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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…
Advent, the beginning of our church year, is a time to prepare for the annual celebration of the birth of Our Savior. Remembering the miracle of Christ’s birth reminds me to pay attention to the daily miracles that are evidence of God’s grace and con…
One of the more memorable Advent experiences for our family involved connecting with others in the community with special needs. This was orchestrated through the Salvation Army, which provided the names of individuals or families. From a list provid…
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An email from the Davenport School of Yoga, sent in the summer of 2014, caught Christa Orfitelli’s eye. An announcement noted that the school, in downtown Davenport, would be starting a class for people interested in teaching yoga. Christa, who norma…
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I sat behind an older woman at a conference the other day. Her face looked like a mountain range, beautifully contoured all the way from hairline to chin. I have no idea who this woman was, but she was more interesting than the lecture. I glanced her…
Made from banana fiber – the tree-like stem of the banana tree – the figures of Donna Granneman’s favorite nativity scene are intricately created by hand, each with its own humble story to tell. The baby in the crib. The mother and her soon-to-be hus…
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As we prepare ourselves to connect with God through the birth of Jesus on Christmas day, we can only fully do that by bringing the self that God made to the relationship…our true self…the self we already are. The more we are willing to risk being o…