I recently watched the iconic movie, “Walk the Line” depicting the early life of Johnny Cash. His career was successfully moving along and he began receiving large amounts of fan mail from the incarcerated. In my opinion, the best scene of the movie is when Cash pitches his unheard-of idea to the music executives. He expresses his fervent desire to perform a live-concert recording at California’s maximum-security penitentiary. During this meeting, one of the top execs said to Cash, “Your fans are church folk, Johnny — they‘re Christians. They don‘t want to hear you singing to a bunch of murderers and rapists trying to cheer ‘em up!” Cash replies, “Well, they’re not Christians then.”

Cash was thinking outside the box and from his heart and the music executives weren’t.  But The Man in Black was too gutsy to be dissuaded so the execs cut a deal with him. The legendary prison concert on January 13, 1968, was uncharted territory but made music history anyway. The album, “At Folsom Prison” skyrocketed his career and was one of the most-popular recordings of all time. The album received enthusiastic reviews, hit #1 on the country charts, and was certified triple platinum in 2003. The popularity from the Folsom concert prompted ABC to give Johnny Cash his own television show, which was also a huge success. I’m pleased as punch that the Christians in 1968 proved the music executives to be wrong. And I want to believe that the Christians in 2022 are going out on a limb to prove that they love people from all walks of life.

Cash’s Folsom Prison story reaffirms the Word of God.  Jesus spoke to His disciples and the crowds at length and said, “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.‘ Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?‘ And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!‘” (Matthew 25:34-40 NLT).

Many times an unheard-of idea comes straight from the heart of God. And many times it’s met with boxed-in thinking and the dry-as-dust response: “We’ve never done it like that before, we don’t think it’ll work, and we don’t want to change it.” God is not locked into doing the same thing over and over again. “Behold, I will do a new thing…” (Isaiah 43:19 NKJV). As believers, we should want God to do a new thing in our hearts every day. Walking the line with God is not a humdrum experience! Our God is up to something new and good every day and we should live in unshakable expectation of His guidance and goodness. I challenge you to be gutsy and do what God has put on your heart. The world may consider it a harebrained and unheard-of idea, but what do they know, and who cares anyway?

The Key: Walk the line to avoid that burnin‘ ring of fire.

Business Trends

It is difficult for the average citizen to assess the relative health and growth of the Bourbon County business community because we do not have ready access to sales numbers of private businesses.  We tend to go by feel and whether or not our favorite stores are still open, but what does the data say?  Let us look at two counties in Southeast Kansas that are most comparable in size and complexion to Bourbon County: Neosho County and Allen County.

The simplest way to compare private business activity from county to county is to look at total payroll outlays.  Here is a seven year look at the three counties, ending is 2019, which is the last year available:

Dollars expressed with three zeros omitted.

Like Nevada, Missouri, Neosho County tends to rely upon a single large employer for their growth and future prosperity.  Although we do not have access to the gross sales of the one company, I suspect the lack of growth in Neosho County payroll is reflective of the relative success of the one company.

Allen County has a 2020 population base that is 1,834 less than Bourbon County, but much stronger payroll numbers.  Despite losing a higher percentage of their population over the last 10 years, their payroll growth kept pace with Bourbon County.  Much of this can be attributed to a larger geography draw for their employee base, as the competing cities in other counties are remote. Additionally, Iola draws from a wider geography for retail sales. Recently, a large Bourbon County employer chose Iola for their expansion over adding additional space in Fort Scott, presumably to tap into a new employment base.

It is encouraging that Bourbon County business continues to grow despite our population loss, and housing and infrastructure challenges.  We have a diverse group of strong, independent manufacturers and branch locations of major corporations that bodes well for our future.  We also have a solid group of local retailers and a growing traffic count along 69 Highway as the highway expansion continues, bringing more consumers through Bourbon County.

