A collection of my short stories

I’ve done a bit of writing on my blog since I started it and wanted to get everything organized into one place.  Here’s a collection of recent short stories with a brief description. Enjoy.

Jack: It’s Jack the dog’s finest moment as a watchdog.

I believe in you*: You can do something amazing. I know it.

The Helpers: A man, a farty dog and a plane deliver the toys.

The Garden of Talents: A breast cancer patient discovers the greatest Talent of all.

The Brothers Kringle: Santa and his brother Craig play their annual game of chess. A classic battle between good and not-so-good.

Theodore: A Christmas Story: A girl, a bear and an amazing life together.

The Menu: A man went looking for a sign and a hot cup of coffee. He found both.

Serendipity: A man and a woman cross paths. The rest is history.

The Championship Team: Champions don’t just win one game. They change others’ games for the better.

The Black Friday Miracle: A woman’s shops for the real meaning of Christmas.

The Crooked Tree: A tree’s ornaments remind a couple of their lives together.

Santa’s Magic: The true story of a true Santa.

The Day Santa took over Thanksgiving: How it all went down.

The Guardian: A tornado, a lady and her guardian.

The Best Thanksgiving Ever: A woman’s brush with fate.

The Man in the Chair: A cancer patient’s final struggle.

Along the Buffalo Waterfront: A Christmas Tale: Santa’s new base of operations.

Plymouth Rock: The best Thanksgiving ever for a man and his family.

The Wall: A Veteran Day’s story: A soldier goes back to speak to his brother.

Hope and Fear: A parable — a journey at sunrise.

The Victor: A candidate wakes up on the morning after an election.

Thanksgiving: A family finds something to be thankful for.

The Family Tree: A family tradition and a family survives a storm.

A Child of TV: Growing up as a latchkey kid.

Spork in the Road: A man’s fateful moment.

Thankful: An epiphany in the middle of the night.

Shooting Star: A young couple’s wish comes true.

A Magical Halloween: A town’s mysterious mansion and its magical owner.

The Ghost of the Smokies: A true ghost story I made up.

The Unanswered Prayer: A man of faith loses it and then regains it in a strange place.

Monster Chronicles: Short humorous stories about real monsters living real life.

The Tiffany Jesus: A man feels empathy and finds peace in a priceless light.

The Sunrise: A man awakes and emerges from the darkness.

Karl: Never judge a janitor by his broom.

Reflections: Love lost and found in a mountain stream.

The Magic 8-Ball: Sometimes you don’t want to know the future.

The Recipe: A chef makes the perfect dish.

The Town Tree: Leaving a hole when  you’re gone.

The Congressman’s Last Speech: The truth comes out in a painful way.

A Standard Life: Sometimes a sign is a sign.

Close Encounters of the Halloween Kind: A couple of aliens with a sweet-tooth visit Cottondale, Miss.

Fairy Godmother Poker Night & The Magic Within: A weekly card game reveals what true magic is all about.

A Miracle on the Midway: A man, a ferris wheel and the most amazing story of his life.

Uncle Bill: My sons learn to judge a good man by his heart.

The Intruder: A man fights for the first time in his life.

Successful: I remember what the true meaning of success.

Tearing Down to Rebuild: Sometimes you have to break out of your comfort zone to be great.

Roots & Branches: After years of reaching for the sky, a man discovers his roots. You can go home again.

The Lucky Slot Machine: A older estranged mother hits the jackpot.

Monday Prayer: A prayer to help me break out of my comfort zone.

Going Home: A Smoky Mountain Tale: A father takes his son “home.”

Grand Canyon: A woman’s reminder that greatness takes time.

The Fog: A man’s doubt swirls like the fog around his feet.

The Hunter & The Buck: A man and a deer get second chances.

Crate of Solitude: A dog’s comfort zone.

The Messenger at 27,000 ft.: A random stranger brings a man back to earth.

Chasing a Miracle: Beating cancer one step at a time.

Cup of Tea: The perfect brew for a good life.

The List: A watcher feeds off the misery of others.

Ryan Estep: Meet an inspirational young man.

The Lady: The true story I made up of the ghost of The Grand Opera House.

The Caterpillar: Resisting change is futile.

The Old Dog: Every old dog needs a boy.

The Travelers: A man comes home to the unknown.

4:49 a.m.: Magic happens before sunrise.

Love & Bacon: A older man and his true love.

The Mississippi Way: Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.

The Town: Life in a small American town.

Chasing the Moon: Without dreams, we’ll forever be stuck on the ground.

The Muse: Creativity’s a fickle tease.

Running up the Score: A man decides to stop playing it safe.

Ten Years Later: The world after 9/11

9/11/11 : A father explains 9/11 to his 11-year-old son.

The Sunrise & The Alligator: A cyclist greets the day with the knowledge it could be his last.

The Orderly: Even an angel needs a miracle. A love story.

Battleship: Change isn’t a bad thing, unless you’re a battleship.

