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Last week during Vacation Bible School, we repeatedly sang one of the top five favorite songs among the children and youth of St. Paul. It is a ridiculous and beautiful song called “The Hippo Song.” It tells the story of creation and has some fun act…
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When Ronda Meier was growing up, her family had a Lutheran background but did not go to church. But still, God was there. As an accounting student at St. Ambrose University, she took a few classes in religion. It was around the time of the attacks on…
As the American public pores over every possible cause for Omar Mateen’s act of evil atrocity at the gay nightclub in Orlando, one label we should not place upon it is, “surprising.” We can debate an ISIS connection, domestic terrorism, or a hate cri…
There is a certain kind of freedom that permeates the air of summer. Maybe it’s because I am able to spend more time outdoors giving my mind the space to wander where it will. To me summer always feels like the perfect time of year to daydream and li…
As with any business that stands the test of time, there’s new technology and emerging ways to improve quality and make processes more efficient. But in the printing world, one thing has and will always remain: that absolutely gorgeous aroma of ink o…
St. Paul people find joy, happiness, challenge, and contentment in nurturing flowers, vegetables, fruit in their own backyards. Snapping green beans and sugar snap peas Growing up, Kaitlyn Schnekloth watched – and helped weed – as her mom grew an ama…
Finishing up his duties for the day, Marc Ndabaramiye steps out from the kitchen and into the seating area of Oh So Sweet by Tiphanie in downtown Davenport. He is a dishwasher at the bakery. He sweeps, clears dishes, and unloads shipments as well. Hi…
The journey begins by fleeing their home – adults and children of all ages. They may have no time to plan and can take only what they can carry. Sometimes, it includes traveling by foot through jungles, deserts, war zones, with fear of attack from mi…
How can I tell if God is at work in my life? How can I know that my faith is making a difference in the way I live? Author Anne Lamott answers these questions beautifully in her book Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. “Imagining God can…
I’ve watched enough people die over the years to know that nobody can design their own death, even if a few rudely step in to try and engineer it. Yet we all contemplate how our final breath might happen. For me, the most desirous scenario would be t…
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“Deciding everything is falling into place perfectly as long as you don’t get too picky about what you mean by place. Or perfectly.” These words appear on a brightly colored print at my house from Iowa-based artist Brian Andreas. The figure in the pi…
They are much like a compass. From north, south, east, and west, four women have arrived at St. Paul for the summer. They will live on the lower level, guiding weekly crews of teenagers who will come to the Quad Cities to serve through YouthWorks, Ju…