Our church is having VBS this week.
Vacation Bible School.
It is such a privilege to have children come through the doors to learn about Jesus.
It is such a joy to see their smiling faces.

There are always the few children who do not want to leave their Moms.
There are always the volunteers with their servant hearts who step in with love.
Apprehension turns to excitement when they see that one familiar face they can sit beside.
Within minutes of hugging their Moms, they are singing with smiles from ear to ear.

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I love to go into antique stores.
I mostly like to browse and see all of the old things.
Sometimes I have something in mind that I am trying to find.
Such was the case this past week.

I was looking for a depression era mixing bowl.
There is a specific one I am trying to find.
The color I am looking for makes it a bit of a challenge to locate.
I am in no rush; I will find it eventually.

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They hung on for dear life.
There at the terminal, despite the announcement that the plane was boarding.
They didn’t want to leave each other.
They didn’t know if this was the last time they would ever see each other again.

To watch them was to intrude.
This was their private moment.
This was their good bye.
For some who will not utter those words at that moment, this was, See you later.

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There is no power in our house.
We have been bombarded with snow for weeks.
Until now, the power has remained on through every storm.

This storm is different.
This storm has freezing rain and extensive ice.
Temperatures are hovering right below freezing, doing its damage.

I woke up and grabbed a shower before we lost power.
Candles and a flashlight illuminated the kitchen.
I ate a small breakfast by candlelight.

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How I love talking to people after church.
My church family is precious to me.
There is nothing better than hugs from the children as they show me their favorite toy.
There is nothing nicer than hearing their stories or whatever is on their hearts.

One little girl always wants to talk to me.
Her big smile and bright eyes melt my heart.
She wanted to come talk to the lady with the red lips, her mom said smiling.
She knows me and my lipstick well.

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It is 2 degrees here this morning.
The wind chill makes it feel like 20 below zero.
The Northeast is being hit with frigid temperatures and record snowfalls.
News reports are warning about the hazards of being outside in this kind of cold weather.

Many set out only to find their batteries are dead when they try to start the car.
Ice crystals form on most windows; exquisite masterpieces from God’s Hands.
It is said that boiling water tossed in the cold air will freeze before it hits the ground.
It is THAT cold!

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I passed the historic building at the corner of Market and High Streets.
I remember ten years ago, a ruling came down which had all eyes focused on that corner.
Our county courthouse is on that corner.
On our courthouse hung a plaque of the Ten Commandments.

In April 2002, it took less than 60 seconds to cover the Ten Commandments plaque.
The 50-by-39-inch plaque was covered in tan aluminum to match the building facade.
The courthouse is in a university town, peaceful, quaint; not known for protestors.
A ruling stated that this display on a county government building is unconstitutional.

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I was talking to a friend who is moving at the end of next month.
She is ambiguous about the move.
She knows it is a good thing but she doesn’t like change very much.
She is a wife and mother of two boys.

It is not a far away move but it is in another school district.
Leaving friends, leaving the known for the unknown.
Many would say, It’s not like you’re moving to the other side of the world.
Cold comfort; I understand her feelings completely.

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Every parent can relate to the busyness of his or her schedule.
Even if you limit the activities your children do, you still feel like you live in your car.
It is not keeping up with the Jones-es.
It is allowing your child to expand their horizons, with parameters and limits.

With five children, we only allowed each child to do ONE thing a season.
If you did a fall sport that is all you did until the spring sports began.
Even with only one activity each, I still had five children doing one activity each.
My calendar was color coded for each child.
Schedules hung by magnets on the refrigerator.

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It was a few days after we got engaged.
We decided to go skiing for the day.
We went with our dear friend who would be our best man.
He brought a date as well.

I agreed to go.
I had never skied before, but I was a quick learner.
I remember wearing my purple jacket, gloves, and a hat.
I was wearing none of the things that I saw other people wearing.

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