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Perhaps you’ve struggled to understand those words of Jesus about losing or gaining your life (Mark 8:35). Welcome to the party, I say. “Gaining the whole world and forfeiting one’s life” sounds pretty bad; like dying an awful death of suffocation in…
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It’s easy to be discouraged and sad about the state of our world right now. Most days, I force myself to watch the news because I want to know what’s going on in the world. But I can’t bear to take in more than a few minutes before wanting to turn th…
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To comment or not to comment? That is the question we all face countless times a day, be that in the digital world or the physical one. Things like comment sections on websites, chat boxes on social media, letters to the editor, and, of course, text…
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I’m sorry. That’s a simple apology. But is there such a thing as a simple apology? Some years ago, a friend named Bob Gordon did a TEDx talk on “The Power of the Apology.” Bob’s a psychologist who can explain all sorts of very technical things about…
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I grabbed my travel mug of fresh blend coffee this morning, climbed into my car with its heated driver’s seat, and left for work at a place I love. I nearly ran a couple of red lights, intent as I was on hearing the details of live reporting out of K…
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When the Broadway lyricist Stephen Sondheim died last November, many of us revisited the songs and musicals that he wrote. We listened to Sunday in the Park with George and shared our experiences of seeing Into the Woods. Broadway singers gathered in…
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For those who know little about snowboarding, the jargon of Winter Olympic commentators must really baffle. Terms and phrases sprinkled through the broadcasts from Beijing can sound like a foreign language. You may think chatter is talk, but in the…
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Once a month or so, I get the joy of helping with our preschool chapel time. Our littlest ones walk into the St. Paul chapel with their class, climb into a seat, and settle in. We sing a couple of songs, share a brief message, and give high fives as…
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Are any of you familiar with the children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst? The story goes that young Alexander, from the moment his feet hit the floor in the morning, has a string of bad luck: he ge…
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I notice dates. I am fascinated that Bettendorf will have a citywide “Zip Code Party” on 5-27-22, the date in this century that numerically reproduces its zip code. Will we even be using zip codes in another 100 years?! “Moon Day” – July 20; JFK’s as…
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A few weeks ago, we had our small Steinway upright piano tuned. It currently sits in our living room and has recently gained the fascination of our 9-month-old. Sometimes one of us will sit and play chords or simple songs while Micah listens contente…
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It’s January 6th, the festival of Epiphany. Around the world, Christians remember the day the wise men were led by a star to find Jesus. For many, this is the day when gifts are exchanged and big family gatherings happen. It’s a kind of capstone of t…