Commentary

Is it real or fake?

It is miraculous to consider how much access and exposure we have to information through our computers, phones, televisions, radios and newspapers. Unfortunately, we need to be on guard because too much of this buzz can be false information.

Stray Thoughts: The Old Salt

I saw a man approaching the Walmart today.He looked very much like an old salt… those grizzled, leather-faced veteran sailors seen around the harbors of the world when the ships have already set sail with much younger crews. The experience of life was heavily upon him.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

I’ve learned so much from writing this column and needing to work within a limit of 650-675 words. Most weeks the column is much too long when I finish the first writing, and the winnowing of my word count is almost always the longest part of my editing process.

Your Words Matter

You are usually conscious of what you say to others. The things you say are based on what you want to achieve. You know from experience that the words you chose have a big impact. When you use the wrong words, the reaction of others is not what you intended.

Stray Thoughts: The Run Down

The other day I was sitting on my backyard deck enjoying a nice, steady rain, and it took me back to other rains, some gentle and some torrential in which I used to go running.What? You didn’t know I used to run?

Our brain’s happy hormones

Our brain releases chemicals into our body that impact functions in our body, such as our mood. There are four chemicals that commonly support “feeling good,” and they are also known as “happiness chemicals.” These four chemicals are dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

I’ve been writing a lot about sheep lately, and that is not an accident. A big part of getting older, and hopefully wiser, is figuring out what is yours to do and what is not.

What would Jesus do?

Dear Editor, As the election draws near, I felt called to write this letter to the editor to encourage you to pray about Amendment G. This is the ballot issue that would allow abortions to be done in South Dakota again.

Lived Experiences

Everyone we know, meet, or pass in the grocery store has their own set of personal life experiences that are unique from our own. We all come from different places, have our own set of genetics, and have different parents or families, which is part of what makes us unique from each other.