Colorado. He

Oct 16, 2024 | churchleaders.com | Kelly Williams |Colorado. He

Do you remember the first time in your life that someone you looked up to as a spiritual leader had a moral failure? I do. I was a freshman in college at Liberty University studying for the pastorate. I had gone to chapel to hear a great preacher expound upon the Word of God. The speaker was such a passionate speaker who knew the Word of God so well that it inspired me to memorize Scripture and to seek to know God like him.

Jul 18, 2023 | spokanefavs.com | Colorado. He |Steven Smith

Changes Are Happening at FāVS and It’s a Good Thing Commentary by Steven A. Smith | FāVS NewsMy retirement ended last week. I left the newspaper business in 2008 and then spent 10 years teaching journalism at the University of Idaho, a wonderful second career. I retired from UI in 2020 at age 70, and immediately began contributing weekly columns to FāVS. I recently wrote about three years of column writing. But all things change, and that adage applies to both FāVS and to me.

Jul 11, 2023 | spokanefavs.com | Colorado. He |Steven Smith

What Comes with Being the Head of the Family? Commentary by Steven A. SmithThe photo popped up in my social media memories. It was taken in July 2016, the last time most of my family was together in one place. The photo shows my children, my brothers, most of their children, all the spouses. Other photos from that same reunion show my cousins, their families and even my aunt and uncle, now gone. In the center of my family photo is my mother, four years before her death.

Jul 4, 2023 | spokanefavs.com | Colorado. He |Steven Smith

Flying the American Flag this Fourth of July Tells Only a Part of My StoryCommentary by Steven A. SmithI will fly the American flag today just as I have done for the last 23 Fourth of Julys. This year, as in the past, the American flag went up July 1, replacing the rainbow flag I flew in June to commemorate Gay Pride month. At other times of the year, I will fly my University of Oregon Duck flag or the Israeli national flag. Each sends a message if anyone besides me cares to pay attention.

Jun 27, 2023 | spokanefavs.com | Colorado. He |Steven Smith

My Three Years Writing a FāVS News ColumnCommentary by Steven A. SmithI am celebrating an anniversary this coming week. I have been writing a weekly column for FāVS for three years next week. If my count is right, this is my 160th column. When I retired from the University of Idaho, my biggest fears were typical of professionals ending long careers. I worried about being bored. And I worried that after a life of service to journalism I would no longer be relevant.