For six days Dave and I had driven our mini-van in Mexico and never noticed that our floor mats were not ours.  These were thin and shredded in spots—clearly not the nice, thick ones we had paid extra for when we purchased the vehicle four years ago.

The only explanation was they had been replaced at the car wash—one we frequent regularly—the previous week.  Dave had gone alone and had sat outside under an umbrella while attendants dried our car.  When he checked their work, he noticed the shiny dashboard and nice buffing job on the car’s exterior but paid no attention to the floor.

Predictably, Hubby relied on his “I speaka no Spanish” excuse. “We need to go back there, Patty,” he said, “and you need to tell them that they gave us the wrong floor mats.”  Thanks to Google translate, that was no problema.  I explained to the manager what had happened.  He took our floor mats, walked to the back of the store and returned with others we didn’t recognize.  I understood a few words like “tomorrow” and “10:00” and “check the cameras,” so the next morning, I drove back to the carwash.  This time I was told to wait until Gabriel, a senior manager, met me there.  Perhaps he and I would look at the cameras together?

Gabriel spoke little English, but when I questioned the cameras, he said—at least, I think he said—that the security company had the code to view the tapes, and it was impossible to reach the people who worked there.  Hmmm.  He asked to look inside my mini-van. Since they had failed to remove the mat in the trunk of our vehicle, he could see the quality of the ones we were missing.  He assured me that there were three stores in Mazatlán that “probably” carried them.

They didn’t, but Gabriel’s subsequent text was a pleasant surprise.  If I came by the car wash at noon the next day, they would give me $140 in U.S. dollars.  I told Dave that he needed to go with me because I probably was going to be abducted and tortured, but he told me that he had confidence I could handle myself just fine.                                                                                       I mean, how sweet is that?

The fact that I am writing this article tells you nothing happened to me.  I drove up, the manager handed me the cash, apologized, and I drove home.  When I shared my story with a girlfriend who lives in Mazatlán, she said that the same thing happened to her husband on three different occasions. Three times?  I mean, one time was enough.  Never again will I get into my vehicle at a car wash without looking at my floor mats…and after reading this article, you probably won’t either.

Not a life-and-death matter, of course, and this one was resolved, but it reminded me of another area where I take things for granted…and sometimes not even three times is sufficient to get my attention.  In Hebrews 2:1, Paul warns us of such danger: We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Paul is not talking to those who never accept Jesus as their Lord; he is talking to Christians who don’t learn their lesson the first time and heed the little things that then cause them problems.

One Sunday on the golf course instead of at church turns into weekends of buddy- time. One time talking behind the boss’s back starts a rumor mill that won’t be stopped.   One peek at a porn sight leads to an addiction that ruins a marriage. One excuse after another finding no time to read the Bible or talk with God causes a faith to back-slide

Not paying attention to floor mats is not the end of the world.  Not paying attention to our faith, however?  That’s an entirely different story.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

 

 

“The farmer had to tow his tractor out of the field because it died and that’s all she wrote.” We’ve heard this colloquialism many times. Our life can be compared to the pooped-out tractor — one minute it’s running and the next it’s not. Our days on earth are numbered and we don’t know the day nor hour of our last breath. When the heart stops beating, “that’s all she wrote” because life is all over, completely finished, done for.

 

I’ve heard, “Never put off ‘til tomorrow what you can do today.”  I’ve also heard, “Never do today what you can put off ‘til tomorrow.“ The problem with procrastination is there’s  no assurance we’ll even have a tomorrow. Bill and Gloria Gaither composed the  contemplative song, “We Have This Moment.” Some of the lyrics are: “Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come, but we have this moment today.” All we have is right now — that’s it! We need to make sure we live our moments carefully and wisely. “People have to die once. After that, God will judge them” (Hebrews 9:27 NIRV).

 

When eternity knocks on your door, whatever you’re doing at that moment will be the last thing you ever do on this earth. So if you put off something that you fully intend to do, it will be too late to git ’er done when you’re dead. Believers should never practice procrastination as a usual way of life. “So if you know of an opportunity to do the right thing today, yet you refrain from doing it, you’re guilty of sin” (James 4:17 TPT).

