Our dog’s favorite time of day is right after the kids’ bedtime. Paco knows that’s when we relax on the couch, mug of tea in hand. He sidles up to me or to my husband and enjoys our belly rubs and ear scratches. We are predictable in our evening routine and when bedtime rolls around, […]
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On a walk last month, I spotted a beautiful scene: purple morning glories in bright bloom framing a rounded doorway. It stopped me mid-stride and I slowed to look more closely and take a picture. The blooming archway seemed magical to me, like it would lead to some other fairy world awash with more delights. […]
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A small group of ladies at my church have been meeting once a week to read and discuss Learning to Walk in the Dark, by Barbara Brown Taylor. Every Thursday evening we hop on a zoom call and reflect upon God, and the role of light and darkness in our lives. Carolyn suggested we meet […]
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Whale-watching tours are big business in our area of southern California. I’ve never taken one but I know the best time to go is during the winter months. Visitors from out of state will shell out fifty bucks a ticket for a chance to see these magnificent creatures in the wild. Even in the winter, […]
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I didn’t grow up in a church tradition that observed the liturgical calendar and so my understanding of Lent was limited to giving up chocolate and coffee for forty days. Why would anyone sign up for that? As an adult, I’ve discovered that Lent is a much richer and meaningful tradition than I ever knew! […]
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We stood before the painting, side by side, admiring the larger-than-life flowers in a vase on the stool. My husband and I were on a day date while our kids were in school; usually we would grab a bite to eat between errands on a free day, but we were feeling fancy. Other museum guests […]
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Before the angels appeared to the shepherds on the hillside, there had been 400 years of silence. Between the pages of the Old Testament, and the New—a mere second for us to flip—lived a people waiting in anticipation of their Messiah. In those four hundred years, there had been no new word from God, no […]
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For many of us, fall ushers in a new kind of busy. We are finding our new rhythms for the school year. Extracurricular activities are starting up again. Seasonal holiday activities are on our minds. Home and garden projects demand our attention. And all of it crowds around our regular, daily to-do’s. We might miss […]
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This summer, my husband scoped out his family’s farm in Michigan for interesting rocks. Combing through the fields and woods on his family’s land, he discovered several rocks of interest, carting them up to the house in a wheelbarrow. I’m not sure how he sees the potential in these drab stones. I look over the […]
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One bright Tuesday as I walked my dog around our condo complex, I spotted a dad with his two young sons. In front of his open garage, he set out a shiny green bike for his preschooler and a red tricycle for his toddler. In the middle of their street, he had set up an […]
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Sarah K. Butterfield 