Our city and county governments continue to support the economic development efforts of Bourbon County REDI.  We are intently focused on health care and housing in order to retain our workforce, and give our employers a chance to attract more to facilitate their growth.  These efforts will be augmented by the launch of a Land Bank in our jurisdiction to deal with blighted properties, which has also garnered support from our government entities.  This will go a long way in helping the curb appeal of our communities and giving responsible owners of adjoining properties the respect they are due.

Of course, we are always on the lookout for new opportunities to introduce business investors to the overall quality of life that Bourbon County affords.  In the end, it is quality of life that business owners and their employees alike value most.

When Dave and I were first married, I found a couple of end tables at a garage sale and brought them home to restore them, stopping first at a lumber yard where an elderly man helped me buy the correct supplies.  Dave was away on a baseball road trip, so it was the perfect time for me to set up shop in our one-car garage and turn ugly into beautiful.

It was a painstaking process, and to this day it has given me an appreciation for people like Jim Sackett who find it rewarding to refurbish furniture for a living.  After sanding, I applied the stain.  Two coats of polyurethane later (I had to protect my treasures), they turned into a masterpiece.  Today, I would call them ugly and take them to the dump, but not then.

The night Dave returned—and not anticipating anything to be in his path in our garage—he drove in and ran right over them.  I heard the noise and thought we were being ransacked which, actually, would have made more sense, but no!  Dave simply did not pay attention and reduced my tables to splinters.  His excuse didn’t fly (even though his car obviously did): “Why should I expect anything to be in the middle of the garage in the middle of the night?”                                “Well, lucky for me I wasn’t standing there to greet you.  Would you have just plowed over me too?”

I don’t remember Dave’s response, but I’m pretty sure it was NOT an apology.

Since then, only a few other times have I attempted to restore something.  This past week, I tried to restore the bottoms of my pots and pans. After soaking them in Google’s suggested homemade paste for several hours, not one stain came out. For some reason, what looks so simple…well, isn’t.

Of course, furniture is not the only thing needing restoration. Laptops, old photographs, leather boots, broken bones, friendships and marriages, to name a few, sometimes need repair.   Then, there are Christians.  Yes, Christians.  Even they occasionally need a little help, and lucky for us, God’s the best in the business at making the old look new.

The word “restore” appears 136 times throughout the books of the Bible. King David simplified things in Psalm 23:3: He (God) restores my soul.                                                           

Do you ever need your soul restored?  I sure do.  Like now.  A Christian couple is upset with me, and I fight the need to act ugly right back. I mean, where is their love, the one thing that’s supposed to set us apart from non-believers?  What about walking the talk?

So, I take it to God—albeit reluctantly—who reminds me that I need to ask those two questions of myself.  Where is my love?  Am I walking the talk?  If so, I would not be fighting the desire to tell this couple how they aren’t acting very Christ-like and demand an apology. Surely there’s a scripture entitling me to do so…somewhere.

But of course, there isn’t.  Instead, I find Romans 12:21: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. In other words, I need to turn my ugly into beautiful. I need to allow God to restore what He knows needs a little help.

Lucky for me, no polyurethane required.

Keys to the Kingdom

Very early one morning I awakened about 1:00 a.m. and began thinking. In the midst of my random thoughts, I heard in my heart, “Stay the course.“ Those three words came out of nowhere and they didn’t correlate with anything I was thinking. I realized God was answering the question I’d presented to Him the previous day. I had basically asked, “What am I supposed to do?” in regard to a certain personal situation.

I had no idea there was such a detailed definition for the small word “stay,” which means:   (1) to continue in the place or condition specified (2) to live; dwell (3) to continue; last  (4) to remain to the end of, to be able to last through. The definition for “course” is: (1) onward movement; progress (2) the direction taken (3) a regular manner of procedure or conduct  (wisest course). So God’s answer was: I am to continue to live my remaining time making spiritual progress, in the wisest course, in order to successfully finish my race.

