Breaking News

Local Columns

Valentine’s Day goes Italian in Bev’s Kitchen

Happy Valentine’s Day from the kitchen! Today is a day to celebrate with your favorite people. I asked my spouse what his idea of a Valentine’s meal was and he said, “Anything you make.” I decided on an Italian dinner since Italian food is my all time favorite. After spending some time in Italy a few years ago, I’ve grown to love Italian food more than ever. The smells of Italian cheeses, pizzas, dinners and wines are forever etched in my mind. For today, I’ve made fresh-made lasagna, Parmesan garlic bread, salad and fresh fruit. I also made the ricotta to use in the ...

2023: Some Mifflin Co. Library facts

It’s that time of year again. That time when I reveal my inner nerd to all of you. I do believe I get nerdier every year. Recently, I received a desktop document holder as a gift. It’s an easel-like device (similar to a picture frame) with a clip that can hold multiple documents, along with a built-in ruler to help me keep my place. The easel design also helps prevent neck pain from constantly looking down. There’s even a ledge where I can place my phone (my kids can tell you that I’m always searching for my phone). See I told you I am truly a geek. Anyway, on to the topic ...

Area programs held at the Juniata Co. Library

Do you need something to do with others? The library’s Virginia Swartz community room (located in the lower-level of the library) holds several programs each month. The programs vary and meet many of the needs and interests in our community. The community room is handicap accessible; access is available from the main entrance of the library via steps or the lower-level parking lot (no steps.) Here are some of the main programs held at the library and a little bit about them: Zumba class (Saturdays from 9:15 - 9:45 a.m.): Zumba is dance fitness classes that are fun, energetic, and ...

5 signs of true revival

Now and then we hear news of “revival.” I can think of several times during my ministry where talk of revival was commonplace, including last February (2023) with the events at Asbury University in Kentucky. Naturally, pastors and ministry leaders get asked a lot of questions during these seasons. People are curious and asking - what should we make of all this “revival” talk? It is appropriate to turn to the work of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), in order to answer this. Edwards was a colonial era pastor ministering in the frontier town of Northampton, MA, and had profound ...

What gets into us?

Mark 1:21-28 Men and mice share one thing in common. None of us wants to die. Self-preservation is one of the strongest instincts in living creatures. And yet high in the Scandinavian mountains lives a small mouselike creature that every few years commits mass suicide. I’m talking about lemmings. They’ve given us the phrase, “like lemmings headed for the sea,” because that’s what they do. Every few years when their population has grown too large and the food supply has become too scarce, they leave their burrows and like a mighty army, swarm out of the mountains and ...

Biblical ignorance on display

When looking at the vast majority of Jews we know they have always believed in a resurrection. They believe in both a national resurrection and a personal resurrection. What do I mean by a national resurrection? In Ezekiel 37 there is a picture of the national resurrection of Israel. The Messiah would come and would be a conqueror like David and would raise Israel from death to victory. One writer said, “Just as David emerges from nowhere, defeated Goliath and became a national hero, so the Jews were anticipating the arrival of a similar figure who would resurrect Israel as a ...