Though my experience was nowhere near as bad as some people’s, the first six weeks of the coronavirus situation were pretty rough on my nerves. It started with a birthday-related visit Mar. 21 from two grandsons. Two days later, one got so sick at work his boss sent him home. Then he went to the…
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Like so many other states, West Virginia’s primary election was postponed nearly a month. Not only is it taking place later than first planned, now “going to the polls” and voting may be more like a trip to the nearest mailbox. That’s what I had intended to do originally. After the impact of COVID-19 settled…
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If there’s one thing the pandemic has made clear, it’s how badly we need each other. As I heard one pastor put it recently, God made us in His image, which is why humans crave community. We reflect the original small group: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I saw the truth of that statement the…
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Our church didn’t meet—in person—last month. It was the same at churches I heard about, an impression backed up by this story. The national survey reported 90 percent of Protestant pastors said their churches didn’t meet in person in April. Of course, neither did most Catholic parishes, including one a block from our church that…
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About now, after an unexpectedly long spring break turned into a permanent one, a lot of parents have probably developed a new appreciation for their children’s teachers. I know I have after recently hearing a story from author and speaker Stephen James during 33 The Series—a Christian manhood program. During that day’s video segment, James…
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We didn’t pay any garbage fees in April. Won’t in May or June, either. This isn’t because we’re some kind of deadbeats. We’re not paying because our city council waived those charges for all residents for the second quarter of 2020. It was their small contribution to helping us deal with the impact of the…
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Were it not for the news coverage the previous weekend, last week’s 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City might have slipped by me unnoticed. The reports instantly brought to mind the shock I felt in our corner of the world in Louisville, Kentucky, on Apr. 19, 1994. I…
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The NFL draft won’t unfold in its usual, festive-like, crowd-pleasing fashion Thursday night. Yet the three-day event is still slated to go on, albeit in social distancing, high-tech meeting style. Some folks aren’t too pleased about that. However, when I read of ESPN reporter Adam Schefter’s recent rant about the league planning business as usual…
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The coronavirus pandemic has produced considerable heartache, especially for those who have lost loved ones and then can’t draw comfort from the hugs of friends and family because of the need for social distancing. However, at the same time, God is at work, doing amazing things that often get overlooked in the onrushing crunch of…
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When our church’s elder board met with our pastor to discuss the onset of Facebook Live-only sermons Mar. 22, he quickly brought up one advantage to our coronavirus-interrupted lives. “I’m loving reconnecting with my family,” our pastor said. “We’re all spending a lot more time together, now that we’re not all so busy.” I know…
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