The Luverne gymnastics team traveled for two meets after the winter break this past week.
The Cardinals out-performed Redwood Valley in Redwood Falls Thursday, Jan. 5, and placed second in Marshall at the Winterfest Invitational on Saturday, Jan, 7.
The Cardinal gymnasts were scheduled to host Windom Tuesday, Jan. 10, and will take on Jackson County Central at home Tuesday, Jan. 17.
 
Luverne 126.550, Redwood Valley 125.000
Coming off a long winter break, the Cardinals gymnastics team narrowly beat Redwood Valley Jan. 5 in team results.
“The girls did a great job for not having much practice this week,” head coach Phoebe Flom said.
She said Luverne’s team victory was the result of individual efforts on the four exercises in the meet.
On the vault Luverne placed four gymnasts.
Sophomore Amira Cowell took first place with a 9.1, sophomore Ella Reisdorfer placed second with an 8.750, sophomore Kendra Thorson and freshman Kianna Winter tied for third with 8.650 points, and Hailey Como placed seventh with a 6.3.
Five Cardinals placed on the uneven parallel bars.
Reisdorfer was first with an 8.050, Cowell placed fourth with 7.350, junior Sarah deCesare placed seventh with 6.5, eighth-grader Reagan Gangestad was eighth with a 6.375 and Como was ninth with a 6.3.
Five LHS girls placed in balance beam competition.
Reisdorfer took first place with an 8.6, Cowell was third with a 7.7, Thorson placed fourth with 7.55, Gangestad placed eighth with 6.55 and Winter was ninth with a 6.15.
On the floor exercise Reisdorfer was first with a 8.925, Cowell was second with a 8.8, deCesare placed seventh with a 7.65, ninth-grader Addyson Mann was eighth with a 7.35 and Winter placed ninth with a 7.3.
All-around honors went to Luverne’s Reisdorfer with 34.325 points.
Cowell placed third with 32.950, Winter was seventh with 22.100, Kendra Thorson placed eighth with 16.200, Como was 10th with 14.650, deCesare placed 11th with 14.150, Gangestad was 13th with 12.925 and Mann placed 15th with 7.350.
 
Winterfest Invite
Luverne traveled to Marshall for the 2023 Winterfest Invitational Saturday, Jan. 7.
The Cardinals were among six teams that also included Willmar, Pipestone Area, Redwood Valley, New Ulm and Windom.
Luverne took second place in team results behind first-place Willmar by 3.600 points.
In individual events the Cardinals were able to place several gymnasts to help the team score.
On the vault Cowell placed third with a 9.0, Reisdorfer was fifth with 8.85, Winter placed seventh with 8.65, Thorson tied for 10th with Como and two others with 8.475s.
On the uneven parallel bars Reisdorfer placed fourth with 8.35 and Cowell placed 11th with 7.675.
On the balance beam Reisdorfer tied for second with 9.2, Winter tied for fourth with 8.375, Cowell placed fifth with 8.35 and Gangestad placed ninth with 8.025.
On the floor exercise Reisdorfer placed third with 8.750, Winter tied for fifth with 8.6 and Cowell placed ninth with 8.0.
In the all-around competition, the Cardinals placed two gymnasts in the Top 10. Reisdorfer placed second with a combined score of 35.150 and Cowell placed seventh overall with a combined 33.025.

The Luverne boys’ hockey team hosted Morris/Benson Area Saturday, Jan. 7, losing 4-3, and played at Worthington Monday, Jan. 9, beating the Trojans 8-1.
The Luverne boys are scheduled to travel to Redwood Valley Thursday, Jan 12, and then play Waseca Saturday, Jan. 14.
 
