Columnists

Recognize His call

There are patterns to my days that I follow, each day with its own specific tasks, goals and activities. I have things to do and want to do them on a specific day and time, because that pattern is comfortable and easy to follow. When Jesus interrupts it, with good things to do, I need to choose...

Dear Abby and Ann

Echoes From the Loafers’ Club Meeting I wish I had enough money to buy an elephant. What do you want with an elephant? I don’t want an elephant. I just want enough money to buy one. Driving by Bruce's drive I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive,...

Strive to be more intentional, as Jesus was

Jesus turned His face to Jerusalem. This turning is both a literary technique used in each gospel to show a shift in Jesus’ intention and purpose, and a specific action that indicated a willingness to go to the cross. He moves from gathering a crowd with healings, casting out demons, and...

Awards, gopher coaching, and Wisconsin mining

Congratulations to Waseca County Pioneer writers Jim Lutgens, Eli Lutgens and Deb Bently for the awards they received at the Minnesota Newspaper Association’s annual awards banquet. For a newspaper in its first year of eligibility, 10 total awards is an impressive accomplishment. Eli Lutgens has...

Between the Rock and a card place

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting I hate Monday. Today is Thursday. It takes me a long time to get over a Monday. Driving by Bruce's drive I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. I hate to brag, but I have a lot of pennies. I’m...

Preparing students for the future

Waseca Public Schools’ mission statement is to empower all learners to thrive in an ever changing world. That is defined most simply by saying that our goal is that students have options when they leave our schools. Whichever one of the three “E” words students advance to after graduation,...

Here for today, for a time, and then eternity

Love and Death. This week we celebrate Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day on the same day. This conjunction of these two days occurs 3 times this century. In 2018 we celebrated the two days together, this year we do the same thing, it will happen one more time in 2029 and then not again until...

Rapid climate change or stolen covers?

Echoes From the Loafers’ Club Meeting Hi, Allan. It’s Allen. My apologies. I hate mispronouncing someone’s name. Driving by Bruce's drive I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. The calendar lies. The seasons tell the truth. Fog had...

Only thing I have not observed is a flying squirrel

A (very) common, popular hobby with Americans is bird feeding. Some 60 million of us feed birds in our yards in winter or summer: that’s 40 percent of all Americans. It’s roughly a $6 billion industry. I have several different bird feeders and stations spread out at our cabin; our favorite is the...

Some things fade away, think eternal

I am in trouble. I forgot to winterize things at my house this year. The front porch chairs are still out, I didn’t get a chance to rake my leaves, and my garden hose still has water in it. Naomi mentioned it this past weekend and I realized that I have so much to do outside. Good news though...