It was one of those rare text messages every grandmother wants to read. “Could I come over to your house tomorrow after school? I’d like your help making macaroons so I can take them to the nursing home.”

In all honesty, it wasn’t that Montana wanted to bless the residents of a care facility that made me smile. It was that she wanted to have a baking experience with me! Mo would bring all of the ingredients.

The recipe was from a YouTube video of a teenager who promised this to be a “seriously simple” baking experience. What could possibly go wrong? (Spare me your thoughts.) We placed the laptop on my countertop and watched a young, hyper teen walk us through this “seriously simple” happening.

She listed all of the ingredients. Check. Mo had them all. We would make no mistakes. We knew that this was no cakewalk in the park, so every step was checked not once, but four times. Soon, puffy, blue macaroon shells would emerge from the oven, we would add the calorie-loaded cream filling, and nursing home residents would be blessed. There would be no chance for error.

Except, there was, even though Mo and I had no idea where we went awry. Our puffy, blue macaroons emerged from the oven as a flat, brown crust that lined the entire base of the cookie sheet and could not be scraped off. How was this possible? How could light blue turn to dark brown? How could puffy turn to flat? How could beautiful turn to ugly? My granddaughter and I revisited the video. Over and over and over again. We had done precisely what was required. So, where had the mistake occurred?

Apparently, Hyper Teen had omitted an important step (or two). How had she not run through her own video before she posted it for dummies like us who did not have the common sense to see something was amiss?

Like, where was the blue? Or the ingredient to create puffiness? Mo and I simply trusted that we had all the information we needed.

How could we place our faith in someone without checking credentials? There is a story in the Bible that addresses something similar. Acts 18:24-28 introduces us to a Jew named Apollos, a bright man who spoke boldly in the Temple about Scripture and had been “instructed in the way of the Lord…though he knew only the baptism of John.”

In other words, he had some of the facts but not all.

Paul’s husband-and-wife disciple team, Aquila and Priscilla, heard Apollos speak, realized he still had much to learn, invited him to their home and explained the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The zealous orator had omitted important details that made Jesus different from every other prophet.

The story has a great ending: “…he (Apollos) vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.”

We all need to place our trust in one who has proven trustworthy…even when it’s only the success of blue macaroons that lies in the balance.

Keys to the Kingdom

 

I know of only one person who doesn’t like to hear music. As a musician, I find that rather odd. The music of the church has been inspiring and life-changing for me. The songs I heard and sang as a child continue to influence what I believe and do. I woke up one morning with the straightforward lyrics of “We’ll Work till Jesus Comes” in my soul. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to grasp the meaning of this gospel message in song.

After Jesus was resurrected, the time had come for Him to ascend back to heaven. “As they [apostles] were straining their eyes for another glimpse, suddenly two white-robed men were standing there among them, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has gone away to heaven and some day, just as He went, He will return!’” (Acts 1:10,11 TLB). These two verses are extremely relevant to modern believers. Today, we might say: Don’t just stand there, do something!

We can read the Books of Acts through Revelation and find out what the New Testament believers did. In a nutshell, they loved God, loved people, and went about doing good — that‘s what Jesus did (see Acts 10:38). The apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power” (1 Corinthians 4:20 NLT). These Christians were not loafers — they were empowered by the Holy Spirit and stayed busy doing God’s will. In 2021, there’s still work to be done and victories to be won. The gospel message is to be preached and songs of worship are to be sung. The lost, hungry, hurting, and abused need to be loved, fed, helped, and brought to Christ Jesus.

When it comes to work, there’s a fine line of balance in the life of a believer. We are to accomplish the work God has individually assigned to us without burning out. “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone — especially to those in the family of faith” (Galatians 6:9,10 NLT). When all believers work together in unity, using our unique abilities, we can make a positive difference for the Kingdom of God.

There are no reserved seats on the sidelines for Christians. Yes, there may come a time when your physical work turns into praying and/or financial partnering only. Remember God moves through people who are willing to be used to get the job done. “Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body and [individually] you are members of it, each part severally and distinct [each with his own place and function]” (1 Corinthians 12:27 AMP). For example, if all the hospital employees were doctors, the place would have to shut down. It takes everybody performing their designated role to have excellent results.

Let’s not drag our feet in working for Jesus until He returns. “The Lord of Hosts says, ‘Get on with the job and finish it! You have been listening long enough!’” (Zechariah 8:9 TLB). So what’s the holdup? It’s time to stop questioning the will of God and start carrying it out.

