Opinion
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- Written by: Pastor Chris DelCol
When I read this, especially after talking last week about how our tongues continually bring us grief, I was overwhelmed with the thought, “Why do we do this to one another? Why do we continually avoid peace when it is there for the taking in Jesus’ name and instead go out of our way at times to bring discontent to ourselves, our families, friends, and to others? Why, in an environment where Jesus has guaranteed peace for those who seek it in His name, we are intent on making trouble instead?”
At the end of the service in our church, we have the Benediction, the last part of the service. It is then we ask, by the grace of God, to grant us peace … Amen, may it be so.
Do we really mean that? Are we really willing to go out of our way to bring peace to a situation of turmoil, to a family in trouble, to a church in conflict, to a heart that is troubled, to a friend we have hurt, to a spouse we have degraded, to a child we have beaten, to a co-worker we have slandered, to a church leader we belittled, to a pastor we have lied to about others?
How about to our own selves, unto whom we have violated our very being with sin that remains unforgiven because we are too proud to accept the guilt of it? One can only conclude that peace is not achievable!
James 3:18 states, “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
The harvest that James is speaking about here, a harvest of peace, will never happen unless we are all willing to make peace.
Have you ever wondered why there is so much hate and discontent in the family, community, county, state, country, continent, and in the world?
It is because Satan has convinced us that it feels a whole lot better to lift ourselves up in the glory of conflict, rather than humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and give glory to God through the peace offered by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Most of what I have said thus far is law. That is the tough stuff! But there is also Gospel here because in spite of the law, the peace which surpasses all human understanding is staring us in the face at the base of the cross. That’s where we will find peace because it is there where the blood of eternal peace is found.
In our community, we are going through a time where only the power of the peace of God is going to help us recover from the recent disastrous fires. We can no longer point fingers at God for this happening. We need to let Him lead the recovery.
Please stay tuned as First Lutheran Church will soon be implementing a plan to bring relief to the community in Jesus’ name. The time for peace is now … let’s be the example!
Please join us for worship at 11 a.m. this Sunday, Sept. 23, followed by a lunch after service.
Leading worship and preaching this week is Bob Hamilton from Galilee Lutheran Church in Kelseyville.
All are welcome, so come as you are!
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at
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- Written by: Dave McQueen
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Welcome back!
This is the first in a series of monthly columns to share what’s happenings at Kelseyville Unified School District.
Let me start by saying how excited we are to have students back in school. Our administrators, teachers and staff are committed to making sure that every student feels safe and welcome in our schools. At Kelseyville Unified School District, we care about kids.
Support for each and every student
Truth is, some students like school and some don’t.
Some enjoy being involved in extracurricular activities, while others have part-time jobs or family responsibilities to attend to.
Whether students like sports, leadership, music, career/technical education, FFA, theater, academic clubs or other endeavors, we want to support them.
Our goal is not to squeeze students into a one-size-fits-all box, but rather to offer a huge variety of activities, electives and support, so students can discover their passions and reach their potential.
Attendance matters
But we can’t do that if they don’t come to school.
Research shows what common sense has already told us: Kids who miss a lot of school often struggle.
Missing 10 percent of school days, just two days each month, is considered “chronic absenteeism” and it can put kids at risk of academic failure.
It all starts in kindergarten. A seven-year study followed a cohort of students from kindergarten through sixth grade.
Students who were chronically absent in kindergarten did not perform as well as their classmates:
– They scored roughly 20 percentage points lower in reading;
– They scored 25 percentage points lower in math;
– They were twice as likely to be retained in grade;
– They were more than twice as likely to be suspended by the end of seventh grade;
– They were likely to continue being chronically absent.
Setting good attendance habits in the first years of school has an enormously positive impact – in school and in life.
When students attend school daily, they form good habits. They can keep up with class material and get the support they need – academically and socially.
We have great teachers and counselors ready to help students in whatever way they need. If you’re a parent who is struggling to get your child to school regularly, reach out to your child’s school. We may be able to help.
Also, if you need care for your elementary student after school, be sure to ask about our ASES program.
Free school meals for all
In addition to a great education, students now get free meals at school – both breakfast and lunch.
Every student, regardless of their family’s income level, is welcome to eat free of charge.
All we need is for Kelseyville Unified families to complete the LCFF form that was sent home with students.
Staying up-to-date with Kelseyville Unified
This year, we’re putting extra effort into updating our website and Facebook pages with school activities and events.
We know parents and community members who would like to participate in school activities, attend events and/or volunteer need time to plan.
Check out our district Web site at www.kusd.lake.k12.ca.us.
New administrators
Finally, to kick off this year, I’d like to introduce our new administrators.
Mike Jones is the new Kelseyville High School principal, with Scott Conrad named as the school’s new vice principal.
Noah Gomez is now vice principal at Mountain Vista Middle School.
Mike and Scott are Kelseyville Unified veterans and Noah is new to our district, but not new to education.
We’re excited to welcome them to their new positions.
Dave McQueen is superintendent of Kelseyville Unified School District.
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- Written by: Greg Dill
At a family reunion, my Aunt Abby and Uncle Glen got into a squabble over the best way to get their Medicare benefits.
