Funny, the things you learn when you tuck manners away and allow yourself to eavesdrop.

My friend, Mary Noble (a Southern woman who goes by two names), and I had just slid into the ancient red leather and steel booth of the old-fashioned diner on the outskirts of Birmingham and placed our order for breakfast.

Jesus sought to make things simple. In his day, one of the most complex things was the Sabbath. Religious insiders worked day and night churning out new rules and regulations concerning the Sabbath. The big issue concerned the definition of work because work was prohibited.

There is still talk these days about forming, actually re-forming, a “new” Milton County out of the land mass in north Fulton. Not so curiously, there is less conversation about re-forming a “new” county out of the existing south Fulton. Though currently backing off on the time table, north Fulton legislators will certainly push hard for this concept to eventually be put in the hands of voters who will quite likely pass the measure. Georgia saw the desires of the people come through crystal clear after the “evil” Republicans paved the way for voters to create the cities of Sandy Springs, Milton and John’s Creek and what may later become the City of Dunwoody.

A recent Associated Press article reported that “church pews remain separated by color.” The article stated that the Sunday worship hour is still the most segregated hour in America as a result of the “mentality of self-segregation.”

Four years ago I told The Wife that Hillary Clinton would run for president in 2008, and win. She has told me that it would never happen.

I've had an awful time trying to track these children, even though there were only four living after 1850. The only two I could really do anything with were Julia and McDuffie, but even they were hard to find. I'm going to take one at a time, based on the Bible records, and tell you everything I know in detail. I have been hoping that sooner or later a descendant would see this information and step forward to share so my stories could be completed. However, it appears that either all the children have died out, or no one from this line is doing genealogy. With the exception of the one descendant of McDuffie Boyd who sent me the Bible records, no one has said a word.

The voice mail was simple, straight-forward and one of those lovely surprises that I much prefer over the ones like, “I’m calling from your accountant’s office. Please call immediately,” or “This is your plumber and I’ve got some bad news.”

Americans need rest and we are not getting it. God knew a long time ago that we needed rest more than we need respect. So, he shut down on the seventh day and insisted that his creation do the same. Today, neither rest nor the Sabbath gets respect.

This has not been one of my better weeks. And as they say in the South, if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Perhaps including Mama’s son-in-law, a.k.a. the guru-in-law.

He was born 200 years ago on Jan. 19, 1807 at Stratford in Westmoreland County in the state of Virginia.

His father was a hero of the Revolutionary War who served in high political office before losing nearly everything in bad financial investments. When the boy was 5 or 6 years old, his father left the family, never to return, dying when the lad was 11 at Cumberland Island, Ga.

It’s the third week of January, and I’m officially off my diet. That’s a new record for me. But, like most things in life, it’s all in how you look at it. Three weeks is 21 days, but for a dog that’s two months. And I think we’ll all agree — two months is a really long time to stay on a diet.

We all know that when your story doesn't quite fit right there's usually a flaw in your research. I had struggled over this part of Robert Boyd's story for at least five years, juggling, moving the pieces, going over the records again and again until I had almost memorized parts of them, and Robert's story still wouldn't fit together right. His marriage to Martha Wagner, the two children she brought with her to the marriage, their marriage contract, her death and estate with no mention of Robert ... none of it jelled. Well, earlier this week I found out what was missing - the Wagners, Emfingers and Webbs. And I found them right under my nose.

What should happen to this gang war in New York City? No matter that these gangs are worth millions and have access to daily national and international media outlets. The Trumps control America’s time and for those who travel to their casinos, they control their money and entertainment. The other gang, The O’Donnells is a female dominated gang and they seem to be willing to get into a street fight at the drop of a “do” — that’s Donald’s do (is all that hair his).

Home Depot shareholders enjoyed record earnings in 2005, and Chief Executive Robert Nardelli took home $38.1 million in total compensation that year. When Nardelli recently resigned and invoked his $210 million severance package, the news was reported with hints of outrage. But Home Depot committed to the severance package years ago.

