Opinion

Whenever I sit down and prepare to write this column I’m often amazed at all the subjects I could cover. One of the first rules I try to follow is to keep it topical and there are a lot of topics to choose from in any given week. Those of you who have been reading these deliberations know I’m a tad bit superstitious. This being Friday the 13th and a full moon, I could write about this dubious day...

In the first century A.D., the Roman Empire wanted everyone in their empire, those diverse peoples, cultures, and religions to get along. It was to avoid getting involved with skirmishes among those different cultures and competing values. Fighting continuous rebellions and uprisings cost not only money, but weaken their military strength. ...

When my children were younger, a weekly chore chart adorned the refrigerator door. Each time those hungry little hands reached inside for a cheese stick or a glass of milk, they were reminded of chores that should be done around the house. For the most part, the girls would get their chores finished with the boys negotiating in the background. ...

A bit of wisdom that we should apply to our lives says, “If you want to get more out of something, you have to put more into it.” Every parent who has raised children has probably heard them say, “I don’t get anything out of going to school.” Then mom or dad would respond, “You will get out of school what you put into it.” This meant that if you pay attention, ask questions, do your homework, and study hard for tests, you will make good grades and end up with a quality education which will better insure a good paying job in the future. ...

“If I could have been a grandparent first, I would have had a house full of grandchildren.” That is a statement heard from many seniors who are blessed with grandchildren. Whether you are grandmother, mimaw, mimi, gigi, grandpa, pa, pop, or abuelo, the tiny voice calling out that familiar title is the apple of your eye, the center of your universe, and the beat of your heart...

This weekend, local artists and crafters will come from near and far to display their work and celebrate the arts at the annual Fall Into Arts festival in Kennett. The event will run all weekend in downtown Kennett, around the Square and inside the Opera House...

And old college friend of mine is once again about to become a grandfather, and what a blessing that is. His daughter is a devout Christian and the wife of a former missionary and now pastor. Their children will be blessed because both she and her husband have an infectious love for the Lord. ...

Ripping off the calendar page to reveal the month of September was quite satisfying. Thoughts of cooler days, school activities, pumpkin-everything, and no mosquitoes entrance me for a moment. Then, I recall that the last official day of summer is September 23, and there is still time to soak up some more sun. ...

“Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.” (Psalms 119:68) Throughout this Psalm, the writer addresses the LORD. (See vss. 52, 55, 57, 64, 65, 75) Therefore, the person he proclaims as good is the LORD. Let’s learn three lessons from this short verse...

Over the years, my mom would talk about her blind Great-aunt Lou who traveled between her house and the other aunts’ houses. All the kids loved it when Aunt Lou came to visit, bringing with her a rocking chair and a pocket full of chewing gum. Decades ago, families lived near one another and took care of elder family members, like the Waltons in the television series...

As my annual physical exam draws near, I’m beginning to prepare for “the talk”. The fitness talk. Oh, how I dread it. I’ve had lots of years to get used to it, but still there is dread. A doctor once asked me if I was still eating donuts? I replied yes, with a big old goofy smile...

Perhaps the most common complaint from unbelievers we Christians hear against God remains “Since the result of Christianity depends on knowing and believing in Christ, how could ‘a loving God’ place someone in eternal torment if the person had never even heard of Jesus Christ?” The appointed-by-God apostle Paul (Acts 9) addresses that issue as recorded in Romans 1:18-19, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ...

As I was rolling out dumplings one evening last fall, I realized just how poor the lighting was in my kitchen. I finished making the chicken and dumplings, and I cleaned the kitchen. However, my mind remained fixed on the shadows and the ceiling fan in my kitchen. ...

“And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.” (John 7:12-13) Those who have believed in Jesus have examined the evidence about Him, and are assured that their trust in Him is well placed. ...

In 2008, the Missouri Medicaid program was renamed “MO HealthNet.” So, anyone with a MO HealthNet card is covered through Medicaid and is part of a joint federal-state program designed to assist with health care costs of low-income individuals, which includes many of the state’s seniors. Eligibility for the program is administered and decided by the Family Support Division (FSD) of the Mo. Dept. of Social Services...

Beginnings and endings. Starts and finishes. It’s one of the constants in life. As one thing dies another is born. One venture that has ended is the St. Francis Street project. After years of discussion and debate, the day has finally arrived. It’s done, and to say it was a passion of our current mayor would be an understatement...

Secular psychologists will attempt to explain human behavior outside their acknowledgement or recognition of God. Limited by observation and study of the human body and familial/social circumstances, their diagnoses of behavioral dysfunction usually describe what we Christians recognize as the product of human sin nature inherited from Adam and Eve in their rebellion against God. ...

Thinking about paperback romance novels, the mind most likely will leap to the compact book known as a Harlequin. Early in its history, this publishing company reprinted inexpensive copies of detective stories, cookbooks, westerns, and a smattering of tragic love stories. ...

“And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.” (John 7:12-13) When Jesus was on the earth, the Jewish people disputed about who Jesus was. Some thought He was a deceiver. Some still think this today...

Medicare is not a simple insurance that covers everything from a hangnail to the nursing home, and it is not something that everyone has, even though some young, and a few old, politicians believe it is great and the cure-all insurance. It is paid for by those who work and pay into the government system; it is there after retirement and seniors, age 65, are required to register for it...

Fibs. Little white lies. Are they dangerous? I believe they can be. Everyone lies at one time or another and we all lie for different reasons. People may fear the consequences of their actions and so they lie to protect themselves or others involved...

It seems like every day some well-known Christian is in the news for renouncing his/her faith. A recent example is a songwriter who declared that he is no longer a Christian but “is going with what is true to me right now.” Some of us will recall the lie the serpent told Eve: “…you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5) Typical of that counterfeit god, Satan mixes truth and lie. ...

One of the most well-known memoirs is Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi. In this recount of his days on the Mississippi River, Twain introduces the world to Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. He also rambles on with some terrific observations and good stories. ...

One family in the Bible paid a high price for allowing jealousy, hatred and envy to enter their family. The family was that of the patriarch Jacob, but I could be speaking about many families in our country today. Jealousy and envy will destroy families, churches and souls...

(Over the next several weeks, learn about Medicare Advantage, Part C and D) When it comes to Medicare, many seniors, who worked all their lives, depend on the government insurance they paid for while employed until retirement. Medicare is a health insurance program designed to help meet hospital and medical costs of senior citizens 65 and older, as well as some disabled persons under 65. ...