Opinion

May is slated for Older Americans Month (OAM) and this year’s theme is “Communities of Strength.” The last year has been the toughest in more than 100 years with the pandemic affecting everyone, especially the elderly. Many lost friends and family to Covid-19, but for those with older family members, that loss was even greater as the virus devastated those seniors physically and mentally from the isolation...

I back the Blue, so this is no way a bashing of our local police departments. This is just a column on what some small rural police departments have implemented to become more efficient with rural policing issues. Most small town police departments will tell you the trifecta of problems they face are recruiting, retention, and budgets...

In his 2012 book, “The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Civilization,” author Brad Gregory makes the claim that Martin Luther (1483-1546) and some other Reformers inadvertently brought about moral relativism by encouraging discussion, debate on Christian matters. ...

Larry McMurtry rose very early to write each day typing on one of his ancient Hermes typewriters usually finishing five pages by 8:30 a.m. Then, his morning ritual continued by walking over to the bookstore and later, heading to the Dairy Queen for biscuits and gravy and a lime Dr. ...

Q: What may be the most beautiful word in English, or any other language? A: Whether its our word “mother,” the Japanese “haha,” or the German, “mutter,” there  is no word we cherish more.  The very word mother means a love with no qualifications asked. She’ll be on your side all the way through life.  She’ll take care of you when you are sick and, bandage your wounds when you are injured...

Can you picture a person sitting in their house in filth and squalor? How would you feel about that able bodied person if they will not raise a finger to improve their circumstances? The Bible speaks of some men’s laziness. “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.” (Proverbs 21:25) “The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.” (Proverbs 26:13) Now that’s lazy!...

Many people suffer from neuropathy. Although, it is a condition mostly thought of as an issue of the feet, according to Everydayhealth.com, it is not just one health condition, but a term used to describe a wide range of conditions involving disease and damage to peripheral nerves and the symptoms that are caused as a result of these conditions. How does one end up with neuropathy, and what can be done for it?...

Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1789 that “nothing in this world can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” While both remain certain 232 years later, nothing requires them to be combined. In fact, taxing death itself is one of the most immoral things the government does – and that’s saying something...

It appears that the future will belong to small businesses for local communities. Older residents will remember when all our area downtowns were peppered with dozens of businesses and were the retail centers in our towns. That all went away. It’s not just our area. The trends are national...

Easter 2021 ends May 13, on the Day of the Ascension of our Lord. The Easter season lasts for forty days because that is how long our Lord walked on the earth after He was resurrected from the dead by God the Father. Ten days after Ascension Day is the Day of Pentecost, recalling how our Lord fulfilled His promise of “the Helper” (the Holy Spirit) to come to His disciples to transform them into God’s messengers. ...

Mother’s Day stirs up many emotions each year--joy to sorrow, deep hurt to complete elation! For all the moms who struggle with fertility issues, who suffer the loss of a child, who push through adoption questions, and who put the abilities of her child before the disabilities, you are special and I understand. ...

I am concerned, as are many other preachers, that people who once attended the “worship assembly” have become comfortable staying at home on Sundays and are making little effort to assemble again as things improve with regard to Covid-19. I would like to add a few thoughts for everyone’s consideration...

In 1937, after a series of rulings undercutting his New Deal legislation, President Franklin Roosevelt proposed expanding the Supreme Court to as many as 15 justices. His attempt to use brute political force to seize control of the Supreme Court was – and still is – widely criticized. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself said, “I think it was a bad idea when President Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the court.” She added: “Nine seems to be a good number. It’s been that way for a long time.”...

Male 45 years old, difficulty breathing. Female, unresponsive. Infant bit by dog. These are just a few examples of the many 911 calls throughout Dunklin County on any given day. As I look at these emergency calls I am overwhelmed by the need for a local hospital to contend with these urgent calls...

The disciple John wrote his three epistles (letters) to churches unknown to us today but had been plagued with division, some leaving the churches because they were caught up in what they saw as genuine intellectual pursuits in Greek philosophy that had seduced the once-faithful followers of Christ into questioning the presuppositions (foundational assumptions) of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His defeat of death and hell in His resurrection from the dead. ...

Reading history allows a person to understand what happened. Reading historical fiction allows the person to be moved by what happened.  Even when the facts are known, the reader may continue to search for sense and meaning. The historical novel exposes the reader to the inner lives of people across time and place, and in doing so illuminates history’s untold stories, allowing the reader to experience a more complex truth. As Hilary Mantel said, “Historical fiction comes out of greed for experience. ...

Q:  Did you ever wonder how far it can go? A:  Not anymore.  There apparently is no limit. Alexander-Ocasio-Cortez,  the same little lady who predicted two years ago everyone would be dead in twelve years if we didn’t do something about climate change, has now decided that climate change has a lot to do with racial injustice.  Now Einstein had his theory of relativity, and an esoteric group finally made some understanding of it.  But a combined group of Harvard professors,  Charles Darwin, and even the New York Times, couldn’t make any sense out of what Cortez says.  Why?  Because it is totally inexplicable.. ...

Our text for study is Daniel 6:14: “Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.” The king mentioned in this verse is Darius of the Persian Empire. ...

Living in Dunklin County, Missouri, the weather is often the topic of conversation. Farmers are concerned about what Mother Nature throws at the beautiful flat land. “If you don’t like the bootheel weather, just wait a few minutes and it will change,” was definitely proven Tuesday evening. My husband and son covered the garden and all the pretty flowers before the strong cold wind blew across the back yard...

Q:  Is the Georgia law for voter identification a reversion to Jim Crow? A:  There is no logical comparison.       The other day on MSNB a nice looking young black man said that the Georgia law for voter identification was a reversion to Jim Crow segregation.  Although his younger look made it impossible for him to  have ever lived a day under  the degradation of Jim Crow, he said, “just take a look at history.”...

According to USDA, soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. This definition speaks to the importance of managing soils so they are sustainable for future generations. To do this, we need to remember that soil contains living organisms that when provided the basic necessities of life - food, shelter, and water - perform functions required to produce food and fiber...

The Rev. Dr. David Peters, professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, once shared with his hearers of an experience during a trip he made to the Holy Land in the late ‘90s. He was in what is known as the Judean Wilderness near the Dead Sea. They noticed some goats and sheep being shepherded by Bedouin shepherds. ...

The condition of heartburn is more than just a discomfort and inconvenience. It can lead to a serious health threat as the acid eats away at the esophagus. When I was a child, I had a serious stomach ulcer and by the time I was a teenager my doctor informed me he would remove three-fifths of my stomach if I weren’t so young. So I know by personal experience what acid in the stomach can do...

Let us continue examining things God has established for which He is jealous and doesn’t permit tampering. Consider another passage, “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:24) God is zealous and jealous for His New Testament Covenant. ...

Alkaline is defined by Merriam-Webster as having the properties of an alkali or alkali metal, especially, of a solution having a pH (potential of hydrogen) of more than 7. Like iron, the body cannot exist without a certain level of alkaline, and there must be a balance between levels of acid and alkaline, in other words, a pH balance. Keeping that balance is not easy but keeping the balance can happen with healthy habits like dieting...