Snap judgments. We’re all guilty of making them. In my case, that includes consigning aromatherapy and essential oils to the fringes of some weird, mystical, New Age land. Yet I knew nothing about them. Experience changed my mind. It started while I was editing a book this past summer about natural ways to fight colds…
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I first heard the term “spiritual markers” when my wife and I went through Experiencing God. Henry Blackaby’s bestselling Bible study has sold more than six million copies, been translated into 35-plus languages, and spawned many other books and studies. Blackaby calls these markers a time of “transition, decision or direction” when he knows that…
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More than five years ago, at an extended family member’s wedding, I encountered a guest who spoke of her plans to take early retirement the following spring. Nothing earth-shattering—except for the fact that she planned to do so at the ripe old age of 52. Discussing her plans to play with her grandchildren (who, I…
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Soon after becoming a follower of Christ, I heard the phrase “divine appointments.” Namely, that God arranges opportunities to touch another person’s life with the gospel or a word of hope. For someone who makes a living taking notes, you might think I would have kept better track of such encounters. Sadly, I haven’t. Still,…
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Sometimes the most significant events take place in relative anonymity, outside of TV cameras, cell phone videos, or news reporters chronicling it as “something important.” Such was the case at a recent city-wide prayer meeting at the Huntington High School auditorium. The gathering of several hundred individuals followed the Sept. 7 “One Prayer” observance sparked…
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Until the recent Ohio River Festival of Books, I knew little of author Marc Brown or his phenomenal “Arthur” children’s books, which have sold more than 65 million copies. I knew they had been made into an Emmy Award-winning (six of them) series on PBS, but my primary reason for attending his keynote address was…
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The oil painting measured an impressive six-by-seven feet. Though it carried no clue of locale, its depiction of a bus rounding a wide, curved street reminded me of the New York cityscapes often featured on TV shows like Becker and Castle. And it was just one among many pieces of impressive art on display at…
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I missed Marshall University’s recent 30-point thumping of my alma mater, Ohio University. Ironically, the afternoon the Bobcats were playing in Huntington, I was at a family reunion 35 miles west of OU’s campus in Athens, Ohio. However, a week before the game, I warmed up for the current football season by attending an outdoor…
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Hundreds of Huntington, West Virginia churches came together—spiritually, not physically—on Sept. 7. The “One Prayer” initiative got its spark from Mayor Steve Williams, who asked churches to unite in prayer to ask for God’s help with the city’s serious drug addiction problems. The day after, a friend posted a Facebook link from her church of…
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A couple of positive reviews last fall of The Book Thief had me interested in taking in the film during a spate of interesting movies that hit theaters in the pre-Christmas time frame. Although we failed to make it during its initial theatrical run, the bonus behind today’s rapid DVD release cycles means that just…
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