Uncle Glen is an Original Medicare man, and has been for a decade or so. Aunt Abby prefers Medicare Advantage, which is similar to a health plan she had before enrolling in Medicare.
When they turned to me, asking me to referee and declare which form of Medicare is better, I gave them a big smile and answered, “Well, it depends.”
Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage have different benefits and costs that you should consider based on your personal needs. Medicare open enrollment season runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and it’s a good idea to know how the two types of Medicare work before you select one.
With Original Medicare, you can choose any doctor, hospital or other health care provider you want, as long as they accept Medicare. When you receive medical services or goods, Medicare pays the provider directly. About 70 percent of all people with Medicare have Original Medicare.
The other way to get your benefits is Medicare Advantage, which is a form of managed care, like an HMO or PPO. Medicare Advantage is provided by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. If you’re in Medicare Advantage, you generally must go to doctors and other providers in the company’s network.
If you go outside the network, you may have to pay more.
On the other hand, Medicare Advantage plans may offer some services – such as dental, hearing, vision, and prescription drug coverage – that Original Medicare doesn’t.
Most people with Original Medicare pay a monthly premium. If you’re in Medicare Advantage, you may have to pay an additional monthly premium to the private insurer that covers you.
With Original Medicare, you or your supplemental insurance must pay deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance.
To cover these “gaps” in Medicare, some people buy supplemental insurance called Medigap. If you have a Medigap policy, Medicare pays its share of the covered costs, and then your Medigap policy pays its share.
Original Medicare doesn’t cover prescription drugs. If you want drug coverage, you can buy a separate Medicare Part D plan. Such plans are sold through private companies approved by Medicare. You have to pay an additional monthly premium for Part D.
Medicare Advantage companies must cover all of the services that Original Medicare covers. (However, Original Medicare covers hospice care, some new Medicare benefits, and some costs for clinical research studies, even if you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan.) In all types of Medicare Advantage plans, you’re always covered for emergency and urgent care.
You can join a Medicare Advantage plan even if you have a pre‑existing condition -- except for End-Stage Renal Disease. People with ESRD usually are covered through Original Medicare.
Keep in mind that Medicare Advantage plans can charge different out-of-pocket amounts and have different rules for how you get service.
For example, you may need a referral to see a specialist. And you may need to stay in the plan’s provider network, unless you’re willing to pay more to go outside the network.
You should always check with the plan before you get a service to find out whether it’s covered and what your costs may be. If the plan decides to stop participating in Medicare, you’ll have to join another Medicare health plan or return to Original Medicare.
How can you decide whether Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage is better for you?
There’s a good comparison of Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage in the “Medicare & You” handbook. “Medicare & You” is mailed to all Medicare beneficiaries every fall. You can also find it online, at https://www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/10050-Medicare-and-You.pdf.
If you have any questions, call Medicare’s toll-free number, 1-800-MEDICARE.
Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
- Details
- Written by: Pastor Chris DelCol
Someone has said that great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people. The church that James is writing to was full of small-minded people who gossiped about each other and tore one another apart with their tongues.
Fact is, little has changed. We’re quick to avoid murder, stealing and drunkenness, but we often assassinate fellow believers and leave destruction in our wake by the way we use our tongues.
Husbands have stabbed their wives with words that are as sharp as daggers and wives have lashed out with tongues that cut and pierce. Parents have devastated their kids by repeated blasts of venom. Children have exploded at their parents with volleys that have leveled the family like a bomb. And churches have been wiped out by wagging tongues that have sliced, diced, and chopped people to shreds like a Vega-matic as advertised on TV.
The tongue remains hidden for the most part, but when it does make its presence known it has devastating power.
The tongue can express or repress; release or restrain; enlighten or obscure; adore or abhor; offend or befriend; affirm or alienate; build or belittle; comfort or criticize; delight or destroy; be sincere or sinister.
In James 3:1-12, he uses six different word pictures of the tongue to help us see how small, yet powerful it is; a bit for a horse, a rudder on a ship, a fire in a forest, a dangerous animal being tamed, a spring of water – bitter or sweet, and fruit from a tree.
I think we can all relate to what James is saying here. The small size of a bit, yet with the power to steer a ton of horse. The small rudder can control the direction of a large liner or even an aircraft carrier, so too, the tongue can control our lives.
Then fire – don’t we know about that here in Lake County. A great forest set ablaze by a small spark. The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.
A dangerous animal can be tamed by man but seems few people can tame their tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison, James says. Then the spring of water. It can’t be fresh and bitter at the same time. One or the other. And lastly, fruit … fruit is produced based on what nature defines. We are defined by what the nature of the tongue says.
James is calling us to be consistent. What comes out of our mouths is a reflection of what is in our hearts. And if some of the things I have heard and experienced in my life are an indication of what is in the heart of people, including myself, then we are in deep trouble and need a gracious Savior to pull us out of the mess we continually dig ourselves into!
When all is said and done, our tongues are under the scrutiny of God’s law and judged by the enormity of how that tongue convicts us.
Our escape from the sin of the tongue is a man who gave His life for the loose lips attached to our face. That’s gospel … that’s Jesus … that’s all that needs to be said!
Please join us to hear more about this crazy tongue of ours this Sunday at 11 a.m. for worship, lunch immediately following worship, and our monthly food cupboard from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
All are welcome, so come as you are!
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at
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