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An unexpected journey
BY DAWN REED At work. That is where it started. On a regular, boring, nothing-ever-happens-around-here night. Suddenly, the sky exploded with light, and they were face down, surrounded by glory. It was the very first Christmas. Luke 2:8-20 reports the exciting and terrifying event in detail. The shepherds – considered outcasts of society – received
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An unexpected calling
BY DAWN REED Many times in the Bible, God showed up on ordinary days. Moses was a shepherd when he saw the burning bush. David was also tending sheep the day the prophet Samuel came to his house. Gideon was secretly threshing wheat, and Elisha was plowing a field when their lives changed forever. It
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An unexpected gift
BY DAWN REED Tuesday evening, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the ladies of Allen Baptist Church. It was their annual Christmas party. The cooks and bakers of ABC had outdone themselves; tasty treats lined several tables. Women of all ages in brightly colored sweaters and shirts milled about the fellowship hall.
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The unexpecteds of Christmas
A few days before Christmas in 1981, my beloved came home with a great big present just for me. We were newlyweds, living on love and Tator Tots. I didn’t know what it was or how he had paid for it. He laid it gingerly under our sparsely decorated tree. Not one time in my
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Telling the Story: Holiday choices
BY DAWN REED I cried in Hobby Lobby this week. Because I missed my mom. Walking down the Thanksgiving and Christmas aisles, I was overwhelmed with a yearning for my sweet mother, who is now in heaven. The wrapping paper had me longing for her presence. Thanksgiving memories gushed forth. One year, not too long
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Those courageous pilgrims
The ship was packed with all their earthly possessions. The sails were ready to unfurl, catching the wind of adventure. The prayers had been prayed, decisions made. This would be the most difficult journey of their lives. The only thing left to do was step onto the deck … of the Mayflower. I picture it
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A very scary story
BY DAWN REED There were lots of scary things to see on Halloween. Vampires, Ghostface, scary clowns, Michael Myers, and zombies walked the streets as kids raced house to house for sugary stuff sure to cause cavities. We don’t have to watch horror movies or visit a haunted house to be frightened. Life is plenty
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Learning from other gens
Jaselle has been giving me tips on lipstick. I don’t ever seem to find the right shade, while hers is always spot on. (She can wear deep red like nobody’s business.) We recently talked about my struggle. I confessed that I have a hard time staying in the lines; she does not. She leaned her
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Looking back on 45 years
Way back in the 1900s (the 70s, that is), a TV show called “Fantasy Island” was popular. Once a week, a handful of men and women traveled to a tropical isle where Mr. Roarke and Tattoo awaited to make their secret dreams come true. My older sister, a close friend, and I were teenagers at
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Both feet in
Luke 5 tells of a day that changed everything for Simon Peter. He had worked as a fisherman for years. One long night of not catching fish was setting him up for a change. The fishing was not a casual throwing in a line, but a full body workout. It took several men to cast
