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...
Millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, of persons pray for peace in Ukraine. Yet, peace seems elusive. The same can be said for countless other circumstances bringing pain, suffering, and death from no more mass shootings to cures for cancer to an end to COVID. Why,...
I can’t wrap my head around the latest massacre this past week at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen young children and two adults were lost to yet another school shooting. The shooter used AR-15-style rifles. This style of weapon is known as a “modern...