Raise our candle and shed a little light.

"Each and every day, each and every one of us, regardless of our circumstances, has a choice. We can squander our time fingering old welts, second guessing past decisions, and tormenting ourselves over the poor choices of others; or we can embrace a new day brimming with opportunities for doing justly, loving mercy, and building foundations for a bright, new tomorrow. Time is precious. Choose wisely." I wrote this years ago. I believe it's good advice. Addressing each day's negativity is robbing me of friends, family, and much of the joy I might otherwise experience. While silence is complicity and there comes a time to speak, it's easy today to become complicit by contributing to the gloom. Today's evils speak volumes for themselves. Rather than cursing the darkness, we might do better to raise our candles and shed a little light. SC

Evidently incapable of compassion

All of America's past Presidents, those living and those dead, must be saddened, repulsed, and embarrassed by today's America. We've gone from a shinning city on a hill, admired by the world, to a godless black hole in the heart of humanity, serving only mammon, heedless of God's call to mercy, and evidently incapable of compassion. Christ is surely in tears. SC

My Happy Place

 This is the pier at my pond at the Cannamire at Carman's Edge. 

Carman's Edge

It's a scary world, and I'm blessed. In the Ozark Mountains of Missouri are quite a number of National Forests. In the middle of one, is an eight-thousand-acre wildlife management area. I live at Carman's Edge. If I'm quiet, all is quiet. I love quiet, and I'm good at it. All is quiet here at Carman's Edge tonight. I'm safe, and I'm praying for the rest of ya. Sleep well. SC

The best defense against lies and ignorance is truth, told calmly & repeatedly until it spreads exponentially. SC

So, what is marriage today?

I feel moved today to share a few thoughts on the state of matrimony in 2025. I don't suggest I'm an expert, but having been married for almost 43 years, I feel qualified to share my views. There's a good deal of talk today about family values and traditional Christian marriage, as contained in biblical scripture. The following scrap of scripture comes immediately to mind. Years ago, Ephesians 5:22-24 was often contained in marriage vows. It says, "Wives, obey your husbands as you obey the Lord. The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church." Good luck with that. In The United States of America, in the year of our Lord 2025, this scripture is rarely if ever contained in marriage vows, and I'm going to guess it's even more rarely practiced.  Without this verse as its capstone, biblical marriage no longer exists. Add to this the fact that, while sex was once expected to be enjoyed only within the confines of marriage, today most consider sex little more than a socially acceptable pastime to be enjoyed between two consenting adults whenever the opportunity arises.  More and more, monogamy is an outdated concept. So much for Biblical marriage.

So, what is marriage today? Marriage today is one part relationship and one part partnership. For the relationship to thrive within a modern marriage, it's essential that each partner consider their partnership to be fair and equitable, with each partner sharing an equal part of the household responsibility. Ideally, each partner would perform those essential tasks at which they were best suited, thereby making the best use of each mate's abilities and maximizing the couple's potential. If this can be accomplished in communion with each individual's faith, so much the better, but today, most do not consider faith a prerequisite. Partnerships provide legal advantages, and a thriving partnership is conducive to a rewarding relationship. Under the very best of circumstances, modern marriage is challenging; statistics suggest more than half fail. Of those that survive, more often than not, they do so because they are bolstered by the couple's faith and the constant, dependable, and unwavering expression of love and mutual respect by each partner. Good luck! And may God Bless. 

Shannon Thomas Casebeer

FAITH

As a little boy, back in the 1950s, I became very ill. My mom and dad loaded me into the old Chevy and took me to the doctor. A spinal tap determined that I had Poliomyelitis. Following the diagnosis, I spent several terrifying weeks confined to a hospital ward at Kaiser Hospital in Vallejo, California. There I saw other children struggling with the crippling disease. Some were in braces. Some were confined to iron lungs. Some never walked again. Some never left the facility. Some died.

One night, all alone in my room and scared half to death, I remembered one of my favorite books back home. The title of the little children’s book was “Jesus, A Boy’s Friend”. I began praying as only a terrified child can pray. I prayed and cried until I finally fell asleep. Several days later the doctor had good news for my family. My symptoms were gone. They were free to take me home.

As I left the hospital, hand in hand with Mom and Dad that day, I began a path that has led me to this day. Some days my faith is just as strong as the day I left that hospital. Other days, not so much, but from that day to this I’ve set out each day to walk the path I’m given, in the light I’m given. On my very best days, I share that light with others. Each of us walks a different path, revealed in a different light. As a result, we each have different perspectives, different convictions, and varying points of view. We need to show each other a little compassion and cut each other some slack.

