By Erich Bridges
Freelance Writer, Richmond, Va.

My heart aches for the six young lives lost in the crash of school bus No. 366 in Chattanooga.

I think about their families, now facing Christmas without beloved children. I think about the kids on the bus who survived. Some of them suffered critical injuries; all of them experienced the horror of seeing friends die.

And I think about the tens of thousands of school bus drivers across the United States. Their noble — and challenging — calling has been overshadowed by the actions of 24-year-old driver Johnthony Walker. [Read more…]

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

One moment it was a blustery late November evening secluded in the Smoky Mountains; the next a fiery hell. And it all changed in the time it takes to draw a breath.

Somewhere along the way I became a disaster chaser. That was never my intention; it just worked out that way. My background is rooted in journalism and at one point I was an overseas correspondent for the International Mission Board. I’ve chased hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. I’ve never seen the ravages of fire until last week in Sevier County.  [Read more…]

By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, Baptist and Reflector

When we were raising our three boys, one of them was particularly prone to say early in the morning, “It’s going to be a bad day!” Usually, some piddling thing had happened that brought forth that comment. Inevitably, I replied with authority, “Happy up! It’s going to be the kind of day you make it!” That rule was proverbial then and now. Exceptions do occur, but the proverb holds. [Read more…]

By Bradford Smith
Missions Pastor, The Way, Clarksville

This is a letter to prospective fathers of an unwanted child.

Twenty years ago I was willing to pay my girlfriend to murder our unborn daughter. This haunts me. I’ve been there. I’ve been in your shoes. I still remember the phone call, how my heart climbed up out of my throat when I heard her tears, how time screeched to a halt as she quietly uttered those two mortifying words, “I’m pregnant.”

You’re scared. I understand and in all reality, you should be. Having a child is a game-changer. I was terrified. This kind of thing certainly never happened in my family. What would my parents say?

You’re trapped. This wasn’t planned. Again, I’m with you. I was young and single, a newly-minted Army officer with my entire life ahead of me. The last thing I wanted was fatherhood. My freedom was at stake, the very essence of me.

Maybe you’re angry. This wasn’t supposed to happen. You don’t need this. Maybe you blame her. Believe me, I’ve been there. I understand but let me assure you of some truth I’ve since come to know. [Read more…]