Cut Flowers: A man learns the value of cut flowers and time.

The Puppy: A boy and a dog train each other.

Rain: Grateful for the dry-spell and the blessings.

The Amazing Game: A father’s and son’s lives painted on the background of college football.

The Real Superman: A story of a real hero.

Changing Course: A woman sails out of a storm.

The Harvest: A farmer grows an amazing crop.

The Oak: A sentinel watches the Coast recover.

Landfall: A man struggles to recover from Katrina  as another storm blows in.

The Levee: A woman rebuilds her protection from the flood through running.

Monuments: Bigger isn’t always better.

Leaders: Why Pat Summitt’s and Steve Jobs’ bad news hurts so badly.

A Man of Few Words: Actions are louder than words.

The Sweeper: A chance encounter cleans out a bad attitude.

Abrams Falls: Making memories in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Lucky: A woman and her dog live up to his name.

The Canvas: Miriam Weems: Remembering a beautiful painter.

Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season: A man confronts the monster in his life.

Looking for Motivation? Go Deep: Don’t look outside of yourself for motivation.

The King: Elvis visits his fans.

The Sunrise’s Promise: Taking the blessing of a new day and running with it.

Smoky Mountain Sunrise: A man takes a hike on the path of life.

The Adventures of Moses the Terrier: A dog exodus and one of my favorite tales.

Saturday Night: A man’s one paragraph look at futility.

The Bluesman: A cocky young musician learns a valuable lesson in a smokey bar.

The Landline: Cutting the cord to what’s safe and familiar.

Framing the Shot: A former soldier now photographer learns the art of seeing the bad in the good.

A Smoky Mountain Lesson: A man learns an important lesson from his grandfather.

Jasper the Demon Elf: The true story about the kindest of the nasty creatures who hide our keys.

Taming the Volcano: A man’s anger finally becomes dormant.

The Foundation: A man looks at his life’s house.

Are we there yet? Looking at the trip we call life.

After midnight at the Pearl Walmart: The real people of Walmart.

The Amazing Pooping Pachyderm Parade: A date gone horribly wrong.

The Tow Truck: The Devil tries to repeat the Crossroads.

The Magic Lamp: A genie teaches a man the greatest gift is opportunity.

Vapors of Vicksburg: Soldiers reappear in the mist.

The Fourth Quarter: Changing plans in the middle of the game.

A Night at the Fox: An overnight ten-year success.

The Asteroid: The glory of gridlock as an asteroid heads toward Earth.

The Day D.C. Stood Still: Little green men come looking for our leaders.

When You’re A Mississippian: You know people wherever you go.

Fighting Malaise: The country’s crisis of confidence.

The Bottle Tree: A couple discovers that love is fleeting but laughter is forever.

Miracle at the Panther Burn International Airport: The story of a grandfather, father and son told through flight.

A Father & Son Chat: A conversation based on one I had recently with my son.

The Bridge: A lesson I learned at mile 20 of my marathon.

A Strange Night at the Lincoln Memorial: Two ex-presidents comment on today’s news.

The True Story of Kudzu: The origins of the South’s most infamous vine.

In a Small Southern City: If you’re trying to catch a dream, you can’t sleep in.

The Statue: A Confederate soldier’s soul watches the world change without him.

The Rain Dance: A man ends a personal drought.

Betty Ford: Thanks to a hero and a lady.

Burying Talents: What I learned from being a janitor.

The Terrier: A Border Terrier gets a taste of victory.

Second Act Man: A few thoughts on my second, and better, act.  Thanks to my friend Andy Andrews.

Happy Birthday America: A few thoughts on our great country.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness: A note on the Government’s true gift to us.

The Bottle: A reminder to get up and get moving washed in from the sea.

Man in the Moon: A tribute to our audacity to dream.

The Best: A reminder that champions do get beat. They just don’t STAY beat.

The Mountain: A Civil War battlefield reminds me of the importance of flanking unimportant fights.

The Rapids: Rocks in life’s stream determine our character and our course.

Mental Jumping Jacks: Learning to play when you’re tired and not to quit.

A Father’s Present: A gift from a son to a dad on Father’s Day.

The Success Pyramid: A way to organize your priorities.

Should Have: A man’s last minute regrets

The Father’s Day Gift: A dad gets the best gift of all.

The Wright Stuff: Two aviation pioneers get stuck in the Atlanta airport.

The Two Travelers: Two mysterious strangers plant a crop in a fertile land.

Time to Thrive: A cancer survivor decides there is more to live than just surviving.

Up in the Delta Sky: A crop duster pilot reveals why he takes to the sky.

The Ruins: A man seeks to rebuild his life in a place famous for not rebuilding.

Life & Water: Be spectacular like Niagara Falls.

The Final D-Day: A Heroes last forgotten but glorious battle.

National Cancer Survivors’ Day: A look at a day that really is everyday.

Campaigning Near the Crossroads: A devilish candidate pays a visit.

