After three-plus years at The Clarkston News, my time here is coming to an end.
I will now be going on to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in journalism. I’ll be relocating to Virginia Beach, Va. at the end of the month to attend a two-year program at Regent University, a Christian grad school that is home to ‘The 700 Club.?
It’s been an exciting adventure thus far, simply taking the initial steps towards this new phase in my life.
It’s a walk that has been bringing me closer to the Lord. He has been opening the doors, providing for my needs and assuring me this is what He has had planned.
As much as I am looking forward to this change (and being near the ocean!), it is bittersweet as it will be putting many miles between myself and my family who mean so much to me. I know they aren’t thrilled about me moving so far away, but I appreciate the support they have been giving.
Looking back at my time at the paper, I see it has been a time of growth. I have learned so much, not only professionally, but personally as well. I thank the Lord for the time He allowed for me here. It wasn’t an easy road at times, but one I definitely needed to travel.
Since taking on this role, I’ve gotten to do a lot of cool things from flying in a helicopter to taking pictures of Marilyn Manson at his court trial. I always joked , ‘You never know where you’ll end up as a reporter,? when I’d find myself in heels and a skirt walking through a muddy, manure-laden farm or riding a lawn tractor in six-foot high weeds, like I did for a couple stories. Of course, I never got bored going into the schools and had so much fun with the kids when I’d photograph their special events.
Most of all, I enjoyed getting to know the people who make up this community. Many of you have touched me in special ways. Many of your stories will last forever in my mind. And many of you I have learned something from that I am taking with me.
I’ve very much enjoyed the camaraderie with several of you that I work with in the community on a regular basis. And of course my Clarkston News family has been very special to me.
Thanks, readers, for letting me share my faith with you. Thanks to so many of you who encouraged me as a writer and a believer. I’ve appreciated all your feedback.
It’s been a pleasure writing for you. Farewell and God bless.

I’ve broadened my list of impressive accomplishments. Yes, that’s correct, I, Jennifer Nemer, operated a power drill over the weekend. And let me just say, I enjoyed it very much.
In the process of helping a friend redecorate her apartment, and borrowing my dad’s drill, I was elected to create a hole in the back of a T.V. stand for a VCR cord to pass through.
Needless to say, my friends who witnessed this task were quite entertained. Laughs were shared and cameras flashed as I intensely focused on the project.
However, I now completely understand the whole man and tool thing. The power one holds in the palm of their hands…the adrenaline rush from the danger involved…the feeling of a job well done upon completion…in Tim Taylor-like fashion, I say to my fellow carpenters, “arrgh, arrgh, arrgh.”
***
In California last week they passed a law banning the declawing of cats.
Can I just express how ridiculous I think this is, even though I’m sure it will be quite some time before this type of law would ever spread to Michigan? And yes, I am a cat lover and (part) owner of two.
First off, declawing isn’t a cruel act when done in the development stage of a cat, and not cruel if the cat will be kept indoors for its life.
Secondly, are there not more important issues we could be focusing on?
And, thirdly, let’s have some consistency to rules we decide we want to make. For example, we can kill our cats, or nicely said, “put them to sleep,” but we can’t declaw them. Makes sense. Or, if I can go even farther, we’re allowed to abort our babies, ending the life of another human being though unborn, but declawing our cats is so cruel.
What’s next?
***
I recently heard this story of twin boys who were given up for adoption when they were born, and unfortunately, found themselves separated as two different families took them into their lives.
Both grew up in happy families but never knew each other. Juan grew up in a loving Hispanic family, while Amall in a loving Middle Eastern family.
One day, after years had passed by, Juan’s family received a letter from Juan’s twin sharing details of his life and family.
Juan’s mother said to her husband, “I sure wish Amall would have sent a picture along with the letter.”
“Why?” Juan’s father said. “If you’ve seen Juan, you’ve seen Amall.”
***
A special thank you to Sailloon Woodski for the thoughtful letter and gift. It uplifted me on a day when I was feeling melancholy. Your kind words as well as the effort you put towards doing this kind act mean a lot to me. It is very much appreciated.
***
I’ll leave with you a verse, or actually verses, for the week. This passage, found in Philippians 2:5-8, has really been speaking to me these last few days. They were part of a memorization plan out of a study guide I’ve begun reading as part of a new church class I’m taking. The study guide, “The Mind of Christ,” by T.W. Hunt and Claude King, I recommend.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Who would think a grocery store could be so complicated?
I mean it appears as if it should be a simple outing, going to a grocery store.
They are never hard to find. Groceries stores are all over, in nearly every town. Some towns, like Clarkston, even have more than one.
Once inside a grocery store, there are large painted words for everyone to see that directs a shopper to various locations such as the Deli or Bakery.
There are signs hanging from the ceiling within each aisle, telling one exactly what is available in that aisle.
Yet, how come every time I go to a grocery store it is never an easy affair?
To help you understand better, I do not grocery shop on a regular basis since I live at home with my parents and Mom does that.
So, when I go to the grocery store it’s because I’m stocking up for a weekend trip, looking for an item to satisfy a craving, or getting treats for a special event.
For example, I was recently in charge of getting donuts, as requested by the birthday girl, for a celebration for a co-worker.
Getting donuts, how difficult could that be?
I decided to go to Farmer Jack, who, I found when all was said and done, has excellent donuts.
First task: finding the bakery.
I’ve been in enough grocery stores to know where a bakery should be located. They’re never placed amongst the aisles in the middle of the store. No, they typically find their home along the walls of a store. The tricky part, though, some grocery stores have a deli and a bakery adjacent to each other, some do not.
Farmer Jack does not, I found. So, of course, as I normally do in a grocery store, I wandered.
