift, and like any other gift it can only be accepted or rejected....

“Christmas is No Myth” By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 12/14/10 (930 words)   During a time of year when most reasonable folks are focusing on “tidings of comfort and joy,” there’s a border war of sorts going on right here in our own country. Several weeks ago atheists purchased space on a huge billboard overlooking the New York-bound entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. The message, “You know it’s a MYTH. This season celebrate REASON,” was almost immediately countered by the New York-based Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. The organization rented a billboard at the other end of the tunnel displaying an image of the Nativity with this message: “You know it’s real. This season celebrate Jesus.”...

“Jesus the Name Above All Names”  By: Jan White.  Posted 12/14/10 (500 words)  Choosing a name for a newborn can be a difficult decision.  The name the parents select will label their child for life.  Some people think about it all during their pregnancy and a few even wait until the hospital needs to know the name for the birth certificate to finally decide.  There are books listing thousands of names for boys and girls, ...

“Yes, America, There is a Christ”  By: Jan White.  Posted 12/14/10 (605 words)  Francis Church, once a Civil War correspondent for the New York Times, later worked for the New York Sun.  Though his name may not be familiar, you’ve probably heard of the editorial he wrote in 1897 in response to a letter from eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon.  She wrote the newspaper because unbelieving friends made her doubt the existence of Santa Claus.  His reply was titled, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”  Suppose  Francis C4hurch were alive ...

"Yes, Virginia, There is a God!" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 12/09/10 (600 words)  Yes, Virginia, there is a God! You and the other forty-nine states that make up our union don’t need to doubt that. In the words of a journalist who lived in the late nineteenth century, He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist. In fact, God’s existence is the reason such attributes punctuate our lives this time of year.  If there were no God ...

"Bill's Wide Receiver Bobbles More Than a Pass" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 12/09/10 (640 words)  In an age when broadband means instantaneous, finger-tip communication with the world, what might have been a locker room rant before a handful of peers, became a tantrum gone global.  Instead of a few buds in the locker room rolling their eyes and forgetting about it in a matter of minutes, careless words were intercepted by the mass media lingering for weeks or months....

"Atheist Needs Mind-Changing Christmas" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 12/09/10 (670 words)  In recent years Cornell biologist William Provine has made a name for himself by lecturing on the atheistic implications of Darwin’s evolutionary thought. He delights in bluntly contradicting Christianity and all other religions. Nature is all there is; get used to it.  Starting with stark materialism, Dr. Provine hammers home five necessary logical conclusions...

"Cartoon Nonsense:  Non Sequitur Begs a Question"  By: Shaunna Howat. Posted 12/09/10 (800 words)  As fallacies go, non sequiturs are pretty well-known. This fallacy, which literally means “does not follow,” leaps from premise to conclusion without substantiation. Thus we draw a conclusion that does not follow from the above premises.  One popular logic textbook by James Nance and Douglas Wilson offers the following example: “God is love. Love is blind. Ray Charles is blind. Therefore, Ray Charles is God.” Though perhaps the form of the syllogism looks valid, the conclusion cannot be drawn from these premises....

"Defining Christianity Downward"  By: Tom Flannery  Posted 11/30/10 (785 words)   I once heard a pastor named Fred Price in California tell of a time back in the 1970s when he and a friend visited a church in downtown Los Angeles.  They had heard that God was moving there and miracles were taking place, so they wanted to check it out for themselves.  The first thing that bothered them when they walked into the place was that the minister — who was seated amid very bright lights on what looked more like a stage than an altar — was wearing dark sunglasses.  They had never seen this so it seemed a little odd, to say the least.  Still, Price and his friend sat down and waited for the service to begin.  While they were waiting …

"Earmarks: Marked for Extinction?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 11/23/10 (650 words)  A lot of news and commentary these days revolves around “earmarks,” a political practice that affects us all, but may not be understood by all. Wikipedia offers this definition: “In United States politics, an earmark is a legislative (especially congressional) provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees.” Earmarks aren’t always bad, but so many are that they deserve their growing nasty reputation....

