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A dear friend dropped a lovely gift on my doorstep last week for my 39th (Yes. Thirty. Ninth.) birthday. Two of its thoughtful contents included a brand new sketchbook with perforated, thick blank pages and a pack of colorful, double-sided doodle pen…
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The lunch tables in the mid-1980s at my suburban elementary school were everything you would imagine them to be. They were covered with metal lunch boxes featuring the A-Team, Fraggle Rock and Care Bears; bags with ham and cheese sandwiches, carrot s…
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Who do you think of when you think of people with deep courage? I don’t mean gutsy, boastful people full of braggadocio. I mean individuals who possess profound internal trust in whatever their calling is at the moment. When friends and I used to dar…
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It’s “back to school” season once again, which usually means lots of school supply shopping and kids planning out their first day outfits. Teachers decorate their rooms while college students learn their way around a new campus. But, like most things…
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We’ve been doing a lot of improvising this week. After the derecho blew away most of the plans we had for Monday afternoon and Tuesday (at the very least!), we have been faced with challenges to innovate and improvise at nearly every turn. I’m writin…
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My family and I recently returned from a series of epic road trips which means: epic laundry. As I soaked a couple of new Columbia outdoor wear shirts in a cocktail of Clorox and Oxy, I realized two things. One, I must be slightly maniacal to be a mo…
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O Lord, hear my prayer. When I call, answer me. Come and listen to me. Zoom fatigue is real. Yet, for now, Zoom and similar video conferencing platforms also have their benefits. Of course, there’s the elimination of health risk. But there’s more. A…
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There is something pretty magical about July nights in Iowa. The fireflies dance around our yard, the air is thick with humidity, and bugs are singing in the trees. This combination of sounds and sights send me immediately back to my childhood and ou…
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When I was in college, I developed a bit of a bad habit. My roommates and I, at any given time, would make one of those homemade paper chains and hang it from the ceiling to help us mark the days to the next major event. Finishing a big test. Homecom…
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Our forty-first president, George H.W. Bush (1924-2018), was remembered upon his death through his own words calling for a “kinder and gentler” America that would become better through “1,000 points of light.” Such a spirit of remembrance seems appro…
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I’ve learned recently that I can be an asymptomatic carrier. That is a phrase I really hadn’t heard much, if at all, prior to 2020. As we all probably know by now, it means that I can harbor and transmit to others something dangerous without actually…
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Recently on a trail walk through the woods of Scott County Park, my daughter decided to break into an all-out run. After cruising up a big hill, she stopped, panting. She looked back over her shoulder at me and said, “I’m tired!” “Do you want to get…