A well-rounded exercise program is one of the keys to maintaining good health and a sound musculoskeletal system. Ideally, you should strive for a combination of movements and activities that involve stretching to help with flexibility, weights or resistance work that improves the strength of bones and muscles, and vigorous aerobic activity that strengthens the heart and lungs and helps with weight control. Remember, though, before starting any exercise program, you should consult with your medical doctor.

I’m going to show my age here. Back in the 80s, Tim’s sister had an Atari video game system. One of her favorite games was “Freeway.” The aim was to get a chicken safely across a busy road to the other side. Each time I played; the poor little chick got squashed. Well, Tim and I felt like that chicken one evening a few years ago.

Bill Manning lives in Maynardville. His brother, Van, lives in Maryville. Van was just honored by the Quilts of Valor at the Seymour Heights Christian Church. The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans who have been touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. So far in 2024, 35,333 people have received a Quilt of Valor. Over 408,000 total quilts have been awarded since the beginning of the project in 2003.

Giving gifts at Christmas is an old and venerable tradition. It's more personal than the modern process of wading through crowds of people to select a gift from thousands of products in the store aisles. A gift made specifically for someone is special and reflects the fact that you spent time and talent just for them. Since everyone enjoys nature, here are some gifts you can give that come from outside.

The Inspirations Quartet once recorded a gospel song that in part had these lyrics:

If all the wealth was put at your disposal
to build a home that you have longed to own,
you wouldn’t be moved in it
until you’d want to make
some changes in your very own new home.

Did you ever slide down into a desk during class? I most certainly did. Whether it was called an English or Language Arts class, I tried to hide from the teacher. Why? Because they had asked for volunteers to diagram a sentence on the board. Surprised? Generally, people think writers are experts in grammar. I’m sure most are, but this one isn’t. Even though I have been writing stories most of my life, I am not a grammar girl.

Too cold for the porch. So, I am sitting in our bedroom looking out the glass doors remembering Thanksgiving this year and reminiscing about Christmas and New Years of the past. I had dinner with the crew of our world-wide Country Connections Radio Show which concluded four years ago. The crew included David Farmer, Dr. Bob Wyrick, Professor Tim Johnson, Don Bell, Lawyer Roger and myself. The show aired on Sunday nights from 6:00 pm ‘til 10:00 pm EST. We had hits from all over the USA, Australia, Latin America, England, Spain, Portugal, Helsinki, Canada and Ireland. Our radio show was on WYSH, WQLA based in Clinton, Tennessee and broadcast all over the “internet’ world-wide. We were helped around the world by Charlie Pride and his right-hand man, Danny Hutchins who worked for Charlie Pride for forty-two years. On his tours to foreign countries Charlie and Danny would mention and talk about our show during Charlie’s performances on stage. Our show had an enormous audience in Australia. Sunday nights here would be Monday mornings in Australia.

Though the original Sharps Chapel Fall Festival date in September had to be postponed due to weather, our community spirit remained strong, and we were blessed with perfect weather in November for an unforgettable day.

By Debbie Dodds Boeck

If you’ve been on Big Valley Rd in Sharps Chapel lately, you may have noticed a flurry of activity at Croweville City Hall. This friendly little bar and grill has now fully reopened after a refresh. The kitchen will be open starting at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday – Thursday and at noon on Friday and Saturday and will stop taking orders one hour before close each day.

How Easy Is It To Quit Sinning

In order to succeed at being a Christian, it is necessary to quit some things that we used to do. Specifically, in order to be a Christian it is necessary to quit sinful habits! Let me point blank tell any young Christian, it ain’t always easy to quit old sinful habits. The Bible often calls quitting “repentance”. Being a Christian starts with repentance. When Jesus told Nicodemus “You must be born again” it wasn’t a suggestion, it was a command. Being born again is Jesus’s metaphorical way of saying, start over, quit your old ways and relearn everything about how to live life. In John 15, Jesus told his disciples “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”