"John Wooden Made Each Day His Masterpiece" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 11/23/10 (710 words)  When the legendary college basketball coach John Wooden died at age 99, the obituaries listed his astounding accomplishments.   He gained enormous fame at UCLA by winning 620 games in 27 seasons.  His teams captured 10 NCAA championships and once posted a record winning streak of 88 games.  Wooden, a former All-American during his college days at Purdue, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach....

"Pilgrims' Making Progress" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 11/17/10 (610 words)  Thanksgiving invites us to consider those God-focused pilgrims who feasted with gratitude for restored health, freedom of religion and a new land of opportunity. They (like we) were challenged with economic uncertainty, unfulfilled expectations and misinterpreted motives. Yet, they looked beyond the immediate context of despair....

"SRTOL Is Truly Startling - And Destructive" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 11/17/10 (690 words)  I was born in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri. In our town and surrounding hills, many folks spoke the colorful regional dialect.  Al Capp’s cartoon, Li’l Abner, though exaggerated and somewhat mocking, humorously elicited the flavor of the lingo, as did Lum and Abner on radio.  Almost all of us had a drawl, and we all either spoke or understood the distinctive hillbilly idiom....

"Happy Thanksgiving - Now, Let's Go Shopping" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 11/17/10 (605 words)  Thanksgiving Day is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the American culture.  It has changed drastically over the years.  The first Thanksgiving was the famous gathering of Mayflower Colony pilgrims and Indians, who shared food and fellowship and thanked God for their bounty and for friendship.  President Abraham Lincoln declared that Thanksgiving Day would be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.  I fondly remember ...

"The Mercy of Capital Punishment" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 11/10/10 (585 words)  As I write, Stephen Hayes' life is in the hands of a Connecticut jury.  Hayes' is the beast that broke into a home and for the thrill, attempted to murder the entire family.  The Mom and her two daughters were brutally killed; only the father survived.  This is not a case of doubt regarding guilt or innocence.  It is as open and shut as it gets....

"Thanksgiving Proclamation Still Speaks to America Today"  By: Jan White.  Posted 11/9/10 (575 words)  Timeless words were written by the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln - the most familiar being the Gettysburg Address.  But he penned a proclamation in October 1863 that set the precedent for America’s national day of Thanksgiving.  He wrote ...

"NPR is Just the Tip of the Iceberg" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 10/26/10 (685 words)  Juan Williams has learned that his buddies are not very nice. The enforcers of politically correct thought and speech do not tolerate deviation from the party line. Thus, the amiable liberal commentator got canned by National Public Radio for admitting that some Muslims on airplanes make him nervous. Don’t you just love all this diversity, tolerance, and open-mindedness? Me neither....

"Election 2010:  Stand Up for What You Believe"  By: Jan White.  Posted 10/26/10 (485 words)  There are special people you meet through the years who make a lasting impression on your life.  I’ll never forget meeting Colonel Jerry Sage, a World War II veteran from Enterprise, Alabama.  Sage was speaking to a local group of Civitans about his extraordinary military experiences and, in doing so, made some thought-provoking comments regarding religion and politics.  He gave God the credit ...

"Losing the Race Card"  By: Tom Flannery  Posted 10/25/10 (780 words)   It’s official — the race card has been played out.  It’s been overplayed out, if you want to get technical, used so recklessly and repeatedly by liberals through the years to slander decent people that it has lost its once-fearsome power. Even more problematic for liberals, while they have continued accusing conservatives of harboring poisonous attitudes on race, they’re the ones who keep exhibiting racist and anti-Semitic behavior then simply trying to excuse it away…

"Absolutes Do Not Exist -- Absolutely"  By: Shaunna Howat. Posted 10/21/10 (620 words)  We are an amazing generation. Within the last fifty years, we have landed on the moon, developed technology that enables us to connect instantly to friends and family around the world, pour out endless streams of entertainment of all varieties and tastes. However, no matter how savvy we’ve become, we still, in our darkest moments, wonder about truth, about our purpose in life, about reality…

"Americans Flunk Religion 101"  By: Rusty Wright. Posted 10/21/10 (590 words)  Think you know a lot about religion?  Pew Research Center says many atheists and agnostics know more about world faiths than do believers.  I once flunked an important faith question and learned that what you don’t know might hurt you.  (Short op-ed)

"Message of Hope in Rescue of 33 Trapped Miners"  By: Jan White.  Posted 10/20/10 (580 words)  People around the world watched live news reports as the efforts began around midnight on October 13 to rescue 33 trapped miners in Chile.  One by one the 13-foot-tall escape capsule brought each miner the half-mile journey from their living-room-size space underground to the earth’s surface.  According to an Associated Press story, “No one in recorded history has survived as long trapped underground as the 33 men.  For the first 17 days after 700,000 tons of rock collapsed around them August 5, no one even knew they were alive.” ...

