Nov 30 2008
Recently in the news we were bombarded with information on the elections, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, increasing gas and food prices and the lack of available fuel in some sections of the country. What a litany of issues. In the midst of all this, we just celebrated Thanksgiving.
Nov 29 2008
Many of you know that Southerners have their own particular “language.” One funny expression we use in the South is when we say that someone will polite themselves right out of existence. Sometimes Southerners have a tendency to bend over too far backwards just to try to keep folks happy and not offend anybody.
Nov 28 2008
Have you ever noticed following a terrorist attack the media will often describe the culprits as an extremist religious group or label the mastermind of the attack as a radical priest? I’ve always wondered why we never hear about a Christian preacher being described as a radical pastor. I’m really not sure what this would mean but it sure sounds exciting to me!
Nov 27 2008
I am likely not the only one who doesn’t understand the recent national bailout program that just cost us $700 billion. From my perspective, it appears that several companies made a mess of their businesses and because of their mistakes it is going to affect us all. The government is going to simply provide enough money to bailout these companies so the United States doesn’t go under.
Nov 26 2008
I told her that I would pass on this idea so I am going to do it. My parents, better known as Nanny and PawPaw, live in Memphis, Tenn. I was speaking with Nanny recently and she asked how my wife, Mickie, was handling her cancer treatments. Mickie, who is currently living in the Middle East, is struggling, but she is strong. Nonetheless, please continue to keep her in your prayers.
Nov 24 2008
Okay, guys, be honest, don’t you just love to go shopping? I’m sure I already know your answer! I fell off the fashion train years ago. But, my wife, Mickie, is currently living overseas so I have no choice but to do my own shopping. You would have been proud of me recently…I know I was! I went and bought a brand new white shirt and a thing called a Henley. It’s basically a collarless pullover shirt.
Nov 17 2008
I don’t know how many people in the U.S. experienced this but we sure did here in Deep Dixie! The impact of Hurricane Ike, which made landfall at Galveston, Texas on Sept. 13, was felt throughout several Southern states. Many of the oil refineries in Texas were closed due to the intensity of the storm. The closures caused a temporary increase in gasoline prices, home heating oil and natural gas. There simply wasn’t enough time required to restart production at the refineries because Hurricane Ike struck right after Hurricane Gustav, which hit the Louisiana coast on Sept. 1. This resulted in gas shortages in the Carolinas, Tennessee and even where I live in Georgia.
Nov 15 2008
There are times when it just pays to be pushy. Do you remember me telling you about the pastor who came up to me and demanded that we build him a church in Nicaragua? My new friend, Dave from Virginia, heard me tell of this story on the radio. He was so moved that he pulled his vehicle off to the side of the road and called me. He asked, “Ben, how much would it cost to build that church?”
Nov 08 2008
I got a phone call recently from Willie Brown in Nicaragua that really got me thinking. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” After talking with Willie, I had to wonder, “Which comes first, our ability to worship the Lord or our ability to grow food?”
Nov 06 2008
I know I am not the only one who has ever spent a ton of time worrying about someone or a particular situation only to realize later that all that time and energy was wasted. Okay, I confess, there are times when I simply toss and turn in bed because I am worrying so much about my precious wife, Mickie, who is living in the Middle East and undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer. It is difficult for me to sleep after I talk to her on the phone and hear her voice, which just sounds awful as she is lying in a hospital bed miles, and miles from home.