Appalachian Blessings
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Giving Directions in Appalachia
For the first 18 years of my life I lived in a place where the driving directions included the phrase, "Turn off the paved road." I love that so many places in Appalachia can be reached not by driving down highways or paying attention to street signs, but by following...
Love Your Enemies, Sure–But What About the Annoying People?
It's clear. As Christians we are meant to love our enemies. To pray for those who wish us ill. And yes, it's often hard to do. But it's something I'm aware of. Something I'm working on. I've included several individuals on my prayer list who weren't, well, on my top...
When Only an Expletive Will Do
Remember in the movie A League of Their Own when Tom Hanks said, "There's no crying in baseball?" Well, turns out there's no cursing in Christian publishing. Nope, you just don't do it. Now there are plenty of folks out there debating whether this should be so, but...
Appalachian Wednesday–Blackberry Time
Summer is a fruitful time in the soft, green mountains of Appalachia. The black raspberries are done (no recipes here, I just eat them as I find them!) and now it's time for blackberries. (Early apples soon to come!) The season promises to be prolific with enough for...
Synchronicity–Time to Pay Attention
It's uncanny lately how often either our Sunday School lesson or the verses from Ladies' Bible Study match the weekly sermon. We're between pastors at the moment, so different people are filling the pulpit and apparently God is slipping them notes on our scripture....
How to Have Your Photo Taken and Like It
It's time for a new headshot. I like the one I have--my hair is nice, I look pretty good. But it doesn't have much in the way of personality. And it definitely doesn't offer any hints at my brand. There's nothing that says Appalachia, or everyday miracles (never mind...
Appalachian Wednesday–Learning to Milk a Cow
It was a sad day. Jim came home not long ago and let me know that our source for raw cow's milk had dried up, so to speak. I tried almond milk, but really, they're not fooling anyone. So it's back to the ultra-pasteurized, homogenized stuff that was milk once upon a...
What Would No, DID, Jesus Do?
Do you remember the bracelets and bumper stickers and posters that said "What Would Jesus Do?" The idea was to try to think like Jesus in a given situation. Sounds like a pretty good idea, right? Shoot, I imagine what characters would do all day long. Henry faces a...
Meet Sarah
