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A New Thing
You probably have some New Year’s traditions. Maybe you always gather in the same place with the same group of family or friends. Many people make a list of New Year’s resolutions–or at least one...
Elyse M. Nielsen
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Putting Christmas Away
It seems that there are two kinds of people. Some of us can’t wait to put the Christmas decorations back in the box and get everything back the way it was. But others of us...
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Joseph and Jesus
Sometimes we think of Joseph as a passive bystander in the story of the birth of Jesus. After all, he is engaged to be married to Mary, but she’s the one who will soon give...
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Bringing Joy
This year saw the release of the popular Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. She challenges our frequent obsession with clutter by asking us to keep only those things that spark joy in our...
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Are We There Yet?
You’ve probably taken a road trip from time to time. The journey itself can be fun, but at some point someone will ask, Are we there yet? This is a good description of our experience...
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Free to Choose
Imagine that you are faced with choosing between two doors in front of you. Behind Door #1 is the complete unknown; the only way to know what is behind that door is to pass through...
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Loving God
There’s a strong Jewish tradition of learning the Shema, taken from Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and...
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Freedom from Sin
Have you ever wondered: What would happen if Adam and Eve never ate from the forbidden fruit in the garden? I can’t say for certain, but my guess is that they would very soon find...
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Living With the Saints
The Pixar animated film Coco (2017) is inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), which relates to All Saints Day, observed on November 1 by Christians around the world. One...
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The Highest Power
“I’d like to speak to the manager, please.” Maybe you’ve spoken these words from time to time. Perhaps your experience at a restaurant or store has been unsatisfactory, and you decide to appeal to a...