A Memorable Memorial Day: Memorial Day from the perspective of a fallen pilot.

The Day the Mississippi River met its match: The river goes down thanks to a ghostly Governor.

The Notch: A man’s journey home during the Great Flood of 2011.

#Winning: An alligator defines what winning really is.

Faith: How faith drives me.

Mustard Seed: What happens to you doesn’t define you.

Mother Nature Captured by Navy Seals

The Bet: Good and Evil make a wager in a flooded Tunica casino.

Flames of Guilt: A Man’s burning secret.

The Flood: A man watches history rise at his feet.

BANJO and the Attack of the Squirrels Part 1: A story of a boy, his dog and evil Squirrels.

BANJO and the Attack of the Squirrels Part 2: A story of a boy, his dog and evil squirrels.

TODAY will Happen With or Without us: A little advice to my son.

Santa, the tooth Fairy and The Easter Bunny at the Bar: Imaginary creatures face reality.

The Easter Bunny: A man finds salvation.

The Haley Clone Army: The Governor’s secret plan to take over the world.

H.O.P.E.: How to Slay a Dragon’s Little Brother: A fable about how to survive being a survivor.

The Ring: A man’s journey return back from brink after Hurricane Katrina.

My 10th Birthday: A brief thank you note for ten years of cancer survival.

The Storm: A story set in the Delta about the amazing power of forgiveness.

If Sherman Attacked Atlanta Today: The real Battle of Atlanta takes place on its Interstates.

Santa’s Day: A day in the life of the real Santa’s part-time job at the Mall.

Sprayberry Football: How a playing a team sport molded my life.

Opportunity Knocks: A quick observation about opportunity.

The Great AlaMiss War: Mississippi seals the borders.

Falling with Style: Sometimes the worst moments are the seeds for your best ones.

The Namesake: A dad, a son and his son reunite on a hot, dusty Mississippi summer day.

The Selfish Man: A man’s world expands when he looks beyond himself.

Banjo: A note about one of my best friends.

#winning: Forget Charlie Sheen, winning has a different meaning.

Closing doors, opening windows and sledgehammers: Sometimes new opportunities need a hand.

Stumbling into blessings: Sometimes its not that you fall, it’s where you fall and how you get back up.

It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere: A new father wishes for a special gift to keep his family together.  It’s a tale of a Christmas miracle.

Choices: We’re the product of our decisions.

Soaking in Christmas: Looking back and trying to grab onto today.

A Modern Christmas Tale: Santa struggles to regain the spirit of Christmas after his workshop is taken over by Wall Street.

The Biggest Winner: Congratulations to Mississippi’s later star and how we could learn from him

Budget Plan Approved; Speaker McCoy challenges Governor Barbour to a Duel: How the Speaker probably would like to handle budget negotiations.

Barbour: State can’t afford Heat Anymore: Blaming the cold weather on yet another budget cut.

The Role of a Lifetime: A little story about my favorite part in life — being a father.

Searching for Christmas Cheer in Bulk: Looking for love in all the wrong places, the Ramsey family goes looking for cheer at Sams.

A Haley Barbour Christmas Carol: The Governor of Mississippi is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve.

The Commencement Speech: What 42-year-old Marshall would tell 22-year-old graduating Marshall.

The Roast: A few thoughts after roasting Sec. of State Delbert Hosemann

Scars: There are two ways of looking at scars. You can be ashamed of them or realize they represent fantastic stories you can tell.

Stones: A glass jar, some rocks and some sand help keep life priorities in place.

All I want for Christmas: A Christmas list for a few famous people.

Making Peace with The War on Christmas: A few thoughts on why I don’t get angry when someone wishes me Happy Holidays.

Christmas Shopping? Bah Humbug: Why when it comes to shopping, I becomeScrooge’s nightmare.

A Dog’s Advice on the First Day of December: Valuable advice from my dog Banjo and one of my favorite pieces I’ve written (with Banjo’s help, of course).

Nine Questions I Get About Dave Ramsey: Real questions and real answers about my cousin.

How Running a Marathon Improved My Life: How my recent finish at the Marine Corps Marathon prepared me for the massive change in my life.

All I need to know I learned from Christmas Specials: A list of life’s facts I gleaned from TV Christmas programs.Ace in the Hole: My secret weapon when times get really tough (an appreciation.)

Friday Morning at Tiny Wheels Media: An update on change and how to tackle it.

The Shark: If a shark bites your arm off, don’t be mad at the shark, get out of the tank.

First Breath: What my new company Tiny Wheels Media stands for.

Ten Ways to Save the State Money: A list of cash savers during lean budget times.

Tiny Wheels Media, LLC: The story of where I came up with the name for my new company.

Leaf in a Whirlwind: Reflecting on one of the most the most challenging weeks of my life.

Wisdom of a Three-Year-Old: A few things I learned from my son’s surgery.

Thanksgiving: A list of things I’m thankful for (in no particular order.)

I’ll Always Have Your Back: A promise to my sons.