Opinion

Dear editor, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17 These sacred words were written by a man under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, and there isn’t a man who could appreciate this truth more than the man who penned these words because the man who wrote this once had a reputation for being the enemy of Christians everywhere. Being an enemy of Christians made him the enemy of Christ. This is why in Acts 9, Paul heard the voice from heaven say, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME? What Saul had been doing in harming the church, was indirectly bringing harm to Christ.

New Year’s means looking ahead. Growing up on my family ranch, we always looked forward to a long year of hard work. After all, calving season wasn’t too far in the future. We celebrated the holidays; we wished each other “Merry Christmas!” and “Happy New Year!” with smiles, good food, and the enjoyment of each other’s company. And then we got back to work taking care of the land and the animals so that they can feed us and everyone else.

As we enter the holiday season, LifeServe Blood Center is reminding everyone of the importance of donating blood during this critical time of year. While many are busy with celebrations, the need for blood donations remains constant, and your donation can make a life-saving difference for patients in need.

The section through North and South Dakota is the youngest valley of any of the large streams of the world, dating from the great glacier which pushed the stream out of the James River valley and caused it to carve out a new course.

Every year, I am always blown away by the decorations at the South Dakota State Capitol. Volunteers decorate dozens of trees and decorate the whole Capitol in a theme. This year, the theme is “Through a Child’s Eyes,” and everything is larger than life to make you feel like a little kid again. If you’ve never experienced Christmas at the Capitol, I would encourage you to do so before the season is over – the last day to see the trees is December 26.

After the Bronco fundraiser, a matching pledge challenge up to $200,000 was issued, beginning July 9. Since that time, various fundraisers have been held, and the total amount of money toward the matching funds is currently at $28,298.40.

Kevin Robling is the Cabinet Secretary for the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. The noise of wingbeats above the cattails creates instant excitement for my two yellow labs.

The entire view of the Spotted Tail camp near the White River was a pleasant scene of primitive life on the Dakota plains in the 1870’s. Here was a community ruled by chiefs and sub-chiefs who had gained their positions by their bravery in battle and discretion in their council of others. Their positions were maintained partly by their prowess and partly by a certain acquiescence in the wishes of the majority.

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! We just had grandkids moving back from Florida, where the cost of living was much higher. They survived the hurricanes but in the coastal areas of this country, there is no affordable flood or fire insurance.

As the holiday season approaches, I want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable achievements and shared experiences that have made this school year so special. This time of year offers us a chance to pause, express gratitude, and look ahead with hope and optimism.