Goldschmidt effect should elevate Cardinals’ infield

Yadier Molina was on a boat near Jupiter, Fla., when he got the news — Paul Goldschmidt was now a St. Louis Cardinal.

Here’s a link to the column at the Southern Illinoisan.

Chuck and Nancy, you can work with Trump, do what’s right for the US or be obstructionists

Numerous Democrats, both in the House and the Senate for the last two weeks, have been speaking to their Republican colleagues. They have been asking them to broker this three-week opportunity to support the wall and negotiate other parts and other issues like DACA and Dreamers.

Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.

Pastor Rick Warren: You Don’t Have It All Together, and That’s Okay

By Rick Warren

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (Romans 12:3 NIV).

The first and greatest barrier to change in any area of your life is pride.

The fact is, nobody has it all together. I don’t have it all together. You don’t have it all together. The Pope doesn’t have it all together. The Bible says nobody is perfect—period. Everyone on this planet is broken because of sin.
But we walk around trying to impress people and pretend like we’ve got it all together. The problem is that if you want lasting change in your life, you first have to humbly assess your current state and admit that you don’t have it all together. You have to admit you have a problem with your finances, your health, or wherever you’re struggling in your life.
Romans 12:3 says, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (NIV).
Are you willing to ask the people closest to you, “Where do I need to change?” Do you have the courage to ask others to be honest about you and with you?
Why is this so important? Because you can only manage what you measure. If you don’t know the measure of your faith, you can’t grow in your faith. If you don’t know the measure of your health, you can’t develop and grow in health. If you don’t know the measure of where you are financially, you can’t set goals financially. If you don’t know the measure of where you are spiritually or vocationally or relationally, then you can’t grow in those areas. You can only manage what you measure.
It’s also important to record your progress in any goal—whether through a journal or a record or some other tool you want to use. If you’re going to set some health goals, financial goals, or any other kind of goal, record your progress throughout the year so you can measure your growth and your development.
Evaluate where you are so that you can know where you should go.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over

What people in your life can you talk with openly and honestly?
What areas of your life do you need to evaluate so that you can set realistic goals for change?
What are some ways you can keep track of your growth and progress?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over

What people in your life can you talk with openly and honestly?
What areas of your life do you need to evaluate so that you can set realistic goals for change?
What are some ways you can keep track of your growth and progress?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

Much of Illinois to get snow, record-breaking cold

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois is about to get hit with a one-two punch of snow and then brutal — and dangerous — cold.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Op-Ed: Another Illinois lawmaker hits the pension lottery

State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, announced his retirement days before he was slated to start his 17th term in Springfield last week.

Here’s a link to the column at Illinois News Network.

By the numbers: Illinois ranked No. 36 in 2019 business climate index

Illinois finished at No. 36 among the 50 states in the Washington-based Tax Foundation’s analysis of how states’ tax systems affect their ability to attract and retain businesses.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois Network News.

Illinois to start accepting tax returns Monday

The state of Illinois says it’ll start processing tax returns on Monday, but it will be a while before you get your refund.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Illinois governor taps St. Clair County prosecutor Brendan Kelly as new head of state police

Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has picked St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly to be the new head of the Illinois State Police, according to a statement Tuesday from the governor’s office.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Illinois offers $100 million in loans to federal workers affected by government shutdown

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois is offering $100 million in state funds to finance low-interest or interest-free loans to federal workers going without pay during the record government shutdown, officials said Wednesday.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Williamson County man arrested, accused of killing 62-year-old Marion man with ‘machete-type weapon’

MARION — A Williamson County man was arrested Tuesday in Cape Girardeau and charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He is accused of killing a Marion man with what police are calling a “machete-type weapon.”

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News