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Recently on a trail walk through the woods of Scott County Park, my daughter decided to break into an all-out run. After cruising up a big hill, she stopped, panting. She looked back over her shoulder at me and said, “I’m tired!” “Do you want to get…
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One of my children’s favorite books is called Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It tells of Sylvester, a donkey, who finds a red magic pebble that makes wishes come true. It’s all fun and games until Sylvester wishes himself to be a rock, in order to e…
For four weeks beginning Wednesday, July 10, St. Paul Lutheran Church’s Mental Health Awareness Team will host a midsummer mental health movie series. Come and watch a movie and join in discussion afterwards. Movies begin at 6:30 p.m., popcorn includ…
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There is a strong human desire to reciprocate when it comes to “balancing the score” for victims of mass murder. Executing heinous killers makes significant emotional and intuitive sense. Most of us feel rage when reacting to the awfulness of a crime…
On Sunday, while I sat on the floor coloring giant Disney posters with my children, I overheard my parents telling John what I was like as a child. There were a few chuckles, stories about the oddball things that would come out of my mouth, and the o…
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In the great plains of South Africa, there’s a poor farming community called Nieu-Bethesda. One of the small houses stands out from the rest. The yard is full of statues – cement camels and mermaids, wise men and angels, and lots of owls. They are bi…
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Flying can be an isolating experience, which is ironic because airports and airplanes are usually crammed full of other people. But when you fly, your own needs and wants take up a substantial amount of space in your mind. Do you feel that way, too?…
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Last week I took a few minutes to thoroughly sweep all the nooks and crannies in our kitchen. Especially horrifying are the patches of floor under the chairs where my children sit to eat their meals. (Our beloved black lab, Sydney, passed away earlie…
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Growing up, I took piano lessons for the better part of seven years or so. And yet, if you sat me in front of piano today, about the only melody I might be able to produce would be one half of the Heart & Soul duet. Or maybe, if I had enough time…
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On my car radio on Monday afternoon, I heard a rabbi from Pittsburgh interviewed. Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel is the director of a humanitarian agency, the Aleph Institute. He lives and works in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, the site of the latest act…
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On a United flight to Denver last year, I ordered my customary cranapple juice to sip while reading a book. The napkin beneath my drink struck me as worth saving. So I did. It reads: “Planes change. Values don’t. Your priorities will always be ours.”…
Shatter the Stigma – A Public Screening of “Don’t Talk About the Baby” Don’t Talk About the Baby is the first documentary to explore the cultural stigmas surrounding pregnancy loss and infertility. Join us for a screening of the film, followed by a W…