 

There’s no guarantee of another day or opportunity to make things right with someone we have a grievance against. Today is the day to offer the apology, forgive the offender, pay the debt, say the compliment, own the blame, show love, extend mercy, etc. Don’t withhold blessing someone when it’s in your power to do so. Procrastination is often associated with depression, guilt, and regret. You certainly don’t need that baggage weighing you down, so make the decision not to procrastinate so you can live regret-free.

 

In 2004, Tim McGraw released the song “Live Like You Were Dying.“ Penned by Nashville songwriters Craig Wiseman and Tim Nichols, it was a tribute to McGraw’s father who had recently died. The song skyrocketed to #1 for seven weeks and caused people to take a long hard look at how they were living their lives. The storyline involves Tim asking his father what it’s like to live knowing he doesn’t have much time left. “And he said, ‘Some day I hope you get the chance to live like you were dyin’. …I loved deeper, and I spoke sweeter, and I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin’.” These lyrics are powerfully  biblical. “Get along with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13 NCV).

 

This column is not about dying, it’s about living to the hilt. It’s about not procrastinating in doing what you know to do. It’s about living and dying without any regrets. It’s not about living life perfectly, but rather living life with a perfect heart of love. By the way, the 1970 movie quote, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” is a bunch of baloney. If one of your kids beats his sister over the head with a leg of lamb, you make him say, “I’m sorry.“ It’s simply the right thing to do. We must learn to say, “I’m sorry” and “I love you” because it’s a life-changing moment that will set you free.     

 

The Key: Today is the day to love deeper, speak sweeter, and forgive unconditionally.

 

Economic development is more than promoting traditional business activity.  It includes developing community partners that can take action as a coalition that the individual partners would not be able to accomplish by themselves.  The economic viability of a jurisdiction is enhanced by these efforts which build a spirit of unity and cooperation that can be leveraged well into the future.  These joint actions build trust, which is the real essence of any economic transaction.

 

Case in point is the recent community effort to welcome three Afghan families containing 19 members into our community.  The parents are real heroes, having supported the United States Special Forces as translators and logistics specialists over the last two decades.  They had to flee their homeland last year as the Taliban swept into Kabul when US forces were leaving, hunting for men and women who had supported our military, often executing them on the spot.  These men and women risked their lives every day for our country and paid the price by suffering numerous war injuries and ultimately losing their homes and all their possessions.  A local foundation sponsored their relocation to Fort Scott.

 

Beginning with our school district and spreading to local businesses, charities and individuals, our community has gone out of their way to make them feel welcomed.  People have raised money and donated household goods to furnish three rental homes purchased by a local foundation.  Clothing, food items, gift cards and numerous acts of service, such as rides to stores and doctor’s appointments have all served to make their transition easier.  A local business has agreed to hire all of them who want to work.  These families have nothing but great things to say about our country and our community.  They have expressed to me their sincere gratitude over the generosity of our people, most of whom they have never met.

 

The most recent act of community spirit took place when one of the Afghans got his Kansas driver’s license.  Local churches stepped up, including one which closed several years ago, and raised 100% of the money to purchase a minivan to help provide transportation for the group and relieve the many Bourbon County citizens that had volunteered to drive them to needed destinations.  A local car dealer generously agreed to sell the vehicle at substantial discount.  Local insurance companies worked to get them the best rates.  Currently, another vehicle purchase is in motion made possible through the donation of a Kansas City area charity, a local foundation, and the same local car dealer.

 

These outstanding efforts were coordinated and executed by men and women in their roles with the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation and Bourbon County REDI.  These organizations were formed to create the kind of coalitions that have been put together over the past several months to support these new members of our community.  If you see our Afghan neighbors around town, go out of your way to join this coalition and welcome them to our home.  They would enjoy meeting you.

With $500 pesos ($25) tucked inside my pocket, I started the two-mile walk to Looney Bean, a famous coffee shop here in Mazatlán, to buy carrot muffins for friends who were arriving that day.  The walk is a pleasant one since a new bike trail has been built in the large median separating the four lanes of traffic.

About half way there, I noticed a young woman on the other side of the road, picking up sticks and dead grass and placing it all in plastic bags.  A few yards away from me in the median, a child’s bike rested against a tree, and since someone recently asked me if I had seen a tree bed in the branches of one of the large trees, I assumed this might be the spot.  Nearing the tree, I looked up and saw a makeshift, camouflage tent nestled in the leaves and balanced on a branch. I took the picture that you see here.

