Category Archives: Opinion

His Cup Runneth Over by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

We mothers thought it a grand idea when our husbands asked if we would like to coach our nine-year old sons in this, their final game of the baseball season.

They had won their conference, so this contest didn’t count.  Why we thought this a grand idea is anyone’s guess.  Who in their right mind would ever want to try and corral a bunch of spirited, impulsive pre-adolescents whose parents care a lot more about their children’s success than these miniature athletes do? We did.

After all, we had coached from the grandstands for years, critiquing our husband/coaches.  We moms viewed this as a chance to prove we could do more than just pour Gatorade, bag popcorn in the concession stand, and bang our rock-filled milk bottles to add a little team spirit.

We were naïve not to recognize this as “pay back” for all the times our spouses accused us of second-guessing their fielding decisions during the regular season. Since I had three sons playing and a husband who had played professionally, the other mothers assumed that I knew how to make out a line-up card or give signals from the 3rd base position.  They were wrong.

Huddling in the dugout, we agreed on one thing: we would be creative.  None of this “best batter bats fourth, fastest runners play outfield, etc.”  We would mix things up a little bit. So, when Toby asked if he could be catcher, we knew the dad-coaches would say something like, “No, because he’s petrified of the ball” or “No, because he can’t catch”—you know, gutless responses. We would switch everyone’s predictable position.  Genius!

And so, Toby played catcher.

Let me rephrase that.  Toby put on the catcher’s gear.  (Even that is more complicated than it appears).

The rest was not pretty.  Poor little guy was just target practice for the pitcher, getting drilled with every pitch.  The fastballs bounced off of every part of him except his glove.  But Toby was loving it. He would chase down every ball he missed and then throw it on two hops somewhere near the pitcher.  It was apparent to all of us coaching moms that he finally felt like “one of the boys.”  We might make lousy managers but we were sure terrific psychologists!

But Toby’s safety was not the only problem. Another issue became apparent in the first inning.  We noticed there was something weird about his catcher’s squat.  Some blob-like thing was bulging from the back of his uniform pant leg just above the knee.

We “coaches” convened for an emergency meeting in the corner of the dugout.

After we dismissed the more disgusting possibilities, we finally realized it was his cup, a plastic device designed to protect the male groin area; somehow Toby’s had slipped from his groin and migrated down the back of his leg.  Our novice catcher seemed clueless that anything was amiss.

Understandably, none of us wanted to be the cup-bearer of such embarrassing news.  This had to be a dad’s job.  We just needed to find a kind, compassionate, sensitive father who would help us out.  Toby’s parents weren’t there, but surely one of the others would lend support.

We could not believe the united front we heard:

“Hey, we’re just fans.  You’re the coaches.  Take charge.”

“Never happened to us—isn’t that amazing?”

“Guess that’s what happens when you move a utility player to a catcher.”

I wanted to say, “Gee!  You guys are a load of laughs. You should start your own comedy club!”  Actually, I’m pretty sure I did say that, and a lot more.

Needless to say, our husbands were not examples of godly men that day. Whatever happened to Mt. 5:7:  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”?

Stay tuned next week for what happened next.

.

 

Letter to the Editor: Pete Allen

As reported in the Fort Scott Tribune, which I consider an attempt to discredit my reputation as a commissioner, Commissioner Van Hoecke was obviously referring to me.

Submitted by Pete Allen.

I quite frequently, as the original author of the Special Street Maintenance Plan, and final co-author with Commissioner Matthew Wells, was asked by the city manager to inspect the work and to mark the areas needing repaired per the Plan. This only made sense, as I have had 35 years’ experience using the same process and materials and city staff having little or none. Matthew and I quite frequently, “visited the work sites”, all with the permission of the city manager and all within the limits of the “code of ethics” as quoted by Mr. Van Hoecke.

I also bought spray paint for marking purposes at the hardware store and charged it to the City. I initiated the training session with our pothole patcher manufacturer, and we visited a site during our initial work on Broadway Street to get his approval on our procedure. I also initiated the purchase of our emulsion storage tank and brought out the crack filling machine that had not been used for many years.