"Free Speech Heads to Court -- Again." By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 10/18/10 (645 words)  Free speech:  Rarely have two words been responsible for as much inconsistency in the application of law.  When it comes down to an issue of common decency or common sense, the courts become apoplectic if faced with the not-so-hard to define bounds of propriety.  Currently before the Supreme Court is the case of the ...

"Can Atheists Be Good Citizens?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 10/18/10 (690 words)  Several years ago the eminent public intellectual, Richard John Neuhaus, posed the above, rather cheeky question. Simply asking the question seems insulting, implying that atheists might possibly have some character flaw that would make them bad citizens. On its face, this implied insult seems like a kind of bigotry.  Yet Neuhaus was certainly no bigot. He counted several atheists among his close friends ...

"'You've Got Mail'" And It's From God"  By: Jan White.  Posted 10/18/10 (510 words)  “You’ve got mail.”  Sounds like a greeting from your postman.  “Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from their swift completion of their appointed rounds,” says the familiar motto attributed to the postal service mail carriers who deliver mail six days a week to your personal address.  Looks like that may change in the near future to five days a week. In the age of technology ...

"Let's Verify Before Trusting" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 10/8/10 (690 words)  The recent passing of national syndicated columnist, James Kilpatrick, 89, brought back a fascinating incident, especially relevant today, as journalism continues to sink in public estimation. For many years – and more so now – most journalists have been willing to publish the unsupported claims of their political favorites, as if they were indisputably factual.   A current example goes something like this....

"God Uses Ordinary People"  By: Jan White.  Posted 10/8/10 (500 words) 

Near the end of World War II, a B-17 pilot flying a bombing mission over Germany had a remarkable experience.  On that particular day his plane was hit several times by shells and flak, some directly hitting the fuel tank.  Miraculously, the B-17 bomber landed safely, instead of going down in a flaming crash.  Upon returning from the mission, eleven unexploded twenty-millimeter shells were taken out of the fuel tank.  When the shells were dismantled, everyone was amazed to find all were empty of explosives.  A note, written in Czech language, was discovered inside one shell which provided the explanation....

"Common Hobbies, Mutual Understanding" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 10/4/10 (650 words)  My friend Roger Page has the perfect name for what he does. He’s the owner of a book shop in our community. As such he loves marketing page-turners to residents of our small town. The collection of antique typewriters that graces his store seems fitting as well.  When I asked Roger about his “menagerie of manual machines”, I was amused at his response....

"The Grand Designer" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 9/28/10 (845 words)   In his new book The Grand Design, famed physicist Stephen Hawking tells us that it is not necessary to invoke God to explain the existence of the universe.  Instead he venerates gravity and other scientific laws as a kind of “god,” and posits that the universe appeared from....nothing.  “If you like, you can call the laws of science ‘God,’ but it wouldn’t be a personal God that you could meet, and ask questions,” he argues.  Which leads to any number of inexorable questions, such as ...

"Counselor to Lovelorn Guilty of Malpractice" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 9/23/10 (690 words)  Several years ago, our local paper began publishing a new lonely-hearts, broken-dreams advice columnist. She sometimes gives sound advice. And sometimes she doesn’t. Today she messed up so badly, she ought to be fired.  A young woman wrote that she and her “boyfriend” split up after two years of being “together,“ but got back “together” after a week because she “decided to give him another chance.” This “boyfriend” then told her ...

