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In the Cool of the Morning
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Movie Review: Chocolat
Reviewed by Peter DeHaan Nomadic traveler, Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), shows up unexpectedly at a rural French village and creates quite a stir. A non-catholic, unmarried mom, and free spirit, she is not like the intransigent townsfolk. To make matters worse, she has the audacity to open up a chocolate shop across from the church—during […]
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Weathering the Storm
When we lost power last weekend, there were high winds at the time. Very high. To my dismay, the next morning I spotted three birds’ nests that had been ripped from my trees by the gusty gale. Although saddened by the loss of home for my animal friends, I was encouraged that most of the […]
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What is Really Important?
If we’re not careful, it’s all too easy to end up doing things that, at best, are secondary, and at worst, don’t matter at all. Such was the case of the people of Israel a few millennia ago. The prophet Amos states that God is critical of their religious gatherings, their offerings, and their music. […]
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Do You Have Power?
Last weekend we decided to watch a DVD. The only problem was that we were in the middle of a power outage. Undaunted, we gathered around a laptop and popped in the DVD. It would not play; something about a missing plug-in. Although frustrating, we moved to a second laptop. The DVD played fine — until the battery […]
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Credit Cards Supplant Cash
credit card
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How Do You Read the Bible?
Some people read the Bible like a textbook—to amass knowledge. Other people read the Bible like a book of law—looking for precedent and loopholes to justify themselves, ideas, and behavior. Still, others read the Bible like a “how to” book—noting the things that they should do and the things that they shouldn’t. However, all of […]
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The Third Time Is the Charm
Yesterday we had local school elections. There were three people running for school board and a millage renewal. It was about as simple as a ballot could be. I did my homework and was ready to vote. At the polling precinct, I filled out the paperwork, showed my ID, and was handled the paper ballot. In […]
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The Petals Have Fallen
The Petals Have Fallen
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What’s the Deal with Evil Spirits?
When reading the gospels (the stories about Jesus) in the Bible, it doesn’t take long to run across the phrase “evil spirit.” (Some translations use “unclean spirit” or a “corrupting spirit.”) What is an “evil spirit” anyway? Although contemplating the meaning of an evil spirit may be intellectually inviting, the central point is to remember […]