"End of life decisions"The tough decisions related to dying are all related to the tough decisions of living. Where do we go for guidance and direction when faced with challenging issues? Who do we trust to speak the truth without bias? Who knows what the future holds? Who understands all the issues involved in my situation? The answer for all of these questions is the only true and triune God; The Creator, Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit. He speaks to us clearly through the Holy Scriptures about what we need to know about life and death.The Bible clearly reveals God to be high on life in all its forms and stages. He has created everything that is living and everything was created to live forever. Death only came into creation through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. God warned them, "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17). They did not heed the warning, and when they ate of that forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened and they became afraid and embarrassed. They hid from God and all of mankind has shared in this fear and embarrassment ever since.All mankind believes that they have the ability to be like God and make their own choices. The problem is that it is all a big fat lie and always leads to heartache and failure. People do not have the ability to discern good from evil on their own, so clearly they do not have the ability to do good on their own either. All mankind is sinful from their conception, and no good thing comes from them apart from the good that God works in and through them. We must accept this as true in order for God to work in us the faith that we need to live in God’s creation.God creates faith in the hearts of all who will believe in Jesus Christ as the one who lived, died, and rose again as Savior and Substitute. St. Paul reminds the Christian, "It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (Galatians 2:20). Christ was obedient to the will of His Father in heaven and committed no sin. If Christ lives in us as Christians, then we are obedient to the will of His Father in heaven and we have eternal life. This faith is the gift of God so that no man can boast of himself.As Christians face the issues of life in this sinful world, we look to God and His Word for the guidance and direction that we need to show Christ in our lives. This is not open to change or revision because we live in the 21st century. God’s Word is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It reveals the truth that God would have us to know, confess, and practice in our lives. This word can be summed up with two simple commandments from God. "Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind, … and love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37, 39). Life and death are in God’s hands. We are to respect life always as a gift from God that will last forever for the Christian. Death is simply a doorway that leads to eternal life. We do not hasten death nor fear it any more than we can speed up life. We take it as it comes and trust in the Lord to walk us through it. He has been through it. He knows all things and promises that nothing can separate us from Him. He promises that He will supply all that we need when it is needed. Life and death are faced with the confidence that God is always in charge working things out for the good of those who trust in Him. Live life with Jesus Christ for He has overcome death!

"Librarians just want to have fun" is a statement not to be taken lightly. It is truly a rare occasion when a librarian can cast off the burdens of reference transactions, literature selection, and computer maintenance to become her real fun-loving self. This extraordinary event is scheduled to occur on June 13. Librarians will be seen biking out to the State Park with 30 of their favorite library kids. Or, if you're lucky you might catch them in their bikinis frolicking in the pool with more library kids. (I made that up about the bikinis.) But if you come to the library this summer, you will find happy librarians, magic tricks, a puppet show, a dance party and much more. Pick up a schedule of events and find out "What’s Buzzin’ at the Library." Kids can sign up this week for the Summer Reading Club and earn tickets to buy prizes from the summer library store. It’s going to be a good time. While you’re at the library, check out some of the new summer fiction. "Heartbreak Hotel" by Jill Landis. A supportive wife and mother, Tracy Potter always played by the rules and maintained a perfect home. After her husband’s sudden death, she learns that everything she believed in was a lie. Forced to start over, Tracy puts everything into resurrecting the Heartbreak Hotel, an abandoned turn-of-the-century inn overlooking the Pacific Ocean. She’s determined to never again believe in anyone but herself—until the night a mysterious loner, Wade McAllister, checks in. The Heartbreak Hotel is a perfect place for Wade to hide from his notoriety as an author and the shocking events in his past. Drawn to Tracy and her struggle to succeed, he is quickly compelled to risk the anonymity on which his survival depends. By the time Tracy discovers the handsome stranger’s true identity, there’s more than ever at stake. She is not only forced to risk another broken heart and learn to trust again, but she must fight to make Wade believe in their love. "Appaloosa" by Robert Parker. When Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch arrive in Appaloosa, they find a small, dusty town suffering at the hands of renegade rancher Randall Bragg. Bragg and his crew assault the women, steal from the merchants, and shoot anyone who gets in the way. Cole and Hitch, itinerant lawmen, are used to cleaning up after opportunistic thieves. They are hired guns, but doggedly revere the law. Cole and Hitch back Bragg down with a minimum of bloodshed. Bragg is arrested, tried and sentenced to be hung. But Cole's weakness for the piano-playing beauty, Allie, makes possible his escape. Bragg’s hired hands bust him out, leading to a long chase through Indian territory and a shootout between Cole's men and Bragg's. When he eventually returns with a presidential pardon and a veneer of civility, Cole is trapped: if he kills Bragg, he'll have violated his own code, but if he doesn't, he'll lose Allie to his rival. Special Notice: Barb is celebrating a significant birthday on June 13. Be sure to congratulate her on turning 40. Wait a minute; she has a daughter who's 28 years old. Perhaps it’s not her 40th. Perhaps it’s the big 5-0!! Still, let’s pretend it’s her 40th and make her really happy on her special day.

