By Rev. Debra Jene Collum Chatfield United Methodist Do you ever sing words to a song and realize you are singing them “wrong”? Sometimes it is embarrassing, sometimes serendipitous. I learned that the song I sing to my seeds when I am planting a garden aren’t the words as written by David Mallett. However, in this case it is serendipitous because the way I sing this song … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project Two years and counting
By Maddy Bergey Welp, it has officially been two years since the COVID-19 pandemic initially impacted our lives in this world. As a globe, we have endured two whole years of a deadly virus, which has claimed over five million lives and inevitably affected billions beyond those. From ever-changing mask mandates to newly emerging variants, these past two years have been denoted … [Read more...]
March is not the armpit of the year
I accomplished a great deal in the last 12 months. I got a year older. Another year of membership in the human race and I did it without a bye week or running a single secondary route. I took an unofficial survey and everyone I asked claimed to have been born in one of 12 months. Babies were born on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. That’s 2/22/22. I wonder if any were named … [Read more...]
A little of this, a little of that
It all started with a walk on the beach to pick up shells. My sisters and I recently vacationed in South Padre, Tex. Take your time and hate me for a few minutes. I usually feel angry at people who take winter vacations while I am at home during February and March in Minnesota. Now that you have that out of your system, I will continue my story. I confess that compass … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Horse, farmer save each other when lives were threatened
Topper, Trigger, Champion, Silver and Buttermilk were all television and movie stars in the 1940s-50s. They were horses, arguably as famous as their human riders (Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger, Dale Evans). And there were the four-legged comic book heroes Thunder and Papoose transporting Red Ryder and Little Beaver. Before their exploits in media … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Reflecting the Light
By Pastor Paul Hauschild Chatfield Lutheran Church Chatfield, MN “The next day (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him and declared: ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29) The Gospel of John makes it very clear that Jesus, God’s Son, is the life and light of all people (John 1:4). John the Baptist told everyone he was not the … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: The school system
By Emily Stevens You know what bothers me the most? How school systems will point out problems but not do anything about them. Or maybe when they do something that doesn’t help the situation at all and they call it good. Not only do they not help situations. But they also ignore half the problems in schools and pretend they know nothing about it. Let’s start off with … [Read more...]
Be nice to everyone — you never know who’ll serve on your jury
She had been the sickly one of a large herd. My Aunt Edith had been delicate, but she came out of that swamp onto higher ground. She died at the age of 105 years, 8 months, 13 days, a few hours and a smidgen of minutes. Edith loved to garden, crochet, read newspapers and work crossword puzzles. She taught me how to crochet crossword puzzles. No, wait, that wasn’t her. I … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Homeless boy escaped servitude prior to prominence in Minnesota
Part two of a series. Before saving the homes of fellow southeast Minnesota settlers and attaining his adult acclaim (as described in part one of this series) – O. W Streeter had been a homeless boy. About two centuries before this writing, Oscar Willard Streeter was born about 1821 in Syracuse, N.Y. Prospects were promising as the youngest son of Dr. Barton Streeter. But the … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Time for spring cleaning!
By Pastor Bridget Sheely Racine/Sumner Center UMC, Stewartville UMC Children’s Ministry Coordinator Pull back the curtains, lift the blinds, and open those windows for it is time to let the fresh air of spring back into your space! The quiet solitude days of winter are moving on out and the breath of God is blowing across this land bringing new life to His creation again. … [Read more...]