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When Dad puts Jesus first

Ninety-four percent of men say that building their family is the hardest task they face in life, but 88% also claim that it’s much more rewarding than they expected. Dads who impact the lives of their kids in a positive way leave a legacy that will affect several generations into the future. For that reason, fathers should be very conscious of the lessons they pass along to their children. Some variation of the phrase, “Listen, my son...” occurs 27 times in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a compilation of wisdom, general “rules of thumb” about life, presented as a father ...

JQA Visits Marietta in 1843

Shortly before 2:00 pm on November 15, 1843, the bell tolled at the First Congregational ("Two Horned") Church in Marietta. Crowds rushed to the Ohio River landing. They were eager to see former President John Quincy Adams arriving on the steamboat BEN FRANKLIN. His journal reported "...a ...

Self-esteem in the sight of God

Between 1970 and 2000, over 15,000 “scholarly” articles appeared in journals and magazines about self-esteem in children and its relationship to career achievement, educational success, sexuality, relationships and every other possible area of life. The articles significantly impacted parents, teachers, coaches and others who worked with children. Youth leagues made sure that every child received at least a trophy for participation. Parents praised their children and disciplined their kids in “positive” ways. Educators had second thoughts about holding children back and the ...

The Backyard Gardener: Watch out for poison hemlock

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! The summer growing season continues. The next 2 weeks would be a great time to plant squash such as zucchini and yellow crookneck in addition to another crop of sweet corn and cucumbers. This week I want to talk about an invasive plant spreading rapidly across the valley, poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). I have seen this weed along roadsides, abandoned fields and even hay and crop fields. It was imported into the U.S. as an ornamental in the late 1800s from Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. Rogue plants remained relatively rare ...

Jesus doesn’t approve of an “Us vs. Them” division

First lesson: Not everything you might hear about the Bible is true. In Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV), Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven…” No biblical command actually instructs anyone to hate an enemy. The Jewish people developed that idea from passages like Deuteronomy 23:3-4, where God told Israel that “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the ...

Early Marietta: The Civil War Almost Started at Belpre, Ohio

July 10, 1845, 2:00 am. It was pitch black on the Ohio River; a crescent moon had set in the west at midnight. A boat with 6 escaping slaves – 3 adults and 3 children - from the Harwood Plantation in Wood County Virginia had pushed off from Parkersburg, towards Ohio near Belpre. The plan was ...