Columns

Wed
15
May

Along the Way

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D e a r Christian H i g h School Graduate, You’re about to walk into a world filled with people who are anti-Jesus, anti-Christian, and full of mockery about your faith in God.

Inevitably, a college professor or colleague is going to be an atheist or from a false religious system. Are you armed and ready? Or do you just know superficial reasons for your beliefs based on feelings, emotions, or other people?

In this column, I can’t go into all of the things that you’ll be ultimately be faced with regarding Christianity and the Lord Jesus Christ, but you can see my full letter to you at www.MindsetoftheSpirit.blogspot.com.

However, for now, let me give you a few things to carry with you, things to hopefully get you started on a track of learning more about your faith so that you are “always ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is within you” (1 Peter 3:15).

 

Wed
15
May

The Farm Wife

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Most everyone has heard of the importance and great benefit of compost. It is a vital natural addition to any garden, whether you are growing flowers, vegetables or herbs. But what exactly is compost? The simple version is it is a balanced mixture of ‘greens’ and ‘browns’ that when mixed together creates heat. That heat begins to break down the pile, and after a couple of turnings, ends up a granular mixture similar to dirt. It is loaded with great nutrients that will feed your plants and help them to grow.

Greens are your wet materials - food scraps, manure, grass clippings, and the dead remnants when you clean out your garden. This is the nitrogen producer in your bin. Browns are your dry materials -hay, leaves, sawdust and straw. This is the carbon, as well as a ‘wick’ for excess moisture. When layered, moistened and left to sit, heat begins to build up and break down the solids.

 

 

Wed
15
May

Hey, Let’s Talk!

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OR Happy May 1st Eve – What?! Oh yes, let me tell you about another treasure excursion that Susan and I had last week. I first heard about Walpurgis Night years ago when I read Bram Stoker’s excellent book ‘Dracula’ - The book that started the whole Vampire myth in Western Europe. Everyone knows all about that so no need in rehashing the legends and so on BUT early in the novel when a mysterious coachman takes Jonathan Harker, our brave lawyer on his way to get some legal documents signed, to Count Dracula’s castle something mysterious happens. Jonathan notices that the coach stops several times and the coachman jumps down, runs toward a strange green light and leaves a marker. Over a late dinner Dracula explains that the lights were traces of evil spirits out on Walpurgis Night that were drawn to hidden treasure.

 

 

Wed
15
May

Did You Know?

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The history of DeSoto Parish is intimately connected to the men and women of the past years. Yes, they made DeSoto with their dedication and hard work. Several men and women have been written about in this column most of whom this writer knew and felt should be remembered. Of course, there have been hundreds of people who should be remembered but you understand all cannot be written about – only a representative group.

Wed
08
May

Along the Way

If religion were just an “opiate for the masses,” or if it evolved primitively to help people cope with things out of their control (such as death, illness, natural disasters, etc.), then it is reasonable to say that anyone could come up with any religious theory from the depths of their imaginations and that every theory would be equally valid.

No theory would be right or wrong, good or bad.

And none of them would be absolute.

However, Jesus Christ made this type of theorizing obsolete.

When Jesus walked this Earth, He made two major radical claims: He said that He was God in the flesh; and He said that He was the only way to Heaven.

 

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Mansfield%20EnterpriseID391/

 

Wed
08
May

The Farm Wife

Grow Your Food!

There is just nothing that tastes better than vegetables harvested straight out of the garden. We know that the first line of self-sufficiency begins with growing your own food. But an added benefit is that there is no comparison for fresh. The produce you find in the grocery stores have been hybridized for certain qualities – size, color, and shipping. Notice that taste and health aren’t on that list.

Instead of depending on the grocery store, grow your own vegetables. Even if you choose a hybrid variety, they don’t all ripen at the same time, and they do have some distinguishing shapes and colors. Better yet, try growing heirloom vegetables. Especially with tomatoes, you won’t get two that look the same. And rather than eating food that tastes like cardboard, you will get rich, delicious flavors.

 

Wed
01
May

Along the Way

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(Editor’s note: Due to the recent storms in our area, Allison Carpenter’s internet was knocked out, so we at The Enterprise have picked one of our favorites that was written by Mrs. Carpenter in 2013. Please enjoy this article from our files. Hopefully, things will return to normal with internet service by our next issue.)

Prayer Life Will Change Along With Our Lives

My mom once told me that your prayer life changes as your children get older. An older child’s desire to begin attending sleepovers, spending time with friends, and going away to camp help prepare parents (especially mothers) for the things to come, such as the increase in time away from home in high school and, ultimately, leaving home for college.

Wed
01
May

Hey, Let’s Talk! Spiral Cut Ham

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I had everybody over to my place after church Easter Sunday and what a blessing. The day was just warm enough with a big welcome sun in a crystal blue cloudless sky. Our church service at First Baptist was inspiring and let me tell you if you’ve never heard our Pastor, Thumper Miller, preach and his wife and choir Director, Tracy Miller, sing then you need to swing in one Sunday for our services - they are so good. After we all got back home, we had Susan’s deviled eggs, my sister Nan’s coleslaw, my Mom’s baked beans and one of Mr. Hoenselaar’s hams – Wait a minute … What!?.

Wed
01
May

Did You Know?

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While reading some of the old issues of the Mansfield Enterprise at the Mansfield Female College Museum I noticed a number of interesting businesses that were located in the city in earlier years. Some of you older readers might remember them today.

In the 1933 issues, there was a story of the Mansfield Coffin and Casket Company located on South Washington Ave. where the former sweet plant had operated. Mr. J.E. Herbert was the owner and master carpenter. The article further stated that everyone was welcomed to come by and “… View those on display”. It was a common practice for people to purchase their caskets before death and many bought the casket to be stored at their homes. Another early practice before Drewett’s Funeral Home came to Mansfield was stores having caskets in stock or being able to order them quickly. This writer remembers the large store in Keatchie having caskets on display on the second floor.

Wed
24
Apr

Hey, Let’s Talk!

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I stumbled across a good sounding recipe the other day at the ‘My Recipes’ website called “Cheesy

Chili Hash Brown Bake” from the Southern Living magazine in February 2011. It sounded so good and so easy to make but alot like another recipe with Tater Tots by my best ole Breaux Bill Love. So I knew that I was gonna do a little research on these.

I learned from our Parish Historian and my friend/mentor, Mr. Powell, that writers need to be held accountable for what they write so that history will remain correct. Names need to be spelled correctly and dates need to be right. That’s why I try to do a little research before I write my columns and this often leads to additional interesting information about the subject - It was the same with these two in the title. Have you ever wondered about where they started or who invented them? Wellll ….

 

 

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