Over the holidays I ran into the husband of a friend of mine who had died years ago. While catching up I mentioned that my daughter was working for a hospital computer software company. He remarked, if only the local hospital had had that software years ago, maybe his wife would be alive now. What […]
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Many do year-end reviews. Me, I’ve been finding myself looking back over my whole life lately. I’ve been wondering, did I ever imagine myself being where I’m at today? And what about the state of the world? It’s a far cry from what I had imagined as a young adult, protesting the nuclear weapons build-up […]
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Is it just me or does it bother anyone else that stores start playing Christmas music during Halloween, and then, on Christmas night, it all disappears? I remember a Christmas a few years ago, when I turned on the radio after 6p.m. on Christmas day and couldn’t find Christmas music anywhere. I mean, even the […]
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Advent is a season of great expectations. We dream about the perfect gift or the perfect Christmas celebration with family and friends gathered in peace and harmony. More often than not, those expectations are not met, but that’s okay. Advent – a season of unmet expectations – has a lot to teach us about disappointment. […]
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What do you give that hard to buy for person on your list? Or what do you give yourself? If I told you there was a gift with a guaranteed positive return for years, where you would get more than you gave, you’d be interested, right? Well, there is. That gift is forgiveness – the […]
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One of my holiday traditions is to listen to Handel’s Messiah at the beginning of Advent. I’ve been doing this since high school when my brother gave me a vinyl recording of it. It combines two of my favorite things: exquisite music and the words of the prophet Isaiah. This year as I listened, I […]
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When I was raising my children, it was the little things that drove me to distraction. The attempt to come up with semi-nutritious meals three times a day, seven days a week. Making sure my children had clean clothes to wear (though whether they matched or not was another thing). Taking care of sick children […]
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“I lift my eyes to the mountains,” has been my prayer over the past few weeks as I’ve been surrounded by mountains in Mountain Home, Idaho. Each morning I enjoyed looking at the mountains in the distance as I walked, praying those words, as well as reflecting on the words, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, […]
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Let me begin by saying, no, I’ve yet to meet any pope. However, as a life-long Catholic and one in ministry in the church throughout my adult life, I am acquainted with the popes of my generation, as well as previous generations. As a Catholic, I’m aware that popes, even though they live far away […]
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We are bodily spirits. I’ve often read of the need for the body and spirit to align. We are told we need to listen to our bodies as well as our spirit. But what do you do when your body and spirit go in opposite directions? The Spirit is Willing … I don’t want to […]
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