God was preparing an experience I never expected.  Then again, He usually does.

I arrived at Looney Bean and found their sweets’ display case empty.  When I asked the waiter for carrot muffins, he politely said that they wouldn’t be ready “for hours” but he had no idea how many hours. Not typical for this popular tourist spot.

Walking back on the path, I neared “the tree” and spotted that same woman I had seen earlier.  This time, she stood under the tent, staring up at it.  I grabbed my phone and videoed her, and without her seeing me, she raised her arm and pointed straight up.  She remained frozen in that position while I continued moving closer.  I stopped the video as I passed her.

Continuing to look back and noticing her in that same stance, I walked about 20 yards before feeling a definite God-tug to return to the lady at the tree.  Reversing my steps and staying on the bike trail, I stood adjacent to where she stared upward.

“Senora,” I said.  She didn’t move.  I repeated “Senora” louder, and she turned to look at me.  She was delicate, maybe 30 years old, with kind eyes.  In Spanish, I asked her name (which, of course, I immediately forgot). Then I said, “Estás bonita” (“You are beautiful.”)  Her smile was gentle and sincere.

Reaching into my pocket, I handed her the carrot-muffin pesos and said, “Dios le bendiga” (“God bless you”).  She seemed surprised to be given the money.  “Gracias,” she answered genuinely, and I walked home.

I cannot get her out of my mind. What led this woman to this life?  Did she choose this tree because our area of Mazatlán is safe? Or because she is near the beach where she can bathe?  Or simply because the tree is always lush with leaves, unlike many of the others surrounding it at this time of year?

Later that day I drove back to Looney Bean and saw my new amiga sitting on a board under her tree, eating.  I smiled, realizing that God somehow had made sure I didn’t put my money where my mouth was but instead gave someone else the chance to do the same.

There are times when silence is golden and times when it’s actually annoying. When I’m making personal preparations to go somewhere (because I don’t want to look like I just crawled out from under a rock), I listen to a Christian speaker or music. It gives me something to think about as I overhaul my face and hair. It takes me longer to paint the barn and tidy up the haystack than it did when I was 22. Anyway, the other day, I was listening to an a cappella bluegrass arrangement by Bob Lovett and Red Letter Edition that really grabbed my attention.

 

The song, “Less of Me,” written and recorded by Glen Campbell in 1967, is a great two-minute sermon of downright truth. Partial lyrics are: “Let me be a little kinder, let me be a little blinder to the faults of those about me. Let me praise a little more. Let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery. Think a little more of others and a little less of me. Let me be a little braver when temptation bids me waver. Let me strive a little harder to be all that I should be. Let me be a little meeker with the brother who is weaker. Let me think more of my neighbor and a little less of me.” I’m no psychologist, but I’m thinking if everyone would live by this philosophy we could solve half of the world’s problems.

 

The prevalent “What about me?” syndrome should be treated like a gunnysack full of rattlesnakes. Run from it as fast as your legs can carry you! John the Baptist was speaking of Jesus when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30 NKJV).  Magnifying ourselves is a miserable way to live because it’s flat-out selfishness and that will never bring satisfaction or happiness.

 

Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29 MEV). Believers want to be like Jesus, but I’m not sure droves of us are interested in seeking a lifestyle of meekness. The word itself is generally misunderstood. Meekness is not weakness, it’s a strength. Jesus is the greatest person who ever lived on earth and He exemplified meekness. A weak person can’t do anything, but a meek person can do something (like spew insults), but chooses to refrain from doing so. Meekness is power under self-control.

 

If Christ followers are going to be a people after God’s own heart, we must be meeker with those who are weaker. Thinking less of ourselves and putting into practice patient endurance of offenses and self-restraint isn’t an easy pill to swallow. Displaying a gentle, humble, and merciful attitude toward others doesn‘t always come naturally. To be meek and lowly in heart is a decision to depend on Jesus to help us live it out. It’s also a decision to be submissive and obedient to God, which includes loving others as Jesus has loved us. (Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.)

 

Few people would stand in line to buy a book entitled, “How to be Meek.” Yet Jesus tells us to learn from Him regarding this underrated attribute. Actually, we already own the Best Book on meekness. “Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs” (Proverbs 19:11 NLT). It’s not a good idea to speed-read the verses where Jesus tells us how to live our lives.    

 

The Key: Think less of yourself, run from snakes, and do more for others for Jesus‘ sake.

