Semo.net Weblog

(Please refer to “Fasting for the City and the World, Part I for the introduction to this piece.)

Why was it so difficult to get into the swing of a 24-hour weekly fast? “Primarily, it’s that I had become used to the luxury of eating when I want until I am full,” said our nonetheless determined striver. “So the first time I fasted, it felt like I was suffering a lot. I was intensely aware of feeling faint. Everything I looked at reminded me of food. It seemed that so many of my thoughts and actions were attached to the idea of food—making food, buying food, meeting people for food…It was overwhelming.

“The first time I tried fasting, I just gave in and I felt bad—guilty that I couldn’t even go 24 hours,” she continued. “But eventually I came to realize that God was there with me, and to remember that there were others trying to do the same thing with me. I knew, too, as a human being, that this ‘failure’ was a part of my human side, and that this was one of the very weaknesses I was intended to learn about. The temptations we face every day. So I knew that I must keep trying. (more…)

Fasting is a devotional discipline shared throughout history by the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—and by some of the world’s other spiritual traditions as well.

In the Jewish faith, fasting is mandated for Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, at which time people strive to cultivate the heart of confession and repentance. Throughout the month of Ramadan, many Muslims the world over engage in ritual fasting in an effort to draw the mind away from the mundane, and into deeper and more continual communication with God.

A certain New Testament passage, Matthew 6:16, indicates an assumption on the part of Jesus that his own followers will fast as a matter of course, and there is ample biblical treatment of conditions, purposes, and the state of mind pertaining to this practice. But though there are several fasting days set into the Catholic calendar in connection with specific Church observances, habitual fasting as a Christian spiritual discipline seems a largely foreign notion in the present day. (more…)

If you were thinking “What should we do today?” - Brick’s 4×4 Off-Road Park has a thought for you…GET MUDDY!!!!!

Open Dec 29 - Jan 1st for your muddin’ pleasure. And don’t let not having a 4×4 or ATV. Spectating is just as fun (and less muddy).

And if you are the adventurous type, they still have a few campsites available for you as well.

For more information, check out their web site.

I have not been one to repose great faith in the “New Year’s resolution” concept. This is because, due to the hectic pace of the season in which they are made, resolution lists seem cobbled together as a feverish afterthought, or as a party game on the libation-drenched night of December 31st, when the guacamole dip is running low and the beer commercials aren’t.

Typically, people reel off a series of wildly varied goals requiring the monitoring and completion of long-term processes, though few will acknowledge that such work is critical to the attainment of their stated goals. “I’m going to quit smoking,” someone will say. ”I’m going to be a better son.” “We’re going to have more frequent and loving family dinners in this house if it kills us all.” And who’s not yet heard, or made, that most faithfully resurrected vow of the season: “I’m going to get down to (INSERT YOUR DREAM WEIGHT HERE) by summertime…” (more…)

Not too long ago, I observed from a distance a wiry, bearded, and poorly-dressed middle-aged fellow in the grocery store. Clearly, circumstance had dealt harshly with this one-time “flower child” over the years: The appearance of his skin, eyes, and teeth suggested health that had been systematically compromised by some rather poor choices in his time.

Standing in the doorway, this man seemed quite upset about something; others were avoiding him. I approached him and we talked. Somewhat unusually, given the setting, we also, in time, elected to sing. On the off-chance you were there, you may remember having seen us; we were the unique pair covering Chicago’s ’70s mega-hit “Colour My World” while strolling down through Frozen Foods. An impromptu rendering, granted, but given the conditions I think we were rather decent. However, I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. (more…)

semo.net will be closing at 5:00pm on 12/22/07 for a staff holiday party. We will resume normal office hours on 12/23/07 at 1:00pm.

semo.net will be closing at 5:00pm on 12/24/07. We will resume normal office hours at 6:00am on 12/26/07.

Our office will also close at 5:00pm on 12/31/07. We will resume normal office hours at 6:00am on 1/1/2008.

Happy Holidays from the staff at semo.net!

Looking for a way to live out the bright promise of the Christmas season? Has Rita Cooksey got ideas for you! She’s the office manager at Poplar Bluff’s United Gospel Rescue Mission, and the “season of giving” is among the very busiest in her year. Not surprisingly, the mission is in search of volunteers to make its 39th annual Christmas celebration a success!

Indeed it’s a busy time for most everyone, but surely not so much that a body can’t squeeze in a few hours to help keep a blessed Poplar Bluff tradition thriving! Some people even shape this kind of opportunity into a family affair, and a service-oriented learning experience for older children. So here’s the plan:

1. FRIDAY: Starting at 9:00 am at the loading dock of the Black River Coliseum, volunteers will be packing 1000 “Christmas boxes” for Saturday distribution at the mission’s Pine Street Thrift Store site. The Christmas boxes will contain everything needed to make a hearty Christmas dinner, including potatoes, ham, and stuffing mix. (more…)

The romance, danger, adventure, enlightenment, and companionship we experience through reading books…These all await within the friendly precincts of The Book Shop, the cozy little used-book emporium located on Main Street just across from the Poplar Bluff Public Library.

With a few comfortable chairs, no fire-breathing hard-sell, and an understated BYOC (Bring Your Own Coffee) vibe, The Book Shop is a booklover’s playground, crammed from back to front with inexpensive delights. It houses literary classics, love stories, whodunits, horror tales, science fiction, westerns, biographies, histories, religious writings, “how-to’s”, cookbooks, recent bestsellers, time-honored children’s stories, and quite the collection of comic books and magazines, too. (more…)

What better way to bring in the New Year than an evening that pairs Poplar Bluff’s finest cuisine with the raw emotion of the Blues. Nathan Keck and the Underground Blues Division are fast becoming one of the midwest’s most talked about Blues bands. His performances from Oklahaoma, to Missouri, to his home-state of Arkansas have endeared a new generation to the nostalgic licks of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Nathan Keck’s shufflin’ blues style is turning heads. As one critic stated, “Twenty-two year old Keck has a likable - even humble demeanor matched with an on-stage alter ego that could put a young Jim Morrison to shame.” Other words used to describe the Keck experience are “[Keck] has a habit of making out with his guitar Jimi Hendrix style. [He] is a man you have to watch closely - when he’s on stage it’s hard not to.”
But this Blue Year’s Eve Bash is not only a treat to your ears because Chef Kevin Boxx has created a four-course duet of surf and turf. If fine wine causes your pallet to pine, sommelier, Jacob Wisdom, will pair a glass of wine to accent each of Kevin’s creations.

With the laughter and love of friends, the sights and sound of Nathan Keck and the Underground Blues Division, and the aroma and taste of fine dining, every sense will be aroused on New Year’s Eve at the Wine Rack in Poplar Bluff.

Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 573.785.0999.