Have you noticed how many people don’t have any common sense? A serious epidemic has swept our country and wiped out a lot of common sense.

Nature tosses us a surprise just often enough to keep life spicy, doesn’t she? Several years ago it was a black swan near Tinsley Mill, and at about the same time, a rufous hummingbird in the Peachtree City backyard of Charles and Sandy Davis. (This one’s ba-a-ack, and she’s brought a friend.)

I first met Dan Brigham in late 1983 or early 1984. I had arrived in Peachtree City to become the pastor of a four-and-a-half-year-old church, Fayette Fellowship, an Assemblies of God congregation.

The magic wallet made its first appearance at the county fair when I was only 7. That summer, we all piled into the back of the green station wagon with brown faux wood panels, and after a short drive, we stood at the gates of the Lakewood Fair Grounds.

Recapping our story, Robert H. Boyd, son of Hugh and Jennett Boyd, grew up in Newberry County, S.C. and married Chloeretta D. Gray, probably in Abbeville, in 1815, as that's where Chloeretta's father moved his family after his second marriage. Robert and Chloeretta are found in the 1820 and 1830 Abbeville Dist., S.C., census in the same neighborhood as Chloeretta's father, Fredrick Gray, and some of her brothers.

Since Eve shook her head at Cain and Abel, as they squabbled over a toy on the tent floor, mothers have said the same: How can brothers be so different?

If you have ever read my movie reviews, you know I am a fan of horror movies. I even put one of them, “Slither,” on my list of top 10 films of 2006. I started 2007 the way I ended 2006, by watching a movie, and I can honestly say that the most recent film I watched was one of the scariest I had seen in awhile.

His hand-prints are all over my heart. He held it for years in an uneasy, complicated grasp that I could never escape. Though I tried. Lord knows I tried mightily.

As we ministers walk through our parish lives, sometimes we run into something that just takes our breath, stirs us to a new God consciousness, and leaves us feeling blessed that we were called into such a life work.

I first met Mary Ann in the early to mid-1980s. She was married to a chiropractor named Robert Calhoun. They both began to attend services at the church I served at the time and my middle son, John, became fast friends with her youngest son Greg. In fact, if John was missing, he was probably at the Calhouns and it was known that her door was always open to the neighborhood kids.

I saw a Traveler the other day. He wore a tattered tweed coat. Bent with age and time, he sat on the edge of a rusty park bench in downtown Asheville. With jerky motions from age-spotted hands that long ago stopped obeying the commands made of them, he tossed seeds onto the ground.

I debated a long time before I came up with this topic and it may take more than one column to do it justice. It has many facets and it is tied into the two previous topics. The research involves stumbling over a marriage contract hidden within a deed. It also involves a dispute in probate and changing the reporting of annual returns from one county (Meriwether) to another (Pike) simply because the administrator lived in Pike and it was easier for her to settle the estate there. There are missing children, mystery wives, and an unknown burial site - all kinds of questions surrounding this family. Perhaps that is why it is so fascinating and why I can't let it go.

When Mary Jane went to see a doctor about a misaligned toe, he said it would need surgery. She laughed and said, “No, thank you,” that she was 68 and probably wouldn’t need it for more than about 20 more years anyhow.

Ring the sirens. Raise the flags. Kiss the babies. Praise the Lord. I have run across a truly enlightened Yankee woman. One whose admiration for Southern womanhood runs to such mammoth proportions that she is willing to shout it to the four corners of the earth.

Funny, when we were kids, Virginia was “down south.” From where we are this morning, in the western Virginia mountains, it has a decidedly “up north” appearance. And feel.

The year “seven” rhymes with “heaven.” If you want to have a heavenly year, take the advice of the Apostle Paul who instructed us “to speak the truth in love.” That’s my New Year’s Resolution and hopefully for every year thereafter.