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Perseverance – The Loneliest, Most Underestimated Virtue
Perseverance. Such a lonely, uncelebrated virtue. And yet, like an unassuming seed that falls to the ground with no witness to its burial, perseverance does its work deep within our souls and then suddenly bursts forth from the earth of our lives with the power of life to break through death and produce beautiful, rich, …[ read more ]
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The Half-Life of a Believer Lingering in the Tomb
Death is a cold thud onto unforgiving earth. It’s the keening wail of a bereft soul. Death is an empty stare. An icy rain. A debt come due in a dry season. An unwelcome knock at the door. A thief in the night. A dagger at your rib. A hand around your throat. A betrayal. …[ read more ]
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What a Bloody Mess We’ve Made
Adolescent gamers know moms are more likely to approve their game choice if they turn off the blood. Somehow, bloodless slaughter is more tolerable permissible socially acceptable easy to bear. Network television executives, too, know the secret to engaging us in violent flicks during primetime is to edit the blood. Bloodless violence slides under the …[ read more ]
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The Day I Was Stoned
The children were playing a game on the sea shore, who could find the whitest stone? “Here’s one!” “This one’s whiter!” “No, wait! This is whiter still.” “Keep looking. I think that one over there is perfectly white.” They came to me with their hands full of stones, why aren’t you playing our game, they …[ read more ]
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The Labor of Love – (Or What it Costs to Bring Life Into the World)
When I began my labor to give birth to Hannah, my second child, I must confess that I panicked. At the first pang, my mind went wild. Oh no! Wait a minute! I remember this! This is pain like no other. This is agony. This is hours ahead of loss of control and body-ripping pain! …[ read more ]