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Your donation to the JCL makes a difference

Local Columns

Library funding nationwide is not guaranteed. We would hate to lose something that truly cannot be replaced. Your tax-deductible gift to the Juniata County Library will express your values and your life purpose, and make the best care available for yourself, your family and your neighbors. Your kind giving makes all this possible. You are giving to a cause that you experience and are a part of, whether you know it or not. The library fuels your community by enhancing property and business value, improving graduation rates, increasing education levels and boosting overall life ...

Consider shopping local as act of joy, patriotism

Local Columns

As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026, many of us find ourselves reflecting on who we are as a community, where we came from, and what has sustained us for nearly two and a half centuries. One of the most enduring American traditions, long before online shopping took over, has been the simple act of supporting local craftsmen, entrepreneurs, and neighbors. And nowhere is that tradition felt more strongly than during the holiday season. Many of us remember the trips to the corner store for penny candy or stopping at the local dairy where milk came in glass ...

Beautiful in the eyes of Christ, part one

Local Columns

Galatians 3:23-29 The ancient story “Rapunzel” in Grimm’s Fairy tales is not Scripture, nevertheless it is good news, according to James Moore. In his book, “Some Things Are Too Good Not To Be True,” James tells the story of Rapunzel from Grimm’s fairy tales. Do you recall that ancient story? A beautiful girl named Rapunzel lives with a wicked witch in a drab and dingy tower. The old witch is holding Rapunzel captive, and to keep the girl “in her place,” the wicked witch does two things. First, she removes all the mirrors from the tower, so Rapunzel cannot see what ...

What is a violation of the covenant?

Local Columns

For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself – I Corinthians 11:29 If the Lord’s supper should be a serious and solemn occasion because it is the sign of the new covenant, what might be a violation of the covenant? Someone has asked me to share a few thoughts on this subject. What does it mean to eat the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner? We will look at a few examples from Scripture, there are probably a lot more that could be mentioned. 1 – Hebrews 6:4-8 warns us about those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly ...

In a year of noise, Thanksgiving still speaks softly

Editorials

Thanksgiving has a way of slowing the world down, if only for a day. It’s the pause between what we’ve endured and what’s to come, a brief breath before the rush of the holidays and the churn of another year. It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of what’s wrong because there’s plenty to choose from. But the beauty of Thanksgiving lies in its quiet defiance of all that noise. It asks us to look up from the chaos, to notice what remains: the steady breath of life, the warmth of a kitchen, the faces that still gather around us. Gratitude isn’t denial. It doesn’t ignore ...

October’s top books at MCL

Local Columns

Let’s talk about the four most circulated books for October at the Mifflin County Library. This list is surprising. At the top of the list is an old favorite with a new twist. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved classic “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt. But our most circulated book is the graphic novel adaptation which shows Winnie Foster who learns about a hidden spring and who meets the Tuck family, who already know about the spring’s life-changing power. And remember, there is a bad guy who will stop at nothing until he finds the Tucks and uncovers ...