by design | Sep 21, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector We left for our bus tour to Niagara Falls on Sunday afternoon. The vehicle pulled in at Walmart in Turkey Creek, and we unloaded our luggage from our car and waited to board. Before long, the entire group arrived. Canes, walkers, and other support items...
by design | Sep 21, 2026 | Columnist, Pratt
By Justin Pratt, Clear Springs Baptist Church Senior Pastor Being still is harder than it sounds. Try sitting quietly while your phone buzzes, or resting when you have a problem you cannot solve. Try sleeping when your mind has decided to rehearse every...
by design | Sep 21, 2026 | Columnist, Ferguson
By Dr. Jim Ferguson Ordinarily, I don’t focus on the past because there’s nothing I can do about it. So, I’m trying to live more in the present, yet too often my concerns leap to the future. But recently the past dovetailed with the present to focus on the...
by design | Sep 20, 2026 | Columnist, Hunley, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Steve Hunley The news that former Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler passed away came just as last week’s edition of The Focus was going to press. Tom Spangler enjoyed a lengthy career as a professional law enforcement officer, both in Knox County as well as Blount...
by design | Sep 20, 2026 | Columnist, Hill, Ray Hill's Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill When I was a youngster, there were certain life stories which defined something unique about that individual’s climb from poverty to success, and it was almost invariably described as an “American success story.” That would certainly apply to the life of...
by design | Sep 14, 2026 | Columnist, Pratt
By Justin Pratt, Clear Springs Baptist Church Senior Pastor I have the unique opportunity every fall to stand on the sidelines of college football games, and let me tell you, collegiate football looks different from the front row. From the stands, you see formations,...
