Blog – Life, Reflections and Faith

09-09-2025 A shocking burglary legacy unfolds. Our story begins in Staten Island, New York, in 2011, just after Christmas. A family discovered the infamous Ninja burglar had looted their Wooddale Avenue home. Police documented over …

09-08-2025 Treasure hunting becomes a passion. The hunt I am about to describe does not require a gold pan, a metal detector, or a shovel, and you could skip the batteries, because antiquing offers treasure …

Texas cattlemen built fortunes. The Buried Secrets of Sandra Irene West begins with cattlemen John Bennett and George West. In 1875, they moved to Jackson County, Texas, and purchased 35,375 acres. Their ranches managed thousands …

09-06-2025 Gold Fever. Ok, I will admit it, I will confess I have gold fever! Many years ago, my wife and I took a trip to Denver, Colorado. I had done my research, and one …

09-05-2025 A fascination with time capsules. Stories of time capsules always capture attention, especially when they are unearthed after decades. For me, digging one up feels like shaking hands with the past. Yet, not all …

09-04-2025 ECU Pirate Sports. I live in Greenville, North Carolina, home to East Carolina University, which is also the home of the Pirates!  So it is only natural that I would be gravitated to this …

09-03-2025 Shifting Gears. Shifting Gears With My Blog started with a reminder from my friend Dylan. He pointed out that writing daily creates 365 new pages each year. His words made me pause and reflect. …

09-02-2025 Early education shaped lives. The formative years of a child’s life often begin in kindergarten. In the 1960s, the first private kindergarten in our county was opened by a former school teacher named Mrs. …

09-01-2025 A childhood hobby remembered. The CB radio fad captured imaginations long before the internet. My father had a ham radio, but I grew up surrounded by CBs. Influenced by shows like The Dukes of …

08-31-2025 A magical holiday atmosphere filled our home. Christmas was always a magical time in our house, filled with warmth, tradition, and sparkle. My mother took decorating seriously, starting with a live tree in the …

08-30-2025 Feeling the frustration build. While the photo isn’t of me, it captures precisely how I feel right now. As my website grows, each update brings excitement and dread. Some days it is more of …

08-29-2025 Adventures that shaped my passions. If I had to summarize my life, it would be about the thrill of the hunt and giving back. I have always loved a good adventure, provided I could …

08-28-2025 Childhood pets shaped my love for animals. Growing up, my wife’s family mostly had dogs. My sisters had a dog named Brownie before I was born. Later, I got Spot. We kept him in …

08-28-2025 Learning the difference between needs and wants. In my twenties, I realized the clear difference between genuine needs and wants. My childhood covered all real needs, leaving wants to evolve. Today, those wants are …

08-27-2025 Playing outside sparked imagination. Toys from my childhood: Playtime meant creating entire worlds with nothing more than a toy in hand. I have fond memories of being outside in the backyard, hiding between the …

08-26-2025 An Open Prayer. Today, I would like to offer an open prayer for this blog and website and for all who visit it. This will not be polished, but it will be personal. Heavenly …

08-25-2025 Fear begins in the mind. The Boogeyman has haunted imaginations for centuries, with some tracing its roots to 16th-century Scotland. Others believe it emerged in different cultures altogether. Regardless of its origin, fear often …

08-24-2025 What Are Your Life Obligations? I have been reminded on more than one occasion that everyone lives their life based on how they grew up, and many of our behaviors are tied to our …

08-23-2025 Some days just hit harder. There are weeks when I feel like I’m simply running on empty. Moreover, my energy has disappeared without warning. A while back, I went in for a sleep study. …

08-22-2025 The Soap Salesman’s Pitch. Before the internet, scammers often used phone calls to target businesses. One memorable instance involved a soap salesman trying to exploit our company. We needed special liquid soap for our …