“You’re sort of a know-it-all,” my wife says lovingly after I tell her the theme for this year’s Advent blog. At first glance, the theme to Treasure and Ponder only got me pondering what to say. In my day-to-day life, in fact, I consider myself sure-…
On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at the Madison Marketplace food pantry, there was quite a crowd. Among the group were Madison families, an “oh-so-sweet” 12-day-old baby boy, a cadre of St. Paul volunteers and Madison staff, a small group of helpfu…
There is a Slavic tradition of welcoming those arriving to one’s village by presenting them with bread and salt – in those ancient times, offering up salt was like handing over gold. This tradition of hospitality is not unique to Slavic cultures, of…
Out under the sky, it was this past February: Rocking gently from the waves below, Starring into a vast, star-lit sky above, Feeling entirely alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean. My husband and I began to ponder our future once more – faced with…
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Heidi Watkins attended a concert with her mom, Patty (Lundahl) Watkins, about 15 years ago at First Lutheran Church in Moline. As she sat in the pews, she noticed the incredible mural behind the altar, and half-moon-shaped pieces depicting the life o…
After this year’s first snowfall, my neighbor pushed his snow blower down the sidewalk around our entire block in an early-morning act of service to the neighborhood. Last week at the airport baggage carousel, I observed a woman introduce herself to…
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Today is my parents’ 49th wedding anniversary. On December 10, 1966, they were married in the small, stark sanctuary of the Baptist church where our family worshiped for decades after that. It was an old-fashioned wedding in most senses. There was n…
In today’s fast-paced and commercial culture, we are often inclined to surround ourselves with treasures, whether they are items or people. We don’t always have the time to sit down and think about why we treasure them, and what exactly that means. I…
Nova Singers, under the direction of Laura Lane, will perform A Nova Christmas on Friday, December 18, 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church. This year’s program includes standard carols such as Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; O Come, All Ye…
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I commute by bicycle. As a result, I can use this time to ponder life and my place on earth without endangering other people. As I examine my life, I try to see my life as an expression of my beliefs and values. I hope that I do not discover too many…
My faith has led me down some curious paths, and more than once, it’s led me to the serving line at the Salvation Army meal site. Maybe more there than anywhere, pouring milk and handing out plates of food, I feel our connectedness to God. Filling t…
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I believe it was evangelist George Whitefield who said, “I’d rather rust out than wear out.” It was my grandfather’s favorite saying. In his early 80s, after experiencing a number of strokes and partial paralysis on one side of his body, Grandpa Bob…