Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 300
As the days go forward the world gets more vicious and crazy. 2nd Timothy 3:1 says in the last days perilous times shall come. God said that if we humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, He would hear us and forgive us and heal our land. It is righteousness that exalts a nation. Sin is a reproach to any people. To get this country going on the right track, the Continental Congress called for a day of prayer. Once when a critical moment arose during the Civil Wa...
I am sure by now most of you reading this have heard about the many mass shootings throughout the last few decades. It is tragic all of the lives that have been lost to senseless violence. Before you stop reading, I ask you indulge me a few more minutes. I am not going to argue for or against gun control or for more laws in regard to gun violence. I would argue that since the Columbine school shooting in the 1990s, we have passed many new laws and had countless hours of debate on this subject....
2nd Corinthians 1:3-4 says: "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; who comforts us in our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort where we ourselves are comforted of God." God is our strength and comfort. If a people and a nation ever needed God’s comfort, it is I now. Our nation is in mourning as we pray and weep with the families in Uvalde, Texas. Jesus said, Come unto me, a...
The Bible is very blunt about the fact that life in this world is quite difficult. Genesis explains that Adam and Eve, by their rebellion against God brought death into the world and the necessity of hardship (Genesis 3:8–24). The book of Job illustrates that life is harsh through the story of a man, who lost everything. The reality that life is short and full of frustration is the background for everything Ecclesiastes says. And in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul takes the hardships of life...
It feels like we just move from one crisis to another these days, doesn’t it? For the record, that feeling increases if you regularly watch the news on television. Remember, news programs get more viewers and sell more advertising when there is “major news,” or in other words, some kind of “crisis.” So, be aware that every news organization loves a crisis and is willing to exaggerate everyday problems or situations to create them daily. The problem is that all this media-crisis surfing, on top of the daily struggles of life, has a lot of pe...
Proverbs 31:10 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." It speaks of a woman that is strong in moral principles. This woman in Proverbs is a strength and blessing to her husband and children. She is clothed with strength and honor and she loves God. Godly women are a strength and a stability in this chaotic world, as they exhibit hope and trust in God. Some of the most godly women I have met were moms and grandmas in the church where I pastor. Many of them have...
Has anybody noticed the price of gas lately? I realized that I am now paying close to double what I used to pay to fill my gas tank. Have you been to the grocery store lately? Have you seen the price of bacon? I know we are all feeling the pinch of higher prices on everything we need to survive. As far as I know, we are not being chargeD to breathe the air, but I hear plans may be in the works to change that (just kidding, kind of). Regardless of how you and I are being affected, this is by no...
It was a sad day recently when the city of Shafter, especially the community at Shafter High, saw the passing of Charles Rekosh. Rekosh was an invaluable part of the history of Shafter High, contributing to the rich tradition of the school. Rekosh began his career at SHS in 1974. Charlie and his wife decided that they would like to raise their kids in a small-town environment, so he transferred to Shafter High. Rekosh taught, coached, counseled. He eventually would serve as dean of students,...
Several times recently we’ve dedicated Couch’s Corner to programs designed to help the homeless and disadvantaged in our community. This week, I thought we’d provide an update on one of those programs, Laborers of the Harvest. In the past few months, LOTH has been awarded three grants and is implementing a first of its kind program that I hope we can replicate throughout the county. The key grant, as far as I’m concerned, is the one that uses state job skills training funds as funneled through one of our county departments, Employer Trainin...
Christians are against murder. After all, it's prohibited by the law of God (#6 in the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:13). In fact, even the beginning of murder - hostility and hatred in the heart - is ruled out by the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:22). And yet there is one murder we celebrate and give thanks for: the judicial murder or unjust execution of Jesus Christ when Pontius Pilate was Procurator of Judea for the Roman Empire. The moment I say that, of course, I have to hurry up and explain...
To the editor: This letter is in regards to the mandate that our three trash cans are in our streets and not in the alley. I agree with Garry Nelson's letter to the Shafter Press dated March 31, 2022. However, the Rotary motto doesn't have a safety component. Many of our streets have no sidewalks, forcing students walking to and from school to travel in the street. When you add a line of garbage cans to the line of parked cars, those children will now be in the middle of the street. This is a dangerous situation for our community's children and...
When the people heard He was coming, they lined the streets hoping to see Him. They sacrificed their best coats and stripped nearby trees to create a makeshift red carpet to honor him. They shouted "Hosanna" over and over when He came into sight. (See Mark 11:1-10) The strange thing is that many from this same crowd were shouting again a few days later, but this time, they were calling for His execution. "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" (See Mark 15:6-15) Have you ever wondered about these...
Proverbs 22:11 says a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. I would like to talk about the greatest name ever spoken upon this earth. There is no other name like the name of Jesus Christ. His name is a saving name. Isaiah. 45:22: His name is a precious name. In 1 Peter 2:7, Peter said the name of Jesus was precious. His name means everything to a Christian. In that precious name I was saved. When I find myself in the storms of life I cling to that precious name. His precious name...
