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Stepping out of my car at home recently, I was struck by the curtain of sound that enveloped me as I walked into the house. The cicadas were alive in our sycamore (its name is “Charles,” because it’s “in charge” of the property). In an otherwise wond…
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This month marks ten years since I moved to the Quad Cities. I remember well those early weeks of exploring the area, finding my way to the closest grocery store or discovering new restaurants. Trying not to get too lost as I slowly became familiar w…
Conner was born several weeks early with respiratory complications that quickly placed him on life support. The lack of oxygen from distressed breathing resulted in irreversible brain damage. Connor had only hours to live. His parents faced the unima…
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Like many people around the world, I’ve been watching the Olympics, astounded by the talent, skill, and hard work of these athletes. But as I’ve watched, I continue to be struck by the empty stands, the rows of seats that sit unused, the vacant bleac…
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“Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.” – James 3:13 This…
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Three uniformed police officers were at church last night for a couple of hours. No onsite crime was in progress. Nobody was hurt. There was no break-in. These officers were on hand to provide commentary following the showing of a documentary film: E…
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“You’re going to want to be careful when your kids play back here,” he said. “Too many people fly down this alley. And when there’s standing water, it’s often seeping up from the sewage. You’ll want to watch for that.” All this came in my first 90 se…
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Earlier this month, subscribers of the HBO Max online streaming service received a rather strange email. Appearing in their inbox was a message with the puzzling subject line of “Integration Test Email #1.” And with the content of the note being blan…
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The return of Vacation Bible School at St. Paul this week takes me back two years to my first one here. I was only three weeks into my position and hardly knew anyone. Frankly, the hundreds of people – small and large – who swarmed through the variou…
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This week I found myself in a variety of conversations about health with different St. Paul people. In these conversations, I realized something about the way my own approach to healthy living has changed. When I was a kid, I would go to the d…
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We have one place in our house where we let our kids write on the walls. Every 6 months or so, we grab a Sharpie (yes, a permanent marker!) and head to the door to our pantry. There, on the door frame, we write little lines getting increasingly furth…
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High school graduation parties in our community are a big deal. Garage interiors get a spiffy new coat of white paint. Band mementos, sports ribbons, and grade school photos go public for a few hours before landing back in the keepsake box down in th…