by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 4, 2020 | Appalachian, Church, Writing
Churches were still hosting revivals when I was a kid. Often held all week or maybe over a series of weekends, they were big community events meant to appeal to folks who weren’t coming to church on a regular basis. Out-of-town preachers might...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 13, 2020 | Church, History, Waiting
Did you know quarantine comes form the Italian, quarantina, meaning 40 days? Hellebores – Lenten Roses Having just concluded the 40 days of Lent by celebrating Easter, that number seems particularly significant. And it is–there are quite a few Biblical...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Dec 16, 2019 | Church, holidays, Writing
Our pastor has been doing a great series called Songs of the Season that focuses on a different Christmas carol each week. Yesterday was Joy to the World. So, of course, we talked about joy (and yes, he does invite the congregation to interact!). One of his comments...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Dec 9, 2019 | Church, Friends, Writing
Each Advent season my church puts together a book of daily devotions written by members. I LOVE it!! Our pastor assigns scripture to volunteers and they then share their thoughts about the verses. It’s such a beautiful, personal gift and look forward to reading...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 23, 2019 | Appalachian, Church, Family, holidays, Memories
Monday is Memorial Day–the unofficial start to summer. And in Appalachia it means time to start planning for Decoration Day. Usually held on a Sunday in June, this is a day when cemeteries would be tidied and flowers placed on the graves. I’m not talking...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 29, 2019 | Church, Family, Love, Memories
On Saturday, my husband and I celebrated 23 years of marriage. That means, as of next year, I will have been married for half my life. My wedding day feels like yesterday AND a lifetime ago. It wasn’t fancy–shoot, it was in the (literally) one-room country...
