By John Warren

I often hear long time residents despair about our town.

I realize it is not as vibrant as it once was, I get that.  But I have to say you haven’t been where I have been.

I lived in town so tiny that there were more people in town for the monthly chamber of commerce flea market than the whole population of the town!

What I see is a town that has been through a storm.  I see a group of tough strong people who are survivors.  I see people helping people.  I see a town that is down.  But we are not out!

There are people who have given of themselves to run for office to help further our town.  I hope you vote for the person who has the love and ability to move our city forward.  One who has an outlook for our town that will give us more opportunities and that will encourage our young people to want to stay here and raise their families.

We are blessed to have wonderful churches for spiritual growth.  If you don’t find one that encourages, corrects, and shows you how to love and forgive look elsewhere.  I serve an imperfect church, full of sinners and hypocrites.

I like this story.  A pastor visited with a man who had stopped attending church.  The pastor asked why.  The man replied I looked around and all I saw was hypocrites here, and people talking about people there, one person was on their phone texting during your sermon and the Sunday School teacher didn’t even speak to me in the hallway.

The pastor said let me give you a little exercise.  I want you to take this glass of water and walk around the block and come back to me with all the water in the glass.  He then filled the water to the top.  The man came back in a little while with a full glass of water and said, “I don’t get how this will help me.”

The pastor asked, “Did you see any hypocrites, or did anyone snub you, or did you see anyone on their cell phones?”

And the man replied, “No because I was concentrating on the glass of water so I would not spill it.”  The pastor replied, “if you were focused on God when you came to church you wouldn’t notice those things there either.”

Look for God and you will see him.