One of God’s favorite tricks seems to be the hiding of certain Kingdom of Heaven treasures in unsuspecting places. Insert extraordinary objects into ordinary surroundings and you are bound to create surprise. It’s a play right out of the playbook of…
Jim Freeman, an 88-year-old in Spartanburg, S.C., has lived alone since his wife passed away. Trying to make ends meet using only his Social Security check, he receives meals and visits from Mobile Meals, A meal is cooked and delivered to him by volu…
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Andrew Harris’ first job as a police officer was in the small town of Denison, Iowa. A number of people who call Denison home speak Spanish, so the 22-year-old brushed up on his Spanish skills and got to work getting to know the residents of the comm…
At some point between the age of 4 and 14, we seem to lose a fair amount of our curiosity. If you want proof—just spend a few minutes in conversation with a preschooler. Some estimate that the average child asks somewhere between 100 to as many as 35…
Chris Barnett spent a significant portion of his childhood in an extremely abusive home setting. As he grew into his teen years, he entered the foster care system, living with two different families from age 14 to 18. “I credit that time for where I…
When Ken Brooks moved to the Quad Cities with his wife, Katie, he was looking for a way to serve his community and spend time on the water. Years ago, he remembered seeing a news broadcast about the members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary – the uni…
The Nordic Choir will perform on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. Tickets will be $15 for adults and $10 for students. The Valparaiso Chorale will perform on Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students or senior citizens. N…
Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, begins the season of preparation for Easter. With a theme of Soles of Faith, St. Paul people have a variety of opportunities to help make this journey a meaningful one of prayer and togetherness – to lace up their soles to pre…
Wearing a green apron put on by a classmate, the third-grader took off from one end of Friendship Hall to the other. In his hand, he carried a spoon outstretched, balancing a tiny blown-up blue balloon. At the end of his sprint, he carefully set the…
One by one, the students at Mid City High School come through the doors in the morning, greeted by name. One by one, they walk past the definition of a Maverick, written in purple on the wall. The students chose the school mascot, the school colors,…
Life is full of defining moments, from first steps to first words to first crush. And perhaps the greatest defining moment is when one discovers the power of God at work in their life. You could say I put this moment off because it’s quite intimidati…
He graduated from Pleasant Valley High School, she from Cedar Falls High School. They both pursued music degrees at the University of Northern Iowa. But it was a cafeteria across campus where Benjamin Klemme and Deborah Coltvet first met. They marrie…