OUT TO PASTOR: Back in the saddle... finally

  After about three months of wrestling with a variety of bug thingamajigs, I ended up with a case of acute bronchitis. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I, during that time, competed in a coughing and sneezing contest. Unfortunately, she won the contest.

FRONT-PORCH GOSPEL: The atheist’s surprising admission

  Part 1   Welcome to the “Front-Porch.” I would never have expected to read what I read.

OUT TO PASTOR: Does anybody ever grow up?

  In a few months, I will celebrate another birthday. This year, if I’ve kept up to date, I will celebrate my 75th birthday. I never expected to get this far along in life. I always thought 75 was old. If I believe one of my old uncles, my 75th birthday amounts to 7+5 = 12.

FRONT-PORCH GOSPEL: The spirit of thinking ‘different’

  Welcome to the “Front-Porch.” Something amazing about a newspaper column: The stories come to you kind of like the flow of a river. Wherever life goes, so goes the pen. You can tell a man’s life story by reading columns, as you know.

OUT TO PASTOR: My addiction to happiness

  One of the most important elements of life is happiness. When I look around the world, I notice how scarce happiness seems, which makes me reflect on its true value. I’ve come to the conclusion that happiness is a choice. I can be happy or sad – the choice is mine.

FRONT-PORCH GOSPEL: The third-grade teacher I forgot long ago

  Welcome to the “Front-Porch.” As I write, the amazin’ blonde and I are stationed at Coca-Cola and Glory’s house off of the Roanoke Road in my hometown. As you who have followed our musings, writings, and storytelling for a quarter of a century know, our trips back home are frequent and necessary.

OUT TO PASTOR: Retiring my insanity

  After some months of intense reflection, I have come to the conclusion that it is time for my insanity to retire. The evidence before me is so overwhelming that I’m not sure I have any other choice. And believe me, I have looked. Not that I haven’t benefited from my insanity.

FRONT-PORCH GOSPEL: ‘Students, meet grouchy people on their end of the brick wall!’

  “Coach, I like that story,” said one of the young gentlemen sitting in the back row. I didn’t fully fall for the compliment. Lavish compliments are often after something else, so some say. Of course, none of those students were in my class. My student scholars were immune to such knavery, as Mr.

OUT TO PASTOR: Just one more nap!

  Bouncing back from weeks of being sick is not as easy as it used to be when I was younger. I guess that’s the cost of getting old. Over the last six weeks, I’ve had this bug thingamajig going around. I had it for two weeks, and then it gradually went away.

FRONT-PORCH GOSPEL: What will you do when you wake up in Hickory? (part 3)

  Christianity isn’t something that you live inside a church building – maybe in a basketball gymnasium or out on a muddy football field, but not at church. The real living begins when you walk out of those Sunday-morning doors. I think every story I've ever told or written reminds us of that.