Mystery Plant! #716 John Nelson Posted 3/30/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comThe amaryllis family is a large group of herbaceous species, many of them producing large bulbs, plenty of basal slender or strap-shaped leaves, and most with a tropical distribution, but a good many are native here in the Southeast. Many of these...
Memories Of Zebco Reels & Red Wrigglers
Memories Of Zebco Reels & Red Wrigglers Tom Poland Posted 3/30/2023By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netI drive west, Georgia bound,and pass it yet again, a place that pulls at my heart. My father had a worm farm, and my grandfather’s country store had a minnow tank. Fishing meant everything to me...
No Evidence
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: No Evidence Posted 3/28/23By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
What will be your wager about God’s existence?
Living on Purpose: What will be your wager about God’s existence? Dr. William Holland Posted 3/28/23By Dr. William HollandGod’s offer for everyone to accept His salvation is the greatest gesture of compassion and grace the world has ever known. However, for those who reject His invitation, as the rich young...
Mystery Plant 715
Mystery Plant! #715 John Nelson Posted 3/23/2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comDon’t worry about kids falling out of this tree. It’s terrible for a tree house, or just for climbing, and for pretty obvious reasons.It is a native deciduous plant, fairly common from New York through the lower Midwest, and south to Texas...
A cure for the Sunday Afternoon Blues
Everything and Nothing: A cure for the Sunday Afternoon Blues Aïda Rogers Posted 3/21/23By Aïda RogersFor many years I’ve been afflicted by the Sunday Afternoon Blues, which means that for almost as many years I’ve known how to get rid of them: I get out of the house and do something....
The magic and mess of a blank page
The magic and mess of a blank page Reba Campbell Posted 3/21/23By Reba CampbellI started the year trying to resume the discipline of keeping a handwritten journal. This process of deliberately writing by hand has reminded me how it so often results in a flow that’s very different from writing...
What does having a pure heart mean to you?
Living on Purpose: What does having a pure heart mean to you? Dr. William Holland Posted 03/20/2023By Dr. William HollandMany are familiar with the beatitudes which are a section of a larger discourse spoken by Jesus in His earthly ministry. They are found in His sermon on the mount in...
Behind the Lens
Behind The Lens Tom Poland Posted 03/20/2023By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netThirty-seven years ago I wrote “Worth The Wait,” a feature on photographing wildlife. South Carolina Wildlife magazine photographers Ted Borg, Robert Clark, and Phillip Jones gave me tips on seasons and subjects, cameras and lenses, film speed, light and color,...
Territorial Dispute
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Territorial Dispute Posted 03/20/23By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
We’re Sending You To …
We’re Sending You To … Tom Poland Posted 3/16/2023By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netIn the 1960s my father visited the Central State Hospital in Georgia. He may have gone to visit a relative. I recall a heated family gathering in the dining room. A relative had the family up in arms....
Mystery Plant 714
Mystery Plant! #714 John Nelson Posted 3/16/2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.com“And, most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath…” Midsummer Night’s Dream. Act 4, scene 2.You probably remember James Cagney in the 1935 film version of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s a classic! Cagney played Nick...
The Joy Of Scholarships
The Joy Of Scholarships Tom Poland Posted 3/16/2023By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netAfter high school I hoped to land a scholarship to play football. I played first unit on the junior varsity ream and started three years on the varsity. Playing at a small college was a long shot at best....
Biden Budget
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Biden Budget Posted 3/16/2023By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Walking on bridges that human eyes cannot see
Living on Purpose: Walking on bridges that human eyes cannot see Dr. William Holland Posted 3/16/2023By Dr. William HollandSoon after Jesus had resurrected, we find a beautiful account found in John chapter 20 that is a wonderful example of how much God loves us and desires to help us. The...
Only two options: The broad or the narrow way
Living on Purpose: The broad or the narrow way Dr. William Holland Posted 3/8/2023By Dr. William HollandThose who identify with following Jesus are usually satisfied with being comfortable and cozy in their religious styles. Let’s just say that suffering for God is not on their bucket list. When we take...
The Home Place
The Home Place Tom Poland Posted 3/8/2023By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netIt’s a scene Normal Rockwell would have liked. We see an old hand-dug well, a corncrib, and an outhouse. A fine old cedar leans back as if taking a gander at my camera and me. We time travel here where...
