Opinion

That’s A Bad Excuse by Pastor James Collins

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Pastor James Collins

That’s A Bad Excuse

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Matthew 18:20

My wife hasn’t been good for me.

I realize that making such a bold assertion in a worldwide column like this is not going to benefit my reputation. After all, this column is read by people in major metropolitan areas like Gas, Kansas and Frogville, Oklahoma. Right now, someone as far off as Devon is probably asking, “Say, did you know that Amanda hasn’t been good for James?” Most people believe that preacher’s wives are good for them, and it isn’t going to add any success to my efforts to legendize myself with an assertion that Amanda hasn’t been.

However, notice that I stated: “My wife hasn’t been good for me” – not: “She hasn’t been good to me.” No man could ask for a better wife than Amanda has been to me. She is an incredible woman – smart, funny, beautiful, and most of all patient. Patience is a must when you are married to a knucklehead like me.

Amanda even went to the trouble to learn to cook so I could have something to eat. A few days after we were married, Amanda said that she wanted to make me my favorite meal. Since I am a Baptist Preacher, of course my favorite meal is fried chicken. Fried chicken is the gospel bird. I am pretty sure that Jesus and the disciples ate fried chicken at the Last Supper. Anyway, Amanda made me what appeared to be a delicious plate of fried chicken. It looked great on the outside, but when I took a bite, I discovered it was raw inside. Not wanting to upset my new bride, I ate half a raw chicken. Did I mention getting your stomach pumped is not a pleasant experience? Praise the Lord, Amanda has mastered the art of cooking in all the years she has had my name and my heart.

Still, Amanda hasn’t been good for me. Let me explain. Last week, I reached up on a bookshelf and took down an old photo album. Inside were our wedding pictures. I have changed. My waistline has increased, and my hairline has decreased. My eyes were boyish and bright. Now they are aged. I must wear glasses to see anything. My hair was dark and wavy. Now it is white and thinning. I was young then. Now I am old.

The only difference between the man in the photographs and the man looking at them was the fact that the man in the photographs was getting married and the man looking at them was married. So, obviously marriage and wives are hard on men.

Considering some of the excuses I have heard for not going to church, my blaming Amanda for my looking older twenty some years later makes a lot of sense.

“I don’t go to church because the church is full of hypocrites.” Well, the fire department is full of hypocrites too. But if your house is on fire, you will call them. Since your soul is in danger of hellfire, shouldn’t you go to church?

“I don’t have the right clothes to wear to church.” Clothes are essential for church. I don’t recommend going naked. But you don’t have to wear expensive clothes to worship the Lord. Come in whatever you have. Just make sure you modestly cover your body parts.

“I don’t have to go to church to worship the Lord.” That is true. Christians can worship the Lord anywhere. But show me in the Bible where there is a church of one. Everything I read in the Word of God emphasizes the necessity of being a part of the Body of Christ.

The point is: If you are believer in Jesus Christ, you need to make every effort – not every excuse to worship the Lord in His church. Jesus gave His life for you. Can you give Him just one hour out of your week? Find a Bible believing church and plant yourself there.

Why aren’t you going to church this Sunday?

That’s a bad excuse.

James Collins will be signing copies of his latest book “Don’t Throw The Believer Out With The Baptistry Water: The Best Of The Point Is… Volume 1” next Saturday, July 20th from 10 am until 2 pm at the Fort Scott Public Library’s LibraryCon. For more information about the LibraryCon, please call (620) 223-2882.

Business, Fort Scott

Local Author Releases New Book

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Pastor James Collins of Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church recently released a book titled, “Don’t Throw The Believer Out With The Baptistry Water: The Best Of The Point Is… Volume 1.” The book is a collection of his weekly faith-based newspaper columns. For the past three years, Collins has written “The Point Is…” for the Fort Scott Tribune. Last year, he began syndicating to outlets across the United States.

“Since my stories have a point, I called my column, ‘The Point Is…’ I never dreamed God would use my writing to reach so many people.” Collins said. “I have received many emails, calls, and letters from folks telling me that they were blessed in some way by something I wrote. It is humbling.”

Collins writes simple stories with a spiritual message. “Jesus taught using parables – simple stories that illustrate a heavenly truth,” he said. “I have a love affair with the Word and with words. The good news of Jesus Christ is not supposed to be so complex. It is so simple a little child should be able to understand it. I tried to keep it simple and easy to read. This book is they type of book that you can start in the middle and read both ways. Each column stands by itself.”

