All Roads Lead Home by Kim McCully-Mobley

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes days, events, discussions and side conversations cause you to go down the proverbial rabbit hole of digging deeper into something you thought you already knew a lot about. Then, a few discoveries brings the real picture a little closer into view. A casual comment from an interested student might result in the Mobley death glare---but only for a moment. Enjoy this week&ap...

Send us Fan Mail This was another tough one. I apologize for the heavy breathing and the emotions. This version is the best I can do for now. I kept trying to get it just right in one sitting. This is one of those Paul Harvey "rest of the story" moments that some of you are old enough to understand. This is a story about friendship. This is a story about God's gifts. This is a story...

Send us Fan Mail I spent some time reflecting on loss, growth, healing and moving on this past week. February is sometimes hard. February of 2024 taught me not to get too comfortable as some of those close to me continued to deal with some tough stuff. I lost a couple of good friends, gained a couple of angels, saw some former students, lost another first cousin and heard some not-so-good news abo...

Send us Fan Mail Here is a lesson plan called My Perfect Day. Ironically--the steps of the process made for a magical day. In fact, the students managed to write my column/podcast this week all by themselves. I'm still looking for a few mud puddles, bargains and backroads.

Send us Fan Mail Now that the Super Bowl is over and our Kansas City Chiefs are Back To Back Champions, let's explore some Aurora connections to Chiefs Kingdom. I'd like to pay special tribute to Pat Talburt, one of our local hometown heroes.

Send us Fan Mail I love talking things over with former students and colleagues who hold a variety of positions in the business/professional world. At least once a week, someone shoots a dilemma my way for me to weigh in on and offer up some sage wisdom or advice. We talk about dishonesty, mismanagement and even green-eyed envy from time to time. Sometimes I get to talk about leadership and succes...

Send us Fan Mail It was an honor to join forces once again with the Alumni Center, the Aurora Basketball Program and local fans wanting to welcome the 1993-94 Boys Basketball Team back home to pay homage to their skills, accomplishments and the overall legacy they helped to instill in our community some 30 years ago. The names of Journagan, Floyd, Thullesen, Turnbull and Calhoun still resonate in...

Send us Fan Mail GRO Aurora is in its eighth year of existence as part of an ongoing partnership with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. While we have graduated to a more independent level the past two years, the shared resources and the collective energy continue to bring Aurora to the spotlight for all of the good things going on here in the Summit City of the Ozarks.  Hats off to those who...

Send us Fan Mail The year of 1965 might seem like a long time ago to some. To me, it seems just like yesterday. I love reading about the books, the music, the cars and the people who were making the headlines for us back then. Ironically, a few of them are still around making headlines today. Cindy Munday is still student of the month material for serving her church, school and community. Bob Jour...

Send us Fan Mail A tragedy struck my community shortly after the new year got underway in January. With the tragic loss of a 16-year-old boy--Evan Boettler--we have all managed to come together to love, serve, grieve and somehow move forward. Please join me in paying tribute to his legacy. Chase a few sunsets. Take a few hikes. Make a new friend. Go fishing. Find an adventure. Pick up some pine co...

Send us Fan Mail The boisterous Ethel Merman sang "Everything's Coming Up Roses" in 1959 for the Broadway Musical "Gypsy." It was a memoir of sorts brought to life on the stage. The show sent the message that sheer will and determination can put the rose-filled mindset in place to be successful. The show was based on the life of Gypsy Rose Lee. 20 years later, everything d...

Send us Fan Mail With the start of a new year comes new commitments, new strategies, new ideas and renewed energy regarding the journey and ultimately, the destination. I have been pouring over some boxes of newspaper clippings, old letters, vintage photographs and mementos of the past. I ran across some interesting information about my hometown and a pledge people took at the beginning of 1926. ...

Send us Fan Mail "...No man is a failure who has friends." That's the Mark Twain quote that appears in "It's A Wonderful Life," that classic 1946 Frank Kapra classic that features George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, who is down on his luck. The holidays can be challenging. Even when we celebrate--we are often dealing with stressful situations and challenges. Life...

Send us Fan Mail My first hour students and I share a special bond at Aurora High School. We start the day with each other and have developed a trust. I often share past talents and stories with them in order for them to get a glimpse of the crazy lady I have become. This ain't my first rodeo and it took me a long time to get this way. My first husband and I used to sing all over southwest Mi...

Send us Fan Mail My mother, Ina Faye McMorris Estes, would have turned 99 years old today--if she were still here. I know she is celebrating up in Heaven--with just a few of her favorite people. I hope she knows how much she is missed and how often we still talk about her. She was hard-working, strong and regal. She was anchored in faith. I remain grateful for her legacy and for the fact that her...

Send us Fan Mail We will be featuring a variety of local authors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, December 16th, at the Garden Exchange in downtown Aurora. You won't miss it! You can support local writers and get some last-minute shopping done at the same time.

Send us Fan Mail Where did it all start? That's a great question. Maybe it started in the hills of Northwest Arkansas. Or maybe it started on the back roads on the steps of a little, log cabin my Grandpa Herman built in the 1920s. It could have started while I was dancing a little jig to Cripple Creek, while my Grandpa Frank's fingers danced across the strings of an old banjo. Take a lis...

Send us Fan Mail Stories. They anchor us. They keep us grounded and focused. They keep us entertained and laughing. Stories can cure us and help us. At the end of the day, stories keep us alive. Grandpa Herman set the bar for me when it comes to storytelling. Who set the bar for you? What stories do you have to share with me?

Send us Fan Mail My Youth Empowerment  Project students attended a Leadership Conference in October at Ozarks Technical College in Springfield. The keynote speaker was a 19-year-old mayor from the Arkansas Delta who has plans to hit the Oval Office in the near future.  Take a listen. His story is pretty inspirational. My students paid close attention.

Send us Fan Mail I was able to celebrate the lives of two women I love this past month. Sharon Benton Whitehill's life was celebrated in Nixa. She was only 67 when she left us, but managed to fill her life with love, growth, opportunity, color and connections. Her legacy remains intact. Dorothy Dobyns celebrated her 100th birthday with multiple parties and events. Her life is one of courage,...

Send us Fan Mail When the world presents turmoil, confusion and despair...look for the good. The Paradoxical Commandments tell us to forgive anyway, build anyway, do good anyway and give the world the best you've got anyway. When I get the urge to tell folks where I think they are missing the boat, stirring the pot or causing dissension in the ranks, I go back to my corner to focus on the goo...

Send us Fan Mail September found two leadership panels visiting Aurora High School to share their experiences, advice and wisdom with local students. Take a listen to the ideas of Shannon Walker from the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, John Paul Lee of First Independent Bank fame and Dr. Ben Yocom, our new superintendent of schools.

Send us Fan Mail Ten years ago in September, my husband had a stroke. It was a learning experience, to say the least.  It also prepared us for what we would both endure a few years later in the midst of the pandemic. Like most of you, we consider ourselves survivors. We have had some ups and downs in our journey together. Faith holds. Love remains.  As a writer, I often feel led to write about tho...

Send us Fan Mail When the Twin Towers were hit by planes during September of 2001, people across the world were numb with shock, grief, anger and new feelings of patriotism, pride and love for their fellow man. This is part of my memory of that fateful day, that serves as a benchmark for the War on Terror and the feelings that came afterwards.

Send us Fan Mail It has been in the works for several months. The people who serve us every day have been looking for new and improved ways to add more grant funds to the table for our rural communities. It is finally happening. Hometown Partners Giving Circle is being launched to give area residents some skin in the game of collective giving. We can all donate $100. Then, later we can all decide...