This past couple of days, I’ve watched women of all ages, all income levels, all ethnicities, walk around a huge building dedicated specifically to the disease they share – breast cancer. more

Don't be afraid to speak  more

I don't know how old I was when my parents let me answer our family's phone, but I was younger than most. In the early 1980s, my dad was a landscaper and tree trimmer, so our house phone was also his business line. Missing a call often meant missing a customer. more

As we grow and move through life, we often ask big questions about God and the world around us. “Who is God?” we wonder. In the Biblical book of Deuteronomy, we read “The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Here we find that the very essence and nature of God is to care for the poor. more

Embracing 4-H more

This is the time of year when the fall season is at its most beautiful and is marked by the tree leaves presenting us with beautiful colors. more

Gardens are living and change either by intent or by accident. They are not stagnant and do not remain as they are in a photograph. Plants grow; plants die. Wind removes trees and weather is always impacting the environment. The gardening season is winding down and although mums, asters, greens, and root crops enjoy the cooler temperatures, most plants in the garden are preparing for the winter. What is a gardener to do this time of year? Take time to review the year in the garden by looking at the past, present, and future. more

Early in September, just in time for the Labor Day weekend, Covid crashed our party. Two of our three kids had come home for the long weekend, and one of them had what looked like seasonal allergies. But by the third day, her symptoms gave me an unsettling sense of deja vu, so I went looking for the COVID tests we still had stashed from 2021. It turned positive faster than I could say, “Uh oh.” more

Hold your head up. Not just because you're a fine, upstanding human being. Not just because it makes you look better in photos. Do it because, if you don't stop staring down at your phone so much, you might end up with a case of hump-neck. more

Free speech should be defended  more

On Monday the sun crossed the celestial equator and we passed through the autumnal equinox, entering into fall. more

It seems a bit ridiculous to be writing about winter now, but whether we like it or not, winter will be here soon, and there is absolutely no way to stop unless a trip to South Florida is in the works. To prove my point, Christmas is less than one hundred days from now. In the wine industry, there comes a sudden and dramatic shift from the lighter white or rosé wines to the more substantial red wines. more

There are times, events or situations that call for nothing but the best, and that best is often champagne. more

Early twentieth-century author Marcel Proust had his famous madeleines, airy little tea cakes that transported him back to his childhood with a single bite. more

Last Thursday, I sat in a packed parking lot on a college campus teeming with people in a city of more than 100,000. But I might as well have been alone on a leaky raft in the middle of an ocean because I was stranded. more

About six years ago, my grandmother and I would go out for coffee once per week. I would share with her about my life and my problems, and she would share her wisdom and life experience. She would pray for me, pour into me and prepare me for the future. We had tough conversations when I was not acting right, and joyful conversations when something went well. more

What does one do when they want to retire as a professional dancer? Why open a winery, of course. That is exactly what Rodney Strong successfully did. more

It happened again. Charlie the Beagle, whose mission in life is to make me a crazy person, escaped the fence at dusk yesterday. more

I am horrified by the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk this week. more

Turn on the news, scroll through social media, or even sit down at a family holiday gathering, and it’s clear: our world is deeply divided. Politics splits neighbors, culture wars pit communities against one another, and social media algorithms feed us only the voices we already agree with. Many of us here in Warrensburg and across Johnson County feel as if everything is pulling us apart. more