Opinion Archive

It’s a privilege this year to write a column that may be read on Thanksgiving Day. For me, columns about being grateful are some of the easiest to write.

I’m very conscious of gratitude in my everyday life, since I have found it can push me above ground on days when I’m tempted to wallow in a hole. No matter how frustrating and painful life can be, it’s also such a gift. I know that sounds cringe-worthy.  

People who collect items do so for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the purpose is an unlimited curiosity about the subject which is collected. Stamp and coin collectors often fall into this category.

The autumn season in Santa Rosa County brings out another variety of collector which has practical and utilitarian objectives for their collecting activity. Seed collectors are actively acquiring mature seeds for one of two diametrically opposed reasons.

As a Canadian – or as the Bible refers to me, “the alien in your midst” – I still think of the second Monday in October as Thanksgiving Day. In many U.S. states, that day is Columbus Day, and in others, Indigenous Peoples Day.

Whatever you choose to call that day, one fact remains, I am not getting any turkey.

A hearty thank you to all of our readers, advertisers and community members and wish you the most blessed Thanksgiving.

I’ve been with many of you for more than 21 years and I think I can speak for all of my staff when I say we are grateful for you.

As I was typing my column, I found out that Adam’s Sanitation is suing the county again. I told our editor, Wendy, that they must have a lot of money to burn.

She then reminded me that Nathan Boyles is an attorney. He is also a county commissioner in Okaloosa County. So, he knows what it is like to be a county commissioner and he is an attorney.

Exotic invasive species are a continuing problem for panhandle Florida, and many other places in the country.

The non-natives are brought into an ideal environment where they can grow and proliferate with unrestrained abound.

A group of men from Compass Church and I have begun meeting weekly to study the book “Disciplines of a Godly Man” by R. Kent Hughes.

This excellent book is founded on the command in the Bible for Christians to “discipline” themselves for godliness. The author begins by highlighting famous, successful men, who made their craft look easy.