Drinking In Alabama

This is a "Letter to the Editor" that I sent to the Bham News regarding 2 editorials in the Saturday edition. Thought you might like to see it.


I read with interest the statistics that were given in a recent editorial that
"43% of Alabama's highway deaths last year involved alcohol." The very same paper also contained a letter from an out of state writer chastising Alabama for holding on to some of the vestiges of Prohibition. While the success or failure of national Prohibition may be debateable, some things are obvious.
Making beverage alcohol more available to more people has never, ever been shown to decrease the use of it.
Furthermore, while many are right to be quick to condemn drunken driving, they are blinded to the other obvious costs to our society. Our dept. of public safety chief was quoted by the news as saying, "Drinking and driving is a dangerous combination." Well, put!
And I would add:
Drinking and fatherhood is a dangerous combination. Would anyone deny that many abusive fathers are driven by alcohol.
Drinking and motherhood is a dangerous combination. Mothers are harming the precious children born to them(as well as their unborn children) at alarming rates.
Drinking and teenagers are a dangerous combination. At a time when they should be learning to make wise decisions, their judgment is impaired.
Drinking and working is a dangerous combination.
Drinking and any public event is a dangerous combination.
Todays young and old could learn something from an old book on this one, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise."(Proverbs 20:1- NKJV).

It is true that laws will never prevent all alcohol abuse, but they can discourage it, and I am for any law that does so.
David Courington

Church Thievery

My Mom used to say that the lowest people were those who stole flowers from the cemetary. Well, I don't know who is lower, but when someone steals the flowers from the church building, I would say that is pretty low, too. A year or so ago, someone took 3 decorative benches and a large flower pot(with flowers) from the front of our building. This week someone took a concrete flower planter, about 1 ft wide by 3 ft long. Yes, that is really heavy. Perhaps they got tired and decided not to take the other 5 that they left intact. It took a strong person(possible 2) to lift it. And why did they steal the flowers?
1. Perhaps the most obvious reason- because they were there. Some people seem to just like to steal.
2. Maybe they just loved the flowers- they were pretty.
3. They had no flowers of their own and couldn't afford to buy a pack of seeds.
4. They were good "tree hugger" nature lovers who took the flowers to protect them.
5. They needed the exercise and plan to use the concrete planter as a large weight.
6. They can't grow any flowers they do not know how.
7. They needed the flowers for food(they might be poison?)
What reasons can you think of?

And Back To Calm

Having had the stitches out of my mosquito bite sized place on my leg, all is well on the homefront. Please continue to pray for my sister in law, Mary, that she will get her transplant soon and all will go well. She was at church Sunday, but not feeling well. Mom and Dad have had some good days lately. To those of you in far away places, it is a hot, dog day afternoon in Birmingham. Have a great day and may God bless.

