Opinion Archive

I hadn’t checked my mailbox at the post office in a few days, so it was rather full.

I set about trying to remove its contents but complicating the job was a small, stout envelope. It was the lynchpin to the jam and had to be removed first.

One of our core values at the Navarre Press is that we are not here for us. Rather, we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

I stay pretty connected to the athletes I cover, especially with social media now such a prevalent part of our lives, and they will often reach out and let me know they appreciate everything I do.

“All you preachers ever talk about is money,” a man complained having just sat through my once-a-year sermon on giving.

Clearly, giving was a sensitive subject for that man, as it is for many. It seems that all the preaching on giving, including the televangelists’ shameless shakedowns, is balled together and attributed to every preacher.

I still remember my first week at the Navarre Press and the time I reached out to Navarre girls soccer coach Rob Simon about getting stats on his team as it prepared for a tournament game.

He shared the stats but also noted in his email that John Richardson, a freelance writer for our paper, is “their guy” when it comes to girls soccer coverage.

Cooler temperatures are here and that means the bears are on the move. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, (FWC) our black bears are joining their northern cousins in fattening up for the winter.

Black bears eat up to 20,000 calories a day in the fall. That means, they will be on the move and searching for good food “grub” even more than usual.

We were left with a season-opening college football matchup two weeks ago on a Saturday night at Pen Air Field in Pensacola that wasn’t exactly one you’d call even or fair.

No disrespect to Warner, but the NAIA program from South Florida isn’t on the same level as the University of West Florida, an NCAA Division II national power.

Early last Sunday morning, a relative sent me a text with a photo of a page from a book he was reading.

Enlarging the photo, I saw that the topic of discussion on the page was God’s grace, and it defined grace as, “God rewards me for letting him reward me.”

“He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.”

Those were the words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, referring to the depredation of King George III.

We will be experiencing a little louder “Sound of Freedom” this coming Monday – through Thursday, Sept. 12 – 15, when the 58th Fighter Squadron of Eglin conducts night flying operations in the area when F-35 fighter aircraft will conduct missions between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Night flying is required for 58th FS training operations and we are glad they are receiving the training they need.

One Sunday morning before a worship service, a young girl in the congregation, her face alight with a bright smile, handed me a piece of scratch-pad paper.

“Pastor, I made this for you,” she said. I am grateful anytime anyone is thoughtful enough to make something for me, so I thanked her.