Warwick townlively.com
JANUARY 3, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXIV • NO 43
The Pretzel Hut: Sale of local gem pending BY JEFF FALK
Mark Johnston with several cairns, rock piles that he thinks of as symbolic of life-altering experiences
Following God’s trail
M
atthew 7:7 tells us, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” It’s an important message that sometimes bears repeating. Lititz resident Mark Johnston has written a book that focuses on the importance of seeking God. It’s titled “17 Cairns: Encounters and Reflections From a Lifetime of Following God’s Trail.” “Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve had this desire to know God,” said Johnston, a semi-retired physician. “The seeking, which continues, has brought me to where I am today. God reveals Himself to those who seek Him.
He remains obscure to those who do not. God wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to have an intimate relationship with us. “Whatever spirituality I have has come from the seeking,” added Johnston. “God will reveal Himself to you to the degree you seek Him.” A cairn is a pile of rocks, and its uses include helping hikers navigate unfamiliar terrain. The spiritual interpretation of cairns refers to the moments in our lives when God reveals Himself to us through special life occurrences. Johnston contends that life is filled with cairns, but he has identified 17 in his own life that have been profound or direction-altering. He said that
all of us have experienced spiritual cairns, but some of them go unrecognized. “We all have cairns in our lives, and sometimes when you read about other people’s cairns you can see the ones in your life,” said Johnston. “It’s like what I’ve been called to do. It’s like good news in another way. It’s just another perspective on a truth that’s been with us all along. If you recognize a cairn in your life, share it. There’s something enriching about examining our lives.” Among the cairns Johnston explores in his book are a son’s bout with cancer, the death of his father, his invention of a medical device used to treat conditions of the esophagus and dreams See “17 Cairns” pg 4
See Pretzel Hut pg 2
Hope Inspire Love now has headquarters to fight human trafficking BY JEFF FALK
It’s about the organization. It’s about the mission. It’s about the people. It’s not about bricks and mortar. But a building provides the structure that can bring everything together. Hope Inspire Love has a new home. It’s a space that the local human-trafficking opposer can call its own.
“This is for us to provide more services,” said Amy Thurston, Hope Inspire Love’s president and CEO. “We want to grow our programs. This is just how we’ve evolved in the community. Now our name is on the side of a building. People will walk by and say, ‘What’s Hope Inspire Love about?’ Having a brick-and-mortar building will cause people to want to get involved, to get behind it. This See Hope Inspire Love pg 3
Opportunities • Pre-K / K Parent Information Session February 1st @ 6:30pm Available • K-Days January 16th, February 26th, and March 21st (10:30am-11:45am) • Discover LAMS Night February 29th at 6:30pm To RSVP or for more info., please contact our Admissions Counselor, Nicole Zimmerman at nzimmerman@lams.info Lititz Area Mennonite School | 1050 E. Newport Road, Lititz | (717) 626-9551 | www.lams.info
R102794
LAMS is Enrolling Pre-K & Kindergarten Students for 2023/2024 School Year Open House
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BY JEFF FALK
It’s a tradition-filled meeting place. It’s a destination, an attraction and a local treasure. It’s the Pretzel Hut, and it’s entering a new phase. After the start of the business’s regular seasonal closure - from October through March - current owners Tom and Angie Rabold put the property up for sale at the end of November. T he sale is Sale of the Pretzel Hut eatery is in progress. currently pending. we’re busy. I want to have time “ There’s been pretty much interest from other busi- for myself and my family - a normal life.” nesses in the area,” said Angie. Rabold commented that the The change comes after 22 years of the Rabolds’ owning the Pretzel Hut is integral to the business, located at 2224 Furnace community’s history. “Everyone relates the Pretzel Hills Pike, Newmanstown, just Hut to the area,” she said. “It’s north of Brickerville. “I just can’t physically do 13 a place to meet. It’s always been hours a day anymore,” remarked there. We’ve built it up to be an Angie, 57. “When we’re busy, attraction. People come from all