THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury I have never been a superstitious person—not until the recent Friday the Thirteenth. Truth is, I’ve chuckled at others who won’t walk under ladders, change routes when black cats crossed their trails or wear the same unwashed “lucky” garments to extend sports victory strings. Sad memories of my mid-morning calamity remain tender. But, tears
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By Jay Moore My office window offers a terrific view of the old red-bricked, red-roofed T&P depot that is a reminder of our railroad beginnings. This time of year, the old girl (now 114 years old) is gussied up, adorned with festive Christmas wreaths, Christmas lights and a Christmas tree twinkling just inside the door. The whole scene reminds me
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By Glenn Dromgoole Christmas begins at the manger. It doesn’t end there. If we don’t get beyond the manger, the wise men, the shepherds, the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, we really miss the point of Christmas. Christmas isn’t so much about the miraculous way Jesus of Nazareth was born as it is about the way he lived. And the
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By Loretta Fulton Sanctuaries will be filled with the soft glow of candlelight, the beauty of poinsettias, and the music of Christmas carols as Abilenians join Christians worldwide to celebrate Christmas Eve. This year, Christmas Eve falls on Tuesday, Dec. 24. Everyone is invited to any of the following services. Catholic and Episcopal churches also have services on Christmas Day.
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Las Posadas, a reenactment of the journey of Joseph and Mary to find a place to give birth to Jesus, will be observed at St. Vincent Pallotti and St. Francis Catholic Churches beginning Dec. 16. “Posada” is the Spanish word for “inn,” which Mary and Joseph were searching for. Instead, they ended up in a barn, with a manger serving
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By Jim Nichols “In the unlikely event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the panel above your head. Please be sure to secure your own mask before helping others.” If you have traveled to a destination (for example, the mountains) where the altitude is 10,000 feet or higher, you have realized that it is
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By Darryl Tippens The Cathedral of Notre-Dame officially reopened on December 8, after a five-year reconstruction marathon involving hundreds of architects, carpenters, stonemasons, engineers, and countless others. The massive project was funded by 340,000 donors from around the world. The restored “masterpiece of faith and Christian architecture,” as Pope Francis described it, would have seemed impossible in April 2019 when
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By Nancy Patrick A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the stages of life and how I do not enjoy my current stage, the one near the end of the journey. Not only did I express my dismay and disappointment with my physical limitations, but also I had just begun my excursion into grief following the presidential election.
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The song has been a staple in Christian hymnals for more than a century, underscoring deeply held beliefs. “The Way of the Cross Leads Home”–written in 1906–might be in the running for Christians’ national anthem if it ever came to a vote. Until here lately, the “way” to Branson, Missouri, has not been quite so
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Spirit Of Abilene 