One of my most exciting growing-up times on the acreage north of Okmulgee took place from my perch on the seat of a Farmall H. “OK now, son ... just step up - that’s it - onto the draw bar. And on up ...

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas weekend! You know what that means though. A new year is upon us! It’s hard to believe it’s that time again already. I ran this intro to my column last year, bu...

“Because you’re 6 years old,” says Jessica, 6. Whether 6 or 60, everyone needs forgiveness. “I don’t know what that is, but my mom and dad do,” says Trey, 6. I’m glad for your mom and dad, Trey, but I...

As 2021 fades into the sunset, like the conclusion of a good Western, the end credits are rolling with what has happened over the past year and the individuals and organizations that shaped the past 3...

DEAR ABBY: Recently my husband and I invited a couple that we are close with to accompany us on a 10-day bus trip. After the first couple of days, they started doing everything on their own -- going t...

Hope you’re having a Very Merry Christmas! It’s beautiful to see all of the decorations across town, and I love seeing our community come together. A couple of quick shoutouts - the Young Professional...

Bill was a teacher in Elementary School. He was my friend. He would surely know of someone who fit the criteria of what I had in mind and wanted to do. You see, since my freshman year in college, I ha...

“I mean”, she asked her cousin, “how does this - this Pentecost - which we taste of now, compare with that presence you once knew when carrying within you the One of Promise?” The younger woman stood ...

DEAR ABBY: I’m responding to your request for comments about your answer to “Doggy Business” (Oct. 28). Please IMPLORE your readers not to put their dog’s poop in their neighbor’s garbage cans, even i...

Christmas is Saturday! How crazy is that?! I miss my father and that’s got me feeling nostalgic for all the Christmases growing up. Wednesday this week, I woke too early and made myself some breakfast...

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating “Mark” for 18 months. Four months ago, his 17-year-old daughter, “Hayley,” started disliking me - my dog, my kids, anything having to do with me. She forbids me from goin...

As we approach Christmas, I wish the best to each of you. I look forward to seeing family over the weekend ahead and spending some quality time with my dog Rainy. Pets are a joyous part of countless f...

Wise men from the East brought baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. What gifts would you have brought? “I would give Jesus a lot of money, a big sheep and a balloon that reads, ‘It’s a bo...

DEAR ABBY: My two daughters are not speaking to each other. “Amy,” the older, claims her sister started it. “Lisa,” the younger, claims Amy took Lisa’s son out to dinner and never told her. (This happ...

The first deadline for the 2022 session of the Oklahoma Legislature reached on Friday of this past week. That was the deadline by which lawmakers were required to turn in prospective ideas for the myr...

He had me. Trapped. His pastor, caught in the act of breaking the law. He was proud of himself. It was written all over his face: the self-satisfied, superior expression with an “all-knowing” smirk. Y...

The opioid crisis is one of the biggest health challenges facing America. In one year, from April 2020 to April 2021, we saw a record high of over 100,000 overdose deaths. And the latest data shows sy...

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my husband for 41 years, married for 30, but we lived together for five years before we tied the knot. I have just learned he has a son who is two months younger than our s...

Early disciples of Jesus (and others who followed afterward) lived their lives as trainees. And so it continues today. The great thing about a loving follower of Jesus is that she or he has started di...

“God is very loving. I imagine he is very tall. I love him,” says Lauren, 9. Yes, God is very loving, but he’s also a “sin hater” who’s the “nicest man in the world,” says Justin, 10. “I think he has ...