Come in and check us out! New books are adults are: • “The Complete Psalms in Meter” by Ryan Stewart • “Apples Never Fall” by Liane Moriarty • “Bridgerton The Duke & I” by Julia Quinn • “Bridgerton The Viscount Who Loved Me” by Julia Quinn • “Hidden” by Fern Michaels • “Navigating Life with Parkinson’s Disease” by Satirios Parashos • “A Country Affair” by Debbie Macomber • “Stronger Than You Know” by Lori Foster • “True Love Cowboy” by Jennifer Ryan New books for children and young adults are: • “Hardly Haunted” by Jessie Sima • “The Bear Ate Your Sandwich” by Julia Sarcone-Roach • “Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast” by Josh Funk • “What I Am” by Divya Srinivasan • “When Grandpa Flew” by Patricia MacLachlan • “Little Ghoul Goes to School” by Jef Czekaj • “How to Catch a Unicorn” by Adam Wallace • “How to Catch a Dinosaur” by Adam Wallace • “I’m On It!” by Andrea Tsurumi • “Fish and Sun” by Sergio Ruzzier • “Evie and the Truth about Witches” by John Martz • “I Survived The Galveston Hurricane, 1900” by Lauren Tarshis • “Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-be Best Friend” by Dawn Quigley • “Boogie Bass Sign Language Star” by Claudia Mills Your library staff, Chris Sander, Crystal Dunlap & Beth Hazen.

Love is frequently talked about in the Bible. It is the central theme in many areas, including the verses talking about marriage.

SHARING THE WEALTH. It might seem a tidge crazy, but have you started shopping yet? Yes, it's almost that time of year again. For Christmas shopping, that is. It's been in the news that many shortages and soaring prices are expected this year. The advice given is that early shopping might be wise, especially for big money items. So what's on your giving list to share this year? For us men, it's not 12/24 yet, so don't panic! But seriously, if you could "share the wealth" with that special person in your life, no matter the cost, what would you give? It was the founding father of our country, Patrick Henry, in writing to someone who was clearly special to him, who said, "My most cherished possession I wish I could leave you is my faith in Jesus Christ, for with Him and nothing else you can be happy, but without Him and with all else you’ll never be happy." That's quite the statement! We all want those we love to be happy and Patrick Henry was no different. That's why, if possible, he would have given to those he loved the most, that which would make them, by far, the most happy - his faith in Jesus Christ. Any parent knows that the trifles given to kids at Christmas, or birthdays, oftentimes get destroyed within hours or days and end up finding their way to landfills, despite any shortlived happiness. The Apostle Paul wrote about Jesus, the most precious gift in the whole world, when he said, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Cor 9:15). The word "indescribable" means that for which there are no words to properly express its value. How can we even begin to put a value on the Lord Jesus' death and His conquering of death by His resurrection? Genuine, saving faith is of infinite value! It can't be bought. It can't be given. But the means of gaining it can be shared! Jesus "shared the wealth" and so should we who possess God's indescribable gift? Why? Because Jesus alone makes souls happy!

The Hobart Homemakers FCE group met Monday, September 27, 2021, at 7 p.m., at the United Methodist Church. Janie opened the meeting with the flag salute. The roll call was "What is your favorite holiday?” It was answered by seven members. The minutes from the previous meeting and treasurer’s report were read and approved. We received a thank you from the Rooks County Free Fair for our sponsorship.

What would you think if someone told you that it is easy to know who God is? We have the Bible, and if we are diligent in our stud-ies, it really is not difficult. However, if that question were turned and you were asked if it is difficult for God to know you, what would your answer be?

HOPE. It seems that many people tend to live life with their "glasses halfempty." We all have times in life when we're there, too. That's certainly not my norm. But I've "been there, done that." Probably the epitome of hopelessness in the Bible is Job. He made multiple statements about life. Job 6:11 - "What strength do I have, that I should hope?" Job 7:6 - "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope." Job 17:15 - "Where then is my hope? As for my hope, who can see it?" Job 19:10 - "He (God) breaks me down on every side, And I am gone; My hope He has uprooted like a tree." We've not walked in Job's shoes and likely never will. However, true Christians have every reason to have glasses that are full and overflowing! The Psalmist said several times that his hope was in God's Word (119:49, 81, 114, 147; 130:5). IOW, the Psalmist had full confidence that God would keep His promises and so should we. Upon conquering the Promised Land, Joshua told God's people, "not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed" (Jos. 23:14). Jesus Himself, said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away" (Luke 21:33). Many early Christians were made to fight lions as sport. Many others, covered in tar, lighted the night sky of Rome. They certainly had reason to have half-empty glasses. Being driven into the underground catacombs so they could worship Jesus in peace, one of their favorite songs became Psalm 42 which, in part, says, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance" (v. 5). Like those catacomb Christians, if the Lord Jesus is our Savior, Lord, and God, we have every reason to trust and hope in Him regardless of circumstances! So, who is your hope?

The Plainville Fire Department called for mutual aid from surrounding towns to help with a pasture/fencepost fire one mile north of K-18 Highway on Thursday, September 23rd at 2:22 p.m. Stockton and Woodston were two of the seven fire departments that responded to the call. The firefighters worked together for the next seven hours before the fire was put out. Stockton brought its quick attack truck, tanker and six fire fighters. Woodston responded with two trucks and four volunteers.

Flexible—According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, flexible is: characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements. This term applies to not only our school districts but also our families who are impacted by COVID- 19. Several schools in our county had to make quick decisions and be ready to adapt to certain situations brought upon by the coronavirus. Our districts appreciate the support of our families and the Rooks County Health officials as we all work together to keep our students and staff safe and healthy. Thank you for helping us make this happen. As always, please reach out to an administrator in your school district if you have any questions.

Franklin Alvord Co. F, 95th Illinois Infantry Regiment Franklin Edwin Alvord was born 24 June 1845 in Mentor Township, Lake County, Ohio, the son of Elbridge D.