Francis, A Pope For All of Us

When I was young, although I was Protestant, I felt warm emanations from Rome in the presence of Pope John the 23rd. It seemed to me that Jesus had a true friend in the Holy See.

After his death,  I once asked my dissertation advisor, Michael O. Sawyer, what the Catholic Church was all about. He'd grown up in Baldwinsville, New York with Father Ted Hesburgh, the President of Notre Dame, and was knowledgeable about many things. He said the Catholic Church was all about money.

Today, when I read about Pope Francis and his many comments I get a hope for all of Christianity. As much as I thought at times that I had drifted from my beliefs. I've ended up in the same place I was  when I was helping my mother count the collection plates in Erwin Methodist Church. I can't not believe that Jesus died so we could be  better people.

In his Evangeli Gaudium, Pope Francis talks about a world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. He says, despite all I see on Wall Street, we are not headed  to an economy of exclusion. We all have a responsibility to care about those who have less than we have

This is a man who refuses to condemn the usual suspects and believes in a religion of love for all mankind. He inspires someone like me to hold on to my hopes and dreams for a better world. As we head towards the birthday of God's Son he restoreth my soul.

Garth Brooks is Back

After my father died at seven and we lost the farm, I guess I was primed for country music. So when I ran away from home at 15 in Upstate New York and hitchhiked to Miami, I had my transistor radio tuned to a 50,000 watt clear channel radio station where the most popular song was Hank Snow's "Rocking, Rolling Ocean." The station sold the Lord's Prayer inscribed on the head of a pin.

I went back home because I kept remembering the Kappa Alpha Theta composite I'd seen and knew if I didn't return and go to college I'd never end up with someone who looked like one of them.

In the North no one cared about country music, but I did.

I know Hadyn wrote 104 symphonies, Mozart 41 and Beethoven 9. I've listened and enjoyed most all of them, but one of my greatest vacations was in Yosemite when they renamed the local station K-Garth and I heard "Friends in Low Places," "Daddy Loved Momma, Momma Loved Men," and that God's greatest gift was "Unanswered Prayers."

He's the greatest showman in the history of Country Music and he recently released a boxed album that's announcing his return. I applaud his soon-to-be arrival, but won't buy the boxed set. I've got almost everything Garth Brooks recorded. I know that his best recording was of an old Bob Wills' song "Deep Water," on an album made with "Asleep at the Wheel."

Now if they just bring back K-Garth, I'll move to Yosemite.

Christmas Gifts to Reconsider

There are some Christmas gifts you may want to give a second thought about before gifting. They are:

JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon's new tome, "If you can't trust your banker, who can you trust?"

Barack Obama's book of management tips.

"Affluenza, an historical perspective"

Kim Jung Un's new book "never say Uncle; a guide to governing"

And finally when thinking of what you'd like for Christmas, you're probably thinking of the Korean wives you've admired on Hulu, but do you really want a Korean mother-in-law under your tree?

Rich Whitney Turner: Start Christmas On Labor Day to get the country mo...

Rich Whitney Turner: Start Christmas On Labor Day to get the country mo...: Labor Day, 2016, American Pie, Rhode Island Rev. Roger Williams today decried using Labor Day as the beginning of the Christmas season. ...