The Mississippi Free Press awards board keeps swelling! As of July 2024, our team is up to 91 national and U.S. regional awards and finalist nods since we launched in late March 2020, plus a number of coveted awards from inside Mississippi. Here they are with links to specific work honored (see winners’ bios here). We will update this page from the top as more honors come in.

2024 Diamond Journalism Awards

The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists held their annual Diamond Journalism Awards ceremony on July 24 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The regional competition rewards outstanding journalism from news outlets in Arkansas and six bordering states.

1st Place, Profiles: Donna Ladd
Hodding Carter III: Hellraiser, Journalist, Mentor, 1935-2023

1st Place, Special Topics–Business: Heather Harrison
Medical Cannabis Industry Faces Growing Pains in Mississippi
‘Nightmare Scenario’: MSDH Places Hold On Rapid Analytics-Tested Medical-Cannabis Products
Olive Branch Medical-Cannabis Dispensary Fights Advertising Ban
‘Building an Industry’: Medical Cannabis Investors Focus On Lab Testing For Patient Safety

1st Place, Special Topics–Environmental/Science: Donna Ladd
‘One Lake’ or ‘No Lake’? Debate Over Pearl River Flooding Options Means Unlikely Allies, Opponents

1st Place, Visual Journalism–General News Photography: Shaunicy Muhammad
‘Human Error’ Caused Hinds County Election Day Ballot Shortages, Commissioners Say

Votings-rights advocates and others in Jackson, Miss., listen to Hinds County election commissioners on Dec. 18, 2023, explain the mistakes that led to ballot shortages on Election Day 2023. Photo by Shaunicy Muhammad

1st Place, Visual Journalism–Graphics/Illustrations: William Pittman
State Has Wrong or Missing Addresses for 92 Voting Precincts, MFP Investigation Finds

Finalist, Enterprise/In Depth Reporting: Christian Middleton & Donna Ladd
The Case of Harry Mitchell: One Family’s Fight for Justice
Heart of Darkness: 1991 Lafayette County Cold Case Spurs Black Family’s Struggle for Justice
Gone But Not Forgotten: Who Was Harry Mitchell?
Stop Shifting Blame, Ignoring Opinion | Black Families Who Lose Loved Ones to Violence

Finalist, Features: Aliyah Veal
‘Red and Bootjack’ Marker Shines Light on Duck Hill Lynching, Remembers Victims

Finalist, Arts & Entertainment Coverage: Aliyah Veal
‘Astronaut Behind the Music’: Jackson Artists Share Wisdom on Advancing in the Industry
‘Sounds Like Family’: Jackson Rappers Unify for Collaborative ‘Thanksgiving’ Album
‘Home Is

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This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

• Commissioner Mike Chaney says increases are mostly due to inflation and the rising cost to replace a home if substantial damage occurs.

Many homeowners in Mississippi have seen increases in their insurance rates recently, but the reasons are not as simple as some may assume. 

Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney (R) said the increases are mostly due to inflation and the rising cost to replace a home if substantial damage occurs. However, this year his office did approve a roughly 16 percent increase for those that operate under his umbrella, which includes admitted companies.

Chaney explained that admitted companies are controlled to a limited degree by the Mississippi Insurance Department, while non-admitted and surplus line companies can set any rate they wish. He added that the number of non-admitted companies writing policies for businesses in Mississippi increased after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

What may surprise most Mississippi residents it that the highest rate increases are being seen in areas that are not along the Gulf Coast. 

“The largest increases are occurring above the lower six counties and most of them are occurring in the areas where you have hail damage by zones,” Chaney described.

That area includes the areas north of Hattiesburg and across central Mississippi through Jackson and up to Madison over to Meridian, among other areas. 

For those policies with surplus lines, at least a 3 percent fee is collected that is provided to the state’s wind pool.

“Most of those fees are sent to the wind pool to keep rates artificially low on the Gulf Coast,” Chaney said.