Morris/Benson Area 4, Luverne 3
The Luverne boys’ hockey team lost to Morris/Benson Area in overtime 4-3 Saturday, Jan. 7, at home.
The Cardinals played a fast-paced game and came out shooting.
Junior Owen Sudenga got Luverne on the board first, scoring at 11:49 in the first period. He was assisted by juniors Patrick Kroski and Henry Hartquist.
The Storm scored a late goal closing the first period 1-1, with shots on goal favoring Luverne 14-9.
In the second period the Cardinals added two more goals, both coming from senior Brock Behrend.
The first was netted at 21 seconds with an assist from Hartquist. The second came at 14:56 on a power play assisted by junior Elliot Domagala and Kroski.
Luverne was in control, closing the second period with a 3-1 lead and once again outshooting the Storm 18-4.
Morris/Benson Area did not go quietly. In the third period they scored two unanswered goals and ended the period in a 3-3 tie.
The game then went into an 8-minute overtime period.
The Storm took full advantage of the momentum and quickly scored the game-winning goal at 1:42.
 
LHS 8, Worthington 1
The Luverne boys’ hockey team went on the road to play conference rivals Worthington, beating them 8-1 Monday, Jan. 9.
Junior Elliot Domagala score Luverne’s first goal at 4:17 in the first period assisted by sophomore Blaik Bork and junior Patrick Kroski.
Senior Brady Bork added another at 15:21 assisted by Blaik Bork and Kroski.
Luverne led Worthington 2-1 at the end of the first period.
In the second period Luverne scored four unanswered goals.
Ninth-grader Maddux Domagala scored at 7:00 assisted by Henry Hartquist.
Sophomore Alexander Schlosser scored at 8:52 assisted by sophomore Marcus Vortherms.
Brady Bork beat Worthington’s goalie at 11:01 assisted by Blaik Bork.
Elliot Domagala closed the second period with a goal at 13:56 assisted by Kroski and Blaik Bork.
The Cardinals increased their lead to 6-1 at the end of the second period.
In the third period senior Brock Behrend scored twice.
The first goal came at 3:14 assisted by junior Owen Sudenga and senior Ethan Langseth.
His second score was at 4:10 unassisted.
Behrend now has 15 goals, placing him 24th in the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) season goals.
Junior goalie Tyler Arends saved nine out of 10 shots on goal against Worthington.

Whenever I am out and about with my Labrador pack, I often get asked which of the four of them is my favorite? My normal response is in what category? This causes a puzzled look on the questioner’s face.
I go on to explain if you are looking for a riding companion, then my youngest dog, Ghost, is the winner hands down. You can go for a 300-mile ride and he will sit on the front seat for days. He is the smallest so when I am not petting him, he will curl up on the seat and cause no problems at all.
Tracer, my oldest, on the other hand, will run laps from the front seat to the back, across the back seat and then launch over the center console back into the passenger seat.
Sarge will do his very best to crawl across the center console and sit in my lap. His loving intentions are great if you don’t care if you make it to your destination in one piece.
When it comes to around the house, then Raider is the go-to dog. He never causes any trouble and is the least likely to eat something that doesn’t agree with him and puke on the carpet.
Around the house Ghost will always be stealing the other dogs’ chew bones and then running away with them. When the now boneless dog picks up a different bone, Ghost will drop the one he just stole and steal the new one from the dog he stole the first one from. He also has the best chance of sneaking away to look in a garbage can or two to see if there is anything edible or inedible to consume.
They all perform about the same in the field, but Tracer was by far and away the easiest to train. They all end up in the same talent pool when it comes to flushing and retrieving birds, but Tracer seemed to pick up on his duties far faster than the other three.
Sarge will point any bird that will hold. To see a 60-pound Labrador frozen in time is a pretty cool sight. He is never out of range. The other dogs will need some reminders as to just how far 20 away from me is. This takes some extra attention which Sarge never needs.
I consider Raider to be kind of like a lineman on a football team. He is just solid and does the work. He will never be a quarterback with the ability to call an audible to make adjustments as circumstances change. He is just a solid player who never says quit.
How about when it’s time to kennel up the dogs when it’s time for me to leave? Ghost will be in his cage before you ever ask him to. Raider will wait around the corner of the door to see if you might forget to put him away. He always listens but will walk slower than a human baby on a fast crawl.
All of my dogs like attention, but when they get their fill they will lie down and kind of like say, “I’ve had enough for now. I will come back and get another dose when I am ready.”Sar ge is the only one who can lie on the couch with his head in your lap for a binge watch of five episodes of Law and Order. Ghost will lie there with all of his muscles tightened like a spring, and the second you pick up your beer, he will launch off the couch like the space shuttle at liftoff.
When it comes to going for a walk with me, a stranger or a guest, Raider will walk calmly with anyone for as long as that walk might last. Other dogs, squirrels, rabbits or other distractions don’t exist on a walk with Raider. The others need a firmer grip on the leash and an occasional jerk with a heel command.
My dogs hardly ever bark. Barking is bad when you live in town. Ghost, Sarge and Raider will give out one loud bark when someone comes to the door, but that is all that is allowed. Tracer won’t even give out one bark, but Tracer and Sarge will whine when excited or if they think they need to be where I am.
Whining is also bad, but you get to the point where the pressure to get every dog to behave perfectly is not worth the effort. Tracer is going on 12 and Sarge is pushing the 10-year-old mark. With so little life left in these two, I cannot bring myself to get very hard on them. As I have aged as a dog owner and trainer, I have gotten a little softer on my discipline. There has to be a happy medium between letting them just be dogs and needing and wanting them to act like Marines.
In the end, I have no favorites, just dogs that excel in different areas. An old friend once told me there is no such thing as the perfect dog.  Each will have a habit or two that could be improved. I guess the same can be said for dog owners. Are there times when we could better as well? The term “interdependent relationship” is what dogs mean to me. My dogs and I will always strive for perfect, but pretty darn great is close enough for me.
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.