To the Editor: There are few things that keep me awake at night, but the recent decision by our City Council to move all trash pickup to the curb is one. The many years I served on the City Council, being a Rotarian, I tried to base decisions on the Rotary 4-Way Test. 1) Is it the truth? Impacted citizens in our community were not involved in the process to determine the final, best and most economic location for our trash service pickup. We were told the three-bin individual home pickup is state mandated. That part was true, but the location o...
This week our District 4 staff had the pleasure to visit three facilities in Kern County that are trying to address our local homelessness problem. Homelessness is on everyone’s mind these days as the problem seems so intractable but the good news is that work is being done to correct this. The three facilities we visited were the M St. Navigation Center, the Brundage Lane Navigation Center, and the Recycling Lives facility. All of these are relatively new and are part of the community strategy to combat homelessness and get people back on t...
I was so sad recently to hear of the passing of Pastor Jim Neal, of the First Southern Baptist Church, who passed away in late February. Pastor Neal was one of the first pastors I talked to when we were reviving the Pastors Corner section of the Shafter Press. Neal and Pastor Pat Coyle were the stalwarts in the city, never hesitating in sending in a piece when needed, which a lot of the time was pretty often. Pastor Neal sent in so many articles that inspired, touched, and taught the residents...
You know that moment in the movies... someone who's terrified of heights must climb out on a ledge or jump between two high buildings. And they look down and the fear that overwhelms them almost makes them lose their grip and fall. We live in uncertain, scary times and the last thing we need to do is look down. If you look down... at your problems and your worries for too long, you'll soon be depressed and afraid to go on. If you look down... at your cell phone or tablet and read all the...
You know that moment in the movies... someone who's terrified of heights must climb out on a ledge or jump between two high buildings. And they look down and the fear that overwhelms them almost makes them lose their grip and fall. We live in uncertain, scary times and the last thing we need to do is look down. If you look down... at your problems and your worries for too long, you'll soon be depressed and afraid to go on. If you look down... at your cell phone or tablet and read all the...
Next Tuesday, March 8, at 7 p.m., the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Specialist Lorie Meza will be presenting at the Old Courthouse Building in Wasco, 810 8th St. She will be discussing community oriented policing to members of the community. I will be joining her to speak at this event. District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer has been invited as well. Representatives from the Sheriff’s and the District Attorney’s Office will be there to speak. With the recent shooting in Wasco, on Feb. 16, and the uptick in serious crimes in gener...
As a child in Sunday school when the teacher said quote a Bible verse and you will get a candy bar every student quoted John 11:35 Jesus wept. Every time Jesus wept it was connected with the effects or consequences of sin. No wonder he was known as the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Jesus stood over Lazarus and he wept. The strongest manhood has its roots in tender feeling. The ancient Stoics would conceal and hide their tears, but not Jesus. As he wept over Lazarus people said, O...
Have you ever had an argument? Most of us have. It may have been with your kids, a co-worker or your spouse. It is unfortunate that arguments have become a way of life. There are actually people living around us who can’t communicate unless they elevate the volume of their voice. They have to be heard no matter what, so they talk over everybody. If we are to be honest with ourselves, is anything really ever solved or accomplished by arguing, except maybe in a courtroom. I have come to believe w...
Kern County has many jewels, places and things for which we can be proud. Two of them are the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area (BVARA) and Kern River Parkway Bike Trail. Back in 2013, when I was a new Supervisor, BVARA was in District 4 as was much of the bike trail. It seemed appropriate to try to connect them and to enhance both assets. So I discussed this with the Public Works Department, they started the conversation with the other stakeholders, most notably the Kern Council of Governments (KernCog), and just like that, it was done. Ok,...
The story of the Old Testament patriarch Joseph is one of the most dramatic in the Bible. With a couple of interruptions this story runs in Genesis from chapter 37 to the end of the book (chapter 50). During that time, Joseph's brothers first planned to kill him and then decided to sell him into slavery instead. Once in Egypt he was imprisoned as a result of a false accusation. A prisoner whom he helps forgets all about him for a long time. Joseph's story for a very long time is one of...
If you are a pastor in the Shafter/Wasco area and would like to contribute to our weekly column, email [email protected] or call 661-292-5100. to get added to our list of pastors.It’s now been almost two years since the threat of contagion and illness changed almost every aspect of our lives. It trapped us for weeks on end in our homes, eliminated the simplest gestures of love, friendship and solidarity — from smiles to handshakes and hugs to high-fives, and left many living in alm...
I attended the grand re-opening of our little jewel of a library on Jan. 18 and I am so proud of this town, and of the people who made this happen. I won’t try to name all those folks who are responsible, certain they’ll be found in other coverage of the event. The city of Shafter, in partnership with Bakersfield College, now supports this municipal institution, the Shafter Library and Learning Center, first of its kind in Kern County. It took vision and leadership, and the determination of concerned people here and in Bakersfield to ach...
