Before that fateful pre-operative appointment, all of Johnny’s friends, family, employees, and supporters—myself included—prayed for a successful operation and Johnny’s speedy recovery. But we underestimated the grace of God! He blessed Johnny with an even better outcome—one that no one thought possible. He worked a true miracle. I, for one, broke down in tears when Johnny’s wife, Pam, called to give me the good news. Johnny Etheridge is a good man who has dedicated much of his life to helping others; he has touched countless lives and is loved by many. This was a blessing bestowed upon a very deserving follower of Christ, and it was a reminder to all that we must never lose faith.

We love you, Johnny, and we thank you for sharing your miracle! God is good!

I think we need two major actions from our political leaders in Washington. The first is to restrict access to guns of any sort by individuals with mental illness placing them at risk for violence and by people who have a known propensity to use guns inappropriately; this can only come in the form of background checks. The second one is a no-brainer – we need an outright ban on assault weapons of all types. I came across two things this week that made a lot of sense to me. The first of these was an op-ed piece, written by a gun owner and retired veterinarian from North Carolina, emphasizing that there is no logical reason why the general public should have access to assault rifles designed to kill mass numbers of people; the bottom line is it’s contrary to the interests of public safety. 

Another source of inspiration for writing this particular KellyGram came from my priest, Mitch Smith, in his sermon last Sunday morning at my beloved home church, St. Martin’s-in-the Fields Episcopal Church. Mitch had originally planned to deliver a stewardship sermon, but when he woke up Sunday morning and grabbed his phone, he learned of the dual tragedies. When he ascended to the pulpit, he confessed that he is seldom nervous when delivering a sermon, but he was actually trembling because really didn’t know what words would come out of his mouth. It was one of the most moving sermons I have ever witnessed—and I’m pretty sure he did it without notes! It made me realize that sometimes speaking from the heart is better than some scripted response, and sometimes we need to speak from the heart when an issue is important us—even if others may not agree with what we have to say. 

And so I say: it is time to step up, speak out, and spark change. 

 

My career requires regular travel between our offices in Columbia, Myrtle Beach, and Winnsboro, and seeing the victims of traffic accidents walk through my doors almost daily, I strive to remain attentive and alert at all times when I’m behind the wheel. The greatest temptation for me—and for most drivers—is to reach for my phone on long stretches of road, but these handheld devices are undoubtedly contributing to the drastic rise in accidents. Last week, I was driving through Georgia and realized, for the first time, that our neighboring state has banned drivers from holding cellphones while driving. South Carolina, on the other hand, has only banned texting and driving—a law that is difficult to enforce, as drivers can simply avoid a penalty by stating that they were using their phone for reasons other than texting. If you find this reality as frustrating as I do, I think we can agree that it’s time for the General Assembly to enact a hands-free law similar to Georgia’s, and similar to those in nearly half of our nation’s states.

But until we see these measures implemented, we can work to decrease the number of traffic fatalities in our state by acknowledging that we are neither invincible nor perfect drivers, and by being more responsible behind the wheel. Let’s make a promise to ourselves and others on the roadways to put down our phones, to follow the speed limits, and to call a cab or a friend rather than driving after indulging. After all—our lives depend on it.

 

Though we shared our differences from time to time, as families do, my in-laws were truly a tremendous blessing to me over the past 15 years. Through good times and bad, they honored me as a lifelong member of their family, and I, them. We shared a caring relationship—we spoke often and kept one another in our daily prayers. The world was a better place for all whose lives were touched by Charlie and Anne, and I am fortunate enough to be one of them. May they rest, together, in peace.

To do this, I take an inventory of all of the things in this world for which I am grateful, and suddenly my handful of troubles pale in comparison. At the top of my list are my deep and unfaltering love for my family; my faith—especially my two home churches, St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields in Columbia and St. Stephen’s Episcopal in North Myrtle Beach; my friends; my mental and physical health; and my career, coworkers and clients. Each day, I have food, shelter, water, and a bed to sleep in at night. I have people I can rely on and people who rely on me. I have my local haunts where the menu is great and the company’s better, and I live in a town that is flourishing and has so much to offer. I truly am one blessed individual and am thankful to God for all that he has given me. There are things that happened (or didn’t happen) in my life that I didn’t understand at the time. But quite like the Garth Brooks song “Unanswered Prayers” (which is rattling around in my head at this very moment!), as time goes by, I continue to look back and realize that each challenge served a purpose.

And so, as we enter the weekend, I rejoice—I am a blessed man! I hope you’ll be inspired to take a moment to practice gratitude over the coming days and come to see that you are too!

Though LLR is a necessary agency that, overall, greatly benefits the people of South Carolina, far too often professionals become the subject of investigations by the agency—and their licenses placed on the line—when disgruntled clients or patients raise unfounded complaints of wrongdoing. Mike Kelly Law Group defends individuals and small businesses whose licenses are subject to restriction or revocation in LLR proceedings, and we also handle wage issues that come under the agency’s jurisdiction.

If you or someone you know is concerned about the state of their professional licensure, Mike Kelly Law Group will review the case at no charge. Just give us a call at (803) 726-0123 to set up an appointment. We’re here for the people of South Carolina!

For Columbia residents looking for a little excitement, you need not look any further than Main Street. If it’s live music you’re after, The Joint and 1626 on Main have you covered. Or, for a perfect date night, grab some dinner at one of the many restaurants in the District—offering everything from a juicy steak to the best vegan cuisine in town—and catch a movie at The Nickelodeon theatre. And the Main Street experience is not limited to nightlife; you could easily spend a day at the recently renovated Columbia Museum of Art, visiting the District’s numerous shops, or riding around town on a Blue Bike. On Saturdays, you can start the morning off right with an hour of rooftop yoga at Hendrix and a trip to Soda City Market for local goods. What’s more, getting to and from the Main Street District is easier than ever with free transportation on the Soda Cap Connector!

With all that our town offers and all that’s yet to come, it’s safe to say that there has never been a better time to live, work and play in Columbia, South Carolina! I’ll see you on Main Street!

Though born and raised in Union Beach, New Jersey, Taylor moved to the Palmetto State in 2016 and is now a proud South Carolinian. Like any true Carolina Girl, Taylor loves country music—particularly live performances—and you may have even bumped into her at the Carolina Country Music festival in downtown Myrtle Beach (just a block away from our office!) earlier this month.

Training under Linda Willis—our lead paralegal in Myrtle Beach wielding 20+ years of experience—with support from the outstanding team of paralegals in our Columbia office, Taylor has hit the ground running in her legal assistant position. She is proving to be a natural at her job and a natural fit among her firm family—all in all, our future with Taylor looks bright! Needless to say, we are thrilled to have Taylor on board and look forward to walking alongside her as her bountiful promise blooms into a successful legal career.

Welcome to the family, Taylor!

During a recent stay at Kingston Plantation, Beverly and I took a Saturday afternoon stroll on the beach. As we walked, I thought about my dad and the many trips we made to the coast during my childhood. I recalled him taking long walks while I played in the sand with my sister, and for a moment, it felt as though I was retracing his steps as I continued down my own path along the shores of the Grand Strand.

Although my dad only had an eighth-grade education, he was smarter than I’ll ever be. To this very day, I get choked up when I think about the tremendous impact Dad had on my life. He taught me life’s most important lessons, like how to be the head of a family and a provider to many, just as he was. And while there have been many times over the years when I wished I’d taken better notes, I’m confident that I retained my dad’s wisdom where it mattered most. After all, just as sure as I made my fair share of mistakes as a parent, it only takes one look at Patrick and Mac to know I did plenty right!