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    Seeking Steadfast Faith

    On Wednesday mornings I meet with three or four women to study and discuss verses in the book of James. Like so often in the past, we are studying the right book. The message of James is relevant to our current time.  Count it all joy when you meet trials…

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    Visiting the Little Church in the Woods

    During the second half of the 19thcentury many immigrants came to the United States to work in  textile mills,  copper mines,  factories and    quarries. Often the Church was the center of their community life. Between 1886 -1888 a Finnish Lutheran Church was built in Jacobsville, Michigan. The bell tower…

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    The Great Lakes are the Ocean of the Midwest

    We spent one family vacation on the Delaware beach. It was restful to walk the beach listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing on the beach. The ocean is God’s grand creation. More often we spend time near  the  Great  Lakes  of Michigan.  Lake   Superior in Upper…

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    The blooms in my garden remind me . . .

    The tulips have faded and the lilacs have come and gone. Now the irises are blooming. The peonies delight me with their layers of petals. Spring has come again. The rhythm of seasons and immense variety of plants and flowers point to our Creator and his promises. While the earth…

  • Health - Marriage - Uncategorized

    No Thanks Birth Control

    On Wednesday, November 15th, a social media campaign called #ThanksBirthControl went live on twitter. It is interesting that this was taking place while so many stories of sexual harassment were coming to light. What has happened to the way men treat women? All through history there have been problems in…

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    A Song in the Forest

    What come to mind with the word silence? We live in an environment that is filled with noise and distraction. The prompt for Five Minute Friday is: SILENCE. Bible verses have directed my thoughts. There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. Ecclesiastes 3:7 We are…

  • Faith - Family - Uncategorized

    The Lights Along the Shore

    We laid my brother to rest.   For years he suffered with mental illness,    going from hospital to home, to hospital to group home. In February I was with him during a two week time period, spending every day at the hospital. While I was at his bedside he…

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    Gratitude on International Women’s Day

    As women in the United States we can give thanks for the progress that has been made in women’s rights and opportunities. My maternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmothers immigrated to Michigan from Finland. With great effort they raised families while managing subsistence farms. My paternal grandmother wanted to go to…

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    The Color Red in Spring

    The robins are back Hopping across the green grass Displaying red breasts. While the cardinals Warble a sweet a melody Eluding my sight. High in tree branches This bird sings a song of joy To the Creator. Linking with Nature’s Notes,  Seasons and Sue’s Wordless Wednesday

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    The Best Valentine

    Over the past few weeks I have been working on memorizing Ephesians 2:1-10. I keep note cards with the passage printed out in my purse. If I have extra time while traveling, a quiet moment when I am babysitting for the grand kids, I can pull out the cards and…