An Arkies Musings

An Arkie's Faith column from the June 26, 2019, issue of The Mena Star. Black clouds began to sprawl across the sky as we sat at Papa’s Mexican Café. It was our weekly family night, and we were having a wonderful meal at Papas. The kids wanted to sit at their own table separate from the adults. They were making up storylines for their very own superhero movie. From the adult's table, we could see out the front door. As the clouds rolled in and we began to hear thunder, we thought that we should cut the evening short. On our family nights, we usually sit and visit for quite some time after we have eaten. But tonight, we decided that it would be a good idea to get home before the storm hit. My Daddy had driven his Shay Model A Roadster, and with no side windows, it would be good to get home before it began to rain. As we walked to our cars, we could see dark, brooding, black clouds to the southwest. The skies looked ominous. We made it home before the storm hit. As we sat ...

An Arkie's Faith column from the June 19, 2019, issue of The Mena Star. The warm evening sun shone on the towering and picturesque Roark Bluff. The Buffalo River rushed past the bluff, which is one of the most iconic and photographed bluffs along the river. In an open grassy field at Steel Creek Campground, over one thousand people gathered, waiting for the concert to begin. The band, National Park Radio, would be playing a free outdoor show in this beautiful location for the fourth consecutive year. National Park Radio is a modern folk band from Harrison that is known for its hopeful, heartfelt lyrics with themes about life, love, and difficult choices, all while echoing the enduring beauty of the band’s deep-seated roots in the Ozark Mountains. I first heard them when they headlined the 2018 Lum and Abner Days Festival. I became a big fan of National Park Radio and their music. I made plans months ahead to attend the Steel Creek concert. The concert date just happened to b...

An Arkie's Faith column from the June 12, 2019, issue of The Mena Star. I can still remember the summer of 1967. I was just a kid, but it seemed like the world was changing. 1967 became known as the Summer of Love, and the song All You Need Is Love by The Beatles was the anthem. Just like other kids from around the world, I loved The Beatles. I remember visiting my cousins in California that December and listening to the Magical Mystery Tour album for the first time. One of the highlights of the album was All You Need is Love. Is there any truth to the catchphrase, “all you need is love?”  I believe that it is the truth.  “All you need is love – Love is all you need.” In 1 John 4:7,8 (NCV)  the Bible tells us, “Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God’s child and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Love should be the basis for everything we do.  In Matthew 22...

An Arkie's Faith column from the June 5, 2019, issue of The Mena Star. It seems like I spend a lot of my time answering the phone. If my hands are full, or If I am inside or under a vehicle, the phone is likely to ring. One day, I was setting a windshield in place when the phone began to ring. I had to finish setting the windshield before I could answer the phone. The phone rang and rang. When I was able to answer, the voice on the other end of the line asked, “Is this a car lot?” “Yes,” I answered tentatively, thinking it might be a telemarketer. “I know that this is a longshot, but I don’t know where else to turn. I am looking for a friend who I have lost touch with.” As we continued the conversation, I learned that this man was trying to locate someone he had served with in the armed forces. He had a phone number for his friend, but it had been disconnected. He was afraid that his friend had passed away and that he hadn’t heard. He knew that his friend had sold used cars ...