LTJ: Silver & Gold
I can’t believe it’s December, with Christmas just around the corner. When I think of all the shopping I need to do and the events I hope to attend, I become overwhelmed. Then suddenly, I hear Burl Ives, that squinty-eyed, smiling snowman, crooning Silver and Gold. I relax and let my thoughts wander back to…
Read More >LTJ: Thoughts of Thanksgiving
I love family traditions. When I was young my grandparents always spent Thanksgiving with us, traveling two hours from their home. My brother, Jimmy and I would run to meet them as soon as we saw their car pull off the road to our house. Grandmama would be dressed in her Sunday best, including wedge…
Read More >LTJ: The Power of Hope
I just returned from the orthopedic surgeon who informed me I have a 50 to 80 percent chance of my shoulder healing without surgery. I sat in the car and cried with relief before leaving the parking lot. Four months of pain, an erroneous report on my MRI and a previous shoulder surgery had me…
Read More >Edmond Outlook: 5 Years (2005-2010)
Five years ago, Dave Miller invited me to write for his new magazine, Edmond Outlook. I agreed and trotted off to my first assignment—Andy Boatman’s glassblowing studio with no AC in the scorching August heat. Not a comfortable afternoon, but what an adventure. I was hooked. Over the years I counted it a privilege to…
Read More >LTJ: Medicare Madness!
Last month was my birthday and I have never had so much attention. My mailbox was stuffed with envelopes weeks before my celebratory day and my phone rang incessantly. And yes, I come from a large family but few cards were from special people in my life. It was Medicare madness! I had daily mail…
Read More >LTJ: Sunburns and Seashells
It was the summer of 1960 when my older sister invited me to take a vacation with her to Galveston, Texas—just the two of us. I was fifteen years old and had never seen the ocean. What could be better? Jerlene and I packed the car on a Saturday morning and headed south. Hard to…
Read More >LTJ: Celebrate Life!
Hard to believe that half of 2010 has passed. Some highly organized people are probably already shopping for Christmas. Thanks, but no thanks on that. Being a procrastinator, I will wait until I feel the icy blasts of cold weather and winter snow before I hit the malls. So far, this year has been filled…
Read More >Letters from Louise: Fired from the Peanut Patch
I had no idea how to “shake” peanuts nor did I care. At ten years old I was just happy to get away from the house and not have to scrub dirty, bug-infested fruit jars for Mama’s canning. After a half-mile walk, my brother, Jimmy and I arrived at the peanut patch. I don’t know…
Read More >Letters from Louise: Happy Mothers-in-Law Day
Mothers-in-law get a bad rap! They are the brunt of comedian’s jokes and are often vilified in movies and TV sitcoms. But in spite of such negative press, most moms-in-law have great relationships with their children’s spouses, some even becoming like a second mom. I was blessed to have a mother-in-law who adored me. Being…
Read More >Louise Tucker Jones: The Great Train Ride
It was the trip of a lifetime. Our third grade class taking a train ride! No matter that we were boarding a small mail car, bound for a destination just fifteen-miles away. We were as excited as if we were boarding the Orient Express, not that we had ever heard of the infamous train. Our…
Read More >Steps of Faith After the Storm
HHBC Sponsors Couple Displaced by KatrinaA couple’s step of faith hit a bumpy path when their lives were impacted by a natural disaster. But even more steps of faith and the compassion of others kept them on their journey. Owen and Amanda Nease were newlyweds when they entered New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Graduating from…
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