Opinion

The 2023-2024 school year began last Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Anyone with an interest in newspapers — or the U.S. Constitution — has had at least one eye glued to what’s been happening at the Marion County Record in Marion, Kan.

In the Gospel of John chapter 13 and verse 35 Jesus says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” I often ask my church if we, as Christians, are known to the world by our love or by what we are perceived as hating? I am pretty sure those who are not a part of the church today are really clear on the stuff we dislike, disagree with, or disapprove of. To a large extent what they fail to see is the love of Jesus in us for each other and for those who do not even like us or our Savior.

The state of Missouri, Barry County and the City of Cassville are all a part, and I dare say an integral part, of the history and the development of the western portion of this great nation, the United States.

School is back in session! On Tuesday, I was invited to witness the annual rites of passage at the high school — games played between the classes. Here, we see five seniors a couple of steps away from winning a tug-of-war game against the freshmen. Don’t worry, freshmen, you’ll get your chance to exert your seniority oneday! Other games included a race for items (or people) from the stands, a chanting contest and a “Finish the lyric” song game.

There are only a few days throughout the year when you can bank on a mixture of high energy, excitement, emotion, and maybe a twinge of anxiety. The few that pop into my mind immediately are Easter, Christmas, birthdays, days you leave for a vacation — and the first day of school.

The year 2019 was a whirlwind for me. it was not the good kind of storm, where you cuddle up by the fire with a cup of hot tea and a good book; 2019 was a year that forever changed me and culminated with the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) on my 39th birthday.

KIM HEALEY I grew up in Seligman with my two sisters as a child. Growing up, we were taught to respect and love one another.

We read in Ephesians 2:10 that, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Some translations say, we are God’s “workmanship.” Others even use the word “masterpiece.” That is an amazing thought.

There’s nothing like an extended vacation to revitalize the mind and soul, whether it’s taking a weekend away from home nearby or squeezing as many activities into 132 hours as possible. We opted for the latter last week, flying out Wednesday afternoon to Orlando, spending the following day at Magic Kingdom at Disney World, then embarking on a three-day cruise to the itsy bitsy Bahamanian island of Bimini upon the Carnival Liberty cruise ship.