I did an inventory of our streets and with staff, rated every street in town. and put together a 2-year plan for our street maintenance plan.

I dusted off the “Storm Sewer Master Plan” and proposed the storm sewer project on 17th and Eddy Street, which included the work at 15th and National.

I motioned that we hire Earls Engineering as our City Engineer and worked with KDOT and Earls to secure a grant for the rebuild of Wall Street, and probably the most important task of my tenure on the commission, I said “NO” to charter ordinance 31, and with the help of Michael Hoyt, spearheaded the petition to overturn the transferring of funds from the utility accounts to the general fund.

To sum it up: permission was granted by city manager for my involvement, and no orders or discussions were made to staff. Only recommendations were made to city manager. Several times visits to sites were made with Commissioner Wells and City Manager Matkins for comments, with no workers on site.

Pete Allen

1/7/2024

 

 

I Don’t Get It by Carolyn Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

 

 

Growing up, my parents gave me a lot of good general advice. At the time, I didn’t always understand the “why” behind some of their statements. For example, Mom told me, “It doesn’t turn out well to work with family.” Because I was so young at the time, I didn‘t get it. Now that I’m older and have witnessed a lot of life, I‘ve watched some families try to work in business together and it was a total fail. I’ve also seen a few families work successfully together. Nevertheless, in the majority of cases, it appears that Mom was right. Another bit of advice I didn’t get as a kid was, “Don’t eat that, you’ll spoil your appetite!” I didn’t give a hoot about my appetite, I just wanted to eat that delicious piece of chocolate fudge.

 

It’s easy to focus on the aspects of our life that don’t make sense to us. At the close of  Jesus’ earthly life, he was talking in the Upper Room with His disciples (specifically Simon Peter): “Jesus answered him, ‘You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later‘” (John 13:7 TEV). Jesus knows we will experience disturbing  situations that we won’t understand. But I’m thankful that we’ll understand it by and by (either later on earth or in heaven). We can, and must, release our curiosity and lack of understanding into God’s capable hands. Leave it, let it go, and focus on living the good  life that Jesus died and arose to give us. We have to commit the things we don’t understand on purpose because it won’t happen automatically; it‘s simply not natural to us. But trust is the antidote for a troubled heart and weary spirit.

 

Paul said, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT). Like Paul, who didn’t perfectly understand everything, we can choose to trust God’s truth and believe in His promises. This will ultimately bring us peace  and inner rest of spirit. It’s comforting to know that we can have a personal relationship with the Master Creator who hung the stars and controls the tide. He is the Great Physician who holds us together. He is the Good Shepherd who loves and protects us. He is the Alpha and Omega who knows what we’re going to say and do from beginning to end. He is the Redeemer who sets us free from the chains of bondage and fear.

 

The original Hebrew for Genesis 17:1 states that God told Abraham, “I AM El Shaddai,” which literally means “the All-Sufficient One” or “the God who is more than enough.” God is more than any current or past circumstance that we don’t understand. I believe there will be life outcomes that won’t ever make sense while living on planet earth. But scripture tells us that we will eventually understand everything completely with perfect clarity. In the meantime, we can sufficiently live on the gift that Jesus left us:  “Peace is what I leave with you; it is My own peace that I give you. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid” (John 14:27 TEV). This wonderful peace cost Jesus everything, but it’s  free, real, and ever-present to believers.

 

When you don’t get it, remember you’re in good company.  Simon Peter didn’t get it, Paul didn’t get it, and many others. But when you’ve got the peace of King Jesus, you’ve got all the understanding you need for right now.

 

The Key: If you “don’t get it” now, you’ll “get it” later in heaven.

Is Comparison Always Bad? by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

Over the Christmas holidays, Dave and I drove to Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. Countless times, we were stuck behind a semi-truck, inching its way up a mountain pass.  If not that, double yellow lines prevented us from passing, and even where they didn’t interfere, it was difficult to see around the larger truck.  We had no idea if there was a fleet of other semis in front of that one.