The Key: Let’s take up where Jesus left off and go about doing good.

If you have read my column very often, you probably have noticed how hard I am on the role of government in managing our economy. I believe that governments serve a legitimate role in the business cycle, but too often their actions destroy the incentive for capital investment and productivity.

A case in point is the 10% luxury tax that Congress placed on toys for the rich, such as yachts, furs, jewelry, planes, etc., during the 1990s. The intention seemed noble: get the rich to pay a little extra for their toys in order to benefit the poor. The result? The rich quit buying American toys or bought used toys and fixed them up. Many workers lost their jobs as these luxury toy manufacturers downsized or went out of business altogether. The yacht tax only brought in about $13 million over 18 months, which was enough to keep the Department of Agriculture running for about 2 hours.

Additionally, the government seems to believe that the intellectuals in their ranks know how to run businesses. They don’t. State control is fundamentally bad because it denies people the power to choose and the opportunity to bear responsibility for their own actions. The incentive for excellence is diminished. When one has real capital investment in an enterprise, the focus becomes efficient cost structures, product/service innovation, and the hard work required to make a profit.

Further, without capital investment in new equipment and software, the incentive for innovation is stymied. Without innovation, productivity stagnates and economic competitiveness declines.

The growth rate of American capital investment has been on the decline since 1999. During the decade of the 1990s, capital investment grew annually by 5.2%, on average; during the first decade of this century, the number was a paltry 0.5% per year. The result was a decline in innovation and productivity as measured by our annual Gross Domestic Product numbers.

What has this to do with Bourbon County? Rural America has suffered disproportionately from these trends. The consolidation that has occurred in many industries has closed rural businesses, resulting in population decline, lost property values, and substantial increases in real estate taxes to offset the lost values.

What do we do about this negative trend? We have to look for creative ways to attract capital investment and to push for a limited role of government in our markets. The free market, in which the incentives are in the right place, will always create more productivity, innovation and profit than a heavily regulated/taxed/controlled economy. To quote former United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, when speaking to the rapid rise of the British economy during the 1980s: “…we understood that a system of free enterprise has a universal truth at its heart: to create a genuine market in a state you have to take the state out of the market.” Let’s keep the incentives in the right place in Bourbon County and look for ways to attract capital investment.

After giving up EVERYTHING except the clothes on their backs, three Afghanistan families—a total of 19 people– have been relocated to Fort Scott in the past month, and I am so proud of the efforts and generosity lavished on them by our community.

This Thanksgiving, our son and daughter-in-law, Adam and Jenn, invited those families to join us for a day of celebration.

Two other local families extended an invitation as well, knowing that they were adding 19 to their dinner plans!

Love at its finest.

The Afghanis brought delicious culinary dishes to our gathering and spent the day giving thanks for the many blessings they have received since entering our country and our town.

The Dept. of Defense coordinator—who had worked in Afghanistan with these families for 20 years—and his wife and young daughter showed up to celebrate this holiday.

He, more than anyone, knew of the sacrifices these three fathers had made to protect our soldiers from the enemy.

Jenn might not be in the military, but she has been a soldier and a saint in resettling these three families.

From purchasing houses to handling doctor appointments to enrolling eight of the kids in school to scheduling haircuts and eyeglass fittings to giving them rides as they shop for food and school clothes and window treatments, she has been tireless in welcoming these heroes.

Just trying to follow her schedule prompted me to send an email to 40 friends from all parts of the country, asking for prayer. The response was overwhelming.

Clearly, God was working, and as only God can do, in gigantean ways.

Others stepped up to help! A table and chairs purchased from Iron Star. A set of exquisite dishes (which I gladly would have exchanged for mine). Beds and bedding and couches and pictures and a new microwave and a car full of toys. An offer from a former teacher to help with the language barrier. Gift cards and checks and food delivered to their door. Neighbors bringing over boxes of kitchenware, rugs, utensils and meals.

Overwhelming! Today, after hearing that the Afghanistan’s wanted to celebrate Christmas, there were more blessings when one local couple and one Stillwell, Kansas, family delivered Christmas trees and containers of decorations to the families.

My husband and I were there to see the immeasurable joy shared as the young children wedged every single adornment they unpacked into the pine needles. Not exactly a site of beauty. But certainly a site of delight. (Children’s giggles do that, you know.)

What I couldn’t help but notice, however, was that inside their front doors hung the American flag.

Sometimes our blessing as Americans is to share our blessings.

