Columnists

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...

Tag was the next logical choice

I didn’t want to rabbit hop again. The teachers at Wednesday Night Bible Study had run out of material, us kids were keyed up and ready to do something fun. I wanted to play tag with the 20+ other 6- and 7-year-olds in our widened hallway of a classroom. We had already colored our pictures,...

Spring is in the air

The clocks have sprung forward, temperatures are soon to be consistently warmer, and we are beginning the third trimester of the 2023-24 school year. Spring is an exciting time of the year for our students and staff. Our younger students are preparing for end of the year activities and...

International catastrophes while on a slow moving train

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting I left my job today. I couldn’t work for my boss after what he said to me. What did he say? He said, "You’re fired." Driving by Bruce's drive I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. I didn’t see...