 

When thinking about economic development, one has to put themselves in the mindset of site selectors and those local businesses that are considering expansion.  One of the critical factors often evaluated in this process is traffic counts; a business that relies on local clients has to be visible and accessible.  Also, in my role as a banker, I help clients evaluate potential locations, often looking at current and historical traffic count data provided by Kansas Department of Transportation (“KDOT”) to help us make decisions.  In addition to economic development, traffic count information can be helpful to governments in determining where to invest public works dollars.

 

I have spent a significant amount of time evaluating Fort Scott numbers issued by KDOT and have discovered some interesting trends when comparing 2010 data to that of 2019 (the latest available).  The numbers have to be put in context of what I know about construction projects and events that may have rerouted traffic temporarily.  One also has to look at population trends, which we know have fallen in Fort Scott over the time period considered.

 

Some observations:

• As one might expect, local streets have experienced a decline in numbers when 2019 data is compared to 2010. The major streets that I considered dropped an average of 8.97%.
• Local streets on the West side of 69 Highway generally saw a larger decline in traffic counts than that of the East side. One might conclude that the population loss we have experienced has disproportionately impacted the West side of town.
• State highway traffic counts, except 54 Highway west of 69 Highway, have steadily risen. The average change over the nine years was 2.77%; knowing that there are fewer Bourbon County residents on the highways, this can only mean that we have more nonresidents driving through our area or coming here for work.
• Only two local streets experienced significant increases in traffic: Indian Road west of 215^th Street and Jayhawk Road east of Liberty Bell Road.  I surmise that increased activity at Lake Fort Scott and ReproLogix, along with more people driving in from Missouri to work in Bourbon County account for those exceptions.  Estimates are that about 1,000 employees in the county commute from another jurisdiction.
• Sales tax collections have steadily increased, which would seem to indicate that more nonresidents are spending money in Bourbon County.

 

The good news is that the two major state highways continue to increase in traffic count, bringing more people through Bourbon County.  This is an opportunity that can be exploited.  It is a safe assumption that the completion of the widening of 69 Highway all the way into Pittsburg will perpetuate that trend and continue to help us with sales tax collection.

 

Bourbon County REDI will continue to focus on data that can help our businesses strategize and make us more attractive to new prospects.  We have a much better chance of economic success by staying informed as a community.

Keys to the Kingdom

 

One of my early memories as a young girl is going to the laundrymat with my Mom. I don’t recall actually helping much, but I watched. I think I subconsciously absorbed a lot of important lessons on how to sort dirty laundry and fold clean laundry. I noticed that some of the ladies folded their towels differently from my Mom and I scratched my head over that. The sorting process was very important if you cared a hoot about the outcome later. Our Sunday-go-to-meetin’ clothes were never washed with Dad’s horse-riding blue jeans. Through the years, I’ve ruined a few items by not properly sorting them before tossing them into the washer. I knew better, but decided to take a risk and do it anyway. Sloppy sorting always comes back to bite me and it’s never worth the gamble.

 

There’s a lot of brilliant people designing catchy home décor. I bought my daughter a wall hanging that reads, “Laundry today or naked tomorrow.” Although I didn’t buy it, I saw another one I especially liked that read, “Sorting out life one load at a time.“ God is the Master Designer of the Universe and He didn’t create any of us to be spiritually sloppy. We sort out our laundry, so we ought to sort out our lives too. Anything the devil throws into our laundry hamper must be tossed out immediately. Believers need to reevaluate what we’re doing with our lives to see if we’re measuring up to God’s way of being and doing. How we sort today affects the outcome of our life tomorrow.

 

“Let’s take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus’ name” (Hebrews 13:15 MSG). Believers are to constantly offer up to God a sacrifice of praise. God doesn’t require us to offer the sacrifice of an animal (burnt offering) anymore. Jesus took care of the sin sacrifice once and for all. God petitions our praise which is thankfully acknowledging who He is and bringing glory and honor to His name.

 

All believers are walking-talking billboards. It costs money to advertise something on a billboard, so there’s a type of sacrifice (or cost) to living a holy life for God. What exactly are we advertising with our daily lives? Are we sorting out the rotten from the excellent and bearing good fruit? It’s not totally about how we act or respond during the church gathering. It’s how we conduct ourselves on our jobs, at the grocery store, restaurant, post office, court house, gas station, family reunions, etc. Everywhere we go, we’re advertising that we’re either good or bad at sorting out life.

