Yes! There is Good News 3.17.2016

This humble little newspaper has been a blessing to the area. As with most newspapers, whether in print or in electronic media, it gives a feeling of community to those who read it.

We have, in these pages, the opportunity to see some of the upcoming events and plan accordingly. We get to read about some of the things that have already happened around our little town. We can smile at the happy news and perhaps grieve with the sad.

There are much larger venues, such as the Omaha or Des Moines newspapers, the cable news networks and, of course, the internet is always ready to feed us the latest. But this little paper is ours, and I am glad it is being supported both with donations and with participation by the readers!

Soooo . . . . As a reader, I would like to take a shot at participation and actually write a short article every once in a while.

But I must ask, what's been on  your mind? There are a lot of things going on in the world. Has any of that gotten you down? Or are you like that young mother with two children I talked to the other day, who said, "I like to stick my head in the sand, just a little bit."

And I must ask if that is a good thing.

Sometimes the news is enough to get you down. Mostly these days the news networks are filled with the latest inane things our politicians have been saying. But if it wasn't for that, we would be inundated with talk of the crazy weather patterns across our country, or the latest on ISIS, of what China is doing to flex its military muscles or Russia or North Korea or . . .

Whoa, Bill!!! Stop with the bad and worrisome news before we all "stick our heads in the sand just a little bit."  Isn't the title of this article, "Yes, There is Good News"?

Well, where do we start? How about we start with the words themselves: "good news."  I know that all of us have received via the mail (or the phone) a text or a personal message that lifted us up, made us feel good, gave us comfort. Even while typing that last sentence, my mind traveled back in time to remember the wonderful feeling of good news.

I believe all of us are familiar with the word :"gospel." Did you  know that the definition of that word is "good news," or more literally, "good message"? Would you all bear with me as in the near future we explore this word in all of its ramifications and perhaps in ways we have not looked at it before? Oh my, we do have a good message to share and may I begin with the first words of Mark: "The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

To be continued . . . . Stay tuned!