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A Little Bit of Grace

Happy April! There is wind, rain, and snow in our forecast for the next couple of days. Happy spring in western Kansas. LOL. 
 I have never been a big fan of April Fools Day but this year in particular April 1 was a rough one.
It started off with a lot of gratitude and a walk with a friend.  A phone call unnerved me. Then as I took a lamb to the vet in Lakin, I came across a massive fire. 
I quickly turned on my scanner to see what was going on. Multiple counties including ours were battling it. I’m sure if you were on scene it wasn’t as dramatic but thoughts in my head began to circulate. What if??
The fire got near homes. It started moving towards the gas plant. My heart hurt for the community, for the firefighters, and my imagination went nuts. 
My lamb was in a large crate in the back of the pickup breathing in all the smoke. More what ifs.  What if they close the highway? How do I get my ewe into the pickup safelty? Will she be ok?
 The highway did close after we had passed through and the lamb was safe. 
A series of other events brought my what ifs to new heights and my emotions were out of control. Sadly at the end of the day I took it out on the people I love the most. 
  In the middle of the night I was most upset at my own behavior. After a decent night’s sleep, I apologized to them. 
I have a sign in my living room that says, “In this house we do loud, we do I’m Sorry, etc.”  I truly felt it. I am grateful that my outbust wasn’t a day to day thing. That I was forgiven and for the most part, our home is happy. 
  We all fail. We all fall short. 
In the midst of my not great day, I decided to push myself to find ways to do good. I sent a couple of text messages to people with honest compliments. I got a small gift for a friend that I knew would make her smile. Or at least I hoped. 
As I walked by a church sign, it said something to the effect of, “Be flexible so when the tree bends it doesn’t break.” Or something like that.  
While my emotions got the best of me on April First, I was pleased to wake up April Second to try again. 
As I look back on the day, I was more flexible than I once was but not quite as flexible as I could be. I’m a work in progress.
Wednesday morning I got up a little fearful of the what ifs.  
The bible verses comes to mind,  Luke 12:25 -26 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
What ifs can drive you crazy and they are a real part of life. But if we don’t take care of ourselves, if we don’t stop and connect to ourselves, to God, to others, we can lose perspective and life can quickly get out of control.
  After a good night’s sleep, the effects of the day still had taken a toll on my mental health. I had an emotional hangover. 
I made time for a morning walk with my friend and our dogs. I pushed through getting my work done as well as worked on my gratitude list. 
 Today I am more protective of my emotional health. Today I want to watch who I am around, what I do, and how I behave. I can’t change anyone but I can take time to care for me. 
 Do you let the little things get to you? Build? End up taking it out on others? 
Once upon a time that was my daily life. Today I am grateful that is the rarity. 
I am so grateful today that the fire didn’t claim any lives, that people got home safely, that my family forgave me, that the sun was shining, I still have friends, and there is God and hope. 
And when someone I love wasn’t nice to me the next day, I gave the grace that was given to me. 
As we get closer to Easter, I think more and more of His mercy to me. And I am humbled.

OPINIONS

A Little Patience

It’s a cool, rainy Wednesday morning as I write this column. More rain is forecasted today. As long as tornados and hail stay away, I am good. Praying for protection on all our fields!  The wheat is ripening quickly. I hope everyone has a safe harvest.   We... [More]

Life in a Smalll Town

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Moments in Time

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I saw God on Monday

I spent Monday on the road picking up sheep feed and covering the Junior High Hi-Plains League Track Meet.  Or in more honest terms, I spent the day running around for my daughter. LOL.   It was a busy day filled with great memories. But I spent Tuesday in a... [More]

More Questions than Answers

It is a beautiful, rainy Wednesday morning as I write this.  Gentle rains have fallen all over our county, polishing the trees with a shiny luster, washing away the dust and dirt, and giving our crops a push. I tried to take photos of the rain for the newspaper but nothing... [More]

Looking Through Open Eyes

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Finding your Path

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Hallelujahs and Headaches

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SPORTS

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HI-PLAINS ALL LEAGUE

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BULLDOGS OPEN FALL SEASON WITH FIRST PLACE FINISH IN GOLF

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LEWIS HEADS TO STATE TRACK

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BULLDOGS TAKE SECOND AT REGIONALS - HEADED TO STATE

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STATE GOLF RESULTS

State golf on Monday had the Varsity Bulldogs miss playing in the finals as a team by one stroke. They finished seventh out of twelve teams.  On Day 1, Brody Keller shot a 92 missing day two by two strokes. Ian Brummett shot a 95, Mason Scott  and Johnny TeVelde shot... [More]

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JH BASKETBALL WINS

Junior High Boys Basketball A, B, and C teams travelled to Elkhart on Monday, November 21. The A team won 41-34, B team won 26-21, and  C team lost to Elkhart 13-20. Head Coach Vance Keller said, “Elkhart was a tough win for both the A and B teams but both grinded... [More]

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LADY BULLDOGS BORDER WARS CHAMPIONS!!

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NEWS

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Twice The Ice Opens

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Farm Store Opens North of Kendall

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Weis Awarded Bronze Star Medal

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GRAMMY D’S SWEETS MOVES TO SYRACUSE

“Since I moved back here,  everything is falling into  place.”  Diena Schwieterman, 1986 SHS graduate made the decision to move home. “As soon as I made the decision, it seems like everything began falling into place.”   Diena... [More]

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Powerlifters Head to State

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LOCAL WOMAN HACKED ONLINE WANTS TO HELP PREVENT YOU FROM SIMILAR SITUATION

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HOMECOMING NIGHT

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SYRACUSE’S NEW STREET SWEEPER

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OBITUARIES

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James “Bub” McGee

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Harold Wayne Crawford

Harold Wayne Crawford, a devoted husband, loving father, and cherished member of his community, passed away peacefully on May 22, 2025, in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, just days before his 89th birthday. He was surrounded by his family and his beloved wife, Pat, with whom he shared... [More]

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Tia I. (Schmidt) Pennell

Tia I. Pennell passed away on April 21st, 2025 at her home in Olympia, Washington. She was born December 11,1935 to Walter and Zelma Schmidt in Syracuse, KS where she grew up with her five siblings; Eugene, Gano, Gerard, Lorraine & Mickey. She went on to attend Syracuse High... [More]

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Elmer J. Simon

Elmer J. Simon, 91, of Augusta, KS, passed away Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Viewing 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. with a Rosary following at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 2025 at St. James Catholic Church. Funeral Mass  10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 31, 2025 at St. James Catholic Church, Augusta,... [More]

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Charles Albert Richardson

Charles Albert Richardson passed away May 10, 2025 at his home in Kendall, Kansas. He was the son of Dee Loyd Richardson, Sr. and Edith (Stout) Richardson. Charles was born on June 23, 1939 in Iowa and spent his early childhood years in Grove, Oklahoma.  The family moved... [More]

Marshall “Bob” Gordon

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Donald Phillips

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