Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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We all have those lists - you know, resolutions, what I want to accomplish in the new year: lose weight, keep on track, community involvement, volunteer more, take a vacation, spiritual growth - you get the idea. This is a time for personal reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year. It offers a structured opportunity to examine what is holding us back from being who we really want to be. If we use the new year to take concrete steps towards becoming advocates for change, together we can make a difference! - Begin with prayer: Going...
The Holy Scriptures reveal that God in heaven wants you have a happy new year. Look at the kind of “happy newness” he offers us both now and forever if we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…” - 2 Corinthians 5:17-18. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and m...
We are about to come to the end of an exciting time in the church year…Advent. Many Christian churches celebrate Advent four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. Advent means “coming” in Latin. This refers to the coming of Jesus into the world. Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas. In a day or two, Advent will be over and Christmas will be here! With much excitement, we will welcome the birth of our savior, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the governm...
A short time ago, the world was shocked by the horrendous attacks in Paris, France, and in Mali on the African continent as well as uncovering a plot for a similar attack in Brussels. These atrocities were planned and committed in the name of a religion. That religion is Islam, a religion of the Middle East. But these events, as we all know, have little or no basis in Islam. Over the years I have known a goodly number of people from the Middle East, Muslims as well as Christians, and none of them that I have known would have ever perpetrated...
It was Christmas Eve in “No man’s land!” “No Man’s Land” is a phrase used for turf that hasn’t been taken over by an opposing army or troupe. It is usually deemed necessary to be occupied by those in authority in order to keep the enemy away from your own camp or headquarter’s tent. The time was World War I. A most unusual and wonderful thing happened on a battlefield where no one had taken control. Battle weary men in their trenches began to sing: “Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, all is bright.” As they concluded their harmonious so...
“Then Jesus asked, ‘Were there not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God…”- Luke 17:17-18a Have you ever noticed that “thank you” has become a way to end transactions and conversations? At the store the cashier says “thank you, come again” and we reply “okay, thanks.” In conversations or phone calls we might end with a “well, thanks a lot.” This can also be true when it comes to saying “thanks” on Thanksgiving. We offer a perfunctory “thank you” to God so that we can ge...
I carry my phone everywhere. Sometimes I use it to make calls, but mostly I use its other features. I have a Bible on it, and I appreciate having the scriptures with me all the time. But mostly I live by the calendar. Lately the phone has been trying to be helpful, telling me that I should leave for my next event, and that “Traffic is light.” I live by many calendars. My tax year runs from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. The programs in my church go from September to May. I go to the stores, and I see what the next “shopping” holiday is, from Halloween to ...
Some years ago, following fellowship dinner at church, the folks would gather together and have a good old fashioned testimony service with singing, sharing of blessings and telling what the Lord has done in their lives. The experience was like the words of the old song, “Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings, see what God hath done.” Singing for Jesus is all about the powerful sharing of our personal testimony, letting people know what the Lord has done or is doing in our life. I believe it would do us all wel...
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” – James 1:2-3 (NKJV) As the weather turns cooler and the leaves fall off the trees, I am reminded of a family story from just a few short years ago. I took my family to a tree farm for our annual tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree. After searching diligently for the perfect tree, cutting it down and getting it tied to the top of our van, we headed down the road towards home. We were all feeling good as we were...
My wife and I just recently received our annual fall flu shot, and it got me to thinking about how the vaccine and immunization program has played an important role in avoiding many harmful diseases. I would like to use the vaccination process as a spiritual illustration of God’s plan of salvation. As we all know, the Panhandle of Nebraska is well known for its cows and ranching. Who knew that cows would save the lives of countless people? In 1796, a physician named Edward Jenner decided to prove a theory that had been circulating for some t...
I’m Lutheran, and we Lutherans often get ourselves tied up in knots over the use of the law in the life of faith. I believe, as Luther did, that Scripture reveals Christ through both Law and Gospel. Law, for Lutherans, is whatever convicts us of our sin and our need for Christ. Another use of the Law, and a hotly disputed one at least in Lutheran circles, is what the reformers knew as the “third use of the Law.” Here the Law serves not only as a mirror for our sinful nature and its desires, but as a guide for proper conduct. That’s where w...
The change to fall reminds me of an excerpt from Henry Ward Beecher’s Novel “Norwood:” Once upon a time a little leaf was heard to sigh and cry, as leaves often do when a gentle wind is about. And the twig said, “What is the matter, little leaf?” And the leaf said, “The wind just told me that one day it would pull me off and throw me down to die on the ground!” The twig told it to the branch on which it grew, and the branch told it to the tree. And when the tree heard it, it rustled all over, and sent back word to the leaf, “Do not be afraid....
As all of us are aware, our U.S. Supreme Court ruled last June that same sex couples can now be legally married throughout our country. The court claimed that it was an issue of equality, dignity and civil rights granted by the Constitution. In this opinion, five Supreme Court justices essentially redefined marriage for all Americans. However, those who claim to be Christians should continue to let God define marriage for us based on the unchanging truths of the Holy Scriptures. It is a very simple description of marriage given to us by God at...
