Gone Too Soon: The Passing of a Dear Friend
This last fall, I lost my dear friend and neighbor Marianne to heart disease. Marianne was 80 years old. Many would say she had…
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Reflections
Transitions: Country Mouse, City Mouse
When I married Mike in 1983, I moved to Pasadena, California for the first time. Having grown up in the San Gabriel Valley,…
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Heartbreak in Northwest China, a Place I Called Home
The land I called home for many years is facing a dire situation. My husband and I taught English in Northwest China beginning in…
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Ramadan: The Perfect Time to Meet Your Muslim Neighbors
We are in the midst of Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims. It is the 9th month in the Muslim Lunar calendar. This…
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Springtime Promises – by Linda “Peaches” Tavani
As I await the early signs of spring this year, I have many things to do and renew. Some of you may need a…
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Holy Week: The Journey to Easter
While long winter nights ease into light-filled days and green shoots poke through crusty snow, the Lenten fast draws toward its final week known…
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Telling the Christmas Story
I was not surprised to hear the words “Your bag is overweight,” when checking in for my flight to Chicago to spend Christmas with…
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Spreading the Light on Hanukkah
Put on your yarmulke, it’s time for – wait, what exactly is Hanukkah about? Or is it Chanukah? Some have argued that there are…
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Advent: Personal Reflections
On this cold evening of December 3rd, the flame of one candle severs the darkness and eases the chill. It is the first Sunday…
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A Series of Laments by Julie Clark: #2 – Two Small Coins
I am writing a series of laments. As a white evangelical Christian, I did not learn to lament in my religious or cultural background. This…
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A Series of Laments by Julie Clark: #1 Grieving Violence in Our Land
I am writing a series of laments. As a white evangelical Christian, I did not learn to lament in my religious or cultural background. This…
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Five Things I Learned From Kazakhstan
My husband and I moved to Kazakhstan back in 1995 with our two small children, aged 2 and 4 months old. To say it…
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