November 2017
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one thing to add to your Christmas list
Show of hands: who’s feeling the push and panic of the holidays? That would be both hands up for me. I have purchased exactly one present so far. One. And yes, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but we kind of lost steam with the tree after an initial burst of decorating.…
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the stories that make us
The blaze began at the cookstove. Sparks whooshed up the chimney igniting dry-as-tinder wood shingles. The father, an Alabama farmer, was away working the fields, but a hero was waiting in the wings: a fifteen-year-old who refused to let her house burn down.
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the tough stuff that made me
If you caught my last post, you’ll know I was a mash-up of competing football loyalties this weekend. Let’s just say 3 out of 4 wins ain’t bad, and one contest pitted two of my favs against each other for an upset that has the whole SEC wondering what’s next. All I’ve got to say…
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the places that made me
This week I’m thanking God for the places that made me. I am a Southern girl through and through, but I admit that the Deep South is a complicated place to be from. For all our churches, hospitality, and genteel manners, we can’t deny a legacy of racism, classicism, illiteracy, and poverty. Turns out, though,…
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The People Who Made Us: An All-Saints Meditation
Happy All Saints Day! Though my church tradition doesn’t specifically celebrate the day, I tend to pause on Nov 1st to think about the people who came before me. Looking back can help us move forward, especially when we celebrate the examples of those who rose above their circumstances and failures to press on in…