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Things that return
BY DAWN REED My beloved texted me while I was at work that he loved me and I had a surprise waiting at home. I smiled as I made the drive to Big Branch wondering what it would be. When I walked in the door, he called out, “Close your eyes!” Taking my hand, he…
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Turkey hunting and everyday life
BY DAWN REED My beloved has been planning on going turkey hunting for months. Being totally ignorant about the whole thing, I hadn’t realized all that went into it. There’s lots of stuff to do to get ready. There are many things to acquire before setting out: camo pants, camo shirt, camo belt, camo hat,…
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Telling the Story: Praise the Lord and hip, hip, hooray
BY DAWN REED Luke 13:10-13 tells a beautiful story of what Jesus can do in someone’s life: “On a Sabbath when Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, a woman was there who had been crippled for 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her,…
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Telling the Story: Truly celebrating Easter
BY DAWN REED Her words convicted me to the bone marrow. My eyes filled with tears and I covered my mouth not to sob out loud. She hadn’t intended to make me cry. Jen is one of everybody’s favorite people. She is the church aunt or grandma all of us need. She gives hugs and…
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Telling the Story: Fear of the dentist
BY DAWN REED Fear is a Goliath we all face daily. Life is full of hard things. Just today, you will face uncertain, unknown situations. You have the choice of trusting God in scary circumstances. Being afraid is OK. A while back I heard that when you are scared and your heart is racing, you…
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Telling the Story: Last words
BY DAWN REED Moses is just about to die. In a few pages, he will climb Mount Nebo to the top of Pisgah and then be buried by the LORD (Deuteronomy 34). I’ve been dreading it for days. Reading the Bible chronologically this year, the LORD has breathed new life into the old, old stories…
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The story of Saint Patrick
BY DAWN REED The true story of St. Patrick is not for the faint of heart. In fact, when I have the opportunity to share it with the church kids, I don’t give all the details to the little ones. While much is available on the internet these days, I learned Pat’s amazing story years…
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Telling the Story: Holding on to things we don’t need
BY DAWN REED It was a delicious meal, shared with good friends. We had found a retro Italian place an hour away-new for all of us. The appetizers were yummy. I had never had cheese fonduta before. Now it’s a favorite. A take on cheese fondue, we dipped chunks of sourdough bread, pepperoncini, and salami…
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Telling the Story: Girded up
BY DAWN REED On the outside, I looked fabulous: a new white wig in place, pink sparkly cat-eyed glasses, and a puffy pink gown with lots of tulle and glitter. Below the surface, not so much. The fear of being pulled over or in an accident kept me driving very carefully. I have the absolute…
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Comfort in times of trouble
BY DAWN REED My heart hurt over the man’s troubles. One thing after another was going wrong in his life. Loss after loss had laid him low. And he didn’t understand. He had been faithful to God. Why was he suffering so? I had known of the man’s heartaches and loss. Reading it again stirred…