It's been a warm summer here in Michigan. Fortunately, we've been spared the excessive temperatures experienced by other parts of the U.S. Nevertheless, there are more above 90-degree days than in the past, and this number is expected to continue rising. And our...
We have a primary election coming up on August 2, and mail-in ballots must be in place before 8 PM on election day to be counted. In addition to nominations for candidates from each party, funding for MSU Extension appears on the ballot. Every election is essential,...
What is most important to you? Family? Good health? What values drive your everyday decisions to do the things you choose to do? Love? Fairness? In other words, why do you do the things that you do? Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers write, "Our values are the...
Mid-term elections are coming up this November. The label means that the president's four-year term is half over. This year, all 435 U.S. House of Representatives seats are on ballots, along with 35 of the 100 Senate positions. One, if not the most, significant factor...
Looking back at themes over the past several months, I noticed that we began 2022 in a conversation about the political divide in our country. For example, in my January 9 article, I wrote about the anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. capital. But the most...
Over the past two months, we've focused on ways to become more aware of ourselves. Listening to our bodies makes it possible for us to try softer. We try softer by giving ourselves enough grace to find balance in a world of competing pressures. Trying softer means...
It's tempting to declare that we're beginning a new series on the first Sunday in July. It's tempting for many reasons, so why not just call our next several Sundays by a catchy title and announce a "new" topic? And I love new beginnings. Instead, welcome to Parts...
Last week I wrote about the importance of giving negative emotions enough space. Positivity, in this case, is highly overrated and can be toxic. But this week, I'm back on the positivity train again. That's because this week, we're not talking about something bad...
Are you a positive person? For me, my attitude varies with the day. For example, one morning this week, I received a text from our farm manager Matt. He wanted to let me know about the latest theft and vandalism incident on our farm the night before. These acts of...
On the Wednesday after Easter, we began a new adventure into the slow but rewarding process of self-discovery assisted by author and therapist Aundi Kolber and her book Try Softer. In parallel to our worship series Masterpiece, our Book Club went deeper into the...