Beech Tree News Network

My name is Bruce White, and I dearly love Butler County.  I have lived here all my life and feel the upcoming vote on legalizing alcohol is very important.  If it passes it will have a negative impact on our county.  My opinion is based on the following experiences:

I like HGTV because I enjoy watching their home improvement programs. When we choose our homes, we tend to choose the ones that best meet our needs. But, we may also recognize some areas that could be improved.

‘While back I gave a young man my chain saw. It still ran good.  It had a right new cutter bar.  I had added electronic initiation which cost very little.  The young man needed work; I wanted to help him.  I hadn’t needed the saw after we quit burning wood; that was a good while.  It cost me practically nothing to give it away.

On Saturday morning, I woke with the thought, “This is Garey’s and my 40th anniversary.”  The thought was immediately followed by, “Oh God, we’re in Alabama again.”  Our wedding anniversaries have been like the movie, “Groundhog Day,” the same thing in the same place over and over again.  Honestly, I don’t know how Garey and I have made it through forty years.  I’ve told you before, we are not one of those couples who need to be held up as an example, unless it’s as an example of how marriage is not to be done.

Too many people are quick to believe everything they hear on television or read on the internet. Following the terrorist attacks in France and the debate over the Syrian refugees, we have likely heard others (and perhaps we have done this ourselves) state their opinion about these events based upon the assumption that the reports they heard were correct. Often, opinions are formed from incomplete or incorrect information.We need to remember the words of Solomon: “The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps” (Proverbs 14:15).

With a special election coming up in January that is focused on whether the citizens of this county wish to allow alcohol sales, I thought it would be good for us to go to the Bible and see what God has said on this subject. Is this something approved by God? After all, if He is to be our standard (Col. 3:17), then it seems wise that we consult His word on a subject like this. Yes, on any subject we need to study God’s word to see what God would have us do. (I Pet. 4:11).

With last weekend’s emphasis on shopping, many of us felt we should be looking for bargains. But, this year my gift giving is based on a list and a budget. I’m using Christmas club funds to avoid January debt. I’ve been doing this for years, but haven’t always been as strict with myself.

Dear BeechTree News Staff,

The presidential election 2016:  Jeb Bush won’t make it.  He’s too short on charisma.  People look at the likeability of a candidate.  Women voters won’t elect a candidate who is not well proportioned physically.

When Paul wrote the Romans, he exhorted them, “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). We also must be careful not to think more highly of ourselves than we should. Let us look at some people in the Bible who thought too highly of themselves, and learn how we should not act.