I was only four, but I remember well the other kids in the ward with me in the hospital. I remember incubators, braces, buckets of ice, and being haunted for years by the horrific thought of spending my entire life in an iron lung. I remember missing Mom and Dad and praying like I'd never prayed before, from that moment to this day, for anyone who suffers such a fate. I remember when I first got sick, my folks bundling me up in the old Chevy for the two-mile trip to town. I remember Doctor’s Bliss and Elliot and the spinal tap that verified the prognosis. I remember being terrified and held down, and screaming “Daddy, Daddy!” at the top of my lungs, and the sound of a scuffle outside my door as they tried to restrain my father. I remember tugging my cowboy boots on and walking out of that hospital with Mom and Dad. And I remember being very, very thankful. I remember sitting in the bright sunshine back home on Reservoir Hill and pondering the whole experience over and over. And I remember all through school befriending other boys and girls, who walked funny or talked funny, or for whatever reason, didn’t quite fit in. And it warms my heart to this very day when I see folks accepted for who they are.

Shannon Thomas Casebeer

Tomorrow is always a day away

 

Me and Grandad, early '50s 

In some ways, June of 2025 is very reminiscent of the summers of my youth, back in the 1950s and '60s. In some ways, it's very different. Still, I have dreams of the past and hopes for the future. We can't go back, but we can be good and faithful stewards of both the past and future. We can appreciate past blessings and pay them forward. We can make certain we learn from past mistakes. We can remember always that tomorrow is always a day away, and today is our best opportunity for insuring its promise. SC

The melodious rattling of my teeth

Here, for the few that will read it, is a little piece of nostalgia guaranteed to brighten your day. This little reminiscence was prompted by the fact that, while on the lawn mower, I just missed a phone call. Now, those of you whose lawn was bladed, tilled, raked and rolled prior to planting may well sail along at a good clip on a lawn that's smooth as cornsilk, with your beverage unmolested, your pompadour undisturbed, and your sacroiliac unscathed and entirely tranquil. I on the other hand have an Ozark lawn, brought into existence when I began transforming and mowing an old cow pasture. The resulting lawn, you may well imagine, is not smooth as cornsilk. it's bumpy, unforgiving, and rough as a cob! For those unfamiliar with the term, rough as a cob, imagine if you will, a day when toilet tissue was an unimaginable luxury, and once dried corn had been chucked and the kernels removed for hominy grits and livestock sustenance, the cobs were provided in the gentleman's retreat for derriere grooming purposes. Thus, the term, rough as a cob. Picture this at your own peril. The very thought causes my hemorrhoids to pucker! Long story short, I missed my call because, during the buzzing and whirring of my device, my ears perceived nothing but jarring bones and the melodious rattling of my teeth. SC 

A Scrap of Scripture

Yes. It’s absolutely true; taking any statement, particularly scripture, out of context, is dangerous. I fault no one for their faith or their lack of faith, as long as its peaceful and unconfrontational. I myself am a Christian. True followers of Christ do not attempt to force others; they lead others by example. As a Christian, I encourage each of you to read and study as much of the Bible as you possibly can. That being said, there are those among us who insist that, in order to be of any value, the Bible must be read in its entirety, with each word taken literally, and nothing taken figuratively. And these people are willing and able to defend their view loudly, passionately and unequivocally, till the cows come home! That’s their prerogative. I wish them well. However, not even the most foolhardy among us, if confronted with eating an elephant, would embark on this endeavor by attempting to swallow the entire pachyderm whole! To do so would be extravagantly imprudent, unquestionably lethal, and almost certainly ruin one's taste for elephant! If an entire elephant is to be eaten without discombobulating one's pallet, it must be taken one tiny bite at a time. Each bite must be methodically chewed and vigorously washed down with something equal to the task, in moderation of course. The same holds true for the Bible.

I’ve been a Christian for over sixty years. Christianity works for me. It doesn’t make everyday a picnic. When you truly care about Christ’s message, life breaks your heart. But daily applying Christ’s message to my life has given me hope, faith, charity, and occasionally joy. I’m not just messing with you. It actually has. If you believe something else works better for you, knock yourself out, but if you see anything in my life that suggests to you that Christianity works for me, and you’re interested in trying it, I have a suggestion. My favorite scripture is Micah, Chapter 6, verse 8: “He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” That verse has served me well throughout my life. Take it and make it yours. Plant it in bright, sunny corner of your memory. Water it with your tears; feed it daily with your contemplation and encourage it with your most persuasive smile. See if it doesn’t take root and reveal new verses. It certainly did for me. Try that for a while and let me know what you think. If it doesn’t work, go ahead and swallow the elephant!

S. T. Casebeer

MY TWO CENTS WORTH. KEEP THE CHANGE.

