Have you ever walked up to a restaurant counter to place an order, only to have the employee take your money and hand over your change without ever saying a word or cracking a smile? Unfortunately, that happens far too often, and society now treats that interaction as acceptable rather than as a form of dismissiveness. The truth is, no one li...

I recently visited a friend's house to discuss business, and while we were conversing, I could hear the television in another room. Normally, that wouldn't distract me, but I was shocked by the vulgar language on the TV show. Admittedly, I hardly ever watch television, so I'm not sure when it became OK to use such words. The last time I c...

The song "Butterfly Kisses," written by Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas, never really resonated with me until after I became a daddy in 2000. I love both of my children dearly, but there is something special about the bond between a father and his daughter. I'm not sure how the magic is made, but my daughter, Faith, and I have it. She may have been f...

I live on Highway 20 between Canton and Cartersville. Occasionally, a stray dog may wander into a lane hoping to find its way back home, or a deer may dash across the road. Although the Georgia deer are much smaller than where I grew up, they can still cause significant damage if you hit one. When you are raised in mountain country, as I was, it wa...

A few years ago, when my family attended First Baptist in Cartersville, a sweet family in the church sent out an urgent message to pray for their teenage son who was involved in a serious car accident. Garrett Geros was headed home from his friend's house when he dozed off and crashed his truck into a tree. The accident didn't take his life, but it...

 Years ago, before it became popular to shop on Amazon and other retail websites, many of us attempted to finish Christmas shopping early to avoid the stress of crowds and limited inventory. I say "attempt" because, while we may have secured a gift or two by early November, we would inevitably find ourselves lured into shopping on Black Friday...

 The handshake has been a symbolic gesture of mutual admiration, commitment, and a universal sign of trust for hundreds of years. Its origination can be traced to a 5th century sculpture depicting two soldiers shaking hands after a battle. Another theory is the handshake originated in the 9th century after Assyrian King Shalmaneser III shook h...

With an 8:30am flight to Montana, I knew I needed to be on the road no later than 5:00am in case of traffic delays or parking challenges. The Georgia weather at this time of year can also be unpredictable. But, I felt confident that setting my alarm for 4:00am would give me ample time. The night before, I used the digital notification to check in f...

It is not uncommon to hear people reference stress as illegitimate or something that is self-imposed. Others flippantly say that stress is real, but you just need to learn to deal with it, as if it was simply a papercut or the common cold. The medical field has long argued the legitimacy of stress and its devastating effects if left unaddressed. St...

I absolutely love the fall and winter seasons in Georgia. In late October, people rush to north Georgia to pick apples in Ellijay, "The Apple Capital of Georgia," while others continue even further north to look at the beautiful leaf colors nestled throughout the mountains. As quickly as the beautiful colors appear, winter sweeps in and turns the l...

 With nearly 60,000 square miles of terrain and almost 280,000 miles of paved roads, Georgia is a big state. I've traveled many of these roads over the past six months, including countless two-lane highways of asphalt running through wheat fields and pine forests, connecting one rural community to another. While meeting with folks in towns all...

Years ago, I participated in a forensic class and was amazed to discover how unique each person truly is. I knew that each of our fingers has a unique print, but I was surprised to discover that no two people have the same fingerprints including identical twins. When you consider that each cell in our body contains over 20,000 genes, it is not diff...

Our family has a miniature dachshund named Bella, and she is as sweet as they come. If there is such thing as a lap dog, she definitely qualifies. When people enter our home, she quickly greets them and barks until they acknowledge her presence. Recently, my son was getting up from his chair and accidentally stepped on Bella, causing her to yelp be...

Recently, I attended a convention on the coast. I was excited by the opportunity to stay at a newer resort and meet individuals who shared many of my same beliefs. I arrived on Wednesday evening and grabbed an early dinner with a couple of colleagues before heading back to my room. The next day, I encountered some of my friends at breakfast, and th...

Now that summer is in full swing, and the temperatures are soaring, it is time to ensure our sprinkler systems are working correctly. Actually, if I'm honest, I should have done this back in late spring when it was cooler, but I forgot about it until the grass started to turn brown in spots. So, last Saturday, I proceeded to fire up the sprinklers ...

As a young boy, I would occasionally have the opportunity to leave the farm and spend time with my best friend at his home in town. We would generally shoot hoops, and then he would break out the Swan's Ice Cream and the A&W Root Beer. In my opinion, there is no better root beer float than one made from these two ingredients. While many things ...