We commented on how much easier it is to drive in Mexico where those large trucks pull over onto the shoulder and put their left blinker on, indicating it is safe for the vehicle behind to pass.  Why hasn’t that caught on in America?  I mean, it is such a friendly gesture, not to mention a time-saver for those of us who are always in a hurry.  Think of the benefits.

Comparison is so easy, yet it can be a dangerous game, can’t it?  Just as soon as I focus on what our country lacks, I have to remind myself of all it offers that is far superior to others.  We Americans know that the list is endless…which is why so many people are trying to come here to live.  Yes, even from Mexico.

Teddy Roosevelt called comparison “the thief of joy.”  So, why is it human nature to want what someone else has? Their hair.  Talent.  Sense of humor.  Charisma.  Height.  Weight.  Self-discipline.  Marriage. Walk with the Lord.

 

The problem with too many comparisons is they aren’t based in reality.  If I’m feeling “less than” because my kids have colored the walls with each other’s blood or the laundry is piled on the living room floor or the smell of burnt spaghetti sauce lingers in the air, all the while comparing myself to my friend on Facebook with the perfectly decorated house whose kids are sitting upright on the couch, smiling and holding hands, I’m in trouble.

We risk exposing ourselves to either pride or low self-esteem when we compare ourselves to others, but there is a type of comparison that can move us toward good…toward God.  I know two Christian women whom I want to emulate.  By comparison, I fail.  They are gentle, kind, soft-spoken, non-judgmental and unselfish.  I need improvement in all five of those areas.  I learn from those ladies and admire them.  Romans 9:21 tells us that God is the potter; we are the clay. I love that He has molded these women with such a beautiful, generous faith.  They make me want to be a better person.  Still, they are not perfect. Romans 3:23 makes that clear.  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

When we are tempted to compare, we need only to look to Jesus, knowing that He is holy and good and we are not.  1 Peter 2:22 ESV tells us so: He (Jesus) committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  He is the only model we need to follow, so the next time we’re tempted to want what someone else has or to be like someone else, we need to change our focus to the One who is “more than.”  With that, we cannot fail.

 

No Rearview Mirrow by Carolyn Hayward Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Hayward Tucker

 

At the expense of sounding like the worst driver in the world, I’ll share my personal experience because it’s the perfect lede for this column.

My mother convinced me to enter my seven-month-old daughter in a baby contest in 1987. When we were in the car and on our way, I heard Mariam sneeze from the backseat. The thought of the possibility of snot running down her face was more than I could bear, so I turned around to see if there was a “disaster on aisle 3.” With my head turned and looking backward, I sideswiped an oncoming vehicle and my Buick and ended up in a bean field. My daughter and I were unhurt, and the driver of the other car had some scratches on her arm from the broken driver’s window. The wreck occurred because my attention wasn’t focused on what was in front of me. Looking backward instead of forward is the worst technique for driving.

 

Looking backward to your past is not the best approach to life either. Please don’t live your life looking in the rearview mirror. “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 TEV.) Maybe your past hasn’t been perfect. If that’s the case, then join the crowd and realize you‘re in good company. The only perfect One on planet earth was Jesus. And even His life had some disappointments, hurts, and sorrow. I encourage you to let go of your past, move on, and embrace a future that’s full of hope in Christ.

 

It’s nice that we have a new year every 12 months because it gives us a fresh chance to change out the old and do things different and better. In Luke 9:51 TEV, it states that, “Jesus made up His mind….” Let’s make up our minds to do something beautiful for the Kingdom of God in 2024. We need to watch where we’re going and stop being halfhearted about our purpose and future.

 

Jesus is the loving and merciful Redeemer who can make all things new. Believe against all odds that divine help is on the way in 2024. Don’t look back at the things that have fallen to pieces, but look up and forward to Jesus. He is the One that is designing your future on a rock-solid foundation. “Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you” (Proverbs 4:25 NLT.)

