Quick Facts About Radon Risks and Your Home

Tara Soloman-Smith, Family and Wellness Agent, Sunflower District of Kansas State University’s Extension Office. Submitted photo.

 

 

Beware of a silent threat in your home: radon. This colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas naturally lurks in the soil. The silver lining? Take action this winter, especially during Radon Action Month in January, to safeguard your home and loved ones.

 

Here are the facts on radon:

  1. Radon and lung cancer

Radon induced lunch cancer is the number one cause of death in homes and is the second leading cause of lung cancer.   One in four Kansas homes have high levels of radon.

 

  1. Radon in Kansas

Radon seeps into your home through the ground, exploiting cracks and openings in the foundation. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the average indoor radon level statewide stands at 5.4 picocuries of radon per liter (pCi/L), surpassing the EPA threshold of 4.0.

 

  1. How do I know the level of radon in my home?

Testing is the only reliable way to determine the radon levels in a home.  Test kits can be obtained from your Southwind Extension District office for a reduced fee, which includes a lab analysis and return postage.

 

  1. My home has elevated radon levels, now what?

The most common technique to reduce levels is called Active Soil Depressurization. An ASD mitigation system is a permanently-installed pipe-and-fan system that places a direct constant vacuum on the soil beneath the home’s foundation, so the amount of radon that can penetrate into the living space is reduced.

 

More information about radon, testing, and mitigation is available at www.kansasradonprogram.org or by calling the Kansas Radon Hotline at 1-800-693-5343.  To purchase a test kit locally, contact Tara Solomon-Smith, [email protected], or call 620-244-3826.

# # #

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

The SEKnFind Newsletter December 2024

The SEKnFind Newsletter
December 2024

We hope you enjoy this newsletter sent as a courtesy to adult patrons of a Southeast Kansas library using the SEKnFind catalog.
This selection of titles are NEW at a SEKnFind library and available for a hold.
Need assistance? Your local librarian can show you how!
Happy Reading!

New Fiction

The Sunflower House
by Adriana Allegri

Allina Gottlieb’s peaceful life in 1939 Germany shatters when she is forced to work as a nurse in Hochland Home, a facility for breeding Aryan children, where she conceals her Jewish identity and develops a risky relationship with Karl, an SS officer with his own hidden secrets.

Havoc
by Christopher Bollen

“A fast-paced literary thriller for fans of The Bad Seed, set in a crumbling luxury hotel in Egypt, in which an elderly widow and an 8 year old boy find themselves rivals, locked in a gleefully criminal psychological game of cat-and-mouse”

Silent are the dead
by D. M. Rowell

“While back on tribal land, Mud Sawpole uncovers an illegal fracking operation underway that threatens the Kiowas’ ancestral homeland. But there’s an even greater threat: a local businessman involved in artifact thefts is murdered, and a respected tribe elder faces accusation of the crime. After being roped in by her cousin, Denny, they begin to investigate the death while also pursuing evidence to permanently stop frackers from destroying Kiowa land, water, and livelihoods. When answers evade her, Mud heeds her grandfather’s and great-aunt’s words of wisdom and embraces Kiowa tribal customs to find the answers that she seeks. But her ceremonial sweat leads to a vision with answers wrapped in more questions. Mud and Denny race against the clock to uncover the real killer and must face the knowledge that there may be a traitor–and a murderer–in their midst. It’s already too late for one victim–and Mud may be next”

City of night birds
by Juhea Kim

After a career-halting accident, prima ballerina Natalia Leonova returns to St. Petersburg to confront her past and to decide whether to rejoin the stage amidst the cutthroat world of Russian ballet. 75,000 first printing.

I made it out of clay
by Beth Kander

“Nothing’s going well for Eve: she’s single, turning forty, stressed at work and anxious about a recent series of increasingly creepy incidents. Most devastatingly, her beloved father died last year, and her family still won’t acknowledge their sorrow. With her younger sister’s wedding rapidly approaching, Eve is on the verge of panic. She can’t bear to attend the event alone. That’s when she recalls a strange story her Yiddish grandmother once told her, about a protector forged of desperation…and Eve,to her own shock, manages to create a golem. At first, everything seems great. The golem is indeed protective-and also attractive. But when they head out to a rural summer camp for the family wedding, Eve’s lighthearted rom-com fantasy swiftly mudslides into something much darker. With moments of moodiness, fierce love and unexpected laughter, I Made It Out of Clay will make you see monsters everywhere”

Most wonderful
by Georgia Clark

Three siblings struggling in the romance department head to their mother’s house in the Catskills for the holidays, determined to swear off love and focus on themselves and their work, but the spirit of the season seems to have different plans for them.

