MSI Press Blog

  Excerpt from Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra (Easterling) - ATTACKED BY AN EAGLE About a baby-snatching eagle, beloved bulldog, killer rattlesnakes, dumb turkeys, angry sisters, and hard times.   What chance would a kid with a penknife have against a starving eagle? The Hattiesburg American , our daily newspaper, reported that a huge eagle had seized a baby and flew off with it. The baby’s mother had placed her infant in a cradle to be near as she hand-washed its clothes in an outside tub. The hungry bird was apparently watching the baby. When Mom turned her back, she swooped down without warning. The baby’s attacker was thought to be a mother eagle feeding her young. She likely had a nest nearby. As the paper went to press, the baby was still missing. The story made a deep impression on mothers of our rural area. It was a call to arms, the hot topic at Sunday schools and ladies socials. “Our babies must be protected!” The episode etched itself deep into my gizzard. Search parties la

  Excerpt from Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra   MOMMA, DO SOMETHING! That would be my sisters complaining about me. They started dating when I was barely a school-age urchin. When their suitors called, Momma sent me out on the front porch to entertain them while the girls finished primping. Taking this duty seriously, I poured my heart into it. Sadly, my efforts were not always appreciated. One of Edith’s beaus was plagued with teenage acne, which left ugly pockmarks. Trying to make conversation, I asked if someone had shot him in the neck with buckshot. Sister Iris fell for a fellow whose notable feature was big tobacco-stained front teeth. As we sat on our porch swing making small talk, my beloved hound dog Ole Pup joined our waiting party. I noticed his teeth looked a lot like Pup’s. “Do you know that your teeth look like Ole Pup’s?” I asked him. He must’ve thought it funny because he laughed nervously. Iris failed to enjoy the joke. Geraldine’s first boyfriend was a lanky

Just posted a lovely book review for Easterling's book, Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra , on the book's page at our website. The review appears on Know Doubt Ministry website , and conccludes:: You may have never been raised on a farm, lived in the rural South, eaten okra, or experienced pre-WWII life, but you will be captivated by Ben's tales as if you had.  I strongly encourage you to read my friend's book. Click on the site link above to read the entire review. Other delightful reviews can be found at Barnes and Noble -- HERE . Our favorite from among them is: "Are you sure this little rascal is a preacher's kid? Pity his poor mother! This demands a sequel!" Are you sure this little rascal was a preacher's kid? Pity his poor mother! This demands a sequel. Are you sure this little rascal was a preacher's kid? Pity his poor mother! This demands a sequel. Are you sure this little rascal was a preacher's kid? Pity his poor mot

Are you interested in moving beyond the traditional egg hunt and chocolate bunnies, finding ways to engage the children of your family in the Easter story? We’ve discovered a delightful game that both adults and kids enjoy. It’s as simple as finding some colored plastic Easter eggs—the kind that open up--and stuffing them with questions or clues surrounding the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection story. Find an Easter basket, fill it with fake grass and place the eggs inside the basket.   When everyone is seated for dinner, someone passes the basket around the table. Each person takes an egg, then take turns opening their egg and reading the scripture verse or showing the clue and telling what it has to do with Easter.\ You can be quite imaginative in stuffing the eggs, using small nails, bits of fabric, thorns, spices and other items as well as scripture verses. If the one opening the egg cannot explain how it relates to Easter, the other children are invited to answ

Bennett earned a journalism degree from University of Southern Mississippi and an MS in Business Administration. He worked as a Management Intern by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (TN), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (MD), and as a staff advisor to then Congressman Trent Lott (with whom he is shown here), helping develop a national policy for nuclear waste disposal. The last ten years of his career was spent searching for a safe disposal site for high-level radioactive waste—much of this time was spent speaking to State and local governments, American Indian Tribes, and the public. He edited the  Jones County Junior College  newspaper, wrote for the University of Southern Mississippi  Student Printz  newspaper, and taught a freshman journalism course at USM. He served as sports copy editor for the  Bristol Herald Courier  (VA/TN). His professional career included writing speeches for Presidential appointees, congressional testimony, and public relations. He and his wife lead