The following appeared in the Rock County Herald on June 2, 1916:PRINCESS THEATRE CLOSES ITS DOORSSatisfactory Deal is Made Among Theatre Owners Whereby Princess Drops Out of FieldAn important change in the status of the motion picture theatre business took place the first of the week, when the Princess theatre, which has been conducted by Peter Rober & Son, was permanently closed Saturday night. This action was brought about in part through the efforts of Manager R.G. Willert, of the Grand theatre, and Manager Herman Jochims, of the New Palace theatre, by the payment of a reasonable cash bonus. Following this action, but entirely independent of it, Mr. Willert disposed of one-half interest in the Grand theatre to John Rober, who has been manager of the Princess theatre since it was opened. Since the New Palace theatre was opened last fall, Luverne has had three first-class motion picture theatres in operation, and competition has been extremely keen. With the management of each theatre constantly endeavoring to secure the strongest and latest attractions and features with little regard for cost, and the price of admission maintained with few exceptions at minimum rates of 5 and 10 cents, it is violating no confidences to here state that the game has been a losing one from a financial viewpoint for all three theatres. But with only two theatres in operation it is expected that it will be possible to maintain the same high character of service heretofore given, and both theatres will produce a legitimate margin of profit, although in order to accomplish this end it will be necessary to return to the old special feature rates of 10 and 15 cents for some of the more expensive features.In connection with the change in the management of the Grand, Messrs. Willert & Rober are making a number of additions to the equipment of their amusement place, including about eighty more seats, an extra motion picture machine and a new piano. In order to make room for the additional seats, the stage floor is being lowered to conform with the adjoining floor and the screen will be moved as far back as possible. This will give the theatre a seating capacity of about 360.The equipment of the Princess theatre that cannot be used to advantage in the Grand will be disposed of outside of Luverne. Peter Rober, the senior member of the outgoing firm, will retire from business, and will accordingly lease his building. It is understood that he has two or three opportunities to lease the building, but as he has not taken definite action in the matter it cannot be stated for what purpose it will be used.Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

Shortly after my 40th birthday, I stumbled upon one of life’s greatest truths. "Women’s lives are divided into two distinct parts," I wrote, "a time when they wish to look pregnant and a time when they don’t." Twenty-some years later, an even greater truth has surfaced. This time it’s clear that most adults’ lives are divided into two halves — the first half when we worry about how many miles our cars will get to a gallon of fuel, and the second when we worry about how long we can get by on a cup of coffee before needing a restroom. The answer to the post-age-50 bladder control crisis was recently revealed on a British gadget and gizmo Web site. According to a posted news article at the site, a UK company, started up by a distant relative of the inventor of the toilet, has created a new handheld GPS device for locating public restrooms throughout that country. The global-positioning i-Poo apparently displays the location of 43,000 or so public restrooms in the U.K. and will give its operator the fastest walking directions to the nearest one. At first the news sounded almost too good to be true. "If however there is no public toilet within 600 meters, "the article added, "the software will also direct you to an open restaurant, pub or if after closing hours, a darkened alley." A warning flag should have gone up at this point, but reading about the GPS system overwhelmed the rational part of my brain. Clearly, GPS systems are no longer limited to luxury vehicles or golf carts at posh country clubs. A hand-held global positioning system would also allow its user to quickly locate garage sales and spectacular sales events at favorite stores. With the help of additional technological devices, we might even become "carborgs" — cyborgs that are half human and half automotive accessories. Carborgs would definitely give new meaning to words such as "shifty" and "shiftless." For example, flip-down, overhead cosmetic mirrors such as those found on car visors could be permanently attached to our foreheads. No matter what age, a woman can never be too prepared for cosmetic breakdowns. Tiny windshield wipers could be attached to our bifocal glasses. They would be perfect for life’s blinding moments — unexpected rain storms, opening a dishwasher door while the contents are still steaming hot or sitting through the final, tear-choking scene of "Beaches," when Bette Midler belts out "The Wind Beneath My Wings." Much like the messages on the dashboards of our cars ("Service in 2,000 miles" or "Check oil"), flashing messages on our handheld i-Poos could signal, "Make appointment for annual physical" or "Refill prescriptions." Inflatable air bags could be suspended from our elastic waistbands and hang over our hips for accidental falls and spills. Falling down and not being able to get up would no longer be a problem. With air bags on our hips, we would bounce right back to our standing positions. Instead of carrying a simple Walkman when we walk for exercise, we could become portable entertainment centers, complete with tape players, CDs, radios and miniature TVs. With carborgs for parents, our children would rave, "You should see my mom. She’s a ‘42 Michigan with lots of miles and her chassis could use a little work, but she’s very reliable." As noted earlier, at least one warning flag should have been raised. A closer examination of the i-Poo story revealed it had been posted at midnight, April 1, 2005. What a disappointment.

