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Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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Now and then I see several things in my life that are opposites. Sometimes I do something embarrassing that is humiliating. I will introduce myself to someone. They informed me that we had already met. The assumption is that I should have remembered their name. Then there are the times I trip going up stairs. Those things can be humiliating. Thankfully there are better moments. At times I do something that leads people to kindly compliment me. I am put on a pedestal, whether deserving or not. In those moments I must decide how to receive the...
In recent months, both of our sons have been infected with whatever illness has gone through the Cove that included fever, congestion and coughing. Included also was lack of appetite. They each were sick for a while, and it was a relief to see them eating again. A body needs calories, minerals, vitamins, fats, fiber, etc. The fourth Beatitude talks about appetite. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). This is referring to what nourishes and strengthens our souls. Jes...
The last two weeks in November have been named (I don't know by whom) "Weeks of Prayer for the Persecuted." Persecution can take many forms: from being spoken to or about in cruel, mean, or unkind ways to being kidnapped, raped or murdered. We may say, "Sticks and stones, can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." It's just not true. Words do hurt, a lot, often for a long time, with serious consequences. Often we presume persecution is focused against Christians. That is true but often...
As scripture stories unfold when we read them, there are many surprises. Jesus seems ready to turn things upside down on a daily basis. He surprises us with his miracles of healing, his constant attention to the marginal, his compassion to all whom he meets. He surprises us with how he challenges the religious leaders of the day who seem to want to trap him constantly. He surprises us a couple times when he seems to speak almost harshly to someone who persists to ask for a miracle. Very often he tells others to keep his work silent. “Don’t tel...
How have you been doing at meekness? Sometimes when we are squeezed, meekness goes out the window. Our doggie is dying of cancer. Presently, he is stable. We knew he had been losing weight. But the situation began to become serious when a couple of months ago he lost the ability to walk for a day. The veterinarian did not believe it was necessary to euthanize him, and that he would regain his strength in a day or so. The week that this occurred was a very busy week, and I was really drained. We couldn’t find a store that had a hind end h...
I am pleased Pastor Joel Kletzing is writing in the Herald. I believe him to be a man of God. Once you have read what he has written, check it out to see if it is true. Then, check out what I have written to see if it is true as well. Through the history of the people of God, both Jewish and Christian, there have been those who did not speak the truth. There were false prophets. Jeremiah particularly had trouble with them. There were also false teachers, Paul, John, and others had trouble with...
Last night I got to attend one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. It was the US Navy jazz band, the Commodores. The event was free, which made it even more enjoyable for me. It was so amazing to hear different generations, genders, and races of Navy personnel come together to play some incredible music. As Edgar Winter said, “Music is very spiritual, it has the power to bring people together”. Hundreds were brought together for the sold-out show. I had a front row seat, which allowed more room for my feet to tap the entire time. My only...
When returning from a mission trip recently, our family was eager to get home. It had been well over twenty-four hours since we set out on the journey. At Dulles there was a lot of waiting in lines for shuttles, immigration, customs and baggage. On our flight were perhaps twenty passengers who were ill, so there was a fleet of wheelchairs waiting at the terminal. While waiting for a shuttle, we kept hearing from behind “Excuse, please!” We would shift and allow skillful airport personnel, many of whom were managing two wheelchairs single han...
On October 6 - 8 Reality Outreach Ministries, Fairborn, Ohio, presented their production of Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames, Lead Pastor Del Smith, Faith Assembly of God Church, Roaring Spring, hosted the presentation to share with the community and surrounding area of how our decisions determine life’s path on earth and afterlife. A lot of time and effort was put into this event which challenged over 30 volunteers to perform on stage as actors, stage management, greeters, ushers, and parking lot attendants. Dwayne Corbin, USA Co-Pr...
Not long ago, there was a story about a whale entangled in fishing nets. It was likely going to cost the whale her life. But, fortunately there were scuba divers who worked together to cut the nets away and allow the whale to go free. There are spiritual entanglements we should be aware of just as dangerous, or more so, than fishing nets. There is a specific story in II Kings 3, with surrounding Scriptures, about just this very thing. The nation of Moab and its king Mesha, were subjugated to...