The fees and taxes collected last fiscal year totaled about $30 million, of which about $23 million was provided to the Mississippi Wind Pool. Another portion is used to help bring fire insurance rates down by providing equipment and trucks to fire departments, a move that lowers an area’s fire rating and subsequently insurance rates, Chaney said.

Whatever is not used to cover losses or purchase re-insurance is put into a surplus account. Commissioner Chaney said that account totals about $400 million at present. The idea is to have enough to cover a third of the insurance companies’ probable maximum losses for a one in 50-year storm.

Due to the previously mentioned surplus lines fee, Chaney said about 60 percent of the fees paid into the wind pool come from outside of the Gulf Coast. 

“The bottom line is the Gulf Coast has been subsidized since 2008 by residents of the northern part of the state that pay surplus lines and fees,” Chaney elaborated.

At some point the subsidization needs to end, Chaney believes, but he said that is up to the Legislature.

Admitted companies under the Mississippi Insurance Department have not been granted a major rate increase since 2008, but three years ago Chaney’s office allowed for a 3 percent increase in zones A and B as well as a decrease in zones C and D along the six coastal counties, effectively equating to a flat rate across the area.

This past year another rate increase was approved as an inflation guard. Commissioner Chaney said the insurance companies asked for a 50 percent increase for businesses and a 33 percent increase for homeowners, but he approved an average of a 16 percent increase, which people would have noticed over the past 24 months.

Chaney added that it was the first increase he has approved since he took office in 2008, not counting the increases that occurred for the cost to replace a home. However, there have been larger increases from companies the Mississippi Insurance Department does not control. 

“This is important to understand because you always hear, ‘Rates have gone out of sight on the coast,’” Chaney said. “They have if you have been buying from surplus lines, but that is the agent’s job, who you buy your insurance from. They need to put you in the wind pool instead of into a surplus lines company.”

As such, Chaney’s office suggests shopping around and considering a higher deductible to help lower the cost of home insurance.

Other suggestions include making improvements to the home, including the installation of hurricane straps from the roof to the walls, hurricane shutters, and even building homes at a higher elevation. According to a recent release from Chaney’s office, state law mandates insurance companies provide discounts to homeowners who make mitigation efforts that meet the standards under the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. 

To help bring rates down, Chaney said his office has been trying to implement a mitigation program that could help homeowners get those discounts. The Commissioner pointed to the Legislature providing about $5 million for the Comprehensive Hurricane Damage Mitigation Program during this year’s legislative session. The grant-based program is expected to start in August of this year but is limited to the six coastal counties, Chaney added. For more information on that program, visit here.

Other ways to reduce insurance costs is to bundle home and automobile insurance policies with the same insurance company. 

“However, you should make sure that the premiums with the discount do not total more than if you bought policies from different companies,” the Insurance Department cautions.

For other tips to decrease insurance policy costs, visit the Mississippi Insurance Department.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The chief executive officer of a biotech company with ties to the largest public corruption case in Mississippi history pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of wire fraud for improperly using welfare funds intended to develop a concussion drug.

Jacob VanLandingham entered the plea at a hearing in Jackson before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves, court records show. A sentencing date was not immediately set. Possible penalties include up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

A lawsuit the state Department of Human Services filed alleges that $2.1 million of welfare money paid for stock in VanLandingham’s Florida-based companies, Prevacus and PreSolMD; for Nancy Ne; and her son, Zachary New, who ran nonprofit groups that received welfare money from Human Services.

Prosecutors said the Mississippi Community Education Center, which was run by the News, provided about $1.9 million, including federal money from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program, to Prevacus. The money was purportedly for the development of a pharmaceutical concussion treatment. But, prosecutors said in a bill of information that VanLandingham misused “a substantial amount of these funds for his personal benefit, including, but not limited to, gambling and paying off personal debts,” the bill read.

Former NFL star Brett Favre is named in the Human Services lawsuit as the “largest individual outside investor” of Prevacus. Favre, who has not been charged with wrongdoing, has said he put $1 million of his own money into VanLandingham’s companies, which were developing a nasal spray to treat concussions and a cream to prevent or limit them.

