6 • April 1, 2022
OPINION
bransonglobe.com
Train Up a Child: Children need a moral compass First Amendment to the United States Constitution Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. ROB DOHERTY Publisher (504) 583-8907 robd@bransonglobe.com JANET STEINKAMP Editor editor@bransonglobe.com
BY PAT LAMB Columnist
J
ust as a mariner needs a compass for direction, a child needs a moral compass for knowing direction for life. Having such a compass gives a child security. If the compass can be proven to be true, it will also give a child hope and purpose.
TIFFANY BROWN Staff Writer tiffanykathleenbrown@ gmail.com
PATTY DOERPINGHAUS Stone County Account Representative
(530) 739-5560 pattyd.ads@gmail.com MARK FEDER
Taney County Account Representative
(805) 320-3746 shotgunart@yahoo.com
KAREN HALFPOP Digital/Production Director production@ BransonGlobe.com
indication of confusion and loss of hope due to the lack of security that comes in knowing what to do in a given situation. Morality based on the Bible has been proven true over and over. Our country was formed on biblical principles and became the greatest country in the world. Many of our laws are based on the Ten Commandments. The “golden rule” of “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” has been used throughout centuries as a guideline that works in society. A child can rest in knowing that the instruction from the Bible works in all situations. When a child comes to the place of knowing that God has a
plan for every life, that child can experience hope for his/her own life. The child’s purpose of activity becomes finding that plan and preparing for it. Things that don’t fit into the plan are discarded and a clear purpose emerges. The child can understand the answer to the question, “Why am I here on this planet?” To leave a child alone without a moral compass is to put a child in a position similar to a ship floating around in the ocean with no compass. First, the child may try one way for a while. Next, the child may go a different direction for a time. The child keeps trying different directions, never finding SEE TRAIN UP, PAGE 9
Stock Market Insights: High gas prices
GARY GROMAN, A.K.A. THE OLE SEAGULL Independent Writer
KIM CHAPPELL Ad Designer gabbydor210@gmail.com
Children are constantly bombarded with differing opinions as to acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Both adults and peers readily give advice as to what a child should or should not do. Television gives yet another opinion of acceptability. This constant presence of advice causes a child to become confused and frustrated. As a child, he/she is unable to sort truth from untruth because there has not yet been formed a foundation of knowledge to know what works and what does not work. Unless the child receives good, solid teaching of biblical principles, that child may turn to drastic actions. The growth in suicide among teens may be an
BY DR. RICHARD L. BAKER, AIF® Founder & Senior Wealth Advisor at Steadfast Wealth Management
M
y first car was an old, worn out 1976 Chevy Monte Carlo. Much like my dog does now, my old Monte left its mark everywhere I parked it. It
used and leaked oil about as fast I could put it in. I guess you can say that’s when I started paying attention to oil. Right now, oil and everything made with oil seems to be getting crazy expensive. What is more concerning is that Brent oil prices are surging again this week. Brent crude oil price per barrel (according to Yahoo Finance) • 1st of December: $69 • 1st of January: $78 • 1st of February: $89 • 1st of March: $112 • 23rd of March: $121 Brent oil could possibly hit $150 a barrel or higher this year
as the war in Ukraine hits at the same time as rising demand from people itching to travel after the pandemic. The price of oil was already high before Putin invaded Ukraine but the war compounded it. The sanctions on Russia led oil prices to nearly hit $130 a barrel in the first week of March because it is the world’s second-largest crude oil exporter. This punishes Russia but inadvertently punishes consumers. Since gasoline prices usually follow crude oil prices we’re feeling the effect of high oil prices the most at the gas pump. Gaso-
line prices reached a nationwide average record high of $4.33 on March 11, 2022, compared to $2.98 in March of 2021, according to AAA. My family and I saw gasoline prices in Spain last week at $7.20 a gallon. More than twothirds of Americans surveyed by consumer-tracker Piplsay said in a report last week that they are nervous about rising fuel prices according to the Wall Street Journal. Things might get worse before they get better. As the summer vacation driving season nears, we need to plan for our road trips to cost more than they have in years SEE STOCK MARKET, PAGE 9
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