Mark 9:38-50 Think about the people you have known for a long time or maybe someone you recently met. Would you say that they are salty? Would you call them “salt of the earth people”? When I was a teen-ager I would often joke with my mom that she was the Queen of Cliches. She had a lot of pat statements for situations we faced in our everyday lives. Once in a while she would use the phrase “salt of the earth person” to describe someone we had encountered. I didn’t give it a lot of thought at the time, but I do think of her saying that phra...
Recently I finished listening to a biography of Elon Musk. He emerged from a troubled childhood and became the cofounder of PayPal and the founder of Tesla and SpaceX. If we could poll society as to what constitutes success, I believe Mr. Musk could check nearly all the boxes. He has made lots of money, is regarded as making a real difference in the world, has evident giftedness, has been the partner of numerous celebrated women, is able to spend time with wealthy and important and powerful people, and is able to throw exotic parties in exotic...
I came across a Sunday School lesson I had taught some time ago. I think it has lessons for me and for us. The text is taken from the Book of Lamentations, 3:19-40, written by Jeremiah later in his life. By this time he is an old and broken man. His prophetic words and he himself have been rejected by his people. Israel has been captured, then scattered by the Assyrians. Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar, has destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple, the nation of Judah, and carried many away into captivity. Jeremiah has issued his prophecy that this...
Today I resume my series of articles based on quotations on various topics. It occurs to me that these writings stand alone; and most people wouldn’t notice if I was in a series or not. But it’s helpful to me to think in these terms. Recent events in our world got me thinking about the topic of compassion. Wars and storms have taken terrible tolls. I have often felt compassion, but it ended with a feeling. On other occasions my compassion moved me into action. We see several examples in the gospel accounts of Jesus having compassion. Typ...
When I was in middle school or early high school, I remember that, for a time, my two closest friends and I would greet each other by punching each other in the arm really hard. Then we would laugh hard. Why did we do that? I don’t know. Why do boys that age do the things they do? I’m sure it was painful and we probably left some bruises a time or two. Just like combining laughter and pain doesn’t make sense to me, so Matthew 5:4 can sound absurd. It says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” It doesn’t seem right to pu...
I am not sure where this ‘Thought’ will lead but hopefully it will be an encouragement. Several Scriptures and Biblical characters are circulating in my thoughts. Job said, “Though He(God) slay me, yet will I trust Him.”(Job 13:15) He also proposed that even after his body was decayed, “I know that in my flesh, I shall see God.”(Job 19:26) David said, “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou(God) art with me.”(Psalm 23:4-5) Abraham was cal...
Mark 7:24-37 Did you ever have childhood aspirations of becoming famous? Of being a note-worthy public figure? I can remember daydreaming of being a singer or dancer when I was a little girl, even though I didn’t have any musical talents. After feeding the five thousand and doing extraordinary acts of healing, Jesus achieved what would be rock-star status in today’s world. He could not travel without being noticed. People everywhere heard about him and made great efforts to find him. I often wonder how he handled all the stresses of being a p...
Change doesn’t come easy for me. My sons have at times enlightened me with new technology. I didn’t think I needed the Apple watch they got me some years ago. I didn’t want to change. What was wrong with my old watch? But now I use it all the time. I tried to sound interested when one of them bought me bone conduction headphones, but deep down I was thinking, “what is wrong with my old listening devices?” At the time it seemed like too much change. Now I use them all the time. I suppose change is possible. There are those who want to bring abo...
I was meditating the other day and a hymn, “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be,” popped into my head. It led to my thought chain bringing up other hymns: “America the Beautiful,” “For the Beauty of the Earth,” “How Great Thou Art” and you can add others, I am sure. Then I got to thinking about all the poets and song-writers and the beauty they wrote about. It brought me to the great Psalm-writer and his words: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim His wonders…” (Psalm...
You may have missed it. Last Sunday is when summer officially ended and autumn began. One thing that some people will miss about summer is being in or on the water. Folks love fishing, swimming, boat rides, cruises, or just sitting and looking at the ocean or a lake. I did not get to any major bodies of water this summer. However, I did see several beautiful waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains. On one hike, my son and I climbed over some slippery rocks to get a closer look at the stunning falls. As we navigated the plunge pool to return to...
