Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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This is a continuation of Block 3 of St. John's Cemetery. This part includes three more of the 12 unmarked graves in Block 3 – John Monahan, Alice DeGree and Crescentia Weimals. John Monahan: John Monahan was born in September of 1853 in Ireland. The 1900 census states that he immigrated in 1883 and was living in Superior Township, Eddy County, N.D. and owned their own farmhouse. Living with him was his wife Catherine and six children; Rose, Susie and Lizzie, all born in Ireland, Kathryn, born in Ohio, and Edward and Mary born in North D...
Grumbling seems to be a part of our human nature. We see it way back in the Old Testament, when the Israelites grumbled, telling Moses they would have been better off if they had stayed slaves in Egypt. In chapter 20 of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard workers and there is lots of grumbling there too! They grumble because they are convinced that they are not getting what they deserve. Their gripe is made clear in verse 10, where we read, “They thought they would receive more.” Clint Eastwood was in a movie back in th...
Several years back. I was leading a youth summer trip to Montana. After riding all day on our charter bus, we finally reached our destination. As we were unloading all our stuff from the bus into the church building, I passed by the front doors several times. On each there was a decal with a cross that said, “We Believe.” That’s nice, I thought. But as I passed it again and again, something happened. I have no idea why on this particular day, when I had certainly seen and said the words “we believe” thousands of times in my life, my mind form...
Do you believe there is such a thing as good and evil, God and Satan? When something good happens do you thank God because you believe He blessed you? What about when something bad happens? In Jeremiah 29:11 the God of the Bible says, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Looking at this carefully, we notice that our life was mapped out before we were born, and our creator had every intention to...
How often do you hear it's not what happens to us, but how we respond? We know we will face trials in this life, so it only makes sense to prepare how we are going to react when they arrive. The way we perceive develops our thoughts and views, but what if our thoughts are wrong? The most important factor to prevent our emotions from controlling us is to realize we decide what we think about. When we bow down to our feelings they become our master. The Bible demands for our mind to be renewed...
Currently in Sunday school at my church, we are working through the Book of Acts. This week, we arrived at Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders in chapter 20. In verse 24, Paul states that his entire difficult life will be worth it if only he can finish the race. This struck me because I am a runner. I did a quick word search and found that Paul talks about his run and/or race nine separate times across eight different letters! This was surprising to me that Paul uses the reference so many different places. Obviously, the ‘running the rac...
Since you were conceived God has wanted your attention. He has never neglected or ignored you. If you were to write down all the blessings and victories He has given over the years, they would prove He has been guiding and helping you all along. How could any of us even consider we were created by chance? The truth is that God specifically called you and has many wonderful things planned for your future. You are His masterpiece. I’ve noticed in my life, that even though I know these things a...
“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” That is how God is often referred to. He is the God that Jewish forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob called upon. The God who promised Abraham he’d be a great nation – despite Abraham only having one son of the promise. The God who promised Isaac he’d be a great nation – despite again, only one son of the promise. It’s Jacob where God finally begins to make a nation with Abraham’s family through the 12 sons of Jacob. But have you ever read the chapter when the first 11 sons are born? It’s chapter 30 of Gen...
When I was younger, I used to be blown away by the complexity of the Bible. This is a book that covers thousands of years of history, contains hundreds if not thousands of prominent characters, and explains the roots of two of the world’s largest religions. It is also written in three different languages and many different writing styles. Everything from the stories of Genesis, the commands of Leviticus, the prophecies of Ezekiel, the poetry of Psalms, the short sayings of Proverbs and the letters of Paul. Then, three years ago, I became a p...
Our regular readers know this column is about the Christian life, but you certainly do not need to be a Christian or even a religious person to at least consider the content as thought-provoking. Everyone has their own philosophies and interpretations about spiritual topics, and this is understandable since we all have a choice to believe whatever we want. Only God knows everything and He is perfect in all His ways. I will add that no theologian or Bible scholar is correct about every doctrine...
Read the Book of Job. Seriously, if you haven’t read that book of the Bible yet, go read it. Leave my sermonette, read the book and come back. I won’t promise it’s easy or short, but I will promise that it’s got some great truths in it. You won’t regret it. The main character of the book of Job is, unsurprisingly, Job! Job is a good man, and not “humangood” – Job is regarded as righteous in God’s eyes. However, one day he loses everything. All his animals, all his servants, all his children and even his health. One day he has everything, the n...
We talked about taking a stand for Christ last week, but being a Christian is also a walk which in the light of scripture refers to conduct. Ephesians the second chapter mentions how we once walked with the world fulfilling the lust of our flesh, and Romans the sixth chapter talks about how once we are transformed by His saving power we now walk in a new spiritually transformed identity. While these passages help explain our salvation experience, what about how we are to walk after we are saved?...
