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Come and See
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Can’t you just hear the sweet voice of Linus as he lisps these tender words, clutching his blanket, alone on stage? He is so sincere – as he often strives to be – and so convincing that I think, “He means it. He must mean it. Linus knew His Savior” …or perhaps his creator, Charles Schultz did. As of this writing, we haven’t watched it yet, but viewing “The Charlie Brown Christmas” is a must in our house each year. Another custom is the reading Luke 2. Traditionally I devour the…
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Voting on November 8th – It’s as Simple and 1,2,3!
Guess what?! It’s almost over!! What an election year! I don’t need to remind you of the highs, and more often, the deep, deep lows of the last months. Like many, I have agonized over the “choices.” I have witnessed the mud-slinging shift from the debate stage to Facebook, pitting friend against friend as each of us has wrestled with the possibilities and feared for our country’s future. But after Tuesday, the decision will have been made. At least there’s some relief in that. Isn’t it interesting, though, that much of the controversy surrounding the two primary political candidates has revolved around the accusations of immoral and unethical behavior?…
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Why I Stopped Playing Church
When I was a little girl, our family lived in a parsonage (a home owned by the church in which the pastor’s family resided.) Ours was an old 5-bedroom house, built in the early 1900’s. An enclosed porch graced the front our home and was big enough for a small table and chairs, a couch, and a podium. I don’t know why or how this wooden stand came to rest in the veranda, but there it was inviting this playful girl to turn the porch into a church and hold services. Being blissfully unaware of my denominations’ feelings about women pastors, I held marriage ceremonies for my stuffed animals and…
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For the One
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14 (NIV) I love sheep. If you’ve known me a long time, you might know that already. I’ve been collecting sheep of all shapes and sizes for many years. When I…
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Parallel Parking and God – A Lesson in Listening
My last child, #4, takes her driving test very soon. She is just about ready, but has needed to work on her parking skills before the big behind-the-wheel exam. I have attempted to show her various maneuvers in a parking lot, but knew I had to pass her off to her dad to cover the intricacies of parallel parking. You see, her dad, who is a car-loving “gear-head” if there ever was one, can park a car inside our garage within inches of the walls and corners! A few days ago they set out to practice on the road, but before they did, my husband attempted to show our daughter…
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So You Want to Be A Pastor’s Wife – Part Two
Years ago I discovered an old book, written in 1956, called “How to be a Preacher’s Wife and Like It”1 written by Lora Lee Parrott. The book begins, “To marry a successful preacher has been the secret ambition of many fine Christian young ladies.” Ha! I snickered, “Not me!” In fact, when I first met my husband-to-be, I knew he was studying to be a pastor, so I told him plainly, “I’ll NEVER be a pastor’s wife!” We were married two years later. Why was I so resistant? Maybe it was because of the pressure that used to be placed upon the wife of the pastor. Listen to what else…
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