Bless your heart
by Lindy Ryan

The Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in their Southeast Texas town, discover generations of calm ending as the dead begin to rise again forcing them to once again fight the Strigoi, the original vampires. 75,000 first printing.

A trinket for the taking
by Victoria Laurie

“Dovey Van Dalen has a gorgeous day planned for her 200th birthday: driving her new Porsche, admiring the cherry blossoms abloom in her adopted city of Washington, D.C., and a little pampering. But her boss has other ideas. A powerful artifact has been stolen, and he fears it’s causing chaos in the unmagical world… The rich and connected Ariti family has suffered a string of suspicious deaths, with no signs of foul play. Yet each member has died in the way they feared most. As the enchanting agent mostskilled at blending in with mere mortals, Dovey must find answers and retrieve the dangerous trinket. There’s just one unexpected wrinkle: By the time Dovey arrives at the art gallery where the Ariti patriarch died, FBI agent Grant “Gib” Barlow has takencontrol of the scene. Dovey needs his cooperation to investigate–but she’ll have to hide her abilities, and her true objective, from a man who uncovers deceptions every day. And as they inch nearer a deadly truth, both will face danger even the spellbound would be lucky to survive…”

The city and its uncertain walls
by Haruki Murakami

Explores a familiar town where a Dream Reader interprets dreams, and shadows detach from their owners, weaving a love story, a quest, and an ode to books and libraries into a parable reflecting the complexities of post-pandemic life.

Polostan
by Neal Stephenson

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Termination Shock and Cryptonomicon, the first installment in a new series—an expansive historical epic of intrigue and international espionage, presaging the dawn of the Atomic Age.

Granite harbor
by Peter Nichols

A single father and the only detective in town investigates his first murder in Granite Harbor when a teenager is brutally murdered in a local archaeological site, in a new book from the author of The Rocks. 100,000 first printing.

Slaughter at Rebel Ridge
by Robert Vaughan

“In the dusty frontier town of Rebel Ridge, Sheriff Jesse Loman rules with an iron fist, exploiting the local populace through unjust taxes and a corrupt legal system. His gang of outlaw deputies ensures his dominance, staging mock trials and sentencing innocents to the gallows while protecting their own. But when chaos grips Rebel Ridge, hope arises in the form of a legendary bounty hunter. Renowned for his unwavering principles, Dane Caulder reluctantly steps in to free the town from Jesse’s grasp, pitting himself against corrupt deputies in a deadly showdown. Can Dane deliver the long-awaited justice that the oppressed town of Rebel Ridge yearns for-or will its chance at peace be slaughtered once and for all?”

New Audiobooks

A Bloom in Winter
by J. R. Ward

Nothing warms a cold heart like true love, and in this newest Black Dagger Brotherhood winter book, a fighter who has never been a savior finds himself falling in love–and trying to rescue–a male who’s lost all hope. With the BDB training center reopening, and the Brothers looking to add more soldiers in the war against the Lessening Society, fan favorite Callum decides to find his purpose in fighting. Apex knows what suffering the male has survived, and he joins the program just to make sure Callum doesn’t get himself killed. As the two hit the streets, and the danger gets real, Callum must decide whether he can open himself up to love or if he will give in to his inner darkness and spiral down into an abyss of hatred and death… forever.

Night and Day
by John Connolly

Filled with eerie surprises and dark delights, Night and Day takes us from the dusty shelves of an uncanny library filled with fictional characters to a bunker deep beneath the earth where scientists seek revenge on old Nazis; from an English marsh haunted by a mother and her son to a country house where a grieving widower finds comfort from a most unlikely source. Concluding with the author’s account of how an obscure horror film brought him closer to his lost father, and how nostalgia can help to keep us sane, this is a collection that will move, entertain, and keep you reading late into the night.

A Christmas Duet
by Debbie Macomber

Hailey Morgan, a high school band teacher with dreams of songwriting, escapes to a cabin for a solo holiday retreat only to find herself entangled in small-town drama and a blossoming romance that reignites her passion for music.