My normal daily routine is to get up, start the coffee, and lay out my Bible and devotional books on the kitchen table. In my pajamas, I sit at the table and have coffee with my heavenly Father and He talks to me through His written Word. I come into His presence with awe and thanksgiving for the privilege of calling Him my Savior, Friend, Provider, Healer, Counselor, and Sustainer. God’s love is everything to me and He deserves the best and first part of my day. My training time spent in the kitchen lets the devil know whose side I’m on, plus it quenches my thirst as I run my course steady on.

I once heard a message about doing things that were not classified as sin, but they didn’t help us — they didn’t do us any good. The apostle Paul teaches on this subject: “All things are legitimate (permissible), [and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life] (1 Corinthians 10:23 AMP). When an individual is walking on life’s tightrope, there’s a fine line regarding balance too. “Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour” (1 Peter 5:8 AMP). I determined a long time ago that I was not going to be hors d’oeuvres for the devil. He’s gonna have to eat his lunch all by himself.  

God will meet us where we are spiritually and His grace and love will transform us step by step. Although our entire being is important, Paul said that our inner life is the most important. “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are [our inner being is] being renewed every day” (2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT). Believers have to get off the starting block and “devour God’s Word” every day so our minds and spirits can be renewed. It’s not an automatic process, otherwise it wouldn’t matter if we gave up.

Christ followers are to stay the course to the end of their race. Paul said, “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:6,7 NLT). One day we can all say that — if we’ve lived a well balanced, vigilant, cautious, and obedient life.

The Key: I started out walkin’ but I’m runnin’ my last mile Home.

More Government

It is a commonly held belief amongst 21^st Century Americans that people are basically good, but the facts on the ground deny that assumption.  No one would dispute that a child not only needs help with the activities of daily living, but also needs consistent guidance in order to successfully transition into productive adulthood.  Our various levels of government are necessary to maintain a civil society; otherwise, we would devolve into chaos.

Statistically, we have much more government involvement in our lives since I was born in the 1950’s.  Government spending is a much higher percentage of Gross National Product, and many huge government agencies at all levels have come into existence since my youth.  There were no “Great Society” programs, no Medicare, no Obama Care, and six Presidential Cabinet level positions have been created: Housing and Urban Development, Education, Transportation, Energy, Veteran Affairs and Homeland Security.  Federal tax rates on families in 1960 were 3% on the first $4,800.00 earned.  Now, Social Security and Medicare taxes alone are more than double that, even before any income taxes are collected.

Why has government exploded with growth?  Let me propose two main causes: first, the moral decline of Americans necessitating more government intervention in our lives. As noted by John Adams, “Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” I believe recent trends are proving his point.

One does not have to dive too deeply into the statistics to document the moral decline of America, most notably crime rates, divorce, unwanted pregnancies, drug dependence, etc., have skyrocketed.  That is not to say we were without sin in the 1950’s, based on the evils of racism alone in the form of segregation, prohibitions on mixed race marriages, Jim Crow laws and the like.  But generally, Americans were more personally productive and tended to respect authority.

Secondly, our universities have popularized socialistic economic theories, such as that of John Maynard Keynes.  In the 1970’s when I was studying economics, the theories of John Adams and Milton Freidman ruled the day; we studied Keynes as a novelty.  In the 21^st Century, governments at all levels have followed the Keynesian trend of greater reliance on government intervention.

In response to this rise of social disorder, it seems that modern economic theories have attempted to create societal solutions to the consequences of our moral malaise, so far without success.  In fact, the jurisdictions where modern theories have been applied to the highest degree have experienced rising crime and higher rates of individual pain as measured by previously mentioned trends.  The “Great Society” programs were launched nearly 60 years ago, and after billions of dollars of spending, the percentage of Americans living below the poverty line has remained virtually unchanged.

If we have learned anything from the dramatic growth of government during my lifetime, it should be that more government is not the answer to our problems; not Federal, not state, not local.  Until the people of this nation begin to realize the importance of the basic fundamentals of two parent households, steady loving discipline of our children, and ample investment of parents’ time and money in the education of our next generation, we will continue to struggle economically and socially, both in metropolitan areas, and rural communities like Bourbon County.