 

God’s Word is the best laundry-sorting manual. His Word is tried and true and can be completely trusted. On the other hand, Satan can’t be trusted any further than you can throw him down the laundry chute. He only knows how to deceive, lie, steal, kill, and destroy your life. Anything he has to offer is ripped, stained, and not your size no matter how you try to put it on.

 

When believers offer our lives as a living sacrifice to God because we truly love Him, we bring him the honor and glory He deserves. Our sacrifice of holy living and praise is our testimony of Who God is. It’s worth the cost and there’s no gamble involved.

 

The Key: Believers live one day at a time and sort life’s laundry one load at a time.

 

I had little exposure to the academic discipline of economics before college, and I suspect that is case with most individuals today, given the opinions and ideas put forth by politicians and the public alike.  Accordingly, here are seven quotes by experts that contain timeless economic truths as a reminder of who we are, and from whence we came:

 

1)      “Capitalism is a system that begins not with taking but with giving to others.”  George Gilder.  The business person makes money by giving the consumer a product or service that they need or like; socialism begins by taking resources from the citizenry.

 

2)      “Nothing contributes so much to the prosperity and happiness of a country as high profits.” David Ricardo.  Prosperous businesses create a higher tax base, more research and development, better services, abundant charity, a better quality of life, and culminates in greater happiness for more people.

 

3)      “Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state.  They forget that the state lives at the expense of everyone.”  Frederic Bastiat.  Government has no money; the money they spend is by confiscation or debt.  Who spends the money more efficiently, the people who earned it, or the people who took it?

 

4)      “Differences in habits and attitudes are differences in human capital, just as much as differences in knowledge and skills – and such differences create differences in economic outcomes.”  Thomas Sowell.  No amount of income redistribution can create equality of outcomes; it only creates resentment.  Equal opportunity should be the goal.

 

5)      “If history could teach us anything, it would be that private property is inextricably linked with civilization.” Ludwig Von Mises.  The ownership of private property ensures dignity and freedom, not greed.  Who is greedier, the one who earns money to buy, or the one who confiscates it?

 

6)      “The free market system is not a system; it is not something that Washington implements.  It does not exist in any legislation, law, bill, regulation, or book.  It is what you get when people act on their own, entirely without central direction, and with their own property.” Jeffrey Tucker.  Nobody invented capitalism.  It is natural result of people’s desire to live in community and provide for their basic human needs.

 

 

7)      “Under capitalism, man oppresses man, but under socialism, it is the other way around.” Russ Roberts.  Humans make bad choices.  No system of government or economics can change that.

 

These quotes were compiled by Prager University (www.prageru.com); the editorial comments are mine.  Prager University is not an accredited university, but a not-for-profit information website with contributions by Democrats, Republicans, Independents and people from many religions and races.  Their five minute videos can also be found on YouTube.

 

Bottom line: our society functions better when free people work for profit by serving the needs and wants of others.  Additionally, society functions better when free people keep themselves informed.  These principles created the greatest economic engine in human history; let’s not lose it due to our own ignorance.

 

 

Proverbs 2:2-5: … making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; … if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.                                                                                                                                                                                         

At my granddaughter-in-law’s baby shower, Sonya joined us at our table.  We introduced ourselves and asked how she knew the mother-to-be. She was an open book, energetic and delightful.

As part of our conversation, she mentioned living with her daughter, son-in-law and three grandkids which somehow morphed into an in-depth discussion about her Ecuador mission trips with her husband.

She had no idea when she was going back because her spouse died of COVID last year, and it wouldn’t “be the same without him.”  We sat there, stunned.

I asked questions about her husband’s death and heard details that brought tears to our eyes.  Once he went into the hospital, she never saw him alive again.

Later on, Sonya and I had time alone.  I asked more questions but heard something I never expected.

Her husband worked for the post office but never believed in the tax system, so for 12 years he refused to pay what he owed the government.  He spent what he made, had no life insurance, no I.R.A. or bank account, no hidden surplus of cash.

Sonya had worked in day-care but never made enough to pay the bills. Soon after her husband’s funeral, she learned that she would have to sell her house to avoid foreclosure.

Her daughter and son-in-law bought her home and allowed her to live with them.  She had her car, her clothes and nothing else.