New Nonfiction

The book of murder
by Matt Murphy

A former Homicide prosecutor and current legal analyst for ABC news examines murder from an insider’s perspective and weaves his personal narrative throughout his case work in a way that humanizes the people entrusted with the duty of seeking justice on behalf of the public.

Cabinet of curiosities
by Aaron Mahnke

Brings the popular podcast to print, sharing stories about the invention of the croissant in a country that was not France; a dog that stowed away and went to war, only to help capture a German spy; and much more.

Green Christmas
by Jen Chillingsworth

”Jen Chillingsworth will show you how to get the most out of the season and make considered choices in how you prepare, decorate and gift this Christmas. Featuring 30 projects, this practical, illustrated book showcases simple changes you can make for agreener Christmas. Jen offers achievable advice on how to sustainably shop for the season, forage for your own wreath and create beautiful handmade gifts”

Merlin’s tour of the universe
by Neil deGrasse Tyson

“In Neil deGrasse Tyson’s delightful journey through the cosmos, his fictional character Merlin responds to popular questions asked by adults and children alike. Merlin, a timeless visitor from Planet Omniscia in the Andromeda Galaxy, has observed firsthand many of the major scientific events of Earth’s history. Merlin’s friends include the most important scientific figures and explorers of all time–da Vinci, Magellan, Newton, Einstein, and Hubble…Merlin clarifies the details of familiar phenomena like gravity, light, space, and time, and travels to distant stars and galaxies to describe what makes them tick, rotate, explode, and collapse”

Good nature
by K. J. Willis

“In Good Nature, Kathy Willis takes the reader on a journey with her to dig out all the experiments around the world that are looking for this evidence-experiments made easier by the new kinds of data being collected from satellites and big-data biobanks. Having a vase of roses on your desk or a green wall in your office makes a measurable difference to your well-being; certain scents in room diffusers genuinely can boost your immune system; and, in a chapter that Kathy calls “Hidden Sense,” we learn that touching organic soil has a significant effect on the healthiness of your microbiome”

A Kwanzaa keepsake and cookbook
by Jessica B. Harris

“Now with a new introduction by award-winning writer and iconic culinary historian Jessica B. Harris, a foreword by chef and television personality Carla Hall, revised recipes and stories, and a fresh new package, A Kwanzaa Keepsake offers proverbs, ceremonies, family projects, inspirational biographies, blessings, and of course, wonderful recipes. Structured around the seven days of Kwanzaa and the virtues each day represents, Harris shares a themed feast for each night, designed to reflect the principle of the day. Some of the menus include: -Umoja (Unity), featuring dishes of multinational origin such as Seasoned Olives, Mechoui-Style Leg of Lamb with cumin, mint, and chili, and a classic Caribbean rum punch, and reminds readers of the union of all peoples of African descent. -Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), composed of dishes from the African continent including Sweet Potato Fritters, Grilled Pepper Salad, and Piment Aimee, a hot sauce from one of the author’s friends. -Kuumba (Creativity) is a healing supper and communal meal that opens the gates of remembrance through food. The repast is centered around a heritage recipe and includes others for Pickled Black-Eyed Peas, a fish dish from the the Ivory Coast, Spicy Cranberry Chutney, and a killer pecan pie with molasses whipped cream”

The art of small business social media
by Peg Fitzpatrick

“In The Art of Small Business Social Media, social media marketing expert Peg Fitzpatrick provides a hands-on guide designed to empower small business underdogs and teach them to leverage social media for brand growth and sales; turning their passion into profit”

Invisible strings
by Kristie Frederick-daugherty

“An anthology of brand-new poems inspired by Taylor Swift songs, from a powerhouse group of contemporary poets, including Kate Baer, Maggie Smith, and Joy Harjo”

Adventures
by Wally Koval

Adventure awaits in this new visual odyssey from Accidentally Wes Anderson, taking readers on stunning trips to every continent and sharing oddly moving human tales along the way. For lovers of travel, design, and exploration, AWA presents a brand-new collection of real-world places that seem plucked from the films of Wes Anderson, and the stories that bring each location to life. You’ll venture to Antarctica through the treacherous Drake Passage, make a stop in lesser-known Jincumbilly, Australia (where platypuses outnumber people), discover the bridge in Wisconsin that went to nowhere, and drop into the most peculiar umbrella shop in London. But adventure means nothing without someone to tell the tale. You’ll meet the father of American skydiving, who created the officially-sanctioned center of Earth — a California town with a population of two. You’ll visit the “post office at the end of the world” — and meet its mustachioed letter carrier, who runs an anarchist island nation in his free time. And you’ll travel to a town in the Arctic Circle where cats are prohibited, humans may not be buried, and doomsday vaults hold all we need to survive an apocalypse — including the secret recipe for the Oreo cookie. Authorized by the legendary filmmaker himself, Accidentally Wes Anderson Adventures reminds us that the world is ours to explore.

