Family
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June 24th Was a Victory, But the Battle Has Not Been Won
June 24, 2022 will go down in history as the day that the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Roe v Wade decision concerning abortion. The rights were turned back over to the individual states to make their own laws concerning this heinous act of abortion. It was a victory for those of us who are pro-life and believe in the sanctity of life which begins at conception. I was overjoyed with the decision, as were so many other people who live in states that had “trigger” laws already in place. Abortion became illegal in the state of Kentucky, but just 7 miles from our hometown on the…
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Johnny One Note
I’m probably going to embarrass one recipient of this post, but I guess I’ll take that chance. On second thought, since our son is the one who actually decides when and if these are posted, this may not even make the cut. I’m thinking back to when he was in grade school in Dexter, Missouri. Donna and I tried to attend every activity connected with the school that involved either him or his sister. Like almost every other parent or grandparent who has ever lived, we thought each choral or band performance, athletic event, etc. was very special. I’m not sure what grade our son was in when he had a solo…
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Cousins’ Camp (CC) 2022 Is In The Books
Year number 10 for Cousins’ Camp for the Faughn clan is over. It was marked with the theme “Decade of Memories,” and we had a blast! Turner designed our T-shirts this year and did a great job. To mark this being our tenth year, each of the grandchildren (minus Luke who is interning this summer with the Westside church of Christ in Salem, Virginia) made a collage of pictures of CC throughout the last nine years. I spent hours with the picture albums and books making color copies of all of their activities. I laughed a lot and I cried sometimes as I went through and selected the pictures. Those memories are priceless.…
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A Life Lesson From The Beatles’ First Drummer
The Beatles came to the United States when I was a few months shy of my sixteenth birthday. Like many people of my generation (as well as other generations), I became a fan. While I was not as consumed as some people seemed to be about The Beatles, I am aware of some things about The Beatles that might not be of any interest to anybody but me. What I have known for quite some time, for example, is that Ringo Starr’s “given name” is Richard Starkey. I also knew that there was a drummer before him. He was/is known professionally as Pete Best. What I did not know until just recently was that…
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One Two-Step to Being a Better Dad
Father’s Day is coming up Sunday. For a long time now, it has (thankfully) been noted that, far too often, we celebrate mom on Mother’s Day and then blast dads on Father’s Day. It seems to be that the tide has finally turned, though, as more people are seeking to truly honor dads on this special day. Any dad who is striving to do things right knows that he falls short. He understands that he cannot do everything and that there are shortcomings that must be worked on. A real man is willing to work on those things. But where does a dad start? Thankfully, if he is a Christian…
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The Name Shows The Sin
This is being released on day 8 of 30, but the buildup to it makes it feel as if we are several more days into it. Much of what is being done will be done again later this year for yet another full month, so that fully one-sixth of our calendar is filled with expressions of affirmation and acceptance. It is, of course, “Pride” Month. Rainbows are everywhere, as are more multi-colored flags and logos. Social media is ablaze with all manner of icons and colors and memes meant to show support. Businesses, sports teams, and governmental leaders are bending over backward to show how accepting they are of this…
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One Of Life’s Greatest Blessings
I’m spending a lot of time working on lessons for Polishing the Pulpit, which is coming up in a couple of months. Some of my time is spent just sitting and thinking about the topic upon which I have been asked to speak. This week I’ve been thinking, studying, and writing about being an elder’s wife. Now, you may be wondering about the title for this blog post and how it goes along with being an elder’s wife. There are days when I wonder the same thing! After all, it is a fairly difficult position…the wife of a man whose responsibility (along with other men serving in this capacity) is to watch…
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Do You Have a Favorite Pillow?
Recently, two of our grandchildren spent a couple of nights with us. After they had spent a night back at their house, it was discovered that our granddaughter did not make it home with her pillow. When I told her that we were sorry that we didn’t find it earlier, she told me that it was alright because that wasn’t the only one she had. She told me that it was her favorite pillow, but that she slept fine without it. Her response didn’t seem all that strange to me. She’s not the only person in the world who has a favorite pillow. Her “Grammy” also has one that we typically take with us when we…
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The Main Lesson To Teach Your Children On Vacation
Vacation season has arrived for many people. Schools are letting out and families are taking trips. Despite rising costs, a lot of families see value in getting away for a few days of relaxation and fun. With Memorial Day coming soon, trips will begin in earnest and summer will be loaded with them. There are so many good things that can come from a vacation. Rest is a good thing. Making memories is a blessing that is so special. Experiencing new things and seeing new places is wonderful. There is also an educational aspect to any vacation. Even if you are just going to hang out in the mountains or…
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Your Face Says It
Have you noticed how many people aren’t smiling these days? Everywhere I look, lots of people are walking around with a sad, straight, or frowning face. Now, I realize that smiling all the time would seem kind of weird, but when in a crowd of people, shouldn’t we at least try to smile at those with whom we establish eye contact? Thinking about this reminded me of a conversation I had with my mother near the end of her life. She was living in an assisted living home near me, and I was able to visit her every day. As she became more and more feeble, she began to talk about…
