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‘Wait’ training requires spiritual strength

James 1:2-4 James 1:2-4, my brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Today, we are in the midst of a time where everybody is trying to get in shape...trying this diet and this exercise program. There seems to be a fixation with making our outer appearance more attractive (to whomever). Don’t get me wrong. I, too, believe that exercising is good and good for you. However, I also realize that “bodily ...

When life hurts, you turn to God

Good morning...a windy morning, friends. It’s good to be inside and feel safe...ah, safe...Yes, it’s good to be inside the fold and feel safe. We all, like sheep, have gone astray...each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 This morning, I’m so very thankful that the Lord gave all of our sins to Jesus to deal with, so that we can know we are safe inside the fold. Just where would we all be without the Grace of God working in our lives? I’ve been thinking much lately about the grace of God...His undeserved favor, ...

Who is at the center of our worship?

For the Father is seeking such to worship Him. John 4:23 When we gather as a church on Sunday morning to worship, who is at the center of our worship? Some people pray to Jesus and worship Him as well. But in Matthew 6:9, Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father; “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” And when it comes to the worship service on Sunday morning, we should be there to worship the one God who exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let’s not forget the Holy Spirit; sometimes He gets put on the back shelf by a lot of professing ...

January is ‘souper’ in Bev’s Kitchen

Hello from the kitchen! Since we’re well into January I think it’s time for soup again. Do you have a favorite soup to keep you warm and comfy? Growing up, we had chicken corn soup. Oh, and that tomato soup from the can that looks like an anemic blob. I wish my Mom would’ve had the cooking options and resources like we have today. I recently made red bell pepper/tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on fresh baked bread. No recipe, just an imagination. (I’ll give you directions) A favorite here at our house is cheeseburger soup. A rich creamy stick to the ribs soup. Just ...

Location saga continues into 1970s

Last week, I wrote about the library possibly moving to B. G. Furniture in 1971. I learned from my friends at the Historical Society that B. G. Furniture used to be located where the Hite Company is now on Electric Avenue. That would have been an awesome library location. But it didn’t come to pass. Another possible location was the “old Wayne Street School.” I learned from Commissioner Kodish that the Wayne Street School was located where the Courthouse is now (the new courthouse, that is). The great thing about my library history columns is that so many people reminisce ...

The ups and downs of a reading life

I’ve been talking to readers for a long time now about their reading lives, and how they get more meaning and enjoyment out of the books they choose to read. Would you like to know the no. 1 piece of advice I can offer on how you can improve your own reading life, based on those thousands of conversations? It’s this: You don’t have to finish every book you start. For a long time, I thought the question of abandoner vs finisher was one of personality: some people are finishers by nature; others find it easier to abandon books that aren’t working for them. I used to believe ...