Graveside services for Mr. Matt McKnight, 64, of Port O’Connor, were held on Saturday, January 26, 2019, at Lakewood Memorial Park in Henderson, TX. Interment followed under the direction of Crawford -A. Crim Funeral Home.

Mr. McKnight passed from this life on January 22, 2019, at his residence in Port O’Connor. He was born March 24, 1954, in Mineola to the late Jeff and Evelyn (Warren) McKnight. Matt has lived in Port O’Connor for the last 20 years and previously resided in Kilgore. He was a welder by trade, and he enjoyed fishing. Matt was a member of Fisherman’s Chapel in Port O’Connor where he used his talent for guitar and voice to lead worship from time to time.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Karen McKnight; and brother, John. R.McKnight.

Survivors include: children, Jamie Nicole Jackson and her son Bret Vonne Jackson of Port O’Connor, Skylar Hoyt McKnight and wife Holly and their children Rayven, Drake, Shiloh, and Ro McKnight of Kilgore, and Keri McKnight Dobbs and husband Jordan and their son Cody Dobbs of Trinity; brothers, Ray McKnight of Clear Lake, and Paul McKnight and wife Carla of Kilgore; sister, Lorin McKnight Mayo and husband Richard of Good Springs; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.crawfordacrim.com.

SEADRIFT – Myke Ashby Hubbard, age 74, passed away Saturday evening, January 19, 2019 at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford, MS. Myke was born February 16, 1944 to the late Lois Joyce Shreffler and Charles Henry Ashby in Pampa, Texas. During her lifetime she worked as a personnel consultant at Goodwin Personnel in Victoria, Texas. She was very involved with her church in Seadrift, Texas and loved her friends and church family. When she moved to Batesville, she enjoyed fishing in her spare time.

She leaves behind her husband, Rodney Hubbard, to cherish her loving memory. Along with her parents, Myke is preceded in death by one brother, Bobby Ashby.

There will be a memorial service at the First United Methodist Church in Seadrift, Texas at a later date.

“This close to Valentine’s Day and you did NOT write your article on LOVE? What’s wrong with you?” Okay, be sure to get your flowers and candy for your loved one or ones, and be certain to let them know that you love them! Spread the love around as much as you can so everyone in your sphere of influences will “feel the love”! NOW, DOES THAT DO IT FOR YOU? Then, please look at this article as possible ways to express your love better than ever! See if you can not find a new way of expressing love.

At least one of the people who read this article is 103 – Happy Birthday Mrs. Grace Stone! She has seen much more that the rest of us about how to love one another, but I know her well enough to know that she will be inspired to search for new, creative ways to express her love!

I have narrowed my suggestions for cultivating creativity into seven (7) groupings. I trust that we will attempt at least a few of them.

See everything as an experiment. When we see every opportunity as an experiment, we realize that it is okay to fail! In fact, we should celebrate mistakes as readily as we do accomplishments. No one should have to make the same mistake over and over again. But, new mistakes are the pathway to new creativity. It is reported that Edison had over 1,000 ways not to make a light bulb before he found the one that worked! When we stop making mistakes, we probably are not taking enough risks in life!

Share wins. When we create a culture of positivity, it will lead us to a culture of creativity. We have got to celebrate what we want to see more of. The positive energy from our wins helps us overcome the mistakes we are bound to make. If we want to see more creativity, celebrate each one! I was the dad who celebrated our oldest son’s first baseball game with ice cream, because he almost got a hit, which meant he almost made it to first base, which meant that he almost made a home run – in his first baseball game! That is something to celebrate!

Maturity does not equal conformity. All of us are different, but all of us share mostly sameness. There is not much difference in male and female, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat or any other of the divisions that we have artificially composed. But in another sense, we must celebrate our differences. We try to treat everyone as invaluable and irreplaceable, but we must give permission – even dare people to be different!

Know oneself. How long has it been since we had a personality test? Without it, we are only guessing how we are wired and what our strengths and weaknesses are. I have gone to Community College to get tested so I can get to know myself better. It is not expensive and could be very revealing – and in my opinion, much more helpful than a DNA test (which are so popular today).

Never take yourself too seriously. God is always to be taken seriously, but we must never take ourselves too seriously. A sense of humor is a trait that will bear rich dividends. The healthiest, happiest people on this planet are those who laugh at themselves the most. Learning to truly laugh is an important key to creativity.

Faithfulness is not a matter of keeping the status quo. Gates and walls are defensive measures. We have been called to play offense. When we are not taking a step forward, we are stepping back. In the culture of creativity, we must always be pushing the envelope and not just doing what has always been done, the way it has always been done.

Search for a God idea. Each of us was created in the image of God! One God idea is much better than a thousand good ideas. Good ideas are good, but God’s ideas have changed the course of history. What idea could you get and implement that would be historic? To get a God idea, one must listen to God’s Word. Then we must make sacrifices and take risks. We have got to stay humble and stay hungry. And when we do, there is nothing that we can not accomplish!

A half-formed imagination results in half-hearted people. If we are going to have a true impact on our culture, we can not just criticize what we see or copy it. We have to create it! If we are going to reach our family with encouragement to become better, we can not rely on logic! We must capture their imaginations.

