Joe Shearrer, CPFA® is Vice President and Wealth Advisor at Fervent Wealth Management. This morning started differently than I expected. My daughter has been dealing with a virus for several days, and after a virtual visit with her doctor, we learned she may have chicken pox. As any parent knows, moments like that come with a lot of uncertainty. Are you sure it’s chickenpox? How severe will it be? How long will recovery take? Will anyone else in the house get sick? You don'

When I think of the unconditional love I feel for my children, it reminds me how deeply I am loved by my Heavenly Father.

The goal is to fill the space between the head, neck and mattress to keep a neutral spine, without tilting the head up or allowing it to drop down.

You can see it in the empty storefronts of many small-town down towns as you walk by; it is the telltale sign of customers defecting from local merchants to the cheaper wares of big chain brands. Branson’s historic district is a wonderful exception, but in many other small towns the trend is plain to see. In some ways, it is a modern ailment, but historically, one familiar to Americans who knew economic fear during the Great Depression. That is why, on June 19, 1936, FDR si

At my house, sorting/organizing books is an ongoing project. I have piles of books: Current nonfiction topics; Bible study guides that I was inspired to buy and hope to actually use; classics I want to revisit (or actually read, if I only read the assigned excerpt in college); books I’ve been gifted at special events; early-edition thrift shop finds and more. Wandering around different rooms recently, hoping to devise a plan that doesn’t involve buying too much furniture o

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11 Something I am learning in my walk with God is how specific He is when He speaks to us personally. What connects with one of His children may not always connect with another. Therefore, He will find ways to reach us based on our experiences, our culture, our gender and our deepest longings. That is exactl

Why are we so lax in giving out compliments? I think we often have good inclinations but don’t act on them.

The rain poured down just beyond the garage doors, dirty cement glistening in the late, dark summertime somewhere between light and dusk. Bare incandescent lightbulb shown over saws and level, hammers, screws, nails, fishing rods, my dad’s red hammer. Old 1960s’ refrigerator, stocked with beer and leftovers, with a freezer desperately in need of defrosting hummed. It was July sometime in the early 1990s. I paused. Perhaps the twilight made this moment profound, though if some

What is "That Printer of Udell's" really about? Well, it follows the character Dick Falkner, who was orphaned and homeless, and how he escaped poverty and an abusive alcoholic father.

These special story times will include a schoolhouse-style experience with storytelling and games

The S&P 500 recently posted its longest winning streak in more than a year, closing at new record highs as investors continue pouring money into equities.

If anyone knows me (even a little bit) they know I am all about simple, commonsense solutions and prevention, which more often than not CAN “co-habituate.” Many moons ago when I was a family resource specialist at OACAC, I was reading up on PTSD in general and, in so doing, learned from a report that came out around 2020. Tthere was a huge gap in service for veterans suffering from PTSD. There was a 25% shortage of psychiatrists to treat these poor patients. This broke my

The enemy will try to crush you based on your calling, but God will use your calling to crush the enemy. It had been one of the most emotionally trying weeks I've had in a long time. Amid the crushing fatigue and muscle weakness that accompanies a neuromuscular disease like MG, one of the medications I take to fight it was also causing mood swings, and I found myself crying more easily than usual. To add to that, I accidentally overheard a sister in the Lord (who I have great

Sponsored by Ozark Mountain Music Association, the contest is about legacy as much as it is about competition.

Paramount used the song again in 1941 in a production starring Hopalong Cassidy.

Always consider that the heat index combines both temperature and humidity to reflect what conditions feel like.

Dr. Richard Baker, AIF®, is the CEO and executive wealth advisor at Fervent Wealth Management. We were so nervous! In 1997, my wife and I bought our first house and signed the papers for our $18,800 mortgage. going into debt for the first time. Looking back now, it wasn’t much money, but that debt felt like a huge responsibility. I suspect the tech companies aren’t nearly as nervous about their new debt as we were. Big tech companies are spending a tremendous amount of c

Serious cardiovascular disorders aren’t a good combination with peptides as they can affect blood flow, vascular tone and fluid retention.

Saturday morning and the mountain humidity is mounting, fog burning off from river lake below, hot late spring sun peeking through night clouds clearing as the minutes tick by. I’m still bemused by old turn-of-the-century tourist brochures touting the Ozarks’ “cooling summer breezes.” It’s only nine o’clock in the morning and I’ve already sweated through my shirt, confident it won’t be the last time today. Saturday morning markets are a lot of work. Just one year ago, State

For a lot of reasons, the place called S of O was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.