Columns

Seven Bridges … Bridge

To paraphrase that famous Eagles song of the South from their ‘Live’ album in 1980. Written by Steve Young about an actual road of bridges out of Montgomery, Ala. The Eagles acapella version is the most famous and Don Henly once said, “When we open with it the crowd goes wild! But it is really only a song about a road and a girl although now I think there is almost something mythical about it”.

AND, let me unpack that a little to make sense of it all. I just got back from a short trip down to South Louisiana to introduce Susan to my best friends Butch and Charmaine Golsan and my Son Van (Three) and his girlfriend Rachel.

Labor Day Relief

Let’s get shakin!!!

As I see the kiddos returning to school, my social media is flooded with first day back to school pictures; I reminisce. I don’t have children but most of my friends do.

I remember back to when I was young when their parents were young. Back to school shopping, moms and dads exhausted from the summer heat and let’s be honest, THE KIDS.

I remember Labor Day weekend, I remember it was the last hoorah, it meant the long hot days of our southern summer were coming slowly to an end. I remember growing up we never started school before Labor Day.

Why do they now? Labor Day was created in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer, and is usually celebrated with parties, street parades and athletic events.

My heart aches and my mind wanders, the sound of emptiness fills the room. No matter where I go or what happens the same feeling comes and circles around me. What can this be? Is this loneliness? Could it be the sense of failure? Who do I go to? Who can help me overcome these feelings and emotions? I have tried everything to quiet the noise. Drugs, alcohol and many other things; I became addicted. My soul lingers in agony and my spirit hurts.

“Watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:42) We had a beautiful day this past Sunday! Services were good and the Spirit of the Lord was upon the minister; we could tell. About six months ago I suffered a stroke. Now I am 88 years old and this is the first one of these I’ve suffered to my knowledge. My two sons, Daniel and Bruce, quickly checked me into our area nursing facility and prepared to sell my home out in the country.

I still live at home in Mansfield with my wife, Helen. We have been married for 19 years since my wife Frances passed away in 2006.

The stroke damaged my right side and I was unable to walk and function for the first few days. I started using a walker to get around and get more acquainted with our neighbors. I started using a cane after that to help me get around. I had fallen several times without one and this is the safest and best way to go for me.

I really enjoyed talking with you on Monday.

I am a pastor of Bethel AME Church in Coriscana Texas, a chaplain, with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and an author.. I am scheduled to retire from the AME Church in 2026, My wife and I plan to move to her hometown of Fairfield, Texas next year. Fairfield is the location of the Valverde Cannon which was used at the Battle of Mansfield. In my book «The Durhams of Fairfield: An African American Genealogy,» I chronicle the journey of my wife’s ancestors from Fairfield County, SC to DeSoto Parish, La, to Fairfield, Texas.

“You have down much and bring in little; you eat but you have not enough; you drink, but you are not dilled with drink but you there is none warm and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put into a bag with holes.” (Hagar 1:6) “Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.” (Deuteronomy 28:17). “Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body.” (Deuteronomy 28:18) “The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed.” (Deuteronomy 28:20) This sounds like America today. History repeats itself. The shelves are empty like many of our nations stores today. Goods are cheaply made by lazy, careless people.

Information Trading: The Most Valuable Crop You Can Share

In rural communities, information has always been one of the most valuable things a person can share. Long before the internet or smartphones, knowledge traveled through back fence conversations, handwritten recipe cards, or a chat at the general store. If someone had a trick for keeping bugs off squash or a better way to mend a torn feed sack, you can bet it was passed along with a grin and a “Now don’t forget this one.”

That’s information trading, and it’s just as vital today as it ever was.

While some folks think of bartering as a loaf of bread for a dozen eggs, the truth is, the simple act of sharing what you know can be worth far more. Maybe you’ve figured out how to make the best tomato cages from scrap wire, or you’ve learned the hard way how not to store potatoes. That experience, those hard-won lessons, are pure gold to someone just starting out.

Deer eating your plants? Try these strategies

When you gaze upon your garden, you might see many things. Perhaps you delight in the bright colors of your flowers, the lush foliage of other plants. Maybe your eye is drawn to the delicate butterflies and buzzing bees that come to visit Deer, on the other hand, see a garden differently. It’s one big kitchen for these herbivores — full of delicious, leafy snacks.

Gardening in rural Louisiana — and even suburban and urban neighborhoods bordering wooded areas — brings unique challenges, and deer are one of them.

It’s hard to dislike deer. They’re usually gentle, shy creatures. But no one appreciates having the fruits of their gardening labor munched on, either.

Jessie Hoover knows this dilemma all too well. As an LSU AgCenter horticulture agent based in the hills and woods of the Feliciana parishes, Hoover regularly gets questions from local gardeners about how to deter hungry deer.

Terrible times are upon the earth right now, Airplane crashes, destructive floodings, that take hundreds of lives, wars, cancers, funerals, etc., but this is what the scriptures say, “For the great day of His wrath hath come, and who shall be able to stand?: (Revelation 6:17)

“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 NASB1995 Keeping our dignity in our country is harder and harder with all the problems, deceitfulness, lies, and negativity prevalent today. We live in a world where most things are upside down. Things civil society used to consider to be wrong now are acceptable. Why is that? Because of the weak sense of dignity in people’s hearts and minds.

I observe that dignity has no value or relevance for most people today. When dignity becomes weak in people’s life it is the cause of what we see in our country today. To be respectful of others’ person-hood, efforts, and values has no meaning. There is no importance placed on reasoning and discussing a point and it is seen as a waste of time. Many won’t agree to disagree in a civil polite way.