The young man was working the “graveyard” shift in New York City. At around 3:00 in the morning when all was quiet, an unknown man bounded up to the second floor. Only the young man and his coworker from the next office were present in the isolated building.

Andy was only a green twenty-year-old when he was called to his very first pastorate out in the Panhandle of Oklahoma. Located in a rural isolated community, this tiny church was accustomed to getting “newbies” as its pastor. Preacher-boys needed somewhere to learn pastoring and public speaking, and that church did a fine job of tolerantly being that somewhere.

Gene Autry, 29-year old western movie star who makes more money than Clark Gable but isn’t pestered by autograph hunters, stopped off in Bristow long enough to sniff the air and pace the Frisco platform that he used to tread everyday when he was the Frisco telegraph operator here. The remembered G. H. Higgins, the local Frisco agent, from the old railroading days asked, “Did you once live in Bristow?” Autry replied to Higgins’ question, “I’ll sign an affidavit that I did. Some of my first singing was done at Nichols’ 10 cent store. He hired me to sing the latest phonograph records at his store, but the crowds jammed the store so tight people couldn’t get in to buy anything, so I had to quit.” Autry was riding a Frisco train bound for Oklahoma City and ultimately on his way back to Hollywood.

My stepdaughter and I were traveling along Turner Turnpike on the way home from Oklahoma City. We were just about thirteen miles out of the City when my car became difficult to steer. I flipped on the flashers and reluctantly pulled over to the side of the highway. Yes. It was a flat tire.

The elderly aging face unwanted challenges. Duane was almost 80 when his sweetheart died. They'd been together 57 years, spending their adult lives doing everything together. They raised a family, pulled through tough times of financial hardship, dealt with his earlier health issues, and later her Alzheimer's health worries, all the while sustaining a strong relationship and a secure happy home.

What a scary and traumatic situation! The young girl was having winter fun with a few friends. She walked out onto the ice covering a huge lake.

This past week, we completed work on the 2021 legislative session, adjourning on Thursday, a day before the deadline mandated by our state’s constitution. Overall, it was a remarkable session in terms of what we were able to accomplish—even more so when you think back to just a year ago, when we were facing a $1.3 billion shortfall and still reeling from the public health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With all the conflicting messages in the world today, how can we be absolutely certain that the words we are hearing, and more important, what we are accepting, are really those which bring the best results?

Thinking Out Loud: A Short ThoughtA About Life There's no denying that we live in a very busy world. The pace of life has never been faster and, it seems, the demands on our energy never greater.

Occasionally we fix oatmeal for breakfast. Not your favorite thing to eat of a morning? Me neither.