We were so overwhelmed with our transition to the Quad Cities 27 years ago that we decided to tell my husband’s parents that we wouldn’t be traveling to visit with them on Christmas. We felt we needed to spend our last Christmas in the only house our…
I struggle with control. I’m the first person in the room to pull out my planner. To use the word micromanaging is a bit of an understatement when it comes to the preferred method of living my life. These acts give me some sense of calmness and some…
During the summer, I work at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp, which is nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Because of our beautiful surroundings, we are often a destination camp for youth groups from all over the United States. Two summers ago, I had…
The year was 1982. My father had died. At the funeral my mother remarked, “But he was my eyes.” You see, mom’s eyes were failing. This began eight years of decisions – what shall we do? Should we add rooms on to our house for mom to move in? Buy a di…
The Christmas spirit comes alive each December at St. Paul, with objects,sounds, and sights. Here, we share some of the items that hold specialmeaning or stories for this most precious season. ORGAN The St. Paul organ marks 10 years this month of ins…
Each year, St. Paul children and youth gather items for people who are having a difficult time. This year, the gathering will be for socks, both adult and child sizes, to be distributed to shelters around the Quad Cities. Items will be collected in t…
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A big part of my faith is serving others. About a month ago, I attended the 8th-grade confirmation retreat here at church. To give you a bit of background on what we did, the retreat featured seven different pathways that encouraged us to ask the “es…
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St. Paul Lutheran Church will offer its Blue Christmas worship on Friday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. This service of hope is designed for anyone in the community who may not feel like celebrating. During the holidays, grief, illness, aging, depression, lonel…
I’m a “big picture” person. Details aren’t my strength. This is best exemplified by a trip I took by myself to Minnesota – or more specifically, the trip I took home. I had attended a conference in Minneapolis and, since it was fall, I decided to fol…
Just before Thanksgiving, my family and I traveled to Denver to see my parents and sister. Though we live in the Quad Cities, we flew out of Cedar Rapids on an airline known for its affordability. This limited our travel days, shortened our trip, but…
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My father, Terry, was a true outdoorsman. He loved to hunt, fish, work outdoors, and particularly to be on his cattle ranch in southern Missouri. It was obvious to all who knew him that he had faith in God. He was community-minded and always willing…
Hearing an unexpected voice can evoke a range of emotions – from extreme fright to joyous comfort. I have lived in the rural countryside for 47 years on a small family farm. We are the third generation on the 200 acres that have been lovingly cultiva…