Hope you and your family had a beautiful Christmas honoring
Jesus Christ on His December 25th birthday.  Of course, you had that
big bounty of food to devour, enjoy each other's company, and thank
God for all the blessings He has given you.  You made some wonderful
memories to always cherish.
      Maybe you're back up to snuff now after celebrating Christmas
and are enjoying some relaxation, peace, and quiet from all the
get-togethers you just had to attend.  Well, you may also be having
that good ole cup of coffee to bring your day to life and remembering
how good it was to be with family and friends.  I find my cup of
coffee simply hits the spot and gets me going.
      The winter season officially began on December 22, but we've
been experiencing winter before that since the winter has a mind of
its own and it doesn't check the calendar on the starting date of cold
weather.
      Hard to believe but this year will be over in just a few days.
May the New Year of 2024 be a good one for all of you.  We do not know
what lies ahead for us next year, but I hope your family stays well.
      Let's keep in prayer the following people:  Cecile Ferrell, Mary
Melton, Sepal Pedigo, Tony Neal, Rose Watts, Charlie Mai Daniel, the
families of Alene Ferrell, Dorris Estes, and the people of Israel and
also the people in our state that have lost loved ones in those
tornadoes that hit Middle Tennessee on December 9th.
      Goodness, we have a slew of birthdays coming up in January:
Buford Patrick 1st, Faye Ferrell 1st, Tony Neal 1st, Melvin Ferrell
9th (he'll be "96"), Austin James Hall 10th, Mai Nell Melton 11th,
Junior Melton 11th, Connie Cantrell 19th, Billy Nichols 20th, Debby
Harvey 21st, Rodney Young 21st, William "Aubrey" Fryar 22nd (our
grandson), Reese "Liz" Mendenhall 24th, Charlie Mai Daniel 25th, Nancy
Clement 26th, and David Melton 31st.
      Sometimes I like to reflect on a time in my life of a Christmas
that this girl will remember always and how it touched my heart so
deeply.  I've written about it before, but some of you may be
newcomers to the column:
      Went with my dad, Mr. Jake Warren, to Mrs. Lola Henegar's little
country store and while there I spotted this beautiful doll with
blonde hair in so many curls and enchanting blue eyes.  I had never
seen a more beautiful doll.  Her blouse so lacey and white and the
skirt was, I think, navy blue.  Black patten shoes and more lace on
the white socks.  Do not remember the price on the doll but oh how I
wanted to have it.  Told "Mom" about it but we were poor, and she told
me it was just too high a price on it.  When you are little, a lot of
things you don't understand and the hurt from hearing mom's words,
even though she was so sweet in trying to explain why they couldn't
get the doll for me, just about crushed me, and, of course, I cried.  I
tried not to think about the doll, but you know I did.  Finally
accepted getting the doll wasn't going to happen as one day in Mrs.
Lola's store I did not see the doll where it had been, and I knew
someone that could afford it had bought it.  Later on, as Christmas
morning arrived, there under our live tree that daddy had cut down as
he always did was a package that had my name on it.  Inside was that
beautiful doll from Mrs. Lola's store.  Mom, I am pretty sure, and
Mrs. Lola traded out on eggs so I could have my best Christmas ever!
      It was the whining that was heard around the world.  Patrick
Mahomes, quarterback of the Kansas City Chief's in football, that got
before the TV cameras complaining about the referees that made a wrong
call.  His coach also whining and trying to take center stage with
Mahomes.  All I can say is I've seen plenty of missed calls by
referees over the years and some have cost teams a chance to be in the
Super Bowl, but they didn't do the whining that was on display by the
Chiefs quarterback and his coach.  These teams didn't like what
happened in the game but didn't make such a big deal of it.  That's
football and there's going to be missed calls by the referees.
      Let your loved ones know how much you love them often.  We never
know what tragedy could hit as there are no guarantees in this life.
      If you have any news for the column, just give me a call at
615-563-4429.  Have a great day and Happy New Year!
      I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: No man cometh unto the
Father, but by Me.  John 14:6