The blanket of leaves that covers the ground during autumn is a preface to cozy and comfortable days that will soon be upon us. Much like the way I could never pick one piece of music as my favorite, I've never been able to decide which of the seasons is dearest to me. During this time of year, the light of day takes on a warmer hue, as it reflects...

Last month, when my family and I were in the weeks of blending our summer with the back-to-school regimen, we suddenly found a time when all of our calendars were mostly clear. Looking forward to some downtime, we chose to reserve a campsite and enjoy the lake.On the way to the campsite, we came upon a truck partially parked off the roadway, and I ...

The summer seems to be flying by, as Cherokee County students head back to school this month. During this season, we've been able to get out and enjoy our fine local weather, live music, festivals, and fairs. Choosing to spend quality time with our families instead of just our "spare" time is one blessing many of us have learned to appreciate more ...

One Sunday last month, I was visiting a different church than the one I typically frequent. The Hedberg quote was on the front of the bulletin, and it was familiar to me because I'd pondered it in the past. I found it satisfying to realize that something as simple as an escalator may have inspired me. Initially, I thought to myself, "Yes! Escalator...

One of the keys to building a successful future is appreciating the fact that we each have a history that has molded us, causing us to exist as the individuals we are today. Without the broken roads, lost deals, sorrowful times, and storms, we may not have had the opportunities for arrival, success, and happiness that we celebrate, as the person ea...

The late April showers and soft transition of temperatures that set the course for this year's May flowers were a wonderful blessing. I almost always have a rain jacket or umbrella and never let the weather get me down. Since I can't change it, I try to control the "controllables" by being adaptable and prepared. There are many things that we have ...

When we perceive an obstacle standing between us and our goals, we often fear that our overall plan is in jeopardy. That is usually not the case with most of the glitches to which we twitch. What may be the issue is that the way we choose to tackle a wrinkle in our plan can end up being a different and often bigger problem than the initial goal we set out to accomplish. More than likely, we should try to focus on the end game rather than the obstacle.

Relax. You’re doing just fine. Pursuing perfection in almost anything is, for the most part, an exhaustive waste of time and effort. There’s little sense in beating ourselves up every day, trying to make a perfect score on all of life’s tests — both great and small. Ironically, our pursuit of perfection often becomes a stumbling block to progress. Of course, I’m not suggesting we settle for being content with mediocrity. There’s always room for improvement. However, perfection, in most any circumstance, is subjective.

Last month, I was fortunate enough to take a brief break from the home zone. The little cabin where I stayed was down in a valley, and the only rush to be had was the soothing, rumbling water of a wide mountain creek. The only chatter was the rustling of leaves. There was no cellular service, so no fussing over devices, and no television, so no drama over the airwaves.

On Sunday, feathered friends welcomed me with bird songs on the cool early morning breezes. The first church I came to was off a little gravel road near the cabin. It looked like a child’s drawing, simple and to the point. Greeted by a couple dozen folks, I quickly felt comfortable in the genuinely welcoming environment. The service began, and after the first person stood and spoke, I knew there were going to be some strong opinions. There was plenty to be said about the confusion of being “politically correct” when it comes to taking a stance.

Many of us now look at our life differently than we did several months ago. Our place in the social soup, our position in our career, or how we maintain friendships and other relationships may have been restructured, rearranged, or reevaluated. When our ideal slips away, when we make it to the boat, get settled in, set sail, and the ship returns to port — that’ll catch anyone off guard. Ready yourself for your new normal.

So, the plans you had did not work out like you thought they might? Yes, plans fail, happens all the time. Let us not forget that failure has benefits. When we fail, we learn what didn’t work, which gives us a chance to try something new.

Several weeks ago, while enjoying a nighttime walk in the yard amongst the scurry of rabbits and the night frogs singing, I looked skyward. Eventually, my motion-sensing floodlight went back to sleep, and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the stars seemed to change. The bright ones got brighter and seemingly larger while others that had been barely visible before became more prominent. What had once been a large, black space became a rich, deep blue arena of twinkling celestial bodies.

Of course, being a product of decades of nerdiness (to which many of my childhood friends may attest), I understood that those stars did not suddenly grow or emerge in the blankness of space, beckoned into existence by my renewed sense of wonder. Those luminous objects were there long before the beginning of man’s time on Earth.

As I write this, my prayer is that COVID-19 is under control by the time you read these words. The outbreak of the coronavirus stopped each of us in our tracks. It changed everyone’s perspective on what is truly important to us ­— as individuals, as families, and as members of our community. We survived. This past month, on several occasions, I was reminded of what makes our community my home.

Recently, a dear friend laid his father to rest, and a few short weeks later, that same friend, Butch Brown, also died. Unfortunately, Butch’s work was not done, as he was working to prepare a home for his 91-year-old grandfather. In the shadow of a pandemic, his friends and others in the Hickory Flat community rallied. This team of volunteers completed weeks of work in a matter of days, in honor of the Browns and the love of a family, to make certain that “Papa” Brown had a safe place to call home.

As the first spring of the decade approaches, there’s much to do to prepare for a new season of growth. One way to make it happen is simply to have enough faith in ourselves to do what we need to do to get it done. Getting started is a happy feeling, and getting it done makes one successful. Happiness is a state of mind, success a point of view; bliss is what happens when they coexist.