I saw a sign in a local eating establishment that said (and I may be paraphrasing here), “There is always a reason to be thankful.” As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I…
Category: Editorials
Passing Parade: Local Action=National Impact
Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist A woman from Sarasota is shaking up the education establishment in Florida. Perhaps you’ve heard of her? She is Mrs. Bridget Ziegler. After observing what her first…
The Game of Life: College Edition – Breaking bread
This Sunday’s message in church was centered around the concept of meals. When discussing the Bible, most Christians immediately think of the meal shared by Jesus and his disciples before He was…
Do we crave God’s presence?
Are we, individually and as a church, truly experiencing God’s presence? Jesus said, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by…
National Security: End game
As the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine War approaches, the front in the east wrapping around to Crimea has settled into a stalemate where neither side makes much, if any, progress. The…
Learning As I Go: Surprise
Friday, I took our cats to get spayed and neutered. One of the instructions was to let them sleep inside one night before allowing them to go back outside. We prepped the…
The content of our prayers
Continuing the subject of prayer in His sermon, Jesus gives a model for how people should pray (Matthew 6:9-12). After instructing the crowd about not praying to be seen of men and…
From the sunny side: Ghosts of Thanksgivings past
I know this one is a bit early, but for some reason, I have been thinking of Thanksgiving a lot recently. The fact that I have been looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner…
Passing Parade: Destroying the Big Bend
Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist If the courts would get out of the way, the Big Bend congressional district would survive. Right now, the courts seem to think that an historical community…
The Game of Life: College Edition – Almost there
Happy Friday everyone! We are so close to Thanksgiving and I don’t know about y’all, but I am so excited to come home and spend some time with my family (and eat…
Thinking of our veterans and future vets
How did you spend your week? Perhaps you fellowshipped at church, enjoyed lingering meals with your family and had fun bonding with friends while watching your favorite movies on Netflix. How do…
National Security: Israel
The modern state of Israel is now 75 years old, created in 1948, about the time I was born. Its antecedents are much older, going back to the 32nd chapter of the…
Learning As I Go: Grieving
We always hear the importance of grieving. “Make sure you grieve,” is a common phrase after someone passes. “Give yourself grace and permission to grieve,” is another one. Grief is not an…
Praying to impress God, not people
Jesus addresses people praying as another example of doing religious things to impress people (Matthew 6:5-8). He talks to the crowd about praying in secret (in the closet); praying using meaningful words…
From the Sunny Side: November
I recently saw a social media post from a friend that showed the month of November with all the dates after Thanksgiving circled and labeled, “Christmas season.” It also had the dates…
Passing Parade: Finish the job
Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist On Thursday, Oct. 5, President Joe Biden announced that he was going to “fast-track” 17 miles of new construction of a barrier wall along the border of…
The Game of Life: College Edition Reading the room
Every week, my coach sends out the practice plan, along with the quote of the week. This year, she started sending out questions to answer along with the quote that we turn…
Washing dishes with a cheerful heart
Cleaning the kitchen, scrubbing toilets and mopping floors often feels like an interruption to my schedule. And my attitude while doing these chores often shows, especially when I’m exhausted. One day, in…
National Security: All Saints
Today is All Saints’ Day. Many churches, such as the Episcopal, Catholic, AME. and Methodist, use this occasion to honor the church triumphant in Heaven, with the souls of many saints. This…
Learning As I Go: Losing my other granny
At eighteen, my grandmother left her small town of Glen Rogers, W. Va., with only a small suitcase of essentials, and headed to Washington, D.C. No job. Nowhere to live. Only the…