Beech Tree News Network

I continue to be amazed at how “up-to-date” the Bible is. Though it was completed some 2000 years ago, it is still as relevant as ever! Please consider a few examples in the Bible that touch our lives to this day.

Tulips have been one of my favorite spring flowers for many years. They provide a wonderful burst of color to the landscape and require little care.

These spring-blooming perennials grow from bulbs. The flower has three petals and comes in a wide variety of colors. Although these flowers have long been associated with Holland, the flower is native to Turkey and central Asia. According to Flora of Jordan, three varieties of wild tulip grow in Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. But, Holland remains the leading producer of tulip bulbs, with more than 3 billion cultivated each year.

I usually opine about college basketball after NCAA finals … so here goes.
--- I seldom blame referees, but this season the officiating has smelled to high heaven.  The biggest blunder I witnessed all season, or maybe ever, was when two players on the same team went up for a rebound and both had their hands on the ball at the same time.  The ref called it “interference” and gave the ball to the opposing team.  There was at one time, may still be, if two teammates grabbed the ball at the same time and held it for so many seconds, that was a “jump-ball.”  OK.

Saturday April 20th, I attended the Southern Kentucky Bookfest at the Carrol Knicely Center in Bowling Green.  Back in January, I read where the legendary Henry Winkler would be one of the speakers.  I determined that I just had to attend.

When I was a little girl, my stepmom bought each of my younger sisters and me baby dolls from different ethnic backgrounds.  We added them to our collection of plastic children, pretending that they were adopted.  I didn’t realize until I was grown that she was teaching us about difference and acceptance.  It was rural Kentucky in the 60’s.  She was a woman ahead of her place if not her time.

I have observed that when I talk with certain people about the Bible, one reaction to our discussion will be the following. They will say, “Don’t pressure me.” Perhaps you have heard those teaching the Bible say to those listening, “This is not to pressure you, but ...”. The point being that there are times when the Bible is read or taught that the folks listening feel pressure (guilt?), and do not like the feeling. Therefore, they want the person to quit talking! Let me begin by saying it is certainly not anyone’s intention to coerce a person into obeying the Lord.

I was going to write about something else this week and then Monday happened. I’m not going to sit here and be like all the pundits who will try to dissect the tragedy at the Boston Marathon.  I’m also not going to sit here and offer advice on how to bring this up to kids.  I don’t know, so it would be foolish for me to act as if I did.

U.S. health care is at its best, but we’re also taking more drugs than ever. The U.S. population has access to a wide variety of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, and prescription drug use has risen steadily in recent years.

I had a weekend to myself this past weekend.  Garey was attending a family reunion in Alabama, Natalie had drill in Richmond, and Sabria was with her dad.  It wasn’t to be a relaxing time reading or watching TV; I had already planned my activities, punctuated by the full-page list on the kitchen counter.

I was watching the boys roll a basketball back and forth tonight. At first they were fairly close together. It was easy rolling the ball just a short distance. Then the gap grew further. As the distance between them increased, so did the effort with rolling the ball. I could tell, especially with Tucker, that he was having to put more effort into his pass.