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Ever since Malcolm Gladwell published his popular book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, more than a decade ago, people have been paying special homage to the benefit of “decision by instinct.” What Gladwell proposed, namely that quick…
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There is an ear on a stained glass window here at St. Paul. Just an ear, with curves and crevices, floating in sea of brilliant blue glass. It sits underneath the image of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, to the left of the sword. Of all th…
I never liked Valentine’s Day. It just seemed like another way for capitalism to reach deeper into our pockets and have us spend money on frivolous things. Don’t get me wrong – I love the chocolate (especially the day-after sales), but a holiday that…
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The Olympic Winter Games start this weekend. I’m a big fan of the Olympics in the winter because it gives me something to do while I’m bundled up inside, avoiding the cold. One of my favorite sports to follow is curling. It fascinates me to watch a t…
I’ve been thinking about brain science a little bit lately. On Sunday, I led a conversation with a room full of St. Paul parents about managing screen time. The conversation flowed out of the Digital Identity Faith Milestone event we hosted for 6th g…
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It all started with a little childhood obsession with birds. Young Charles Foster noticed the blackbirds flying around in his backyard and wanted to know all about them—what they ate, where their nests were situated, or what exactly enabled them to f…
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Over 50 years ago, Ezra Jack Keats helped a lot of people to see. It was simple, really. He wrote and illustrated a book called The Snowy Day about a child waking up in the city to a snowy day. Peter, the little boy, bundles up in a red snowsuit and…
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I am persnickety about clean windows in my car. If you have a dog, I’ll probably spot you at a stoplight one of these days, and then I’ll start talking to myself about those nose prints and tongue impressions all over your car windows. If my wife is…
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…
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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…
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A few weeks ago, I took part in the holiday ritual that happens in homes around the world this time of year. I ventured into the storage area in the basement of my house and dug out the boxes of Christmas decorations, the nativity scene, and tree orn…