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Child Abuse AwarenessWho could ever harm a child? The thought is unimaginable. Yet it happens frequently, and in some cases by parents and family members. Child abuse is defined as subjecting a child to harm (whether physical, emotional, or sexual) through ill-treatment, neglect, or deprivation...
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Cicada maniaPeriodical cicadas are different from the annual cicadas that appear every August. The periodical cicadas live for either 13 or 17 years. These cicadas are different in appearance to the annual cicadas. They are smaller and have more of an orange appearance...
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Signs and WondersSixteenth century Church reformer Martin Luther once hailed the disciple John as he “teaches and documents most convincingly the sublime article of our holy Christian faith, according to which we believe and confess the one, true almighty God. But he states expressly that three distinct Persons dwell in that same single divine essence, namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. ...
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Children's AuthorsSome of my favorite children’s authors are A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll, Margaret Wise Brown, E.B. White, C.S. Lewis, Beverly Cleary, Eric Carle, Richard Scarry, Maurice Sendak, and Judy Blume. Ask today’s younger parents and they are quite likely to have a completely different list of children’s authors. Jeff Kinney, J.K. Rowling, Dav Pilkey, and Rick Riordan are wildly popular with young readers. But, a few of my new favorite authors have great imaginations and stories with a lesson...
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Who Is A Christian?Are you a Christian? Are you “Imprint Sure” that you are a Christian? The commercials emphasize the importance of employing a good company to ensure that your various imprinted products are done correctly, like mugs, shirts, etc. But, more important than anything else is making sure you have been saved from your sins and become a Christian! One can be assured they are a Christian if they know the truth. ...
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Seniors, hair loss (4/23/24)Years ago, commercials were filled with men and women with heads full of healthy thick hair. Today, however, that isn’t necessarily true because some women have buzz cuts and many men have none. Yesterday’s full hair wearers are today’s baby-boomers, and shaving a head or wearing hair a lot shorter is, maybe, not by choice, but by necessity because those once gorgeous flocks are now a whole lot thinner. What causes hair loss and how can it be prevented, or at least, slow it down?...
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The Neighborhood Grocery Store (4/20/24)They used to be everywhere. Little grocery stores peppered the landscape of towns across America. Every neighborhood had one. My family owned a small grocery store in Hayti in the late seventies. We were one of many. We not only sold groceries, but a little bit of everything...
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Most Uncommon (4/20/24)Last Sunday, in the Acts 2 reading, Peter was speaking to the crowds from the temple questioning their shallowness and naivety by what the people found so impressive: Peter’s healing of a man who had been lame since birth. St. Peter questioned their credulity because they were missing the life-changing reality that God had broken into His creation according to will of His heavenly Father to fulfill the prophecies of God...
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Whitey Ball (4/20/24)Not many baseball games were televised when I was a kid. Monday Night Baseball was an opportunity to watch baseball, and games were shown on Saturdays and Sundays. However, listening to a St. Louis Cardinal baseball game had its own magic. The Cardinal flagship station, KMOX, was heard on several AM stations. Listening to a Cardinal broadcast in the tractor shed with Daddy or driving around in his pickup, Jack Buck made each Redbird game exciting...
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Is God Your Everything? (4/20/24)King David exhibited a closeness with God which every Christian should desire to possess today. Jehovah God was David’s everything. Two verses particularly portray David’s dependence upon Jehovah for everything. “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” (Psalms 18:2) “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalms 27:1). ...
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Vitamin D, benefits (4/16/24)The sun provides not only warmth and life to the planet, but it also provides essential vitamins and nutrients for plants to grow and humans to thrive. The body produces Vitamin D as a response to sun exposure, and is essential for strong bones and teeth, the immune system, brain health, and to regulate inflammation. So, are you getting enough sun, if not what is the result of a lack of Vitamin D, and just how much is needed to maintain good health?...
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Fretting (4/13/24)Worrying is addictive. I truly believe that, and like any addiction it can be deadly. Being nervous is a double-edged sword. In some cases it can lead to wise caution or strategic thinking, but it can also give us pointless paranoia, endlessly fretting about things outside of our influence...