If you’re applying for a job, you would be ready to explain what you bring to the table – what skills, what experience, or willingness to learn or character that shows a high level of commitment, etc. Last week when we began to think about the first of the Beatitudes (derived from a Latin word for blessing) which is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3), we noted that being poor in spirit is a basic characteristic of all who follow Jesus because we admit we are not good enough the way we are nat...
Have you ever felt miserable because you were hot, sweaty, dirty and maybe even itchy? It may have been because you have been really busy and worked very hard with garden, yard, or some other kind of work. Well, that may be the physical counterpart of your emotions when you are guilty of something. The Holy Spirit may be convicting you of some wrong (sin) you have committed. You may have said or done something harmful to a friend, neighbor, stranger, or even God. Just as much as you need a...
Have you ever been in a situation where the events happening around you seem to be against you? Does this type of situation vividly remind you that you are not in control? Or are there times when you worry about things that seem like no big deal to others? Many situations put us in vulnerable positions. How do you handle these situations when they assault you? I like to picture Jesus as he is in Mark’s account of the storm in Mark 4:35-41. While the disciples were panicking, Jesus was calmly sleeping on a cushion in the stern of the boat. My v...
Could Jesus get elected to office today? Frankly, I don’t think so. He just wouldn’t fit into the crowd of little would-be saviors who run around seeking votes, promoting themselves as the solution to all ills in society, boasting of their achievements or intelligence while at the same time discrediting any opponent. There just doesn’t seem to be much room in present-day contests for a humble person. Jesus came as a suffering Servant. He made Himself of no reputation. Isaiah 53 says that He would not be remarkable in the eyes of those around Hi...
I have favorite Bible characters. Perhaps you do too. One of mine is Ananias. There are several folks with this name and they are not all favorites. Let us call mine, Ananias of Damascus. He was a Believer in and Follower of Jesus. We only see a short picture of him. It appears in the Book of Acts, chapter nine. So far as I know, this is his only appearance in all of Scripture. It is a good one. The one known as Saul of Tarsus was headed for Damascus. He had a vendetta against Believers and Followers of Jesus and had authority from the Chief...
Now and then objects start appearing and we may wonder where in the world they come from and who is responsible. I am not talking about UFOs. Several years ago, little painted rocks started showing up on curbs, porches, and doorsteps. In recent weeks I have seen simple signs with a red heart posted on trees and poles. Two words appear on the small placards. BE KIND. Seems like that is one message that should not cause controversy. That is assuming that permission was granted to place the signs where they did. Kindness is something that can go a...
I read that Kurt Cobain, lead singer and guitarist for the rock band Nirvana committed suicide in 1994. But I have since learned that the exact nature of his death is contested. The album Nevermind by Nirvana sold ten million copies, surpassing Michael Jackson on the charts back in the day. Nirvana is a Buddhist term for salvation through a person’s extinction, losing all individuality into nothingness or emptiness. This sounds to me like a flight from the fact that God has spoken. God spoke and the world came into existence. God spoke and r...
Perhaps you have been or are going through a period of affliction. (I remind you a meaning for affliction is: physical or mental pain or suffering testing a person’s ability to function) Affliction can have benefits: One of these is found in Romans 5:3; “…Tribulation (affliction) works toward giving patience.” It can be dangerous to pray for patience because God might just use affliction or tribulation to bring patience into your life. Other benefits are found in Psalm 119:67 where the Psalmis...
John 6:22-35 Can you think of a time when you were completely and totally satisfied? A time when everything felt good and there was not a care in your heart or your mind? A time when everything was about as perfect as it could possibly be? How did it feel to be satisfied like that? How long did that feeling last? I am going to bet that the feeling of complete and perfect satisfaction probably didn’t last too long. Satisfaction is like that in life, it’s fleeting. We find it, and then it slips away. Our text in John proves that point. A cro...
When I was seventeen, my parents took me 750 miles from home to a Bible college I had chosen but had never visited. I knew one person on campus and knew of another person among the five thousand students enrolled there. God cared for me and supplied new friends for me quickly. I met some of them in orientation. I can’t say I remember much about orientation except the friends I met. I’m sure in orientation we learned about the meal passes, how to register for classes, about the prayer meetings in the dorms, where the bookstore was, rules for dat...
