For years, I said the thing all busy parents say when we’re wading through the drama of raising humans – the feeding and cleaning, the last-minute science projects, and the after-school activities that swallow up evenings and whole weekends. On days when I felt outnumbered by kids, errands and messes, I’d mentally reassure myself with this one hopeful phrase: “When the kids are in college, I’ll have time to take care of myself.” more

There are people in each of our lives who make an earth-shaking change in paths that we will follow. more

On our property stands a bur oak tree with a trunk measuring over sixteen feet in circumference, allowing an estimated age of more than 300 years. more

There is no peace with the wicked. more

Let's be very honest, planning to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner can be, to say the best for it, daunting. more

The cookbooks are out. The tried and true recipes are marked – and even a couple of new ones. more

Dear Editor,  more

Along with the colder weather comes a flood of red wines. more

When someone says “Missouri,” the first images that come to mind are often things like the Gateway Arch, acres and acres of farms, and the Lake of the Ozarks. However, we’re also home to President Harry Truman, Mark Twain — and the world’s only B-2 Spirit stealth bomber unit and the future home of the B-21 Raider bomber. more

If I didn't have to share mental space with an inner 12-year-old, I would've already put on a pair of progressive glasses or bifocals and been done with it. That's what most people my age do. more

Editor's note: Due to a production error, this was incorrectly ran in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 paper with an incorrect attribution. It has been corrected online. The Star-Journal apologizes for the error.  more

Dear editor,  more

Those red wines keep coming, which is a sign that winter is not far away. more

Trees make autumn wonderful. Trees add beauty to every season and autumn and early spring are great times to plant trees. The value of a tree goes well beyond our lifetime and can benefit the earth for hundreds of years. more

Dear Editor, more

I have a problem. And if the first step is admitting it, here goes: I'm a snooze abuser. If there's a snooze to use, I'll do it. Again and again. more

There was a time, after prohibition ended in the United States on December 5, 1933, that buying a wine became a daunting challenge. more

Change is the constant. Rather than teaching a unit on seasons at preschool, we like to weave discussions about seasons and change into our ever-growing tapestry of life and learning. We play and learn outdoors for most of the day, at least when weather allows, so we are naturally observing change. more

Dear Editor,  more

Editor's note: Reflections is contributed by area churches each week on a rotating schedule. The Star-Journal does not offer endorsements for any election question or race. The opinion offered below strictly belongs to the writer, Harvest Church Senior Pastor Shawn Benson.   more