Keys to the Kingdom

I’m not going to beat around the bush — I fiercely hate all snakes. They’re creepy and scary and whenever I see one, I go to great lengths to kill it because I don‘t want to take the chance of ever seeing it again. Once when I was out walking, I saw a snake on the road and I stopped and looked around to see what I could use to kill it. I spotted a metal fence post that was loose and leaning, so I pulled it up and beat the snake to death with it. On another occasion, a snake was slithering across my driveway as I was pulling in, so I stopped my front tires on top of it and ground it to death by cutting the wheels back and forth. I guess I’m just literally acting out what God said in the Bible. “Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman…’” (Genesis 3:14,15 NLT).

God chose to speak to Moses from the middle of the burning bush. He was having a hard time getting Moses to understand that He needed him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses protested three times and pleaded twice and finally got on the Lord’s last nerve. After the third protest, God demonstrated His great power to help Moses get on board and agree to do what He was telling him to do. “Then the Lord asked him, ’What is that in your hand?’ ‘A shepherd’s staff,’ Moses replied. ’Throw it down on the ground,’ the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. Then the Lord told him, ’Reach out and grab its tail.’ So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand’” (Exodus 4:2-4 NLT).

I surely admire Moses because of his obedience, bravery, and trust in the Lord in regard to picking up that snake. If I were in Moses’ shoes, I’ve wondered if I could have picked up the snake. But I’ve come to understand that God will always give believers what we need in order to do what He tells/calls us to do. According to God’s Word, we’re not powerless wimps. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). We would do well to memorize and declare this scripture when faced with the temptation to disobey God because we think the assignment is too hard or we‘re just flat-out scared. I like The Passion Translation for this verse: “And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.“

I’m reminded of the classic country song lyrics, “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.” Come what may, God did promise to give Christ followers what we need exactly when we need it in order to be overcomers in this life: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT).

Moses experienced fear for a few seconds, but when he obeyed and picked up the snake, God did the miraculous and turned it back into a staff. I don’t blame Moses for being afraid of the snake. Different Bible translations use multiple synonyms for his response to the  snake: jumping, running, fled, ran, drew back, jumped-back fast. I would have done all those things, plus I would have killed the snake and messed up God‘s case in point.     

The Key: If God says do it, then do it; even if you have to bite on a stick to keep from screaming while runn

Tax Confusion

There was an excellent article on the front page of the Fort Scott Tribune published on Sunday, July 10, 2022 which reported on some thorough research performed by Bourbon County Finance Director, Susan Bancroft.  So many people with whom I have private conversations did not fully appreciate the data because they do not understand basic taxation terms such as mill levy, appraised value, assessed value, etc.  These and other concepts are important to grasp to be an informed participant in state and local government entities.  Let’s take a look at some basic definitions and how it all comes together to determine how much each property owner in Kansas is taxed on their holdings.

Starting with appraised value, every county appraiser is responsible to determine an accurate value of every property in the county.  State statutes set guidelines that are similar to what is used in private appraisal processes.  The most important aspect of this process is to appraise a property in proportion to other values in the county.  If a property owner believes there has been a mistake, an appeals process exists where data may be presented by the property owner which argues for an alternate conclusion.

Assessed valuation might be the most misunderstood term in this process, but it is a simple computation of multiplying the percentage determined by state statute for each property type, times the appraised value.  For example, if a home is appraised for $100,000.00, the statutory assessment rate is 11.5%, which yields an assessed valuation of $11,500.00.  Here are the assessment rates of all property types in Kansas: Homes: 11.5%, Vacant lots: 12%, Owned by non-profits:      12%, Commercial: 25% Agricultural land: 30%, Public utilities: 33%, Not classified: 30%.  Properties owned by governments are not assessed.

The mill levy is the “tax rate” that is applied to the assessed value of a property. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value. To continue the example above, if the mill levy is set at 65.00, the aforementioned homeowner would owe $747.50 in annual taxes computed as follows:  $11,500 divided by 1,000 equals 11.5, times 65.00 equals $747.50.

A homeowner in a Kansas county will not only pay taxes to the county, but also cities and school districts.  Some jurisdictions will also have other taxing entities, such as community colleges, libraries, fire districts, special improvement districts, etc.  Each will set their own mill levy in order to fund operations.

As a practical example, if the aforementioned $100,000.00 house is located in Fort Scott, the property owner has an assessed value of $11,500.00 and will pay the following mill levies based on 2021 numbers: County: 62.51, City: 46.98, USD 234: 52.773, Community College: 29.30.  These mill levies add up to 191.563; accordingly, the property owner can expect to pay $2,202.97 (191.563 times 11.5) in annual property taxes.  There may be a few minor additions to the bill, depending on where they live in the city.