Mystery Plant 713
Mystery Plant! #713 John Nelson Posted 3/7/2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.com Here’s an easy one. It’s easy because it is very common, and very distinctive. This is a shrubby species, usually a multi-trunked woody plant, with smooth gray bark, often getting to be a tall shrub, or even a small tree. It...
Mystery Plant 712
Mystery Plant! #712 John Nelson Posted March 1, 2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comSpring is finally here, I think…and this wildflower is proof. It is one of the earliest blooming woodland species we have. And, I think you will agree, it’s one of the prettiest. Folks, I’m telling you that this spring seems...
The Green Of Winter
The Green Of Winter Tom Poland Posted Feb. 28, 2023By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netPine pollen yellows my deck, but the green of winter colors my thoughts. Two things I like about winter. One, winter’s cold bones lay the land bare. You see things that go unnoticed when leaves flutter and...
Practice over Perfect
Practice over Perfect Reba Campbell Posted Feb. 28, 2023By Reba Campbell“Practice makes perfect.” Surely a mantra we all heard as children…whether it was in sports, spelling, music or math. This was a standard line repeated by grown-ups who were just trying to help us learn. Practice is a good thing…right?...
God’s invitation is to the entire world
Living on Purpose: God’s invitation is to the entire world Dr. William Holland Posted Feb. 27, 2023By Dr. William HollandKentucky is having amazingly warm weather for February and actually broke records the other day. My grass is turning green and soon everything will be budding and we will be out...
Mystery Plant 711
Mystery Plant! #711 John Nelson Posted Feb. 22, 2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comSome of you, such as myself, really like to see the end of winter roll around each year. As with all the other seasons, this process is rather gradual, and, there are many signs of spring’s coming, sometimes these working...
New Leadership
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: New Leadership 2/21/23By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
God is waiting to pour out His glory on us
Living on Purpose: Column Headline Dr. William Holland 2/21/23By Dr. William HollandLast week we talked about the recent revival in Wilmore Kentucky. Anytime there are 1500 people in one place worshiping God around the clock, we know the Lord is stirring hearts. We had a trip to Denver planned last...
Mystery Plant 710
Mystery Plant! #710 John Nelson 2/21/2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.com We had a Mysterious pine tree not too long ago, and here is another. There’s always a new pine species that’s worth learning about.This one is growing in a small park not far from my house, in the Shandon area of Columbia, where...
Thirty Years—The Mountains To The Sea
Thirty Years—The Mountains To The Sea Tom Poland 1/21/23By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netI remember the year well. 1984. It was my first year working as a staff writer for South Carolina Wildlife. I had just spent six years working in film for what would become DNR. Those six years opened...
It’s encouraging to see a hunger and thirst for God
Living on Purpose: It’s encouraging to see a hunger and thirst for God Dr. William Holland 2/14/2023By Dr. William HollandThere is a move of the Holy Spirit happening in Wilmore Kentucky where the small evangelical Asbury University and Seminary are located. As the regular chapel service began Wednesday morning in...
A Walk In Winter Woods
A Walk In Winter Woods Tom Poland 2/14/2023By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netI like boardwalks. Those that take you through protected natural areas. Several come to mind. The lovely boardwalk at Woods Bay takes you 1,150 feet through a cypress-tupelo swamp. Edisto Gardens’ 2,600-foot boardwalk also takes you through a cypress-tupelo...
Let’s Dance
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Let's Dance 2/9/2023By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Mystery plant #709
Mystery Plant! #709 John Nelson 2/9/2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comThose of you faithful readers of this column will know that its author (me) is fond of studying the plant life in grocery stores…and of course this means those plants that are being marketed, usually as species which are edible in one way...
Do we only follow God when we feel like it?
Living on Purpose: Column Headline Dr. William Holland 2/7/2023 By Dr. William Holland Have you ever wondered what is the purpose of television, games, movies, and social media? Many will say it was created to entertain and inform us, but what we may not have noticed, is that when we...
Mystery Plant 708
Mystery Plant! #708 John Nelson 2/2/2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comWhich plant group displays the showiest, most flamboyant flowers? Sunflowers and daisies? Lilies, daffodils, and amaryllis? Or maybe the iris family? (It’s fun to ponder this weighty question now, as spring is about to erupt, and not too soon!) But many of us...
