“To everything there is a season...” thus begins the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. We have heard this lesson at many funerals and memorial services. I have found it to be very comforting in times of despair and confusion. But now it is appropriate for what I have to say. What started in 2018 now comes to a hiatus in 2026.
In 2018, I approached the Prospect-News with an idea for a column that was basically thoughts I had while driving between churches on the circuit (thus the name Circuit Thoughts). Over the years, you have allowed me to vent, laugh, make fun and mourn. I never had a plan of what to write week to week. I would just sit down and let a random thought go, and voila, an article was born.
I know it isn’t Pulitzer Prize stuff, but it was never meant to be. The articles were simply meant to help people see Christ in human terms. While it may have been nothing special to professional writers, for me it was a labor of love.
I enjoyed sharing some of my adventures and insights. I loved offering advice and help. I appreciated the opportunity to maybe make your day a little brighter and less burdensome.
Well, as you have probably guessed, what has begun now must come to a bit of an end. I’m not going to say this is a forever goodbye, but for now, I must take a hiatus of sorts. For the time being, Susan and I are going to be wrapped up in the move to our new appointment and getting familiar with the new surroundings. I’m not sure if I will have time to write for a bit, but rest assured, when I start writing, I will be submitting back to the Prospect and the other papers I have been in relationship with.
What started off as a single column in a weekly paper went on to become a column in eight papers. Thanks to the DAR and its connections, we have reached farther than I could have imagined when this all started.
I thank God for the ability to write for you. I thank you for reading the articles. The feedback was always positive. I was often surprised when people would stop me at the store or in Poplar Bluff and recognize me from the articles. If you were one of those that did that, and I had a blank look on my face, it’s because I never expected anyone to even read it.
But you did, and for that I thank you. I have been blessed to have been in Doniphan for 20 years, and I thank each and every one of you for the love and support you have shown all these years.
Now, I go to a new ministry with new opportunities to share Christ in a new setting. I know that I am blessed to have your prayers going with me. So, until we meet again, I hope to see you in church.
Just a thought.
