J. Davy Crockett III

Are you a gambler? "No!" most people would say: "I don't go to casinos or play the lottery, or bet the horses." This is a good thing, since common sense tells you that the house always wins.

But, do you play the odds in other ways? This thought came to mind as I observed three young adults smoking cigarettes as they enjoyed an animated conversation outside a convenience store. They were young, apparently healthy people, not concerned about the consequences of their actions.

The United States of America is at war on several fronts. However, hardly anybody seems to notice or to care.

There is tremendous interest in biblical matters today. The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit here in Charlotte, North Carolina is drawing large crowds of people from all faiths. These ancient relics appear to confirm that the Bible we have today is remarkably intact.

As we remembered 1776 and celebrated the anniversary of the birth of the United States of America, countless Americans were reminded, if only for a day, of the heroic beginnings of this great nation.

Many years have passed since that sweltering summer in Philadelphia when the Declaration of Independence was signed, but they are only a short time in the flow of history. Extraordinary men laid it all on the line as the colonies broke away from the motherland and started a new, sovereign nation.

While listening to a well know radio show, a female caller made the point that we now live it the "age of the wuss." Now, just what is a "wuss"? The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition states, "Slang: A person regarded as weak or timid and especially as unmanly." A "wuss" is a wimp; a timid, ineffectual man.