Beech Tree News Network

 We need God. Our society needs God. Our communities need God. Our schools need God. Our workplaces need God. Our families need God. Everywhere we look we see everyone needing God for daily decisions, purpose, and life. 

With the school year coming to an official end around Memorial Day, it has become the de facto start to summer. Many of you have your own family traditions for this three-day weekend when the temperature typically heats up—backyard barbecues, yard games, or time at the lake or poolside to create treasured family memories.

When I was in Pigeon Forge, there was a store called 5 and 10.  There was a little bit of everything in that store.  One thing was a book called Back in the day: Reflections of a special year.  This one was the year I was born, 1979. This week, we’ll look at how things were around the world in 1979.  For instance, did you know thar the 1979 Camaro is offered only as a two-door coupe.  There are nearly 10,000 more Camaros sold in 1979 than in 1978.

A few months ago, I heard a story on NPR about the modern-day German military.  It referenced an article by Erin Blakemore, written in 2017 (updated in 2019), posted on the website history.com.  In the article, Blakemore states, “Military disobedience is actually baked into the German Bundeswehr, or armed forces.  And the reasons why can be found in the country’s sinister past.”  The German military manual states if a direct military order “…denies human dignity to the armed forces member or the order’s target, it must not be obeyed.”

In Romans 2:21-22, the apostle Paul warned the Roman Christians about the dangers of hypocrisy. He noted some tell-tale signs of hypocrisy when he wrote, “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?

Forgiveness sounds sweet, doesn’t it?!  Especially when someone offers it to us when we have hurt them, and they are gracious enough to dismiss it from their lives. Some people, however, like to receive the apologies of others, but they struggle to give forgiveness to others.  In fact, they withhold forgiveness, and guess who it hurts the most?  Them. 

Four days before the Primary Election, Rep. Adam Koenig, an Erlanger Republican, tweeted about Fayette County Constable Wade McNabb – with whom he’s sparred regarding legislation restricting constables’ police powers – hoping his nemesis would lose a reelection bid while apparently entertaining no possibility he might fall short in his own campaign.

Last weekend, technically Wednesday through Sunday, my family and I took a trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  We stayed at Margaritaville, which was very relaxing.  Also relaxing was the waterfall in the shopping square outdoors.  The water is set to music.  About every half hour or so.  Across from our hotel was Sweet F.R.O.G., which stands for Fully Rely On God.  Sweet Frog is a frozen yogurt place.  The place got a glowing recommendation from a friend.  Towards the end of our stay, we went one afternoon.

I recently read a short poem entitled “End of School.” It says what many students probably think in May:

School times are almost over.

School times are almost done.

We’ve had a lot of learning.

We’ve had a lot of fun.

We’ll say goodbye to teachers.

We’ll put our books away.

Our school year is over now.

It’s summertime – let’s play!

I’ve often wondered about people’s likes and dislikes, personal preferences and aversions.  Some are probably part of our raising.  You either ate liver loaf sandwiches and drank Big Red for lunch when you were a kid or you didn’t.  If you didn’t, you don’t understand what all the hoopla over the meal fit for kings is about.  Some of our bents come through genetics.  I have a British-Irish background—according to ancestry.com, anyway.  I still catch myself saying tea towel instead of dish towel and slip into my dad’s appraisal of some people as