Musings

FOURTH OF JULY By Sean Dietrich Carl, 92, U.S. Army: “During the war, we had everyone pulling for us at home, and we knew it, too. Even movie stars were rooting for the troops. Those were different times. “As soldiers, there were moments, between the fighting, over in Europe, that we talked...

By Rev. Pete Hyde I have made many trips heading west from Oklahoma to various places in the Rockies.  Whether heading out on Interstate 40 through the vast open plains to Amarillo and beyond or heading from Woodward, Oklahoma on the lonely, two-lane U.S. 412 down the center of the...

Lessons for Living the Dream:  A Bike Ride Across Georgia By Kirk McCarly Conditions were near ideal for cycling the mountains and piedmont of North Georgia. Spending seven days covering 386 miles and more than 25,000 feet of elevation climb, my buddy Fred Williams and I traversed granite-faced hills, gurgling clear streams,...

Grace I never feel mellow, I'm like a kaleidoscope of fire, igniting into vulnerable energy. Its silent like a hello without words, and gratitude is sometimes hard to reach, but with the omnipotent latitude there's hope. I'm 50 shades of confusion, bipolar without the soap. I wash, clean with holy agendas invincible like my pride. Beauty believes in...

By Kirk McCarley What did you like doing when you were a kid? When working with individuals contemplating career decisions, life coaches often seek a recollection of talents and interests when they were young. The past is prologue in giving us insight and direction into our future paths. That has certainly been the case...

By Lauren Catanese Life sometimes gets really busy and it’s easy to get caught up in our day to day activities. That’s when we usually forget about ourselves. We keep going and going to get to the end of the day, exhausted and tired with no energy left. We have...

Letter To My Father By Sean Dietrich Hey. It’s me again. I’m sure you’re busy, I just wanted to say hello. How are things? How’s the fishing up there? I thought about you today. I remembered how you used to point your truck in one direction, and drive dirt roads that...

Man in Blue by Wendy Lindemann I spoke a prayer for you today I asked God to keep you safe. He placed you in my line of sight, Your concerns upon my heart. What other cares are on your mind, As you work up there so high? I see you ‘midst the tall pine trees, Clad in a...

A Pastor’s Ponderings The Fog of Life By Rev. Pete Hyde The night was crystal clear when they crawled into the tent and slipped into sleeping bags for the night. The campfire was now just a mound of glowing red embers. The last of a marshmallow sizzled on a rock next to the fire. Graham cracker and...

By Rev. Pete Hyde The mid-morning crowd at the Café Du Monde was lined up outside the door.  We took our beignets, buried in powdered sugar, to a park bench overlooking the Mississippi River. It was a beautiful, crisp morning. I turned away from the view of the river to look...