Hello Friends, School is in session… one week down several to go! (How many days until Christmas Vacation?!) How was your first week back to school? Are you excited to be back: to see your friends, to learn new things, and to create memories? The first week of school for me was always stressful: trying to get adjusted to a new routine, making sure I had all my school supplies, trying to remind myself of when and where my classes were, and making sure I budget enough time in between classes to......

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Hello Friends, Tomorrow is the big day for some of you! IT’S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!! Are you nervous? Are you excited? Do you have mixed emotions? What are you looking forward to this year? As the school year begins tomorrow, I thought we could take a few minutes and ask Jesus to bless this new school year. As we begin a new school year, we take a moment to recognize and bless our students, parents, and teachers. To the parents, grandparents, and all in this community that help to care......

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Hello Friends, Well, did you go on any treasure hunts for Jesus last week after we talked about having treasure in heaven? If you did, what did you find? What did you uncover? I hope you are doing well. Only one more weekend until school officially starts! Are you ready? I always enjoyed going back-to-school shopping: filling my new backpack with fresh boxes of crayons, markers, and colored pencils, labeling and color coordinating my folders and notebooks, and making sure my new shoes were ready to go. On the first day of......

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Hello Friends, Well, the countdown for school has commenced. Schools have aisles and aisles of schools supplies: markers, crayons, colored pencils, notebooks, notebook paper, folders, pencils, and so much more. Teachers are getting their classrooms ready. Registration for classes is open. And back to school gatherings are happening in many ways. I’m afraid to say this, but summer vacation is coming to a close. Soon fall will be here. What are you doing to enjoy the last few days of summer vacation? For several weeks now, we have been talking about heaven.......

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Hello Friends, Today is the last Sunday of July…. The next time we meet it will be August which means that school is just around the corner. Stores are stocked with school supplies, classrooms are being put together, and people are making last minute plans to enjoy the last few days of summer vacation. I don’t know about you, but for me when August arrived it seemed like everything was moving without brakes. Are you ready for school to start? Here in Oblong, it’s not so much the month of August that......

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Hello Friends, Well… IT’S FAIR WEEK!!!!! The Crawford County Fair has arrived which means… lots and lots and lots of fun! I heard there are going to be bounce houses, tractor and truck pulls, a demolition derby, go-kart racing, and even a barn yard scramble with bunnies, pigs, and goats running around waiting to be caught. And that’s not all! I heard 4-H is hosting some awesome events featuring the children’s hard-work. And that’s not all! I heard that there are going to be lemon shake-ups, cotton candy, ice cream, and tons......

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Hell Friends, Were you able to have an enjoyable Fourth of July? Were you able to see some fireworks light up the night sky? I think I told you last week that Emily and I went to see the Robinson Fireworks….well, that is partially true. By the time we were able to leave the house, we watched most of them from the car on our way there; and by the time we got there, they were over. Maybe next year…. It’s hard to believe the Fourth of July is over and that......

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Hello Friends, Happy Belated Fourth of July! Can you believe that just two days ago we celebrated our Country’s 249th Birthday? Did you celebrate? Did you go see fireworks? Did you stay home and set off your own fireworks? Did you light any sparklers? Did you spend time with family, friends, and/or neighbors? Growing up, I went with my family to my aunt and uncle’s to watch fireworks and while there we would set off our own fireworks. Sometimes, we spent the holiday at my family’s cabin in Wisconsin. How did you......

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Hello Friends, Well… how was your first full week of summer? Were you able to go on adventures or make discoveries? Did you go swimming? Did you go on a vacation? Did you spend time with your friends? Or did you stay inside since it was sooooooo hot? I don’t know about you, but I like being outside, but last week was so hot that I wanted to stay inside where the air was cool. (However, I did spend most of my time outside.) Summer is here–both seasonally and weather-wise! Please stay......

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Hello Friends, How are you doing? Are you enjoying the summer so far? Speaking of summer, it is officially summer! As of Friday, June 20, 2025, at 9:42pm the season of summer entered our lives. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, during the summer, the earth tilts mostly toward the sun during this time which is why the sun rises early in the morning and sets late at night–giving us more time to be outside! I can’t believe that summer has finally arrived!! Something else happened last weekend. Do you......

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