I don’t think there’s a better way to celebrate what author Meg Bucher called the “holiday associated with Pilgrims and Native Americans which symbolizes intercultural peace, American’s opportunity for newcomers, and the sanctity of home and family.”

I’m pretty sure the Afghanistan families would agree.

Keys to the Kingdom

 

My brother now has possession of Grandma Jennings’ Bavarian sugar bowl which has an intricate red band imprinted on a cream-colored background. During World War II, my Dad loved three women: his wife, his mother, and his mother-in-law. While fighting on the front lines in Germany he managed to have three beautiful sets of dishes shipped to the women he adored. We can only imagine the 75 years of life and love that sugar bowl has witnessed — if it could only talk!

In the Old Testament, a woman named Rahab had possession of a red rope. Before the two Israelite spies arrived at her home, she had placed her faith in the one true God. When the king of Jericho sent word for her to bring the spies to him, she hid them and sent the king’s men on a wild goose chase. Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them.

The following is Rahab’s declaration of faith and trust in the living God: “I know the Lord has given you this land. We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”

“Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families” (Joshua 2:9-13 NLT). The Israelite spies gave this promise: “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members — your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives — must be here inside the house“ (Joshua 2:17-18 NLT). In the fall of Jericho, the Lord did great wonders. Rahab and all her family were brought out in safety and lived among the Israelites. Never forget that one person can make a big difference…and that one is you.

Rahab’s red rope (and the promises kept by both parties) saved her and her family. The red blood of Jesus saves all who will declare their faith in Him. “At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled His blood for you. That has brought you near to God” (Ephesians 2:13 NIRV). Our heavenly Father gave His only begotten Son to shed His red blood so that all could believe and have everlasting life. In addition, all believers can grab onto the red rope of Jesus and have an abundant life while living in the here and now. You can’t exhaust or imagine all the ways God extends His love, mercy, and favor to those who ask for it. Romans 5:10 NLT: “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son.”

The Key: When you reach for the sugar bowl, thank God you’re in His sweet family through the blood of Jesus.

Inefficient

Business owners and farmers know that for an enterprise to be successful, it must be run efficiently. No room exists for unnecessary expenses or wasted efforts. The burden that has been placed on our businesses and farms by governments at all levels in recent decades is a tragedy, especially in rural America.

For example, it costs between $140 billion and $215 billion a year for businesses to comply with IRS rules and file a tax return, according to the Washington Post in a 2018 article. This cost has accelerated significantly over the years, primarily because of the increasing complexity of the tax code. From the time the income tax was passed in 1913 to 1940, the code was just a handful of pages and the average American had no problem filing a return. From about 1940 to 1950, the code grew to over 10,000 pages, and is approaching 80,000 in 2021. This gross inefficiency costs us an untold loss of productivity and makes us less competitive with overseas firms; thus, we lose more American jobs to foreign competition every year.

Another example: I recently wrote a column about the burden of government regulation on our business community, noting that from 1970 to 2017, the number of words in the Code of Federal Regulations nearly tripled from 35 million to over 103 million, according to a 2019 article published on Forbes.com, authored by Adam A. Millsap. His study showed that a 10% increase in regulation increases consumer prices by 1%. Another inefficiency that American businesses cannot afford.

Additionally, government programs like the Small Business Administration (SBA) are structured such that rural businesses have a difficult time qualifying and paying all the costs. For example, if I want the SBA to help me finance a new building or addition in which to house my business, I must hire a professional engineer and a professional architect and pay union wages to construct it, accelerating the costs dramatically. The program is nearly worthless in Bourbon County.

How do inefficiencies disproportionately impact rural America? The additional costs due to inefficiencies drives industry consolidation to save overhead costs. Invariably, that means shutting down branch offices in lower population areas or selling the business to a larger entity. Bourbon County experienced that pain directly when we lost Western Insurance.

We cannot continue to absorb the growth in these government inefficiencies. We have to look to simplify the way we raise revenue and lower the government burden for rural Americans. Our economic future and our rural way of life depend on it.

Two years ago, Kate’s mother, Ann, insisted on hosting the entire Thanksgiving meal.

That holiday, everyone knew, belonged to Kate’s sister, Paula, who had amassed plate ware for 30+ and decorated with every turkey adornment imaginable.

When Ann was reminded of such, she put her foot down. “I might be old”—65—“but I’m not that old.” This wasn’t like their mother, normally a “go-along” type person, so the decision was made. Ann would host.