Although I’m uneasy about heights, I managed to walk across the Royal Gorge four times by looking straight ahead and focusing my eyes on the other side of the bridge. Life is short and there’s no time to waste on wallowing in regret or discouragement about the past. We can pour our heart out to God for any sin or failure, humbly receive His mercy, and then bravely move forward in hope and peace.

 

If you search your heart and find something that you should apologize and ask forgiveness for, by all means, do it for the sake of peace. But if there’s nothing you can do to defuse the bomb of your past, then simply walk forward into your future holding onto Jesus‘ nail-scarred hand. He loves you and can heal you everywhere you hurt. But you have to make up your mind to let Him soothe away the scars of your past.

 

Let’s stop looking back and intensify our commitment to do something worthwhile for the Kingdom of God.

 

The Key:  Obliterate your rearview mirror so you won’t look backward at your life.

What Kind of a Wait-er Are You by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

Are you a considerate “wait-er”?  Not like the person who takes your restaurant order, but one who is asked to demonstrate patience?  Think of traffic jams. Lengthy red lights when no car is in sight.  Standing in a return line after Christmas. Unnecessary, college requirements in order to graduate. Impulsive credit card debt as opposed to saving money for a purchase. Writing off a potential friendship because of a bad first impression.

If you’re like me, your patience is constantly tested. Think, the grocery store line.  You choose the shortest one and watch everyone in the longer lines get out the door before you.  This is a regular occurrence for me.  My line always seems to be the one in which the customer argues about the price or has expired coupons or whose debit card is denied.  I wouldn’t mind it if they made eye contact and said they were sorry, but they seem oblivious to me tapping my toes or clearing my throat or semi-whispering, “Seriously???!!!”

We impatient types do not accept that this “now” moment is a teachable one but focus only on what is ahead.

The article “Exploring Your Mind” listed eight consequences of impatience.  Two came as a shock: (1) it causes obesity (because you eat impulsively) and (2) it speeds up the aging process by weakening the telomeres, structures that protect DNA from breaking down so the signs of aging appear. (In other words, if I don’t get my impatience under control, I will become fat and wrinkly.)

I make rash decisions with less-than-desirable consequences. Volunteering to help where I am not qualified.  Purchasing a car that cannot handle our town’s brick streets.  Becoming involved in a friendship that zaps my energy.  Defending someone without knowing both sides of the story. When I am impatient, I expect God to answer my prayers…Now!

The crazy thing is, being too patient also can be problematic.  I know people who are patient to a fault. (I do not fall into this category.) They cannot make a decision and miss out on great sales/ job opportunities. They spend too much time weighing their options for wonderful friendships or a loving relationship. They delay seeing a doctor until the prognosis is a deadly one.

Let’s face it.  We all are called to be a patient “wait-er.”  In the Bible, we read in the Old Testament of the Israelites waiting hundreds of years for the Messiah to appear, and as Christians, we also wait expectantly for that same Messiah to return to earth for the final days before eternal judgment begins.  In the meantime, we are to find the balance necessary between impatience and patience, to enjoy our journey and not waste the “now” in our lives.

Sounds like a perfect New Years’ Eve Resolution, don’t you think?

 

 

When Christmas Comes to Bourbon County by Carolyn Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Hayward Tucker

During winter, the frosty windows often showcase a landscape of cedar trees laden with glittery snow. I enjoy looking at the wintry majesty of God‘s creation. As a youngster, I would play outside until my hands were numb and nearly frozen solid. I would also express my concern for the farm animals standing in the freezing temperatures with snow on their backs. Mom would make me feel better by telling me that they had thick hides. After three months of winter shivers, we would begin to look forward to the coming of spring. We were expectant and hopeful that the warmth, extra light, and new birth of spring was just around the corner.

