Category: July 2021
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Honoring Those Who Have Served Our Country By Serving Our Communities
Army. Air Force. Coast Guard. Veterans are my blood. When I was little, my brother and I played the best made-up game: Killer Bees. We were willing participants, always on board. We were the ones running for our lives. We were the ones fearful of the monster pollinators. words + photograph JULIE JOHNSON The object,…
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Bashioum Wood Builds
The mission of Bashioum Wood Builds is to provide quality, handmade furniture at an affordable price to Southwest Missouri. interview JULIE JOHNSONphotographs courtesy of BASHIOUM WOOD BUILDS His grandfather was a builder: of imaginations, of projects, of service, of a legacy full of honor. “Throughout his life he volunteered for mission work, overseas and locally,…
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Bastian White
Dogwood RanchOzark, Missouri Volunteers at Dogwood Ranch each have their own journey that brings them to this special place. I just so happened to stumble upon mine. In December 2019, I was preparing to move from California closer to my fiance (now my husband), who was in Tennessee at the time. words + photos BASTIAN…
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Choices of Sacrifice
At the heart of every Christian lives a call to action. This call is often inconvenient. It typically costs and doesn’t always come easy, even as one who calls themselves an image bearer of Christ. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines serve as “to be a servant.” To be a servant is defined as “one that performs duties…
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Ben McVicker
Convoy of Hope Springfield, Missouri Early on in my life, my parents instilled the value of doing something for nothing. They taught me there was something to be earned in your soul from giving your time and not asking anything for it. These lessons have not steered me wrong. I have volunteered in many places…
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Library Books
Before I fall asleep at night, I enjoy reading. It rarely lasts but a chapter or so because zzzzzzz. The Greene County Library system (and perhaps your local, public library) has ebooks and magazines (and more) to download using two different apps: Libby and OverDrive. I just began reading The Girl with the Louding Voice…
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Sidelined, but Fighting
Traci Prater has cancer. Cancer does not have Traci Prater. Friday night, March 12, I’m leaving work, and I put my trench coat on. It feels heavy, and I feel a slight pain in the center of my torso, just below my sternum. I think to myself, “Well, that has never happened before.” But the…
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Tabletop Talk about Serving Our Neighbors
With Regina Lyons, Marynna McLean, Marlynna Pannier, & Karynna Pannier interview + photographs REGINA LYONS A couple months back I wrote an article for Homegrown Journal about stepping out in faith and saying yes to fostering. It was an honor to be featured in this online magazine. If you missed it you can find it…
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Dennis Brotherton
Victory MissionSpringfield, Missouri I have enjoyed doing volunteer work at Victory Mission + Ministry for about six years. My wife and I retired from serving as missionaries in East Asia in 2014 and moved to Springfield to see what opportunities for ministries God would open up for us. words + photographs DENNIS BROTHERTON Our daughter…
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Earline Medcalf
Camdenton R-III School DistrictCamdenton, Missouri I retired to Lake of the Ozarks in 1993, after 34 years of teaching second graders. After settling into a new home and getting everything just right, I would wake up in the morning feeling depressed and useless, thinking, “What am I contributing to the world, especially to my new…
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Kesta Smith
Volunteering is a way to give back to my community, to serve something greater than myself. It is important to make a difference in my community, to see people grow, inspire others to chase their dreams, or let them know they can overcome anything. As a child, I was taught the importance of serving, whether…
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Life in the Background
Each day, I scan pages of social media to see the lives of my friends and family. I enjoy their selfies, funny stories, fishing adventures, and proud moments. The lives we portray on our bookshelves and in still-frame photos can also seem indelible and flawless. However, I find myself drawn to what lies in the…
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Mona Bates
Victory Mission + MinistrySpringfield, Missouri I poked my head inside my father’s bedroom door. “Can I come in,” I asked. He gestured for me to sit beside him. Retired for the evening, he was reclined on his bed, reading a book. I entered, sat down, and began. words + photographs MONA BATES “Daddy, I know…
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How Can I Help?
In June, myself and several of my employees volunteered our time to the Discovery Center of Springfield. On a Thursday morning, we convened at the Center, enjoyed our regular morning chit-chat, and then dove into our task at hand – refurbishing one of the many galleries in our community’s science museum. words Christopher Swan, AIAphotographs…
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Support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with PAWS for St. Jude
SUPPORT ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL WITH PAWS FOR ST. JUDE. Grab the leash and take your dog out and about each day this summer. Capture the fun on film and post to social media, using #PAWSforStJude. Pick a team: Huckleberry vs. Puggle (seriously, you can’t go wrong with either) and encourage your friends and…
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Grease Is The Word July 23
OH THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS. The Gillioz Theatre in Springfield, Missouri, is hosting a Grease movie night on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10 per person. Additional upcoming movie nights include Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Visit the Gillioz website at gillioztheatre.com to purchase tickets and…
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Renie McClay
Give 5Springfield, Missouri After many years living away in Chicago, I returned to Springfield. My son moved to campus when he started college, so I was able to say, “Where do I want to live?” My parents were still in Springfield, and I thought it was a great place. So that was my choice. words…
Homegrown Journal 