“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:15-17 Summer is nearing its […]

Grace and friendship; two concepts which cross my mind these days. Wheat harvest is finished. Most necessary fieldwork, tillage, spraying weeds, etc., is completed, giving opportunity to focus on other tasks. Though rarely less important, changing priorities refreshes the mind and renews the spirit, inviting me to think beyond my world of agriculture. Friendship: I have long been a fan […]

Do pets feel the loss of a mate or littermate? Are we sure they do not feel the mental pain of loss? A recent experience may shed some light on this subject. Little more than two years ago, our momma cat gave birth to her first litter of six kittens. Shortly after weaning, she was killed by a predator of […]

“No president I know of has asserted a blanket power to reject any request that doesn’t suit him—until Donald Trump” Garrett Epps, Professor of constitutional law at the University of Baltimore As our nation is approaching the upcoming campaign season for the 2020 national presidential elections, the citizenry must up their game of engaging in due diligence to discover which […]

“I don’t think situations create heroes. I think situations reveal who people are.” – Dr. Phil Last week, after driving home from Minnesota and leaving our extended family, I came down with a severe case of Bronchitis. I’m not sure if I inherited this from our family from the northern regions, as Deborah and I were already exposed to numerous […]

“The Chinese can agree on just about anything, but the question is; will they actually follow through?” – Former Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, currently President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, regarding ongoing trade negotiations with the Chinese government. Part of my weekend consists of watching newsworthy programs on television or on the Internet. Former Secretary of […]

“All politics is local.” It begins there, anyway. Recently, I had the opportunity to observe activity as the county chapter of the Republican Party was in the process of selecting candidates for upcoming electoral races. It was democracy in action, and a peaceful event at that. Moving on, politics is less than a peaceful event at the national level. In […]

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces….” Isaiah 53:2-3 I cannot wait to see my children and grandchildren once again! Anticipation of the day […]

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.” Proverbs 28:19 Thanksgiving, 2018 is now a fond memory. I choose to dwell on the good, the family, and our time together. It is no secret to anyone living in this part of Kansas that the fall harvest has […]

Mid-term elections are fast approaching. By now, all eligible citizens should have thoroughly vetted the candidates vying for their respective positions in our representative government, having a clear understanding of the issues facing local, state and federal governments. Sadly, that is likely not the case. In much the same way young students try to get out of doing their homework […]