Opinion

By Mike Ruffin

I’d like to state my church credentials for you: I was born to Christian parents who went to church every time the doors were opened, I was taken to church for the first time when I was ten days old, I was baptized when I was seven, I was licensed to preach when I was fifteen, I was ordained to the ministry when I was seventeen, I have three degrees from two Baptist schools, I have pastored six Baptist churches, and I have taught full-time for one Baptist college and part-time for five Baptist colleges and one Catholic college. [Full Story »] 

Commercialism has turned Christmas into an indicator. The strength of our economy is judged by the amount of money spent in stores and online from Black Friday through the end of the season.

From what I have seen and heard, there should be records set this year as the economy is in much better shape than it has been in many, many moons both locally and nationally.

Christmas is the season of giving and one must buy gifts in order to give so the economic impact of Christmas is a desirable byproduct of the shopping season. In my estimation, a few people love Christmas shopping while a lesser number absolutely abhor it. The vast majority endure it because it is expected of them.
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By Mike Ruffin

Most of my childhood Christmas memories are excellent. Two aren’t

The first involves my acting debut—unless you count my dynamic recitation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem The Swing at the graduation ceremony for Miss Sylvia’s Kindergarten Class of 1964 (“Riveting—almost like you were at that park across the street from the swimming pool” was how the review in the Barnesville Gazette put it)—in a Christmas play at Midway Baptist Church.

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