“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

The family picture above describes a lot about who I am. I was raised on a farm in far eastern Ohio just fourteen miles west of Wheeling, WV. My dad was a coal mine superintendent that loved cattle. I spent a lot of time with my dad caring for the livestock and working around the farm.  My sister, Ruth, and I showed cattle and later so did “little sister”, Janell. Mother’s parents lived with us which explains a lot of the values that I still hold close today.  Mother was a hard worker and preferred to work outside rather than in the home.  She did a lot around the farm.  She is a vibrant and healthy 93 years old as I write this. She is a gem.

In our fast paced lives today, I fear that we often fail to dig below the surface on important issues and at times, we have misunderstandings that get us off track. I don’t have all the answers.  I know that.  I do believe that there are some things of which I’d like to explain and share my perspective.  While I prefer dialogue, I have probably frustrated my Facebook friends with far too many “diatribes”, so I am turning to this form of social media to see if this might work better for me to express myself.