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Watch out for the speedbump when singing about skunks

Tulsa Beacon

In my entire working life, I’ve only been fired once. I’m not proud that I have this blemish on an otherwise stellar career. And it all came back to me when I was asked to speak in the chapel service at Hannibal LaGrange University. When I attended, it was Hannibal LaGrange College, but now the…

Sequoyah, the untrained polymath, had a great impact

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] How does an untrained person, who cannot read, does not know an alphabet, and speaks only one language, create a written language to educate his people? Sequoyah was a self-taught linguist. In his first language attempt, he tried to use pictographs for each…

The Ramada is not up to date in Platte City, Missouri

Tulsa Beacon

Traveling in a declining pandemic is a challenge. And it’s not very normal. In March, I flew to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to meet my daughter and two only grandchildren. They met me at the airport and then we took two days to drive to Tulsa. They were here for a visit and to attend…

Got brain fog? Here’s is a surefire cure guaranteed to work

Tulsa Beacon

Today, I was watching the morning news when a doctor came on, reporting that one of the down sides of isolation from friends and family during this pandemic has been a condition called “brain fog.” I have noticed some subtle difference in certain friends of mine during this pandemic, and I thought I needed to…

Who is the most recognized person in Cherokee history?

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.] Who is the most noted Cherokee man in history? Intriguingly, who was his father and where was he born remain questions. The culture did little to aid in tracking. The Cherokee people, as most Native Americans, at the time of the American Revolution…

There is something to hang on to in this troubled world

Tulsa Beacon

It seems like everyone I know has serious medical problems. Some are of their own making while others are just a result of being on this planet for so many decades. My  own list of medical professionals has skyrocketed. I have a family doctor, a chiropractor, a dentist, an oral surgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, a…

No to Chris Cross, Dee Zaster, Hazel Nutt, Artie Choke, etc.

Tulsa Beacon

I’ve written on this topic before, but some of you who weren’t yet “great with child” may not have read it. So, I’ll repeat myself: Spend plenty of time praying about your child’s name. Naming your children is one of the most important things you’ll do in their lives. God never intended names to be…

Ancient life was very difficult for the American Indians

Tulsa Beacon

Looking at why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes. Why would someone get an academic education to leave home and live in and assist another less-developed culture? Understanding and accepting a different culture and the context of their world is one of the most difficult things about history and living with people….

Easter will be a little bit different due to the pandemic

Tulsa Beacon

You got dressed up in your best clothes and went to church on Easter Sunday when I was a boy. Even when I was in elementary school, I wore a coat and tie to church on Easter. Shoe stores were busy a few weeks before Easter because everyone seemed to buy a new pair of…

Love note on the washing machine is a blessing for Mom

Tulsa Beacon

Every morning, my son’s Caleb house is either a haven of harmony or a riot. With three boys, two of whom are in school, getting up, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, washing faces, packing lunches, gathering books and a last-minute wrestling match before heading out to the car can be quite a challenge. Some morning things…