Labor Day weekend—when half of McPherson still grills outside while the other half has already switched to soup season. Have you seen anyone put both a huge fan and a space heater in the garage “just in case.” We Kansans know how to prepare for anything, don’t we? We live ready for both scorching heat […]
Anyone else ever watch the “Public Right to Know” Facebook group? Someone posts about a pothole, a question about the city, or some other random thing and within hours it just might turn into a digital mob scene. One person makes a snarky comment, then another piles on, and suddenly everyone’s competing to be the […]
Last week at Walmart, I watched what looked like a grandmother navigate the back-to-school aisles with what I assumed were three grandchildren. Each child gravitated toward different supplies—one wanted sparkly notebooks, another chose plain black, the third picked folders covered in dinosaurs. She smiled and said, “You each know exactly what you need.” That simple […]
Anyone else already tired of back-to-school ads? It’s only early August, but every store has transformed into a shrine to three-ring binders and number two pencils. My favorite are the commercials showing perfectly organized children cheerfully packing their backpacks at dawn. Meanwhile, most of us remember or experience the reality—frantically searching for matching socks while […]
August in Kansas sometimes means we’re caught between seasons. Summer isn’t quite finished with us, but fall is already sending advance notices through school supply displays and fall sports practice schedules. Many of us are still watering gardens – some thriving despite the heat, others looking like they’ve had quite enough of this Kansas summer, […]
Many of us experience moments when life feels like it’s shifting around us. Maybe you’re helping kids prepare for school starting in a few weeks, wondering where this summer went. Perhaps you’re dealing with changes at work, health challenges in your family, or simply trying to figure out what comes next in some area of […]
Stories change how we see the world. A good movie can shift our perspective, revealing possibilities we never imagined. In “How to Train Your Dragon,” a young Viking named Hiccup discovers everything his village believed about dragons was wrong. These weren’t mindless monsters but intelligent creatures capable of friendship and loyalty. The film resonates because […]
Stories have a unique power to help us understand life’s deepest truths. Think about the last time a movie suddenly made something click for you—maybe a character’s struggle mirrored your own, or their journey gave you hope when you needed it most. Today, we’re exploring how a beloved story reveals timeless truths about faith, courage, […]
Picture this: You’re at a family reunion, catching up with relatives you haven’t seen in years. As you share stories, you realize how many of you ended up somewhere completely different than you planned. Maybe you’re living in a town you never meant to stay in. Maybe you’re in a job that was supposed to […]
Stories grab our attention because they show us truths about ourselves that plain facts often miss. This afternoon marks the final performance of the McPherson Community Theater’s production of “Chicago” at the McPherson Opera House—a Jazz Age musical that’s entertained audiences for nearly fifty years. Today, we’ll explore how this Tony Award-winning show reveals timeless […]
There’s something captivating about a good performance. The lights dim, the music swells, and suddenly we’re transported into someone else’s story. For nearly 50 years, audiences have experienced the dazzling world of “Chicago: The Musical,” currently performed by our own McPherson Community Theatre. This Tony Award-winning show continues to pack theaters because it brilliantly reveals […]
On this Father’s Day, many of us arrive with hearts full of gratitude for the fathers and father figures whose voices have shaped our lives. Some carry complicated emotions about absent or imperfect fathers, while others celebrate cherished memories and ongoing relationships. Today also marks a significant transition as we celebrate Deacon Jeanne’s years of […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 