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Back in February, when it was 150 degrees colder than it is today in Iowa, I sat down with a seed catalog and drew a little map, plotting out where I’d plant our vegetables and flowers. And on that one sunny day in May, the kids and I went outside to…
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A construction level hangs on the wall in my office. I put that Stanley No. 3 Type IIA (patent June 23, 1896, cherry wood with brass trim) there for a reason. It catches my eye at different points of each day, and those glances remind me of the need…
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On July 4, 1776, the land that now constitutes the Quad Cities was being claimed by Spain and was inhabited by Sauk, Fox, Ioway, Illini, Winnebago, and other native peoples. What happened in Philadelphia at the Continental Congress that day meant not…
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The show must not go on. That is what happened back in January when it got so cold that they actually canceled the theater. Luckily for us, and all those who attended the production of Kinky Boots at the Adler, it was rescheduled for last Wednesday….
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After the winter and spring we’ve had in the Quad Cities this year, even the slightest hint of nice weather begs for us to get outside. Last Saturday a group of young adults from St. Paul did just that. They gathered together for a day trip to Maquo…
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Recently I attended a high school graduation for a young person who doubted whether or not she’d ever walk across that stage. She had some barriers in her life, like others of her peers, but walk she did and I was there to glimpse her proud smile and…
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There’s a relatively new library that’s popped up in the city of Ankara, Turkey. At first glance, it likely doesn’t look much different from any other typical library. Just as you might expect, there are endless rows of shelves filled with books that…
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The indisputably most-visited museum in the world closed for several days in recent weeks due to an explosion of attendance. The Louvre in Paris is swamped with tourists. More than 10 million people visited last year alone. That’s more than 32,000 gu…
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I had the chance to take a city bus around Minneapolis last week. I stepped onto the bus and right away realized that I had no idea where to put my money. The bus driver noticed my confusion. He looked me in the eye and kindly talked me through the p…
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This week, I am at the Festival of Homiletics in Minneapolis – a conference on preaching. It has been four days of listening to, and being fed by, a diverse group of inspirational preachers and leaders from all backgrounds and denominations, each one…
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Have you ever smelled a loaf of fresh bread baking in the oven? It’s a warm and cozy kind of smell. It’s the kind of smell that can fill the whole house. Fresh bread tastes delightful, too. My dad makes sourdough bread from a fermented dough starter….
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If you know me at all, you’ve probably learned that I have a thing for rocks. River rocks and painted stones speckle my office and among these treasures are also a few gems: rose quartz and amethyst are my favorites. Some earthy types praise the heal…