As you read this, the official start of fall is just around the corner. The first frost, brisk winds and the crunch of autumn leaves beneath our feet can’t be far behind. As a young mother, I always felt the maternal instinct to gather my “little chicks” close to me as the days grew shorter and colder, to keep them safe beneath my wings. As a grandmother and great grandmother, this instinct remains within me. However, as any parent or grandparent knows, the time comes when you can no longer keep your “brood” close to you. That is as it should b...
Many years ago, I remember sitting on a bench in my grandparents’ backyard and listening to him talking to a friend who had stopped by for a visit. I overheard him say, “August is a good month to get work done. There are no holidays in August.” Of course, this wasn’t important to a child of 10 or 11 but, a year or so later when I was an altar boy in our church, I realized that there were two special days in August: two Holy Days – Aug. 6, the Transfiguration, and Aug. 15, the Dormition, also called the Assumption of Mary. Later when I joined...
“Greatness isn’t a decision. Greatness comes as a result of making good decisions or producing good results over time.” – Justin Lathrop You may or may not have heard the well-known quote from Jim Collins, “Good is the enemy of great.” Although I get the point that Jim is bringing to our attention, I want to explore it a little deeper. When we go after good things in pursuit of great things, we set ourselves up to be disappointed. You can’t get to great without first being good. You no doubt can’t jump over or pass up important steps along the...
The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” (Mark 6:30-31 ). Vacation! We, Americans, love our vacations. Many of us work hard at our vacations and say, “I need a vacation from my vacation.” Vacations are a break from the routine. Jesus knew the value of stepping away from the routine. In the Gospel according to Mark, after the 12 followers of Jesus return from their first attempts at ministry, Jesus says it is time fo...
Do you know what’s green, leafy, and sings the blues? Elvis Parsley. In the hot days of summer, with the world the way it is, I think we can use some humor. I picked up a joke book that some really good jokes in it, but I decided to share these jokes with you instead. I was asking what the difference was between mime and pantomime, and no one would say. Do you know why one side of the “V” formation of migrating geese is longer than the other? Because there are more geese on that side. What’s large, gray, and doesn’t matter? An irrelepha...
Considering Pope Francis’ recent world travels to South America, as well as, the soon anticipated September visit to the United States, to meet with the Congress and United Nations, I thought a little humor would be in order with some observations about discerning the times and seasons in which we live. Legend has it, that about a century ago the Pope decided that all Jews should leave Rome. But seeing the uproar in the Jewish community, and wanting to appear conciliatory, he came up with a novel idea. He would have a debate with any member o...
In today’s world, the media reports on what liberal and conservative Christians have to say about everything. We are quoted almost as frequently as the politicians. Topics of interest are immigration, government, birth control, abortion, entitlement programs, environmental issues, homosexuality and the list goes on. Like political rhetoric, our statements are frequently reduced to sound bites that do not give full representation of our beliefs. Sometimes, I wonder if we practice the same Christianity. No one likes to be misquoted or misrepresen...
There are many things in life that I do not understand. In fact, were I to list all the things that do not make sense to me the list would be far longer than the list of stuff that does make sense. In reality, as a man of faith, I have come to understand that there are some things we were not designed to fully comprehend, at least not right now. However, that doesn’t apply to God’s Word. The Bible, in its entirety, was given to us as a revelation of who God is and what his plan and purpose is for his people. Unfortunately, the book of Revelatio...
Contributing to an IRA can help you build some of the resources you will need to enjoy a comfortable retirement. But what happens to your IRA if you don’t use it up in your lifetime? You can still put the IRA’s assets to good use — as long as you’ve made the right moves and communicated your wishes clearly to your family. When you opened your IRA, you should have named a beneficiary — someone who will receive the IRA assets when you pass away. You could also name a contingent beneficiary if the first beneficiary dies before you. These ben...
This past Father’s Day, my youngest son, Alan, and I played for the first time at Sidney’s Hillside Golf Course. It was a wonderful challenge with fast greens, lost balls and a healthy dose of sunshine. As you may know, there are many famous golf courses around the world that have some interesting ground rules because of their locations. One of those courses is found in the country of India. The Calcutta Country Club has this beautifully laid out and maintained golf course, cut directly out of a jungle, full of native magnolia trees, home to...
When I graduated from college, it seemed like the world was my oyster. The economy was strong, I had a good degree from a good school and was not yet burdened by the numerous concerns that living brings. I was able to get a decent (read: $7.50/hour) job at United Way in Minneapolis for a while, and then a better (read: $10/hour) job at the University of Minnesota Hospital simply on the fact I could type 70 words a minute. That was pretty fast then. The world has certainly changed in these last years. Jobs for grads now seem to be in very short...
I am sure most all of us have had times in our lives when we wondered if God was really hearing our prayers. There are so many life situations that can make us feel that way. Maybe a prayer, prayed for a long time seemingly goes unanswered, and even worse, God seems so far away. Perhaps a prayer, being prayed for a loved one in prolonged pain, might make one shout out an angry prayer to God. Perhaps a difficult prayer concern, that had been prayed over and over, leaves one not knowing for what else to pray. The above are just a few reasons we...