Some things are just right, so you do them no matter what. I’ve decided that for me, along with many good-intentioned Midwesterners, eating rhubarb is one of those obligations. Maybe people get excited about rhubarb because it’s one of the first plants we can harvest in the summer. It also has a certain charm because we’ve proven that if you add a pound of sugar to anything — even a tough, bitter stalk — and cook it beyond recognition, it will be edible and even tasty to some. Another thing that I think attracts people to rhubarb is the thought that since it’s one of the only perennial vegetables, we’d be better off starving or throwing money away than not eating it. See? Some things are just right, so you do them.Rhubarb sauce for ice cream, strawberry-rhubarb jam, rhubarb syrup, rhubarb custard, rhubarb cake and rhubarb pie all have had a steady place in my summer menu. Every year since I can remember, I have eaten at least a serving of the family’s various rhubarb creations — whether I really wanted to or not.Some people — my mom and older sister, for example — genuinely enjoy it. Try as I might, though, rhubarb just hasn’t made my list of favorites. I wondered again why some people love it so much after witnessing my friend try rhubarb for the first time recently. Her face contorted in a way that reminded me of the time I threw Sweet Tarts to monkeys at the zoo. She said, "Too tangy," and didn’t even finish the rest of her rhubarb coffee cake.This weekend, I once again ate rhubarb, and it was pretty good. My mom tried a new recipe when the family stayed with me, and it’s one that she’ll add to the family’s permanent collection. (I happen to have a lovely rhubarb patch that is perfectly rosy colored and doesn’t need food coloring to make this sauce pretty. And, just an FYI: according to my sources, rhubarb is indeed a vegetable, even though it’s eaten as a fruit.)Rhubarb Cheesecake DessertCrust:1 cup flour1/2 cup brown sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 cup cold butter1/2 cup chopped walnuts1 teaspoon vanillaCombine first four ingredients with a pastry blender. Stir in chopped nuts and vanilla. Press into 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool slightly.Filling:2 (8 ounce) cream cheese3/4 cup sugar3 eggs1 teaspoon vanillaBeat cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool.Topping:3 cups rhubarb1 cup sugar1/4 cup water1 tablespoon cornstarch1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Can add three to four drops red food coloring. Cool. Pour over filling and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

"Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it."That’s always been one of my favorite passages, and I’ve used it more than once — just as anyone in our office knows.Unfortunately, those were words I used to embarrass someone else, not myself.That all changed Saturday night when I brought my son down to Redbird Field to take in some of the Buffalo Days festivities.With the Luverne Baseball Association hosting an Alumni Game and skills competitions for kids, I thought it would be a good idea to make the trek across town to see what was going on.Thinking I could snap a feature photo for today’s paper and give my boy an opportunity to have some fun at the same time seemed to be a good idea in theory. In reality, it turned into an eye-opening experience for a rapidly-aging man.As a former baseball player, and covering area games on a frequent basis, I’ve found myself wondering on many occasions what it would be like to step into the batter’s box again. The way things panned out, I received the opportunity on Saturday. Somewhere between the drive from our house to the ball yard, the notion of taking some hacks at the plate crept into my mind again. Yapping at anyone who would listen, I finally found the person (Don Dinger, of the LBA) who could help me live the dream.Dinger, no doubt, grew tired of me bending his ear about making an appearance at the