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Being square pegs

By Charles Christian A short-lived 1980s television comedy series called “Square Pegs” followed a group of high school students from a variety of backgrounds trying to fit in. Predictably, as is true in many real-life high school situations, they always come up a bit short when it comes to fitting in or “feeling normal.” Somehow,

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World Kindness Day promotes positivity

By Ashley Luthans With so much negativity going around, Wednesday offered a special chance for people to be nice. Nov. 13 is World Kindness Day, reminding people to be good to others. On Wednesday, members of Missouri Western’s Student Government Association handed out pins to recognize being kind. SGA member Leo Newman said he believes

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Tenth Anniversary of National Apprenticeship Week Highlights Success and Opportunity with Registered Apprenticeship

By NewsUSA (NewsUSA) – This year marks the 10th Annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), which will take place from November 17-23! NAW 2024 includes over 2,000 apprenticeship events and proclamations in all 50 states across the Country as well as the District of Columbia and three territories. This is an all-time record in the 10-year history of

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Blue Star Families’ ‘Campaign for Inclusion’ Research Shows Inclusive Communities Critical for Future Military Force

By NewsUSA (NewsUSA) – One in three active-duty families of color have turned down military assignments due to concerns about racism or lack of inclusion in local communities, according to research from Blue Star Families’ Campaign for Inclusion. For two-thirds of these service members, declining orders led to negative career impacts — and for 15%,

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Leaving the ‘comfort zone’

By Charles Christian While we have all seen the “Welcome” signs in various states, I have also run across the “Now Leaving” signs: “You are now leaving California,” etc. Of course, these signs give away to pranks like one I recently saw online: “You are now leaving New York … Last person out, please turn

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Sad songs can actually help

By Charles Christian A not-so-closely-guarded secret among musicians is that most prefer sad songs. They play fast, “happy” songs to keep crowds motivated and interested. However, many will admit they learn the upbeat songs so they can have an audience to play the slower, sad ones. This is not because musicians are depressed people as

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Trump’s Flawed Tariff Proposal

By Bart S. Fisher (Bart S. Fisher) – Former President Donald Trump has proposed replacing the federal income tax with tariffs imposed on imported products. Indeed, this is the central pillar in his campaign’s economic program. There are four problems with this flawed proposal. First, it would trigger a global trade war, as other countries

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Three helpful tips for election season

By Charles Christian As a United Methodist minister, I tend to take seriously admonitions by the denomination’s founder, John Wesley (1703-1791). He and his brother Charles, a prominent hymn writer, helped start the movement we currently know as Methodism. In 18th Century England, not everyone had the right to vote, but there were those within

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On our good days

By Charles Christian I had a mentor and professor who, after he made a profound point about growing in faith and walking in maturity, would sum things up by saying something like this: “So, on my good days, I find myself benefitting from this greatly.” This phrase, “on my good days,” has stuck with me

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5 Tips to Pick the Right Dental Plan

By Mayra Garza, Head of Group Benefits Strategy and Retail Segment at Guardian and Shawn Patrick, Director of Strategic Growth at Kelsey National (Mayra Garza, Head of Group Benefits Strategy and Retail Segment at Guardian and Shawn Patrick, Director of Strategic Growth at Kelsey National) – Open Enrollment is here. For many Americans, this is

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Overcoming the stigma of going to counseling

By Charles Christian The hardest step to take is often the first step, and that is true when it comes to getting therapy. Therapists like Jeff Rabideaux and Emily Bowman at Fisher Counseling Services in St. Joseph said that the “person-centered” approach used my most counselors today can help overcome a client’s reluctance or hesitation.

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Pete Rose as a lesson in forgiveness

By Charles Christian This is not a sports column. However, the recent passing of baseball legend Pete Rose at the age of 83, can provide a short exercise in theological concepts like confession, forgiveness and reconciliation. Rose, who played in the major leagues from 1963 to 1986 (an impressive feat in itself) still holds many

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