Opinion

GUEST COLUMNIST Here’s an unpleasant holiday statistic: Average Americans are giving significantly less to their favorite charities this year than they did just four or five years ago. Average Americans have long been among the most generous people on Earth.

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS Ahalf-dozen lawsuits challenging the 13 approved Texas constitutional amendments appear to be dead in the water, The Dallas Morning News reported. The secretary of state’s office last week declared the propositions approved and now a part of the Texas Constitution, while Gov.

I was kinda down recently due to some work projects that I did not think we would get finished until after the first of the year. But praise the Lord due to some others also working on the projects we were able to finish early. I have been self-employed most of my life and thankfully we have been able to take time off for the Christmas Holidays. I feel so sorry for people that can not get to take a little time off for the holiday season. I used to try to give gifts of just what my loved ones wanted. Sadly I found out at times they really needed something much more important than for just a want. Wants and needs are two entirely different things! I like to sit back and think about my loved one’s and what they really could use or need. I feel such warmth, joy and thankfulness as I think about my loved ones. I wonder how God feels when it comes to giving gifts? You know God is a God of love, (1 John 4:7&8). God does give us many gifts and blessings, (Romans 5:8, John 3:16). But God has given us one very special special gift. His Son Jesus Christ! Many wonderful things happen when we repent of our sins and accept God’s gift, (Ephesians 2:8&9, Romans 6:23, John 17:3).

Is it acceptable to question God? It may depend on what your question is. Before the angel brought his amazing announcement to Mary, another character was giving similarly surprising news. The priest Zachariah was told by Gabriel that his barren wife would give birth to a son. “How shall I know this,” he asked? “For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil: I’d like to raise corn in my garden next year – both for eating at the table and Indian corn for decorating. Do you have any tips? A few.

Recent victories in the Texas House of Representatives underscore the noticeable impact of grassroots advocacy efforts in thwarting detrimental changes to the educational system. Public school educators, alongside their allies, successfully opposed the introduction of vouchers in Texas, a contentious issue that could have significantly altered the landscape of education in the state for generations to come.

The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in a case that could decide whether medical exceptions to the state’s abortion ban are written clearly enough to protect pregnant women who face serious health risks, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

The WWII Mark XIV torpedo was the US submarine’s main fleet torpedo and thousands were produced. It was designed in the 1930’s and wasn”t until many misses that the reliability was questioned. It looked good but in combat it failed many times. Eventually it was discovered that it had some design faults and all built were faulty. And as one stated, “The only reliable feature of the torpedo was it’s unreliability”. Many US Submariners lost their lives to that faulty torpedo. Eventually the war department corrected those design faults. That torpedo reminds me of something in the Bible. When God created man it was a unique design but there was one way it could go astray. God gave man the freedom to choose, (Genesis 2:15-17). He could either obey God or disobey. Adam and Eve had a beautiful life but believed a lie and ended up disobeying God, (Genesis 3:10-18, 23). Since that time all descendants of Adam and Eve are born with the inherent nature to disobey, (Romans 3:23). That flaw has led all mankind to be separated from God, (Romans 6:23, John 3:17-20). But God loves us and developed a plan to fix the problem, (1Peter 3:18, Titus 3:5). God’s fix it plan was the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, (John 3:16 Romans 5:1-21). As we celebrate and enjoy this Holiday season let us remember the reason for the season.

We are in the season of Advent— the season when we remember the coming of Christ. In this column for the month of December, we will be reflecting on different aspects of Mary who played a prominent role in the Christmas Story.

Dear Neil: A friend has sage plants in her native plant landscape in Wichita Falls. Big sections of several of them are dying out – have been for some time. They have been watered fairly well, both from rain and irrigation. What might cause them to be dying in parts?