By Jim Nichols Consider this as a public service announcement. In many hospitals at this moment a small group of family members has gathered because another member of the family group is ill or injured—perhaps even near death. Here is an abbreviated version of that difficult conversation. Child #1: This is totally freaking me out. How did he ever get
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury I’ve pondered– likely at times when I should have been engaged in thoughts of consequence–about goings-on that seem to “fit” into one of three categories: Divine intervention, coincidence or “blind hog luck.” The older I get, the more I believe that in most instances, what we’ve often thought to be coincidences–or the referenced “blind
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A festival of African music, culture, and cuisine will be held 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. The fifth annual Tamasha la wa Afrika (Celebration of Africa) will feature music by the Alleluia Choir, which is a part of the Swahili language congregation led by Bikole Mulanda that meets at
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For AssistanceFood Bank of West Central Texaswww.fbwct.org www.militarymeals.org325-695-6311 Meals on Wheels Plushttp://www.mealsonwheelsplus.com325-672-5050 By Loretta Fulton Local food distribution agencies have not been affected yet by the government shutdown that began Oct. 1. Meals on Wheels Plus and the Food Bank of West Central Texas continue to operate with no disruption in funding, but both are concerned about a prolonged shutdown. “Currently,
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By Danny Minton Pearl Harbor. Mention the name and most people flash back to our history classes on the beginning of the U.S. involvement in World War II. On one of the saddest days of the war, over 2,400 Americans lost their lives due to the surprise attack by the Japanese Empire. If we’re asked the name of a ship
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By Jim Nichols Who plays the role of “priest” in your life? Who plays the role of “prophet” in your life? You may be confused by the questions and want to respond, “No one.” I suggest, however, that each of us has individuals in our life that come in and out and they play important parts in determining who we
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By Nancy Patrick Ray Miller, the new senior pastor at First Baptist Church, has been preaching a series of sermons entitled Messy Grace. These sermons have reminded me that God’s grace is not always neat and tidy. Life itself is anything but neat and tidy. My human nature tends to be mean, selfish, and ugly—the opposite of God’s grace which
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By Loretta Fulton Most traditional Christian denominations are represented on local university campuses for the fall semester, but only a handful of students come from faith traditions outside of Christianity. Abilene Christian University is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, McMurry University is United Methodist, and Hardin-Simmons University is Baptist. Only ACU and McMurry responded to a request for denominational
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Gentle friends, if any such folks are reading, I wish to make it clear that during my 22+ years of writing this piece, I have avoided ever using “bad” words. If any sneaked in, they were mild, never thrown carelessly around like many words crossing the lips of broadcasters, particularly in the sports world.
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Spirit Of Abilene 