Dec. 30, 2006, column:
God is a constant during a bad year

Dec. 16, 2006, column:
Stratford native opens dental clinic in Guatemala as a 'faith-based mission'

(In the photo at right, Stratford native Dr. Phil Plunk treats a patient in western Guatemala.)

Dec. 2, 2006, column:
Leaving family home, church home create new memories

Nov. 18, 2006, column:
UMC 'renewers' nearer their goal

Nov. 11, 2006, column:
Man fashions Ten Commandments for in-laws

Oct. 21, 2006, column:
Here are a few points to ponder

(Briefs on McLean's Ten Commandments, the new movie about Esther, "The Gospel According to the Beatles," Larry Payne's new book, a cross from the March wildfires and the "He bible.")

Oct. 7, 2006, column:
Former Amarilloan turns fear into Christian mystery novels

Sept. 9, 2006, column:
Being a pack rat not always such a bad thing

Aug. 26, 2006, column:
When it comes to veggies, columnist comes up short

Aug. 12, 2006, column:
As the body of Christ, the hand need not be jealous of the foot

No column July 29, 2006.

July 15, 2006, column:
People still want good to win out over evil

July 1, 2006, column:
Three books offer summer diversion for mind, spirit

June 17, 2006, column:
Backyard Mission members serve as Lord's handymen

June 3, 2006, column:
'The Da Vinci Code' is just a mystery movie, not fact

May 20, 2006, column:
Still wondering

May 6, 2006, column:
Men's retreat changes things up

April 22, 2006, column:
Funeral in real life makes writer focus on Easter

(Reminder: I don't write the headlines -- somebody at the newspaper does -- and I sure wouldn't have written this one. --Mike H.)

Following is a "Just wondering" that was cut from this column in the newspaper:

Just wondering how many Amarillo College employees were inspired by Christmas e-mails from the late Lisa Cherry, who was an AC regent. Here’s an excerpt from her message of Dec. 14, 2005:
“Greetings, Merry Christmas, and may the miracle of Christmas fill your hearts with peace and happiness. It is my prayer that God will bless you and your families with a wonderful, healthy and successful New Year. As I look back over 2005, I see the faces and families of many miracles among the staff. …
“Be safe and do not forget to breathe in and breathe out.”
She added a reference to Psalm 91:11, which says, “The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you.”

April 8, 2006, column:
Former pastor withdraws from Presbyterians

March 25, 2006, column:
Horse in corner was the worst

Thanks to all who have commented on this column about the fire. I've received the most feedback ever, either online or in person, on this column. (Part of the reason was that it was the first "Faith" column to appear on the front page of the newspaper!) --Mike H.

March 11, 2006, column:
Just wondering...

(Briefs on Winter Jam 2006, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, youth mission trips, Cotton Bowl prayer and seeking a Bible in Manhattan -- plus quotes from C.S. Lewis and Dwight L. Moody.)

Feb. 25, 2006, column:
Anne Rice does good job depicting Jesus as a boy

The original column had the following paragraph at the end. It was cut in the newspaper:
Alluding to her vampire novels, Rice calls Jesus “the ultimate supernatural hero, the ultimate outsider, the ultimate immortal of them all.” But in this first book, he is just a puzzled little Jewish boy seeking his destiny.

Feb. 11, 2006, column:
'End of the Spear' brings criticism from many evangelical Christians

Jan. 28, 2005, column:
Message is clear in 'End of the Spear'

Jan. 14, 2006, column:
Tigers show up for funeral of former junior high coach

Dec. 31, 2005, column:
God lets us know he is here

Dec. 17, 2005, column:
Religious books make good gifts

Dec. 3, 2005, column:
Television tip: Brush up on your Bible

Nov. 19, 2005, column:
Taking a closer look at intelligent design

Nov. 5, 2005, column:
Rosa Parks reminds us to 'look to God, work together'

Oct. 27, 2005, column:
'Renaissance' woman leads marriage therapy group
Note: This headline that was in the newspaper doesn't reflect what the column is about. It should be something like "Creepy novel writer got spiritual start in Amarillo." --Mike H.