Bandit heaven
by Tom Clavin

A New York Times bestselling author tells the thrilling true story of the most infamous hangout for bandits, thieves and murderers of all time. Illustrations. Maps.

Even more reading suggestions

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An Encounter at the Post Office by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

I made a new friend last week.  We were standing next to each other in a looooong line at the post office here in Las Vegas, and I listened to her try to help a young man behind her navigate his paperwork.  She noticed me (eavesdropping) and sweetly said, “I sure hope I told him right.  I’m not even sure I’m doing mine right.” She was trying to decide if she should attach a mailing label to her package or not.  I told her that whatever she did was just fine, and if the postal worker didn’t approve, she should tell him that I told her it was fine.  It was a goofy thing to say, but we both laughed. And in the next few minutes, we laughed a lot.  My kind of gal.

It turns out that Ty lives near me.  We exchanged phone numbers, agreed that God works in the craziest of ways, and today had lunch together.  I had hoped to share Jesus with her, but I didn’t have to.  As we hugged in front of the restaurant before going inside, she handed me a gift: a Christian book she had written.  Before we even ordered, I asked Ty to tell me about her life. She shared how God had taken her from homelessness at the age of 14 by directing her steps and giving her entrepreneurial skills.

While we were eating, Ty received a text from her mother, the same mother who had abandoned her and left her (Ty) to raise her two-year-old brother. “To my beautiful, intelligent, wonderful daughter” it began.  Ty had forgiven her mother and bought her a car and a home about an hour away.  “That’s what God calls us to do,” she said matter-of-factly.

We talked about how God had orchestrated our meeting in that looooong line in the post office.  Ty said that she now spends most of her time writing software codes for doctors and accountants and isn’t really into developing relationships with people, so it was strange that we talked and laughed the way we did. I assured her that I had no idea how she did what she did because my brain does not work like that.  I’m just into people. I love making friends.

This past week, my husband sent me an email he had received that dealt with finding good friends.  Some of it, I liked.  Some, not.  Take this one, for instance: “If you want to reach the top, surround yourself with the right people.  We have heard your network is your Net Worth.  It is so, so true!  Be with those who will help you climb higher.”  I get what the writer intends, but money never should be a qualification for a friendship.

The writer went on to list other kinds of friends we need: a Covenant Friend who loves no matter what; a Confidant Friend who never is jealous of other’s success; a Hospitable Friend who keeps people grounded; and a Spiritual Friend (“one that will pray for you without you asking, the one that you go to for advice, you go to when you need a reality check”).

Christmas is the perfect time to remember family and friends.  Jesus was all about relationships and instructed his disciples to spend their lives discipling others.  I cannot imagine how empty my life would be without my friends, but I wonder how many times I’ve been too self-absorbed to reach out like I did with Ty.  What opportunities did God lay at my feet, but I just ignored them?  I’m afraid it’s not their loss, but mine.

Obituary of Karin Turk

Karin Lee Turk, age 74, a former resident of Topeka, Kansas, and more recently of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Monday, December 23, 2024, at Arma Health & Rehab in Arma, Kansas, surrounded by her family.

She was born October 26, 1950, in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Jack and Margaret Williamson. Karin graduated from the Hayden High School and Platte Business College. She married Steven Lee Turk on March 15, 1968.

Throughout her life, Karin wore many career hats. She was a professional cake decorator and also ran a daycare out of her home for over ten years. She later did clerical and claim work for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. Other than her favorite role of grandma, Karin enjoyed baking, embroidering, and reading. She was also an accomplished seamstress and had a secret dream of becoming a fashion designer. She often made outfits for her children in their younger years, and in her own words, she was “almost as good as mom.”

