by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 29, 2023 | Appalachian, Church, Family, holidays
When I was growing up in West Virginia, Memorial Day was less about a day off from work or school and more about “decoration” at the church cemetery. We didn’t always hold Decoration Day ON Memorial Day, but it was always around this time. The idea,...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Feb 27, 2023 | Church, Faith, Friends
We took communion at church last week during our Ash Wednesday service. Communion is a joyful sacrament. But as we enter Lent, it’s solemn as well. And as I took the bread and the juice, I remembered watching Betty–one of the saints of the church–do...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 29, 2021 | Church, Family, Love, Memories
I’m hopelessly sentimental. That’s part of the reason I love writing stories set in the recent past. It’s like getting to time travel and hang out with my grandparents and great-grandparents! So when my cousins in Pennsylvania boxed up a bunch of...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Apr 19, 2021 | Appalachian, Church, Family, Memories
We’ve gone from winter to grass-mowing season here in Western North Carolina. Lawns are suddenly lush and thick and green . . . and in need of maintenance. Let me just say, I’m not a fan of cutting the grass and thankfully my husband is the Head of Lawn Maintenance at...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Feb 4, 2021 | Church, Speaking
While I’m REALLY hoping we’ll get back to in-person events before the year is out, in the meantime I appreciate that virtual events make it possible to reach a wider audience. And I’m fortunate to even have folks inviting me to put on virtual events!...
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...
