Health care is something many of us in the work force take for granted.

This weekend, we celebrate and honor our mothers. Hopefully, we honor them more than once a year, but this is their weekend.

Bad news is everywhere these days. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. It just seems to have all come at once this year.

The words of Murray Wise describe the pain felt by those who lost loved ones during Michael McLendon’s 24 miles of terror on Tuesday: “The 15 years I had with my son and the 18 years I had with Tracy were good, but I need more.“

There is usually a great deal of optimism when the U.S. rings in a new year. However, there wasn’t much enthusiasm as we welcomed 2009.

With all the headlines of doom and gloom about the economy, you would think there’s not much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend.

As it became apparent that Barack Obama would win Tuesday’s election, I took a few minutes to sit back and ponder the meaning of the results.

Like many other families in the Wiregrass, the war in Iraq has hit home for my family.
The Eagle has covered many tearful farewells as family members have said goodbye to their loved ones who were deployed to Iraq. The Eagle has also reported on many happy homecomings.
This is the week we have our tearful goodbye as my nephew leaves with a unit of the Alabama National Guard to serve for one year in Iraq.

Throughout the national economic meltdown, we Americans have proved one thing — we are great at panicking.

Sometimes, all it takes is a little hope and self-confidence for people to turn their lives around.
My wife and I have a ministry that works with the homeless throughout the nation, and over the years it’s been amazing to see how giving people hope can give them a different outlook on life.

Some statistics pass by me in a blur. Then at other times, they jump off the page.
Recently, an e-mail about the percentage of Alabama public school students on free or reduced lunch popped into my inbox. Since I don’t trust most e-mails, I double checked the State of Alabama Department of Education’s Web site and the number was correct. Nearly 52 percent of all public school children in Alabama are on free or reduced lunch.

His daughter called him Dad. His grandchildren knew him as Pop. He was Shorty to his friends. His real name was Mark Brammeier.
His daughter called him a traveler. Everyone else called him homeless. He wasn’t from Dothan. He was just passing through.
Nobody knows when he arrived in Dothan, but we know he never left.

Four months ago, my family was reminded how fragile life can be when my mom and aunt were severely injured in an auto accident. The scene at the emergency room that night is one none of us ever want to experience again.

Have you ever been hungry, but didn’t have food or the money to buy food to satisfy your hunger?
Most of us have never truly experienced hunger. There’s a big difference between not eating lunch and being hungry at dinner time and not having any food and going day to day not knowing when you are going to eat again.

Everyone is feeling the effect of the tough national economy ... well, almost everyone except the oil companies and all of the overpaid professional athletes and movie stars.