News

Last Tuesday, I was working on my monthly president’s message when an alert came over my phone about a possible live shooter situation in Parkland, Florida. I read the alert and prayed that it was not another shooting and that the authorities had the person in custody before any lives were lost. I continued editing my piece which was focused on faith, family, country then politics. I wanted to tell you all that we need to live our lives in...

I was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania in 1932.  Our mother left my sister and me when we were very young, and our dad traveled with his work, so we moved to Roebling, New Jersey in 1934 to live with our Aunt Dell.  Our dad remarried when I was thirteen, so we moved to live with him and his new wife on a small farm. At eighteen, I enrolled at the University of Kentucky and met Jim, the guy I would marry.  We had...

A glass bead necklace caught my eye while I was walking around an open-air market with my daughter Kendall. Before inquiring about the necklace Kendall noticed an etched brass cuff with an inspirational message in an unusual font.  Wondering if the artist accepted commissioned work I asked the young women, dressed in 1940’s era clothing, if she would be interested in creating cuffs with my organization’s initials. I handed her my T.F.R.W. business card so she could write down the...

Free speech or freedom to be a whiny, spoiled brat?  Taking a knee or other forms of protesting the National Anthem at football games is a classic example of stupid is as stupid does. Let me be perfectly clear:  I totally understand that there are parts of this country in which it is harder, and in some cases dangerous, to be a black American.  Although this country has come so very far in its quest to be a land of color-blind...

Generally, I use this time and space to tell you what I think about the state of politics in Texas or the nation, but the only thing on my mind these days is the state of the Texas Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. I’ve lived through plenty of hurricanes and tropical storms here in Houston, and I can promise you that there has never been a storm of this magnitude or with this level of destruction, from Rockport...

Hurricane Harvey isn’t over yet but its path of destruction is obvious, and will only get worse. For those of us lucky enough to be spared Mother Nature’s wrath, give thanks. For those who have lost so much, we stand with you. The magnitude of devastation will take months and many resources to make right. Many of our sisters (and brothers) will need a great deal of help to recover. The needs are many but there is a simple way that YOU can...