October 22, 2026
Opinion
Why is my child sick again?
Monday morning after a weekend of birthday parties, pumpkin patches, soccer games, errands, and church. You haven’t had a chance to catch your breath, and the week is already starting. Then your child shuffles down the hall and says the dreaded words: “I don’t feel good.” Not again. That’s the third time since school started six weeks ago. As a mom of three, I’ve been there. Suddenly you’re calling the school, calling the doctor’s office, and digging through the cabinet for cough medicine. If it feels like your child is sick more than they’re well this fall, you’re not alone.
Don’t beat around the bush
explore the origin of some common sayings. After writing several columns about phrases like, “that takes the cake,” and “dead as a doornail,” many of you suggested some others. I figured I had better write another column about those idioms now, or someone would accuse me of “beating around the bush.” Where did that one come from? Oddly enough, it originated from hunters, hundreds of years ago. According to the website “Mental Floss,” it alluded to hunters who would shake bushes and weeds to scare out birds, rabbits, or similar creatures. The critters could then be caught or snared in nets.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Asian Massage Parlors
In my pastoral hometown of Columbia, Tennessee exists the newly gerrymandered Tennessee 5th Congressional District. Its race between Democratic Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder and Republican former Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher has drawn unwanted attention following a police investigation of an Asian massage parlor. The parlor’s name was the “Red Fruit Spa,” named after what afflicted men two days after a visit.
Are you ready for some Agatha Christie?
Danny Tyree I see dead people. So do you, if you’ve been caught up in the recent resurgence of interest in the world of mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976). I…
National Security
The “national security” of the United States is under attack, or so says Draco-II, except only he gets to decide what “national security” means. For example, Draco-II banned MS-NOW, CNN, and Politico from the White House grounds and did so in the interest of “national security”. Obama or Biden never banned Fox News, the openly sycophant media of the Republican party; they believed in the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Draco-II does not. He doesn’t care about free speech, a free press, freedom of religion, unless he approves of it: unfortunately for him, the constitution is still the law – at least for now.
Trump of the Flies
As we dive into the darker side of our society/ civilization, remember how quickly we arrived. We can quickly evolve into savagery and shamelessness in just a decade or faster. Deceit and bedlam come quickly when we cannot recognize how easy it is to ignore that satan hides in our midst, hiding in front of us. See St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians 11:12–15, NIV; for example.
The Trap
The comparison trap we can all so easily become a victim to is very dangerous. “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 KJV).
Timothy Miller shares his gift with Braves fans
Timothy Miller gives me goosebumps. He is the charismatic man in the tuxedo who sings “God Bless America” during the 7th inning stretch at Atlanta Braves games on Sundays. I have enjoyed his performances for the past 18 years, and I can report that he is on a 221-game winning streak, with no end in sight. It is an impressive display of patriotism, each more moving than the last.