Our democracy depends on an informed electorate.  If tax computations are a mystery to you, find a source that can answer your questions.  We are better together when we are aware and active.

Years ago, a Lake Michigan steamboat sank after being rammed by another boat. Out of 393 passengers on board, 279 drowned.  A man named Edward Spencer plunged into the lake to save 17 drowning people, causing nerve damage to his legs.  He never walked again.  On his eightieth birthday, someone asked him to relate his most vivid memory of that dreadful day. He replied, “Not one of the seventeen returned to thank me.”

Jesus had a similar experience after healing 10 lepers. Only one, a despised Samaritan, thanked him.  Read Luke 17:11-19.  Jesus is grieved because of this. “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Modeling gratefulness for our children is imperative for parents. Titus 2:7 makes that clear: Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity.

Last month, my granddaughter Britney called to thank Dave and me for her birthday gift- card.  We have come to cherish those calls.  Not all of our relatives are as considerate, so if you know a gentle way to ask loved ones to PULEEEZE acknowledge receiving a gift, PULEEEZE tell me what it is.

A close friend tired of buying expensive outfits for her grandkids but never seeing them wear the clothes.  The final straw came when her daughter-in-law, the two-year-old’s mother, pulled the jeans and shirt out of the gift bag and dismissively set them aside without saying “thank you.” My friend picked up the outfit and threw it in the trash can.  “That will be the last thing I ever buy for my son’s kids,” she told me.  And she meant it.

I know someone who stopped sending her grandson money because he never acknowledged receiving it.  Some say that’s too harsh, as I found when I researched suggestions. “If you have a tracking code, check to see if your gift was delivered.  That should be enough.” “The fun is in the giving, not in hearing ‘thank-you.’” Another idea?  “Subtly mention how much you like the China pattern they chose and hope that reminds them that you sent them a dinner plate, and they will thank you.”

Or not.

Call me a curmudgeon, but I disagree.  One response made more sense: “… it’s just one more by-product of Entitlement. ‘Of COURSE’ you sent me a gift. Why wouldn’t you?”  Perhaps that’s true, but I think the real problem is parents who are not teaching their kids to be thankful.

Sometimes it’s cultural.  After moving to Mexico, I learned that newlyweds don’t send thank-you notes.  “Then how do I know that they received my gift?”  I asked.  No one had an answer.  American weddings are different.  A friend of ours once placed $500 in an envelope and left it at the wedding table with the other gifts.  Months went by before he called the couple to ask if they had received it.  They had not.  As it turned out, they had not received money from other guests as well.  (Looks like there was a thief at the gift table

Lisa Grotts, etiquette expert and founder of Golden Rules Gal, gives suggestions as to how children can acknowledge gifts.  “Gift-givers like to know that their gift was received and that the recipient enjoyed it. Children of all ages should be taught to write or draw a thank-you card when they receive a present.  Another modern option is to send a thank-you text or email, preferably with a cute picture of the kiddo holding the gift or a thank you sign.”

My frustration in not receiving a “thank you” is not that I feel unappreciated. I just want the youngsters in my family never to take anything for granted. Their parents.  Their friends.  Their freedom. Their church.  Their life. Their God. Should they fail to understand the unselfishness of the word “thanks,” it is a slippery slope to becoming selfishly ungrateful.

Much more preventable if parents do their jobs.  I think that Jesus would agree.

Keys to the Kingdom by Carolyn Tucker

I’ve watched many a Western and I have come to the conclusion that the cowboy is my choice of hero. Besides my Dad, John Wayne is my favorite cowboy. On the silver screen, Wayne’s character was a gutsy man of few words, but the words he spoke had unrivaled  authority. If the idiot didn’t believe him, he quickly made a believer out of him. In the real world, being a rancher ain’t for sissies — it’s a lot of hard work with branding, feeding, building and repairing fences, etc. Branding livestock, especially cattle, has been a tradition for hundreds of years. The brand is usually burned onto the hip which identifies the owner, dissuades rustlers, and is an important type of identification that’s difficult to tamper with. Before the use of fences, cattle from neighboring ranches often mingled, so it was important to know which cattle belonged to which rancher.

