Orange Hearts

Most Valentine cards have red or pink hearts on them, but my cousin Kevin and his wife Jenny should have orange hearts on theirs. Why? Because of an orange UT hat and the “Isaac Syndrome.”

Did you just imagine Isaac wearing his Biblical clothes and an orange UT Hat? I did.

Actually, Kevin was the one wearing the orange UT hat. His parents are Wayne and Sharon Roach from my article, “Reel Love.”

Overlooked Pollinators

You’ve all heard that much of our food requires pollination, and honey bees are the well-known heroes, making sure we all get to eat. And so they are, but there are other unsung pollinating heroes that are overlooked, and one of them is our native Orchard Mason Bee (Osmia Ligaria).

Portrayed (Betrayed?) by History

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Eight

I was on my way to the Central Office this past Saturday to work on the districtwide plan. I drove down Main Street to see if there was flooding due to the record amount of rain that was being received. As I passed the First Baptist Church of Maynardville, I noticed organist and attorney K. David Myer’s truck in the parking lot.

Know, That You Know, That You Know

Know, that you know, that you know! The "old time" preachers used to say that phrase frequently. Ralph Cox a long-time pastor at Milan Baptist Church in Maynardville was the first preacher I recall saying "know, that you know, that you know". The Apostle Peter said it this way, " Give diligence to make your calling and election sure" (see 2 Peter 1:10). Both phrases mean make sure you are saved!

Youth Leaders Prevail

Youth are the future; the forthcoming of our county, our country, our world. Insurance that the youth of today are prepared for tomorrow’s challenges as they grow more independent falls under the responsibility of us as teachers and role models. Communities progress from the education of adolescents, resulting in growth and sustainability.

Food Makes the Man?

I did something this past weekend that I have never done before. My good friend and former teacher Martha Warwick sent me a notice on “Messenger” that the Lincoln Museum at Lincoln Memorial University was sponsoring free admission on weekends in the month of February. Most fascinating to me, however, was the fact that patrons would be allowed to enter the vault.

Under the Stall

It was a bizarre situation that I never thought about being in and it all started because of my love for my bling. And to make things worse, there were no words I could think of to get out of it.

I tried to wait when I received the call of nature, but I couldn’t. I was attending a writer’s conference at the Blue Ridge Conference Center. Hopefully, the bathroom would be nice and clean.

Opioids Largely Ineffective for Low Back Pain

People with chronic low back pain might get “modest, short-term pain relief” from opioids. But when it comes to long-term treatment, evidence to support the effectiveness of opioids is “lacking.”

That’s the conclusion of an analysis by JAMA Internal Medicine (“Efficacy, Tolerability, and Dose-Dependent Effects of Opioid Analgesics for Low Back Pain,” May 23, 2016), after reviewing the results of 20 trials that included nearly 8,000 participants.