plate. And somewhere in between my frequent visits to the adult beverage stand he was running (who says you can’t drum up some courage from a can of beer?), my wish was granted.Then the public address announcer at the park released the batting order for a new inning. I can’t recall the exact order (I did say that I made more than one appearance at the beverage stand), but I was due up third after Dr. Crabtree and Dinger.While running down a foul ball, I missed the opportunity to watch Crabtree and Dinger take their hacks. I didn’t care. I was up next and stepped into the batter’s box with the vision of delivering a sharp line drive somewhere into the outfield.Maybe this would be a good time to establish an excuse.Since I did chase down (it was a fast walk at best) a foul ball prior to stepping into the batter’s box to face Devin Goembel, I didn’t get the chance to loosen up a swing that once produced two home runs in a five-day span in American Legion ball in the late 1970s.Those homers, by the way, were the only two I hit in a three-year career, but I’m sure anybody who witnessed my plate appearance would believe it.Seeing my first live pitch in more than two decades, I took what I thought was an energetic cut at what had to be a half-hearted fastball offered up by Goembel. The end result — a weak ground ball that stopped rolling before it reached the first baseman.Although my coveted at bat was a failure at best, I did learn a couple of things from the experience. No 1: The LHS alumni are a gracious bunch of young men who didn’t seem to mind three old men horning in on their game. No. 2: I’ll keep my visions of past glory where they belong, tucked away in my imagination.OmissionSpeaking of growing old, I’m beginning to think my mind is regressing after the oversight I’m guilty of committing in last week’s From the Sidelines column.At least two times in the column I mentioned how important a contribution five freshmen have made to the successful tennis season the LHS boys are experiencing.When I listed their names, I forgot to include Jamie Vickery. Vickery has been a fixture in the line-up throughout the season as a doubles player.Sorry about the oversight, Jamie.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne Cardinals didn’t catch much of a break when it came to drawing an opponent for the quarterfinal round of the Minnesota State Class A Team Tennis Tournament Tuesday at the Northwest Athletic Club in Burnsville.In fact, it’s hard to believe the Cardinals could have drawn a tougher assignment.Making their first appearance at the state classic as a team, LHS drew the unenviable task of taking on defending state champion St. Paul Academy & Summit School in the first round.The Spartans of SPA-SS provided an obstacle too big for Luverne to overcome as they rolled to a 7-0 victory over the Cardinals.The win sent the Spartans to the semifinals, where they took on The Blake School. The 14-5 Cardinals squared off against Virginia in a consolation match played at the Nicollet Tennis Club in Minneapolis Wednesday (June 8) morning.Luverne was unable to win a set during Tuesday’s match against the Spartans.After falling 6-0 to Andrew Lindsay and Andre Adams in first set at No. 1 doubles, Luverne’s Brandon Deragisch and Nick Heronimus did play better in the second set. The LHS team, however, fell by a 6-4 tally in the end.SPA-SS’s Zach Moar and Matt Nuffort topped Weston Sawtelle and Erik Stegemann by 6-1 and 6-2 tallies at second doubles. Breg Narayan and Evan McMillian notched 6-0 and 6-2 victories over Matt Kreuch and Jamie Vickery at No. 3.Luverne’s Dusty Antoine and David Nelson won four games during straight set losses in singles.SPA-SS’s Matt McCormick saddled Antoine with a pair of 6-2 losses at No. 1. Will DeBruyn recorded 6-1 and 6-3 victories over Nelson at second singles.Spartan John Wight topped Derek Boeve by 6-2 and 6-0 tallies at third singles. Pierce Norton notched 6-1 and 6-0 wins against Zach Sanderson at No. 4.