I want to look at Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel. He suffered all sorts of affliction (meaning physical or mental pain or suffering testing a person’s ability to function). In the end, he triumphed over his afflictions and became an instrument for God’s use and glory. Joseph’s affliction began early in his life, through no real fault of his own. His father favored him above all his brothers. They were jealous and hated him. They actually plotted to kill him. He was a teen-ager when this...
Today I continue my series on quotations. If you have not liked this current series, please forgive me. And, read on because today’s quotes are all about forgiveness. I am grateful that my wife has not had to forgive me too many times. I certainly have had very few opportunities to need to forgive her. We have a loving relationship. When there is an issue, we seek to resolve it quickly and not let the sun go down on any anger or trouble. We realize that Jesus came so that we can be forgiven. How much more must we forgive those who trespass agai...
How does a person determine his/her identity? It is popular to identify ourselves by the type of work we do or by our family relations. And in recent history, there have been new and creative ways of expressing a sense of identity that never would have occurred to our parents. Is society’s understanding of identity evolving? King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 24:21-22, “My son, fear the Lord and the king; do not associate with those given to change; for their calamity will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin those two can bring.” What is his p...
Affliction is a Biblical word meaning physical or mental pain or suffering testing a person’s ability to function. There are generally three root causes for affliction: Satan, God, and simply being human and living in a fallen, sin-cursed world. Satan uses affliction to try to get people to reject God as unmerciful and or see Him as not loving. Job would be the primary example here. Satan brought all kinds of afflictions on Job, to cause him to lose his faith in God. Through all of them Job never lost his faith in God nor his integrity. Job r...
The Southern Cove Power Reunion ground held the “Living God” event, on August 9-10. The event was hosted by a group of women from different denominations who call themselves “The well-watered women”. The last big tent revival for Bedford County was held in 1999 at the Northern Bedford High School in which two women in the group were saved at the age of ten. Friday morning, despite the rain, the event got off without a hitch. A huge circus-like tent held hundreds of chairs and kept the attendees dry. Despite the weather, folks were smiling...
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 Just as the disciples did in our scripture today, we gather around our Lord. Jesus knows that we are like sheep without a shepherd and that often leisure time is scarce. So, he calls us to rest for awhile and listen to the many things he needs to teach us. What are some of those things we have learned from Jesus? He has set a model for us to emulate as we go through our daily routines. We can never attain the perfection of our Lord, but we can strive to be more like Jesus as we journey through our days here on earth. We are...
The annual prayer walk organized by The Southern Cove/Yellow Creek ministerium is a highlight of the year. This year, over 120 people gathered to bear witness to their Christian faith and tap into the power of prayer before the first day of school. This event has grown from a small group a few years ago, to the large gathering we witnessed this year. In 2020 and 2021, less than 30 people attended the prayer walk each year. Since 2022, participation has grown from 85, to 100, and on to 120 plus...
I hope you have lots of friends. But I hope you have at least one that is extra special. This one I would like to see you name and own as an “accountability partner”. This one is so special you can tell him/her anything. You know they will keep your confidence. More than that, they will keep you accountable. You can ask for their help and prayers. You can confess your weaknesses and your temptations. You will ask them to pray. More than that, they will challenge you to live in a way that is righ...
Last week I mentioned that early this summer our Sunday sermons examined what the Bible has to say about gender. This is a sensitive subject, able to invoke passionate and emotional responses. Ninety-five percent of women and 90% of men at some time in their lives are troubled about body image, fearing they do not measure up to cultural molds. Among those who wrestle with gender identity, 98% of boys and 88% of girls accept their biological sex after puberty. In last week’s article I mentioned our goal is to attempt to understand what Bible p...
The Williamsburg Community School Board updated many board policies during their meeting on Thursday, August 15. These policies included: records management, use of electronic signatures, open records policy, school organization, school calendar, school day, emergency preparedness, relations with law enforcement, school security personnel, child/student abuse, opening exercises/flag displays, food services, transportation and video/audio recording. The school board approved a five-year contract with Raystown Transit Services ending June 30,...
