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‘The Perfect Gift’ for Anyone

IT’S PERSONAL BLOG
Stop driving yourself crazy looking for “the perfect gift” for someone who already has everything they need and want. Here is something perfect for everyone! (Photo by Deklofenak, via Big Stock Photo.)

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A recipe for home stewardship

IT’S PERSONAL BLOG – As a privileged, yuppie newspaper reporter in the 1980s, I was surprised to learn that the Salvation Army Citadel in my city was offering cooking classes for residents of its poorest neighborhood. I envisioned gourmet lessons a la Martha Stewart or Julia Child. What? Boeuf bourguignon avec champignons for the down… Read more»

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‘Diet for a Small Planet’ reconsidered

IT’S PERSONAL Blog – Exactly 40 years ago Frances Moore Lappé proposed a groundbreaking solution to a then-looming food crisis – eating less meat. Lappe’s book, Diet for a Small Planet criticized the vast stores of grain that are fed to animals for meat production. The book has sold millions of copies and is considered… Read more»

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The good old days before credit cards …

‘IT’S PERSONAL’ BLOG – For a week and a half my wallet was nowhere to be found, so I spent time in the financial reality I enjoyed in the 1970s, before ATMs made cash available anywhere at the touch of a button, and before credit cards were easy to obtain – or at least for… Read more»

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Hunger of the Soul

Today my appointment schedule runneth over, and it sent me driving all over God’s creation to five appointments, including a tedious clergy gathering and two grueling pastoral visits — to a dying woman in a nursing home and a parishioner in deep crisis. But at home, my weary soul found sweet refreshment, as it often… Read more»

  • September 21
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No power for worship?

‘It’s Personal’ Blog
When Hurricane Irene knocked out power on a Sunday morning we had to cancel worship. But is the electric company the real source of our power for worship? Of course not, but many churches hold services even though they seem “off the grid” of the Holy Spirit. (Rob Blezard photo.)

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Travels with Charlie

‘It’s Personal’ Blog My spiritual life has recently been invigorated by a Springer Spaniel with an inquisitive mind, a super-sensitive nose and unwavering insistence.  Charlie is a new addition to the household, and has daily needs that I must help him fulfill, lest my carpet and hardwood floors suffer the consequences. Charlie must be walked… Read more»

  • September 22
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Sgt. David W. Rider, a 2010 Army Reserve Best Warrior competitor and practical nurse from Strongsville, Ohio, assigned to Bravo Company, 256th Combat Support Hospital, grimaces during the push-up event while taking the Army Physical Fitness Test at Fort McCoy, Wis., July 26, 2010.

Are You Spiritually Fit?

‘IT’S PERSONAL’ Blog Catching her breath at the treadmill next to me, the woman in the pink tee shirt asked how long before she would see “results.” It was her first workout, she explained, and she was excited. Like a lot of people who come to the fitness room at the local YWCA, she was… Read more»

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Thirsting for God

‘IT’S PERSONAL’ Blog For about four long weeks, during the hottest part of a hot summer, rain avoided Adams County in south-central Pennsylvania, where I live. The broiling sun toasted our lawns brown and turned the blades of grass brittle and spiky. The lush green of the trees dulled and the branches and stems drooped.… Read more»

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Prescription for Better Health

‘IT’S PERSONAL’ Blog As America’s percentage of overweight and obese people continues to rise, nutritionists and health care professionals tell us we need to eat better, reducing consumption of fatty and sugary processed foods, and increasing our intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact, in Massachusetts and Maine doctors are “prescribing” vegetables for low-income… Read more»