Following the death of her husband in September of 2005, Karin moved to Ft. Scott to be with her daughter. However, she still remained connected with her other family and cared for her own elderly mother in her later years.

Survivors include her children, Jennifer Clara Lemke of Ft. Scott, Steven Louis Turk of Topeka, and Matthew Berglund Turk of Pensacola, Florida; thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who were pride and joy. She is also survived by her siblings, Susan Williamson and James Williamson, both of Topeka. In addition to her husband, Karin was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, John Williamson.

Following cremation, a private family service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

City of Fort Scott Special Meeting Today at 6 p.m.

 

 

 

NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR

MEETING OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION

City Hall Commission Room – 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701

December 23, 2024 – 6:00 P.M.

 

 

  1.     Call to Order
  2.     Roll Call

Tim VanHoecke,   Matthew Wells,   Dyllon Olson,   Kathryn Salsbury,  Tracy Dancer

III.       Pledge of Allegiance

  1. Invocation
  2. Approval of Agenda
  3. New Business

Action Items:

  1. Consideration to approve changes to the Payment Contract with Freeman Hospital

VII.    Adjourn

 

 

 

Core Community Fundraiser: REZA LIVE on Feburary 8

Bourbon County Core Community exists to help with solving poverty in Bourbon County.

“We are a donor-supported 501(c)3 organization that offers an effective, data-backed program that walks people who are struggling in poverty through a 22-week course that helps them learn the mindset of poverty, the mindset of middle-class, and the steps it takes for them to move from one to the other,” said Deana Betts, the community liaison for the organization.

Bourbon County Core Community is hosting a fundraising event called Reza Live! on  February 8th at 7 p.m. at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

About REZA

“More than a magic show, Reza infuses stage of the art production elements, masterful comedic timing, and numerous interactive & inspirational moments, allowing the audience to experience the magic first hand, according to a press release fron Core Community. Perhaps Reza’s greatest secret is his uncanny ability to communicate his performance art on such a personal level.”

Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2401 S. Horton.

Tickets are on sale now and available at rezalive.com.

“All proceeds will be used to fund our efforts to help people of Bourbon County move out of poverty,” Betts said.

 

 

About the program

“We meet every Tuesday night, begin with a donor-provided meal, and eat together as families. The children then move onto their programming while the adults work through class content, set goals met with their Core Friends (volunteers from the middle-class who help them and encourage them), etc.” she said.

Volunteers with Core Community provide meals, childcare, speak on specific topics, and be Core Friends.

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Deana Betts 785-488-8411.

Amended Agenda For the Bourbon County Commission Meeting Today at 5:30 p.m.

 

 

Bourbon County Courthouse

210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800

Fax: 620-223-5832

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Kansas

Brandon Whisenhunt

1st District Commissioner

Jim Harris, Chairman

2nd District Commissioner

Clifton Beth

3rd District Commissioner

 

 

Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.

Fort Scott, KS 66701

 

December 23, 2024 5:30 p.m.

 

 

  1. Call Meeting to Order
  2. Flag Salute
  • Approval of Consent Agenda
    1. Approval of Minutes from 12/19/2024
    2. Approval of November Financials
  1. Public Comments
  2. Department Updates
  3. Public Works
  4. Freeman Agreements
  • Sheriff Bill Martin-Financial Advisor Request
  • Jim Harris-Executive Session KSA 75-4319 (b)(1)
  1. MOU For Possible Housing Development
  2. Redistricting
  3. Commission Comments
  • Adjourn Meeting

 

 

Executive Session Justifications:

 

KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the

attorney-client relationship.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the

representative(s) of               the body or agency.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual     proprietorships

KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting

would jeopardize such security measures.

 

Obituary of Benjamin David “Benji” Smith

Benjamin David “Benji” Smith, age 22, a former resident of Mapleton, Kansas, left this troubled world and was welcomed into the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ on December 12, 2024.

He was currently serving in the United States Navy at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, on the USS Florida (SSGN-728).  Benji was born March 25, 2002, in Ft. Scott, Kansas, the son of Randall Douglas Smith and Tonya Linn Hill Smith.

Shortly after his birth, the Smith family moved to France in preparation for the mission field.  They served as missionaries in the West African nation of Ivory Coast and later in Burkina Faso.  Even at a young age, Benji had a very outgoing personality and loved interacting with the African people.

