Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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Week 23 In the world of baseball, when the pitcher has trouble striking out batters, the Coach calls to the Bull Pen for another. Likewise, God calls His church (Ekklesia), where His intensely discipled, trained and seasoned warriors stand ready, in agreement. “The Helper, Holy Spirit, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance things I said to you,” Jesus assures His Disciples. John 14:26. The word ‘Helper’ here, is ‘paraclete’, defined as one who comes alongside to assist. Jes...
It seems like only a few days ago news channels were announcing the then latest school shooting. It also sticks in my mind when Columbine High School was the target. I recall scenes like these and think of the quote: “We have found the enemy, and he is us.” The phrase is actually a parody of a quote from the War of 1812: “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” Sadly, the parody makes as much sense as the true statement. We have met the enemy, and too often we are looking in a mirror, not thro...
June 14th is flag day. Flag Day is a day to honor the American flag. It is a time to proudly fly the Stars and Stripes, to recall our American heritage, to honor our values of liberty and justice for all, and to celebrate the republic of the United States for which it stands. Many American soldiers have risked their lives and even died to protect that star spangled piece of cloth that we recognize as the American flag. For example, during the days of the American Civil War color sergeants were...
Mental illness is a national public health issue that affects Nebraska as well. During my time as Governor, we’ve made mental health a priority and have rolled out several programs to identify mental illness and get Nebraska’s students, veterans, and others the care they need. As a result of these efforts, U.S. News and World Report now ranks Nebraska as having the fourth-best mental health in the nation. However, we still have plenty of room for improvement. As we work to prevent mental ill...
Your cell phone number is tied to countless aspects of your daily life. If you are like me, you have had the same number for a decade or more. Your family and friends all know how to reach you at that number. If you change it, you could lose contact with dozens of loved ones and many other people who need to contact you for crucial needs – like your bank, healthcare provider, employer, or your children’s school. Would you panic if you had to change your number all of a sudden? This is a dil...
How about that new 2023 license plate design? Some like it; most don’t. After Nebraska’s First Lady, Susanne Shore, revealed the new license plate design at a press conference with Gov. Ricketts last Tuesday, the responses that followed on social media were mostly negative. I share that opinion. The new design does not represent folks in Nebraska. Instead of choosing a design which reflects the geography, culture, history, or natural beauty of the whole state, Gov. Pete Ricketts decided to go...
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (teaching), reproof (testing truth), for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete; thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16 God, The Spirit, created Man a speaking spirit just like Himself, to look like Him, think like Him, act like Him. Genesis 1:28 and 2:7. He fearfully (reverently) and wonderfully made a body for Man (Psalm 139) giving him a choice and a voi...
It started on a perfect night, well, actually morning. When you work something of a swing shift, day and night are a little more subjective, and offers a little daylight to do things I like instead of following a tight routine. Sixteen years ago today, the morning started as it ought, mostly, and ended in a way I couldn’t have described. The day went from an argument with my daughter to eight hours among inmates and a chapter that was difficult to accept. My 18-year-old daughter was in an a...
Steve Jobs gave the commencement address at Stanford University on June 14, 2005. In it, he told three stories. The first was how he dropped out of Reed College, in Portland, Oregon. The second was how a manager fired him from the company that he and Steve Wozniak had started in a garage. The third story was about his pending death, due to a pancreatic cancer diagnosis a year before. Then, after he finished the three stories, he said, “When I was young, there was an amazing publication called “T...
Dear College Graduates, Congratulations! You did it! You persevered through a once-in-a-century pandemic to earn your degree. Your disciplined study and hard work have paid off. You’ve put yourself in a great position to move toward your dreams. It’s an exciting moment. As you consider your next step, I encourage you to put down roots in the Good Life. We want you here in Nebraska. Our state has a lot to offer: great-paying jobs, family-friendly communities, and an unparalleled quality of life....
Thursday evening, the lights were turned on at Sidney High School's Performing Arts Center. There wasn't a concert or performance of any other kind. This was a night when a sensitive subject could be addressed head-on. It isn't an easy topic. It is one many of us are guilty of dismissing as someone else's problem. It wasn't a forum with a list of one-size-fits-all answers. It was a deliberate discussion of a very sensitive subject: suicide. Suicide is a malady that doesn't have a single diagnosis, and therefore doesn't have a single-answer cure...
Last week American school children once again became the innocent victims of yet another senseless shooting rampage. Whenever these atrocities occur, I believe society should respect the victims and their families by giving them a few days to grieve their losses, to memorialize their children, and to bury their loved ones. However, it will take many Americans a long time to heal from the Uvalde Massacre. Now that the dust is finally beginning to settle, we can begin to ask why these shootings...
