Tag: The Christian Life
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On Beginning a New Year
Hi there, readers! Can you believe it’s January 22nd? The Christmas decorations have been stored away for a couple of weeks now. Candles are sprinkled throughout my house during these winter months, providing light and comfort on cold days. Yesterday, the temperatures in New York were bitterly cold. Walking outside for even a few minutes…
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A Writer’s Manifesto: The Kind of Writer I Want to Be
This summer was the first in several that I did not have a writing deadline. The book was finished, published in fact. Outside of one book review due in June, I had no other commitments. Instead of feeling a sense of freedom and anticipation, I felt lost and overwhelmed. I didn’t write nearly as much…
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August, Again
It’s that time of year. School starts for my family on August 23. Ever since I returned to teaching, I refer to August as a transition month because it contains both summer days and school days. At my house, back-to-school preparations are in full swing. This got me wondering how many times I have written…
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A New Year, A New Word
Happy New Year, friends! I took down the last of the outdoor Christmas lights today and saw a school bus rumble past, signaling the end of Christmas Break and the return to normal life. Tomorrow is the start of my “normal” with classes and activities resuming. The other day, while chatting with my parents on…
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Would It Help?
I think there are two kinds of blog writers—those who can pump out pieces several times a week and those who post more sporadically. I certainly fall into the later category, especially as of late. On the one hand, this discourages me and causes me to question whether I should consider myself a blogger. I’m…
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Living in Ordinary Time
Recently, a friend forwarded to me this blog post about “ordinary time.” If you are familiar with the church calendar this phrase means something to you. If not, keep reading for a fuller explanation. This essay was a timely read for me. Like the daughter in this piece, my children and husband serve as my…
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Always Orange at Home
Week Four: Always Orange in the Living Room Climb out of the basement, readers. We are back on the main floor this week for part four in the series Always Orange at Home. So far, we have spent time in the kitchen, the dining room, the basement, and this week we will spend some time…
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Another School-Year Beginning
Tomorrow my official duties as a teacher begin for the school year—even though the calendar says Saturday. Orientation for middle school students happens on the weekend so that come Monday morning we can hit the ground rolling. Tomorrow afternoon I will host a group of 7th grade girls in my living room for cookies and…
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A Letter to my Younger Self
Earlier this summer, while visiting family in the Midwest, I decided it was time. For the past twenty-three years, my wedding dress has been carefully persevered in a sealed box, neatly stuffed with tissue paper and form-shaping pieces of cardboard. During my family’s years of moving for graduate school, my parents agreed to store “the…
Alicia Brummeler 