 

The Messiah’s coming was prophesied in the Old Testament hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth in the New Testament. There was no instant “drive-through” Jesus. The people sat in darkness for a long time before the Light of the World came. In our impatient culture of fast food, microwaves, instant pots, and bread makers, I’m not sure how well today’s society would wait for the Messiah’s arrival.

 

Some of the sacred Christmas music just can’t be ignored. The haunting melody and lyrics of the hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel “ is a compelling reminder of how  desperately we needed (and still need) a Savior. This ancient 12th century Latin hymn was originally used in the medieval church liturgy. Each stanza concentrates on a different biblical name for Jesus: Emmanuel, Lord of Might, Rod of Jesse, Dayspring, Key of David, Bright and Morning Star, and King of Nations.

 

As the prophets foretold, the Messiah finally came 600 years after His coming was prophesied. Although Jesus fulfilled every single prophecy, many people still missed Him. At every turn, He frustrated the religious leaders. They expected one thing and He delivered another. They wanted Jesus to choose sides, but He chose sinners instead. He didn’t fit their religious ideology of who and what a Savior would be like. He was born to a virgin, delivered in a germy stable, learned the trade of a carpenter, and basically owned nothing. With that background check, Jesus fell short of their rigid religious expectations. But He was wilderness tested and God approved. Let’s face it, God often surprises us with how and when He accomplishes His will.

 

If you miss your 737 flight the first time, you can always catch the next flight out. For those who have continually missed the Messiah, we have God’s Word to help us find and accept the Savior today. God makes a way when there seems to be no way. The world, in and of itself, is without hope, but Jesus came to fix that. Not even Satan (Matt. 4:1-11) or Peter (Matt. 16:21-23) could scrub the divine mission that God planned for His only begotten Son.

 

Even though the religious leaders didn’t acknowledge the long-awaited Messiah, the demons knew exactly who He was. Jesus and His disciples went to Lake Galilee to teach and heal the people. “And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of Him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of Him shrieking, ’You are the Son of God!’” (Mark 3:11 NLT).

 

The Key: Let’s accept and allow the Key of David to open our heart’s door and change our lives forever. That’s why He came.

What A Christmas Program and Family Reunion Have In Common

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

Kaden, my great-grandson, had an important role in his preschool’s Christmas program in Las Vegas last night.  He was a cow. He had asked to be a dinosaur but was given the choice of a cow, a sheep or a donkey. Along with 11 other three-year-olds, his job was to sit in a chair at the front of the stage and stand when it was his turn to sing a Christmas carol.  Upon entering the stage, he walked like a Raptor and his “moo” sounded more like a “ROAR,” so we guessed he was a cross between the two animals, more like a “cowasaur.”

Twenty preschool “angels” sat at the back of the stage.  They each had one line they were to deliver into the downstage microphone.  Directing dinosaurs would have been easier.  They, at least, returned to their seats after they spoke.  Kaden’s group, on the other hand, included a couple of runaways, a little girl who tried to put her hairbow in Kaden’s cow hat and then sat with her back to the audience, several who randomly stood and moved in the sanctuary wherever they wanted, and not a few who removed their costumes on stage (Kaden included).  Fortunately, there were clothes underneath.

 

We marveled at the patience of the adults in charge and the teenage “angels” who sat in strategic spots to try and keep the kiddies under control. An almost impossible task.

I love how God gives us all different gifts.  If you read my book, you know that working with a group of little tikes is not my thing.  I fail at it miserably.  What I appreciated about these adult workers was how they never stopped smiling, even if they had to leave their kneeling, directors’ positions in front of the kiddos to chase one of the escapees and return him (yes, him, always a him) to his assigned position on the stage.

 

We were there because this Christmas was a reunion for the LaRoche clan.  We met at Dave’s daughter’s house for six days in Henderson, Nevada, and had a blast. Every couple was responsible for a meal for 27 relatives.  There were pickleball and wallyball competitions, bike rides, guys-against-girls board games, a crazy, neighborhood, Christmas scavenger hunt, times to watch two three-year-olds and three one-year-olds learn to share and get along, and lots of visits to catch up, to spend time with loved ones. Each of our “gifts” was evident.

