Re-Gifting
Have you ever re-gifted an item? It’s OK if you’ve done it and you’re in good company. Studies show that most people have re-gifted, even if only about one-third will admit it. If you don’t know, re-gifting is the …
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Well Connected
An ironic side effect has developed in the era of social networking. While social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram connect people together in a way like never before, research is showing that increased …
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Well Pleased
One of the occupational hazards of my job as a pastor is that I am not as anonymous as I might think. From time to time I come across people who know who I am–and particularly my role as a pastor–even if we’ve never or …
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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 thing to work on during …
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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 like to leave decorations out as long as we …
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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 birth to the Son of God. But Matthew’s gospel …
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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 lives. We are right to …
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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 of the Advent season. The weeks …
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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 it. Behind Door #2 is the exit; if you …
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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, …
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