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Tag: Christmas

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Messy Christmas

24 Dec 202224 Dec 2022
By Justin Rossow It’s Christmas Eve, and my daughter was supposed to be home three days ago. She made it to the Minneapolis airport. She made it onto the plane.…
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Christmas Lights in the Dark

15 Dec 202215 Dec 2022
By Kim Longden I have always loved Christmas lights. Some of my most treasured childhood memories are driving around as a family oohing and aahing at houses all decked out…
For My Friends

The Christmas Cardinal

13 Dec 202211 Dec 2022
By Raelyn Pracht Growing up, we always decorated the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. My father would string the lights on the tree and wrap it in shiny, silver…
Faith Experiment

Priorities of Joy

9 Dec 2022
By Alli Bauck I shuffled down the dark hallway, letting out a sigh. It feels like I’ve been holding my breath; the half hour leading up to the boys’ bedtime…
For My Friends

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

23 Dec 202123 Dec 2021
The Next Step PodcastSeason 3: Light in the DarknessEpisode 10: Infant Holy, Infant LowlyDate: 23 December 2021Guest: Pat Maier, Visual Faith™ Ministry and Amy Meyer, Neighboring Life Also available on:…
For My Friends

Fresh Orange Muffins

23 Dec 202123 Dec 2021
By Justin Rossow and Pat Maier I recently had the chance to interview Pat Maier, one of the cofounders of Visual Faith™ Ministry, for the Next Step Podcast. That episode…
For My Friends

For His Bed A Cattle Stall

21 Dec 202121 Dec 2021
By Justin Rossow "Infant holy, infant lowly, for his bed a cattle stall..." I wonder why so many people go out of their way to get together over Christmas. I…
Cultural Studies…

A Field Guide to Humans

10 Dec 20212 Nov 2022
A Field Guide to Humans: Their Limitations and Glory By the Archangel Michael (transcribed by Conrad Gempf) My fellow angels! How resplendent you all look! Can I just say, I…
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My Christmas Letter to God

26 Nov 20212 Nov 2022
By Alli Bauck Every year around this time I debate sending a family Christmas card. In previous years I have justified my participation in this holiday tradition because we had…
Cultural Studies

Far as the Curse is Found

26 Dec 202029 Dec 2020
By Justin Rossow When Isaac Watts published the text for the now-famous hymn Joy to the World in 1719, he was actually paraphrasing Psalm 98:4-9. (Read more.) Watts pushes poetic…
Cultural Studies

Have A Very … Christmas

18 Dec 2020
By Justin Rossow I love Christmas time! Except when I don't. And a Covid Christmas brings up all kinds of mixed emotions (shaken, not stirred). My parents decided not to…
For My Friends

My Virtual Secret Santa

17 Dec 2020
By Naomi Rossow This time last year, I was in Detroit on Wayne's campus with my friends gearing up to take my first round of college finals. My friends and…

O Zoom, All Ye Faithful

16 Dec 202015 Dec 2020
By Katie Helmreich In those days a decree went out, that everyone should return to their own homes and stay there. This was the first pandemic in a hundred years,…

Dear Jesus, I Have Survivor Guilt

13 Dec 202014 Dec 2020
By Kristeen Bruun Over the past ten days, I have been working on writing my annual Christmas letter, something I have sent out for at least the past 30 years.…
For My Friends

Holiday Mom Stress

24 Nov 2020
By Amy Larson from Mom Fuel Whether or not you are ready for it, the holiday season is upon us. You may feel some extra stress about the holidays if…
Discipling Leaders

A Change of Epiphany Bumper Stickers

6 Jan 2020
Maybe you’ve seen the bumper sticker: “Wise men still seek Him.” I always kind of liked that one … Except the role of “Magi from the East” in the Gospel…
Discipling Leaders

The Spiritual Gift of Naps

1 Jan 2020
Jesus was known to pull the occasional prayer all-nighter; but he was also the kind of guy who could get so exhausted, that he slept through a rising gale and…
For My Friends

Fully Adopted

29 Dec 2019
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on the face of the university president when I hit him square in the middle of his bald head with a rubber…

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