From organizing child car seats in vehicles (think musical chairs with car seats) to food preparation/clean-up to game/activity orchestrating to scorekeeping to entertaining babies to praying and leading a devotional, we all had a purpose. 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV) reminds us of how we are to use our gifts: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.                                                                                                           

Any time a group of people are involved (albeit conducting a children’s Christmas program or a family reunion), it is paramount that individuals work together for the good of all.  Had those volunteers at Kaden’s event allowed the kids to run amok, chaos would have ensued.  Had any of our relatives sat back and expected to be catered to, they would have found themselves in a very lonely position.            And probably very, very hungry.

As it turned out, we are already discussing our next get together.  I hope the volunteers at Kaden’s program are doing likewise.  One thing’s for certain—they deserve all the prayers they can get.

Merry Christmas, All!

Letter to the Editor: Pete Allen

SOAP BOX DERBY MANIA IN FORT SCOTT

Suck it up Good Old Days (GOD) Committee! The kids come first in Fort Scott. Your opposition to the Derby, and unwillingness to help accommodate this worthy event at the commission meeting last night did not go unnoticed. It is actions like yours on display last night that hinder the retention of young people here. Seth Needham is going way out of his way to bring something exciting to the GOD’s, something new and something desperately needed for our town and for our kids to enjoy. Face it, GOD’s has gone from a 3-day weekend to 1 day, and the same old faces keep showing up year after year. It has grown old and stagnant!

I see the soap box derby as a way for the city and city businesses and the Chamber to get behind a worthy endeavor. These kids will be in the parade, showing off their handiwork and it will be an event for them to look back on forever, as well as bringing 200 kids and their families to our town.

Seth’s goal is to take 20 scouts to summer camp this summer and they have been working hard on fundraisers. They need to raise around $7,000 to take these kids to camp, and the Derby is one means to advertise their efforts. I can remember my days of scouting and selling boxes of candy for my camp fundraising project. I always went, but I know I did not sell enough candy to pay my way and I thank the benefactors of FS in those days for making sure I went.

My goal is to help Seth achieve his goal by supporting him and asking the community to help him as well. Unfortunately, the GOD’s is in June and Seth needs the funds before then to secure reservations. We are setting up a collection box at the Historical Society office in Memorial Hall and Ann Rawlins is in charge of it. We are asking for help and would appreciate donations be dropped off there, and let’s all get behind Seth and his Scouts of Fort Scott.

Thank you.

Pete Allen

Amazing project for all of Fort Scott, tourism, sales in all our stores, gas, lodgings and derby cars repairs. Come on Fort Scott, support our kids and give memories. See you at OFGS.

Ann Rawlins

How Big is Your But? by Carolyn Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

 

We often hear someone say, “I’ve got bad news and good news. Which do you want to hear first?” Mom would always tell me the positive ending of a catastrophe before giving the scary details. For example, she’d call and say, “Your Dad’s alright, but yesterday he fell in the garage and hit his head.” Several years ago, a guest speaker was invited to share his story at church. He spent the majority of his time sharing the horrible things he’d experienced in life, and then the last few sentences were about the miracles God had performed in the midst of his nightmare mess. As I left the building, I thought, “I would’ve rather heard 10% of the horrible and 90% of the wonderful ‘but God‘ part of his testimony.

 

The word ‘but‘ in scripture usually introduces the gracious and powerful intervention of God. There are many ‘but God’ scriptures and these two three-letter words are some of the best in the Bible. The phrase ’but God’ means that when everything seems broken,  useless, and hopeless, God gets involved and brings a miraculous change of events in our life. Here are a few examples:

 

In Genesis Chapter 7, God sent the flood and all the living things and people on earth were destroyed. He wiped out everything and everybody that wasn’t in the ark. The only people who survived the catastrophic flood were Noah and his seven family members. “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede“ (Genesis 8:1 NLT.) God doesn’t forget us when we go through a personal chaotic storm.