Santos
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Santos 1/31/23By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Appreciating every day and every hour
Living on Purpose: appreciating every day and every hour Dr. William Holland 1/30/23 By Dr. William Holland I have a good friend that is seriously ill with late-stage cancer. When he was diagnosed about 2 years ago, he began to write and send a daily text thread to friends about...
Mystery Plant 707
Mystery Plant! #707 John Nelson 1/26/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.com A few days ago I was up at the herbarium here are USC; they let me come in now and then and putter around, helping to prepare and file away specimens. That day we all gathered around...
We Need Tree Scholars
We Need Tree Scholars Tom Poland 1/24/23By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netThe January-February 2023 issue of South Carolina Wildlife magazine ran my story on Edgefield County’s Curryton Magnolia. The old tree’s close to being a state record magnolia but a magnolia with more state record potential lives at Hampton Plantation in...
Maybe we should let someone hold our mule
Maybe we should let someone hold our mule Dr. William Holland 1/23/23By Dr. William Holland“Hold my mule” is a figurative expression from the American South that means when a person is leading a mule and they need to go somewhere, or do something very important they will ask someone to...
A Writer’s Moon Tide Memories
A Writer’s Moon Tide Memories Tom Poland 1/23/23By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netIt seems like yesterday though it was forty-five years. I took a job as a scriptwriter-cinematographer with the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department. I put my Journalism degree to work, writing film scripts about blackwater rivers, sea...
Mystery Plant 706 (transmitted 17 January 2023)
Mystery Plant! #706 John Nelson 1/19/23By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comLots of people in the Southeast --and beyond-- grow this plant as a shrub or hedge without really knowing its identity. It is a native evergreen, and it is widely cultivated as a popular yard plant, especially in the South; there are several...
A Story Of Music, Trees, And Family By Two Sons Of The American South
A Story Of Music, Trees, And Family By Two Sons Of The American South Tom Poland 1/19/23 By Tom Poland A Southern Writer www.tompoland.net tompol@earthlink.net On a January day in 2019 I met Chuck Leavell in Georgia’s geographic center. We met to write a magazine cover story. Our story would...
A dozen ideas to get reading more in 2023
A dozen ideas to get reading more in 2023 Reba Campbell 1/19/23By Reba CampbellReading has always been a delight for me. I loved the library’s summer reading clubs when I was a kid. Browsing bookstores is a favorite pastime when I travel. Countless books on writers and writing are scattered...
Billy Holland: Living for a purpose
Living on Purpose: They hear His voice, and follow Him Dr. William Holland 1/19/23By Dr. William Holland Life is changing all around us. With technology providing an opportunity for every person on the planet to speak and listen, we are surrounded by so many opinions about everything, it’s becoming more difficult...
Classified Documents
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Cooperation 1/19/23By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Honey locust
Mystery Plant! #705 John Nelson Posted Jan. 10, 2023By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comIt's the branch of a tree, but this tree is no good for a tree house.Take a look at the thorns, which can be found up and down the trunk, and also potently arming the branches. You won't beinclined to...
Devotion At An Abandoned Home Place
Devotion At An Abandoned Home Place Tom Poland Posted Jan. 10, 2023By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netNo matter how long, no matter how often you travel a road, it’ll surprise you. I’ve driven Highway 378 into Georgia for not quite fifty years. The road has been a journal, and some of...
Accomplishing God’s will is our purpose
Living on Purpose: Accomplishing God’s will is our purpose Dr. William Holland Posted Jan. 10, 2023By Dr. William HollandIt’s disappointing to God that most people are usually more concerned about what they want in life than asking Him what He requires of them. Since our eyes were opened in the...
Speaker McCarthy
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Speaker McCarthy Posted Jan. 10, 2023By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
2023 Legislative Preview for the Media
2023 Legislative Preview for the Media Posted Jan. 9, 2023 Rep. Bruce Bannister, Chairman, Ways & Means (R-Greenville) Rep. Bill Sandifer, Chairman, Labor, Commerce & Industry (R-Oconee) Rep. Tommy Pope, Speaker Pro Tempore (R-York) Rep. Tommy Pope, Speaker Pro Tempore (R-York) Rep. Jay Jordan, Chairman, Ethics (R-Florence) Rep. Tommy Pope,...
