Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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May is one of those months that sees the weather get warmer, the end of the school year get closer, and we celebrate Mother's Day! Although not all of us are moms, we certainly all had one at some point in our lives. I know that many of you have lost your moms or realize the days you have together are far less than what have already passed. Let's also admit that we can sometimes take our moms for granted, so perhaps having at least one day per year to honor them, reminds us to do that more often! Let me suggest a few ways to do just that, even...
Many people are at least vaguely familiar with the Ten Commandments. And quite a few people know the story behind them — that God gave them to Moses on the top of Mt. Sinai. But much less familiar is the story [BEGIN ITAL]inside[END ITAL] the Ten Commandments, a story about God. Several of the commandments have backup information included in them. In other words, there’s whatever God tells us to do or not to do, but then there’s also an explanation for it. And those explanations give us some amazing chapters in God’s history. Putting that story...
In Philippians 3:14, the Apostle Paul writes, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Any athlete knows it takes clear goals and consistent hard work to win an Olympic gold medal. Successful entrepreneurs are those who stay focused on their objectives and labor daily to achieve them. Dreams may inspire but are only transformed from mere hopeful fantasies when they are defined by measurable goals with a clear plan or at least some specific starting steps and a commitment to fol...
To the editor: The CALI Wasco Youth Coalition has been advocating for a safer tobacco-free community for the past five years. Our coalition is part of the non-California Health Collaborative, Unidos Por Salud Project- a regional tobacco prevention program serving youth, young adults and the Latinx community in seven counties. Our current coalition is joined by Wasco and Lost Hills high school youth who have hosted youth events, engaged in outreach during school resource fairs, and educated local and state elected officials on the importance of...
I probably don't need to tell you that Easter was celebrated this year on April 9. Sanctuaries were decorated, choirs practiced, meals were planned and served for family gatherings, and some of you may have even gone shopping for a new outfit just for that special day! Most importantly, of course, was the opportunity to gather with other believers and celebrate the living hope we have in Jesus! Periodically, I'm asked the question, "How do we know it's true?" In the world of Biblical studies, that would fall into the category of apologetics,...
Thank God for the resurrected life. We are not what we once were, but we have been set free by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:1 says, "...and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." Let's look at some marks of the resurrected life in a Christian. 1st Peter 1:3 says, "We now have a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead." There is a living hope inside the Christian and it's actively alive in every situation that we may encounter. This lively hope makes us look at things through the eyes...
To the editor: The Wasco VFW Post 6742 has been around for over 75 years. My uncle, James Greer, was a member when I was a small kid. He would wear his green garrison cap with lots of little pins and medals to his once-a-month evening meetings. He had lots of friends who were there at the meetings. They would tell old stories, compare experiences at the same overseas locations and give each other much respect around town. He would point out to me someone we would run across downtown and comment, "That guy over there sitting at Hoyett's was woun...
God's word often exposes the sins of God's people. In that way, the Bible is a tremendously honest and forthright book. Even in the case of heroes and giants in the faith, the reality of failure or unfortunate behavior is recorded. I'm thinking specifically here of Paul and Barnabas. They were old friends – Barnabas brought Paul into the church in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27). They worked together in the church in Antioch (Acts 11:25–26). They had been companions in missionary labor, with its att...
Many people reject the thought of a soul spending eternity in hell. Many churches consider the thought old-fashioned and too offensive. Many say God is too loving to banish people to such an awful place for eternity. God's love does not negate His justice, His righteousness or His holiness. God's love has provided a way of escape. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." To reject o...
It has been a few years since the city of Shafter has been the site of the Colours Festival, which had been an annual event for a few years before that. The event, which started out very small, had grown to draw attendees and artists throughout the county and beyond, drawing nationally renowned artists to some of the events. Well, I just loved attending the events at the festival, from the art gallery, the coffee house music, the Shafter Symphony – all of the events were great. I don’t thi...
Churches have a lot of things in common. But they are not all the same. There are differences as well as similarities, as anyone who has visited other churches while on vacation can verify. And if there are differences between one congregation and another, or one denomination and another, that’s even more obvious between one religion and another. If you’ve ever thought about it, it’s kind of a strange thing. We’re all human beings, after all, and we share a lot of the same interests, concerns and problems. If all religions are motivated, at lea...
My husband and I are new to the town of Shafter. We moved here in November of 2021. I enjoy taking walks with our dog, Bella, through our neighborhood and have met several wonderful neighbors on our walks. This particular day I was walking with Bella and halfway through my walk a young German shepherd came up to us and got right in front of Bella, causing her to stop. This went on continually. and I was getting frustrated. We were at a busy street when I decided to stop at the next corner house...
With the Super Bowl just around the corner, I thought it would be interesting to give you some Super Bowl history. Did you know the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans have never played in the Super Bowl? Did you realize that it has been 19 seasons since the Raiders last played in a Super Bowl? How about 26 years for the Dallas Cowboys and 27 years for the L.A. Chargers? Every single year in the month of August every NFL team begins their season with the...