Kate and her four sisters offered to bring the side dishes. No. Ann had it all under control. Fearing the worst, the girls divvied up the turkey accompaniments anyway. Imagine their surprise when Ann proudly placed her lone casserole dish in the middle of the table, nonplussed by the numerous sides, removed its lid and told everyone to dig in.

Speechless stares met the beanie-weenies soaked in barbeque sauce. When grandkids opened their mouths to comment, they were met with knee-squeezes under the table.

I was with a group of friends when the story was told. Kate is a friend of my friend, Diana, who kept repeating “Beanie-weenies” while shaking her head.

We, of course, thought the incident hysterical until Diana continued. No one knew it then, but Ann was showing early stages of Alzheimers.

Our laughter stopped as three of the six of us had deceased parents who had suffered from this disease.

Ann declined rapidly, and the following Thanksgiving, as the family gathered in Paula’s home, Ann stared into space, occasionally muttering something unintelligible but following that with a lucid memory from the past.

Her relatives showed compassion as they loved her unconditionally. Matthew 9:36 (NLT) says that “When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Recently, my granddaughter, Mo, was with her parents, driving to Iowa, when they, on a whim, exited to find a restaurant advertised on a highway billboard. The restaurant was not close to the exit, but “for some reason” they drove twenty minutes, ending up at a casino where the restaurant was located.

After they ate and were leaving, Mo noticed an elderly woman in a wheelchair, alone and against a wall. Mo walked over to her and asked if she was okay. She was not. Her daughter, she said, had abandoned her thirty minutes before and not returned. Mo reassured the woman, holding her hand until the daughter appeared and received a scolding from her mother. “I can’t believe you left me and drove off!”

The daughter assured her mother that she had told her mom that she was going to the ATM machine, not outside, and that she was gone only 10 minutes. The elderly woman would hear none of it and continued to accuse her daughter. Mo pulled the daughter aside and offered to pray for her. The daughter began crying, sharing that her mother had early stages of Alzheimers and that she, the daughter, had become her mom’s verbal punching bag.

Mo told her that God was allowing her to go through this for a reason, and the day would come when she no longer would have her mother with her, but she always would know that she had been a compassionate, patient, loving daughter.

Mo prayed, the daughter gave her a long hug, and my granddaughter left.

This past week, I participated in a “Walk for Alzheimers” fundraiser in Florida where I learned that 5.8 million Americans are living with this illness, a number that is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060.

There is a good chance that we all will know someone suffering from this dreaded disease.

How will we respond? Hopefully, the same as Ann’s family. Hopefully, the way Mo did. In other words, the way Jesus did.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

 

In 1969, my Dad and I began watching the weekly TV variety show “Hee Haw” which featured comedy skits and country music guest stars. I was impressed with the musicians and singers as they performed their hit songs, and we laughed aloud at the outrageous silliness portrayed by the regular cast. Every week Grandpa Jones was asked, “Hey Grandpa, what’s for supper?” He would stop washing the fake window and reply something like, “Fresh cornbread slathered in butter, smoked ham and pinto beans, polk salad and turnip greens.” Then in unison everyone would shout, “Yum, Yum!” Eating together has always been a warm and fuzzy way to share food and love, whether you live in the hills and hollers or in the big city.

As we look forward to the cherished day of Thanksgiving, let’s think about feasting on something other than food. “So let us feast upon Him (Christ, God’s Lamb) and grow strong in the Christian life, leaving entirely behind us the cancerous old life with all its hatreds and wickedness. Let us feast instead upon the pure bread of honor and sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8 TLB).

Our bodies were made to love, serve, and worship the Lord, which is why substitutions do not satisfy. We should desire to worship the Lord with our bodies. Worship is a believer’s grateful response to the holiness of God. When mentioned in the Bible, worship is authentically individualized and it is not listless or motionless. Every time there is true worship, some part of the body is involved as indicated in the following scriptures:

Bowed head: “So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Exodus 4:31 NKJV). Bowed body: “Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before Him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust” (Psalm 22:29 NLT).

Kneeling: “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth” (Ephesians 3:14,15 NLT). Uplifted hands: “Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart. My arms will wave to You like banners of praise” (Psalm 63:4 TPT).

Falling prostrate: “And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle…and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering…on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces” (Leviticus 9:23,24 NKJV).

Singing and speaking: The mouth reverently and joyfully responds in worship also. “Remember what Christ taught and let His words enrich your lives and make you wise; teach them to each other and sing them out in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, and come with Him into the presence of God the Father to give Him your thanks” (Colossians 3:16,17 TLB).