Former Mississippi Department of Human Services director John Davis and others have pleaded guilty to misspending money from the TANF program.

Nancy New and Zachary New previously pleaded guilty to state charges of misusing welfare money, including on lavish gifts such as first-class airfare for Davis. Nancy New, Zachary New and Davis all agreed to testify against others.

Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Davis to lead Human Services. Davis pleaded guilty to state and federal felony charges in a conspiracy

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This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Read original article by clicking here.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Read original article by clicking here.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is beginning to vet about a dozen possible candidates to be her running mate, according to two people familiar with the matter, as she approaches one of the most consequential decisions of her new presidential candidacy.

Harris launched her campaign Sunday after President Joe Biden bowed to pressure from his own party to step aside, leaving a historically compressed timeline for her to make a selection before next month’s Democratic National Convention. Her party could make her its nominee as soon as Aug. 1 in a virtual vote, and could formalize the nomination of her running mate soon after.

Harris’ goal, according to people with knowledge of the matter, is to keep the process drama-free, as she and Democrats try to project confidence after an extraordinarily tumultuous few weeks for the party.

While much of the political conversation has centered on four names — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper — Harris’ team has requested information from about a dozen officials, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential process.

The broader list includes Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. At least one of those being vetted is not currently in government.

Initial requests for information went out Tuesday, one of the people said.

Shapiro, who on Tuesday said he had not received any requests for vetting material, was less categorical Wednesday. He referred questions about the process to Harris’ campaign team.

Eric Holder, the former U.S. attorney general, and a team of lawyers at his firm Covington & Burling are taking the lead on vetting potential choices. Typically, those under consideration are asked to turn over financial records and records of past political stances and speeches, and they are asked to submit to interviews with lawyers to identify potential red flags.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung was asked by reporters during a rally on Wednesday whether the former

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This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

• Canning has long been a family tradition in the south. Since COVID, there has been a steady increase in people wanting to learn to grow their food and preserve it for later consumption.

As a middle schooler, it seemed that my parents planted the most enormous garden in Peoria County, Illinois. It felt like acres. But it wasn’t. I dreaded summer because it meant lots of work—planting, pulling weeds, and harvesting.

Potatoes and onions went into the ground first, followed by the cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. There were rows and rows of green beans, corn, cucumbers, pumpkins, beets, carrots, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and lima beans. There was a corner for the garlic. And Mom, famous for her pies, had to have an area for her rhubarb. Sorry, no okra.

And let’s not forget the long row of concord grapes that extended the length of the garden. Did I say we had an enormous garden? Also, there were about twelve dwarf apple trees, strawberries, and red raspberries.

When the produce started coming in, Mom grated heads of cabbage into a large crock for sauerkraut. The cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts went into the freezer, and cucumbers became dill and the best sweet pickles you ever tasted. But the abundance of green beans drove me crazy. After a morning’s picking, it was not unusual to haul in five-bushel baskets.

My mom, grandma, sisters, and I gathered in our basement; each person had a basket to snap off the ends and break them into thirds. We sat in our basement all day, snapping off the ends and breaking them into thirds. The hours passed slowly. Some fifty-plus years later, I can still see my mom and grandma washing the canning jars, filling them with green beans, a little salt, and water. Then, into the pressure canner. Mom worked up into the night. It was long, arduous work. She had to learn the entire gardening process because she didn’t grow up in the country or on a farm. My paternal grandparents were her teachers, along with trial and error.

Home Food Processing in Mississippi

I brought those experiences and training with me to the Magnolia State. However, my garden was a fourth in size, and items like purple hull peas, okra, butter beans, and G90 corn replaced those rows and rows of green beans.

Investment in canning jars, freezer containers, water bath and steam pressure canners became new items in my kitchen.

Because of my boy’s involvement in 4-H, I learned about the Mississippi State University Extension Service. I was amazed at the extensive list of classes and brochures available to consumers. Furthermore, I was impressed with the availability of the Extension Agents.

