Category: Uncategorized
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The Blessing of Thankfulness

By Annette Halsey Introduction: Fresh cranberries are available in the grocery store—which, when boiled with water and sugar make an excellent topping for roasted butternut squash. The air is getting crisp and chill. Once again, November has come, and Thanksgiving is here. Looking Back: Generally, among the line-up of US holidays, I like Thanksgiving. I…
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The Legacy of Storytellers

Written by Judy Kenagy Family Stories: I have lived in the Southwest several times in my life, I have long been fascinated by the Pueblo Indian Storytellers. Colorful pottery figurines portray Native grandmothers or grandfathers seated and surrounded by children. The mouth of the grandparent is always large and opendepicting the sharing of oral history…
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The Power of Gathering

By Kelley Easley As temperatures drop and the leaves change color in the Ozarks, I’m reminded that the holidays are fast approaching. Perhaps more so than at any other time of the year, the holidays beckon us to set aside time out of our busy schedules, and invite us to gather. Each holiday season, people…
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Spiritual Strength Training

By Kelley Easley Who would’ve thought that the Holy Spirit could use the experience of caulking a bathtub to teach me something about the value of trials? For months on end, our bathtub had been a source of stress to me. The grout had largely worn off, and mildew was taking its place. It badly…
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Hall of Faith: Abel and Enoch

By Annette Halsey Who are Abel and Enoch? Why are Abel and Enoch in the “Hall of Faith”? Seriously?! King David is grouped with a bunch of others at the end of the chapter and the prophet Daniel isn’t even mentioned by name, while Abel and Enoch are mentioned in detail. The heroes listed are…
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The Power of Nothing

By Kelley Easley To say that I am not technologically savvy would be a huge understatement. Because my phone is always running out of charge, some thoughtful friends sent me a power bank all the way from another continent. It seemed like a perfect solution except, true to form, I haven’t figured out how to…
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Hebrews 11 Intro

The book of Hebrews is often considered one of the scariest books in the New Testament. Many Christians avoid the book altogether due to the warning passages contained in it (2:1-4, 4:12-13, 6:4-8, 10:26-31, 12:25-29). However, did you know the book was actually written to be an encouragement to its readers? The author of Hebrews…
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A White Stone and a New Name

Written by Judy Kenagy Recently, as I walked along the beach of Ocean Shores, I zeroed in on three small white stones. They caught my eye despite being covered by the sand and dwarfed by countless shells and seaweed. I was attracted by their purity, size and smoothness, and saw them as a collector’s item. …
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Rewardable Attributes: Peacemakers

Written by Kathryn Wright Over the last few months, we have been taking a look at the individual attributes of the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:1-12. If you are interested in seeing the other installments go check them out here. You will find blogs addressing humility, meekness, mercy, and those who are pure in heart.…
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Embracing Change

Change. For over two years now, it has been the resounding—and unrelenting—theme of my life. And while I am learning to expect it, it never really gets any easier to accept. During the past 26 months, our family has faced unemployment, cancer, Covid, and the loss of both our beloved pastor and a precious elder…