Believers aren’t physically branded, but we’re identified as being genuine Christ followers by our love. Jesus said, “This is how everyone will recognize that you are My disciples — when they see the love you have for each other“ (John 13:35 MSG). We are Christ’s ambassadors and we represent God and His love everywhere we go. The world is looking for love in all the wrong places. However, when unbelievers bite the bullet and  actually go to church, they’re sometimes introduced to religious rules and regulations instead of love. So if they leave the building without being introduced to Jesus or experiencing a friendly welcome, that makes the devil want to do a victory hoedown.

One way we love others is to show a kindly interest in them. If we’re serious about walking in love, the Holy Spirit will guide us in creative ways to be loving. “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:16, 22-23 NLT). These “things” enable  believers to love others, but Satan tries his best to rustle them from us. We have to stand our ground, keep the gates locked, guns loaded, and retain what’s rightfully ours.

The devil is lower than a snake’s belly and his main job is to steal, kill, and destroy us in  spirit, soul, and body (Ref. John 10:10). We must take authority over the enemy in the name of Jesus and stand firmly on the Word of God.  Believers have what it takes to love others. We just need to put it to use and start loving on people — because our testimony depends on it! That’s who we are, that’s what we do, and love is our invisible brand.

Love is what sets Christ followers apart from the rest of the world. I don’t want the chuck wagon of my heart to be cold and empty. I want a heart that’s so branding-iron hot with God’s love that I can’t keep it to myself. There’s acres of lost, hurting, and lonely people searching for love, hoping someone will get off their cutting horse and tend to them.

In my Bible, the following scriptures are under the heading of “Loving One Another:” “…God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world” (1 John 4:16-17 NLT). When we live like Jesus, we love like Jesus.

The Key: We’re branded and equipped to love, so let’s get out on the range and do it.

Debt

I am optimistic about the future of our nation, but I don’t see a way we can ascend to the next level of prosperity without significant economic pain.  The measures taken by national, state and local governments to climb out of the Great Recession of 2008 and the recent pandemic have been unprecedented in the history of our nation and no one has a playbook to return us to fiscal sanity.  Consider these three facts: In June, the national debt has climbed to $30.5 trillion, the Federal Reserve Bank, under the moniker of “quantitative easing,” has purchased $8.97 trillion in treasury securities by printing new money, and interest rates have been held below the rate of inflation for years, helping to give rise to the recent price run-up.

What does this all mean? Considering the national debt, the annual interest on $30.5 trillion debt paid in 2021 was 1.50%, totaling about $459 billion.  We know that in 2022 rates have increased substantially, with more promised rate increases to come.  If the 2022 average rate is 3.00% and the debt does not increase, the public will pay $918 billion in interest.  For context, The United States (“US”) tax revenue was $4.05 trillion in 2021, meaning interest on the national debt would consume about 22.7% of every tax dollar we pay.

At what average interest rate on US debt does debt service equal tax revenue?  The answer is 13.2%, which does not seem out of the question to a banker who started his career in 1979. On January 1, 1981, the national Prime Rate hit an all-time high of 21.5%; at that rate, interest on the debt computes to $6.6 trillion, well above annual revenues.

If all these numbers were not depressing enough, we know that Social Security and pension funds around the country are woefully underfunded; that number stands at about $6 trillion in the 50 states.  Is Bourbon County behind on infrastructure repair and investment? We all know the answer to that question, but we do not know the cumulative number nationwide of all local jurisdictions.  The number has to be staggering.

It is not enough to curse the darkness, so what can we do?  Start with your own house and business and get your money affairs in order, starting with getting out of debt.  Second, get involved in your local governments, and be a positive voice for financial responsibility.  We have to prepare our own jurisdictions for what is coming.  Third, elect politicians who are committed to fiscal discipline. Responsible debt reduction is a long-term process.  I am not saying that we should forego any investments in progress; rather, we need to look for ways to consolidate administrative costs so that more dollars can be put into debt reduction and investments that are important to our future.

It seems incongruous that a banker would advocate debt-free businesses and personal financial statements, but banks do better when their clients do better.  Talk to your banker or accountant to help you devise and execute a plan for lower debt and economic prosperity in the future.  Our county depends upon it.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word, I put my hope.                                                                                                                            Psalm 130:5

My husband loves to drive through car lots, and when he does, I want to curl up on the floorboard, especially if I see salesmen strolling among the parked vehicles, excited to see a potential buyer.  They wave Dave down and ask if he wants something in particular. Dave explains that he is “just looking.”  Then the small talk begins.  Before I know it, Hubby is sitting in a truck we clearly cannot afford, and the salesperson is grinning.  Our conversation never wavers when we leave the dealership and start home.

“Dave, honey, you get their hopes up, and I feel sorry for them because we aren’t going to buy another car.”

