Give God thanks this holiday season

“Under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance by law on June 14, 1954. The original pledge was written in 1892, in light of the nation recovering from the Civil War – that brings a lot of context to the words “with liberty and justice to all.

Thanksgiving Day: back then and now

There is a vast difference between Thanksgiving Day now and earlier days in Graham County – even up to the time I came along and for years to come. Thanksgiving Day wasn’t a day off on the farm, as is now the case in most situations.

Organ donor Sabbath

On my driver’s license is a small red heart. It is not there because of my driving record or because the state loves me: it is there because many years ago, I shared that if I died, I wanted to donate my organs and tissues to help other people.

What is wrong with the world

“History, faith, and reason show the way, the way of unity. “We can see each other not as adversaries but as neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature. For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury.

Veterans Day stirs memories

Veterans Day brings an assortment of memories to many. There is a sense of pride for those who have served in the armed forces, especially during times of war.

Examining a 90-year-old examination

The Rev. Dr. J.M. Ormond was a rural pastor and later Professor of Practical Theology at Duke University. In 1931 he wrote the book, “The Country Church in North Carolina: A study of the Country Churches of North Carolina in Relation to the Material Progress of the State.

Wachacha revered for life, service

The name of Wachacha is a well-known name among our local Cherokees here in Graham County. I have been told by some of the Cherokees that the name means the sound a grasshopper makes.

Voting cheerfully

“If you’re happy and you know it…” you must be conservative! American Family Survey recently shared its findings that demonstrate that conservatives tend to be happier than their left-leaning counterparts. This is nothing new.

Evangelism explosion

The Rev. James Kennedy was a young pastor and things were not going well with his new church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He thought to himself, “If things don’t turn around soon I’ll be preaching to empty pews.” A pastor friend – the Rev. K.

‘Grown men don’t cry’

Tim McGraw once infamously crooned a song with the same title as this column, noting that real men should never be ashamed to shed a tear over things that strike the emotions of their heart. Yes, ladies, men like that do still exist.