“My motivation for putting this book out was to show how God can use anyone,” Collins said. “My wife once told me that if God can use a talking donkey, He can surely use me too.”

Collins often uses amusing events from his own life in his writing. His book has been called, “Chicken Soup for the Soul with a sense of humor.” When the book was released in May, it became an Amazon bestseller in the Christian Humor category.

Collins said the proceeds from sale of the book are going to construction costs for the expansion of his church. Since 2016, he has served as senior pastor of First Southern Baptist Church. They recently broke ground on a new edition that will serve as a Family Life Center.

The book is for sale locally at the church and at special events. “I am excited to be signing books at the LibraryCon,” Collins said. The LibraryCon will be held at the Fort Scott Public on July 20th from 10 am until 2 pm. “I hope that our community will come out and support our library at this event,” he said. “I also hope that our community will support our church expansion by purchasing a copy of my book.”

“Don’t Throw The Believer Out With The Baptistry Water: The Best Of The Point Is…Volume 1” is a 254-page publication, contains 14 chapters, and retails for $15. It is available from Amazon and at the website www.thepointis.net.

Bourbon County, Exercise, Schools

Improvements at the USD 235 Fitness Center Are Coming

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USD 235 students use the facility in the daytime during the school year. Pictured are some students chosen to demonstrate the equipment when the fitness center opened in October 2018.

The Uniontown U235 Fitness Center that opened last year, is getting improvements through a grant.

 

A bathroom and shower room will be added to the fitness center from an unused storage area nearby.

“The grant was a Healthy Bourbon County Grant,” Bret Howard, superintendent at USD 235, said.  “It will cover nearly 2/3 of the total cost. The grant was for $12,500 and the total cost once completed will be $17,000. “
“We will be adding this directly to the fitness center so that we can lock the doors that enter the (Uniontown High/Jr. High) Commons Area and not allow access to the building. The shower room will allow those who work out in the morning before work to shower and leave immediately for work.”
The bathroom and shower room will be located in the northeast corner of the fitness center which is on the south side of the Uniontown Junior High School.
 “There is currently a storage room there now behind a locked door,” Howard said. “We will be creating two separate rooms and will be adding another entrance door so there are two entrances, one for the bathroom and one for the shower.”
The fitness center will be closed during  construction of the rooms.
“We do not have an exact date yet as construction projects do not always proceed as expected,” Howard said.  “We will communicate via our district social media accounts and website as soon as we
know more.”
The fitnes center is for patrons on USD 235 only.

Key cards to the fitness center are applied for through West Bourbon Elementary School Principal Vance Eden, the participants can enter the center when school is not in session.

 

 Eden can be reached at [email protected] 
or 620-756-4335. There is a fee for the card of $10.
“We currently have 149 active accounts for the fitness center,” Eden said. “This doesn’t give an exact number of participants, but should be a fair estimate.”

 

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Update on Paws and Claws

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On May 29, the Shirley Yeager Animal Friends Foundation finalized the sale of their 4,000-square-foot facility on 20 acres in southeast Bourbon County.

It was purchased by Zachary and Aubry Ross of Fort Scott.

On April 23, 2011, the ground was broken and construction began on a 2,000-square-foot animal shelter called Lee’s Paws and Claws. Not long after, an addition doubled the size of the shelter.

The foundation began with a bequest from Shirley Yeager. While generous, it was not sufficient to build and operate a no-kill shelter. The shelter was built with funds donated by Marjorie “Lee” Weast.

SYAFF is a private corporation which has been granted 501(c)3 not-for-profit status by the IRS. It receives no tax monies from the City, County, or State, relying instead on income earned on the Yeager bequest and the remainder of the Weast gift, as well as small donations, and, very occasionally, grants.

While the community’s support for the foundation’s mission has been strong, donations have not kept pace with increasing needs and rising costs. The overhead on such a large facility created a negative cashflow and eventually threatened the long-term financial viability of the organization.

In addition to the high overhead, the location was an issue. The shelter was located on a gravel road seven miles from central Fort Scott. This discouraged people from visiting the shelter, especially to volunteer.

Last year, the executives of the SYAFF board of directors made the difficult decision to sell the facility, with the goal of transitioning to a more economically-sustainable business model in a more affordable location. Earlier this year, the shelter moved into a smaller facility at 8 North Judson Street which they are renting. At the end of this year, decisions about a long-term location will be made.

The foundation’s shelter is now doing business as “Fort Scott Paws & Claws Animal Shelter.” A ribbon-cutting was held at the new location on May 16.