By Greg Hoogeveen
The Hills-Beaver Creek girls’ basketball team played three tough games this week, winning one and losing two on the road, bringing their season record t0 3-6.
H-BC beat Heron Lake-Okebena/Fulda 68-19 at home Jan. 5  before dropping two games, 61-53 to Mountain Lake Jan. 7 and 55-36 to Westbrook-Walnut Grove Jan. 9.
The Patriots were scheduled to travel to West Lyon Tuesday, Jan. 10, then to Edgerton for a game with Southwest Christian on Thursday, Jan. 12.
 
H-BC 68, HLOF 19
The Hills-Beaver Creek girls’ basketball team out-hustled Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda Thursday, Jan. 5, in Hills, beating the Coyotes 68-19.
“It has been a pretty crazy week in southwest Minnesota when it comes to snow days, getting practices in, and games getting postponed,” head coach Dylan Gehrke said.
“Thankfully we were able to get back into the gym last night against HLOF. I thought our girls did a great job of coming out and competing.”
The Patriots’ defense was on fire, prompting 33 Coyotes’ turnovers, which led to some H-BC transition points in the game.
The Lady Pates grabbed 14 offensive and 31 defensive rebounds against the Coyotes who had a hard time sinking their shots.
The Patriots led after the first half 38-5 and continued the pressure in the second.
“We had girls flying around all night. That was exciting to see,” Gehrke said.
“I thought we did a good job of sharing the ball as well. We had 16 assists, which is a game high for us this year.”
HLOF did find some traction in the second half making 14 points, but it was not enough to turn the game.
Junior Lanae Elbers led the Patriots with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.
Layla Deelstra, a junior, posted 12 points, five steals and one blocked shot.
Ninth-grader Abbie Harris contributed 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Additional scoring came from eighth-grader Olivia Deelstra and ninth-grader Izzy Wysong with six points each and junior Brynn Rauk with five points.
Adding three points each were ninth-grader Claire Knobloch, senior Olivia Bork, junior Larissa Steinhoff and sophomore Bailey Spykerboer.
 