Sonya had been told that if she worked, the government would be the first recipient of what she made.  Was it worth it?  She would end up with very little cash.

I sat, shocked at what I was hearing, praying for the opportunity to tell her that she needed to pay back her debt. Lord, help me, I said silently, but all I said aloud was, “And you weren’t angry?”

“I was livid.  I had nightmares about him.”  Sonya continued by saying that the month before this baby shower, she went to lunch with a Christian friend with whom she shared her anger by saying, “I don’t want to pay for someone else’s debt.  It’s just not fair.”  Taking her hand, the friend replied, “You mean, what Jesus did for you?”

Wow!  It never crossed my mind to express my thoughts the way Sonya’s friend did.  The words pierced Sonya’s soul, and she knew it was a message she needed.  No matter what it took, if it was right for Jesus, it was right for her.

At the end of our conversation, Sonya and I hugged, and I left her with words of encouragement.  I told her to approach the women’s ministry leader at her church and ask to address a women’s group to share her testimonial.  She definitely had the personality, and there were so many life lessons that every woman needed to heed:

1.  Understand your family finances, and never allow your spouse to  convince you to be involved in illegal activity.

2.  Educate yourself so that you are self-sufficient, should the need arise.

3.  Pray for a Christian friend who gives godly counsel.

4.  Love Jesus enough to follow his lead, even when it costs you something.

Sonya was excited about the possibility of using her tragedy to help someone else.  Her transparency allowed for this to happen…even if it did take a little extra prodding to get her there.  My prayer was answered…just not the way I expected.

 

Keys to the Kingdom

 

I’ve blazed an easy-to-follow trail from California to Missouri to Kansas for the past 64 years. On my last birthday, I was required to renew my driver’s license. I understand the need for rules, regulations, stipulations, and statutes, but jumping through all those flaming hoops nearly caught my clothes on fire! I presented my California birth certificate, Missouri marriage license, Kansas driver’s license, social security card, and homeowner’s insurance bill as required. Several days later, I was pleased to receive my new driver’s license with a gold star in the upper right-hand corner. I had to go through a lot of red tape to prove I was who I’ve always been. What’s funny is that the day I renewed my license I had a really good hair day, so my photo doesn’t even look like me!

 

Before Jesus came, God instituted a strict religious system of laws and statutes for burnt offerings, grain offerings, food and drink offerings,  peace offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, etc. “Under the Old Covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11 NLT). The old sacrificial system that was implemented in Leviticus ended the moment Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the law for sin offerings.

 

As a contemporary Christ follower, I’m truly thankful to be living under the new and better covenant. “Then He said, ’Look, I have come to do Your will.’ He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. …our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (Hebrews 10:9,10,12 NLT). All the arduous red tape with offering animal sacrifices was abolished and replaced with the one perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Once and for all, the shedding of Jesus’ blood marvelously redeemed us to live completely free in Christ. Hymnist Elisha A. Hoffman asks the question, “Are you washed in the blood, in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”

 

When Jesus gave up His spirit on the cross, something miraculous happened in the Temple. “At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom“ (Matthew 27:51 NLT). God’s plan of salvation under the new  covenant was literally made visible when the curtain split open. Direct access to God was made possible only through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The requirement to jump through the hoops of sacrificial sin offerings was declared null and void.

 

How should we live in proper response to God’s loving mercy and Jesus’ supreme sacrifice? In Romans Chapter 12, Paul encourages believers to surrender ourselves to God and be His sacred living sacrifices. He admonishes us to live in holiness and stop imitating the ways and opinions of the culture around us. Consecrating our lives in total commitment to God should be our heart’s desire. “For God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20 NLT).

 

The Key: Thanks to Jesus, believers can let out a victory whoop instead of jumping through hoops.

 

I have relatives that live in Georgia who want to move back to their home state of Kansas to retire, but are taken aback by the additional taxes they must pay for the privilege of living here.  I have been providing them with data on the tax rates of different counties.  They cannot justify the additional $200,000+ in taxes it would take to live here over the course of their retirement just to be closer to family.

 

The Tax Foundation, Inc. (www.taxfoundation.org) calculates state rankings by taking the taxes paid for all purposes across the state and dividing by the number of residents to come up with a statewide number; Federal taxes are excluded.  They have been accumulating and reporting this data since 1937.  They report that Kansas ranked 20th out of the 50 states at $5,185 per person, according to the latest data from 2018.  Parsing the data between state and local taxes made no difference in our ranking.

