Monthly Archives: October 2012


That’s How He Rolls

MANSFIELD, TX — Ice skating is not Cameron Rainey’s thing. He tried it when he was 5, even taking a few lessons, but it was too cold, and the ice was too hard when he fell. He told his parents he did not want to skate any more. Two years later, he tried roller skating […]


The Wilderness Is Here

MIDLOTHIAN, TX — It was a dark and spooky night — well maybe not really spooky, but when you have words like dark and night, spooky slips right in, particularly when some of the animals you might hear and see are night creatures such as owls, bats and coyotes. There is a way in Midlothian […]


Hangars of Fun

GRANBURY, TX — Some people have narrow alleys behind their house. Roe and Marcia Walker have a concrete taxiway behind theirs. They live in a fly-in airpark community near Granbury and have access to an airstrip directly across the street. The hangar in their backyard houses a red, white and blue Piper Comanche 250, which […]


Their Roots Run Deep

ENNIS, TX — The year was 1902. The three Czech provinces: Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia were ruled by the Austrian Empire. The Czech people were subjects of the Austrian Regime — which meant working very hard, while having no freedoms. Alois and Anna Vaculka Marusak were proud Moravians living in Provodov, Moravia. But they desired […]


A Match of Faith

CORSICANA, TX — A one-time tennis star still lights up local courts and the lives of those who witness his prowess and personality. Cecil Easley, 44, has the same passion he had for the sport when he was in his 20s and won state and national championships. He has all the skills, energy and dedication […]


Seeing Double

BURLESON, TX — Veterans’ Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, marks the anniversary of the end of World War I. It is a day set aside by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 to honor armed service veterans. Cameron and Camden Lewis, 13-year-old twins, have long known the significance of this day celebrated on […]


Into the World

WEATHERFORD, TX — From a booth at a local taco shop, Tim Jarrell writes his sermons. He watches the customers and thinks, What would I have to say to get him or her to think twice about something? This ability to understand other people’s points of view helps him pastor Couts United Methodist Church. He […]


All Things of Life

WAXAHACHIE, TX — What brought Chautauqua to Ellis County? The Texas Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian (C.P.) Church made the decision to move their Chautauqua Summer Assembly from Glen Rose, Texas, for the 1900 Assembly. “Glen Rose failed after two years. People couldn’t get there,” Kirk explained. “In 1899, the bid for a new host […]


Hope from a Bread Truck

DESOTO, TX — Imagine a scene between two people just meeting, sharing stories about their lives, speaking about their mutual passion for helping the homeless and their dreams of someday opening a shelter and making a real difference in the world. Now imagine those two as unemployed 50-somethings in line for a polygraph test at […]


The Right Track

RED OAK, TX —  Positive role models made a difference in Greg Johnson’s life, inspiring him to help others – whether it’s as a youth mentor, as a church leader or as a living example of paying it forward. “It started with a young man coming to me and asking if I needed any […]