Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 1718
I've been a game player for more decades than I care to think about. I've played several different card games, a couple dozen different board games including checkers, Monopoly and chess. I've played games with marbles and became relatively good at them. In various boxes and cabinets in my house I have games that can be played by the little ones and others I can play with their parents. And in spite of my age I can also play games on a computer . . . mostly war games with other guys and gals on...
Today begins Sukkot. Malachi 1:2 "'I have loved you', says the Lord. 'Yes, I have loved Jacob.'" God so loves His people that He just wants to be among us. Father so arranged the fall feasts filled with figs for their healing power, olives for oil to anoint with joy and wine, blood of grapes, that we might be merry and enter rest. "For the Lord of Hosts has purposed. His hand is stretched out and who can turn it back?" Isaiah 14:27. God used a merciless murderer, Herod, who, when he found...
This week marks one year since Hamas terrorists unleashed a barbaric, unprovoked attack against Israel. We must not forget the atrocities committed on October 7th, 2023. Hamas terrorists raped women and kidnapped over 200 people. 1,195 innocents were brutally murdered, including 40 American citizens. One year later, nearly 100 hostages have yet to be returned. This includes seven Americans. Some of these hostages have likely already been murdered as well. We must stand with Israel as it confront...
Happiness isn't a reaction; it is a cause. People who wait for specific circumstances to materialize before they are happy are putting the cart before the horse. People who are happy attract positive situations. Those who walk around with a scowl are a magnet for the very things they are unhappy about. You don't need a reason to be happy. Being happy is a lot more enjoyable than being miserable. Since feeling crummy isn't pleasant, and it doesn't make your situation better, why not be happy...
Two weeks ago in these pages, I discussed Allen Guelzo's recent book, published on February 6, 2024, entitled, "Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment." In it, the Civil War historian, Allen Guelzo, wrote a series of enlightening essays on his impressions of Lincoln's thoughts on democracy and the President's other astonishing attributes. In an interview at a bookstore for a book signing months ago, the interviewer, Scott LaMar, asked Professor Guelzo, two questions....
Somewhere a fable is written about a mouse and a frog who fall into a deep can of cream. Mr. Mouse thinks he has landed in heaven and begins to take in as much cream as he can swallow. Mr. Frog does not like cream! He begins kicking. At morning's light, Mr. Mouse, overindulged, has died but Mr. Frog is sitting on a pat of butter. Because Father God wanted a family, He created Adult Parents to raise their immature children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, bringing them from foolishness...
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the greatest foreign threat facing the United States today. They steal our intellectual property. They pursue economic and trade policies that undermine our economy. They repeatedly violate American sovereignty with spy stations, spy balloons, and other forms of espionage. They fuel the fentanyl crisis which continues to kill in Nebraska and across the country. CCP dictator Xi Jinping has said he wants to be the global dominating power by 2049. That means...
The stories I could tell about my father would easily fill the pages of a War and Peace sized novel. I'll relate one true story that illustrates one of his hallmark characteristics: his sense of humor. Born Calvin Kenneth Sunderland on January 18, 1925, at Watonga, Oklahoma, the first of 6 children born to the union of Utha and Orville Sunderland. He early exhibited this particular trait. Despite his many talents and abilities, dad never took himself too seriously. He was as apt to tell funny...
Are you a S.N.I.O.P.? A S.N.I.O.P. is a person who is susceptible to the negative influences of other people. This is a common syndrome. We all desire approval from others. Everyone has grown up being conditioned to be concerned about what others think. Many people tend to be negative, finding problems rather than solutions. So, it's to be expected that the influence of other people is mostly negative. It's only when you pay attention to these negative people that a problem arises. When you pay...
“Let everyone who loves the Lord praise His Name!” Psalm 150 Today is Rosh HaShanah (Hebrew ‘Head of the Year’). My favorite time of year for the colors and the shouts of joy! The autumn season seems to invigorate one with mysterious energy for Homecoming, football and volleyball contests, celebrations of the winners and joy in the harvests at every Oktober Fest. In Isarel, the new year flows into ten days of awe to remind of being brought out of slavery in Egypt. Now, the people create,...
Last Thursday an Interim Study was conducted at the Capitol in Lincoln on LR357. According to Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, the sponsor of the legislation, the purpose of the study was "to determine to what extent, if any, there is a necessity to bolster election security in the State of Nebraska." To be sure, Nebraskans need to have confidence that their elections are secure and that the vote counting process accurately reflects the will of the people. The two recent assassination attempts...
Everyone enjoys being comfortable. Being safe, secure, and happy is a basic human desire. For the most part, we prefer the known to the unknown, the predictable to the unpredictable, and the risk-free to the risky. However, bringing goals to reality requires us to leave our comfort zone. This requirement is in direct conflict with our innate desire to remain safe. So, in order to realize your dreams, you must act in a manner contrary to normal preferences. A major deterrent to leaving your...