23 Legislative Preview
2023 Legislative Preview for the Media Posted Jan. 9, 2023 Sen. Shane Massey, Majority Leader (R-Edgefield) Sen. Brad Hutto, Minority Leader (D-Orangeburg) Sen. Brad Hutto, Minority Leader (D-Orangeburg); Sen. Shane Massey, Majority Leader (R-Edgefield) Sen. Brad Hutto, Minority Leader (D-Orangeburg); Sen. Shane Massey, Majority Leader (R-Edgefield) Sen. Shane Massey, Majority...
2023 Legislative Workshop
2023 Legislative Preview for the Media Posted Jan. 9, 2023 Frank Rainwater, Executive Director, S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office Frank Rainwater, Executive Director, S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office Sen. Chip Campsen, Chairman, Fish, Game & Forestry (R-Charleston) Sen. Chip Campsen, Chairman, Fish, Game & Forestry (R-Charleston) Sen. Chip...
Enjoying the comforts of remaining the same
Living on Purpose: Enjoying the comforts of remaining the same Dr. William Holland Posted January 2, 2023By Dr. William HollandAs God continues to move upon the earth, He has never stopped calling His children to be truth seekers, to speak His words, and demonstrate His character. The painful fact is...
House of cards
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: House of cards Posted January 2, 2023By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Mystery Plant! #699
Mystery Plant! #699 John Nelson Posted December 29, 2022By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comWinter hasn’t even started yet, but it sure looks like it in my backyard. Practically all of the leaves are fallen, and we’ve had two hard frosts here in central South Carolina. I am grateful that in my part of...
Mystery Plant! #701
Mystery Plant! #701 John Nelson Posted December 29, 2022By John Nelsonjohnbnelson@sc.rr.comSome of my best botany field trips have been to supermarkets and produce stands. There's always something interesting to see, and it makes an easy way of bringing classroom botany close to home (and the kitchen). Now, I’ve never taken...
Cold River, Warm Memories—Beginnings
Cold River, Warm Memories—Beginnings Tom Poland Posted December 28, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netAll the presents opened, good food and family time done for a bit, come the day after Christmas I found myself standing on the banks of cold Little River. Before me stretched a wall of rock and...
Snake oil for sale
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Snake oil for sale Posted December 27, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
The report
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: The report Posted December 27, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
What does Christmas mean to you?
Living on Purpose: What does Christmas mean to you? Dr. William Holland Posted December 27, 2022By Dr. William HollandI’ve read articles over the years about how Christmas is a combination of Christian and pagan symbolism along with some folklore traditions and for the most part, this is true. I also...
Christ our hope for the New Year
Living on Purpose: Christ our hope for the New Year Dr. William Holland Posted December 27, 2022By Dr. William HollandWe are at the end of another year and it always brings thoughts of starting fresh and having hope for the future. Most of us have watched the ball drop on...
The Gift of Christmas “Presence”
The Gift of Christmas “Presence” Reba Campbell Posted December 20, 2022By Reba CampbellWe’ve just returned from a glorious two-week adventure in Germany, Austria and Hungary - most of it spent travelling with friends we’ve known since our young adult days in DC. During the trip, I posted photos of the...
Rivers I cross
Rivers I cross Tom Poland Posted December 19, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netRivers make me say things out loud. As I drive alone over a river I often say its name. In fact, some rivers’ names beg to be pronounced. On trips to Florida, I cross the Altamaha. Saying its...
The thing he carries
Everything and Nothing: The thing he carries Aïda Rogers Posted December 13, 2022By Aïda RogersThe thing my father carries isn’t as old as he is, but it looks it. His briefcase can only be described with hyphens: banged-up, beat-up, worn-out. But those are my words. I don’t think he would use...
Maxwell Frost
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Maxwell Frost Posted December 13, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
The hush before Christmas
Everything and Nothing: The hush before Christmas Aïda Rogers Posted December 13, 2022By Aïda RogersThere’s a moment close to Christmas Day when everything slows down. The crazy stuff stops and a hush descends, like the moment before the orchestra conductor puts down the baton and the applause erupts. You could call...
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
Living on Purpose: The wrong shall fail, the right prevail Dr. William Holland Posted December 12, 2022By Dr. William HollandMost people have read or at least heard of a man named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). He was a literary giant in his lifetime and is still known today in many...
Things I have left undone
Things I have left undone Tom Poland Posted December 12, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netEach Christmas my mind goes back to a June day in Valdosta, Georgia. I was driving through slash pines to interview Robert “Bob” Clyatt. A defense lawyer, Bob represented employers and insurers. He was on the...
