This CLOSE to a miracle!
Hear ye, hear ye! My son and daughter-in-law presented us with grandchild number five this week. Meet Weston Phillip Tomlinson, 8 pounds 8 ounces, born 12:22 PM, 11/13/13. As you might imagine, Weston has already staked his claim in my heart. My cup runneth over in a big way
Who Wants to Be a Miracle With Me?
November is fast approaching and I've been trying to make a decision that concerns the All Things Southern community. I've prayed about it. I've asked God for wisdom with as much sincerity as I know how to muster. I thought I needed more answers to proceed. I've known the when and the why. The how, who, what and with whom were blanks. If I were going to do it again this
Leaving on a Jet Plane…
Hey y'all! I write to you with mixed emotions from a hotel room in Loveland, CO. I’ve been here all week as the guest of Resurrection Fellowship, where I’ve been teaching my book Heart Wide Open for the last three evenings. Rez (as they are more informally known), has been recording these sessions to produce a DVD of the event. Let it be known that I am officially in
Oughta Be Shamed to the Knees
We have a saying in the South, “He oughta be shamed to his knees.” The observation is made of someone who has made choices that seem to have embarrassed everyone but the one making them. Generally, there’s a widely agreed upon and unspoken progression of thought tacked on the end: He oughta be shamed to be his knees— but he’s not. I thought about that saying earlier when
Have Mercy, Won’t You Stay?
By the time I finished praying, it was later than usual. I hated the idea of missing my morning kayak ride on Lake Providence, but it seemed like the smart thing to do. As much as I love starting the day on the water, the sun was climbing higher in the sky and my mind was already making a list of everything that needed to
Serendipity and Unanswered Prayers
Serendipity: a happy accident or pleasant surprise. Our lives are full of accidents and surprises. Being able to see the happy and find the pleasant in them-- that's the hat trick. More than a decade ago, after filling away yet another rejection letter, I squared my shoulders and took another path. I spent the next several years working feverishly to build a platform for my writing. Progress was
Story Stacking on a Lazy Dazy Sunday
The man is zeroed in on the Masters. I can see his blond head from here. I'm back porch writing in my new Swingasan. (LOVE this thing!) Just a little while ago Papa and Mama came by for a quick cup of coffee. While they were here our conversation turned to Mama's parents, my beloved grandparents and their camp on the Old River. It didn't take us long
I See the Moon
The most beautiful moon led me home last night. I knew my cell phone camera wouldn't do it justice, but I had to try. I knew I'd want to share the moment with y'all. The moon was perfectly round and startling it it's brilliance-- and, bear with me here, but I felt it's company. Am I not getting weirder all the time? Wait. Don't answer that. I'm not saying the
Singer/Songwriter Jeremy Calloway and Writer/Director of Crossroad to visit ATS LIVE March, 25th!
I don't know where else you plan to be tomorrow evening from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central time, but if there is any way possible, I hope you'll make plans to join me for another great hour of ATS LIVE! I'm so looking forward to this show. In around the fun and folly that is normal for this "anything but ordinary" radio show, I've got two
Not Without Purpose by Phil Sims
Phil Sims, a Vietnam veteran, served in the US Navy for seven years, five of them aboard the USS Midway CVA41. He's a Boy Scout scoutmaster, a member of the Gideons International, and the author of Not Without Purpose. He and his wife, Alma, reside in West Monroe, Louisiana. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. Not Without Purpose is set at the end of the conflict in