 

Tax collections of $11,311 per capita in the District of Columbia surpass those in any state. The three states with the highest tax collections per capita are New York ($9,829), Connecticut ($8,494), and North Dakota ($7,611). The three states with the lowest tax collections per capita are Tennessee ($3,286), Alabama ($3,527), and South Carolina ($3,705).

 

Kansas ranks worst among all the surrounding states, except Nebraska, which ranks 17^th and collects about $179 per person more than we do.  The best ranked state is our area is Oklahoma at $3,850 per person, earning them a ranking of 45^th; Missouri is not far behind at 41^st.

 

The first comparison that potential new residents consider is the cost of property taxes on houses; I don’t have to tell you that we fail that comparison miserably.  One can only conclude that the cost of government for all purposes inside our state boundaries is too high.

 

The good news for Kansas is that we are number two on the list of the Cost of Living Index, as compiled by the Council for Community & Economic Research; only Mississippi had a lower cost of living.  Of our Midwest neighbors, Oklahoma is 4^th and Missouri is 7^th.  For highly taxed Nebraska, the news is not as good, as they were ranked 19^th of the 50 states.

 

If Kansas and Bourbon County want to promote economic development, we need to address this issue.  If we can’t convince relatives who were born and raised here to come back for retirement, what chance do we have with those who have never lived here?  Local governments must look at ways to cooperate across jurisdictional lines to share resources and save expenses.  It is the only way I can see that will give us the opportunity to lower taxes while not making drastic cuts to services.  It is imperative for us to take action unless we want to continue to divide the increasing cost of government services amongst a declining population base well into the future.

 

 

 

I recently read that Alice Roosevelt had said of her dad, Theodore, “Father always had to be the center of attention. When he went to a wedding, he wanted to be the bride. When he went to a funeral, he was sorry he couldn’t be the corpse.”

Last week I wrote about our obsession with Selfies, only to later discover that the average person takes more than 450 selfies per year. I’m not one of those people.  Why would I want to spend hours posing to perfect a snapshot no one would recognize?  Too, do you know how hard it is to hold your phone at the exact angle above your head in order to disguise facial/neck imperfections while somehow managing to press the photo button?

Really, really hard.

There are few things as narcissistic as the Selfie.  Defined as “love of self,” the term  “narcissistic” comes from a Greek myth about a studly young hunter, Narcissus.  On a walk one day, he saw his own image in a pool; not realizing it was a reflection, he fell in love with what he saw and stared at his likeness until he died.  Now, we might read that and think it absurd, but research shows that more people die each year taking Selfies than from lightning strikes.

Apparently, some people are dying to be valued.  (I know, not funny.)

The “It’s all about me” philosophy goes back to the Garden of Eden.  (Then again, doesn’t everything?) The majority of us probably have encountered self-absorbed people.  Conversations are focused on them and their needs/wants.  They have no interest in asking questions about you because you have nothing to offer.  They are louder, more boisterous, more demanding and certainly not humble.  They depend on people noticing them and glorifying them.

Today, a friend shared a story that speaks to these kinds of people.  An airline had to cancel a flight and asked all the passengers to go to the customer service counter to be rescheduled.  Naturally, people weren’t too happy about this inconvenience, but one man was particularly irritated.  Stepping ahead of all of the other customers, he announced that he “had” to get on the next flight.  The agent told him to go to the end of the line and wait like every other passenger.  His response?  “Don’t you know who I am?”

Without missing a beat, the airline employee picked up her microphone, pressed a button and addressed everyone in her area.  “There is a gentleman standing in the customer service line who doesn’t know who he is.  Please take a close look at him.  If you recognize him, please tell him who he is.”  After shouting a stream of expletives, the man was told by the smiling agent, “And that, Sir, definitely sends you to the back of the line.”

Folks, you and I were made for glory…just not our glory.  We were made to glorify God and him alone.  Not His creation, no matter how spectacular it might be.  Not in others who, as Scripture says, “all fall short of the glory of God.”  And certainly not ourselves…no matter how awesome we think we are.  Paul makes that clear in his letter to the Philippians (2:3-4): Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others.                   

Selfies, take note.

 

​

​