Chaos Reinstated

For real, last week one day I thought of changing the title of this blog. I will keep it for now. Yesterday began as a very calm day . People often ask, "What do you do?"(OK, I know some of you really do think I only work a few hours a week) and yesterday would have been my standard answer to that- visiting a couple of our church members in the morning, talking on the phone a few times about such things as our gospel meeting in the fall with Kerry Richardson, with a bookstore about a questionable charge, with camp folks about the golf tournament on Saturday. Then a trip to the bank and the cleaners. An afternoon of study for my last "Summer Wednesday Series" at Roebuck the last Wed. of the month, writing on a Sunday sermon, prep for my Wed. Bible class, a couple of other phone calls- Then about 4:30 to add to the "usualness" of my day, at trip to the restroom after a 20 oz. diet Grapico(delicious). When walking back to my office I felt something wet on my leg. Thinking I had either spilled a bit of water when washing my hands, or perhaps another kind of accident that I did not realize(yuck), I walked back to the desk. I kept feeling the wetness and in a little bit I felt something wet in my shoe.
Rather nonchalantly I looked down to see that there was blood all over my pants and a huge pool about 2 feet in diameter in the floor. It is a wonder I did not faint and possibly bleed to death. I reached down and pulled down my sock a bit to reveal blood spurting out of my left leg just below my calf.(Turned out this was a varicose vein that I had the Dr. check a while back because it was itching and protruding.) Why did it rupture? Probably from simply being "rubbed the wrong way." The doctor said I was a "big column of pressure" when I stood up- Well put, Doc.)
I put pressure on it with one hand and called the paramedics with the other. While calling on the office phone Kim called on my cell and I told her I couldn't talk because I was on the phone with 911. She heard me tell them there was blood everywhere and had no idea what had happened(So sorry for that heartcheck, Kim). After getting off the phone I realized that the doors were locked and I couldn't figure out how to get to the door and keep pressure on my leg, too. I called Susan and thankfully, she was already home. Kim had already called her and she was on her way to the building. I called the paramedics back to tell them not to break in, that Susan was on the way with a key. Susan is the one you want with you in a crisis, and usually does not panic. I know from past experience that she doesn't drive fast in an ER run, but she got there fast this time, and Kim got there about the same time. The paramedics couldn't find the building even though they are right next door. The dispatcher did not tell them it was a church and only gave them a house number- which I did not realize we didn't have on the building(any deacons out there?)
The paramedics came in and quickly wrapped up my leg with a bandage(which was tight, but quickly soaked) and told me there was an ambulance on the way. I didn't think I needed one(Why do men always think they can handle things themselves?) Susan gave me that look and I quickly gave in to it. By that time Cheryl Chaney(a neighbor) and then Tim Garrison had seen the firetruck and come in to see if they could help and Doris Poole called. (No telling how many people knew about this before I got to the hospital). Josh got there before I did and Daniel and Mandi got there from Glencoe before long. (I asked Susan why they came and she replied, "Because you were in a huge pool of blood and we didn't know what was going on!" Duh- why didn't I think of that?) I think there was quite a bit of interest at church last night, which I missed. Kent Garrison got there early and had to try to clean up some of the mess. He called and told me he thought that the carpet might have to be replaced in the office.
In all of this the person in the most danger was likely the paramedic who had to lift the stretcher to get me into the ambulance. I think his face was as red as my leg. I doubt he would have made it if I had not lost that 63 pounds.
The paramedics from Sylvan Springs, ambulance co. paramedics, and all of the ER staff at UAB West were great, friendly and professional. Thanks to all of you who have expressed concern. I expecially appreciated the text message I got from Mark Wylie suggesting I go by the auto parts store and get a can of "Bar's Stop Leak".

Well, the Dr. sewed up my leg and told me not to get my leg wet and that I could play golf in the camp tournament on Saturday. We went by Sonic for a breakfast toaster on the way home. Today, it is back to calm again- for a long time I hope. Whew!

400 Mile Yard Sale

Actually the 321 yard sale is now longer than that, since it has been extended to Chicago from it's beginning point of Gadsden, AL. Susan and I made a trek on Saturday to Collinsville and then on up to Dogtown which is on the yardsale trail. We have made some part of this trip a few times before in the 10 years of the sale. I could not tell the crowds have diminished any on the 30 or so miles that we made. Each crossroads that you come to is packed with individuals and dealers who are trying to unload all sorts of things. The one most impressive item in the "cannot afford" category that I found was a really fine brass bell from a locomotive. I think it was $475. The same guy had a huge ship's compass that was $1200 and the bill of a "sawfish". Perhaps the more odd things were the people who were selling and buying the goods. The buy of the day was likely some nice new golf type shirts that we bought Dad for $1. The same guy had a whole big tent full of over run tshirts that were all $1. Restrooms are in short supply on the route, and one of our better stops was at a volunteer fire dept. that advertised their relief stop. They had small baskets of tomatoes and bags of blueberries(mmmmm) for $1 inside. My frivilous purchase of the day was made at the Collinsville Flea Mkt. before our getting to the yardsale. I found a 10 ft real leather bullwhip for $20 and couldn't pass it up. No, I am not going to use it on Susan. I had one when I was a boy that I used often on the bumblebees that came to the red berry(nandina) bushes Mom had in front of our house. I can still crack it pretty good and when I got home I destroyed the leaves from a limb on the poplar tree in our yard. Sunday, my shoulder was sore. Guess I am not the young "whippersnapper"(Papa Courington's phrase for Billy and I) that I used to be. Hope you have a great day.