Why, my soul, are you so downcast?
Living on Purpose: Why, my soul, are you so downcast? Dr. William Holland Posted December 6, 2022By Dr. William HollandSince before the world was made God has known you and loved you. He has never taken His eyes away or ignored you. If you were to write down all the...
Terminate Constitution
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Terminate Constitution Posted December 6, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
The Word Merchant Highway
The Word Merchant Highway Tom Poland Posted December 6, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netUpon taking a writing position long ago, the boss of bosses shot me a sideways look, “So, you’re a word merchant.” Clever, I thought, but as time wore on so did he. A tyrant, nothing he said...
If people were leaves…
If people were leaves… Tom Poland Posted November 30, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netSuppose people changed colors like autumn leaves. Would it be a better world? It just might. For sure it’d be more colorful. Think about that. Say it’s late November, and your fingertips redden. The tips of your...
218 GOP Votes
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: 218 GOP Votes Posted November 29, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Using God’s speech filter in our conversations
Living on Purpose: Using God’s speech filter in our conversations Dr. William Holland Posted November 29, 2022By Dr. William HollandAs I’ve prayed for spiritual awareness over the years, the Lord has been patient with my lack of understanding and has graciously allowed me to labor in the area of communication....
Leadership change
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Leadership change Posted November 22, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Time
Time Tom Poland Posted November 22, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netYou know the song. “Time Is On My Side.” The Rolling Stones released it in 1964. Time was on my side back then, yes it was. It’s not today. And so for some reason, songs about time play in my...
We have much to be thankful for
Living on Purpose: We have much to be thankful for Dr. William Holland Posted November 21, 2022By Dr. William HollandI’ve always enjoyed Thanksgiving with my family but many times I become distracted from the intended purpose. Between football, conversations, and pumpkin pie, it’s easy to forget how much we have...
Pancho Villa’s Fighting South Carolina Gamecocks
Pancho Villa’s Fighting South Carolina Gamecocks Tom Poland Posted November 15, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netI’ll file this column under the category, Fowl History. Did Mexican Revolutionary War General, Pancho Villa, ride a train to Calhoun Falls, South Carolina to buy fighting gamecocks? Did he? Read on to unravel this...
Knowing God unites us in His love
Living on Purpose: Knowing God unites us in His love Dr. William Holland Posted November 14, 2022By Dr. William HollandThe opportunity to know God is the greatest invitation that has ever been given in the history of mankind. For those that have a passion to learn about Him and serve...
The Forsaken Land
The Forsaken Land Tom Poland Posted November 9, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netKudzu covered its outbuildings. The farm was lonesome so I turned around and stopped to visit it. Right off I saw a dusty mule collar hanging on a stable wall. The farmer and his mule were long gone,...
Elon Musk
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Elon Musk Posted November 9, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Joy and peace are a state of mind
Living on Purpose: Joy and peace are a state of mind Dr. William Holland Posted November 9, 2022By Dr. William HollandFear and stress are often blamed for ruining our contentment and happiness, but anxiety is not an uncontrollable monster that forces us to be afraid. Actually, these negative responses originate...
Love Story
Everything and Nothing: Love Story Aïda Rogers Posted November 9, 2022By Aïda RogersThere are all kinds of love in this world, and the one I’m in love with right now is right across the street. It involves my neighbor, Sharon, and Fancy, her cat.If you laugh I excommunicate you.As happens with...
The Colors Of Childhood
The Colors Of Childhood Tom Poland Posted November 3, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netI haven’t seen the old homeplace in a while. Not my homeplace, mind you, my childhood friend’s. That would be Sweetie Boy, he of the sweet temperament that spurred Granddad to nickname him. His Christian name is...
School using rivalry to tackle hunger
School using rivalry to tackle hunger Bob Sloan Posted November 2, 2022By Bob SloanWith both Clemson and South Carolina in the midst of winning seasons and driving toward a huge showdown on Nov. 26 in Death Valley, the in-state college football rivalry has everyone showing their true colors –orange and...
An election gratitude reflection
An election gratitude reflection Reba Campbell Posted November 2, 2022By Reba CampbellFor anyone who has worked in campaigns, the week leading up to the election is like no other experience. It’s a blinding minute-by-minute chaos of decisions on the fly, anticipating every possibility that could stand in the way of...