First of all, set aside a bright, roomy section of your mind, and fill it with all your best memories. Visit it often. Keep it immaculate and it will serve you well. Share it with your Deity, whatever you perceive him to be. Sharpen your awareness of the natural wonders that surround us and encourage their appreciation by others. Be cognizant of life’s cycles, appreciating each new season in turn, while realizing fully that, despite our best efforts, time is resolute, and with time, each season will pass. Embrace each new season with hope and optimism while retaining all that’s best of seasons past. As a young man I tended to envision time as a vast, unlimited resource; time it seemed was an inexhaustible sea. Now in the autumn of my life, each hour is increasingly precious, and I thirst for each minute as it drips away from an alarmingly finite pool.

Do not be drawn into meaningless, futile, debilitating debates with loud, obnoxious people. Just consider the source and when possible, avoid their venting. Their noise is a noxious vapor, and repulsed silence is often the appropriate response. I have good news. Your loudmouth neighbor, your loudmouth in-law, and the loudmouth in your Sunday school class, all have one thing in common; they don’t know squat! They’re just noisy! Relax and ignore them, and don’t encourage their clamor. Be mindful of your example to others; it’s your most effective testimony. Value truth and consider the cost of deceit.

Many people have given their lives in order to secure the freedoms you enjoy today. Honor their sacrifice. Honor our veterans and all those who choose a life of service. Honor individuality, revere tolerance, and exhort all those who lift up the cause of freedom. Confront ignorance and be diligent in the advancement of knowledge. Ignorance and intolerance are almost inseparable, and despite what some will tell you, neither one is a virtue.

Cherish and reverently exercise your right to vote and keep this Country free! Clearly, America’s collective conscience, as reflected by our chosen leaders, requires constant scrutiny and surveillance. Even in a democracy of, by, and for the people, justice and equality are only as perfect as the conscience of that people. Even America’s grand and glorious democracy reflects not only our goodness, but our greed. Greed and corruption have reached epidemic levels in our society today. Certain individuals have amassed great wealth, and they abuse that wealth to cause discontent and manipulate elections. They do not do this for the good of our Nation, but to satisfy their own insatiable greed. Do not believe everything you’re told by the far fringes of our media. Media will say what the media is paid to say, all too often, regardless of the truth. More often than not, the wealthy own the media. There’s nothing wrong with affluence and wealth, but money buys power and too much power corrupts. Everyone knows what the bible says about money.

Pay attention, stand up and be counted. Freedom is not a privilege to be taken lightly. Freedom is a right and a responsibility, a perishable torch to be diligently tended and faithfully passed along. Freedom burns within our hearts, ignited by the founding fathers, and it falls to us to keep that flame alive. America’s most trusted and time-honored institutions are only as righteous as the hearts of our citizens, our most godly leaders only as just as the collective conscience of their constituents, and the most telling measure of a nation’s heart is the empathy of its people.

Positive outcomes are never achieved through negative actions. Respond to others, as you’d have them respond to you. Freedom is every heart’s desire and every just government’s goal, but it’s a mighty illusive concept when you’re at war. Freedom is nearly impossible when you don’t have peace. Freedom requires commitment, commitment requires perseverance, and perseverance requires the will to act. When freedom and justice are threatened, honorable men respond. But surely war is the last resort of those who know its grief. Surely for reasonable people there’s a better way.

Be open to affection but wary of unwholesome pleasures. And do not be deceived. Deceit is ephemeral; lies and indiscretions will eventually come to light. Every action has a consequence. When considering any action, before proceeding, think the scenario through to its logical conclusion. You can never undo a thoughtless deed, and carelessly sewn seeds produce a ponderous harvest!

Anything that you are unable to do in good conscience and moderation, do not do! Eat nutritiously and judiciously, consistently burning more calories than you consume, until you’ve achieved your ideal weight, and you will be healthier, more industrious, more prosperous, more popular, profoundly gratified, and gut wrenchingly contented. It’s what all the ages have striven for.

As we face an uncertain future together, let us do so with faith, optimism, attention to stewardship, and goodwill toward our fellow man. God grant us stamina to persevere, determination to prevail, and the wisdom to roll up our sleeves and work together.

In all things, promote liberty for all, and justice tempered with mercy. In this Country, everyone has the right to life, liberty and their pursuit of happiness. Celebrate ethnicity; take pride in your own heritage but value the traditions of others. Our country’s greatest strength is diversity; honor diversity and keep America strong. While I am generally conservative in my own actions, I am passionately liberal in defense of the choices of others. Personal choices, that’s what freedom is. Remember always that you are as good as any and better than none. Be just, merciful, humble, and be happy.

Shannon Thomas Casebeer