Another note: The following was cut from the column. Some of you might want this information:
Just wondering
* * *
Just wondering whether Dwight Huber, chairman of the Amarillo College English department, recalls his nickname, “Fightin’ Dwight, the White Knight of Right,” from Melanie Wells’s formative years at Amarillo High School. His department is sponsoring a free appearance by author Wells and her friend and fellow former Sandie, Austin musician Trish Murphy, at 9 a.m. Nov. 3 in the AC Concert Hall Theater. Wells also will be at Amarillo’s Barnes and Noble from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 3. Information on the two is online at www.melaniewells.com and www.trishmurphy.com.

Oct. 8, 2005, column:
Guide helps discover evangelical Christians

Sept. 24, 2005, column:
Christ in action in Ellwood Park
(This was supposed to run in the paper Sept. 10, but the Globe-News people said it got dumped in order to include more Katrina news. A few sentences were cut from this version for space purposes. Here's what the last paragraph was supposed to be:

The look back at Elwood Park and the look forward at Hillside and Soncy are just two of the many faces of the Christian church. If you don’t like what’s going on in one congregation, I’d suggest trying another.

(Also, the headline above was in the paper, but it's not very descriptive of what the column's about.)

Aug. 27, 2005, column:
Judge's spiritual resume shows he's 'serious' Catholic

Aug. 13, 2005, column:
Good news and bad news for Presbyterian minister

July 30, 2005, column:
'Bad News Bears' deserves R rating

July 16, 2005, column:
'Harry Potter' fears unwarranted

July 2, 2005, column:
Articles misguided on Christian beliefs

[This column was cut to make it fit into the newspaper. Near the end, where it mentions Jesus, the following two Bible verses were in the original. The first one quotes Jesus:

“I am the way and the truth and the life,” he said. “No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NIV) Peter added, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, NIV)]

June 18, 2005, column:
Signs of religion show in buildings

June 4, 2005, column:
Free speech takes a blow from the Air Force Academy

May 21, 2005, column:
'Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse' a laugh, a worry

May 7, 2005, column:
Author has wide range of interests, someone to watch in political world

April 23, 2005, column:
Variety of topics cause columnist to just wonder

Note: The April 9 column didn't make it into the April 9 Amarillo Globe-News. Because of the pope's death, the entire front page of the Faith section was about his funeral, and coupled with a lot of ads, there wasn't room for my column. I'm not happy about that, but I understand. Stay tuned; the same column probably will run (and be linked here) April 23. --Mike H.

March 26, 2005, column:
In God we trust still works today

March 12, 2005, column:
Maybe we should take a lesson from Ireland

Feb. 26, 2005, column:
I.D. now could mean Intelligent Design

Feb. 12, 2005, column:
God talk key part of inaugural address

FYI: My column that was supposed to run in the Jan. 29 Amarillo Globe-News was delayed because of a last-minute ad on the page that took away the space. The column now is scheduled to run Feb. 12. --Mike H.

Jan. 15, 2005, column:
Women walking a few steps in new shoes

Jan, 1, 2005, column:
Boycott might end after writer's faux 'paw'

Merry Christmas!

A technical note: The Amarillo Globe-News Web site now requires people to register for access. It's still FREE; you just have to fill out some information one time. Lots of newspapers are operating that way now; it really isn't a big deal.
I hope you'll register so you can keep the capability of surfing to my columns.

--Mike H.

Dec. 18, 2004, column:
Letter, card conflict about holiday

Dec. 4, 2004, column:
Here's hoping new minister is just as wonderful

Nov. 20, 2004, column:
Morals a big factor in presidential election

Nov. 6, 2004, column:
We can all learn lesson from 'Friday Night Lights'

Oct. 23, 2004, column:
Separating church and state

(The headline doesn't reflect the column, but I use the headlines that appeared in the newspaper, which I didn't write!)