“I give them someone to talk to, so they’re not bored.”

“They talk to you because they think you’re going to make them a commission.”

“Patty, what if they offer me a steal?”

“And when has that ever happened?”

Last week, we were in Henderson, Nevada, when Dave turned onto the freeway exit named “Auto Road.”  Car lot after car lot, we looked at every vehicle on display.  It makes no sense.

When we were first married, Dave worked as a car salesman in baseball’s off-season.  I made more money waitressing than he did selling used vehicles.  He knew what it was like to get his hopes up, only to have them dashed.  Hubby claims that salespeople are used to it.  They don’t take it personally.

I don’t buy that any more than I’m going to buy a new car.  There’s no fun in hoping for something, convincing ourselves there is a possibility we will get it, but then don’t.  A date.  A job.  A good doctor’s report.  A diet that works.  A souffle that doesn’t sink. A decent golf score. A yard without mushrooms. (Trust me, I know.)

But in reality, isn’t life all about hope?  Martin Luther preached, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” We place confidence in our future improving, yes, but the key is not that we hope, it is where we place our hope.  I don’t hope for 30 pounds to disappear overnight (okay, maybe I do, just a little) or for a Linkedin offer to join the rodeo (although, that too would be really cool).

Instead, I choose to put my hope in One who cannot fail. The only One who will not fail.  My favorite scripture was written by the prophet Jeremiah: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. That doesn’t mean that I know what that future will entail…which is probably a really, really good thing. It just means that whatever that future is, I trust that God is in the driver’s seat.

And I’m not cowering on the floorboard next to Him.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Dionne Warwick received her first Grammy Award in 1968 for her mega-hit, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose.”

As a child growing up in East Orange, New Jersey, she began singing in church. As a teenager, Dionne and her sister started their own gospel group, The Gospelaires. Later known as the artist who “bridged the gap,” Warwick’s soulful blend of gospel, pop, and R&B cut across race, culture, and musical boundaries.

Burt Bacharach and Hal David co-wrote the song and pitched it to Dionne, who didn‘t want to sing it, because she thought it was a silly song. But the two gentlemen talked her into recording it and she later giggled all the way to the bank. Warwick earned the nickname, “Princess of Pop,” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” became one of her most-successful international hits. After 54 years, this clever song title, catchy tune, and upbeat tempo still plays in my internal jukebox.

Whether it’s about a career choice, who to marry, which church to attend, or which route to travel on vacation, people all over the globe are wanting to know which direction to go. There’s four choices: up, down, or one side or the other. God will always lead believers up (forward). “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21 NIV). God’s powerful  direction for His children is always active, opening new ways forward.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites relied on a priest, judge, or prophet to give them directions. When Saul and his friend were searching for the lost donkeys and couldn‘t find them anywhere, the friend said, “…Behold, there is a man of God [Samuel] in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go” (1 Samuel 9:6 ESV).

New Testament believers have the Holy Spirit living inside us to tell us the way we should go. We’re never left to our own devices in decision making, but often we neglect to ask for direction. And sometimes when we receive it, we shrug off the Holy Spirit’s  promptings or ignore His  leadings — which is when we fall off the log. The Christian’s life is like walking on a log that’s laying across a creek. If we get distracted and lose our balance we’ll fall off. There’s also a chance of being knocked off by a tree branch we didn’t see, but the solution is still the same. Get back up on the log and go at it again. We’ll eventually get to the other side even though we’re wet and bruised up a bit.

Recently, I was watching someone sketch a property map and I was having trouble visualizing it. I asked an important question, “Which way is north?” With the answer, I was able to get my bearings and make sense of the map. The Holy Spirit is the believer’s internal compass who keeps us heading due north toward God. There’ll be a few bumpy detours, but keep following the map (Bible), listening to the GPS (Holy Spirit) and we’ll find our way up for every day. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27 NLT). Jesus clearly states that He knows us, He speaks to us, and then it’s our responsibility to listen to Him and follow (obey) Him. Jesus also said, “Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God“ (John 8:47 NLT).

The Key: Following the Holy Spirit’s direction will never take you the wrong way.

I have reported in earlier columns that Bourbon County and the other 16 counties that make up SEK are all shrinking; every one of us lost population between the 2010 and the 2020 census.  The final count for Bourbon County was an 813 person drop from 15,173 to 14,360, a 5.4% decrease.  Another way to think about it is that we lose about 81 people a year.