By John RittenhouseA Luverne High School freshman earned a trip to the state track meet in Blaine based on her performance during the Section 3A Track and Field Championships in Redwood Falls Thursday. June 2.Lexi Heitkamp, who qualified for the state meet in the 1,600-meter run last spring, will make a repeat appearance at the event after winning the section title in the 800-meter run.Individuals who place first or second, the championship relay teams and any individuals or relay teams who meet the state-qualifying standards that are in place for the section meet earn the right to compete at the state classic.Heitkamp is the lone LHS girl to advance.Heitkamp turned in a time of 2:21.31 to win the 800. Her time is an improvement over a school-record effort she turned in earlier this year.The LHS athlete is scheduled to run at 2:20 p.m., Saturday, at the National Sports Center in Blaine.With Heitkamp leading the way, Luverne scored 20 team points and tied for 11th place in the section field.Victoria Arends and Katie Schneiderman also produced team points for LHS.Arends placed third in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 49.5. Schniederman finished sixth in the 3,200-meter run in 12:30.81.Luverne placed eighth in the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 4:17.18. Arends, Amy Herman, Nicole Willers and Heitkamp formed the team.Here is a look at the team standings and the other results turned in by LHS athletes at the section meet.Team standings: Pipestone 84, Windom 65, Lac qui Parle Valley-Dawson-Boyd 60, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 55, Jackson County Central 50, BOLD 40, Adrian 26, Murray County Central 23, Canby-Minneota 22, Luverne 20, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton-Lake Benton 20, Southwest United 20, Renville County West 19, Southwest Christian 18, Yellow Medicine East 16, Westbrook-Walnut Grove-Red Rock Central 15, Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton 14, Redwood Valley 13, Benson-Kerhhoven-Murdock-Sunberg 12, Comfrey-Springfield 10, Montevideo 7, Fulda 5, Ortonville 5, Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin 5, Lincoln HI 4, Wabasso 4.Individual resultsNinth place: 3,200 relay (Arends, Kayla Raddle, Kelsey Dooyema, Heitkamp), 10:27.17.10th place: Erin Hoiland, 100, 13.96; Dooyema, 1,600, 6:06.04.11th place: Hoiland, long jump, 15-4.12th place: Natalie Willers, shot, 32-2 1/2; 800 relay (Hoiland, Abby Elbers, Brittany Mulder and Nc.Willers), 1:54.2.13th place: 400 relay (Hoiland, Morgan Bosshart, Mulder and Nc.Willers), 53.99.14th place: Maggie Kuhlman, 100 hurdles, 17.97.15th place: Raddle, 3,200, 13:30.3.19th place: Schniederman, pole vault, 7-0.

By John RittenhouseWhat has been a standout track career for Tyler Bush was extended for one more week during the Section 3A Track and Field Championships in Redwood Falls Thursday.Bush, a senior member of the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton team, earned his fourth consecutive trip to the Minnesota State High School Class A Championships during the section meet.Bush turned in a time of 1:57.97 during the 800-meter run, placing second in the event to Southwest Christian’s Brent Van Schepen (1:57.08).With the top two finishers in individual events, the championship relay team and any individual or relay team meeting the state-qualifying standards in place for the section meet earning trips to state, Bush met the criteria in the 800. He is the only H-BC-E-E athlete who will compete at the National Sports Center in Blaine."This is the fourth consecutive year Tyler has qualified for state in the 800," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "He placed eighth in state as a freshman, fifth in state as a sophomore and fourth in state as a junior. He’s hoping to improve on those finishes this year."Bush’s effort in the 800 helped the Patriots score 22 points and place 12th as a team in the section standings.The 1,600-meter relay team consisting of Kale Wiertzema, Bush, Cody Scholten and Darrin Weikamp placed fourth in 3:34.84.H-BC-E-E received sixth-place finishes from Wiertzema (53.04 in the 400-meter dash), Scholten (6-0 in the high jump) and the 400-meter relay team. Bush, Wiertzema, Scholten and Casey Van Midden Dorp ran the 400 relay in 49.99.The Patriot girls placed 18th as a team with 14 points during the meet.H-BC-E-E’s top effort came from the 1,600-meter relay, which placed third in 4:13.95. Mya Mann, Amanda Tilstra, Cassi Tilstra and Jocelyn Bucher formed the team.Cassi Tilstra finished fifth with a time of 59.97 in 400-meter dash.The 3,200-meter relay of Amanda and Cassi Tilstra, Mann and Ashley Bucher placed sixth with a time of 10:21.43. The 400-meter relay team of Amanda Connors, Rosie Lewis, Mann and Kelly Mulder capped the scoring by placing eighth in 53.47.Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E-E’s results from the Section 3A meet.H-BC-E-E boys14th place: Cody Schilling, triple jump, 37-4 1/2; 800 relay (Jon Klaassen, Schilling, Roger DeBoer and Van Midden Dorp), 1:41.17.15th place: 3,200 relay (Tyler Paulsen, Brent Kramer, Dustin Verhey and Cody Penning), 9:30.96.16th place: Van Midden Dorp, 100, 12.79.H-BC-E-E girls13th place: Lewis, discus, 94-0.14th place: Lewis, shot, 31-0 1/4.16th place: Amanda DeBoer, 1,600, 6:21.56; 800 relay (Connors, Mulder, Lewis and J.Bucher), 1:56.