Opinion

Covid-19, the cause of economic disaster, the destruction of small and large businesses, political uprisings, hundreds of thousands of deaths, high numbers of suicides, record numbers of domestic abuse, and isolation. According to many politicians and news outlets, we have stepped into an age of the new normal but are we ready to stop living from the fear of dying...

It’s that time again. A time when the citizens of a community can make their voices heard. Election time. On Tuesday, August 4, citizens of Dunklin County can place their vote and help initiate the direction they want their community to take. It’s important...

Just before the disciple Matthew’s account of Jesus’ feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21), we read, “When Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there to a desolate place.” What Jesus had just heard was that John the Baptist had been martyred—beheaded—for calling King Herod Antipas to repent for his adultery with his brother’s wife. ...

Regardless of where you reside in the United States, the end of August represents the same thing to everyone: back to school. Students of all ages will return to classrooms ready to re-engage with curriculum, classmates, and teachers. Many libraries around the world support education through annual summer reading programs, but as the bell rings for day one of class, there are countless ways libraries and schools can continue to work together to further student reading and education...

Statements in the book of John made me begin to think about what Jesus might have been doing at specific hours of the day. How many specific hours in Jesus’ life are mentioned in the gospels? I’m not claiming this to be a complete list. Once, in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus walked on the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee. ...

When it comes to insurance, my late mother always said you can never have enough. My sister and I used to describe my mother’s insistence on every kind of insurance as being “insurance poor.” But what do seniors need to look at when searching for the right types of insurance? There are three areas that promote security for them and their families: preserving their income, leaving money for their families, and protecting personal property...

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect us all. This week it hit home for me in a very personal way. My mother took ill with blood pressure issues which required a trip to a hospital emergency room. My wife and I drove my parents to the hospital, fearful and anxious for my mom’s wellbeing...

By the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew, roughly half-way through the disciple’s record of the Christ, His ministry is beginning to disappoint many hearers. Immediately following His ushering in of the New Covenant through His Sermon on the Mount, Matthew wrote, “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29) But trouble was brewing, and proverbial storm clouds began to gather. ...

Science fiction can be two or more things at once, like a wildly imaginative adventure and an exploration of the human or inhuman condition. Actually, I am not much of a science fiction fan, but a recently published book grabbed my attention; and it entertained me for many hours. ...

As children mature physically, they learn about the “facts of life”. Parents need to be as diligent to see that their children learn the real and spiritual facts of life. Children need to be brought up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)...

I’ve stayed close to home during this pandemic. I’ve worked some from home and have had limited contact with friends and family. That’s been difficult. In the last couple of weeks my wife and I have began to venture out. I knew we’d be wearing masks, so I prepared...

As I write this, the church I serve is in the final days of our Vacation Bible School 2020. It is a simple, sweet gathering, with biblical, upbeat songs, fun games, and—most important—basic Scripture readings, disclosing the will of God and why we are so opposed to it. ...

Sixty-six years ago the movie From Here to Eternity thrilled audiences with a romantic embrace and kiss on the beach with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr. From that romantic moment, movie directors have tried to recreate that kind of romantic magic. ...

There have always been evil men who will use others to accomplish their dirty work. They stand in the spotlight of appearing to be respectable citizens, but really are the sponsors of much evil through others. Those that do their dirty work do so willingly for hire, or ignorantly through manipulation. The evil engaged in by these willing participants is the destruction of good men’s influence, reputation, and lives...

The twenty-first century may very well turn into the scams of the century, especially for the elderly. With the introduction of Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, online ads, TV night-time sales pitches, robo calls, and COVID-19, the beginning of the second decade could very well be remembered for its tumultuous beginning, and the effects it has had on the elderly. ...

Defund the police. It seems to be the new topic of discussion. It also appears that this protest chant or slogan means different things depending on who you ask. You hear everything from cutting funds for supplies to allocating funds for more diversity training to the outright elimination of a police force...

A retired seminary professor told of a new professor who confessed that among his reasons for accepting the call to teach was because he realized that there would be chapel services every day. “Look at all the additional opportunities I will have to hear God’s word in the daily chapel services,” he said. “Why, in no time at all I should be moving mountains!” Not much time had passed before both professors noted that the mountains were still there...

One of life’s greatest pleasure is discovering a series of books that you just love beyond all reason. There is no shortage of young adult book series out there to binge-read. A young adult book series should definitely be on a teen’s radar this summer. A series is three or more books connected by characters, world, or plot. Pop in to the Dunklin County Library to find your next favorite YA book series!...

To be destitute of the physical blessings in life would be a terrible thing! How would you feel if you were destitute of God’s spiritual blessings of truth and mercy? Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac, from among his kindred in Mesopotamia. ...

In 1525, a revolt broke out in central Europe known as the Peasant’s War. Some radical theologians joined in solidarity with the peasants who were protesting what historians have not really understood. Some of the peasants were looking to Martin Luther to support them, but Luther had translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into German, thus knew God’s Word very well, and its prohibition against demanding what today is known as “economic justice”...

The continuous warnings of scam artists and fraudsters may grow old and redundant, but a constant reminder that they exist and are a problem, especially for the elderly, is a must. According to the Senate Special Committee on Aging (SSCA), in 2018, nearly $3 billion was exploited and gleaned from seniors, and the number continues to rise with the wide use of technology...

Every time you look at Facebook or tune into the news, strife and blight seem to dominate. A conversation with my daughter one morning about the madness taking hold of this country, made me realize that, one, you can’t fix stupid, and two, every time I see it, it makes me mad. As a senior, it is important to take care of myself and controlling anger and the emotions that wreak havoc on my body is part of that healing. So, how does anger affect the body, and how can you control it?...

In these tumultuous times many have given into despair and have given up on the thought that we can once again unite as a country. It seems with all the issues we’re dealing with now as a nation, racial equality, political discord, the pandemic, we are drifting further apart and creating an atmosphere of anger and fear...

A fellow Christian of the Reformation, The Rev. Dr. Voddie Baucham, recently shared of a television program episode he watched broadcast on one of the old networks. This particular program featured a scene between a believer and unbeliever. The unbeliever asked the Christian to open her Bible to Leviticus 18:22, which says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” “Do you agree with that?” asked the atheist. ...

Most of the time when a book is mentioned in this library column, someone wants to reserve the book or at least wants to chat about the book. Writing about a new mysteries and thrillers last week, the DCL Director JoNell Minton had a suggestion, Memory Man by David Baldacci. ...