“Every cloud has a silver lining.”  John Milton

Nice thought, but sometimes you have to look pretty hard for that lining.  Take last week, when Dave and I decided to take our tandem kayak on an early morning, fun excursion around the lake. We had not kayaked for three years, so we went over our check list several times.

Look at the weather report.  Check

Key to unlock the padlock that connected the kayak to our dock.  Check

Waterproof case for my phone.  Check

Pedaling flippers for navigation. Check

Oars.  Check.

Seats that attach to the kayak frame.  Check

Life jackets.  Check

Fishing pole and lure. Check

Let the fun begin.

And it would have, were we 30 years old, but 70+ year old knees do not bend well, so just trying to lower ourselves from our dock into the kayak was not an exhibition of athleticism. After pushing off, we began circling.  Yes, circling.  Something was wrong with the toggle that operated the rudder that allowed us to go straight or turn.

“My arm really hurts when I reach behind me like this,” Hubby said, trying to jiggle the wires that support the rudder. Perhaps we really are too old for this activity, I told myself.

While circling, I realized that I had left my phone on shore, but since I didn’t really need it (unless, of course, there was an emergency and I had to call 9-1-1 which always is a possibility), we would go without.  Every time Dave leaned backwards to correct that rudder-thingy, he would groan. Perhaps I would need that phone after all.

Once Dave fixed the rudder, we took off…just not for long.  “I forgot my fishing pole,” said you-know-who.  After returning to the dock to retrieve his pole, I was instructed to peddle and operate the rudder with a hand toggle.  Dave would peddle and catch fish.

“Stop peddling,” said Captain Dave, not long after taking off.  “I’ve caught a fish.”  Only it wasn’t a fish.  The lure had snagged something at the bottom of the lake.  The next snag was an actual fish, but when Dave tried to remove the lure from its mouth, he cut his finger on the barb.  “I’m bleeding,” he said.  His injuries were mounting.

When the clouds rolled in, covering what had been a clear sky, we were at the other end of the lake.  Our fastest peddling could not outrun the downpour, so at the end of our “fun” excursion, we were drenched.  Walking uphill from our dock to our house, I was groaning, but Dave saved the day with this comment: “Well, at least you won’t have to water the grass.”

Is that the best? Little had gone the way we had planned, even with our check list, but none of this was a big deal.  I mean, maybe we were wet and bleeding and our bones hurt, but so what, right?

Dave’s comment helped me help my attitude. I needed to look for that silver lining.  I needed to know Who is in charge of my day. I needed a Proverbs 17:22 adjustment: A joyful heart is good medicine…                                                                                                                                    I’ll take that over a 9-1-1 call any day.                                                                                              

Keys to the Kingdom

When I was in grade school, the playground equipment eventually became boring, so my best friend and I decided to spice up recess by concocting our own game. We didn’t give it a name, but it could have been called “Blind Trust.“ With my eyes closed, Jonita would lead me around the playground. Then we would switch roles. It was a simple game with only two rules: 1) eyes had to stay completely shut; 2) leader promised not to guide the other into a tree, rock wall, ditch, etc. We had a solemn understanding that when either of us said, “I promise,” we could be at peace and trust that the other one would faithfully keep her word…no matter what. Before I began writing this lede, I shot Jonita a text and asked if she remembered playing this game. She responded, “Yes I do, it required trust.“

The definition of blind: unable to see, lacking awareness, or impossible to see around.     The definition of trust: firm belief in the reliability, ability, or strength of someone or something. Because I couldn’t see, I had to completely trust Jonita to lead me safely through the obstacles on the playground. God is our faithful and trustworthy Leader and He’s promised in His Word that He won’t run us into a tree just for laughs. Sometimes we believers have trouble with our trust. We say we trust God, but are we really believing and acting like it? Or is that just something clever that’s printed on our money?