Who are these people?  Are we losing the rich or the poor, the young or the old, the employed or the unemployed?  These are important questions to answer, because those of us who want to stay are faced with an ever increasing tax burden, especially if those leaving are wage earners, property owners and those with a higher income.  Let’s take a look at what the numbers say:

The good news is that we are holding our own on percentage of young people, and the number of impoverished residents of our county declined significantly in the last 10 years; let’s hope they earned their way past the poverty line rather than moving away.  The trend that hurts is the drop in the number of working age adults, which is almost exactly the net number that moved away.  Yes, some of those people stayed here and account for much of the increase in the over 64 population (present company included), but either way, it means less wages earners paying taxes in Bourbon County.

How do these trends compare with the four counties around us?  I reported last week that we are the county with the lowest percentage of working age adults and the highest in average income.  Looking at 2019 poverty statistics, four of the five counties experienced declining poverty; Crawford was the exception with a slight increase.  Linn County has the lowest poverty rate by a wide margin at 12.0%; we are a distant second.  All five of the counties considered have a higher poverty rate than the State of Kansas as a whole.

Who cares about this?  Governments and businesses need this data for planning.  Site selectors from corporations considering another location find this information invaluable.  These are numbers that heavily influence decision-makers and have a large say in our future prosperity.

In the short run, schools need to plan for declining enrollment.  Governments need to consider that there are fewer taxpayers in their jurisdiction when they consider levies and spending.  Strategies need to be considered on a comprehensive basis as to how to reverse these trends.  Most importantly, those strategies need to be formulated and executed across jurisdictional lines.  Now is not the time for emotional parochialism.

We have many positives we can leverage.  We need to play economic development offense and administrative cost defense.  Let’s decide to put aside our petty differences and work together on solutions.

“You’re in our seats,” she said, not kindly.

She thought that Dave and I were sneaking into the nicer section at a minor league baseball game in Iowa, taking the more expensive seats that were rightfully hers.

She was right.

But it wasn’t completely our fault.  Our son coaches for the team, so he left us two passes for our tickets.  We were there last year and knew that family seats were behind home plate.  As we headed that direction, Dave looked at our tickets. The word “Bleacher” was stamped on the side.  Surely there was a mistake.  The bleachers are not regular seats.  They are cheap, crowded, aluminum platforms in the outfield.

We nabbed two empty seats in the handicapped section just before the rightful occupants asked us to move.  I texted Andy’s wife.  The same had happened to her, she said, and we were to “find the usher with the long hair” behind home plate; he would get us seats.  He advised that we sit a couple of seats away from the scouts in that section.  However, this night was “fireworks’ night, so it’s a sold-out crowd, so you might have to keep moving around.”

So not good!

Andy texted from the dugout that someone from upper management was in the scouts’ section and was excited to see Dave who had coached him years ago.  Soon they were engrossed in conversation.  I found an empty seat and prayed that I would not be publicly embarrassed by being told to move again.

Silly me.  No sooner did a family boot Dave from his seat than he joined me, and we had the same fate… not once, not twice, but three times.

For a little background, I get sick to my stomach when I inconvenience someone.  If an item doesn’t ring up at the checkout stand and people behind me are waiting.  If I’m two minutes late.  If I don’t press on the gas the second the light changes to green.  So, the thought of people having to deal with me taking their seats puts me in orbit.

Crowds are always sympathetic to the rightful seat occupants who have to kick out some freeloaders—us!—who are too cheap to pay for the better seats.

I wanted to scream, “My son is a hitting coach for this team, and there’s been a mistake,” but I knew that Dave would head for the parking lot if I did. So, we slinked out of the seats with some feeble apology.

By now, the aluminum seats were crammed, so we tried the indoor restaurant. That took a special ticket.  Maybe we could get a hotdog and stand by the dumpster and watch the game.

Bad idea.  The food line was 50-60 fans long. We headed to the parking lot.

Andy met us after the game.  “Dad,” he started, “because of your years in baseball, don’t you have a card that gives you VIP status at any ballpark in the country?”  Dave’s answer stunned me.  “I left it at home.” SAY WHAT?

All this time, we could have had the best seats in the house—perhaps even a suite—and Dave forgot to bring his benefit’s card?  Dave had earned that perk but didn’t use it.  The spiritual application should not go unnoticed.

In John 10:10b, Jesus promises something extraordinary: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Life to the full offers every awesome thing imaginable: joy, forgiveness, restoration, peace, healing–whatever we need.

If we are Christians, we are card-carrying members of God’s elite club. No one can kick us out.  So, why don’t we understand what has been offered us? Why don’t we claim what is rightfully ours?

God has offered us a suite.  Think about that the next time you are tempted to settle for the bleachers.