IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury I’ve always been a sucker for the sappy, plot-easily-followed kind of “flick” that ends happily. Take Mr. Holland’s Opus–and others like it–where movie-goers had best take multiple hankies. Richard Dreyfuss starred in this tear-jerker a full quarter-century ago. Opus is a great story to watch–or re-watch–while we’re marooned in our homes, sometimes with
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON When I was five years old, our garage almost caught on fire because of a burning mattress. Someone was playing with matches, throwing them behind the old mattress when it suddenly caught on fire. My brother, who was three years old, and I were sat down and interrogated by my dad. “Who started the fire?” “Gary did,”
Read moreEditor’s Note: Brian and Karen Massey are offering to purchase a Zoom subscription for small churches that can’t afford on. If your church fits, or if you know of one that does, contact Brian by emailing brian@housesforhealing.com By BRIAN MASSEY Who would have thought in January of 2020 that almost the entirety of the churches across America would close their
Read more
By CAROLYN NEWMAN On Sundays we would go to a Gospel Sing. Mama would fry chicken and often slipped me a wing. Then she baked a cake with raw eggs in the batter. I got to lick the beaters, uncooked eggs did not matter. First the preacher preached, then we sang and sang. My stomach started wanting “nana puddin” with
Read moreNote from Marianne Wood: My mother, Marjorie Andrews, passed in 2018, but her legacy continues as I now download books from Hoopla, Kindle, or Audible, enjoying the delight of opening up a new world via the written word. And I have a warning for parents who read to their children: books may so inspire them that they wish to travel,
Read moreBishop Michael Sis of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo offers ways to practice corporal acts of mercy even in a time of social distancing. Offering to take food to neighbor and donating blood are among his suggestions.
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON It looked like a drive-in movie and sounded like a pep rally, but once the service began, there was no doubt that the National Day of Prayer was being observed in Abilene. Instead of on the lawn at City Hall or in a park, the service took place on the parking lot in front of the Abilene
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON A local National Day of Prayer service will be held this year, despite the COVID-19 shutdown, but it will look a little different. Instead of worshippers holding hands, hugging, singing and praying next to one another, participants will be asked to stay in their vehicle and listen on the radio. 1-Kingdom, an organization of local pastors and
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON Not long after the word “coronavirus” started popping up in the news, Brian Massey called social workers at Hendrick Medical Center to see if he could help. Some people are just like that–looking to help, not looking to hunker down. Massey, founder of Houses for Healing, is one of those. Over the past few years, he has
Read more
