Columns & Editorials

When GOD brought Israel to the Promised Land, He gave them a law to live by. The law could not prevent anyone from doing wrong, it could only punish them when they did something wrong. GOD had to give some rules that the people could understand. I don’t think GOD expected His people to live in constant fear of the law, but to respect and honor it. Every detail for human daily living was covered. If they kept the law from their hearts GOD would bring them peace and well being. If they did not keep the law GOD would bring disorder and chaos to their land. GOD sent Judges and Kings to govern the people and prophets to speak His word to the people. He had to do it that way to cover everything His people would need in their new land.

Dear Aunt B,

It has been said of creative people, there are no such things as messes, only brilliant ideas lying around everywhere. That has certainly always been the case with my creative brain. Mind you, the term creative brain does not correlate with other words like successful or heralded. We creatives understand this all too well. Watch any episode of Hoarders and you will see how our minds work. There is such beauty and magic in re-seeing what a thing can be. Once you break the chains of the 2nd dimension, nothing is as it seems. Those puzzles missing pieces were obviously destined to be decoratively lined, in modus Picasso, with Sharpie markers, then fashioned into 80s era earrings. Those empty paper towel and toilet paper cylinders can be drizzled with hot glue and spray painted. Once we add the batteryoperated tea lights that are around here somewhere, they’ll be amazing ghoulish Halloween window lights. Torn books make excellent decoupage material. What if a child knocks on the front door holding a Barbie missing one pink 1950s era plastic pump shoe and I have to tell her I was made to throw its mate away? We see the unseeable. We just don’t know where we put it. But, please don’t tell us it isn’t important. Creative people can be many things, including stubborn and yes, a bit messy. Don’t we try, though.

“Our need will be the real creator” is a quote from Plato’s Republic and it is likely the root of the modern adage: “Necessity is the mother of innovation.” That saying is certainly true of an undertaker in Kansas City in the latter part of the 19th century. Almon Brown Stowger

If you’ve had an IRA and a 401(k) for many years, you may occasionally ask yourself some questions: “Am I contributing enough?” “Am I still funding these accounts with the right mix of investments for my goals and risk tolerance?” But here’s one inquiry you might be overlooking: “Have I used the correct beneficiary designations?” And the answer you get is important.

This column is written by a Christian layman who desires to address issues recorded in the Bible that are hard to understand. This writing is often based on theories and paraphrased, that some people would question, but if this writing helps one person to better understand GOD’S love for mankind and His purpose for them, then the effort will be worth it.

Dear Aunt B,

idea that backfired? Was it one of those really big ideas, the kind that, when you mention it to people their eyes saucer out and they look at you like they can smell really bad broccoli cooking? It’s that look that says, “Why in Heaven’s name would you ever think this was a valid concept to explore?” I had one of those ideas a few months ago. One evening, while sitting on my end of the couch – there’s a his end and a hers end – I paused a YouTube video I was watching (this is always the beginning of my grand, sweeping gesture: pause video, place phone lightly on arm of couch, take a deep breath) and announced my new focus in life. “Honey,” I stated with aplomb, “We can groom these poodles ourselves.” You could’ve heard a pin drop.

I am in the middle of reading Ernest Cline’s novel, “Ready Player Two”, the follow-up to one of my favorite novels, Ready Player One. I have talked about the first book in this column before and compared it to a modernday Tom Sawyer. However, in Ready Player One the entire adventure takes place mainly in a virtual world, not the real world. However, relationships in the real world are impacted by relationships in the virtual one.

I recently read an article where the author wrote about a surge in homeschooling since the pandemic gripped the nation back in the spring of 2020. The reasons parents are choosing to homeschool are as diverse as the families choosing to do it. Some parents are looking for faith-based education options. Others are parents of children with disabilities. Some families are unhappy with the quality of their local schools. Whatever the reasons, the author views this mass exodus from schools to homeschooling as “a silver lining” to the pandemic, suggesting without the pandemic, many families would not have left their local schools.

I think all of these are true, and they are interesting; however, maybe you had better research them some more before you place any bets!

If you’re extremely busy with your career and family and you’ve accumulated a fair amount of assets, you might be concerned about a variety of issues related to financial management and legacy planning. Specifically, you might think you don’t have the time or expertise to deal with these matters effectively. If this is the case, you might want to consider using a trust company.

A policeman once stopped a man for speeding. The man did not have any excuse for speeding and he knew that he did not have the money to pay a fine and his car insurance would go up. The policeman approached the car and began to do his duty. The man looked the policeman in the eye and asked. Sir, would you grant me “mercy”? The policeman looked into the eyes of the man and saw a real plea for mercy with regret for speeding. The policeman said “yes I will. I will grant you forgiveness for speeding.” The man was so thankful that his eyes got a little moist. The policeman went on his way and the man vowed to be more careful about his driving speed in the future.