Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy. Every few years my dad and I plan a few days of pho…
Beep, beep! I never thought I would say this but thank God for traffic. I got my driver’s license when I was 23. When that ubiquitous plastic card arrived in the mail, I did not embrace it as my so-called ticket to freedom the way my friends had. To…
I’ve enjoyed Advent and Christmas most of my adult life. The fun and festivities, the family gatherings, the lights, even the hype that goes with the season. It all came together to create a pleasant interlude that led to Christmas worship. All of th…
Being a kid is tough, REALLY tough! They are learning at a rate faster than anyone can put into words. Social media, youth sports, pressure, communication, assessing, electronic grading, pacing of learning, mental and physical health, family dynamics…
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Joy resounds for me in both my memories of long ago and in the gift of each new day. 1981 was a very good year. I married my wife, Sue, and welcomed the first of our three children. The following year I started in the Biomed Department of Genesis Me…
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“So, are you feeling acclimated/settled/at home now?” For the past three months, most folks have started a conversation with me by asking about my transition to St. Paul and life in Davenport. Often, I answer with some light-hearted joke about going…
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Growing up, our family never traveled at Thanksgiving, but instead stayed in Colorado to spend the day with beloved friends. As it tends to be for holidays, we had our traditions that were necessary to keep. We’d be sure to bring scalloped corn, gree…
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I’m sitting here with my lovely mother. She is sleeping peacefully at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf. She is dying from end-stage COPD. We brought her here three weeks ago thinking we were near the end. But as I write today, she’s s…
Faith stories are the culmination of confirmation at St. Paul. Ninth-graders shared presentations describing how they see God at work in the world and in their lives. Kailee McCaw wrote this poem to describe her relationship with God. I stand in fron…
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Each morning as I take my eight-year-old son to school, I ask him what he is thankful for. Some mornings I get this amazing answer like, “God” or “I’m thankful for you, mom” or “for a friend.” Sometimes it’s something like a computer game or a toy. H…
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The holidays are right around the corner and with those joyous times comes uncertainty, challenges, and stressors. This holiday season, practice self-care with these simple, helpful strategies. by Angie Vaaler, St. Paul social worker/counselor As the…
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The story of the biblical prophet Jonah and his outsized moments recently gave me the object lesson I needed for a Preschool Chapel reflection. No, I didn’t bring in a whale for the children. Jonah had another outsized moment. It happened when he wa…