The transition from elementary to middle school is a pivotal moment in a young person’s life. After spending years in a familiar environment, stepping into middle school brings new academic challenges, social dynamics, and a growing sense of independ…
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Just after the Second World War, when trade routes opened and food returned to war-torn England, the country received a shipment of bananas. The government allotted one for each child, so they could experience the taste of a banana. At the time, the…
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How is it with your soul? This sort of question usually makes me recoil. It smacks, to me anyway, of some sort of religious piety so far from my own that it sounds forced. How is it with your soul?… Do I have any control over that? Maybe I was in a…
Food has played a large role in St. Paul member Sherry Peer’s life. From her professional career, to time with her family, and her quiet impact on families during the holidays. Now, Sherry has found a new home and purpose in the Quad Cities after mov…
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At just about any given time of day, there is a distinct echo in our house. It comes from our two-year-old daughter, who is bound and determined to say and do everything just like her older brother. So, if Micah wants to play the piano, Mia decides i…
Greetings St. Paul, I am writing to you as I finish my third month as president of the Congregational Council. What an exciting and humbling opportunity to serve St. Paul after all of my years as a member at this exceptional place. I have lived in Io…
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The idea of making plans has been on my mind lately as I continue to ponder my summer plans. In May, the Tyler family begins to decide which destinations to travel to, which typically includes stops to play music with friends. In the old-time music w…
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I remember exactly where I was the day Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis. I was a sophomore in college and was finishing up lunch with my friends when the entire student union started to buzz. We faithful students and religion majors all cramm…
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St. Paul members Ryan Carney and Amanda Moeller-Carney turn their grief into action, hosting local blood drives and other events in honor of their daughter, Zoey. Zoey Carney’s smile was infectious. According to those who knew her best, she was a bea…
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The exact overlap of Passover and Holy Week that we are experiencing this year is not a frequent occurrence. Because of decisions made 1,700 years ago this year, the date of Easter always falls on a Sunday, while Passover can begin on any day of the…
by St. Paul member Becky Wiese 2025 marks the 55th anniversary of the celebration of Earth Day. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and was designed as a national “teach-in,” scheduled to allow the greatest student participation between f…
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I have a friend who has a habit that I’ve never been able to understand. She’s a voracious reader of mysteries, and whenever she gets a new book, she flips to the last few pages and reads them first. This baffles me. It seems to me that knowing how a…