Opinion

In the age of COVID-19 and the approaching influenza season, a strong immune system is vital to fight off germs and disease. With an environment filled with toxins from mobile phones to car exhaust, boosting the body’s ability to resist sickness and inflammation is important to longevity and healthy living. However, how can that be done during the age of fast food, addictions, and little exercise? Lifestyle changes are important if being healthy, happy, and productive is the goal...

This weeks marks my fourth anniversary with the Delta Dunklin Democrat. My how time flies. I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of you who have made my time here so enjoyable. I have met so many wonderful people in the communities that make up Dunklin County...

When it comes to travelling, I am a cheapskate, would rather spend money on something else. The internet can take us curious Georges and Georgettes to dangerous places, but it can also take us travel tightwads to just about anywhere in the world. The price is one computer and Wi-Fi—yes, Google Earth. ...

Driving through my little hometown this past weekend, I passed a home where I had spent many Tuesday afternoons. Immediately after getting off the school bus, Moma would have a snack and a soda waiting for my sister and me. I’d grab my piano books and head out to the station wagon. ...

How great is your “joy”? If you had to rate the joy you generally feel in life, what number from one to ten with ten being the greatest joy, would you choose? Everyone would like to feel more joy in life! Let’s establish the fact that a Christian’s joy in life is found in Christ. If he is in the right condition with the Lord, all is well with his soul. There can be no true joy if one is out of Christ. “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord…” (Philippifans 3:1)...

Sugar, the other white powder--a dangerous craving. Sugar is one of several reasons for inflammation and chronic pain, but people cannot seem to step away from the donuts, candy bars, and cookies long enough to find out. One of the leading killers of Americans today, especially, women is dementia and Alzheimer’s, and sugar is a leading factor...

I love conversations. I love having them. I love small talk. I have a friend who hates them, especially while watching a sporting event on television. I’ve heard on more than one occasion the phrase, “There is way too much chit chat going on during this game.”...

Most Christians are familiar with the historical account (not merely a Bible “story”) of Joseph with his brothers and his father, Jacob, recorded in Genesis Chapters 37-50. Joseph and his brothers were the sons of Jacob, who was the grandson of Abraham. ...

Moma had a tradition of inviting her friends to the house for a home cooked meal. Moma would clean the kitchen and the dining room and set out all the needed dishes and serving pieces. Friends from her working days at the telephone office and a few other friends plus Mrs. ...

In our last column, we discussed the prodigal son’s attitude of “give me” (Luke 15:12), when demanding his inheritance early from his Father. The prodigal then went away into a far country and wasted his inheritance in riotous living. After the prodigal son wasted his inheritance, things really deteriorated. ...

Because the feet contain around 8,000 nerve endings, located close to the skin, they may be considered the most sensitive parts of the body. That is why a pebble in the shoe can cause agonizing pain. The feet also help in recognizing health issues in other parts of the body that might otherwise go unnoticed. They provide warning signs for heart disease, lung disease, Crohn’s disease, and many other conditions, so pay attention to your feet, the next time you put on your shoes...

As we enter into another Labor Day weekend I began to reflect on the origin of the holiday and what it means in today’s society. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers...

Years ago, I knew a teacher who had lost her mother. She was surprised, she said, of the grief she suffered in the loss. “I thought I was better prepared for it”, she said. Then we both concluded that full preparation to the point of saying goodbye to someone we love was not easy, sometimes impossible. ...

There is an easy way to improve your child’s chances at school. It will entertain and delight him. It will strengthen the bonds between him and you. And it is virtually free. Sound too good to be true? Actually, it isn’t. The magical method: taking time to read aloud to your child. Reading aloud is, according to “Becoming a Nation of Readers”, a landmark report, “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading.”...

There is a big difference between the initial attitude of the prodigal son when he left home and in the attitude he possessed when he returned to his father. This difference in attitude is expressed by two phrases, “give me” and “make me.” Luke 15:11-12 says, “… A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. ...

As I listened to Governor Parson address the FCC Behavioral Health staff earlier this week, two topics stuck with me. First the desperate need for continued expanding broadband service and telemedicine availability to rural communities. COVID-19 has very few positives if any, but bringing awareness of this topic to the forefront may be one...

The much-vaunted David, the boy hero and mighty king, suffered much in his life. God chose David to replace the overly self-reliant and independent Saul, who tried to kill David. But Saul had murderous company as David’s own son, Absalom, tried to kill his father to take his throne. ...

A good procedural drama is normally my choice for television viewing or for reading. From Perry Mason, Columbo and Law & Order (the original), the shock of the crime, the investigation, and the prosecution lead to an impactful conclusion. True crime documentaries and dramatizations have mass appeal as audiences struggle to understand motives, details, and investigations. ...

Throughout the history of war and combat, there are examples of those who thought their fortifications were impregnable, only to find out later that they were wrong. One instance of this is when David took the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites. The Jebusites were a few of the people left in the land after the conquest of Canaan was finished. ...

As one ages, the tendency to drink less becomes prevalent. I noticed it in my late mother, and I now see it in myself. The results of dehydration in the elderly, or even the young, can be devastating and dangerous to the body, especially with the loss of electrolytes. But what are electrolytes and how do they effect the body in a negative way, and how can it be avoided?...

As the pandemic continues our new norms seem to be settling in place. Mask wearing, social distancing, and virtual communication has become commonplace. I don’t get the same eerie feeling when I’m in a store and everywhere I look someone has a mask on...

2020 has been a challenging year, and some Biblical Christians are afraid, praying for political leaders who will at least tolerate us. It could very well be that we are looking for the wrong friend. We can read of places and times remarkably similar to what is going on today, not only in the West, but wherever there is amoral chaos and confusion among people. ...

Have you ever watched a movie in which an undercover agent infiltrates a crime family in order to bring them to justice? Or, maybe you watched a television show about an innocent man who intentionally goes to prison in order to help someone inside escape. Consider Jesus who went the ultimate distance to rescue us!...

The brain is extraordinarily complex and fragile. It controls every aspect of the body from breathing to feeling. As the body ages, the brain can maintain its vibrancy to recall, learn, and think, and like the body, it needs proper nutrition to function efficiently. We know that oxygen through exercise is important for both a healthy brain and strong heart, but what goes into the body is just as important. Proper nutrition is the key to staying sharp, but what does that entail?...

On August 24, area schools will start both in-person and virtual instruction. For those choosing to return to the classroom in-person, health experts have compiled a list of suggestions for parents and students, new basics if you will, to aid in ensuring a safe and healthy start to this unique school year...