It has been a few years since the city of Shafter has been the site of the Colours Festival, which had been an annual event for a few years before that. The event, which started out very small, had grown to draw attendees and artists throughout the county and beyond, drawing nationally renowned artists to some of the events. Well, I just loved attending the events at the festival, from the art gallery, the coffee house music, the Shafter Symphony – all of the events were great. I don’t thi...
If you've ever watched a TV show or movie involving the military, you've probably heard the phrase "carry on" used a few times. The phrase apparently came from the British Navy several hundred of years ago, where it was given as a direction to keep going on the same course and not change. Over the years, it's been adapted in many settings to say essentially the same thing to a group of people. When I think of the beginning of a New Year, I sometimes wonder what the Lord might say to us? Although the phrase "carry on" isn't found in the Bible...
“Without counsel plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22) Success or failure largely depends on the company you keep and the counsel you heed (1 Cor 15:33). Our closest friends and counselors influence our character, behavior and the course of our lives, for better or for worse. The wise person is aware of this and is selective toward choosing influential friends (Proverbs 12:26). The foolish person is undiscerning concerning counselors. One should seek out a few high-quality advisors who are tru...
Time keeps passing. Here we are, nearly into 2023. Moving into a new year can bring renewed optimism and a sense of new beginnings. People with this outlook see opportunities and a chance to start again. Or it might bring a certain heaviness. Another year is ended, so much still hasn’t been done, and our window of opportunity is smaller than it was. The Bible embraces both of those perspectives. In the Old Testament, the Passover festival commemorating Israel’s deliverance from Egypt started a new way of counting years (Exodus 12:2). Each new...
For many, Christmas is all about the gifts, and that's not altogether a bad thing. The truth is that there is a spirit of love, generosity and sharing, the very spirit that triggered the first coming of Jesus Christ. We are about to celebrate the incarnation of Christ, the gift of God's presence among men, the best gift he could give us. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Our God gave His gift in a spirit of grace, a bless...
Second Corinthians 9:15 says, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. God is a giver. He is rich in mercy and grace, and he gave the world the most perfect gift in Jesus Christ. James 1:17 says, Every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father. I remember as a child getting a BB gun and a package of toy soldiers, footballs and socks, but the greatest gift I received was when I accepted God’s gift, Jesus Christ, into my heart. Bicycles and BB guns can rust and fade away, but God’s gift is always fresh and relev...
Being an SHS graduate of 1981, I have spent the last 41 years watching the Shafter Generals football teams compete on Friday nights, giving us a great time, with a lot of highs, and yes, a lot of lows as well. But, as Principal Shipley says, “Once a General, always a General.” We love our Generals, win or lose. Well, this year, we received an early Christmas present, able to watch this year’s Generals win the first Valley title in 65 years. This year’s team isn’t the most talented team on p...
It's a little hard to believe that we're already in the Advent Season again as we move into the weeks leading up to Christmas Day! I've begun an Advent series with our church, "The Promised One," as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The series is based on Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 and is focused on Jesus as the: –Mighty God –Prince of Peace –Light of the World –Immanuel Each of those four titles are significant in identifying and defining who Jesus is. One of the unique challenges of the Advent Season is that we may tend to focus o...
There is a key that will open many doors, like opening the way to new friends, a better marriage, helping your children and better work relationships. This is a key that everyone has, but it works better or worse for different people. Communication is the key. Everyone knows that life is ongoing communication. What is overlooked is that good and God-honoring communication is a skill that needs to be developed according to Biblical wisdom. The difference between wise righteous speech and wicked foolish speech are as night and day (Proverbs...
This week for Couch’s Corner, I would like to spotlight a very special group of young Shafter/Buttonwillow residents and football players at Shafter High School. Every year before Buttonwillow’s harvest festival and parade, the community led by a local farmer, organizes a clean-up event. This year was no different. A large majority of our local volunteers are the Shafter High School football team (Go Generals!). Community clean-up events are a great way to make a difference in our nei...
Christianity teaches a lot of amazing things: that God is triune, that God the Son became man, that our salvation was accomplished by a great exchange of Christ taking our place, to name just a few. One of the most amazing things is that God wholly gives Himself, to the Church, and to each individual believer. As it says in Psalm 63:1, O God, You are my God. Explaining this verse, Henry P. Liddon said: The word represents not a human impression, or desire, or conceit, but an aspect, a truth, a necessity of the divine nature. Man can, indeed,...
As a young pastor in a small tribal village in Guatemala, I was always amazed at both the deep faith and the profound generosity of the Kaqchikel people I served. For what seemed to me even the smallest favor, they responded by filling my pantry with baskets filled with handpicked fruits and vegetables or fresh eggs. One dear brother insisted on gifting me with his prize pig, possibly his most valuable possession. In this month, when we are most likely to focus on being grateful and giving thanks, it reminds me of the great truth that true grat...
