In 1995, while living in Kingsport, Tennessee, I was contacted by Becky Whitlock inquiring if I might be interested in writing a regular religious column for the Kingsport Times News. Becky is an editor for the paper and had evidently come across some of my writings from my local church newsletter. I agreed to do so and have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the paper and the larger East Tennessee community ever since. There have been seasons in which I have taken an editorial "breather" but, for the most part, I have been writing regularly since that time.One of the things I determined early on in my writing for the paper is that I would predominately write about things of which I was familiar and that was the life and ministry of the church. I have doggedly avoided partisan politics, both religious and secular, through the years and I have attempted, at least, to be an encouraging voice for those whom I served through the print media.