The past week at the Capitol has i n c luded some long nights as l awma k ers work to move legislation f o rwa rd. This stage of session can bring lively debates as members advocate for their ideas an...

In the past three months I have lost three valuable people in my life which makes you stop and value what truly matters. First I lost my editor, Jerry, who was a key contributor to our local newspaper...

In the romantic comedy ‘Notting Hill,’ two very different people finally choose each other and build a life together. Their story moves from disappointment to devotion, ending with the promise of fami...

Do you have a dream that seems to have passed you by? A relationship that has failed? A job that didn’t work out. A door that seems to have closed on you? Then you know the temptation to quit. So, wha...

This past Sunday we reflected on the story from John’s Gospel in which Jesus heals a man blind from birth (John 9:1-41). The man is humbly ecstatic to be healed and pretty gutsy standing up to the ang...

This week has been especially active at the Capitol as oversight c ommit tees work through one of the most imp ortant stages of the legislative session. At this point in the process, all remaining Hou...

I miss the days of true creative writing – you know, when you could write a real paragraph and your readers could keep up with the story. You didn’t have to throw in a bunch of pictures or short and s...

In the Bible’s book of Ruth, Boaz has already shown Ruth extraordinary kindness and generosity. Now he wants something more—he wants Ruth to become his wife and to redeem the future for her and Naomi....

Whom does Jesus welcome to the table? Whom are we allowed to treat as “other”? “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he??” With that simple exclama...

Loneliness drains us, leaving us feeling empty and cut off from others. It’s a painful experience because we’re created as relational beings. We need other people for support and companionship. So, wh...

While you’re waiting for the perfect opportunity, what opportunities are passing you by? While you’re waiting for the perfect time, is life passing you by because they say time waits for no man? What ...

There are so many things messed up in this world today and so many things that I will never understand. Like how do people just walk away from a family pet that they’ve had three years or 13 years all...

A keeper kind of love doesn’t just meet expectations— it exceeds them with quiet, faithful kindness. In the story of Ruth, a destitute widow, and Boaz, a rich landowner, we see God’s favor revealing a...

“Return to me with all your heart…” says the Lord through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:1213). “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” say...

Do you know that you know Jesus? Some have said that we should never doubt, but doubts and overcoming them are part of being a Christ- followers. Everyone doubts at some time. How we approach and over...

The second week of the legislative session was devoted primarily to committee work. Several of my bills passed this first step in the legislative process. House Bill 3759 passed the Appropriations and...

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Neil Hays, R-Checotah, secured unanimous approval today in the House Civil Judiciary Committee for House Bill 4260, a measure aimed at strengthening workers’ compensation protecti...

James Finck’s last piece is leaning towards fascism. I don’t know anyone who thinks Trump didn’t win the election, but we do know he got beat in 2020 and instigated an insurrection. The first thing he...

Death is an inevitable part of life but I have learned by loving the living that their death often defines us. I have lost many family members and friends during my life. In the last two weeks I have ...

If you survived Valentine’s Day on a steady diet of romantic comedies, you probably witnessed a classic “meetcute.” That’s the moment when two unlikely characters collide in an unexpected, slightly aw...