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When is the last time you might say you were in awe of something? Can you think of the last experience or situation that caused you to utter the word “wow”? Maybe it was when you looked outside your window this morning to see a fresh coat of white sn…
Attempts and desires to predict the future are likely as ancient as the human brain itself. Wonderings or anxieties about potential good or bad fortunes heading our way arouse within us a desire to know now what will happen tomorrow, next week, or te…
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There’s another Santos in the news right now besides George, the congressman from Long Island who’s making headlines for his lies. Laurie Santos is a popular professor of psychology at Yale University. We should say very popular. Her 2018 course, “Ps…
Clayton Lloyd and his wife Jan find themselves traveling a little more now in their years of semi-retirement, but it’s been a part of Clayton’s life since he was young. Now, he’s traveled to at least 15 national parks but it’s not just about the dest…
America’s Holy Ground: 61 Faithful Reflections on Our National Parks by Brad Lyons is the 2023 All St. Paul Reads book. This year marks the 20th anniversary of All St. Paul Reads. All St. Paul Reads is encouragement for all to read and talk about a s…
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Dear Moms/Daughters, Fathers/Sons, Parents/Children, I am not one of you, but I see you. Technically speaking, you “sandwichers” are adults, likely in your forties and fifties, who find yourselves caring for both your aging parents and your own chil…
St. Paul member Laura Meloy spent a week in Egypt this past November at the annual United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference. Laura attended as a youth delegate with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). It’s about a twenty-hour plane ride, only 6…
The new St. Paul children’s podcast, created by Pastor Sara Olson-Smith, spread its wings and flew into homes as the first episode launched in December. Since then, Little Bird has made her way around the country with listeners stretching from the Qu…
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There’s likely no place where people are in more of a hurry to get out than at the grocery store. Most of us, I’d guess, arrive at the store with list in hand (or at least some idea of what needs to be purchased). We grab a cart—or possibly tempt fat…
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Near the end of our annual Blue Christmas service, people come forward to light little votive candles. As they come, the sparkling lights on the Christmas tree and blue lights provide the barest of illumination in the darkness of the sanctuary. At ta…
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One of the things I love most about this time of year is hearing the details of others’ varied Christmas traditions. Between the shuffling in and out of the church on Christmas Eve last Saturday, I chatted with all sorts of people—some attending alon…
Wishing a very Merry Christmas and a happy 2023 to you and your loved ones from the staff at St. Paul Lutheran Church! We’re grateful for the time spent together over this past year. Do you see what we see? When we think of all of you, we see a beaut…