Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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Religious belief likely plays a part in the way people vote, area religious leaders say. And though church leaders say they don’t endorse candidates, they encourage their congregations to vote based on Biblical principles. Allen McAlister, senior pastor of Central Baptist Church in Clovis, said church leaders encourage the congregation to learn about candidates’ stand on issues. Voter guides listing such information are provided. He said he encourages the congregation to choose the candidate that “best represents your views...
Once again Oct. 31 comes around. It is not my favorite time. I call it a “celebration of fear.” I don’t like to be scared, even as a joke. Fear is not of God. It is an evil force. “God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid, but a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7 NCV). Fear is a negative force that destroys faith. It cripples, paralyzes and torments. It removes peace and causes a chain attraction in others. In the physical realm, fear causes many reactions. It’s called “fight or flee” syndrom...
Sometimes I ask myself, “Am I the only one who sees the impinging danger for this country? Am I the only one who cares, who sees America on the edge of the precipice? Will we care when our freedoms are gone? Will we care if our possessions are taken away and our meager income goes mainly for taxes?” Every generation has heard about the “good old days,” but I can’t help remembering a time when our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment and plain old commonsense. We were taught the difference between r... Full story
Did you know there are 8,910 promises in the Bible? Those promises cover every circumstance you will ever encounter. Yet, why are there so many books about stress and how to deal with it? Uncontrolled emotions cause chemical changes in the body that lead to illness and disease. Worry is a joy stealer. It is a health robber. It is a dark cloud that hides sunshine in our lives. Worry is being fearful. Worry is the assurance that disaster and catastrophe are coming. Worry is utterly useless. Worry never provides an answer....
Someone has said, “If you never wanted to be hurt, move to a desert island and be a hermit.” Maybe you would never be hurt, but think of the loneliness. Missing the joy and ecstasy of love would make life meaningless. Life is not always easy. Problems and trials do occur. It’s not easy to sit by a sick loved one, to have low finances with bills coming in, or to have misunderstandings with others. Many difficulties rob peace. Yet hope springs eternal. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because... Full story
We have been hit with home mortgage failures, bank problems, high gasoline prices, a big increase for food and did I mention corporate trouble? Bad news seems to dominate the media and one might get a little depressed about all the wrongdoing across the planet. How about other crises such as illness, old age, death, or accidents? Someone asked, “Is it healthy to be alive?” Fear is the most destructive force I know. It paralyzes and torments and its grip literally drains life away. Fear robs peace, sleep and joy of daily liv...
I heard a story about an artist who wanted to create a painting that depicted “perfect peace.” If I were to think about painting a picture of perfect peace, I would probably think of a man in a boat fishing on a placid lake with not one ripple on the water. Yet this artist painted a raging waterfall with winds whipping the spray from the water all about. On a limb, overhanging the boiling foam, a mother bird had built her nest and was sitting peacefully brooding her eggs. Here she was safe and secure, shielded and pro...
It seems mothers get all the praise and Dad takes the rap if he’s not perfect these days. It seems that fathers need to have more going for them than simply being the strong, silent provider these days, even if that did work for my dad and many of his contemporaries, and earlier generations. After reading Joan Clayton’s column this week about Father’s Day, a coworker said he wished he’d had a dad like she described her husband Emmitt. I know him pretty well, and it’s true that they may have broken the fatherhood mold on M...
My memories bring blessings on Memorial Day. My great-grandparents left me a legacy filled with love, faith and fortitude. As a child, I remember them coming down the antique stairs on their golden wedding day. She and Grandpa Lowe renewed their vows, and I wondered why they wanted to get married again. Now I know. My grandparents added to the family legacy. They gave me something money cannot buy …...
Today is the day to be happy and it can be a lifestyle. Life is glorious. Taste it. Smell it. It is delicious. Go barefooted. Sing. Laugh. Smile. Give yourself away. Win the prize. It’s called joy, “…the joy of the Lord will make you strong” (Nehemiah 8:10). You can do anything through Jesus, because he gives you strength (Philippians 4:13). Today is all we have. Let’s make the most of it. Enjoy those loved ones while living your life. Opportunities may be gone tomorrow. If we cannot be happy now, then we are never g...
Prayer is needed now more than ever. We have many evils attacking within and without. America is at a crossroads. National Day of Prayer is Thursday. The theme this year is “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.” May we come together as a nation with heartfelt prayers for our country. A culture in decline with a sea of immorality, dishonesty, corruption and threats from terrorists slowly but surely robs democracy and freedom. Our present culture depicts wrongdoing as an acc... Full story
We awakened one morning hearing pitiful “meows” of a hungry, frightened baby kitten. Three eager little boys rushed to the door and swooped him up. “Can we keep him mommy, can we keep him?” “Just until we can find a good home,” I answered firmly. We never looked for a home but in the back of my mind I kept telling myself, “This kitten is only going to be here temporarily.” Tom stayed “temporarily” 15 years. The boys invented ways to tease and aggravate Tom. They tried paper boots, my clean dish towels on his back, cardboard b... Full story
We are not the only ones who are sometimes blind to reality. Some flying creatures do the same thing. I’ve heard if you put a buzzard in a pen 6-feet square with an open top, he will become a prisoner. Without space to run to begin a flight, he will not even attempt to fly. A bumblebee dropped into an open container never sees the escape at the top and will always look for an escape through the sides near the bottom. An ordinary bat cannot take off from a level place. If placed on the floor or flat surface, it shuffles a...
