Beech Tree News Network

William Cullen Bryant referred to autumn as “the year's last, loveliest smile." Recently, a TV meteorologist said that we’re seeing summer’s last stand. Our weather has been very nice even though autumn has arrived.

I wish my iron would stay on.  It won’t, of course.  Yours won’t either, unless it was purchased during the nineties.  Irons now come with a safety switch that turns the appliance off after five minutes of non-use.  And to add insult to injury, the thing constantly beeps to remind you that it is off but still plugged into the outlet.  I have the iron I bought in 1973.  It will stay on and not beep at me, but there is a short in the cord.  I’m seriously considering rewiring it.

Baptism is a subject that deserves our study and obedience. It is a Bible subject that is discussed often in the New Testament. What does baptism do for man? What purpose does it serve?

There are a few shows I can watch at any time; no matter how many times I’ve seen the repeats.  Big Bang Theory has quickly become one of those shows.  Another one of those shows is Seinfeld.  The show had its series finale 16 years ago, but I still watch it whenever I stumble upon it. 

Later this week people from across the Commonwealth will gather in Frankfort for ceremonies at the Vietnam War Memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the war fought against Communism in southeast Asia.  The event is one of nearly 1,000 being held across the country to honor and remember those who fought in that war.

Last week, the “thought for the day” in a meeting I attended was about developing the habit of helping others. I would like to be more helpful. Many times, my heart would be willing, but my brain isn’t tuned in.

Over the Labor Day weekend, my daughter, Natalie, and I took my granddaughter, Sabria, to the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  Sabria has an affinity for all things outer space. 
    Before she could walk, she wanted us to carry her around outside in the evenings so she could see the moon and stars.  She is three years old now, and has often expressed a desire to “float around up there.”  She throws things, like Barbie dolls, up into the air and, unlike me, is unalarmed when they come crashing down into the kitchen sink. 

Many years ago, a Mr. Thomas Hall (1610-1665) said, “We must not so much as taste of the devil’s broth, lest at last he brings us to eat of his beef.” This statement sounds funny at first, but Mr. Hall understood something that few people today seem to understand. That is, that sin is a progressive thing. Therefore, to play around with sin will bring sure and certain destruction.

In the fall of 2011, my health became a focus for me. My doctor had encouraged me to lose weight, eat more nutritiously, and move more – make a life change. Like most people, I pretty well knew what to do; I just had difficulty doing it. Old habits and attitudes are hard to overcome.

It's difficult, in a way, to write about my old friend, Brandon McKee- now gone from us some years. Difficult because, all of the things I would want and need to say would occupy too much time and space. Suffice to say, he was one of those people who grace our lives, and then are gone too soon from us.