The Key: Celebrate Thanksgiving, feast upon the Bread of Life and worship Him with all your might.

 

In last week’s column, I discussed some of the causes of our “help wanted” crisis in America, particularly in rural areas. What can we do about this in Bourbon County? Here are some thoughts:

1. Quality Housing. This has to be the number one reason why some people are reluctant to move to Bourbon County. Not many homes of adequate quality are available to purchase or rent that a working family can afford. The cost to build a 1,800 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2 bath house on a city lot far exceeds the appraised value once it is completed; this cost-to-value gap inhibits the construction of new homes. We need creative public/private/charitable solutions to bridge this cost versus value gap. This should be the focus of our community leaders.

2. Health Care. We need a hospital. A community without a hospital is a non-starter for many who might consider moving here. Let’s all pray that Noble Health Corporation says “yes” to reopening our hospital.

3. Taxes. As reported earlier, our property tax rates are prohibitive compared to our neighbors. We have to begin incrementally lowering the mill levy to solve this problem. We can’t do it in one fiscal year, but we have to start on the long-term solutions.

4. Schools. We have to work together to bring our school ratings up and do all we can to support all the schools in our county, both public and private. Support needs to come from everyone, whether or not one has a school-aged child.

5. Infrastructure. We have to repair our roads, bridges, sewers, wastewater systems, storm sewers, etc., to improve our quality of life and protect property values; this includes revitalizing all the downtowns we have in the county. Beauty and functionality are important to our everyday lives and turn off new people when they are not up to par.

6. Strategic Plan. We need our leaders countywide, both public and private, to create a civic vision for the entire county that we can all embrace. It should include a list of priorities that we want to achieve together and include every economic sector and geography of our county. We need a common community vision that will inspire hope and encourage investment.

No science supports this list, and you might legitimately see it differently. We are trying to attract a variety of working families, and their priorities might all be slightly different. It is time to come together and search for solutions as a county. Let’s pool our time, talent, and treasure; roll up our sleeves, and get to work.

It is no surprise that most people go to their grave wondering if they made a difference, if they contributed, if they mattered.

Last week on Veteran’s Day, we celebrated a group who don’t have to ask that question. Their contributions are immeasurable, for their fight for FREEDOM –the freedom for which they sacrificed–IS NEVER FREE. It comes at a great price, the price these heroes paid.

Father Dennis Edward O’Brien, USMC, understood their importance. It was he who wrote the following: “It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the organizer, who gave us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, and who allows the protestor to burn the flag.”

The t-shirt worn by the man in the picture above is the same one we bought for our son, Adam’s, birthday this month. We were celebrating alongside the Afghanistan family who moved to Fort Scott last week.

Even they were touched by the shirt, for they knew first-hand about the sacrifices made over the past 20 years in an attempt to bring freedom to their country.

I am in a bi-weekly Bible study Zoom call with a group of Vietnam vets and their wives. In our last meeting, one of the ex-soldiers shared about the memorial services he and his wife are organizing for the families of Vietnam vets who never had a proper burial. We all listened in awe as he revealed the impact these services were having on loved ones.

Dale, the army veteran who leads us, spoke of Stan, the Vietnam soldier with whom this Zoom group platooned and who wrote of his experience in that war.

Helicopters dropped his group of U.S. soldiers off in a jungle, not knowing it was a bunker complex set up by the North Vietnamese. A round of bullets rang out. The first shot hit Stan’s chin. On the second stream, Stan felt a hot flash and was knocked on his back. He couldn’t find his M-16 machine gun but saw the men on both sides of him were dead. His right knee was shot out and his lung punctured. His arm was hanging by the skin at the top of his shoulder, most of the bone missing. Stan scooted on his back to try and find cover. A fellow soldier grabbed him under the armpits and dragged him to a nearby medic.

After surgery and I.C.U., he was told that shrapnel had taken half of his liver. The soldier’s personal belongings—including his New Testament Bible—were brought to his hospital bed. The second bullet had penetrated his pocket-sized Bible which he carried in his jacket pocket. Its tip was lodged at 2 Corinthians 5:7: For we walk by faith, not by sight. That Bible had saved his life…literally.

Today, Groveport Heritage Museum displays that Bible. Look at that t-shirt again. We never will know the hidden stories of what our military men and women went through to protect us.

Let’s make it a habit to show our appreciation…not just on Veteran’s Day but every day.