"Are Books An Endangered Species?" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 9/8/10 (550 words)  Timing in life is everything or so the axiom goes.  Having embarked on "every writer's dream" of getting their first book published I am in the midst of a rude awakening.  If you thought it was difficult to be "traditionally" published in years past, you should try it in the midst of a digital world.  The Wall Street Journal (Aug. 25, 2010) contains an article titled, "The ABCs Of E-Reading."  Startling statistics were revealed underscoring the changing habits of readers as ...

"'An Eye for an Eye' Blinds Us All to God's Love" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 9/8/10 (590 words)  In an attempt to give an ‘eye for an eye’ response to the 911 attacks, The Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida initiated “International Burn A Quran Day” September 11, 2010, to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the failed attempted attack on the nation’s capitol.  The event is promoted on the church’s website and on their Facebook page.  It invites all Christians ...

"Author Finds Parables in Mockingbird Novel"  By: Jan White.  Posted 9/8/10 (480 words)  Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, marks a milestone this year with the 50th anniversary of the book’s publication.  It has sold 40 million copies worldwide and been translated into 50 languages.  In 1961, Lee won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel and two years later, Gregory Peck won the Oscar for Best Actor playing Atticus Finch.  Her book was selected as the “Best Novel of the Century” by librarians, according to a poll by Library Journal in 1999....

"Alert to the World Around Us" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 9/2/10 (590 words)  This week marks the 65th anniversary of the surrender ceremony that ended World War 2. On September 2, 1945 the eyes of the world focused on history's stage and a performance that would not soon be forgotten.  That was the day General Douglas Mac Arthur (with his Parker fountain pen in hand) conducted a symphony of peace aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. This version of "victory at sea" would be repeatedly captured on film and newsreel....

"Friends are Friends Forever" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 8/19/10 (840 words)  “A friend loves at all times.”  -  Proverbs 17:17.    When Miep Gies became an assistant to the owner of a pectin manufacturing company in Amsterdam during the 1930s, she never could have dreamed that events would make her a pivotal character in one of the 20th century's greatest dramas.  It’s an amazing story of loyalty and friendship...

"'Going' On A Mission" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 8/13/10 (500 words)  Mission activities near home, throughout American and abroad, can be very beneficial to those in need – and personally rewarding for those who make a commitment to serve in this manner.  I've participated in several mission trips, most recently in Chihuahua, Mexico to distribute eyeglasses, where people of all ages were greatly appreciative of improved sight.  Acquaintances have expressed a desire to go on mission trips, but have not done so....

"Prayers for Hitch" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 8/11/10 (810 words)   Christopher Hitchens had logged his millionth mile on his most recent flight, entitling him to free airline upgrades for the rest of his life.  His newest book, the memoir Hitch-22, had just made it onto the best-seller list.  He had appearances lined up in sold-out venues and bookings on popular TV programs like The Daily Show to promote it.  And yet, awaking one morning in June, none of it mattered.  He was rushed to the hospital ...

"Atlanta Volunteers Change Lives" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 8/11/10 (580 words)   Want a dose of inspiration and motivation?  Take a look at these fine folks who are getting “out of their seats and into the streets” to help meet Atlanta’s physical, psychological and spiritual needs.  (Short op-ed)

"Beware All Who Stumble the Little Ones" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 8/4/10 (620 words)  The voters of our fair state recently rendered a well deserved set back to the foes of common sense, decency and what were once commonly understood to be  "traditional values."  I am certain that even if the most liberal ones of our culture could be transported back into time only a scant few decades ago, they would be appalled by the caliber of issues that have gained respectability in our culture....

"Praise the Lord:  Hummingbirds Don't Have 'Middle Fingers' " By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 8/4/10 (715 words)   The other night I was lying in bed alongside my 8-year old daughter. We had been out in the yard like two kids, actually, enjoying a cool, late July evening spread out on a chaise cushion on the patio watching hummingbirds come and go to my feeder for almost an hour.  By the time darkness and the mosquitoes had driven us into the house my younger 6-year old daughter had already fallen asleep across the room in her own bed.  Our habit almost every night involves sharing a story...

"'Mad' Mel's Lethal Mouth" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 7/22/10 (640 words)   Well, at least he didn’t blame the Jews this time.  In excerpts from taped phone conversations released in recent days, we hear Mel Gibson calling his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva every filthy name imaginable, and threatening to kill her and bury her in a rose garden.  Gibson has gone, in a relatively short period of time, from movie hero...