Father God, the Great I AM, wanted a Family. He began preparations in Genesis 1:1. His Helper, Holy Spirit, verse 2, hovered over Home Base. (Holy Spirit is the ‘Mother’ side of God, the Contractor Who Performs God’s Word). Verse 3. Jehovah and Holy Spirit introduce the Light of the World, Their Son. “This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased, hear Him!” Matthew 3:17; 17:5 Six exciting days follow! Verse 4, we find Light and Darkness. Light is when we understand. Darkness is what we d...
I got news recently that a friend is no longer limited by our human existence. He “earned his wings” as some would say. A little more than 10 years ago I met a man who had logged more air miles than some pilots. He had frequented cultures he never mastered the language of, and changed lives here and there. I was in a period where life was not just in a state of flux, but of “what just happened” even though a few years old. It was the kind of experience that understandably defeats many people....
Another terrorist slips into the classroom, into the news. Does anyone understand this? Even if guns are easily, readily available, why, why, why? I find it impossible even to be angry — it’s hard to be angry under incomprehensible circumstances. Instead, I find myself imagining George W. Bush giving a speech in which he condemns the latest horrific murders at . . . but instead of saying Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, he blurts out “Iraq.” These killers aren’t acting alone. No one acts alone. There’s a cultural and structural...
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” We rested at the summit of Chola Pass (17,782 feet above sea level), for an hour or so. It was early afternoon when we began the descent on the northeast side to the valley below. About noon the sun had peeked over the horizon behind us. The ice had become wet and slick. The climb down became as “interesting” as the climb up the south side. We rounded a peak to the west and sudd...
Do parents in America want to spend every school day hoping and praying their children will not be heinously murdered? Do children want to spend their days constantly looking up to see who might be entering their room with an assault weapon? Do you want to walk the grocery store aisles wondering if someone has picked your store and this day to shoot at you? Do you enjoy sitting in a house of worship knowing that if a crazed gunman enters your location the exit doors are very few. Movie theatres are anticipating a major boost in attendance this...
Tony Hillerman grew up in Oklahoma, and attended St. Mary’s Academy, a boarding school intended for Native American girls. One of the few boys permitted to attend, he developed a sensitivity for the various Native American cultures, mythologies, and religions. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943, was wounded in battle in 1945, during World War II, and suffered for several months with broken legs, foot, ankle; plus facial burns, and temporary blindness. A decade later, Tony was visiting Crownpoint, N...
Humility plus honor welds our hearts together with God’s heart so that, fearfully, we honor and worship Him in spirit and in truth. “In the fear of the Lord there is confidence and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear (reverence) of the Lord is a fountain of life to turn one away from the snares of death.” Proverbs 14:26, 27 “God is good and His mercy (covenant) endures forever!” Psalm 136. Father God changes NOT! God’s recipe for manna still lives! A spiritual phenomenon...
I wanted to tease or title this as “strange days,” but I already used that. Maybe it is “Strange Days2.” I recall early in the social media platform reading a sentence or so that really puts things in perspective. “Destroy the cities, and they will grow back. Hurt the farmer and there will be weeds growing in the city streets.” Maybe 10 years ago, I went on my first bicycle tour. It was a landmark for the effort, but also for the education. Among the lessons learned is the frequent disconnect...
Dear Editor: Perhaps you have heard that President Biden is on his way to meet with the World Health Organization (WHO) to draw up an amendment to their constitution which will put all United States health care in the hands of WHO. This means that WHO will tell us if we are healthy or not, if we really need medical help, which Dr. to see and when to see him/her. WHO sessions begin Sunday May 22 and go through May 28, but Mr. Biden has already decided to present this amendment to WHO for adoption. You may recall that U.S. Constitution DOES NOT A...
As our national anthem says, the United States of America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. As Americans we never tire of sharing those stories of fearless bravery which have provided us with freedom and protected our liberties for almost 250 years, especially against foreign oppressors. As we enter into the Memorial Day weekend, one of those stories I have read of valiant bravery has finally come to a peaceful end. It is the story of Marine Corps sergeant, John Lee Canley....
"Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.” These words were spoken by General Douglas MacArthur during a speech he gave to Army Corps Cadets at West Point in 1962. They are inspiring. And they illuminate the dedication and love of c...
The Fairbanks Flood of 1967 was followed by more dramatic climate events. No sooner had 1967 turned into 1968 than we had a winter in which a raging blizzard deposited 16 feet of new snow on the Fairbanks area. We thought that should be the end of it. The weather was expected to moderate. But no, Mother Nature wasn’t finished with us. She had one more piece of nastiness for us. The coldest time of the year in Fairbanks comes in January and normally lasts but a week or so. This winter the b...
Jesus found favor with God and with man as He submitted to His parents, for God’s favor follows a humble heart. The favor of God works in imagination with power. Disorder robs time, peace of mind and clarity of thought. Whatever breaks your stride, slows you down or distracts you from essential tasks is disorder. Habits hobble or hasten. It takes just 21 days to break a bad habit or to acquire a healthy habit. Remember ‘resolve’ and ‘courage’ go together. Proverbs 12:24, 27 “The hand of the...
