Thoughts on writing, religious liberties, and more

During the dark days of World War II, Winston Churchill is credited with saying, "Never, never, never give up.” It’s easy to “give up”. Life gets hard and it is easy to be discouraged. In “The Kids’ Pit”, Sarah and Chelsea – as teenagers – felt they had no hope and no...

As a retired judge (who still sits by assignment or for a judge who needs to be away from court), a recent TV news story caught my attention. It occurred in a Las Vegas courtroom as a judge was about to sentence a young man to prison. Before the pronouncement could be...

The scales of justice reflect that Lady Justice is blind and demonstrate how easily the scales can swing one way or the other. While we want Lady Justice to be blind to improper influences, being blind to establishing proper priorities in life can have devastating...

In the shadows of society's conscience lies a group of individuals often forgotten and stigmatized: the incarcerated. Prisons are seen as places of punishment and isolation, with little hope for change or redemption. However, amidst the harsh reality of life behind...

If you’d asked me 30 years ago what I saw myself doing after retiring from my law career, my answer probably would not have been, “Writing Christian fiction novels.” The things I wrote most in my career were legal briefs that would bore most non-attorneys. Yet, here I...

Yesterday, millions of individuals gathered with friends and family to celebrate the birth of America and the many freedoms we enjoy in this nation. We listened to patriotic music, waved flags, and watched fireworks in honor of our country. As Christians, we can and...

  Like many Christians, I have observed growing hostility to our closely-held beliefs over the years. What used to be accepted as truth is now viewed with derision by culture, and in some cases, legal precedent has been set to remove our religious liberties. I...

I love Christmas time! We are usually one of the first with our house lights on and Christmas tree up! This last year my wife and I went to San Antonio for Thanksgiving on the Riverwalk and they had a great Christmas parade. That was a draw for us to go there and it...

Sometimes in life there are those scary moments! It can be a car wreck, an illness, financial setback, death of a loved one or many other challenging moments. This last week, we had one of those moments. Our granddaughter is a pitcher for her high school softball...

My wife and I have been blessed to work with nearly wed and newlywed couples for many years. From time to time, we ask couples that have been married for a number of years to share some keys for a successful marriage. Recently, Leroy and Vaness Grant shared their keys...

Recently I decided to serve as a visiting judge - which is a judge appointed to fill in when the permanent judge is absent. Covid has created havoc in many courts and have prevented jury trials and slowed the wheels of justice. Many judges have tried to be creative in...

My children, and now my grandchildren, have been the source of a lot of laughter but also wisdom. This past Thanksgiving, I had just sat down in my comfy chair when my 5-year-old granddaughter pulled my cap off my head and said "the rule is no hats on in the house." I...