We recently held a 150th anniversary celebration of the Marshalltown Y and one moment really hit home for the work that we do at the YMCA-YWCA. As we reflected on our journey someone said: “Imagine if the Y wasn’t here in our community?” It’s a good thing we don’t have to find that ...
The sidewalk on the North side of Main Street between 3rd Avenue and 5th Avenue is done and the South side is quickly being worked on towards completion. Seeing completion of a project that has been in the planning, engineering, funding, detail planning, and finally construction for almost 5 ...
A major theme in the Bible after the day of Pentecost is the mystery which God kept hidden for ages and is revealed to us by the apostle Paul. Check it out in Romans 16:25-27; 1 Corinthians 2:7-8; Ephesians 3:4-6; and Colossians 1:25-27. A careful reading of Colossians 1:12-21 provides the foundation for understanding the mystery revealed in Colossians 1:25-27. Before he reveals the mystery, he first explains what God has accomplished through Christ. Ephesians follows almost the same pattern as Colossians, but in an ...
How have our churches failed us? I believe our churches (well okay, not all of them-but most of them) have failed us because too many of our pulpits remain silent when they should be speaking out. Here are just a few examples: Babies are being murdered in the womb and our pulpits are silent. Planned Parenthood kills babies with our tax dollars, and our pulpits are silent. Children’s service agencies separate family members, and our pulpits are silent. Tolerance trumps Truth, and our pulpits are silent. Many say Christians and Muslims worship the same God, and our pulpits ...
Two years after voters tossed Democrats from power in Washington, polls show they are ready to switch sides again. Does it make sense to welcome back a party and its ideas that were so recently rejected? The reason so many voters are frustrated by both parties is that they have been putting ...
The tightly wrapped cardboard tube was delivered to our door by UPS. Even though it was addressed to me, I had Ginnie open it up for a surprise. What she pulled out and unrolled flabbergasted her, like it was April Fools Day in October. It was a 26 x 17 inch acrylic color on canvas of Ginnie and me wearing our horse shirts (a whole other story). How did I purchase this hilarious painting? Easy. We have an artist buddy in Nepal, Sujan Tamang. I messaged him a snap shot of us wearing our horse shirts, and he did the rest. I will have the horse-shirt painting framed. It will soon join 15 ...