This summer, the extension service has offered Home Food Preservation Workshops throughout the state. I contacted Lara Angel, Extension Agent III, DeSoto County Extension Office in Hernando. She has worked in extension offices in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi. This coming September, she will start her eighteenth year of extension work.

Ms. Angel has been busy this summer offering Home Food Preservation Workshops. The third one held yesterday at the Hernando Public Library. The program was free, but the workshop was $30 which included lunch and supplies. Interest was high – the workshop was at maximum capacity.

The Growth of Home Canning

When asked if there has been an increase in the number of people involved with home food preservation, Angel said, “Every county is different, so not everyone offers home canning workshops or classes like we do here in DeSoto. We get a high interest in home canning due to our large population, people wanting to ‘homestead.’ Therefore, I plan specific programs to meet clients’ local demands and requests.”

Angel said that since COVID, she has seen a steady increase in people wanting to learn to grow their food and preserve it for later consumption.

”I started working for MSU Extension in 2014, and over the years, there has been interest in this area, but nothing like what I see today. More and more people want to return to the basics and learn things their parents and grandparents did years ago. Home canning isn’t taught in school; even if it is, it does not interest teens today. People turn to social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other websites to learn more information. That information isn’t always correct.”

It’s important to be cautious when canning.

“If you ‘home can’ using some of these practices you read about online, you can make yourself or your family sick,” said Angel. “Home canning is a science, so using a research-based recipe and research-based information is critical. We don’t want anyone to get sick and possibly die from botulism.”

Angel says that MSU Extension offers home canner dial gauge testing.

“Each year, it’s recommended that you test your pressure canner dial gauge. We provide this service FREE to the public. Individuals simply need to make an appointment to get this service done by calling 662-469-8480 in DeSoto County or your county extension office.”

Tips for the Beginner   

Tip #1:  

Learn the process. The recommendation is to take a class because you have a relationship with someone locally. There are also YouTube videos available.  

Tip #2:

Decide what vegetables, fruit, or meat you want to process by canning. Determine the jar size needed, from half-pint to a quart. Jars and lids come in the initial box. Later you can just purchase the metal lid with the sealing compound (do not reuse old lids) and extra metal screw bands. You will need a water bath canner for jam, pickles, or tomato juice—a steam-pressure canner for green beans, lima beans, or meat. Additional tools to purchase are a canning funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter, and headspace tool.

Tip #3:

Shop wisely.

“Home canning isn’t cheap, but the satisfaction of knowing you preserved your food is worth every penny. Plus, there is just “something” about canned home products. They taste better when you know you canned them,” states Angel.

Supplies are available at Walmart, Amazon, or a hardware store.

Making jam or jelly is easy. The processing requires a water bath. It doesn’t need a bunch of home canning equipment. You can turn a stockpot into a water bath canner by placing a small wire rack or silicon trivet at the bottom so that the jars do not sit directly on the heating element. Mason canning jars need to be able to submerge in at least 1 inch of briskly boiling water to cover the tops of the jars during processing. If that isn’t your jam, try one of those pre-made easy mixes from the grocery store in the home canning section to make pickles, pasta sauce, or salsa. They are simple and can build your confidence. You simply add fresh tomatoes or cucumbers to the mix.

Tip #4:

Ms. Angel suggests, “If you don’t own a pressure canner, maybe borrow a friend’s to ‘test’ and try out before making a large investment in purchasing a new canner. Be careful when buying a used canner at a garage sale or online from the marketplace.”

She said things wear out and must be replaced periodically on home canners, so shop wisely and look the canner over to ensure the gasket is flexible (not dry-rotted), has no cracks on the gauge, and has no rust. Look for the model number on the bottom of the canner, handle, or lid.

“Knowing the model number is essential if you need to order replacement parts. Replacement parts may not be available for very old canners.”

Recipes and Information

Hundreds of recipes are available from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

The MSU Extension Service has great home canning resources to help get you started as well.