"The Murder of Marriage:  An Unsolved Mystery" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 7/16/10 (640 words)  Many years ago I stumbled onto the delights of murder mysteries and, inevitably, became hooked. I believe it was Jewish writer Harry Kemelman and his remarkable amateur sleuth, Rabbi David Small, who administered the addictive drug. Then came the descent into the depths of detection: Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Erle Stanley Gardner – purveyors of fascinating schemes and characters that irresistibly draw one into layered webs of intrigue. The desperate reader feels compelled to solve the burning question:  Who done it? ...

"Hilarious High School Bloopers" By: Rusty Wright with Meg Korpi. Posted 7/6/10 (600 words)   “Worst analogies written by high school students” had me laughing till I ached.  Discovering their true source reminded me to practice what I preach.  (Short op-ed)

"We All Need to Feel Useful" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 7/2/10 (700 words) A friend of mine recalls growing up in a well-organized home where the four children each had many assigned chores every day. On one occasion his parents took in a foster boy of about three years old. In the evening, as the kids and their mom systematically went about preparing for supper, this little tyke, who was closely watching all this activity, suddenly burst into tears. Banging his spoon on the table, he proclaimed, “I want job! I want job!” They quickly gave him something to do....

"Life Lessons Learned from Linkletter and His TV Program"  By: Jan White.  Posted 3/30/10 (520 words)  If you can remember watching Art Linkletter’s show, “House Party,” on TV, you’re telling your age.  His program ran on CBS radio and TV from 1945 – 1967.  My family and I watched the program on our black and white television set when I was growing up.  We enjoyed Art’s interviews with the children and their unpredictable responses.  Many of their humorous comments were later published in a series of books, “Kid’s Say the Darndest Things.” ...

"A Perfect Game in an Imperfect World" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 6/14/10 (665 words)   There’s no crying in baseball, as Tom Hanks so famously said in “A League of Their Own.”  But all that changed on June 2 when Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga tossed a perfect game, was robbed of it by a bad call at first base by umpire Jim Joyce, and the unfolding events turned into one of the most inspiring sports stories to come along in years.  In an age of whiners and self-professed victims, when so many want to blame their own shortcomings or failures on others (or on the world at large), this was more than just a teachable moment.  It was a revelation....

"Remembering A Life Well Lived" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 6/11/10 (850 words)  The sports world is mourning the death of a true legend. John Wooden was an amazing man who touched our culture in remarkable ways. Although he reached many milestones in his life, he failed to achieve one that was on the near horizon. He fell short of reaching his 100th birthday.  The one who became known as "the wizard of Westwood"...

"Reality Catches Up With Helen Thomas" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/11/10 (600 words)  Helen Thomas, an 89 year old fixture at White House daily press conferences since the Kennedy administration, was recently unceremoniously removed from (or resigned from) her position. The fact that she no longer occupies the ‘front and center’ seat in the pressroom is not the most amazing fact, but that it took so long for it to happen....

"What Will You Do in Heaven?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/11/10 (600 words)  “…I know you’re looking down on us from Heaven, like so many we have lost along the way…”  This line from a Mariah Carey song came to mind recently, when a friend asked me in an email about my perspective on Heaven.  My friend’s father died recently, and his young son asked him if Grandpa is now an angel ...

"Seeking the Perfect Outcome" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 6/11/10 (745 words)  Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn once described baseball as “a game of failure,” noting that even the best batters are unsuccessful about 65 percent of the time.  On the evening of June 2, 2010, nobody on the Cleveland Indians roster succeeded in getting on base after a talented, young right-hander had taken the mound for the Detroit Tigers.  With two outs in the ninth inning, Armando Galarraga had retired 26 batters and was on the verge of pitching the 21st perfect game in major league history.  But to err is human, and a split-second decision by a veteran umpire...

"Paying the Daily Cost of Freedom" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 6/3/10 (810 words)  The name John Finn probably doesn't ring a bell.  The fact that so few
people know about him speaks volumes about our country and what it values.  When he died at 100 just before Memorial Day 2010, John Finn was the nation's oldest Medal of Honor recipient and the last to earn the medal for bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor.  On December 7, 1941, Finn was stationed at a naval air station on the island of Oahu....

