By Jeff Bass One of my favorite activities in the summer has been to attend workcamps all across the country. These workcamps involve a lot of hard work and sweat, home repair, and hundreds of teenagers. These youth give up a week of their summer va…
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By Kathy Becker I stood in the doorway just behind my husband, watching as he leaned on the sink and examined himself in the small mirror of the hospital bathroom. Slowly rubbing his hand over his face he began the ritual of shaving. Splashing water…
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By Andy Langdon My roommate had applied a liberal amount of product on his head. Now he was waiting, counting in his head as he watched himself in the mirror. He was doing everything he could to maintain the hair on his head. As he studied himself, I…
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By David and Barbara Palm Advent for us as Lutherans are the four Sundays before Christmas. This is a period of time of anticipation. Not all Christians celebrate Advent, but Lutherans have a rich tradition of lighting the four candles of the Advent…
By Tom Eriksen Growing up I found myself struggling for both acceptance and guidance. Not finding guidance, I took acceptance from the first group I found. I found myself going the wrong direction and not even realizing it. A few years later, I found…
By Ramsey Vens One thing continues to come to my mind for this Advent season is a reminder to take time to seek joy, hope, love, and peace during this wonderful time of the year. I believe it’s important that people slow down their lives for a bit an…
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By David Stern This October our family got to experience the amazing wonders of God’s love through the birth of twin grandchildren. Both my wife Annie and I experienced months of hopeful, but nervous anticipation. This led us to ask God to watch over…
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By Pat Sierk “And wonders of His love,” the final refrain of “Joy to the World,” reminds me of the children’s book “Wonder.” This best-selling 2012 novel by R.J. Palacio introduces an unforgettable character, ten-year-old Auggie, an ordinary boy who…
A baby blue, two story, wood frame home on 20th Street in Rock Island looks like a typical home from the outside. But take a step inside and see – up to four women and their children live there, with a house manager who helps take care of running the…
EV3 is ready to work. It moves about the table, commanded by programming figured out by kids in the Sudlow Intermediate School FIRST Lego League. Straight. Slight turn to the left to avoid an obstacle, then straight again to a turntable. A pause, the…
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This time of year, I find something special hitting bookshelves across town – holiday-themed children’s books. Filled with re-imagined familiar stories and bright illustrations, the time between Halloween and Christmas is a book-lover’s dream. Stacks…
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By Kristin Burns Growing up on a farm in Northwest Illinois, I always found myself embracing the simplistic beauty and abundance around me. Every season on the farm was beautiful in its own special way – the rolling fields of green in the summer to t…