So, here’s a hypothetical situation for you. Imagine the researchers at NDSU came up with a new type of corn seed. We’ll call it corn seed X. Now, what makes corn seed X so incredible is that it can survive the frigid North Dakota winters. Not only survive, but be able to produce. Instead of planting in the spring, and getting a harvest in the fall; one can plant corn seed X in the spring, get an average harvest in the fall, and then it will also produce all the way through the next year. And all the years that follow. Plant once, and then harv...
Recently, I was studying Jesus’ use of prayer and I came across a very intriguing verse that I’ve probably read a million times, but never noticed before: Luke 6:12. “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” (NIV) Now what makes this verse significant to me is the context. Luke is perfectly clear that the very morning after Jesus’ marathon prayer he selected his 12 disciples. Prior to this, there was probably a small crowd following Jesus around, but afterward there was “the 12” and eve...
I hope everyone is having blessed holidays with family and friends. Spending time with those you love is much more meaningful than all the customs and traditions. The same is true with our spiritual lives, as it comes down to our personal relationship with God and the peace and joy we have living in His presence. I’ve spoken with several people over the last few weeks who have no family and spend holidays alone. However, they rejoice in the hope that comes from knowing God and trusting Him in e...
Greetings Brothers and Sisters In Christ. We continue with our Advent story this week. Last week we discussed the four outer candles on our Advent wreath. This week we focus on the center candle, the Jesus candle. The four outer candles, Hope, Peace, Joy and Love are fine all by themselves, each representing great and beautiful attributes. But in the center, the Jesus candle puts them all together. In our Christian lives, none of the other four candles matter if we don’t have Jesus at our center. Jesus is the “Reason for the Season.” As Chris...
Last week we talked about how common it is for many Christians to talk about how they love, worship and serve God, but could some of this be their imagination? Maybe a misunderstanding or could it be a deception? There are sobering Bible passages that talk about our works on earth and our heavenly rewards such as Matthew 7:21-23. “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I wil...
Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We continue with our Advent story this week. Let’s take a closer look at the Advent wreath. As I mentioned last week, our wreath has five candles; four on the outside and one in the middle. The outer candles are either purple or blue and many churches have three of those and a fourth one that is pink. There is a center candle that is white and is called the Jesus candle. The four outer ones are Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The Hope candle is not the word hope we use in everyday conversation. I hope I g...
With two exceptions, my weekly sermons are based on scripture. The exceptions are Advent and Lent. The ways in which we celebrate these two holiday seasons are based on tradition. Advent is the beginning of our church calendar year. We use this season to prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Lent is the time leading up to Holy Week, when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday. You will not find mention of these two seasons in scripture. However, both of these events hold an important part in our church...
The sin of Achan found in Joshua 6:17-19 is a powerful example of how one person committing evil in private can negatively affect their family, church congregation or place of employment. “Now brother, what people do is their own business and it has nothing to do with me. If people want to cheat others, or lie, curse and steal, or watch porn, what’s that to me?” I can tell you what God’s word says about it. Being dedicated to others through the bond of our word, and especially if we are a spirit...
Today, I want to delve into the wondrous and awe-inspiring event known as the Annunciation – a moment that forever changed the course of history and brought forth the Savior of the world. The Annunciation is a powerful testament to the mysterious and beautiful ways in which God works in our lives. In the Gospel of Luke, we find the account of the angel Gabriel appearing to the young virgin named Mary, announcing that she would conceive and bear the Son of God. The angel's words, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." (...
Most of us have heard the 1969 song, “More Today than Yesterday” by the band Spiral Staircase. The chorus says, “I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow.” I had not heard it for a while, but I’m sensitive to music and often a song will trigger my emotions and then I start asking the Lord about what is the hidden message within the music. It’s a catchy tune that has a happy bounce to it, much like what someone feels when they are in love. However, despite this song being...
Beloved Community of God, Pastor Amy writing to you today about community! I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means for all of us to be a community together, and also reflecting on how much this community has truly become my home over these last years. In 1 Peter 4:8–11, Peter explores the profound significance and transformative power of community in our Christian journey. 1 Peter 4:8: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." In this verse, Peter implores us to place love at the for...
We just celebrated Veterans Day and we are so thankful for being able to live in a country where we are not being held under the terror of a dictator. Our son is a Marine and we have always been very proud of him. He was injured in the service and has suffered every day since, but he keeps pressing forward and does the best he can. My family has personally suffered loss from war and has a deep appreciation for the sacrifice these men and women have made to protect our country. My uncle, Kenny...
As we approach the season of Thanksgiving, it's a perfect time for us to reflect on the profound message found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." In this short but powerful verse, the Apostle Paul provides us with a timeless truth that transcends the boundaries of time and culture. "Give thanks in all circumstances" may seem like a challenging command, especially when faced with trials, hardships or uncertainties. However, embedded in these words is a profound...