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Together In One Place (4/13/24)On the second Sunday of Easter 2024, the book of Acts began with our Lord appearing to many of His trusted followers with startling proof of His resurrection from the dead. He was victorious and had broken into rebellious Man’s corrupted kingdom. He came to defeat sin, death, and the devil for His repentant, yet still sinful human creation. ...
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Coming Attractions (4/13/24)Coming attractions are produced to entice viewers to return to the movie theater for another full cinema experience. These movie trailers are shown before the feature film commences to a captive audience. Actually, some movie attendees are still being seated, getting snacks, or getting the last phone call or Facebook check-in out of the way. ...
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Alzheimer’s, new hope (4/9/24)Nearly everyone has known someone, directly or indirectly, who has or had Alzheimer’s or dementia. It is almost unescapable today since approximately 6.7 million older Americans are living with the disease. For 120 years, Alzheimer’s has been researched and progress made, but well before it was discovered, the history of dementia could be traced back to the Greco-Roman period...
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Here comes the Eclipse (4/6/24)It’s finally here. The Eclipse weekend is upon us. I must admit I’m looking forward to all the entertainment and events that will surround this phenomenon, however, I’m not really that excited about the eclipse itself. For those of you that are, wonderful, enjoy the dark moment...
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Selection Reasons (4/6/24)Looking at all the tables of books ready for the Book Sale, I tried to think of the reasons why I would pick up a book. Some reasons are obvious while others are quite illogical. Many books have creative covers much like a trailer for a movie. Titles are often eye-catching just daring you to pick up the book. ...
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When Seeing Is Not Believing (4/6/24)Jesus appeared to His disciples the week of His resurrection. The disciples were hiding from unbelieving, establishment Jews—the leading enemies of Jesus the Christ. They were now after His followers, so the disciples were hiding behind a locked door. ...
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God's Old People (4/6/24)I have always loved old people. I loved my grandparents when a child. In preaching the gospel, I have known some wonderful old people. A congregation would not be complete without older people who are so good about taking the time to make you feel special, and who share their wisdom and experience with those who have not lived as long as they have...
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Potassium is essential (4/2/24)Potassium is an important mineral that is needed for the functioning of all cells. It regulates the heartbeat, ensures proper function of the muscles and nerves, and is vital to producing protein and metabolizing carbohydrates. But what happens when that mineral is depleted, and what can be done to prevent it?...
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Kids say the darndest things...in church (3/30/24)A few weeks ago I presented a column featuring funny excuses kids come up with for missing school. It was a huge hit. I had many calls, texts, and emails from readers stating how much they enjoyed it. Here’s another go at our children as they comment on church services...
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Easter Frocks and Books (3/30/24)When I was a kid, my mama worked so hard to make Easter significant! There were no excuses for missing Easter services (actually she did not tolerate any excuses on any given Sunday)! Mama would find just the right dresses for us girls, and the suit in a coordinating color for my brother. ...
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Known Unto God Are All His Works (3/30/24)“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” (Acts 15:18) God had a wondrous plan even before the world began which only He knew. His plan was a mystery to man until God revealed it completely in the gospel of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:7-10) “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:11) We will examine a couple of things in His great plan...
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Joy (3/23/24)For many years my day started with high-fives and hugs. That’s right. Smiling faces and shouts of good morning greeted me when I entered my job. I worked in and managed Community Based Residential Facilities (CBRF) for the developmentally disabled. It was a special time in my life, filled with experiences I’ll never forget...
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Following Jesus (3/23/24)A catechumen (a person studying God’s Word, preparing for membership in a church recently asked about the Lenten season, specifically asking why we Christians should repent (turn from our sins after asking for God’s forgiveness): “Does it really have to be daily?” Asking him a few questions revealed to him that he suffers from a sinful nature that all of us possess which results in our un-Godly thoughts, words, and deeds. ...
Opinion
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Laura FordAging Gracefully
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The Answer manThe Answer Man
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At Your ServiceAt Your Service
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Mike MilamAt Your Service
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Christy MercerAt Your Service
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Laveta LockridgeAt Your Service
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Mariann WrightAt Your Service
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Richard RickmanAt Your Service
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Jeff DorrisDeliberations from Dorris
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Graham A ColditzFor Your Health