Columnists

Grandpa Al crows loudly for Joey Batt

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting Do you always stir coffee with your right hand? Yes, I’m right-handed. Try using a spoon next time. Driving by Bruce's drive I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Deep thoughts occur as I drive past his drive. When the sun rises and sets,...

Sometimes we get in our own way

Sometimes everything goes wrong at the same time. I am not complaining, I am just surprised by it. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I always am. Life is hard, the things we go through are stressful, and we struggle to trust God’s plan. My hard weeks are sometimes similar to other people’s and...

Ensuring MN veterans can get the care they’ve earned

Whether they served in the jungles of Vietnam, the mountains of Afghanistan, or the sands of Iraq, when our veterans signed up to serve our country, there wasn’t a waiting line. When they return home from duty and need a job, education, housing, or health care, there should never be a waiting line...

March madness at every level of play

March is a great month. St. Patrick’s Day. The first day of the long-awaited spring season. Easter. And, of course, March Madness. For me, the madness begins with the Minnesota state girls’ basketball tournament. I have refereed high school girls’ and boys’ basketball, and have watched girls’...

Yarding is a powerful deer term

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting I never know when it’s raining hard enough to turn on my lights. By law, you have to turn on your headlights when it’s raining in Sweden. That’s a good law, but how do I know when it’s raining in Sweden? Driving by Bruce's drive I have a...

My favorite title during Holy Week

Holy week is upon us. Growing up we spent very little time focusing on the days of Holy Week except for Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday. Occasionally we would attend a Good Friday service, but it wasn’t until I grew up that I started learning the tradition of Holy Week. Throughout the...

The purpose of life?

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting Someone called and left a message. I wrote it down. I can’t read a thing you’ve written. I couldn’t understand a word the caller said. Driving by Bruce's drive I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to...

Ice fishing adventure brings fatherly wisdom

My only son Marc lives in Mankato; he is a wonderful father. His wife, Shannon, is a wonderful mother. Together they are busy raising four boys between the ages of 10 and 18. Shannon is a real go-getter. She always makes sure things are fair in determining the boys' activities. She is super...

Not everyday can be a mountain top

Nobody wants to go through the valley, but we all want the mountain top experience. I have heard this sentiment from a few people over the past months. On Sunday mornings we have been talking about following Jesus and what that means for us that claim Him as Lord and Savior. There are days...

A poor man's toupee

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting What did you do yesterday? I spent the whole day watching TV in my pajamas. I didn’t know they made pajamas with a TV in them. Driving by Bruce's drive I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. I...