Mountain Lake 61,
Hills-Beaver Creek 53
The H-BC girls traveled to Mountain Lake, losing 61-53 Saturday, Jan. 7.
“Our girls battled, but it came down to free throws and that is what hurt us. They made their free throws, and we did not,” Gehrke said.
Mountain Lake made 67 percent of their free throws to H-BC’s 38 percent.
As a team the Patriots outrebounded the Wolverines 37-25 in the game but had trouble converting them to points.
“We had chances where we cut it to three points in the second half but couldn't get over the hump and take the lead,” Gehrke said.
Olivia Deelstra had a huge night for the Patriots, posting a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Deelstra also had five assists and one steal.
Elbers played a solid game, posting 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.
Layla Deelstra contributed 12 points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal.
 
Westbrook-Walnut Grove 55, H-BC 36
The Patriots lost 55-36 to Westbrook-Walnut Grove on the road Monday, Jan. 9.
“We had a rough first half, shooting 4 of 24 from the field and giving up 12 turnovers. The girls couldn't get a shot to fall,” Gehrke said.
“Westbrook-Walnut Grove did a good job of mixing up defenses against us, and we didn't handle it the best.”
The Patriots found themselves down 31-10 going into the break.
“We played better offense and especially defense in the  second half, cutting the lead to 13, but we couldn't get it any closer than that,” Gehrke said.
“We need to work on putting two halves of basketball together.”
The Patriots posted 26 points in the second period, but it wasn’t enough to dig into the deficit.
Olivia Deelstra led the Patriots with 16 points, five rebounds and three steals.
Elbers posted seven points, one rebound, one assist and one steal.
Abbie Harris contributed five points, seven rebounds and one assist.

St. Catherine Catholic Church
203 E. Brown St., Luverne
St. Catherine Ph. 283-8502; www.stscl.org
Monsignor Gerald Kosse, Pastor
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. Mass. Public Mass will be celebrated at FULL capacity in the church. Masses: 9 a.m. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Friday at the nursing homes – check the bulletin. All Sunday masses will be live streamed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pg/stccluverne/videos/. Visit www.stscl.org for more information.
 
Luverne Christian Reformed Church
605 N. Estey St., Luverne
Office Ph. 283-8482; Prayer Line Ph. 449-5982
www.luvernecrc.com — office@luvernecrc.com
Joe Steenholdt, Pastor
Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Worship service. 6:30 p.m. Evening worship service. We are streaming Sunday services live on YouTube at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Send him a friend request if you’re not connected. You may also visit our website for delayed broadcasts. Also our services are on local cable TV at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays. In all circumstances, may we joyfully declare: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8.
 
First Baptist Church
103 N. Jackson St., P.O. Box 975, Luverne
Ph. 283-4091; email: fbcluv@iw.net — www.fbcluverne.org
Walt Moser, Pastor
Sundays: 10:30 a.m. In-person worship service. Service is also on Facebook Live at 10:30 a.m.
 
Grace Lutheran Church
500 N. Kniss Ave., Luverne
Ph. 507-283-4431; www.graceluverne.org — graceluverne@iw.net
Dave Christenson, Interim Pastor
Thursday, Jan. 12: 8:30 a.m. Missions in Action. Sunday, Jan. 15: 9 a.m. Worship Service with Holy Communion. 10 a.m. Coffee Fellowship. 10 a.m. Sunday School & Drums. Tuesday, Jan. 17: 9 a.m. Staff meeting. Wednesday, Jan. 18: 7 a.m. Men’s Bible Study. 5:30 p.m. Glow Praise Band. 6:15 p.m. 6th Grade Confirmation Class. 7:30 p.m. 7th Grade Confirmation Class. Online, TV and Radio Worship options are available. Online worship: Sundays 9 a.m. at www.graceluverne.org, click Worship tab; or Facebook page at Grace Lutheran ELCA, Luverne. TV: Vast Channel 3 Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and Fridays at 10 a.m. Radio: KQAD-AM Radio Sundays at 8:15 a.m.
 