We put our trust in a lot of things during our lifetime. When our family vacationed in  Memphis, TN, I trusted that the bridge stretching across the muddy Mississippi wouldn‘t collapse as we drove across it. God’s Word makes it so clear that He can be completely trusted. Aunt Charlene inspired me to choose a purposeful word for 2022, because that’s something she’s done for a few years. She believes it helps you to focus and develop that particular word in your life. After a bit of soul-searching, I chose “trust” for my word. “I trust in God at all times. I pour out my heart before Him; God is a refuge for me” (Psalm 62:8).

Sometimes life’s road takes an unexpected bumpy detour and we’re unable to clearly see what’s ahead. Sometimes we can’t see around the blind corner so we have to slow down and proceed patiently. Going through challenges and troubles is when believers either achieve spiritual growth or commit spiritual suicide. The choice to trust or not trust is completely up to your own heart. “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise” (Hebrews 10:23 NLT).

As long as we don’t throw in the towel, totally trusting God will eventually banish fear and anxiety. “See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; He has given me victory” (Isaiah 12:2 NLT). If we’re afraid, perhaps we’re reserving some of our trust to someone or something else. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock” (Isaiah 26:3,4 NLT). If I’m experiencing anxiety instead of peace, I need to figure out what’s wrong with my trust and my thoughts and then make the obligatory changes. Since it’s “my bad,”  I must line up with His Word so I can receive the perfect peace He‘s promised.

The Key:  Fully trust God to always know how to take care of everyone and everything.

I have written in previous columns that the population of every Southeast Kansas County declined between the 2010 and 2020 census; it was the first decade that Crawford County joined their regional neighbors to make bad news unanimous.  Along with the population drop has come a steep decline in the number of housing units in Bourbon County from the peak in 1980; this is a real problem.  It just makes sense that we cannot attract new businesses, or even significant business expansions by our existing employers, if we do not have quality, affordable housing in which to welcome new workers.

How bad is the problem?  It appears that the 1970’s was the golden decade for housing in Bourbon County, as the 1980 population stood at 15,969 residents living in an all-time high of 7,194 housing units. By the 2020 census, the count was 14,360 people which is a 10.1% drop. Housing dropped as well, falling to 6,770 units, a loss of 424.  Most of that drop occurred between 2010 and 2020.  Demolition crews must have been busy during the decade.

Other Southeast Kansas counties have experienced a similar stress in their housing markets; the exception is Crawford County, who continues to add to their housing inventory in every decade since 1990.  Linn County experienced robust growth in the number of houses in the county every decade until peaking at 5,446 in 2010, when their population was 9,656.  In the next 10 years, they lost only 65 people, but nearly 400 houses.

The most telling statistics for Bourbon County is the lack of housing starts in recent years and current rental vacancy data.  In the four years beginning in 2017, Bourbon County issued 11 building permits for a total value of $1.16 million.  Over the same period, Allen County, with a total 2020 population of 1,834 less than Bourbon County, issued 49 building permits totaling $7.12 million; not an insignificant difference.  To continue the comparison, both Allen County and Bourbon County have about 29% of their housing units dedicated to rental.  Over the last five years, our vacancy rate has averaged 15.1%; Allen County is at 12.5%.  Given the high demand for quality rental properties, we must have many unrentable units that need attention.  We need to explore the cause of high rental vacancy while rental demand appears to be high.

The Southeast Kansas model county in the area of housing is Linn County.  In the four year period previously discussed, the county issued 205 building permits with a value of $23.04 million.  Their rental vacancy is almost half of ours at 8.5%.  Clearly they are doing something right.  My instinct tells me they are leveraging their water amenities effectively.

We need to swallow our pride and take a closer look at why Southeast Kansas counties, including Allen, Anderson, Cherokee, Crawford, Linn, Neosho and even tiny Woodson County can attract new housing and we can’t seem to get the job done.  We also need to understand why we have the highest vacancy rate of rental houses in the region.  Then we need to work together to solve the problems.