 

However, simply knowing the promises of God is not the same as believing and standing on them. When we take God at His Word, we have what it takes to overcome overwhelming odds. “God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us” (Ephesians 3:20 MSG.) There’s an unfortunate tendency among some Christ followers to keep God in a tiny box with a lid. This practice actually limits what God can do for us. Living an abundant life is a team effort with God as our I AM. We have to be united in purpose, obedient, and not bucking His system. He never intended for us to try to carry our burdens alone. When we take our hands off the mess and give it to the One who holds us in His hands, we’ll eventually experience a ‘but God’ outcome. Take the lid off and let God go to work.

 

God is a Redeemer and a Reverser. He takes people and circumstances and turns them completely around. BAM! Joseph’s brothers and others treated him cruelly and lied about him. After many years of God’s continual intervention in Egypt, Joseph was finally promoted and was able to say to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20 NLT.) God literally took Joseph from the pit to the palace.

 

When Paul reached Macedonia he was exhausted from the troubles he’d experienced at every turn. And then He said, “But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6 NLT.)

 

The Key: Let’s focus on the bigger ‘but God’ story when we find ourselves in a mess.

Depression by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

Cases of depression are at an all-time high, and for far too many people, the Christmas season exacerbates the problem. Shopping creates emotional stress as credit cards are maxed out in order to keep those little kiddies happy. Many feel overwhelmed by the endless television promotions of holiday celebrations, knowing they don’t measure up. I get it.  Their tables would make Martha Stewart envious.  Seriously.  I mean, who has a table big enough to hold 16 Lenox China place settings? Still, adults aren’t the only ones suffering.

Schools today are spending much of their resources, hiring mental health counselors to help students cope, and pharmaceutical companies are making billions on drugs intended to reduce anxiety and depression. At a doctor’s visit this past week, I was asked a routine question: “Are you depressed?”  I knew she didn’t mean the usual feelings of working through the stress of Christmas travels or being sad because I didn’t lose the weight I vowed to lose for the last several New Years’ Eve resolutions.  She was talking about the overriding feeling of being down with no hope.  Just a few years ago, that question was not asked in a doctor’s office.

Yesterday, I visited with a local woman who shared the story of her relative who spent years suffering from drug-induced depression, and after multiple stays in the penitentiary, decided to come clean and turn back to Jesus. For over two years, he has held a job, been promoted to management, and now speaks to students, warning them never to start drugs.  His heart-felt prayer at Thanksgiving, I was told, caused every adult to tear up.

A few days ago, I met a woman who is seeking answers for her granddaughter who feels hopeless and claims she is picked on in school.  Her medication doesn’t seem to help.

Granted, there are people who need medicine.  But there are some who do not.  They just need Jesus.  Of course, our laws prohibit us from sharing this answer with our students or our employees or our soldiers or our patients.  We who can offer Hope, are told we cannot.  And yes, for some, the answer is medicine-plus-Jesus, but we don’t even give him a chance to make a difference.

It makes no sense.  If you had a migraine and I had a pill that would cure your headache, should I not be able to tell you about it?  If your marriage were on the rocks and I had a way to solve your problem, should our legislative body deny me the right to explain such Hope to you?  If your company was about to go belly-up and I had an answer to keep you in the black, should anyone keep me from speaking up?

Finding 2023 statistics on how many people suffer from depression led to ads on specific drugs to reduce depression, but Rexulti did promote its company by saying this: “Major depressive disorder is a serious medical illness affecting an estimated 21 million American adults…A large study showed that 2 out of 3 people taking an antidepressant still experienced symptoms of depression.”

Someone posted this:     “When Elijah said ‘Lord, I want to die,’ God gave him the strength to live.  Depression is real. But so is God.  Anxiety is real. But so is hope.”

The worst thing we Christians can do is to judge those who suffer with mental health struggles. But we should be allowed to intersect faith and mental health by supporting and loving those who seek answers. By offering them the Hope that Jesus offers.