Keys to the Kingdom

 

I distinctly remember my Mom pulling our 1959 Chevy Impala into the gas station and telling the friendly attendant, “Two dollars worth please.“ While the gas was pumping, he would wash the windshield and check the oil. This incident happened around 1966 when I was just a little kid growing up in Missouri. Two dollars of gas didn’t fill up the tank, but it would get us to the grocery store and church several times and probably make a trip to Greenfield to see relatives.

What are you full of? Where I come from, an individual can be full of baloney but I don’t recommend it if you’re a Christ follower. Your testimony won’t amount to anything if you aren’t trustworthy nor speak the truth. And I wouldn’t recommend being full of yourself either — that’s a big turnoff. God‘s Word instructs us to be full of God. “…So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19 NASB).

Believers should have a burning desire to be full of their heavenly Father and represent Him well. If we’re full of God, then we’re full of love and that’s a big drawing card that never fails. We can draw people to Christ Jesus by simply loving on them. “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them” (1 John 4:16 NLT).

I remember my Dad cautioning me to be careful at the gas pump and not accidentally fill my tank with diesel instead of unleaded. It’s not a good thing to be filled with the wrong stuff. The New Testament states that a person can be filled with drunkenness, fear, madness, lies, indignation, envy, confusion, and unrighteousness, just to name a few. I ran out of gas a couple of times in the ‘70s and that was a bad deal. There were no cell phones, so I had to hitch a ride to the nearest gas station to fill a borrowed gas can. When I returned to my vehicle and poured the gas in the tank, I had to make sure I’d saved a little bit to pour into the carburetor or it wouldn‘t start.

It’s important for Christians to keep a sharp eye on their spiritual gas gauge. We need to keep our tanks full; we can do that by daily studying God’s Word, living out worship, communing in prayer, being a faithful church partner, and practicing love. Mary’s Song of Praise contained these words, “He has filled the hungry with good things” (Luke 1:53 NLT). Some of those good things are wisdom, joy, all knowledge, comfort, all the fullness of God, and fruits of righteousness, just to name a few. We should be so full of God that love pours all over everyone we’re around.

A believer with an empty love tank simply isn’t in top working condition. And a ‘65 Stingray is disappointing without fuel — that machine was made to run! Christ followers were made to love, so let‘s fill ‘er up and get to loving on people!

The Key: Watch your spiritual gas gauge and keep your love tank filled up.

 

“Hiring for all positions.” “Immediate openings.” “Career opportunities, inquire within.” We have all seen the signs everywhere. Why can’t employers fill positions? Is the economy really that hot? What is going on?

While the economy is experiencing growth, it really can’t be described as “hot.” In September, the U.S. had 5 million fewer jobs than it had before the pandemic, based on Labor Department data. Yet, employers have reported high rates of unfilled openings. Hiring difficulties have also increased competition for workers and put upward pressure on wages. Across the economy, there were 10.4 million unfilled jobs at the end of August, according to the Labor Department, exceeding the roughly 8.4 million unemployed Americans looking for work.

In the near-term, the number one reason why we are shorthanded nationwide is the increasing retirement rate among Baby Boomers (born from 1946 to 1964). Until this year, the overall number of retired Boomers had been growing annually by about 2 million on average since 2011 (the year the oldest Boomer reached age 65); in this last year ending September 30, the number was 3.2 million, bringing the total number of retired Americans to 28.6 million. Apparently the pandemic accelerated the retirement decision for many Boomers at just the wrong time for our economy.

Another trend that has aggravated our labor shortage is the declining birth rate. The American birth rate has fallen from 24.268 births per 1,000 in 1950 to 12.001 in 2020; less than half. As a percentage of the whole, there are simply fewer young people coming into the labor force every year.

Additionally, the labor force participation rate has dropped significantly in recent years. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older who are working or actively looking for work. This measurement has been dropping and stood at 66.1% before the Great Recession of 2007 caused the rate to fall to an all-time low of 58.2% in 2010. We have recovered to a rate of 61.7% in June of this year, but it remains 1.7 percentage points below the pre-pandemic level of 63.4%.

Why are fewer working age Americans wanting to work? No one knows for sure, but speculation points to the increases in the social safety net, the difficulty of finding day care, the increasing need for care of the elderly, and a change in the work ethic, to name a few.

The bottom line is that employers will go where there is workforce. To attract and retain employers, we will have to grow our workforce in rural America. Bourbon County REDI is focused on how we can make our communities more attractive to the workforce we need. More on that in my next column.