“Be like Locust Street, always working on yourself.” That was the text to the first Quad Cities-themed meme I saw after moving here. Surely it can’t be THAT bad, I thought. Two years in, maybe there is some truth in that meme. Just this week, as I…
Originally from Cedar Rapids, Rod spent much of his career in restaurant management, beginning in food service at 16 and stepping into leadership by 20. Over the years, he worked with Heart of America restaurants, including Thunder Bay Grill and Iowa…
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This week I celebrated 14 years of teaching Jazzercise. Jazzercise is a dance-based fitness program that has been around since the 1960s. It’s evolved from classic jazz dance aerobics into a full body fitness program. As an instructor, my role is to…
Today’s library is a community living room — filled with children, humming with purpose, stacked not only with books but with computers, DVDs, cake pans, instruments, karaoke machines and, yes, even a ghost hunting kit. Two women who know this better…
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Just over three weeks ago, a rather intriguing news alert came across my phone. The headline read: “For the first time in its 84-year history, the New York Times Magazine has printed an unsolvable crossword puzzle.” I’m not quite sure that was worthy…
St. Paul member Andrea Weter has been bringing creativity, faith, and service to St. Paul’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) for over a decade. Here’s the woman behind the felt, fabric, and fun. Andrea’s mind is on summer and has been for a few months alr…
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Scripture guides us to “be still” (Psalm 46:10) and trust. This is not an easy task and often takes some self-convincing when life throws us a curveball. Outside of our everyday anxieties and worries, there are moments in life when our heart feels he…
Cooper Schou has an ear for sound. Now he’s using his talents at St. Paul as he joins the staff in a new role built around worship, digital media, and the music that has defined his life. Cooper Schou has never really stopped playing. Drums in fifth…
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In the last few weeks, the tower standing high above the sanctuary here at St. Paul has looked different. Because of a failing in the material of the fascia (the outside “skin” of the tower) we need to replace the exterior. This enormous project beco…
The 129 House has long been home to the St. Paul residency program and the office of counselor Steve Kalber — and Steve isn’t going anywhere. But the house has taken on a new purpose: three nonprofits with deep roots in the St. Paul community have li…
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In February, right around the time that Lent started, I added a new habit to my nightly routine. I was scrolling on TikTok when I came across this idea of a “glimmer.” A glimmer is the opposite of a trigger. It’s a little moment that puts a smile on…
Connie King has been planting native species in her yard for years — watching for butterflies, waiting for birds, noticing what grows and what doesn’t. For a long time, she did it quietly and mostly alone. That changed about a year ago, when a handfu…