6th Avenue- Words of Truth

I will be speaking on Wednesday night in the summer series at 6th Avenue church of Christ in Jasper, AL. Love to have you if you are in the area. I saw this article today in the Daily Mountain Eagle and thought some of you might like to read it. It was accompanied by a good picture of Levi Sides and Patrick Morrison.


‘Words of Truth’
Church of Christ radio broadcast celebrating 62 years
Jennifer Williams
Eagle Reporter
Monday, Aug 04, 2008

Levi Sides, right, and Patrick Morrison, ministers at Sixth Avenue Church of Christ, read scripture after a broadcast of “Words of Truth.” The daily gospel broadcast first went on the air in November 1946. - Photo by: Jennifer Williams
Each day at 8 a.m. announcements, prayers and practical Bible lessons flow from a small office in the Sixth Avenue Church of Christ and into the homes of local radio listeners.

The program is called "Words of Truth," and it is the oldest continuous daily gospel broadcast among the Churches of Christ.

When "Words of Truth" first went on the air in November 1946, the United States had recently emerged victorious in World War II.

Jasper had just gotten its first radio station, WWWB 1360.

The station was named for Walter Will Bankhead, nephew of Speaker of the House William Bankhead and a longtime Jasper resident.

Bankhead was walking near the Sixth Avenue Church of Christ one day when he encountered Gus Nichols, the church's minister.

"He said, 'Brother Nichols, I'm going to start a radio station.' Brother Nichols said, 'I want to be on it the very first day,'" said Levi Sides, one of the church's current ministers.

When given his choice of times, Nichols chose to speak on WWWB from 8 to 8:30 a.m.

Although "Words of Truth" has been carried on four different stations over the years, its time has never changed.

Today "Words of Truth" is still known by many locals as the Gus Nichols broadcast.

Sides said when he sits down to prepare his remarks for the program, he often thinks of the man who served the Sixth Avenue Church of Christ for 48 years.

"He was the greatest man that I knew. Not educated as far as formal education, but he memorized the book (the Bible). I often say, 'What would Brother Nichols do? What would Brother Nichols say?'" Sides said.

Since Nichols' death in 1975, several ministers have spoken on "Words of Truth," including Bob Duncan, Glenn Posey, Joe Spivy, Glenn Colley, Flavil Nichols, David Wade, Chuck Webster, Brandon Jackson and Ted Burleson.

The program is currently manned by Sides, Patrick Morrison and Ricky Berger.

"Words of Truth" is a 30-minute live broadcast that features death notices, church announcements, prayer requests and a daily sermon.

All lessons are Bible-based, and controversial topics are handled with care.

"We take local issues. We do speak our political views occasionally, like on bingo. We'll talk about gambling, but we won't mention anybody's name. We try to be very careful in always treating everybody with respect whether they are members of the Church of Christ or not," Sides said.

Recently, Sides spoke on the topic "Looking for Love." He used as his Scriptures 1 John 4:8, which says God is love, and 1 Corinthians 13, which is often referred to as the love chapter.

"Words of Truth" was on the air during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City.

A plane struck the first World Trade Center tower at approximately 7:46 a.m. CST.

When a second plane struck the Twin Towers at 8:03 a.m., Chuck Webster, the "Words of Truth" speaker that morning, changed his sermon into a 30-minute prayer for the victims and their families, the nation and President George W. Bush.

After 62 years on local radio, "Words of Truth" can now be heard around the world at walkercountyradio.com and www.sixthavenuechurch.org.

It can also be heard each morning on AM 1240 WJLX.

Although the technology has changed, the men behind "Words of Truth" today have the same purpose as Nichols when he preached his first radio sermon -- serving the spiritual needs of Walker County residents.

"Our goal is to present a lesson that's heartwarming, life changing and soul saving," Sides said.