Bethany Lutheran Church
720 N. Kniss Ave., Luverne
Ph. 507-283-4571 or 605-215-9834
Andrew Palmquist, Pastor
Sunday: 9 a.m. Sunday School and Bible class. 10:15 a.m. Worship service; worship online as well (at els.org). Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. Zoom Bible study. See our Facebook page, Bethany Lutheran Church (Luverne) for other classes and events.
 
American Reformed Church
304 N. Fairview Dr., Luverne
Ph. 507-283-8600; email: office@arcluverne.org
Friday, Jan. 13: 6:30 a.m. Men’s Bible Study. Sunday, Jan. 15: 9:30 a.m. Worship Service. 10:50 a.m. Sunday School. 2-4 p.m. Middle School gathering. Tuesday, Jan. 17: 12 p.m. Staff meeting. Wednesday, Jan. 18: 5:30 p.m. Midweek meal. 6:30 p.m. Pioneer Clubs. 6:30 p.m. Youth Groups. Thursday, Jan. 19: 9 a.m. Cookie Crew. Services are also broadcast on Vast Channel 3 on Mondays at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays at 4 p.m. DVD’s available upon request. To stay up to date on announcements, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @arcluverne.
 
Rock River Community Church
1075 110th Ave., Luverne
Ph. 507-283-9070; email: info@rockrivercommunity.church
Bob Junak, Pastor
Come as you are—Sundays @ 10 a.m.: Main Service. Kids church age 3-6th grade—Nursery. Wednesdays @ 6:30 p.m. Midweek Service—Kids age 3-6th grade.
 
United Methodist Church
109 N. Freeman Ave., Luverne
Ph. 283-4529
Saturday, Jan. 14: 8 p.m. AA meeting. Sunday, Jan. 15: 9 a.m. Adult Sunday school/FUEL. 9:45 a.m. Coffee. 10:30 a.m. Worship Service. 4:30 p.m. Genesis/Revelation Bible Study. 6:30 p.m. ALIVE field trip. Monday, Jan. 16: 7 p.m. Genesis to Revelation Bible Study. Tuesday, Jan. 17: 10 a.m. Shut-in visits. 5:45 p.m. M&M meeting. 6 p.m. Trustee meeting. 6:30 p.m. Church council meeting. Wednesday, Jan. 18: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Prayer Chapel. 6:15 p.m. FUEL. 6:30 p.m. confirmation. 8 p.m. AA meeting. Thursday, Jan. 19: Seedbed Class. Live streamed on Facebook and radio.
 
First Presbyterian Church
302 Central Lane, Luverne
Ph. 283-4787; email: Firstpc@iw.net
Sunday, Jan. 15: 9 a.m. Adult Sunday school. 10:15 a.m. Worship service. Youth Sunday school during worship service. In-person Worship service and live on Facebook. Our Facebook page can be found under First Presbyterian Church of Luverne. We are also on the local Luverne cable station at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and 10 a.m. on Thursdays.
 
St. John Lutheran Church
803 N. Cedar St., Luverne
Ph. 283-2316; email: stjohn@iw.net
www.stjohnlutheranluverne.org
Saturdays: 5:30 p.m. Worship Service. Sundays: 9 a.m. Worship Service. 10 a.m. Fellowship Time. 10:15 a.m. Sunday School. 10:15 a.m. Adult Bible Study. Wednesdays: 9 a.m. Bible Study. 6:30 p.m. Catechesis Class. 6:30 p.m. Kids for Christ. 7:30 p.m. Youth Group. Services will be available on the Vast Channel 3 Sunday and online at the city website, cityofluverne.org. Holy Communion is offered on 2nd and 4th weekends and Liturgical Feasts.
 