God’s authority rewards faith and obedience
Living on Purpose: God’s authority rewards faith and obedience Dr. William Holland Posted October 31, 2022By Dr. William HollandDedicating our heart to God will be our most important decision. Individuals who devote their lives to Christ are aware of what is at stake and embrace the burden of praying for...
Kanye West
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Kanye West Posted October 31, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
A place of sanctuary
Everything and Nothing: A place of sanctuary Aïda Rogers Posted October 26, 2022By Aïda RogersThere are many words to describe the times we’re living in, and most connote noise. What a relief, then, to find a place where the noise is turned down, where vitriol won’t work, where collaboration, not competition,...
The Bygone Era Of Refinement
The Bygone Era Of Refinement Tom Poland Posted October 25, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netPrevious eras impress me. When I tour historic homes, for instance, the refined lifestyle their owners enjoyed stands in marked contrast to lifestyles today. The presence of fine china and sterling silver attest not just to...
How do we respond to temptation?
Living on Purpose: How do we respond to temptation? Dr. William Holland Posted October 25, 2022By Dr. William HollandThe painful truth about any type of addiction and temptation is there was an introduction and a personal agreement to entertain it. They knew it was wrong but made the conscious decision...
The Beauty of A Dry Dirt Road
The Beauty of A Dusty Dirt Road Tom Poland Posted October 24, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netThe creeks dribble. Shorelines drop. Leaves crunch. Colors fade. Birds queue up around my fountains. The lack of rain robbed us of a lot of fall color. I drove through the countryside this week....
Governor declares Oct. 22 as Vascular Anomalies Awareness Day
Governor declares Oct. 22 as Vascular Anomalies Awareness Day Posted October 18, 2022By Tisha Simmonsfor The Lancaster NewsS.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has declared Oct. 22 as Vascular Anomalies Awareness Day. His proclamation provides an opportunity to bring awareness and begin discussions about vascular anomalies and other rare vascular conditions.Jasmine Simmons,...
The beauty of being broken before God
Living on Purpose: The beauty of being broken before God Dr. William Holland Posted October 17, 2022By Dr. William HollandHave you ever wondered if God is listening to you? One of His many divine attributes is that He is Omnipresent which means He is everywhere at the same time. His...
Fear Of Flying
Fear Of Flying Tom Poland Posted October 14, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netIt’s a good thing titles cannot be copyrighted. With apologies to Erica Jong, I title this self-confessional column, “Fear of Flying.” I cannot say I fear flying, but I am a most reluctant air traveler. I have reason to be. I’ve had two close encounters with...
The Dignified Mule
The Dignified Mule Tom Poland Posted October 11, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netLike Halley’s Comet, I’m predictable. I come around to the same subject matter every so often. When I do, it’s because something triggered memories. A few days ago I drove past Washington, Georgia’s Mule Day Festival at Callaway...
Which way to go
Stuart Neiman Cartoon: Which way to go Posted October 11, 2022By Stuart Neiman This content is being shared through the S.C. News Exchange and is for use in SCPA member publications. Please use appropriate bylines and credit line
Ignoring God does not lessen our need for Him.
Living on Purpose: Ignoring God does not lessen our need for Him. Dr. William Holland Posted October 10, 2022By Dr. William HollandWithin the Christian faith, we are taught that every person will someday stand before God and have a discussion about how they lived. A few will argue, give excuses,...
The Lost Art Of Making Do
The Lost Art Of Making Do Tom Poland Posted October 6, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netHe was twenty-six when the Great Depression arrived, thirty-six when it ended. A decade of doing without taught him something about survival. “Keep something seven years and you’ll find a new use for it.” Granddad’s...
Being resilient when facing life’s challenges
Living on Purpose: Being resilient when facing life’s challenges Dr. William Holland Posted October 6, 2022By Dr. William HollandI was having a conversation with a good friend the other day, and he was telling me how life is becoming more difficult now that he is in his eighties. When he...
Lincoln Street
Lincoln Street Tom Poland Posted September 28, 2022By Tom PolandA Southern Writerwww.tompoland.nettompol@earthlink.netOne word. That’s all it takes, and the brain’s mystifying chemistry swirls past and present into an amalgam we call life. Phases pass before us in an experience akin to schizophrenia. We’re different people as we navigate life’s phases....