Contact your county extension service for information about the Home Food Preservation Workshops:

DeSoto County
3260 Highway 51 S.; Hernando, MS 38632
Phone: (662-469-8480)

Madison County 
1883 MS-43; Canton, MS 39046
Phone: (601) 859-3842

Hinds County 
1500 Raymond Lake Road; Raymond, MS 39154
Phone: (601) 857-3242

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Read original article by clicking here.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

• Canning has long been a family tradition in the south. Since COVID, there has been a steady increase in people wanting to learn to grow their food and preserve it for later consumption.

As a middle schooler, it seemed that my parents planted the most enormous garden in Peoria County, Illinois. It felt like acres. But it wasn’t. I dreaded summer because it meant lots of work—planting, pulling weeds, and harvesting.

Potatoes and onions went into the ground first, followed by the cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. There were rows and rows of green beans, corn, cucumbers, pumpkins, beets, carrots, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and lima beans. There was a corner for the garlic. And Mom, famous for her pies, had to have an area for her rhubarb. Sorry, no okra.

And let’s not forget the long row of concord grapes that extended the length of the garden. Did I say we had an enormous garden? Also, there were about twelve dwarf apple trees, strawberries, and red raspberries.

When the produce started coming in, Mom grated heads of cabbage into a large crock for sauerkraut. The cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts went into the freezer, and cucumbers became dill and the best sweet pickles you ever tasted. But the abundance of green beans drove me crazy. After a morning’s picking, it was not unusual to haul in five-bushel baskets.

My mom, grandma, sisters, and I gathered in our basement; each person had a basket to snap off the ends and break them into thirds. We sat in our basement all day, snapping off the ends and breaking them into thirds. The hours passed slowly. Some fifty-plus years later, I can still see my mom and grandma washing the canning jars, filling them with green beans, a little salt, and water. Then, into the pressure canner. Mom worked up into the night. It was long, arduous work. She had to learn the entire gardening process because she didn’t grow up in the country or on a farm. My paternal grandparents were her teachers, along with trial and error.

Home Food Processing in Mississippi

I brought those experiences and training with me to the Magnolia State. However, my garden was a fourth in size, and items like purple hull peas, okra, butter beans, and G90 corn replaced those rows and rows of green beans.

Investment in canning jars, freezer containers, water bath and steam pressure canners became new items in my kitchen.

Because of my boy’s involvement in 4-H, I learned about the Mississippi State University Extension Service. I was amazed at the extensive list of classes and brochures available to consumers. Furthermore, I was impressed with the availability of the Extension Agents.

This summer, the extension service has offered Home Food Preservation Workshops throughout the state. I contacted Lara Angel, Extension Agent III, DeSoto County Extension Office in Hernando. She has worked in extension offices in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi. This coming September, she will start her eighteenth year of extension work.

Ms. Angel has been busy this summer offering Home Food Preservation Workshops. The third one held yesterday at the Hernando Public Library. The program was free, but the workshop was $30 which included lunch and supplies. Interest was high – the workshop was at maximum capacity.

The Growth of Home Canning

When asked if there has been an increase in the number of people involved with home food preservation, Angel said, “Every county is different, so not everyone offers home canning workshops or classes like we do here in DeSoto. We get a high interest in home canning due to our large population, people wanting to ‘homestead.’ Therefore, I plan specific programs to meet clients’ local demands and requests.”

Angel said that since COVID, she has seen a steady increase in people wanting to learn to grow their food and preserve it for later consumption.

”I started working for MSU Extension in 2014, and over the years, there has been interest in this area, but nothing like what I see today. More and more people want to return to the basics and learn things their parents and grandparents did years ago. Home canning isn’t taught in school; even if it is, it does not interest teens today. People turn to social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other websites to learn more information. That information isn’t always correct.”

It’s important to be cautious when canning.

“If you ‘home can’ using some of these practices you read about online, you can make yourself or your family sick,” said Angel. “Home canning is a science, so using a research-based recipe and research-based information is critical. We don’t want anyone to get sick and possibly die from botulism.”

Angel says that MSU Extension offers home canner dial gauge testing.