 

Letter to The Editor: Matthew Wells

Words carry weight:

The scriptures would teach us that the power of life and death is in the tongue. So I would ask you, when you speak is it bringing Life?

No one is challenging anyone’s right guaranteed under the First Amendment to say whatever they want. I am asking if you care about this town, I am asking you to care about our future. I am asking you to think about your words and what benefit they bring when you speak to them.  I’m not asking not to post on social media I am asking you to weigh the words, and ask will this bring Life?

I would ask you if it’s important to you to know something come and ask, and the answer shall be given.  But if you’re not willing to come in and ask for the information which is freely available then where does the fault lie?

Ask and you shall receive knock, and the door shall be open unto you.

I call upon the people of this community, I call upon all the people of Fort Scott to decide we are going to be a people that come together and put the City Of Fort Scott upon our shoulders that we decide here and now from this moment forward that everything that we do and everything that we say has an impact on all of those around us.

I envision a community that talks to you, not about you. I envision a community that looks for points of agreement and progress, even if it’s only an ounce. For even a small ounce of progress is better than pounds of regress and rage.

I want to be the type of commission that adds value to the community not poisons the value of other contributions. I envision a commission intent on focusing on the idea, not who gets credit for coming up with it.

I want to be the kind of community leaders who goes first with trust and truth.

Where we miss the mark, or drop the ball, let’s acknowledge it.

Let us never be afraid to admit when we are wrong take ownership of that and adjust with authentic intentions.

Let us be more than a community, let us be the team, together, building trust.

I understand that in times of uncertainty, fear seeps in. That fear most often leads to suspicion which can cause an inherent mistrust of all the information that is provided. We want to be the kind of commission that communicates with you clearly and provides the information that shows you the positive aspects and how we are doing everything we can to make sure there is a way forward in positivity.

We are overcoming years of mistrust, most of it justified, and that is not something that will take place quickly, or without the honest intentions and a desire to be a city that inspires you to see the great progress we have made.

This is not to say that there should not be critical discussions about ideas that would help move us forward as a whole. But At the same time attacking a person, as opposed to bringing the conversation to focus on a better idea is unproductive.

I understand that many of you are scared, and this fear leads to an attitude of mistrust and sustained suspicion, but I can promise you that if you come and ask for the information, we want you to know the truth and all of the good things that are going on around you.

This Sunday we spoke for a bit on hope at church, and here’s the rub.

I feel I’ve been called by God to live a life that follows after King Jesus, now within this, that means that I’ve chosen to follow after certain ideals. One of those is speaking life, another is trusting God, but the one we talked about this Sunday is hope.

When faced with that decision of whether I will speak life or death over a situation, I will always choose to speak life, to speak truth, and I ask you to consider whether the words that you are speaking,  when you speak them with your mouth or type them on social media, what are those words filled with? What encouragement or idea is being presented?

Is it life or is it death? And if it is an issue that you feel strongly enough about bringing to someone else’s attention, why would you not come to the table and bring your solution and say here is how we resolve that problem. Because if you’re not willing to help solve the problem, then you must consider whether or not you are part of that problem.

So in this, I am going to choose to try to live a life that is a testament to that which the Lord has shown me to live:   to speak the truth,  to have joy, to allow words filled with life to flow from my mouth, to live with expectation, to foster hope, and to trust that my God will find a way.

We are community, we are Fort Scott, we will not be undone by divisive rhetoric, this is when we come together, this is where we unite, this is where we stand up and be better.

Because together we are better.
Let us be better

There Is another word for hope, it’s a name that was given to Jesus Emmanuel. “ God with us.”

For if the gift of God is with us then how could we not be filled with hope?

God bless you all. God bless Fort Scott.

Jerimiah 33:9 Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for Them.

#togetherwearebetter

Mayor City of Fort Scott
Matthew Wells
[email protected]
Cell 417-684-1714
Office/fax 620-223-3090