Here at Kings River Life Magazine, we realize how important teachers are to the lives of our children and the future of our communities as they shape the leaders of tomorrow. Sadly, most of the best teachers work long hours with little recognition or thanks.
It's amazing how many people I hear talking about what they consider to be the most terrible of sins. They usually focus on sexual things when they do so. However, I would like to suggest today that one of the truly most terrible sins is something that you actually find running rampant among many of the people who talk the most loudly against sin.
On any given Tuesday morning people start gathering at the First Assembly of God Church in Dinuba, and by 9:00 a.m. the social hall is filled. Pastors Don Hall and Roland De LaCerda welcome the people and share the gospel message for the day; then volunteers begin to hand out loaves of bread—it’s all part of the Bread of Life Ministry.
“I wonder what kind of presents will be under the tree this Christmas!” As a little boy, this was a question that energized me during this season as the big day approached. There were many things I enjoyed about Christmas, including the story of the Baby whose birthday was to be remembered on that day, but I have to admit the thing that excited me most about the holiday when I was a child was the prospect of receiving presents.
For more than 30 years, the Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church has been presenting spectacular Christmas concerts, and this year is no different, as they will be presenting A Christmas To Remember December 17 and 18.
Chief Harmon didn’t waste any time in taking down Chuck’s statement after we arrived. He wasn’t sure what could be done with the information, but he could at least use it to start building some sort of case. I suggested he call Paul Unruh to see if he could help them figure out how they could get a group together to sue the Club leaders for discrimination if nothing else.
After a restless night I got up and headed for Main Street to meet Stephen, with an hour to spare before the police arrived at the Happy Mouth. After chaining my bike at the bike rack outside, I found my old friend at our usual booth reading this week’s Kingsburg News. I slid into the seat across from him and couldn’t help feeling we’d gone full circle
The Declaration of Independence states that we have all been endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, “that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The right to pursue happiness is one that Americans have passionately claimed, and as a result we have a society that puts a great deal of emphasis on entertainment, personal fulfillment and any number of other avenues that are meant to carry us toward this illusive goal.
Although it may seem hard to believe, a hunger crisis has been unfolding right here in Fresno County—the breadbasket of California, or as we who live in Reedley like to say, “The World’s Fruit Basket.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Quick Facts about Fresno County, 22.1% of the population was under the poverty level in 2008 compared to 13.3% in all of California.
It was only one block from the Happy Mouth to the offices of the Kingsbury News. I locked my bike in the rack out front and went in. Our receptionist, Mary Miller, Bill’s daughter, was on the phone and waved as I went past.
