Opinion

What do you have to lose when you knowingly commit a sin after being giving insight to the truth? This may sound like a trick question or even a harsh question to some, but after studying the book of Deuteronomy today God laid it on my heart to examine the text. What do we lose when we choose not to follow the commandments, statutes and judgements put forth by God? The answer is simple, everything. “ Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, And then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.” Deuteronomy 11:16-17.

Igenerally limit my column to one topic. Sure, I often veer off course, but I always return to the main topic. It’s like when I’m on a road trip to Cincinnati. When I see a Shoney’s sign, I will go out of my way to get a hot fudge cake. But I always end up in Cincinnati. Having said that, let’s explore a few recent diversions.

Brace yourself. We are approaching some of the hottest weeks of summer. The heat can be brutal! Excessive exposure to heat can lead to mild discomfort and fatigue as well as life-threatening emergencies like heatstroke. But we don’t have to be afraid of summer or the sun! There are some actions we can take to lessen the discomfort and the likelihood of experiencing heat related emergencies. One action you can take is to drink consistently by sipping on water throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty. If you sweat a lot, supplement water with sports drinks or electrolyte packets to replace lost minerals. Limit or avoid alcohol, caffeine, and heavy sugar because they can cause your body to lose more fluids. Choose easy-to-digest, cooling foods like fruits and salads.

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Atlanta Braves fans are familiar with the names Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Chris Sale. These are among the many All-Star players we cheer for at Truist Park 81 games a year. All of those guys get plenty of media coverage, becoming household names among baseball fans. But there are so many people off the field who deserve our praise as well. From the parking lot attendants, to the food workers, ushers, security officers and more. I can’t leave out the video, radio, and social media crew, the in-game entertainment staff, world-class TV broadcaster Brandon Gaudin, and opera singer Timothy Miller, who delivers perfect renditions of “God Bless America” at Sunday home games.

As many of you know, my Papa Billy Allen, is known around town as the “Honey Man”. His dedication to preserving honeybees in Moore County and the countless hours he has spent with bees is admirable. As his granddaughter, it has become hard for me to not also want to be involved in the honey production side of agriculture.

Serendipity strikes. While I was struggling to motivate myself to write about a company that will turn your life story into a keepsake book, based on the answer to 50 questions (questions which I hope are more insightful than the ubiquitous “Hot enough for ya?,” “Think it’ll rain?,” “Finished with the sports section?” and “Was that you or the dog?”), I stumbled across something even catchier.