I’m going to let you in on a little secret. It’s actually a fight that my Flying Farmer husband and I have been having. It happens every day and we have a really hard time NOT having this fight. It’s almost like it’s part of who we are. No - I’m not talking about a fight we have with each other… I’m talking about the fight we have with the voices in our heads. Know what I … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Rules of the rink: no profanity, no spitting on the floor
About three decades after settlers of European heritage first made their way west to southeastern Minnesota, townsfolk were able to put wheels on their feet. Evidently, some instruction on proper decorum was called for. “Gentlemen will not, and others must not spit on the floor,” was one published rule by the Rushford Roller Rink in the 1880s. “Skaters are prohibited from … [Read more...]
Blooming where you are planted
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free How can I bloom where there is no water? If you are like me, you may have been praying for rain with more fervency these days. The farmers and those who make a living from the soil have been praying hard for rain. How can things grow without water? When we think of this call to bloom where you are planted, we think I … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Suspicious antidote was seized, but not wasted
In 1856, during Minnesota’s earliest years of settlement, an enterprising young newlywed moonshiner in the Fillmore County village of Choice found the area so full of rattlesnakes that he schemed to profit without having to encounter any wild creatures. He manufactured and sold what became a well-known antidote to snakebite. As time passed, he began to market medicine to … [Read more...]
God is bigger than you
Rev. Peter Haugen Chatfield, MN Our Lord Jesus said, “It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know Him, and keep His word” (St. John 8:54-55). Jesus knows God. None better. And when He taught us to pray, He did so, saying, … [Read more...]
The Bible says, “Obey your parents”!
By Pastor Stuart Weist First Baptist Church of Preston I heard this before, both in my youth and as an adult. I have heard more than a few times Christian parents weaponize this phrase out of Ephesians 6:1 without giving any thought to the rest of the passage. Their goal is to simply have children that follow their every command. But that’s not what the Bible says, and … [Read more...]
I remember my beloved father being considerably older than me
Ladies and gentlemen, horses and fleas, bowlegged ants and cross-eyed bees, I’ll be home for Father’s Day; it’ll be a breeze. For Mother’s Day, Mom got flowers, candy and her favorite meal at a pleasant restaurant. On Father’s Day, Dad got a collect call from his son Allen, whose car had broken down over 30 miles from home. The car didn’t need a “check engine” light to tell … [Read more...]
A little of this, A little of that
Someone said, “There’s no accounting for taste!” However when we’re talking about food there is an accounting. Our tongues can detect five basic tastes: sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and umami. My two favorites are sweet and salty. Sweet salty together are awesome. Some people prefer sour – think sour gumballs, lemons, and sour apples. Sister Barb even liked stolen green apples … [Read more...]
I believe in letting my soggy smile be my discount umbrella
I’ve never seen it rain cats and dogs, but it’s going to rain when I see the Johnson’s yellow dog chasing the Holland’s black cat. If you don’t know the Johnsons or the Hollands, never mind. My family elders were fond of saying, “The best thing to do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” There are two kinds of rainfall: too little and too much. The oceans hold 97% of the … [Read more...]
I am your father!
I remember the first time I heard those fateful words; “I am your father.” I was a small boy and the intense fighting, sparks flying, and great heights already had me on edge. Then when the “dark lord” proclaimed his identity, Luke’s response fit the feelings well with his excruciating “Noooo!!” No one would want the evil Darth Vader to be their father. What is a father? Did … [Read more...]