The family occasionally returned to the United States for furlough but returned for good in 2017.  Benji dearly loved his church family at Xenia Baptist Church.  He graduated from the Christian Learning Center in 2020 and went on to receive an associate’s degree from Ft. Scott Community College.  He later enlisted with the United States Navy.  He had completed the Naval Nuclear Power Training Course and currently held the rank of Petty Officer Second Class.

Benji loved being outdoors and running.  He was very meticulous and intelligent but also possessed a keen wit and a sharp sense of humor.

 

Survivors include his parents, Randy and Tony Smith of Mapleton and siblings, Jonathan, of Ft. Scott, LaRée of Lexington Kentucky, and Joshua, who is also serving in the Navy at the Naval Nuclear Power Command in Charleston, South Carolina. Also surviving are his maternal grandparents, Bill and June Hill of Mapleton as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.  Benji was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Norman and Kay Smith.

 

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Monday, December 30th at the Xenia Baptist Church.

Burial with full military honors will follow in the Mapleton Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 P.M. Sunday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Xenia Baptist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com

Roaring 20s Christmas by Carolyn Tucker

 

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Roaring ‘20s Christmas

 

My mom was born in Dade County, Missouri on December 17, 1923, the thirteenth child and only girl. (It wasn’t unusual to have large families back then.) Mom shared many stories about her life and I always enjoyed hearing them. She said, “We were poor, but we didn’t know it because everybody was just like us.” As a little girl, she played with a rock and pretended it was a doll. There was plenty of food to eat, enough clothes, and a roof over her head. There was plenty of love and laughter, family and cousins galore, and that caused her to feel rich on the inside. I asked about her Christmases as a youngster and she said, “I usually got a dime and an orange.”

 

After Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, and after the proper amount of days, it was time for Mary and Joseph to take Him to the Temple in Jerusalem. “Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child, so His parents took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord — ‘either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons‘“ (Luke 2:22,24 NLT). The Old Testament further clarifies what animals may be brought for this particular offering: “If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons“ (Leviticus 12:8 NLT). Here we find evidence that Mary and Joseph were poor. But I suspect they felt rich on the inside.

 

Based on Matthew 2:16, most scholars believe Jesus was about two years old when the wise men visited Him in Bethlehem. “They [wise men] entered the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11 NLT).

 

These three gifts are an interesting study. Since these wealthy men were wise and  determined to find the Savior of the world, we can be sure their gifts were perfect for the occasion. Gold represented wealth and was a highly-valued treasure by everyone. The Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with pure gold and the mercy seat of the Tabernacle was of gold. John the Revelator tells us, “And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass (Revelation 21:21 NKJV). The gift of gold supplied the family’s financial needs and also represented Jesus’ Kingship as the Prince of Peace.

 

Frankincense is a fragrant resin from a tree which was quite valuable. Because of its lovely perfume and its association with worship in the temple, it would make sense for the Magi to include it as a gift to the Messiah. The gift of frankincense represented His Deity as the Son of God.

 

Myrrh has a medicinal quality and the Jews used it to offer pain relief to those who were suffering physically. Myrrh mixed with wine was offered to Jesus as He agonized on the cross, but He refused it. Myrrh was also used in embalming (ref. John 19:39-40). The gift of myrrh was a solemn foreshadowing of Jesus’ death and burial.

 

The Key: Because Jesus is our Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, we can joyfully celebrate Christmas because we’re rich on the inside.

Southwind Extension District Appreciation Award 2024: Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging

(Left to Right) – Stacy Dickerhoof, SEKAAA; Diedre Reed, SEKAAA; Tara Solomon-Smith, Southwind District; Kathy Brennon, SEKAAA; Krista Harding, Southwind District
Submitted photo.

 

The Southwind Extension District is proud to recognize Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging (SEKAAA) for their outstanding support of the mission of K-State Research & Extension. SEKAAA has partnered with Southwind Extension District to implement evidence-based health programs that increase independence, balance, and state of mind.  These organizations also work together to assist Medicare beneficiaries in navigating their health insurance decisions. The K-State Research and Extension Appreciation Award was authorized by Extension administrative staff in 1977. Its purpose is to honor a person, business or organization who has made outstanding contributions to extension programs in a county or district. The Southwind District Extension board and agents want to express their sincere gratitude to Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging for their support and look forward to partnerships yet to come.

Bourbon County Local News