just enough light

Today is the first Sunday of Lent, that 6-week period in the church calendar that precedes Easter. I was a latecomer to Lent. Growing up in a Baptist minister’s home, I rarely heard of Lent. It was not until I was a seminary student that I was introduce to Lent as an experience that might […]

Joe Biden is taking heat after his comment in the last presidential debate about the need to “transition away from fossil fuels.” Trump seized on the moment, saying that will be very interesting for voters in Texas and Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, all big oil producers. Trump has gone on to hammer away at the statement […]

-a sermon preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baird, TX. 9-20-20 “It’s just not fair!” How many times have you heard children shout that at the end of a game that didn’t turn out the way they wanted. I heard that at the end of every argument that ended with one of my children being grounded. […]

For three minutes last Saturday, people across China stopped what they were doing. In urban centers, all traffic lights went to red, everything came to halt. People bowed their heads, stood in silence, and paid respect to the thousands of friends, family, patients and medical workers who had died in the pandemic. How wise. A […]

As with any project sanctioned by a governmental body of any size, the project took longer than the size of the project would indicate. Digger had warned the board, “This will be more complicated than you think,” and he was right. No one anticipated the number of regulations involved and permits required to expand a […]

The Board, as one, lurched forward, stunned. The townspeople gasped, riveted, but confused. David paused, then continued quietly, “This is my proposal. Plans may proceed as proposed; a road may be built over my plots, with these conditions. When the road is laid out, I want a speed bump built into the road over the […]

Those in attendance grew restless as the Board went through all their normal gyrations of approving notes from the previous meeting, making announcements, and inquiring about old business that needed a revisit. When Board member, Randy Turner, raised a question about a detail pertaining to the payment date for the town’s liability insurance policy, an […]

None other than A. J. Barnett himself volunteered to talk with David. After all, it was his great need for the cemetery plots that brought the issue to light, and A. J. was certain of his persuasive ability in a matter such as this. He began his appeal by inviting David to lunch at the […]

“That’s not a problem,” blurted A. J. “Whoever it is will be offered some prime spots in the new annex.  Who is it?” Digger lowered his gaze as if talking to someone at his feet, “It’s David Murphy.” An audible groan came from all corners of the boardroom.  Eyes rolled, heads wagged, and many shifted […]

Raymond “Digger” Cummings had seen this coming for several years. Digger was the grounds keeper and record keeper for Hillside Cemetery, and had been so for more than 20 years. Digger was slim, some might call him scrawny, with a large adam’s apple for a man his size, and receding hairline always covered with a […]