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When I was young, I recall piling in the old Plymouth with my Mom, Dad and brothers for a drive to see the Christmas lights in town. That was a thrill – and I still love seeing the beauty of lights at this most wonderful time of year. I have come to…
Since the beginning of 2020, a lot of things changed for me – as they did for many others. I experienced my first special election and entered the pandemic in March; helped run an Iowa primary election and bought my first car in June; moved into my f…
My thrill of hope was the anticipation of the birth of my grandchildren. From the announcement that my daughter-in-law and son were expecting a baby to the day of their birth, I thought of the hopes I had for their future. What will the future hold f…
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Joel Moore is a registered nurse and a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. He serves as director of care coordination for in-patients at Genesis Health Systems. Earlier this week, he received one of the first vaccines for COVID-19 i…
I am a last-minute wrapper, I admit. If I used glue, it would still be damp when the person was opening the gift. Christmas Eve has usually included a late candlelight service, followed by cocoa and cookies at home, and then a final wrapping session…
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The Saturday before the first Sunday in Advent, a short, square, white box is removed from its shelf in the basement and brought upstairs. The contents of this box are one of the most precious gifts I have ever been given. It is the family’s nativity…
When I first started baking bread, I challenged myself to make something that was not just store-bought, uniform, and pre-sliced. I wanted something different, the type of bread that was hard to describe – but when you had it, you knew it was somethi…
A while ago, a pastor friend of mine and I got into a discussion about the topic of expectations; how to respond to them when they are fulfilled and particularly when they are not. When you think about it, every aspect of life hinges on what we expec…
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Back in March, I had surgery to remove cancer from my thyroid, a gland that happens to sit very close to the nerves of your vocal cords. As I was waking up from the anesthesia, I tried to ask for a sip of water but no sound came out. I tried a few mo…
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Singing in St. Paul Chorale is a gift that keeps on giving. Chorale is rehearsals with friends, Dr. Nathan Windt’s jokes, Chris Nelson’s entries and exits (because he’s playing for multiple choirs) and good solid direction on anthems carefully select…
I’m one of those people that enjoys the variety of the four distinct seasons we experience here in the Midwest. Each season has its own way of communicating God’s beauty and gives us something different to experience. I love the first snowfall when e…
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The summer of 2001 was filled with excitement and adventure. My wife Deb and our three children had outgrown our first home and were having a new home built near Emeis golf course. A few delays meant our new home would not be finished until December….