During the first few weeks it was open downtown, the shelter had more volunteer hours than in all of last year. The convenient location has also allowed the shelter to expand retail sales as another source of income.

The new shelter houses cats and kittens in two rooms, just as it did at the previous location. A major change is that dogs are not housed at the shelter; instead, they now are housed in foster homes. Living with a family rather than being caged in a kennel is much better for the dogs’ health and behavior. The foster “parents” are able to provide accurate descriptions of the dogs’ personalities, making it easier to make a good match with potential adopters.

Applications for adopting or fostering can be found at FSPawsAndClaws.org. Donations, which are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, can be left at the shelter or mailed to PO Box 667, Fort Scott. The shelter is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.

Entertainment, Fort Scott

Bird Show For All Ages At The Ellis Center July 16

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Wings of Love Inc.’s Rare Jewels of the Rainforest Bird Show returns to Fort Scott on July 16, 10 – 11 a.m. at the Danny & Willa Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

 Join the Fort Scott Public Library’s Miss Val and Miss Sam and Wings of Love, Inc. for an incredible bird show!

Meet the largest and smallest types of parrots in the world, hear a bird sing OR talk, meet an adorable toucan, and meet the largest type of owl in the world!

Learn about behaviors, origins, endangered species, and the rain forests.

Opinion

Journeys by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche

Proverbs 10:21 The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

We sat at circular tables, approximately 50 of us in all, each with a leader assigned to steer discussions and keep us from rambling. These groups are designed to indoctrinate us in the beliefs of the church Dave and I attend here in Florida so we can be plugged in as volunteers. Every weekend of each month a new “Journeys” group starts, four in total. In April I attended week one and two but was not here the last two weeks of the month. That meant I took the week-three class in May at which time I continued with a new group of people.

Our assignment after week two was to go online and take a test to determine our top three spiritual gifts which we would reveal to our tablemates. That third meeting we were allotted 10 minutes in which to share our findings, a countdown clock visible from where we sat. Sheila, our leader, started with me and asked (1) what I found out, (2) if I was surprised by my results, and (3) if I agreed or disagreed. My answer time: 30 seconds (yes, even I am shocked).

The woman to my right was next. She had not taken the test because her life was “a mess” and she didn’t “have any free time to work on it.” For two minutes, she shared some of the details of her messy life. Sheila was empathetic but encouraged this woman to please take the test. It would be helpful for her to know in what areas God had prepared her.

Bob spoke up. He thought it foolish to ask us to do anything on line because some people might not have a computer. He, of course, did, but did not take the test because he was protesting. Couldn’t Sheila just give him a hard copy? No, she couldn’t, she explained, because the questions were computerized so as to reveal our top three gifts. She was not equipped to determine the results.

Bob thought that was “ridiculous.” After all, he knew his gifts; his “main ones” were compassion and listening. (Surprise!) Sheila shared that sometimes we might think we know what our gifts are but that our ideas aren’t necessarily God’s and Bob might be pleasantly surprised by what he found out if he took the test. Unnecessary, he said. He “knew” his gifts. (Bob’s time: 5 minutes)

I’m not sure what happened next except Bob’s neck veins started to bulge. He turned and whispered something to “messy-life woman” and stared at his notes, fuming. Sheila moved on to the next couple who actually had taken the test and were excited about their results. Hospitality was #1 on their list, and since they love having people into their home, they considered this verification. (Time: 2 minutes)

That’s when Bob erupted, slammed his study guide down, grabbed his things and stormed out of the room, disrupting the class and loudly expressing his disagreement with the volunteer at the door. I stared at Sheila, looking for a response. Nothing. Not even an eyebrow-raise. Impressive. She smoothly moved on to the next two people at our table and was told–yet again–that they had “forgotten” about the test (which actually was fortunate since we now were out of time).

When class was over, I stayed to tell Sheila how much I respected the way she had handled our group, especially Bob. She had “represented Christ in such a loving way while still holding Bob accountable.” Too, she had not gotten upset with those who did not do their homework. Leading, I thought, had to be one of her gifts.

“Oh, you have nooooooo idea,” she answered. “I was biting on my tongue the entire time to keep from saying something I would later regret.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well,” I told her, “Maybe that’s the best spiritual gift of all.”

Obituary

Obituary of Nancy Lee Kountz

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Nancy Lee Kountz

Nancy Lee Kountz, age 72, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Monday, July 8, 2019, at the Medicalodge in Ft. Scott.

