The Nothing Blog

For years I've seen the young children in our neighborhood usually run instead of walk...everywhere! They would run across their own yard into the next one with joy, energy, and expectation of a new adventure of their day. The little boys usually had on Superhero costumes and played all kind of imaginary games confidently overcoming evil. Hmmmm. They stood up to evil, and always won! Hmmmm. Maybe that was because they saw themselves covered with some kind of power that was unstoppable. Hmmmm. And these are the same children who didn't wonder if their Mom would have lunch for them when they ran back into their houses.  And they never wondered if their Dad or Mom would instinctively buy them a new pair of shoes because they were having another growth spurt. And I'll bet, when the children next door ran into their house to get a snack and yelled, "Mom! I'm hungry! Can I have some chips?" they never doubted there would be food for them to eat, any time they needed...

PART 1 -- Introducing Zach and Bre Kell Okay, first of all, it was not Zach or Bre's idea to be identified as "the Chip & Joanna Gaines of Restaurants." No, I saw the resemblance from knowing their talents of taking rundown buildings and creatively fixing them up to be very popular places for fine dining. They have a gift, a knack to create an ambiance that makes you want to linger a little longer after you've received your check! Yep. It's a gift they've been given. So please, let me be clear, the Kells are too humble and way too busy keeping their three casual-yet-classy, dining establishments going -- and with a fourth one under construction in Downtown Canton -- to think they're the Fixer Upper couple of restaurants.  If you're not familiar with them, the Gaines are a dynamic, talented couple with a young family in Waco, Texas, who have taken distressed houses and turned them into gorgeous, cozy homes for their clients on HGTV's "Fixe...

Wow. There is so much bashing, mud-slinging, and personal attacks launched on social media about the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election! Wow. It's like in Scripture where people in the same army turn their swords on each other! And we've been blinded to the truth that our REAL enemy is the devil himself and he's probably hilariously laughing at US (pun intended). What happened to believing in the supernatural power of prayer to Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe? Are Scripture passages not applicable for us anymore because we have idols we love more than God? Are we ignoring the Holy Spirit's whispers of wisdom because the machine gun-like media blasts are distracting us? Have we decided to just buy the lie the world is selling? God's got this , (well, actually He's always got this no matter what IT is because He's sovereign) but it surely seems like we are ignoring Him.  Look at the power and privileges He has promised His people:   "The pray...

Everybody has a story. A life story. Ups. Downs. Roller coaster-type stuff of deep valleys and mountaintop experiences.  Christians believe all of these highs and lows are intentional from the hand of God. His sovereignty, the Providential plan of God. We believe the truth of God's Word -- He creates all things and controls all things. He always has and He always will.  He turns darkness into light, sickness into wellness, ugly situations into beautiful outcomes. He's like that. He has this power of unconditional love for His people and no one can measure His passion because it is so great. God has unlimited power of His will and no one can stop His plans. He's absolutely awesome.  And God gives everyone life stories to share with others so His greatness and goodness can be seen more clearly. This is how He is glorified. Christians love to tell these stories because no one can do what God can do!  And I'm about to share mine with you. But first, I want to mention tha...

Cherokee Talk is one of the features of the  Cherokee County (GA) local radio station Bob Alexander, host of "We Are Messengers" on GRACE Radio, and I were recently invited to host Cherokee Talk. The 25-minute show airs 7 am and 7pm, each Monday through Friday.  We have the privilege and joy to interview God-honoring influencers from our Cherokee County community! We invite you and your friends to tune to 102.9 and listen in.  For now, I have posted my first three interviews; all recorded at David Johnston's studio, D2ThaJ Productions, Inc. in Holly Springs, GA. Many thanks to you, David, for your gifts, your professionalism and gracious help to this girl cuz she's going through still another season of God's purposes stretching me! Oops. Did I say that out loud? Okay, Brothers and Sisters, here are the first three interviews from GRACE Radio's talk show, Cherokee Talk: Meet Diane Oberkrom & her son Augie. Diane is the founder of The Soul Food Market. She...

My heart has been reminded that today, July 5, is the day my mother went to be with Jesus in heaven. She died in 2007 and I still miss her and I still thank the Lord for blessing me as her daughter. The following is a page from my journal written May 27, 2007. I have published this before but I think it's part of the healing/grieving process and I want to honor the memory of my mother, Mary Elizabeth Gillette Brown. Here it is: Mom May 27, 2007 Journal Notes By Polly Balint “Mom” When I was playing golf today with three friends, I started thinking about Mom and how she has given me such a wonderful legacy of loving life… and even in playing golf. While I was on the course, I started to remember what she was like on my last trip to Coral Gables…she had to be bathed and dressed. Couldn’t go to the bathroom by herself…couldn’t walk alone and barely can speak. She would shuffle to walk but it took two people to help her. BUT, she was still so pleasant and cordial and gracious and willi...

America, as a nation, is willingly turning her back on truth, light, and life and choosing to walk right into captivity. The United States of America needs to be rescued. It will not be more programs, more institutions, political clubs, social clubs, or even bigger church buildings that will set America free. It will be God's grace toward a remnant of faithful Christians who will regularly gather to fervently, faithfully cry out to God in prayer for repentance. That is what God will use to save America. It is PRAYER to God...but He says, "If." It's written in Scripture:   "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will heal their land."  (2 Chronicles 7:14) "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." (James 5:16) How spiritually dark does it have to get for Christian families in America before we give up our worldly ways and fall on our faces befor...