Columns & Editorials

There is legislation floating in Oregon that portends to remove literacy and math requirements for graduating high school seniors. Specifically, if the legislation is passed, seniors would not have to demonstrate the equivalent of tenth grade reading, writing or math to earn their diplomas.

“In some places without freedom, girls aren’t allowed to go to school,” says Haley, age 8. “The only people I can think of who would like that are the boys! Boys in our class torture us!”

The power of a good story never gets old. When Forney Education Foundation Board members have the opportunity to interact with new people about FEF and its mission, the results are almost always the same. There is an almost euphoric feeling when the listener spontaneously donates to the Forney Education Foundation after just a short interaction with a Board member.

“They knew Jesus when he was a kid. They just said, ‘Hi Jesus,’ but they didn’t know he was God,” says Stacey, 6.

If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you? Sometimes we as Christians seem to think that when we go to Church on Sunday that is all there is and we are serving GOD the way He wants us to. I think there is more to serving GOD than that. Actually we go to Church to worship GOD and renew our Spiritual strength which includes peace with GOD, peace with ourselves, peace with our neighbors, and putting on GOD’S armor He has provided for us to stand up to the world in our daily living. Any way we turn we find many temptations to lead us away from serving GOD. I know that temptations have been in the world since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, but the world is so advanced in technology that we are faced with many temptations in our own homes. So what do we do?

Dear Aunt B, I haven’t been married that long but it just seems like we live two different lives. It feels like we are just roommates. Is this all there is?

Last Saturday Republicans from Kaufman County as well as points across Texas met to honor Lt Colonel Allen West with the First Annual William Madison McDonald Award at the Rusted Rail Event Venue in Crandall, Texas. Organizers concede a case of fortunate coincidences that it occurred on the first Juneteenth that was celebrated as a national holiday. An ad-hock committee started meeting last September, motivated by the fact that with the election of Shelton Gibbs IV, he would become the first African American District Judge in Kaufman County history. This was after the election of Erleigh Wiley as County Court at Law Judge and then as District Attorney and the election of Rhonda Hughey as District Clerk. Having three African Americans serve in the District office seemed worthy of celebration.

If you don’t have a spouse or children, you might think you don’t need to do much estate planning. But if you have any assets, any familial connections, any interest in supporting charitable groups – not to mention a desire to control your own future – you do need to establish an estate plan.

Based on the Bible account the earth that can sustain life is between 6000 and 7000 years old. The Bible says that the earth was without form and void before life was placed on it. Before Adam sinned death did not exist on the earth. If life forms lived and died before that then the Bible account is not true. The Bible record goes back to the creation of Adam, the first man. Since that is the record we Christians believe how can we agree with the evolution taught in schools and colleges?

Dear Aunt B,

In a world where we are finally waking up to something that, gasp, feels the tiniest bit like normalcy, I bring you a years ago tale of me, the world traveler (not) who attempted to fly from Dallas to Houston.

Over 20% of Americans are classified as illiterate or functionally illiterate. Roughly 70% of the nation’s 4th and 8th graders cannot read proficiently. Additionally, about 25% of high school graduates in America are functionally illiterate. That means, 1 in 4 graduates in the United States cannot read well enough to complete basic, everyday tasks that require reading.

If you can find one word in the original translation of the Holy Bible, that does not fit or does not belong there, then you can find two, or ten, or one hundred, or one thousand. If you claim that, then soon you can pick out the words that will make you feel good and discard the rest.