Viewpoints

Do you know the song “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made”? Some of you know and some may not.  Every day is not the same and the plans God is making for us each day are not the same also. This is the new year God is providing to us again.

As we are approaching the end of 2020, I come to thank God for all the good things and the plans he had for us. Some people will say the year 2020 wasn’t good for us because we lost beloved ones and there were many bad things that happened during the year, especially COVID-19, of course, and you are right. Was God not in control when all the bad and difficult things were happening to us? Has God forgotten his people who were bought with an imperishable price (Blood)? I Peter 1:18-19. I say no! God can’t forget his people and he is with us any time.

To the Editor:

Sometimes one might read something ridiculous which results in humor; however, humor is quickly replaced by indignation as one realizes it was not written in jest or satire. This is my reaction to a letter entitled “Suggesting everyone do their research regarding COVID-19 vaccine” written in the 12/23/2020 edition of this newspaper.

To quote the writer of that letter, “I am not a doctor or an expert on medical things.” Perhaps this is where she should have ended the letter before submitting it.

I similarly am not a medical expert, and instead will listen to the recommendations of scientists and medical professionals. I long for the day in which Americans will once again place value in education and intelligence rather than to scoff at it.

To the Editor:

In a mental health crisis, people are more likely to encounter police than get medical help. As a result, two million people with mental illness are booked into jails each year. Nearly 15% of men and 30% of women booked into jails have a serious mental health condition.

The vast majority of individuals are not violent criminals - most people in jails have not yet gone to trial, so they are not yet convicted of a crime. The rest are serving short sentences for minor crimes.

Once in jail, many individuals don’t receive the treatment they need and end up getting worse, not better. They stay longer than their counterparts without a mental illness. They are at risk of victimization and often their mental health conditions get worse.

In a time when compassion and care are in order, what I have to say may come off a bit harsh but we need to hear it. Folks, we’ve heard what it would take to curb the spread of the Novel Coronavirus and far too many have not headed those directives so now we must face the consequences: no in-person worship during one of the most treasured times of the year. My observation is that, like a teenager who finds themselves pregnant, we just want to ignore and deny it but such immature actions will not make it go away! And just like that teenager must bear the pain of childbirth we must bear the pain of forgoing time-honored holiday traditions.

To the Editor:

A tall tale of disenfranchised voters, lost poll books, rushing waters, two o’clock voting questions, rich oyster suppers and expensive refreshments, risk taking and shenanigans, threatened violence and a wet horse? Is this current events? Thanks to Vicki Calbreath and  Attorney M. A. Harmon and Edwin C. Bailey I think that I know the answer. By the way, where is Moneek?

In 1974, I first heard “then” candidate for Iowa U.S. House of Representatives Grassley speak when I was a 14-year-old 4-Her attending a Citizenship trip that I had earned through 4-H. As a boy, I learned about life by living on a dairy farm. Iowa technical school led me into construction and manufacturing and now to be an Iowa miner. I am proud to have played a teeny, tiny part in making the United States an energy independent and carbon emission reducing nation.

To the Editor:

It has been rightly said that this COVID-19 “plandemic” is the Trojan horse being used as an excuse to put in place an extensive and long-formulated scheme to overtake our constitutional republic. America is the last bastion of freedom (what’s left of it) in the world, and if America falls, the world falls. The virus is real, and many have gotten sick, and many have even died, as with any flu.

But the response to this nasty flu does not match reality; the mortality rate is less than one percent, and the younger you are, that rate drops dramatically.  This plandemic has been exploited, and the narrative of false information on the mainstream media continues to imprison people in fear and ignorance. Keep in mind that one of the communist rules for radicals is the fact that a fearful population is easier to control.  Also, never let a crisis go to waste!

Happy Advent: Preparing for Christmas

The mental image created by the famous painting by Holman Hunt, “I stand at the door and knock” is the one that I enjoy thinking and praying about. I hope you will join me in your prayer life. Holman Hunt took the idea from Revelations.

The painting depicts our Lord Jesus standing before this large door with vines growing around the door and our Lord has his hand extended toward the door knocking.

When Holman Hunt finished the painting, he invited his fellow artists to critique the painting. They were loud in their praise of his artistic talent. Then one of them remarked that he had forgotten to place a knob on the door. Holman replied, “This door is the door of the human heart and it opens only from within.”

To the Editor:

The holiday season has begun. It looks and feels different to us all in one way or another. The year 2020 has been more than challenging, with its unrest, instability, fears and losses in varying degrees. This year has mandated that we change many things about the way we live, interact with others, and view our future.

One positive note is that it has shown the compassion of people stepping up and stepping in to help. It has been the cause of prayers and pleas for healing and peace.

While holidays typically bring people closer together, this can be a difficult time for children involved in the child welfare system who are not able to spend this time with their biological families. They do not have the opportunity to be a part of creating precious memories that many of us hold dear.

To the Editor:

Now is the time to affirm that, as law abiding citizens of the United States of America, we do subscribe to and submit to the basic tenets of truth, justice, and our Constitutional freedoms.

Metamorphosis of A Nation

Hello Friends! One of the great marvels of creation is the process of metamorphosis, that being the caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly.  This process can be compared to when a person asks Jesus Christ to come into his or her life as their Lord and Savior and the resulting transformation in that person’s life from that decision.  For the followers of Jesus Christ, this is called being born-again.

Well, today I’d like to share about another metamorphosis - one that takes place in a nation. Remember, metamorphosis is the process of changing form or shape, structure or substance. In the book of Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20 we read, “woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.”