“Jerry, when are you going to stop apologizing for who you are not?” My periodic coffee meetings with Dave had spanned a couple years’ when he delivered the gutpunch question. Kind as he was, I had no...

DEAR ABBY: I am a 47-year-old woman who passes for early 30s. I understand that most women would pay money to look 15 years younger than their age, but people often make and voice assumptions about me...

“The effectual (wonder-working) fervent (passionate) prayer of a righteous man (any person) availeth much,” is the promise and declaration of James 5:16. As we continue to focus on the prominence and ...

It has been an interesting first month of the legislative session at the Oklahoma State Capitol with the focus on committee work. This year, the House of Representatives requires every bill to pass bo...

DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend, whom I have known for many years, remarried her ex-husband a few years ago. I didn’t know her when she married him the first time. My husband and I don’t like him. The last t...

John Maxwell says that leadership is influence. When you say that you’re not a leader, you need to stop and check yourself. Is there ever an occasion when you might say to someone, “Oh, you’ve got to ...

Those surprise happenings that have a way of springing up in all our lives. Such a moment came when Ann and I learned of my nephew Todd and his wife Karena joining as backup singers for Andy Williams ...

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 52 years. While looking for a tax document, I found a manila envelope that had a note written on the outside. It said, “If something happens to me, please destroy th...

In a previous column, we began considering the interesting, intriguing and inspiring subjects and events of the Bible characterized by the number three (3), a number found in the Bible 523 times. Our ...

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is a statewide nonprofit charged with “creating awareness, taking action, and supporting policy to improve the health, safety, and well-being of Oklaho...

DEAR ABBY: My brother just got engaged to the “WOAT” (Worst of All Time). They have been dating for 2 1/2 years, and nobody in the family has anything good to say about her. In the past, he always had...

The new Republican Administration began by signing dozens of executive orders (EOs), with more signed every week. But what is an EO and how does it impact governance? And what is the potential impact ...

I was still a very young pastor. I realized I needed more training. My fellow pastors in the district had discovered a graduate school geared to people who were already active in the ministry as pasto...

DEAR ABBY: I’ve been married to my husband for 30 years. For the past five years, I’ve noticed that he is acting a little different. He’s lost a lot of weight. I found out he’s been smoking drugs. He ...

“It’s Friday, so tonight I’m off to the Fun Mosque!” “Fun Mosque?” Throughout my years I had never associated those words together, much less heard them linked in this way. Now, here was my friend and...

Decisions are made by those who show up, as quoted by President Jed Bartlet from “The West Wing.” Voters who take the time to cast ballots make the decisions. Oklahoma has one of the worst voting perc...

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have very different approaches to social media: He’s all in, and I’m all out. I don’t “do” the internet. I don’t have Facebook, Instagram, X, Snapchat and whatever else peo...

DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Leon,” and I have been together for 13 years. He is bisexual - gay-leaning. I knew this when we got together. I am 51, and Leon is 32. We still love each other deeply, but he i...

Congratulations to all who ran for office and are running for office. It is a big deal to run for office, taking a bit of courage to put yourself “out there” publicly. Yet with all the celebrations, l...

There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It is God’s finger on man’s shoulder. This reflection attributed to Playwright Charles Morgan, brings a warm smile today. I was not ...