Much against his will Tiger Woods has been dragged into the glaring spotlight of scandal. History shows that scandal's glare is just one sidestep from the light of popularity. There is a price to be paid for fame and it can be very heavy as Mr. Woods is now discovering. If you are a celebrity the public feels that you belong to them and that includes your private life. Americans are as equally enthusiastic in tearing down their idols as they are in building them up. Those who find golf a necessary and an important part of their lives will support Mr. Woods no matter what he does or doesn't do. Those who find it odd that so much money and attention are directed to sports figures could care less that another one has tripped over his sense of entitlement.
To some degree celebrity entitlement is real. Mr. Woods refused 3 times to grant an interview with the police. (Warning; Do Not Try This At Home!) The authorities humbly backed off.

Lest you think I'm passing judgment, I quickly confess that much in my life would not pass God's scrutiny. My entire hope is in Jesus. For all I know Mr. Woods may have done countless good deeds and will be nominated for sainthood. In any case, some other noted figure will soon provide a new scandal and the jackals of the media will leave the famed golfer alone to work out his problems.



In the meantime in Appalachia, a man you've probably never heard of is building up a name. No; it's not his name. He's not striving to be a celebrity. He's a former coal miner who received a copy of the New Testament on the job. He was so struck with the reality of Jesus' words that he immediately decided to follow Christ. Soon after he was called to minister full time to the miner's in his county and to proclaim the name of Jesus.

His first wife, now deceased, had a dream that one day they would have a facility that would stand as a symbol of Christian compassion and truth among the poor and needy. Eventually, with the help of a major coal company and bible literature from the American Bible Society, an aptly named Appalachia Dream Center came into being.

The stories of lives changed as a result of God's word and the Center are stirring to any believer.

Earl Harless was injured severely in a car accident and his internal bleeding could not be stopped by the doctors. He and his wife turned to Ezekiel 16:6 (KJV) and claimed the living words:

"And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live."

Much to the amazement of the doctors, the bleeding stopped. Instantly. "I never bled another drop," Earl said.

Debbie, a single mother, came to the Center broken and defeated. Now, transformed by Jesus into a new creature, (2Corinthians 5:17) she spends most of her time witnessing to the saving power of Christ to the hundreds of prostitutes in and around Logan County. She first offers food, clean water and shelter to generate a trusting relationship before giving a bible. Her efforts are not appreciated by everyone She has been the target of beer bottles. gunshots and had the headlights of her car broken out with a baseball bat. None of this has stopped her efforts to reach women for Christ.

Logan County, covered in coal dust, is not a tourist destination. Its poverty bound inhabitants activities are of little or no interest to others. The faith of Earl and his wife to believe God's word without doubt; the transformed life of Debbie who, without fear, goes into the most dangerous areas in the county driven by God's love, these are not the stories that capture the nation's attention.
Yet, which story has the most eternal merit? Is it the one about the man whose God-given talent has made him rich beyond imagination and now indulges his physical appetites? Or is it the one about humble people in an out of the way county? Which one warms your heart?
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W.C. Fields

"I've been asked if I ever get the DT's. I don't know. It's hard to tell where Hollywood ends and the DT's begin."