Oct. 9, 2004, column:
Peace is still musician's No. 1 goal

Sept. 25, 2004, column:
Religion is a factor in my November vote

Sept. 11, 2004, column:
Americans should promote Islam to defeat terrorism

Aug. 28, 2004, column:
Gene Shelburne's book anything but routine

Aug. 14, 2004, column:
Some things make one wonder

July 31, 2004, column:
Survivor not self-made but faith-made

July 17, 2004, column:
UFO Festival in Roswell was fun, except for a few nut cases

July 3, 2004, column:
Remember to put other people first, sing their praises

June 19, 2004, column:
Thing that make me wonder

June 5, 2004, column:
Pastor Dan brings to light Christians can be cool

May 22, 2004, column:
Oliver North neither extremist nor terrorist

May 8, 2004, column:
Methodist membership drifting downward

April 24, 2004, column:
Walls must be taken down

April 10, 2004, column:
Movies stir passions from Alamo to Jesus

March 28, 2004, extra column:
Rufe Jordan - lawman with foresight, dignity

March 27, 2004, column:
Christians work to build a bridge

March 13, 2004, column:
Some don't understand 'evangelical'

Feb. 28, 2004, column:
What if one of the other religious groups is right?

Feb. 14, 2004, column:
Valentine's Day is a joy, romantic - if you share

Jan. 31, 2004, column:
Nation founded by folks with strong belief in God

Jan. 17, 2004, column:
'Five People You Meet' not just about death

Jan. 3, 2004, column:
God's love is genderless

Dec. 20, 2003, column:
Tolkien: 'Lord of the Rings' is religious work

Dec. 6, 2003, column:
Loss of Oxford, Cambridge professor barely noticed

Nov. 22, 2003, column:
Kennedy changed perception of religion, government

Nov. 8, 2003, column:
Film brings to life hard-to-grasp concepts

Oct. 25, 2003, column:
Class to study media's approach to religion

Oct. 11, 2003, column:
Mel Gibson's 'Passion' causes ugly accusations

Note: The twice-a-month schedule for my columns has been disrupted. The Amarillo Globe-News has a new executive editor and is making lots of changes in addition to adjusting to less space in the newspaper.

They are trying to run all religion material on Saturdays now, and I was told my column will start running on Saturdays. But I submitted one three weeks ago that hasn't run yet.

I can't post it here until it runs first in the Globe-News, but I can tell you it's about Mel Gibson and the controversy over his new movie, "The Passion," which is about the last hours of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.

When it runs, I'll post a link to it here.

--Mike Haynes

Sept. 11, 2003, column:
A few things that make me wonder

Aug. 28, 2003, column:
Lots of smiles lost when George Terry passed

Aug. 14, 2003, column:
Omissions in the newspaper version of the column made it a little hard to follow, so it is presented here directly in its original form instead of from the Amarillo Globe-News Web site:

Old Channel 4 building has a new mission

By Mike Haynes
The calendar messed up my chance to be the “Birthday Kid” on Channel 4. My name had been picked from the “Birthday Buddy Box,” but I received a two-cent postcard signed by host “Aunt Phyllis” telling me my sixth birthday would fall on a weekend when “For Kids Only” wasn’t on the air, so I would have to settle for visiting the show another day as part of the regular audience.
My memories of 1956 are hazy, but I thought I did get on TV that November. I recall a vague image of myself sitting in a row of kids in a high-ceiled studio. Mom and Dad’s recollection, though, is that I never made it to the show.
No matter. We have pictures to prove I did visit Channel 4 later. The black-and-white glossies from the early 1960s show my family and scores of others from McLean, all lined up outside the station behind Cotton John Smith, the legendary farm-and-ranch man, with horses and covered wagons in the background.
We used to ride horseback or drive wagons 70-plus miles on Route 66, camping out at Conway, clopping past the big refinery on Amarillo’s edge and finishing on top of the hill at 2000 N. Polk St. for a TV appearance promoting the McLean rodeo.
Grandad would have his rodeo beard that made him look like Charlie Wooster from “Wagon Train,” and Cotton John would interview him and call him “the old gray mayor.” It was pretty exciting.
My next visit to Channel 4 was exciting, too. It was a Sunday morning last month, and this time the studio had been made over with plush blue carpet, seats and stage. When I walked in, the site of the KAMR (formerly KGNC) newscast just two years ago had traded spaces with a worship center where six women in tailored lavender suits were making like the Pointer Sisters except with words such as “Look what the Lord has done!”
The singers and band, good enough to lead music at any stadium rally, slowed down to “This is holy ground.” And the next two hours proved that indeed, the old Channel 4 building, donated to Faith Clinic Christian Center Church, has a new mission.
Pastor Lee Simpson and his wife, Pat, both have offices in the facility along with big plans for a computer training room, private counseling facilities, a workout area and more. An antique, eight-foot sign publicizing Roy McCoy and fellow news anchors still leans against a wall in space being converted to ministry, but the renovation is well under way.
Simpson, who founded the church eight years ago, envisions using the former TV station to create videos, CDs and DVDs to spread God’s Word. His marketing background gives him the know-how to package and present the message appropriately for his congregation.
“I’m going to take you for a ride,” he preached. “Not on a roller coaster, but it’ll be a bullet train. God has given us an assignment in this city.”
He focused on hard realities, too. Simpson came from Louisiana familiar with the daily challenges that face many in his congregation, including money. “If you don’t get your credit right, you can’t serve God like He wants you to,” he said. “Men and women of God shouldn’t walk around not paying their bills.”
After a pause, the 44-year-old minister added, “I didn’t hear the amens!”
He talked about freeing people from the “poverty cycle” and avoiding welfare when possible. “If you’re a healthy individual with some ability, you should be out making as much as you can make,” he said. “But you’ll be a miserable failure if you try to change everything all at once. It takes time.”
He cautioned that lifestyle shifts often are temporary because “people change from something, but they don’t know what they’re changing to. So they go back.”
With Faith Clinic’s ministry for single mothers, its programs to help teens and to guide men and its worship services energized with waving streamers and a small but responsive audience telling each other “I believe you’re going to be all right!”, transformation of individual lives appears as certain as the physical conversion of a TV station to a church.
My postcard from “Aunt Phyllis” in 1956 was labeled, “KGNC-TV … 100,000 watts.” There’s more power than that coursing through the old studios now.
* * *
Just wondering
* * *
Just wondering whether Pete Rose is the best choice to speak to Amarillo YMCA kids Saturday (Aug. 16). Maybe he deserves a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame based on his hustle and career, but I’m not sure gambling and self-promotion are values young people should emulate.
* * *
Mike Haynes teaches journalism at Amarillo College. He can be reached at AC, the Amarillo Globe-News or haynescolumn@hotmail.com. Go to http://www.haynescolumn.blogspot.com for other recent columns.

July 24, 2003, column:
Armstrong needs to lose cynicism

July 10, 2003, column:
A short tale about two Ediths

June 26, 2003, column:
School reunion brings flood of unsaid thoughts

June 12, 2003, column:
Basketball player's character makes him admirable

May 22, 2003, column:
Again, because of confusing omissions in the newspaper version of the column, it is presented here directly in its original form instead of from the Amarillo Globe-News Web site:

Local author's witty self-help manual is not necessarily a Christian book

By Mike Haynes
Sorry, Jason, I’m blowing your cover.
OK, young Amarillo writer Jason Boyett really isn’t being sneaky with his second book, “Things You Should Know By Now: A Mini-Life Manual for the Quarterly Aged.” It actually is what Boyett says it is: “a book intended to help twentysomethings navigate the choppy waters of love, money, relationships and other miscellaneous aspects of life.”
But the thing is, the witty self-help manual, which went on sale May 15 at local bookstores and on the usual international Web sites, is a not-necessarily-Christian book written by a Christian author.
Boyett begins his wise but never pushy paperback with a parable gleaned from a book called “Zen Flesh, Zen Bones,” and his chapters are filled with contemporary culture references such as reality TV, “The Matrix,” techno musician Moby and urban legend e-mails. He covers topics such as “Beware the Credit Card Debt Monkey,” How to Change a Flat Tire,” “How to Cook Eggs a Bunch of Different Ways” and “How Not to Worry.”
He truly does tell the 20-to-30 crowd how to do basic things that don’t always get taught in a society of amazing technology and instant gratification.
Anyone – even us old folks – can enjoy it from any starting point, which Boyett and Relevant Books intend. Boyett doesn’t see a need to sprinkle Bible verses throughout the pages, although there are a couple, along with footnotes acknowledging such sources as St. Augustine. But his perspective comes from his upbringing in Amarillo, and chapters such as “The Best Way to Live is Generously” reflect ideas that sound pretty familiar to those acquainted with Jesus’ teachings.
The Epilogue at the end of the book – “There’s More to Life Than Romance, Money and Poker” – is the only place Boyett explicitly lays out the importance of Christianity in his life. As in the rest of the chapters – and like many young men and women of his generation – he is open and honest, not whitewashing the questions. He writes that his belief “doesn’t come as easily to me as it did when I was younger.
“It’s challenged on a daily basis by the injustice of our fellow humans and the ridiculousness of the religious, by the prevalence of unmitigated evil and uninhibited disaster.
“Ten years ago, my faith was the simple assurance that the Judeo-Christian Jehovah, as revealed in the person of Christ, was and is absolutely real. Today, on a good day, I still hold to that. But on a bad day? On a bad day, faith for me is living as if God’s real, but … wondering.”
The story of Boyett’s grandfather learning to laugh again after larynx surgery, the author’s credit to his brother for a card trick and his frequent mention of his wife and kids all show that family and tradition remain anchors for him. But his world view is anything but simplistic. Consider his chapter on postmodernism.
Because “pomo” is attached these days to everything from “Seinfeld” to retro baseball parks, Boyett spends a few pages on it. He says postmodernism encompasses relativism, diversity, no central authority and importance of the group over the individual. It’s a philosophy that says “whatever.”
He says “Everybody Loves Raymond” is a modern TV show, while “Friends” is postmodern. The Internet, direction-less and diverse, is postmodern.
Boyett’s wide range of “stuff” young adults should know may be an example of “pomo,” too, for all I know. I do believe this gifted 29-year-old has plenty of good advice for everybody.
He approaches members of his generation on their own familiar turf, giving help on everything from 401(k)s to making fruit smoothies. And if readers want to explore where much of his wisdom comes from, he points them in that direction, too.
* * *
Just wondering
* * *
Just wondering if potential messes like the Tulia drug arrests in Swisher County were a reason the late Sheriff Rufe Jordan didn’t want an outside drug task force coming into Gray County, where he knew residents in all neighborhoods on a first-name basis.
* * *
Mike Haynes teaches journalism at Amarillo College. He can be reached at AC, the Amarillo Globe-News or haynescolumn@hotmail.com. Go to http://www.haynescolumn.blogspot.com for other recent columns.

May 8, 2003, column:
Usually, you find here a link to the Amarillo Globe-News Web site,
where the columns are archived. This time, because of editing errors
and omissions in the newspaper version, the column is presented here
directly in its original form:

Eric Das carried out family's mission

By Mike Haynes
The 2-year-old boy maneuvered his toy lawnmower near the front window,
took a look outside and began pushing it back and forth on the carpet,
cutting make-believe grass.
With another glance outside, little Seth pulled his plaything into a bedroom
and started “mowing” again. His counterpart out in the real yard, a lanky
teen-ager named Eric, had moved to the other side of the house, and the
toddler was following him.
In fact, Seth Richardson watched Eric any time he and his parents, Keith
and Sandy Richardson, got together with Eric’s family. Something about
the energetic, friendly young man attracted his attention.
A dozen years later, Eric still was doing something little boys
like to emulate. He was 30 years old and flying a U.S. Air Force F-15E
Strike Eagle jet near Tikrit, Iraq. He already had made successful flights,
helping push his country toward a quick end to the war.
In the middle of the Iraqi night April 7, however, something
happened. Ten days later, Eric’s family – then the Richardsons and scores
of other friends in Amarillo and around the world – found out that Eric had
been killed when the F-15E went down. The same was confirmed later for
his weapons officer, 37-year-old Maj. William Watkins of Virginia.
At an Amarillo memorial service April 24 for Capt. Eric Das,
retired Maj. Gen. Jerry White was the last speaker. And while the Air Force
connection was enough, there was an even stronger one.
White is international president of the Navigators, a Christian
ministry for which Eric’s parents, Bruce and Rosie Das, have worked for
many years. The Navigators are known for their efforts to spread God’s
message on military bases and college campuses, but they also operate
in other settings.
In Amarillo and Canyon, Bruce and Rosie have led local businessmen,
college students and others toward Jesus Christ. They taught adult
Sunday school classes at Paramount Terrace Christian Church before
moving to First Presbyterian Church.
The Das family has touched countless lives using the biblical philosophy
that Christ’s disciples, or followers, should develop new disciples through
one-on-one relationships.
At the memorial service, the heartfelt and moving testimony of
those who knew Eric established that the son – like his sisters Melody
and Elisa – had received from his parents the seeds of Christian salvation
and Christian living and already had been planting more seeds from Texas
to North Carolina and beyond. He had done everything at full throttle,
including his efforts to please his heavenly commanding officer.
He had been part of the process Paul described in 2 Timothy 2:2-3:
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses
entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure
hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
White said Eric’s life was not lost, but completed. That makes
sense to the head, but to the heart, it will take time for the Das family and
for Nikki, the pilot’s soul mate, fellow Air Force officer and wife of less than
two years.
For all of them, however, the focus always has been outward. They
might be comforted, then, by White’s words that, like Jesus, Eric now is “more
alive than any of us. And he would want you, as his dear friends, to freely
experience that same freedom of life in Jesus Christ. Freedom is not free, but
eternal life is free.”
White has written several books, and in 2002 he published “Making
Peace with Reality: Ordering Your Life in a Chaotic World.” Publicity material
says the book explores these questions: “Are we living with meaning and purpose?
Are we using our time well? Is it possible to live a life without regret?”
With regard to Eric Das, I believe the answer to all three is a clear “yes.”
In a whirlwind life and even through his death, he is fulfilling the Navigators’ goal:
“To know Christ and to make him known.”
Others still are watching.
* * *
Just wondering
* * *
Just wondering if there is any more moving music than “Taps” played slowly on a trumpet.
* * *
Mike Haynes teaches journalism at Amarillo College. He can be reached at AC,
the Amarillo Globe-News or haynescolumn@hotmail.com. Go to
http://www.haynescolumn.blogspot.com for other recent columns.

This letter to the editor appeared in the Amarillo Globe-News April 21, 2003, after Kathy suggested it.

Lady Raider role model for young and old

We applaud Texas Tech Lady Raider Natalie Ritchie not only for her hustle and basketball talent, but for her actions off the court.

After a hard-fought loss to Texas this spring in Lubbock, some of the Tech players returned to the court as usual to mingle with fans, who included lots of little girls and their families.

When Natalie, the Amarillo High School graduate, walked back into public view at United Spirit Arena, her face still was wet from tears after the frustrating defeat to Tech's biggest rival.

But she showed what she's made of by walking into the crowd of admirers and signing young girls' shirts, programs and anything else in front of her. It was touching to see Natalie, still bitterly disappointed, bravely putting on a temporary smile for a snapshot.

That kind of performance makes us glad she is a role model for those many young Lady Raider fans - and for some of us older people, too.

Kathy & Mike Haynes, Amarillo

April 24, 2003, column:
Heaton's stance a relief in Hollywood

April 10, 2003, column:
Remembering Wes and Bob Izzard

Column wins 2nd Amy Award for Christian writing.
Click here for information on the award.
Click here to read the winning column.

March 27, 2003, column:
Little Heald church to celebrate milestones