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Do we really have priorities in order?

It began with a touch — Mark 1:29-34 He just touched her. Jesus was visiting in the home of Simon Peter. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. Without anyone saying a word about her illness Jesus went over to her, touched her, and lifted her up. Immediately she was healed. Notice Jesus never said a word; he just touched her. We’re not told how long she was sick in bed, or her condition. All we are told is that Jesus touched her and made her well. It was a miracle. Notice what happened next. Immediately she got up and began serving Jesus and his ...

Considering the doctrine of grace vs. legalism

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. — Romans 8:14 This week we want to consider the doctrine (teaching) of grace; we could also call it the way of grace. We are looking at this teaching in contrast to legalism, or man-made rules (requirements) within the church. 1 - Legalism affects us from the outside; it is a work of the flesh. 2 - Grace changes us from the inside; it is the work of a sovereign God. 3 - Legalism can be easy, we simply allow others to tell us what to do, then we are accepted. 4 - The way of grace can be hard. It requires that ...

The crock-pot is warming up in Bev’s Kitchen

Hello again from the kitchen! The days are getting longer and spring is almost here. I hope. Today, I thought I’d share a few crock-pot meals. Growing up, I don’t recall ever seeing a crock-pot in the house since my mom was a stay-at-home mom raising eight of us. Poor Momma had her hands full, especially with my four brothers. I seldom use a crock-pot, but they are helpful for people with busy schedules. I use crock-pots when I want to roast a whole chicken or cook off ham hocks for soups. Ham, green beans and potatoes (crock-pot) • 2 smoked ham hocks or ham end with ...

We were upcycling, thrifting and repurposing before it was cool

Upcycling, thrifting and repurposing vintage clothes, furniture, and décor is all the rage these days. You can’t open a magazine or peruse social media without stumbling upon someone upcycling something! It is common to see article titles such as, “Thrift Your Way to a Cozy Home,” or “Upcycled Thrift Store Décor” or some similar variation. I am not complaining, mind you; I think it is wonderful to keep as much as possible out of our landfills. Still, I must stifle a chuckle when I see this trend portrayed as a new, novel idea. Heaven knows, I have been practicing it my entire ...

MCL has evolved through the years

Last week, I ended my column with a brief note about the Kish Branch Library also moving into new digs in 1975. I still want to write about that but I had a library user ask me to write about the changes I’ve seen during my thirty years of library work. I started working at the Mifflin County Library in 1994. Even back then, we had an integrated library system; in other words, the computerized check in and out system. We had the same company that we have today: The Library Corporation. Although, back then, they were known as Library Corp and now they prefer to be called TLC. ...

Interlibrary loan (ILL) will change your life

The central philosophy of many libraries is that information should be shared with as many people as possible, both around the country and around the world. If you need something and your local library doesn’t have it, you can request that a book, article or even DVD be sent to your local library. This is called interlibrary loan (ILL) and it is free for you to use. ILL has been around in some form or another since at least the 1890s, when an arrangement was made to share books between different branches of the University of California’s libraries. More than 100 years later, the ...