Living Rock Church
500 E. Main St., Luverne
Ph. 449-0057; www.livingrockswmn.org
Josh Hayden, Pastor
 
New Life Celebration Church
101 W. Maple, Luverne
Ph. (605) 368-1924; email: newlifecelebration@gmail.com
 
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
305 E. 2nd St., P.O. Box 36, Hardwick
Ph. (507) 669-2855; zionoffice@alliancecom.net
Jesse Baker, Pastor
Sunday, Jan. 15: 9 a.m. Worship service. 10:15 a.m. Sunday School. 10:30 a.m. Bible study. Worship service on Luverne cable at 3:30 p.m. every Thursday and Friday.
 
Ben Clare United Methodist Church
26762 Ben Clare Ave., Valley Springs, S.D.
igtwlb@WOW.net
Bill Bates, Pastor
 
First Lutheran Church
300 Maple St., Valley Springs, S.D.
Ph. (605) 757-6662 – firstpalisade@alliancecom.net
Mark Eliason, Pastor
Wednesdays in January: Confirmation resumes at First Lutheran. Sunday, Jan. 15: 9:30 a.m. Sunday School. 10:30 a.m. Worship at First Lutheran Church. All are welcome. Tuesday, Jan. 17: 7 p.m. First Lutheran Council meeting. We Are ONLINE! Facebook: @FirstLutheranValley Springs; YouTube: FirstPalisadeLutheranParish.
 
Palisade Lutheran Church
211 121st St., Garretson, S.D.
Ph. (507) 597-6257 — palisadechurch@alliancecom.net
www.palisadelutheran.org
Wednesdays in January: Confirmation resumes at First Lutheran. Thursday, Jan. 12: 1:30 p.m. Palisade WELCA meeting. 7 p.m. Palisade Council meeting. Sunday, Jan. 15: 9 a.m. Worship Service at Palisade Lutheran Church. 10 a.m. Sunday School. We Are ONLINE! Facebook: @PalisadeLC; YouTube: FirstPalisadeLutheranParish.
 
First Presbyterian Church
201 S. 3rd St., P.O Box 73, Beaver Creek
Ph. 507-935-5025
email: lori.firstpres@gmail.com
Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Worship Service. Second Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m. Session meeting.
 
Magnolia United Methodist Church
501 E. Luverne St., Magnolia
Ph. 605-215-3429
email: magnoliamnumc@gmail.com
Nancy Manning, Pastor
Sunday: 9 a.m., in-person with livestream available on the church’s Facebook site.
 
Steen Reformed Church
112 W. Church Ave., Steen
Ph. 855-2336
Jeremy Wiersema, Pastor
Sunday: 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Worship service in-person with livestream available on Facebook and YouTube. Radio worship on KQAD Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
 
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
112 N. Main St., Hills
Ph. 962-3270 / bethlehemofhills@gmail.com
Nita Parker, Pastor
Sunday: 9 a.m. Worship at Tuff Chapel. 9 a.m. Sunday school. 10 a.m. Worship Service. Worship will be streamed live to Facebook at Bethlehem of Hills. You can find more info on our website blchills.org.
 
Hills United Reformed Church
410 S. Central Ave., Hills
Office Ph. 962-3254
hillsurc@alliancecom.net
Alan Camarigg, Pastor

“Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down.”   Hebrews 12:1
George Ferdinand Müller, born Sept. 27, 1805, started life with less than a Christian lifestyle.  However, by the end of his life, he helped over 10,000 orphans that walked the streets of London.
In 1825 God drew George to himself, and George became a man of faith and a man of prayer.  He didn’t go to Bible college or seminary like most pastors. He educated himself by opening his Bible, reading it and praying. He spent hours praying and hours considering what the Bible had to say.
As he read the Bible, he believed what it said and started practicing it.
In his mid 20s he was asked to pastor a church. There were several things the church did that he saw as unbiblical.
One was a pew tax, and he sought to get rid of it. This tax allowed the people who gave more tax to sit closer to the front, leaving the poor to sit farther back. He was questioned on how he would be paid if there were no pew taxes.
George replied, “God said he will supply all our needs, and I am sure he will take care of me and my wife.” And God did take care of them. They didn’t have much, but God always took care of them.
George Müller saw a need to care for the thousands of orphans that were living in the streets of England. One estimate was that there were 250,000 orphans in England’s streets. In his neighborhood some 100-plus kids played in the streets, begged, stole and created a nuisance to many who lived there.
George believed God wanted him to care for these children. He housed them, fed them and taught them. He made sure they knew what the Bible said.
George believed he should never ask for money, never do any type of fundraising or do any other type of campaign to raise funds. He trusted God to supply all his needs and the needs of the children. 
George built five different homes for the orphans and never asked for a penny. He found a seven-acre plot where he could build his orphanages. However, the price was more than he had at 200 pounds per acre. He prayed, and God answered.
One day the owner of the land came and said he would sell George the land for 120 pounds per acre. As a result, he was able to house approximately 2,500 orphans at a time. All this because he trusted God to be who he said he was.
George Müller was a witness of faith in God to fulfill his promises. May we have such faith.

Blue Mounds State Park played host to a nationwide initiative to get people outdoors Jan. 1.
Park naturalist Tiffany Muellner led more than a dozen people on a 90-minute hike that included several stops to view wildlife, their tracks and the buffalo that reside at the park north of Luverne.
“There’s a First Day Hike going on in every state today,” Muellner told the group.
Ten other state parks in Minnesota joined more than 400 state parks throughout the U.S. in planning hikes.
First Day Hikes are an effort by America’s State Parks organization to connect people with the outdoors.
At the state park, temperatures reached above 32 degrees under partly sunny skies and light winds.
Muellner said the park is closed to camping for the foreseeable future due to the excessive snowfall in the campground area. However, the main driving areas are plowed open for daytime visitors.

The city of Luverne’s proposed day care learning center received a boost Dec. 29 when President Biden approved a $2.6 million federal grant funding its construction.
The grant announcement was a welcome present for the city of Luverne.
“This will go to the No. 1 issue in Luverne,” said Mayor Pat Baustian, “and help with a day care shortage for the entire county. The grant will help, but it won’t fix the shortage entirely.”
More than 100 projects in Minnesota received money through a $1.7 trillion spending bill approved by Congress just before Christmas.
The Luverne day care learning center will provide care for 186 newborn through school-aged children, or about half the number of day care openings in the area. Studies show upward of 300 children are in need of day care in Rock County.
The $2.6 million federal grant provides one-third of the remodeling costs for the new day care learning center.
An estimate of $6.4 million is needed for the project.
The city of Luverne plans to convert a former 30,000-square foot office building on Roundwind Road into the day care learning facility.
A countywide fundraising effort is set to kick off this spring. The goal of the six-week campaign is to raise $1.24 million in local support.
“They (the fundraising committee) had to wait until the omnibus funding bill was signed before going forward,” Baustian said.
The rest of the $3.8 million could come from Rock County, the city of Luverne and a $500,000 loan. A request to the state legislature earlier this year could be reconsidered during the current session.
State legislators finished the 2021 session this spring without passing a bonding bill. The state’s budget surplus could lead to the reconsideration of the city of Luverne’s $3.4 million request.
For now, the federal support is welcome news for the 6-year-old project.
“The congressional support was a shot in the arm,” Baustian said. “It provides us with the biggest economic development piece in 40 years.”
Architect and engineer plans will be finished this spring with plans to bid the remodeling project late spring.
The remodeling of the day care learning center is expected to take a year.
Once the center is complete, the city of Luverne will lease the building to a local nonprofit board for $1 a year. The board will acquire the day care license and hire a licensed director and assistant director to operate the facility.
The day care learning center is expected to employ up to 35 workers.
Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar submitted the earmark request for the local day care learning facility.
Among the other requests funded in Minnesota are improved access to health care, workforce support, infrastructure and public safety upgrades.