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At the piano, an inmate leads the music. Men’s voices fill the air with familiar tunes. Let there be peace on Earth, they sing. How great Thou art. Fellow inmates take their turn at the lectern, reading the texts for the day’s worship. One man manage…
On the outside, Jim’s Place looks like a normal brick ranch house, situated in the neighborhood near St. Ambrose University. On the inside, the house is filled with items that are known as assistive technology – things to promote independence, from l…
One life goal I have is to become a certified pilot. Since moving to the Quad Cities this summer, I have been up a few times. After each time I fly, I look forward to doing it again. One aspect I love about flying is the peace and solitude of the who…
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Is That It? Well, that’s it. Christmas is over. Pack up the tree, roll up the strings of lights, and eat the rest of the candy canes. I guess it’s time to get back to reality. Even though our church calendar celebrates Christmas until Epiphany (Janua…
One vivid memory I have of church growing up is singing “Silent Night” while everyone in the congregation held a candle. My Nana made sure that we sang the first verse in German (Stille Nacht, helige Nacht). And although we sing this hymn year after…
I am afraid of the dark. We’ve all got fears, right? Sometimes our fears are rational, sometimes they’re not. Spiders, heights, tornadoes, etc. For me, it’s the dark. I can’t explain it. When I wake up in the middle of the night and walk down the hal…
We stood in icy snowbanks up to our knees, teeth chattering, staring up into the cloudy sky above us. We stomped our feet to warm up and stood some more, but there was no break in the clouds. After an hour, we got back on the bus and drove further no…
During the four weeks that make up the Advent season, the days get shorter and the nights get longer. To help compensate for that darkness, people put up lights and displays to help celebrate the Christmas season. I decorate my own house with outdoor…
Huddled together in the brisk morning air in downtown Davenport, a few dozen people remembered those without a home in the Quad Cities. The listened to 33 names, read aloud, of men and women who died this year. Sedrick and Richard, Rosanne and Amber….
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The Christmas season is filled with wonderful music. With a few exceptions, I love it all, and I delight in taking it in almost everywhere I go this time of year. I enjoy the music coming through the loudspeakers at the mall, I look forward to long d…
The essential element of baptism is water, poured out as grace. But nobody, baby or grown up, wants water dripping down the bridge of their nose. So out of necessity, we have on hand at baptisms these small little cloths, ready to dry off a forehead…
Alzheimer’s disease has a storied history in my family. My mom’s dad and a few of her uncles suffered from it, and in some ways, I’m very fortunate that I missed exposure to their suffering. It is a terrible disease, as it slowly robs us of our loved…