Reflections

  During our recent trip to Rome, I had the chance to see Michelangelo’s   The Creation of Adam   for the second time in person. Standing beneath the magnificent ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, I was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of it all—the colors, the detail, the breathtaking imagery. Like most visitors, I admired the iconic moment of God reaching out to touch Adam, the spark of life suspended between their fingertips. To me, it was a masterpiece of art and faith, a timeless symbol of humanity’s connection to the divine. But what I didn’t realize at the time was that there’s a hidden layer to this painting, one I had never noticed before—a theory that there’s a human brain hidden in the fresco.   I’ll admit, I had never seen it. In fact, it’s one of those things that seems obvious once it’s pointed out, but until then, it’s easy to miss.  When I looked at it again, I couldn’t unsee it. The folds of the fabric, the positioning of the figures, and even t...

  A briefing from Al Mohler Yes, Many from the Left Do Support Abortion Up Until Birth: Jen Psaki’s Reign of Untruth on Abortion Continues But next, as we consider the moral and cultural context in which we live, I want to point to a single tweet or at least a tweet posted on Twitter that is now X. It's by Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary to President Joe Biden. And it came as she was reacting to some of the words exchanged in the recent Republican presidential nomination debate. She posted this, "No one supports abortion up until birth." Now, that's all she said in that tweet posted at 8:40 PM on August the 23rd, 2023. It received at least at this point, 1.6 million views. "No one supports abortion up until birth." But that is absolutely untrue. And Jen Psaki has to know what's untrue, but it is at least of a peace with the untrues she and the Biden administration have been telling about abortion now for a number of years. Again, she st...

From the moment Liz and I embarked on our journey of marriage, we vowed to make our mark on the world by exploring its diverse landscapes, cultures, and stories. This commitment has led us to countless destinations, each adding a unique chapter to our adventure repertoire. Recently, a business trip took us to the enchanting land of South Africa, where we delved into the tapestry of its blended cultures, forged friendships, and discovered profound life lessons. In this blog post, I'll share how travel has enriched our lives and why we continue to embrace the transformative power of exploring new horizons. A Warm Welcome in South Africa Our South African expedition began with an invitation that would change our perspective forever. Joff and Tracie Von Reneen, friends through the National Auction Association opened their home and hearts to us. Like long-lost families, they introduced us to the vibrant culture of South Africa, treating us to local delicacies, rich conversations, ...

In preparation for our trip to South Africa, I thought I would pay a visit to the former mayor of Mocksville and notable physician, Dr. Francis Slate. He recently celebrated his one-hundredth birthday, which is quite a milestone. I reminded him that he was my surgeon at the Davie County Hospital when I was about four years old. When I told him I was going to South Africa, and more specifically to Johannesburg and Cape Town, his eyes lit up. Dr. Slate graduated in 1947 from the University of Cape Town medical school which was a six-year course. He received a degree, CHb in surgery. Afterward, he participated in his internship at Cape Town, SA , and then a six months internship in Durban, SA, and then he worked at the Johannesburg Mission Hospital, where he later left to do a one-year stent in the landlocked country of Lesotho, a country surrounded by South Africa. He later found himself at New York University and George Washington University and spent two years with the Veteran's Ad...

Covid got in the way of our 30th anniversary. We had booked a trip to Israel and were planning on taking our children/spouse. The long tunnel that covid seemed to be was never ending and our plans were cancelled. But around May, we booked our trip…this time, just the two of us as Ashton and Ben were into baby mode with the birth of our first grandchild. Thirty (now 33) years, seemed like a milestone only older people achieved. I have come to realize that age is a perspective. The older you get, the younger the next decade seems. Only this decade comes with 30 year old children and now the title of grandparent. So, yes, grandparents are a young group of people. I booked us a Viking tour thru the heart of Europe. Starting in Budapest, we have floated on the Danube River and learned about the long history of Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and now Germany. Three overriding things have captured my thoughts.  1. The architecture. The grandeur of both the governmental buildings and even more ...

  A Parable of Modern Technology: Internet Explorer Dies After 27 Years (A blog borrowed from Albert Mohler) But I'm going to end today noting an obituary. It's not an obituary for a person, no worry. It's an obituary for a product. And that product was Internet Explorer. It turns out it's dead. Microsoft has killed it. It announced some time ago that Explorer was no longer going to be supported, but as it is, what was once the most popular internet browser, frankly, the first commonly used internet browser in the world among consumers. It is now no longer supported because it no longer exists. Internet Explorer has died. Here's another irony for you. One of the signs that Internet Explorer was in decline is that people were using Internet Explorer in order to download other internet browsers, then to abandon Internet Explorer. Now that just shows you something about the obsolescence that comes in all kinds of products, very fast for technological products. But it a...

Unlike many of my peers growing up, I fell in love with folk and bluegrass. My introduction to Tony Rice was like entering the Graceland of Bluegrass & Folk.  I grew up going to chicken stews and family reunions where very often there would be a five-string banjo and a guitar and amateur musicians strumming out old fashion tunes. Little did I know that my DNA was being infused with the love for American traditional stringed music.  My favorite combination was Tony Rice’s interpretation of Canadian music and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot became successful in folk, folk-rock, and country music. Popularized in the 60s, he is considered one of Canada’s greatest songwriters.  His biographer Nicholas Jennings said, “His name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness.” In 1996, Tony Rice created the album “Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot” which was a compilation of Gordon Lightfoot written tunes. For m...