Plus, a recipe for your Super Bowl party!
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We’re all in the mood for a melody.
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A tiny taste of Lent through the Little Things, to whet your appetite.
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A sneak peek at “semi-retirement,” while revisiting a favorite Thanksgiving post.
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Soon, I’ll be joining the loons on our southward migration for the winter. It’s been a good summer. I’ve learned a few things in this grand experiment that I can take with me on my future journeys back and forth.
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I turned 60 this past year, and I admit I have qualms about joining the ranks of older persons. Is my aging body a sign of weakness? Will others look at me and assume I’m incapable? If I let my hair go gray, will others see me as irrelevant?
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Fear can be a good thing. It protects from danger, preserves life in the face of enemies, and keeps offspring safe from harm. While wild animals fear humans, it’s common sense for humans to fear wild animals as well.
Wildlife is just that…wild life. Our role is to respect, protect, and care for the creatures we share this earth with.
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“How did we get so lucky?” I asked my husband, as we took in the view. From the porch of our Minnesota cabin, “our lake” looked stunningly blue through the white birch and pine trees.
Our cabin on the lake was an unexpected dream come true at the end of last summer. And although it’s already given us many happy moments, and promises years of delight in the future, it hasn’t come without some pain and struggle.
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Here in southwest Michigan, Spring is springing! She’s donned her redbud trees with purple jewels (I wonder why they aren’t called Purplebuds?). My favorite tree of all–the dogwood–holds its blossoms in tight little fists, ready at any moment to open that door, throw open its hands with pink and white whisps and yell, “Surprise! I’m here!”
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How was your week? Here's a rundown of mine, some recommended memoirs, and a story about work and rest.
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(An excerpt from LENT through the LITTLE THINGS by Linda Hanstra)
The older I get, the more I find myself searching for things.
“Where did I put that jacket?”
“Why aren’t my keys in my purse?”
And the most common: “What happened to my phone?”
I now have a solution!
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How do you handle your big milestone birthdays? Are they days to be concealed or celebrated? As I approached another “big one”, an unexpected surprise on the shores of Lake Michigan along with childhood memories, brought inspiration and peace.
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While I had some ideas for how I’d spend my time in retirement, I looked forward to a blank slate. I figured once my days were free, I could explore the endless possibilities and decide which ones to pursue.
Unbeknownst to me, God had already drawn up some big plans and I was about to receive a message on that empty slate.
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Our theme song for the week has been, “And another one gone, and another one gone. Another one bites the dust!”
The four of us are isolating together, much like we did two years ago on Easter Sunday, when both of our girls were sent home from college in March 2020. Our bucket-list vacation followed by a five days of COVID isolation during the holiest week of the year, has spurred reflections on our ever-changing Easter traditions, and the ever-constant reason we celebrate.
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The process of “self-improvement” is similar to my current “home-improvement”. The steps taken and struggles encountered in making over any aspect of our lives can be an all-consuming journey. But if we follow through with the project, the end result is so satisfying!
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Now that we’re older (and hopefully wiser), let’s reset our view. God’s Word is a great place to start, as the Bible is full of inspiration and instructions to keep our focus on “things above”. Here are six ways the Bible reminds us to look up–to find joy and hope–regardless of our age.
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Mom’s heart of love pulled us in. As her memory and skills faded, as grief over the loss of Dad enveloped her, and as her body failed her, she never focused on herself or her suffering. Instead, she brought us together. We came to care for her, to protect her, and to love on her, as she had always done for us.
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