Imagine: You just said or did something very hurtful to your dearest loved one. What is worse is you knew it would be hurtful and even intended it to be so. But, you did it anyway, then left in a huff and were gone all day. It was a miserable day. You could not even call to apologize. Calling would not be best anyway. You need to do this in person, face to face. You were going to see this loved one tonight. As soon as you caught sight of them across the room, you went right to them and began to apologize. Perhaps tears came to your eyes and to...
I hope that you are in a good mood as you begin to read this article. That is because today I’m going to look at quotations on an interesting topic. Maybe it’s appropriate because the school year is just around the corner. And for my fellow Pittsburgh Pirate fans it is certainly a topic worth discussing. Whether you are a school teacher, student or long-suffering Bucco fan, perhaps you are feeling a little sad as summer fades. Sadness is something that I want to consider. Please note that some of the quotations I will refer to today are not...
This summer, some sermons in our Sunday morning worship were devoted to attempting to sort out an issue which can be confusing and frightening for many – transgenderism. As followers of Jesus we want to be loyal to the Bible and to interpret it accurately, doing our best to honor what it meant to the original audience, and not trying to read new meanings into the words on the page. And we also know we want to love people and show compassion without compromising the positions represented in Holy Scripture. Psalm 119:105 says to God, “Your Wor...
What or who are you trusting right now to change your life, restore your hope or to ease your pain? So often we are like rebellious children who wander away from God in search of something or someone whom we can trust. We turn to money, relationships, power or adventure. We turn to food or our work, only to discover that they offer only temporary help and empty promises. Maybe we can look at that lone coin in our pocket and see what is written on it: In God we trust. Maybe that can be a reminder that we can’t put our trust in another person. W...
Our congregation recently paused to recognize God’s goodness to us. The occasion was the retirement of our assistant pastor. His story is worth sharing in the hopes that it will inspire people of retirement age to be involved in ministry. If you fall into that age category, you have compiled life experience and skills and some mature perspectives on how to apply Biblical passages. The Bible pictures Christ’s followers as servants, and there is no retirement age for service in the Scriptures. That doesn’t mean that you will serve as a senio...
You may not like or may even disagree with my title. That’s O.K. I think I can justify it. Here is a simple response. I have never done this experiment but I have heard it was true from multiple sources When a chick is due to hatch, if you help it break out of its shell it will not survive. There is a thing called an ‘egg-tooth’ on top of its beak. The only purpose for this appendage is to allow the chick to peck around the shell and crack it. The chick then must push against the shell and break it open enough to come out. The rationale is th...
This summer my wife decided she wanted to plant some vegetables. This was a red flag for me simply because I lacked experience and we do not have the ideal setting or soil to become green giants. I recall helping my parents and grandmother with large gardens about 50 years ago. As an adult, I have always enjoyed maintaining a flowerbed and several potted flowers. I would usually grow a tomato plant or two in a pot. Dealing with flowers all summer always makes me think of my mother. She did an amazing job with flowers and plants. But in early Ju...
Among the most sobering places I have visited was a specialized neuro-ICU. The lights were dimmed. Everyone spoke in whispers. Patients lay mostly motionless. You got the impression that the ward was filled with intense suffering. I did not want to imagine what life was like for the patients. No wonder when Jesus launched His ministry in Galilee with healing that He drew international attention. Matthew 4:23 says, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of s...
A weary, soul-stressed, woman comes to Jesus with a desperate need and pleads with Him for help. What will our kind, loving, gentle Jesus do? He will ignore her. At the encouragement of His disciples, He may tell her He has nothing for her and send her away. “Say it isn’t so!” But it is. The story is found in St. Mark 7:24-30. There is more to the story. We eventually see her needs are met. But what can we learn from this story? I would like to paint a different scenario: A young couple returns home with their young son. The wife walks by the l...
Matthew 22: 1-14 I love to tease. I love to see humor in situations. I can be sarcastic and offensive. I think I apply those characteristics to my reading of scripture—just because of the way that I am wired. I don’t take the words literally, but I do try to take them seriously. I think that is Jesus’ way of getting us to look for deeper truths, of challenging us to look for something new, think something new, and ultimately become something new. For example: Have you ever received an invitation to a party that you really did not want to attend...