Many thoughts come to mind when I think of Easter. I call it “Resurrection Day.” I think of the great sacrifice Jesus made for you and me, the pain, the shame and the agony he endured. He came to give us “life and to give it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) How many of us have “real life?” To be lifeless in our minds, spirits and hearts is a wasted life. That’s why Jesus came, to heal the broken hearted. If you are heartsick today Jesus is the Great Cardiologist. He performs heart transplants all the time. The glorious mess... Full story
The road to the cross was paved with pain, love and sacrifice. Can you: Imagine the pain the shame, the rejection … how it felt to be totally alone at the moment of crucifixion … the pounding of the nails into his wrists and feet … the anguish of Jesus gasping for breath as he tries to breathe … see his blood trickling down, that precious blood that was shed … hear the shouts from the soldiers, the mockery, the snapping stings as they beat his back with leather straps with cutting sharp... Full story
I have never found a person who never had a problem. However, I have found many people who kept their joy even in the midst of adversity. I call them “heroes.” They are upbeat, optimistic, fun to be around and their attitude is contagious. When I think of “joy” an exceptional friend comes to mind. He is 91 and likes to write poetry. He finds joy in sending special poems to friends. He sent this one to us and gave permission to share it here: “What a wonderful place, a happy place to live If everybody had much joy and happi...
I’m getting a little weary of all the hoopla about who is running for this or that in our government. So let me tell you what kind of leader I would like to have. I want a leader that stands for morality, integrity, honesty and character. I want a leader who is not driven for personal greed or self-promotions, but someone who loves this country and is willing to sacrifice while leading the nation in the best possible way. We now have a society, which has shunned prayer, rejected biblical principles and mocked Christianity. W...
Valentine’s Day is a special day to me. I loved those little pink-colored heart-shaped candies that had all the love words on them. If a boy handed me one of those in grade school, I thought he had to be really in love with me. I still have a little heart-shaped locket that my “sweetheart” gave me in high school. Guess who my sweetheart was? I also remember a beautiful, lacy, large valentine that one of my students gave me my first year of teaching. On the back he wrote in unsure cursive handwriting, “I’m in love with you!... Full story
When our youngest son Lane and his wife came to see us when their daughters were small they sometimes went home at night. They dressed their little girls for bed, and after the goodbye hugs and kisses, they tucked them in their “car” bed and drove the two hours home. My granddaughters went to sleep quickly. Once at home, their daddy took them in his big strong arms and tenderly put them in their own beds. The girls did not awaken until morning. When they awakened they found themselves at home and the first face they saw was... Full story
Have you ever realized that history repeats itself? It’s a concept as old as time. It can be traced as far back as can be pursued. An undeniable result of transgression is that it never happens in isolation. The fact that, “one does as he or she pleases, as long as it does not hurt someone else,” is impossible to achieve. Wrongdoing is not an island. The concept applies to every walk of life, whether it is in the highest-ranking office or the common working man. Every day you and I read or hear about crime, wars, doubl...
Have you ever wondered if God really is in control of your life and if he knows every detail? Have you gone down a dark trail of pain and asked, “Why me?” If you have, you are not alone. Many of the biblical giants (“heroes of faith”) had the same feelings. Think of Abraham. He had trouble believing he and Sarah would have a child at their advanced age, but he stayed faithful to God in obedience anyway, and God proved faithful. We cannot always see God’s overall plan for our lives, but rest assured, he has one. Consider... Full story
Editor’s note: The following was written by PNT religion columnist Joan Clayton’s granddaughter Traci Clayton who is an advertising and public relations major at Texas Christian University. Traci’s dad, Tony (Lane) Clayton, sent the PNT a copy, and we’re running an excerpted version in place of Joan’s column this week. My mawmaw, Joan Clayton, is anything but typical. In fact, my grandmother is one of the most interesting individuals I know. She exhibits a powerful exuberance for life that affects everything she does. Lik...
The cedar tree in our front yard has gone through many wind storms through the years. One year the wind bent it over to the ground. We straightened and tied it to a strong anchor, and it just kept growing in spite of the storms of life. Its limbs have grown in crooked directions from to the adversities it’s gone through, yet to me it is beautiful. You know what? The tree doesn’t fight it. It seems to cooperate with it. I like to think it is challenging the wind and saying, “Blow wind blow, but when you get through I will stil... Full story
Christmas is all about giving. There is no greater gift, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This is the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us for 33 years. Those years were spent imparting gifts to mankind, the greatest of which is salvation. Jesus spent his years on earth loving, healing and performing miracles for the human race. He voluntarily gave his life to redeem the sin... Full story
The approaching holidays remind me of the angels who brought the “good tidings of great joy” to the shepherds in the field. Many references about angels are found in the Bible. They can be traced from Genesis to Revelation. Angels are supernatural beings sent by God. They are God’s messengers. Psalm 91:11 states, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Angels are mentioned in the beloved Christmas carols that accompany this wonderful time of the year: • “Hark, the herald angels sing,... Full story