She was born March 10, 1947, in Moline, Illinois, the daughter of Harry Albert DeWispeleare and Sylvia Darylene VanAusdall DeWispeleare.

Nancy had worked for Wal-Mart in Ft. Scott for several years. She enjoyed baking and quilting and was known for her feisty personality.

Nancy is survived by her friends James and Kellye Jackson who provided for her care.

There was cremation and no services are scheduled at this time. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott.

Entertainment, Fort Scott

LibraryCon Features Local Authors July 20

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Fort Scott Public Library is hosting its first-ever LibraryCon event on July 20, from 10 am to 2 pm. Based upon community participation and interest, this may turn into an annual event.
 
Local Authors Appearing for Autographs and Discussion
Cathy Werling
Bio: Cathy Werling is a retired elementary educator living in Fort Scott, Kansas.  Her passion for helping students develop positive character traits and seek out worthy role models led to her part-time work at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.  Through her series of books about these humble heroes, Cathy hopes to inspire children to truly be those people who make a positive difference in the lives of others.
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Pastor James Collins
Bio: James Collins currently serves as Senior Pastor at First Southern Baptist Church in historic Fort Scott, Kansas. He has served in various pastoral positions in Kanas, Oklahoma, and California. Prior to accepting the position in Fort Scott, James served as a United States Army Chaplain where he saw service in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Inherent Resolve.

A life-long learner, James has four graduate degrees and is in the dissertation phase for the Doctor of Ministry Degree at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He loves reading, especially books on Bible prophecy.
James is married to the love of his life, Amanda Collins. They have three incredible children, Abby, Timothy, and John. The Collins’ live in Fort Scott, Kansas where they are restoring a Victorian house.
You can find more information on his books and ministry at www.thepointis.net.

Other Guests:
Briana Spurgeon, AKA “The Cookie Momster”
The Cookie Momster makes and sells specialty cookies for all occasions. You may find photos of her work on her Facebook page. Join her in the library event room from 10 – 11 am to create a delicious cookie of your own and hear a story read by her.
Angela Bin, AKA the “Queen of Hearts”
FSHS drama teacher, Angela Bin will join us as the iconic Alice in Wonderland character, with a possible appearance by her daughter, Emma. They will lead activities related to the story.
 
Also appearing: Professor Harold Hicks will lead a creative writing workshop for kids from 1 – 2 pm in the event room. Susan Messer will lead a round of mystery trivia and another on children’s literature, Taylor Qualls will help with some activities, Dominic Cannon will lead a tabletop gaming session, Ashley Cannon will host anime activities, and Kaylee Cannon will oversee activities related to cartoons.
The library hopes more community members will sign up to help! Specifically needed are more people to lead rounds of trivia (Miss Val can come up with the questions; volunteers would just need to read them and award prizes), oversee kids’ activities, and dress up in costumes to help make the event more interesting and fun. If enough attendees come in costume, a costume contest will also be held, with prizes awarded in several categories. Judges are also needed in order to offer the contest. Contact Valetta Cannon at [email protected] or 620-223-2882 or stop by the library if you would like to help.
Bourbon County, Entertainment, Fort Scott

StoryWalk: Reading and Relationships

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The program that combines walking, reading, talking, and learning into one enjoyable family activity is returning to Fort Scott. StoryWalk is a collaborative public offering for families of young children to help with reading skills, develop relationship skills, have a physically active, outdoors experience together, according to Joy Miller with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Fort Scott Public Library and K-State have once again collaborated on the family reading program.

Beginning Sunday, July 14, families can go to the library at 201 S. National Avenue to begin StoryWalk. A different story will be featured every three weeks until the end of the program on September 16.

Story panels begin at the ground level door on the north side of the library. Families may then proceed counterclockwise walking around the block from Second Street to National Avenue to Third Street to Main Street, then back to the library.

Ideally, families will read each panel, talk about the story, and move on to the next panel.

Every three weeks, a new book for young children will be featured, giving families abundant opportunities for finding time to enjoy the activity and even do repeate readings.

The theme of this installment of StoryWalk is to encourage families to walk together while learning scientific themes.

For the past two years, the extension office and the library have hosted similar storywalk programs.

Featured books will be “The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds,” “The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten,” and “The Magic School Bus Gets Planted,”  by Joanna Cole.

Questions about StoryWalk can be directed to Joy Miller at 620-223-3720 or Valetta Cannon at 620-223-2882.

 

Bourbon County Local News