The St. Thomas Parish Mardi Gras! was held on Sunday, February 23rd and the raffle winners have been announced as follows: Amy Krob won $200.00 in Chamber Checks donated by the St. Thomas Altar Society; Kathy Stice and Dennis Hackett each won $100.00 in Chamber Checks donated by the St. Thomas Altar Society; Mike Kemp and Norma Braun each won $50.00 in Chamber Checks donated by the St. Thomas Altar Society; Linda McLaughlin and Judy Sander each won a $50.00 gift card to Webster’s Supermarket donated by owners Rusty and Cheryl Hrabe; Kathy Creighton won a $25.00 gift card to Webster’s Supermarket donated by Don and Norma Braun; Don Braun and Patti Sterling each won a towel set donated by Kathy Creighton; Jada Vehige won $50.00 in cash donated by Gasper Law Office; MaKayla Reed, Teresa Niblock, Mark Lowry and Jean Koerner each won a $50.00 gift certificate to Stockton Pharmacy donated by owners Kent and Julie Hahn; and Shirley Muir won a $50.00 gift card to Webster’s Supermarket donated by Roland and Irene Nyp.

KATHY CREIGHTON, DENNIS HACKETT, Jayana, Jazlynn, Jalia and Jefferson Creighton were among those in Stockton who showed their respect to WWII Veteran, Donald Stratton, as he was driven from Colorado Springs to his final resting place in Red Cloud, Nebr. last Saturday evening.

REALITY CHECK. Where have we gone wrong? If we're going to be brutally honest, we have to look no further than the average home in America. It's no secret that many, many young people are growing up in less than ideal circumstances. And those circumstances point back to mom and dad. However, all is not lost...IF parents would only follow God's Word. In talking to Jewish parents roughly 3,500 years ago, God essentially told them, "The buck stops with you!" when He said, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deut. 6:5). That's the answer to our question! Multitudes of parents no longer love God with all their hearts. In other words, they have no interest in God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, or living for things eternal. Am I "pointing fingers"? I don't mean do. It's just reality. My own parents were "arm's length" religious at best. They didn't understand their sinfulness nor that saving faith in Jesus Christ was necessary for God's forgiveness and eternal life. In short, they didn't love God with all their heart. And therefore, they also never taught me God's Word nor my need to trust Christ. God went on to tell those Jewish parents, "You shall teach them (God's commands) diligently to your children (Deut. 6:7). A godly, God-fearing, God-loving society starts with parents being rightly related to Jesus Christ and humbly walking in obedience to God's Word. When that's the case, they then pass that love of God and His Word on to their children. It seems clear that Joseph and Mary taught Jesus. When he was only 12, they found Jesus in the temple both listening to the rabbis and asking them questions, "And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers" (Luke 2:47). Jesus knew God's Word! So, there's still hope today, for if parents would trust Christ, they would be enabled to love God with all their heart...and to pass it on.

Enjoy the journey! Have you ever been given that advice from a grandparent or maybe an elder? When you are groaning and complaining about how busy you are with the kids at home, or at work, or just in the every day madness of life, the advice to “enjoy the journey” is given to us to remind us how quickly life goes by and we are to enjoy the many pleasures of each day.

Stockton Pharmacy Employees: “With your office and Twig & Vine both being closed due to illness, we’re thinking we need to disinfect the sidewalks on our block!”

Fertilize Spring-Flowering Bulbs

THE STOCKTON HIGH SCHOOL GREENHAND MEATS JUDGING TEAM won its division at the NWD FFA Meats CDE on February 8 in Grinnell. They are from left (along with their individual placings): Coryn Hahn (5th), Thomas Bigge (4th), Raven Long (1st) and Christian Kahn (10th). Cappi Hoeting (3rd), not pictured.

THE STOCKTON FFA SENIOR MEATS JUDGING TEAM placed first at the 2020 NWD FFA Meats CDE at Grinnell on February 8. They are from left (along with their individual placings): Harley Kester (5th), Gage Conyac (2nd), Macy Odle (1st) and Zane Trevino (7th).

FIRST-GRADE WINNERS in the Rooks County Conservation District annual poster contest were (from left): Driella Stramel, 1st place, Damar Elementary; Maleigha Horn, 2nd place, Stockton Grade School; Jayce Monasmith, 3rd place, Plainville Elementary; and Leilah Slaubaugh (not pictured), 4th place,

There will be a regular USD 271 Board of Education meeting on Monday, March 2, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in the District Office.