Musings

By Sean Dietrich The misperception about New Year’s is that it’s supposed to be a happy occasion. Sort of like Christmas. Or a birthday party. But it’s not Christmas. New Year’s represents the end of something. And goodbyes are not joyous. New Year’s is also a beginning. Beginnings are not entirely happy...

By Pastor Doug Stauffer On December 31, the clock struck midnight, and one second later, we stepped into 2025. Many hearts are full of hope, eyes fixed on the horizon. Like every new year, the coming year brings a fresh slate, a chance to start again, grow and live more...

By Sean Dietrich The Third Day of Christmas. My three French hens must have gotten lost in the mail. The weather was a stolid 34 degrees. The water in the dog bowls was stone. The sun was out. Waffle House was warm and inviting. The parking lot was mostly empty except...

By “Doc” Doug Stauffer It’s a familiar scene often portrayed in nativity displays: the wise men gather around a baby in a manger. However, a closer look at the Bible reveals a different picture. According to Scripture, by the time the wise men arrived in Bethlehem, Jesus was not an...

Inspired by Roy Warner; Written by Shantelle Dedicke This past August, my life shifted irreversibly with the passing of my grandfather, Roy Warner. To my family, he was Papaw—a steady presence and a man with the world’s best smile. He was also the Roy in Frances Roy, the namesake of...

By Gueary Clendenning What was your perfect gift you received as a child during Christmas? You know, the one gift that stands out in your memory even after all these years? I remember my perfect gift was a fully loaded red, chrome Schwinn bicycle! How many of you from my generation...

By Sean Dietrich The letter came via email. “My dad died last year and I don’t really know what to do with myself anymore. My mom is trying to give me space, my friends ask when I’ll be normal again. I turn fifteen tomorrow and my dad is not here...

By Pastor Doug “Doc” Stauffer As this reaches you, another very contentious election has passed, and the results are now known. For some, it is a time of celebration, as the outcomes they supported have proved victorious. The future seems less certain for others who had hoped for different outcomes....

By Sean Dietrich When I was a kid, my mother believed in angels, but I didn’t. I was on the fence about angels. I didn’t believe in hocus pocus. My thought was, if angels were real, then why were they always the worst team in the Major Leagues? My mother used...

By “Doc” Doug Stauffer The most controversial issue on the November ballot is Amendment 4, titled the “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion.” Abortion is, unfortunately, divisive, but this amendment is deceptive. This change to the state’s Constitution would forever alter Florida. While Amendment 4 is being marketed as...