"Hello Dalai, Goodbye Truth" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 5/28/10 (640 words)   The Dalai Lama was in New York City last week, promoting belief in Buddhism — or whatever other religion happens to strike your fancy.  In an appearance at Radio City Music Hall, he explained:  “I never say Buddhism is best.  Buddhism has been best for me.  Each person is different.  I cannot say what is best for 100 people:  Their own religion is best for them.  It’s like medicine.  We cannot say pick one medicine, this is best for everybody.” ...

"Is Casual Sex Losing Its Zing?" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 5/20/10 (560 words)   Hot news from CNN: Some university students are giving up casual sexual activity because they feel it’s not fulfilling.  What’s going on here?  (Short op-ed)

"Ernie Harwell Has Made It Home" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 5/13/10 (710 words)  Every year, countless baseball fans would gather around their radios and wait to hear the familiar verse from the Song of Solomon:   "For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."   Quoting Scripture wasn’t merely an annual ritual for legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell.  Faith was the hallmark of Harwell’s personal and professional life....

"Now I'm A Terrorist" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 5/13/10 (565 words)   I've been called a lot of things through the years for my beliefs, but never a terrorist.  At least until now.  My high crime is having written opinion columns over the past few years for the Christian conservative site WorldNetDaily (www.wnd.com).  WorldNetDaily is, without question, one of the most influential news and opinion websites on the Internet.  As such, it has become a lightning rod for the Left.  Most recently, in a published report funded by the Guggenheim Foundation, WorldNetDaily was identified as being part of a “Network of Anti-Abortion Domestic Terrorists.” ...

"National Day of Prayer:  A Progressive Adventure" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 5/5/10 (540 words)  For six decades our country has called us to a National Day of Prayer.   Indisputably a great notion. But how do we make the most of such a day?  With that dilemma in mind what follows is a simple suggestion for making the most of this year's National Day of Prayer. I call it a progressive adventure.... A logical place to start is at your community's Veterans Memorial.  Spend some time in silent reflection...

"Beware the Dangers of Social Networking" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 5/5/10 (610 words)  In just a few years, an explosion of social networking sites, such as FaceBook, Twitter, U-tube, etc., have arrived on the Internet  These sites allow us to find lost friends and family members, get and stay in touch with others.  Social networks are often used to spread prayer requests to others, raise funds, and widely disseminate information quickly.  But some use these sites (especially Facebook) like an electronic diary, spilling out every thought, conflict, joy, fear, etc., for the world to see....

"Be Careful of Your Witness" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 5/5/10 (600 words)  The framers of the U.S. Constitution believed that certain rights are bestowed-not by the Constitution or by man-made laws, but, rather, by God, and that those rights include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  From that declaration, people have fought to expand that definition, to include rights in the list that are...

"Reminders at the Curb of Life's Chapters" By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 4/23/10 (590 words)   One bright and sunny afternoon earlier this spring I noticed that my neighbor had put some stuff out by the curb presumably for the next day’s garbage collection. Garbage piled out by the curb is not something that normally captures my attention but this was different. T he items were a wooden crib, a plastic red wagon, a stroller and a child car seat....

"Marital Strife and Your Health" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 4/19/10 (570 words)  

Being married can mean better health, but being happily married seems to matter most, says current research.  Learn to fight fair.  (Short op-ed) 

Attention Editors! Downloading made simple!

Just one step and each article is yours to use. At the conclusion of every article, provide the required information and the article is instantly Emailed to you. Simple. Easy. Quick. The article which will be Emailed to you will be a plain text file. It will not contain any bolding, italics, centering or underlining. However, you will see:

< B > for bold
< I > for italics
< C > for center
< U > for underline

There will also be a closing code for each of these attributes: < /B >, < /I >, < /C > and < /U >.

So that our columnists may receive proper credit, please fill out the required information on the form at the end of each article. Should you need to do minor editing, please do not remove either the publication credits at the end of the column or the biblical references within the text.

Thank you.