Author: sarainrealife
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Hope in God: A Meditation on Holiday Grief
Our mediation from tonight’s Blue Christmas service; based on Psalm 42. “My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, ‘where is your God?’” These words from Psalm 42 are an invitation to us tonight, to feel the conflicting emotions that flood our hearts when the joy around us…
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Have a Cup of Cheer: Mulled Apple Juice
In these days of budget living, I’ve discovered I can have all the taste of hot apple cider, at a fraction of the cost. Nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit more than tasty beverages (read holiday nog, cocoa, and cider). The warmth of a steaming mugful of cheer quickly chases away the icy chill…
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Privilege is not a 4-letter word
I’ve been waiting for the courage to pen these thoughts to find me. She must be on an extended vacation. … When did “privilege” become such a nasty word? Rarely do I see more defensiveness rise up from the bowels of its existence than when a well-meaning person is called on their privilege, and I…
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Living Generously
Yesterday’s sermon from Mark 12:38-48 Generosity is a concept and a way of life that I learned about when I was little. My parents, as missionaries in Brazil, South America, were always going to people’s houses for bible studies, marriage counseling, benevolence offerings, and all kinds of ministry. A lot of their ministry happened at…
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For the Beauty of Furry Friends
For companionship and love when our pets become our friends, for the soothing presence of one whose caring knows no end, Lord of all to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise My Guinea pig has moved on. After singing All Things Bright and Beautiful to Addie the Guinea Pig, as he lay…
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Love and Memories
Today, as I have a few times over the past four years serving a church with many elders, I assisted with a funeral. This one was different though. It was a celebration of life, a beautiful tribute of 65 years of loving marriage, a touching reminder of the fleeting nature of life, yes. It was…
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Veggie Stir Fry with Fried CauliRice
I have always been intimidated by the complexities of Asian flavors (recognizing, of course, that the only Asian flavors I have interacted with have been in Georgia, Alabama or Tennessee). On MasterChef, I watched a woman from a Chinese family make an amazing dumpling dish with a broth that judges couldn’t stop raving about. I…
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Practicing Gratitude
How do you practice gratitude? It’s one of those things that, for me, is easy to overlook in the daily hustle of life. Often, I neglect the practice of gratitude until I’m knee – deep in overwhelm and need something to pull me out. That’s why I call it a practice – because that’s what…
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Accepting Aging
Someone asked me recently, “why doesn’t anyone care about people in nursing homes?” Little did they know that I have a rant up my sleeves reserved for just such an occasion. “Because,” I said, “when a technologically advanced, production – focused society like ours can ‘medicalize’ something in order to find a pill for it…
SaraInRealLife 