When driving to destinations from home and back, I occupy my time by listening to YouTube videos of Civil War historians on my mobile phone. I am curious to hear their ideas and stories. The best crop of Civil War historians today, in my estimation, include: Eric Foner at Columbia, Gary Gallagher at the University of Virginia, David Blight at Yale, and Allen Guelzo now at Princeton, but formerly at Gettysburg College. Each has a collection of videos. Plus, each possesses that innate ability to...
"God is good and His mercy endures forever." Psalm 136. This Psalm relates Israel's journey through centuries of time, holding fast to "His mercy endures forever." 'Mercy' in Hebrew is 'hesed' which means 'covenant'. Psalm 89:4 reminds "My covenant I will not break, nor alter the words of My mouth," That is, God can be trusted in every earthly circumstance. October 8, 2024 begins Isreal's civil New Year, 5785. During 5784 the theme was "Restore! Open Doors and Much More.". Now 5785 is a "Hey!"...
Let us pretend for a moment that we can change the future. For instance, what if some one or more of us came up with an idea that stood a good chance of bettering our city's economy. What if we stopped being stuck in past ways of looking at things and took a chance on changing our perspective. What if we did that? I was looking through some some of the old newspapers I've collected over the years and found some that dated back to the days after I left the Navy. I spent my first year after...
When someone is successful, they are more visible than when they were struggling along their path to attain their goals. Few people draw much attention while they are confronting challenges and overcoming numerous obstacles. When a person has reached the top of the mountain and is standing on the summit, they are much more visible than when they were climbing up the side. We all desire success, however we define it. However, very few of us relish the time and effort required to bring our dreams...
This week I want to continue my explanation of LB 34 and what it means to you as a property tax payer. Three lawmakers, Sen. Steve Halloran (LD33), Sen. Justin Wayne (LD13), and myself did a press release last week, alerting members of the public to the fact that taxpayers will not be able to claim their property tax credit for their 2023 property taxes paid. That press release got the attention of the members of the Legislature's Revenue Committee and the Nebraska Department of Revenue, who...
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. What you sow you shall reap”. Galatians 6:7 Often used in the negative, this verse illustrates Genesis 8;22 “While earth remains, seed, time, and harvest. Cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night shall not cease.” We take such natural events for granted but question how God can, or will, bring harvest from the spiritual into the present; here and now. Wheat growers are gearing up, today to get certified wheat seed into their best soil, believi...
As you may recall, I have written about the not-so-special legislative session in some of my recent articles. For the past week I have been researching the implementation of LB 34, the so-called property tax relief bill that was passed during the special session of the Legislature in August. As I have read and reread that legislation, it has become apparent to me that the legislature, including me, missed an important piece about how that bill would be implemented. The special session started...
No one is perfect. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Those who are most successful, build on their strengths while striving to overcome their weaknesses. It's not unusual for a trait that initially appears to be a weakness to actually be a strength. I came across the following parable which nicely shows this point. Many years ago, a farmer had to get his household water from a nearby stream. To get as much water as possible from each trip, he used two large clay pots, each fastened...
Universities opened their doors a week or two ago. Freshman students moved into their dorm rooms, met their roommates, hung pictures on the walls, and completed their class schedules. Most students want to do well, even just ok, at college, but not everyone does. How well any student completes his or her mastery of course work at a college depends upon that student's preparation, his or her readiness, his or her skill at reading and writing, plus his or her ambition, hustle, and drive. Yet, abov...
"Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and doors will be opened unto you." Matthew 7:7. This verse is full of 'double dog dares'. Dare we ask for truth in campaign issues? Dare we search out voting records and lifestyles of candidates? Dare we knock on doors inviting friends and neighbors to vote? Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, wept after signing the Constitution. "We have given you a [Constitutional] Republic, if you can (dare) keep it." Do we dare? September 17 is...
Dear Editor, Nebraska will be going from the frying pan into the fire if legal medical marijuana is passed into law. In my state of Colorado, which passed “medical” marijuana in 2000, the scant income from the sale of cannabis is dwarfed by the increased costs of automobile accidents, driving under the influence, addiction treatment, educational problems, increased domestic and street violence, as well as a lowered perception of harm by teens. If legalized, weed will immediately become more accessible to teens. Suicide is now the #1 cause of...
Because the Nebraska State Legislature failed to pass any kind of meaningful and significant property tax relief during the special session, and because Nebraska now ranks as the second worst state in the nation for mortgage delinquencies, today I would like to inform the public about a significant development in the courts which now affects those with delinquent property tax liens. According to Nebraska State Statute 77-1801, the properties of those with delinquent property tax bills can be sol...
The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back is an illustration of what can happen when you feel overwhelmed. Each straw by itself is irrelevant. Yet, the cumulative weight of enough straw can be unbearable. Life’s events can have the same cumulative impact as the straw. Most situations, by themselves, are manageable. But when you are faced with one problem after another, before you have a chance to resolve each one, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Situations can also pile up gradually becau...
