Category: Blog
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Vocabulary of Faith
You likely have words that immediately come to mind when you think of your faith or of prayer or of the Lord: love, spirit, grace, blessed, hope, rejoice, strength, comfort, peace, grateful, mercy, forgiveness, etc. When we take time to discern and focus on them, we find ourselves surrounded by…
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Spiritual Traditions – Old and New
I was at a friend of a friend’s recently and was surprisingly struck by two different items in the kitchen. There was an authentic old-fashioned tin bread box on the counter. (I’ve seen modern versions, but I think the last bread box I saw like this was at my Grandma’s…
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Because By Your Holy Cross
Though we are weeks away from Good Friday and observing the Lord’s passion, it’s not too early in Lent to begin praying with the cross. We look at wood all around us and often see it as a supportive building block, a crucial part of a structure, or in a…
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Key Words for Lent
When we search online for just about anything, we include key words to help narrow our search: Not just shoes, but athletic shoes for walking. Not just a house, but a three-bedroom ranch with two baths. Not just a job, but a sales job in the communications industry within 15…
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There’s Always Work To Do
Throughout the year when I look out my kitchen window into the backyard, I’m often reminded there’s more work to do—even though I feel I’ve already done a lot. Currently, I see the need to rake and clear out winter debris soon to prepare for the next season. (Didn’t I…
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Choosing Hope When It’s Gloomy
At a recent gathering, I was disappointed to learn a friend was not joining us. She explained it was gloomy outside, and she felt gloomy. Though I was bummed not to see her, I understood her decision not to attend. Two days later, her word ‘gloomy’ came to mind. I…
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Spin Toward Something New
While watching television a few months ago, I observed a scene that surprisingly stayed with me. It remained on my mind days later, so I searched for it online and printed out a photo of the exact moment. There was something about it I wanted to see again and not…
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One Bloom Makes a Difference
I am far from having a green thumb, though I try my best. The plants in my house are all green and look to be doing well, and that’s good enough for me. So, I’m extra happy when a bloom shows up once in a while. The one you see…
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The Voice of Encouragement
Though I no longer watch her videos, I’m often reminded of the encouraging words an exercise instructor offered to her class (and to those of us watching via DVD). I have since taken what I’ve learned from her class and developed my own sessions with my own music selections, but…
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Our Part in the Body of Christ
Many years ago, I took a couple of anatomy classes. My studies focused on soft tissues and bones, and the first thing we learned was ‘muscles move bones at joints.’ One of the next items we learned is that each muscle has a specific function and comes with a ‘set…
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How Long Is This Train?
A couple of things came to mind as I recently waited in my car for a very long train to pass by. First, I thought fondly of my mother with a smile and a little laugh. She was an extraordinary woman of patience and grace – until she had to…
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God Is Love
While on a walk through my neighborhood this week, I noticed many bare Christmas trees on their sides along the street, waiting to be picked up and taken away. Having once stood tall with wrapped gifts of all shapes and sizes nestled under them and with their many branches graced…
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A Guiding Star for the New Year
Last Sunday at church, my gaze kept being drawn to the very large nativity scene on the far side of the altar. Not just to the scene itself but especially to the star made of blue lights above it. The image of the star, and of its special role in…
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O Holy Night
Years ago, I dreamt of running a year-round Christmas store. What could be more joyful than Christmas every day?! I had fun sketching a design for a logo and planned to name my dream store ‘O Holy Night.’ Those elements were fun to imagine and think about; but the business,…
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It’s Almost Time
Of all the ‘Weeks of Advent,’ this Third Week resonates with me the most. Memories of lighting the Advent Wreath come rushing back. I’m the youngest of five children, and we each had a week or so of lighting the Advent Wreath. I started it off and lit one candle…
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Making Room
While running errands last weekend, I drove by a church with a sign that displayed a message similar to: We are all innkeepers – will we have room for Jesus? I don’t remember the exact words, and my paraphrasing here isn’t as eloquent as what I read in person, but…
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Advent Prayers for You
So, have you received it yet? The first Christmas card of the year? Mine came on Monday. (I’m in awe that my friend is so prepared and ‘on top of it’!) If you are like me when you open a Christmas card, your attention goes first to any note that’s…
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Gratitude – Strengthening Our Spiritual Health
This week it’s easy to remember to offer prayers of thanksgiving and to show our gratitude. Whether we will be spending the holiday with family, with friends or even alone, giving thanks is in the air. But how do we do the rest of the year? We know there are…
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Getting Back Up
Do you ever have one of those weeks or months or more when it feels like it’s just one thing after another? One challenge or obstacle is resolved then another surfaces. Maybe even several at once. It doesn’t seem fair, and it’s easy to fall into doubt when that’s all…
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Letting Go in Trust
Many years ago, a friend who was the business owner of the office next door told me that an employee had just filed a lawsuit against him. It was serious, so I was very upset for him. He seemed calmer than I would have expected, so I asked if he…
Journeying to Grace 