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Telling the Story: Noah’s journey
Noah’s journey did not begin when he stepped onto the ark. It began hundreds of years before. He had walked with God for centuries before the ark. In the book of Genesis, the Bible does not say Noah’s father, Lamech, walked with God. Or his grandfather, Methuselah, who lived to the ripe old age of…
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Telling the Story: Helping those in need
BY DAWN REED A thrill seeker I am not. There are two super scary things I’ve done: white water rafting at the Breaks (I nearly drowned) and riding the skylift at Natural Bridge State Park, where I made a vow to the LORD that still stands to this day. My idea of adventure is to…
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Telling the next generation
BY DAWN REED “Are you serious?” I nearly shrieked. “Surely there is someone else, someone better.” My mind was blown. An assistant position had come open in the youth Sunday School class, and my beloved thought I would be a good fit. That was me a long time ago; I hadn’t taught youth in 20…
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Telling the Story: My cooler runneth over
BY DAWN REED “Set the small cooler out on the front porch,” my beloved called to say on his way out of the hollow. “And put the ice packs from the freezer in it, too.” I had no clue what was going on, but I did as instructed. With my own errands to run, I…
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Telling the Story: When God is cooking something up
BY DAWN REED My beloved is a great cook. He stirs up delicious meals on a regular basis. In the kitchen, he is a free spirit, adding a dash of this and a pinch of that without measuring a thing. With his Bluetooth speaker connected to his iPhone, he chops, slices, and dices to the…
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Telling the Story: The search for a vessel
BY DAWN REED I was searching for a container, a vessel. A tiny fern needed a place to grow. Every spring, my beloved showers me with flowers and plants to be potted on the front and back porches of the parsonage. They are a friendly welcome to family and friends. Some of my favorites are…
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Telling the Story: Growing in a hard spot
BY DAWN REED It caught my eye as I drove out of the church parking lot. I slammed on the brakes and then inched backward to take a look. There, in the middle of the blacktop, was a tiny sprout of green. Getting out of the car, I couldn’t help smiling. In a large field…
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Telling the Story: Trusting in many things
BY DAWN REED Each one of us had lugged two 50-pound suitcases to the check-in counter. One held personal items; the other was full of medical or dental supplies. We also had carry-ons and backpacks. We had a plan and a mission: we were headed to Nairobi, Kenya, for a medical and dental clinic with…
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Telling the Story: A 95-year-old treasure
BY DAWN REED “At exit 15, turn left. Go 8 miles and turn right. In 2 miles, turn left and go six more miles.” We had exact directions. It sounded like a treasure map. Indeed, it was. After an hour and 40 minutes, we arrived at our destination: Bethel Christian Church. My friend Becky and…
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The stain of oil, the stain of sin
BY DAWN REED The clanging alerted me that there was a problem. Some sounds are not ever supposed to come out of the dryer. I hurried to the laundry room. Yanking open the dryer door, I began pulling out my beloved’s dress pants and shirts. (The load was his good stuff for church.) In the…