Mt. Pleasant News

One of the pluses of being a journalist is that we can be a nomadic bunch. Granted, there are some who wouldn't see that as a plus, and yes, it can be a pain moving every couple of years. However, new experiences and persepectives gained by brushing shoulders with different people far outweigh the negatives.In the time I've been at The News, I've seen 14 reporters come and go. A reporter, on average, stays at a ...

?God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of blood ? to be received by faith.? Romans 3:25aHarold ?Joe? Brown was a Harvard trained theologian and former professor of mine.Dr. Brown enjoyed asking graduate students at their oral exams, ?What is the difference between propitiation and expiation??The words sound big, but the answer he was looking for was simple. Propitiation happens ...

To the editor,Recently there was a tragic car-bicycle accident. Please slow down and move over. The life you save may not be your own but that of a valuable member of the community, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a preacher, a businessman, your neighbor or a child.As a car driver, I hate bicycles. As a bike rider, I hate cars. Please slow down and move over. The 60 seconds spent could save a life.Chuck Rila, a ...

I got a text from Ginnie while she was at work. ?What's going on today??I text back, ?Buddy to the vet, lady bringing her two hens, pet blessing on Sunday.??It's all about animals,? she replied. ?LOL!?And so it is. Life on the Empty Nest Farm is all about animals. Buddy was due for his annual checkup and shots. By the way, Buddy goes to the doctor more than I do. Oh, well. When it comes to cutes, he has the ...

Job 12:4-5a: ?Yet my friends laugh at me. I am a man who calls on God and receives an answer. I am a just and blameless man, yet they laugh at me. People who are at ease mock those in trouble.?It is easy to do; in fact, most people do it. We are quick to find fault with one another and slow to understand one another. There is a tendency to blame one another for our difficulties instead of supporting each other ...

By Jean Thomson October is the right time to plant bulbs for spring-blooming beauty. While the small bulbs offer their own delicate beauty at blooming time, most gardeners also want the knockout beauty from clumps or drifts of the big bulbs ? daffodils and tulips.For ideal results from the big bulbs, choose sites with fertile, well-drained soil. Six hours of sun will support excellent performance.Planting ...

God reminds us there is a season for everything. A time to be born, a time to die; a time to gather and a time to scatter; a time for sowing and a time for reaping.Trying to accomplish certain things is much harder in the wrong season. As the school year kicks into high gear, it's easy to recognize seasons in our lives. Few are taking vacation now, it would cause difficulty for families with kids in school, and ...

I met Michael Childress at an Art-in-the-Park in Ft. Madison. His display was set up across from mine with a group of artists called Artist Trax Studio. We were both displaying metal art, however, mine was the rusty-junk kind, and his was shiny, brushed aluminum.His largest piece didn't look like art to me. It looked more like a bed, a bed made of brushed aluminum. Art is in the eyes of the beholder. I noticed ...

Surgery is scary. No matter how big or small a procedure is, doctors will always warn you there's a risk something could go wrong. And despite preparing for surgery, at some point you have to leave it in the hands of your doctors, God, the Universe. The real work, I've learned, comes after surgery. A patient's recovery is a true test of strength, perserverance and patience.On Sept. 7, my parents drove me to Iowa ...

Breaking news everyone. Your friendly neighborhood sports guy is expecting his first child. My wife is pregnant with a baby girl, and we are due somewhere between the end of January and the beginning of February.The summer of 2017, as well as the early fall months, have been filled with new experiences. I've been learning all these nuances about having a kid and raising it in 2018, and how much different it is ...

Dear Editor,On behalf of the nursing students in the Iowa Wesleyan University's Division of Nursing's Community Health class, thank you to the many people who donated diapers and cash to the Diaper Drive held on Friday, Sept. 8, and Saturday, Sept. 9. Two pickup truck beds full of diapers were donated, more than 1,000 orders on Amazon were processed and a cashier's check was sent to the Galveston Diaper Center ...

Karen volunteered for 20 years as the secretary for the food bank. She arrived first thing on Thursday mornings to unlock the doors, turn on the lights and put on the coffee before the people arrived for food assistance.Things had really changed at the pantry over the last 20 years. More people needed help, yet there was less money to buy food for the pantry. Plus in the last few years helping at the pantry had ...