Mt. Pleasant News

I remember the moment I decided to call myself a feminist.I was a junior in high school doing a book report on ?The Unfinished Revolution: Voices from the Global Fight for Women's Rights,? when I made the decision, a label some in my church are still uncomfortable with to this day.I say some people were uncomfortable because a lot of misconceptions about the feminist movement remain, possibly conjuring images ...

Psalms 111:2, 3 reads: ?How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them. Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.?Have you stopped lately to consider what the Lord has done in your life and in the world? I often read the Old Testament, and it is full of God's dealings with man. We discover there many things about God as he contends with ...

To the editor of the Mt. Pleasant News:As a lifetime, 64-year member of the American Legion, an organization at 3 million members plus in support of veterans, our military armed forces and the Rights of Freedom, when I received my February 2018 American Legion Magazine and as I read the article ?Sons of Freedom,? I could not resist the temptation to share my words of commendation with you for the self-proclaimed ...

I've been thinking a lot about the decisions we make, and maybe more specifically the decisions others make and the impact it has on our lives.Last weekend my friend and I went to the movies and watched ?I, Tonya.? For those who don't know it's a film about Tonya Harding who, even though she was the first American figure skater to land the triple axel, will always be known for bashing in competitor Nancy ...

Recently, I have been intrigued by a prayer of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. ?I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.? (Ephesians 1:16)When you pray for someone, do you focus on their faults and ask God to change them or do you intercede on their behalf? I tend to focus on another person's needs and pray for them, which is a good thing. We have not if we ask not.When we ...

By Jean Thomson An ever-growing body of research confirms what many of us feel intuitively: nature is good for us.When we get outside more or see more natural landscapes, we feel better. Indeed, even photographs of natural areas can help. One study demonstrated that post-surgical patients with window views of natural spaces or even pictures of such areas experienced less pain and better healing than other ...

Recently I stumbled across a magazine article asking middle-age Americans to name their favorite teacher (K-12) and the reason for the selection.?Hmmm,? I thought as I read through the responses. While I could easily specify my favorite coach, selecting a favorite teacher required some thought.After about 30 minutes of thought on years that seemed a century ago, I had it, my senior English instructor.Mrs. ...

It's been a tough winter, but tough winters, with the accompanying housebound syndrome (and flu) is perfect for ? you know what ? yes, reading!Here's my recommendation for keeping the howling north wind and frigid temperatures at bay: ?Grant,? by Ron Chernow. I read Chernow's ?Hamilton? and ?Washington,? so it was only fair that I should follow up with ?Grant.? It's 1,100 pages. No fooling. It took me well over ...

?All Seven Deadly Sins Committed At Church Bake Sale,? read the headline to the Onion article. The seven deadly sins ? avarice, sloth, envy, lust, gluttony, pride and wrath ? were all committed Sunday during the twice-annual bake sale at St. Mary's of the Immaculate Conception Church. Mrs. Rose declared her cookies were always the best. Mr. Green ate eight pieces of pie. Mrs. Johnson swore Mrs. Rose bribed the ...

Our first spring at the Empty Nest Farm was a busy time for Ginnie and me. There was the garden to plow and plant, the barn to clean out from moving (everything we didn't know what to do with we jammed in the barn), and the mulch bed to build along the highway.Our ?farm? is located along Highway 34, and I wanted to construct a six-foot wide mulch bed along the highway to display my metal sculptures. I laid down ...

Harmony Community School District and Van Buren Community School District have NOT yet consolidated into one school district. On Feb. 6, 2018, the residents of the Harmony and Van Buren Community School Districts will be given the opportunity to vote in favor of or against consolidating these two school districts. You still have a say in this decision.As a resident of Lee County, this consolidation proposal does ...

Because of Donald Kaul, I'm a columnist today. Donald Kaul was a columnist for the Des Moines Register and Tribune back in the sixties and seventies. I was an English Major at Iowa State University, living in a roach infested apartment on Lincoln Way in Campus Town. My roommates and I would start the day off by skipping class, nursing hangovers, drinking coffee at the L-Way Cafe and discussing Kaul's column ?Over ...