Never allow anyone to tell you that you are not creative! Creativity is our birthright. We have to claim it. Then we have to fan it into flames. And when we do, there is nothing that can stop us!

So love creatively this Valentine’s Day! Instead of allowing Hallmark, create your own cards. They will be the ones found many years later after the store-bought ones are in the landfill!

“The Way I See It” is an attempt by the columnist to enlighten readers on a subject as he views it, and does not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

State of the Union

President Trump gave a powerful SOTU Address on Feb 5, after much rude and silly delays by the Dem-Socialist Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. It was very interesting to watch, the Dem-Socs tried to ignore the economic news, job creation, return of real manufacturing jobs, very low unemployment, especially for blacks and Hispanics. But the wall of disinterest crumbled among the new female Socialist contingent when Trump announced that 58% of the new jobs last month were taken by WOMEN! And it quickly spread through the other “Democrat” women.

But that was the only positive reaction from the Left. President Trump’s promise that the USA would never become a Socialist State drew looks of shock and horror! He is not supposed to understand the changing of demographics by importing “Socialismos” is their Open Borders Plan’s real Goal, or especially tell the Public! More horror and anger from the Left when Trump called for Congress to pass laws stopping “Late Term Abortions”, even up to actual birth, and also the intentional killing of babies born alive. This barbaric practice should be naturally outlawed in any Civilized Nation, but is almost the “Holy Grail” of the Dem-Soc Feminist Left.

I am a Constitutionalist, and the Constitution does not give the Federal Govt any mandate to regulate Abortion or any other Health Care! It properly belongs to the States under the Tenth Amendment. But these recent “laws” by Leftists in VA, RI, NY and others are not about healthcare, but Legalized MURDER for Planned Parenthood’s (PP) new industry of harvesting Baby Parts for sale. Not only does PP collect $millions, but through a scam of campaign donations to Legislators, they get huge Grants from Federal and State Govts. They simply “re-cycle” this money (Our Tax Money) back as campaign contributions to the most radical Pro-Abortion Dem-Socs they can find. Gov. Northam got $2 million from PP in VA, a very medium sized state. Killing a viable baby is murder, not “abortion”! On abortion, I have often said, “Let the sin be on the head of the sinner”, but these crooked, greedy, politicians are making us all ‘accessory’ to it! Murder is a Natural Crime, there should be no argument about that.

And I want to suggest that Gov. Northam’s plan of “making the baby comfortable” while the parents and doctors discuss “what to do”, is nothing but “Death Panels 101”. The Leftists tried to slip that into ObamaCare, calling it “Gatekeepers”, but it is just “HealthCare Rationing”. In a free-market system, it is unnecessary. If you can pay, or have insurance to cover expensive, invasive, and intensive treatment then you buy it. But if the Govt provides it, and can’t afford to pay for it for everyone, how do they “ration” it? To the Central Planners of Socialist Society, the “non-productive people” are of less value than the “producers”. The most Non-Productive or “Useless Eaters” of Stalinist fame, are the ones incapable of work – the physically handicapped, mentally deficient, babies, old people, and anyone else They don’t like. So, Death Panels 102 are for the physically and mentally unfit. And Death Panels 103 are, like Obama explained, we can’t afford a hip replacement for Grandma, we give her pills to keep her “Comfortable” (there’s Northam’s word again). And eventually the “Pill” can make one “extremely comfortable” – dead. And then Death Panels 204 can decide ‘who is “good” for Society – Their Socialist Society where not only healthcare, but jobs, housing, even food is controlled and “given” to you by the Govt, depending on your value to that Govt. We are currently witnessing how the Left, whose politicians are pushing for all forms of ‘socialism’, assign “value” and “rights”. They currently value militant homosexuals more than Christian cake-bakers. They value fence-lizards more than Oil Field Workers, and gas buyers. And Illegal Aliens more than American Citizens, because they will vote ‘Socialist’. And American babies have no value, better to be replaced with Central American ‘Socialismos’ that can be registered to vote illegally, now!

But the immediate problem is the the Border, and mass invasions of “Migrants” from Central America. There have been 66,000 Criminal Invaders caught on the border this year, so far. (2/7/19.) 47% of illegals do not have a high school education, 58% of immigrant families are on welfare. These number dramatically negatively affect services for poor American and their chances of getting a job that will get them out of poverty. And illegals suppress wages for all workers.

Recent news releases say 95,000 non-citizens are registered to vote in TEXAS, and 58,000 have voted in recent elections. And these are only those that are in the DPS data-base – apparently for other crimes. There are estimated 4 million (?) illegals in Texas, what small percentage of that total is actually in the DPS Data-Base? And these latest invaders are carrying their flags, demanding admittance and welfare, medical care, schools, and housing under some UN “mandates”? The Leftist Media are leaking that Pelosi’s “bill to reopen the Govt” includes $3 billion in ‘Gifts for these refugees’ but no money for ‘any wall or barriers’. 2,000 more were bused by the Mayor of a southern Mexico town to Piedras Negras opposite Eagle Pass, TX. This got them out of his town, and solved his problem Another caravan of 12,000 has been admitted into Mexico. The Dem-Socs deny there is a Crisis because they want these ‘Socialismos’ and intend to register them to vote in every Dem-Soc controlled district in the country. So, if this is not a Crisis, I don’t know what is, short of riot and revolution.