If only I had stopped for a second, as I entered the store, to look and think, ‘Where would the bakery be?? it could have saved me from this needless meandering. Because as I approach the bakery, I see the door I walked in was closest to the bakery. But, alas, I walked to the other end of the store to find my department, only to walk right back to where I came from.
Now I am finally standing in front of the donuts. I need a box to place them in, but, as I shuffle through at least 10 piles of boxes, I’m not finding a box big enough to hold a dozen.
Annoyed that I need two small boxes instead of one large box, I take the wax paper and grab my first donut.
I really feel I should have placed tissue along the bottom of the box for sanitary purposes, since I’m paranoid that way. I struggle to do it one-handed as a messy donut is in the other. Then plop, into the box the donut falls. Now I’ve messed up the frosting as the yummy treat lies upside down.
And here comes two other customers who also want donuts. ‘Go away, these are my donuts for the moment, you’re in my way,? I’m thinking. But I deal with them anyway.
Okay, so I’ve managed to get six donuts in the box, though I’m not happy the donuts are rubbing against each other and smearing the frosting off. Now I can’t get the lid shut. I have to rearrange to get them to fit better.
Let’s jump to the check out. As I’m standing in line, with one person ahead of me, I think, ‘Oh no, do I have to go back to the bakery to have them price my donuts??
I mean shouldn’t the large donuts cost more than the small donuts? Shouldn’t the cream or fruit-filled ones be more than the plain?
I ask the cashier about the pricing system. She gives me a weird look, and simply asks how many donuts I have. I tell her a dozen, as I’m thinking, ‘Why do I ask such stupid questions?? It seems all donuts cost the same. Who knew?
I laugh to myself as I head towards the car with donuts in hand. I hate the grocery store. Why is it the only store that makes me feel like an idiot every time I go?
But what can we learn from this experience? Here’s what I came up with:
1. Open your eyes. Stop and look for the bakery.
2. Make do. Be happy you have two small boxes to put the donuts in, instead of none.
3. Share. There are going to be other customers who want the donuts too.
4. Don’t be such a perfectionist. The donut frosting is gonna get messed up.
5. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Who cares if the cashier looks at you weird? Ask as many stupid questions as you want.
So, I reflect and use this experience to grow as a person.
Until the next grocery store adventure…

I remember a day when it was only the Always or Tampax commercial to make your cheeks turn red.
Now, advertising topics range from Viagra to medications for sexually transmitted diseases and so on.
But those things I’m forced to be an adult about. It’s what is blatantly put in my face, that is of an inappropriate nature, that I’m having a problem with. In fact, I find it offensive.
It seems lately I can’t sit and watch a television show I’ve deemed acceptable to watch, without being forced to watch commercials, particularly previews for the upcoming fall lineup, I don’t find acceptable.
Now, when I’m in control of the remote, this isn’t a problem because I typically channel surf during commercials, and watch two or three shows at once. When others are around, though, that usually doesn’t happen.
So I’m forced to watch a preview for NBC’s “Coupling.” It’s a more risque “Friends,” where they’ve all slept with one other — guys with girls, girls with girls and guys with guys, which they highlight on the promo. Another commercial for the show featured a man in woman in bed talking about attractive freckles in private places.
Then there’s “Las Vegas,” another new NBC show, this one promoting the fact it’s a city where anything and everything does happen. So, naturally, the preview revolves around sex at one point showing a couple in an elevator, where the woman admits to security personnel she knows she’s on camera.
FOX’s “Skin” debuts this season and is all about the pornography business. Particularly it focuses on a forbidden romance between the child of a pornographer and the child of a political figure. The preview shows the couple intimately.
FOX’s “Temptation Island,” returning for its fourth season, has been advertised this year with having more “lust, desire and passion” then ever before.
I’m tired of these ads that glorify sinful living. The you-can’t-have-fun-in-life-without-sex-drinking-and-general bad behavior commercials. (Beer commercials are great for this, too.)
There was a time when all previews were made to be acceptable for all audiences. I know if you go to the movie theatre the trailers still say that, but what’s shown is a contradiction. (Note the “American Wedding” trailer where the star, Jason Biggs, has a dilemma with pubic hair.)
What I find disturbing is these advertisements occur at any time, anywhere. For example, the inappropriate “American Wedding” trailer was shown before “Tomb Raider 2,” a video game-inspired movie intended for younger audiences.
The television previews for the fall debuts I’ve seen shown as early as 7 p.m. It used to be that more adult-oriented commercials and programs wouldn’t air until after 9 p.m., when it was expected kids would be in bed.
Now, I know there always has been and always will be television shows and movies that push the envelope or go over the limits. That doesn’t make all shows and films bad. There are plenty of diamonds in the rough, so to speak. All you have to do is be wise concerning what show you will watch and what others you won’t.
But I, as a Christian, don’t want to be forced to see and hear things I don’t think are appropriate, especially when it comes to a commercial, something that should be relatively harmless for viewing. I wish the previews were truly suitable for all audiences.
FOX’s “Paradise Hotel,” has a warning before the show begins and upon returning from commercials. (I got this information from someone I know who watches.) The warning, which I’ve also seen on the commercial, states the show is intended for mature audiences because of its sexual nature. The previews I have seen have never shown anything I’ve thought was inappropriate.
Watching late night television, I saw a commercial which began with a warning that it was for mature audiences, so that gave me the opportunity to turn.
This is all I ask.
As a born again believer, I am to be careful at what I allow to go before my eyes.
“I will set before my eyes no vile thing,” Psalm 101 3.
In Psalm 119:37a, the Bible says, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things.”
For television, I can only foresee things getting worse. Before the day comes when I can no longer watch television because of its blatant offenses, I’ll simply complain about it in The Clarkston News. It helps me feel better.