My mother grew up on a small Finnish farm in Upper Michigan. At Christmas she would remind us that oranges are a special treat. When she was a girl her family had oranges only on Christmas. As a tradition we always received an orange in our Christmas stocking. When…
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We went to see Star Wars
Who is your favorite character in Star Wars? When Han Solo and then R2– D2 made their appearance in the new movie the audience gave them a round of applause. The first Star Wars movie came out during the first year of my marriage. I saw it with my husband. The…
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A Rose, Love and the Savior are in this Old Carol
The violins, piano and voices of the choir gave a beautiful rendition of an old German carol. I was swept away from the news reports and troubles in our community. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Here are the lyrics to this carol, Lo How A Rose:…
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The Family is Under Attack
The school board in my town met, and the community was invited. The federal government—specifically the Office of Civil Rights— has demanded that a transgender student be given full access to female locker rooms and restrooms. The meeting place, a high school cafeteria, was packed. Seats extended to…
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A Flower that Survives the Snowstorms
It is December in Illinois, and throughout our neighborhood there are winter decorations. We have a wreath on our door. My display of angels celebrating the birth of Jesus is in our foyer. We have had two snowstorms and to my surprise the calendula flower has two buds. It may…
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Christmas Cards for the Persecuted Church
Do the images of refugees fleeing Syria tug at your heart? Have you seen news reports of churches destroyed in Nigeria, Syria, Iraq and other countries? We are blessed in the United States although the tragedies taking place around the world touch us too. The shootings at the Planned…
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Did Mary Have a Midwife?
As I sat down to write our annual Christmas letter I was reflecting on gospel accounts by Matthew and Luke. It is apparent that the people of Judea lived in fearful times under Roman rule. Injustice, corruption and violence were common. A young woman lived in Nazareth, north of Judea,…
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First Snowfall
Friday night we had our first snowfall and by Saturday evening up to a foot of snow had fallen in some areas. We had a family event, celebrating our son-in-law’s 50th birthday. The roads were open but snow packed and icy in places. The scene was…
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Thanksgiving and Ancient Questions
As Thanksgiving approaches, I am aware of so many things to be thankful for—family, church, blogging community and home. On Thanksgiving my husband and I will have one of our daughters and her family, our son and his wife, at our home. I have ideas for activities for…
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Passion of The Suffragettes: What About Today?
We went to see The Suffragettes. It was tough to watch the daily life of women who worked long hours in a laundry. The setting in this movie was the early 1900s in London. The main character was gradually drawn into the suffragette movement and became willing to fight for…