“Each year, it’s recommended that you test your pressure canner dial gauge. We provide this service FREE to the public. Individuals simply need to make an appointment to get this service done by calling 662-469-8480 in DeSoto County or your county extension office.”

Tips for the Beginner   

Tip #1:  

Learn the process. The recommendation is to take a class because you have a relationship with someone locally. There are also YouTube videos available.  

Tip #2:

Decide what vegetables, fruit, or meat you want to process by canning. Determine the jar size needed, from half-pint to a quart. Jars and lids come in the initial box. Later you can just purchase the metal lid with the sealing compound (do not reuse old lids) and extra metal screw bands. You will need a water bath canner for jam, pickles, or tomato juice—a steam-pressure canner for green beans, lima beans, or meat. Additional tools to purchase are a canning funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter, and headspace tool.

Tip #3:

Shop wisely.

“Home canning isn’t cheap, but the satisfaction of knowing you preserved your food is worth every penny. Plus, there is just “something” about canned home products. They taste better when you know you canned them,” states Angel.

Supplies are available at Walmart, Amazon, or a hardware store.

Making jam or jelly is easy. The processing requires a water bath. It doesn’t need a bunch of home canning equipment. You can turn a stockpot into a water bath canner by placing a small wire rack or silicon trivet at the bottom so that the jars do not sit directly on the heating element. Mason canning jars need to be able to submerge in at least 1 inch of briskly boiling water to cover the tops of the jars during processing. If that isn’t your jam, try one of those pre-made easy mixes from the grocery store in the home canning section to make pickles, pasta sauce, or salsa. They are simple and can build your confidence. You simply add fresh tomatoes or cucumbers to the mix.

Tip #4:

Ms. Angel suggests, “If you don’t own a pressure canner, maybe borrow a friend’s to ‘test’ and try out before making a large investment in purchasing a new canner. Be careful when buying a used canner at a garage sale or online from the marketplace.”

She said things wear out and must be replaced periodically on home canners, so shop wisely and look the canner over to ensure the gasket is flexible (not dry-rotted), has no cracks on the gauge, and has no rust. Look for the model number on the bottom of the canner, handle, or lid.

“Knowing the model number is essential if you need to order replacement parts. Replacement parts may not be available for very old canners.”

Recipes and Information

Hundreds of recipes are available from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

The MSU Extension Service has great home canning resources to help get you started as well.

Contact your county extension service for information about the Home Food Preservation Workshops:

DeSoto County
3260 Highway 51 S.; Hernando, MS 38632
Phone: (662-469-8480)

Madison County 
1883 MS-43; Canton, MS 39046
Phone: (601) 859-3842

Hinds County 
1500 Raymond Lake Road; Raymond, MS 39154
Phone: (601) 857-3242

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Read original article by clicking here.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

• Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. – 1 Corinthians 7:20

Some people have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming pastors, missionaries, or Bible teachers. How many would be excluded from any opportunity of spiritual usefulness if this were the case. Beloved, it is not office—it is sincerity; it is not position—it is grace that will enable us to serve and glorify God. God is definitely glorified at the workbench, where the godly worker fulfills his task singing of the Savior’s love. In this humble setting God is glorified far more than in many a lofty pulpit where official religion performs its scanty duties. The name of Jesus is glorified by the taxicab driver as he blesses God and speaks to his passengers of the living hope. He will be more useful than the popular preacher who goes about peddling the Gospel for profit. God is glorified when we serve Him in our proper vocations.

Take care, dear reader, that you do not neglect the path of duty by leaving your occupation, and take care you do not dishonor your profession while in it. Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little of your callings. Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the Gospel to noblest ends. Turn to the Bible, and you will find the most menial forms of labor connected either with most daring deeds of faith or with persons whose lives have been illustrations of holiness.

Therefore do not be discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made your position or your work, remain in that, unless you are quite sure that He calls you to something else. Let your first concern be to glorify God to the best of your ability where you are. Fill your present sphere to His praise, and if He needs you in another, He will show it to you. This evening lay aside anxious ambition, and embrace peaceful content.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Read original article by clicking here.