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A Sunday in My Life
When I first read the Harry Potter series, I tended to rush through the action-adventure scenes because I was so eager to get back to the going-to-school-in-a-magical-Scottish-castle scenes. I cared more about the “mundane” (yet still magical) lives of the characters than I did about their extraordinary adventures. I tend to be the same way…
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Book Review: How Can I Make the Most of Sunday Services?
I received a copy of How Can I Make the Most of Sunday Services? by Erin Wheeler early this week. This was perfect timing, as it allowed me to read it in preparation for Sunday—which is exactly the point! (Plus, due to its brevity, it helped me get ahead on my GoodReads Challenge.) About &…
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January Recommendations
It’s a beautiful sunny day in Iowa—if you don’t step outside, that is. To help you get through the winter blues, here are a few recommendations for reading, listening, and learning. 1. This podcast that sparked my theological imagination. I regularly listen to Think Biblically, a podcast by my alma mater, Biola University. In a…
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Review: The Story of Grace
I returned from a much-needed vacation in Arizona to the best sort of mail: book mail! The first book I dove into was The Story of Grace: An Exhibition of God’s Love by 19th-century Scottish poet and pastor Horatius Bonar. This reprint of a Christian classic provided marvelous devotional reading, particularly for the beginning of…
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Every Book I Read in 2024 Reviewed in Ten Words (or Fewer)
I read a wild variety of books, from sci-fi to biography, Christian living to classic literature, memoir to investigative journalism, books on aging to books for middle-grade readers… That said, there’s probably something on this list for everyone! For a fun challenge, I decided to review every book I read in 2024 in ten or…
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Christmas & New Years Letter 2024
Last year I wrote a “Christmas letter” style post and found it helpful for updating friends and family, as well as for personal reflection. If life updates are of interest to you, read on. If not, stay tuned for other content. In a Nutshell As 2023 came to a close, Billy had a sense that…
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Christmas Recommendations to Nourish Your Imagination
I just looked up from answering emails to see that today is December 19th. How is that possible? Even though I’ve spent the last few weeks playing for holiday concerts and preparing for Advent services, Christmas still managed to sneak up on me. Anyway, if you are not quite in a holiday mood or are…
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Final Words & Parting Gifts: Thoughts on Pre-Selecting Funeral Music
Earlier this week, I played for a funeral. Although this is a regular part of my job as a church organist, this particular service was uniquely encouraging. The departed was clearly a remarkable lady. Her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren sang the hymns with incredible confidence, leading me to believe she has left behind a…
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Review: The Story of Katie Luther
About The Story of Katie Luther: The Nun Who Escaped to True Freedom by Gretchen Ronnevik is a brief, accessible biography of Martin Luther’s bold, resourceful, faithful wife. This book is part of Crossway’s “Lives of Faith & Grace” series, which “engages middle-grade readers (ages 8–13) with the real-life stories of Christian men and women…
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Reblog & Reflection: After a Children’s Christmas Service
I just finished playing for another children’s Christmas service which, as usual, was full of joy and cuteness and more than a few muffled laughs. Highlights of the evening included my organ student accompanying hymns with excellence, little voices reading big words from Scripture, and pews full of beaming parents and grandparents. Humor from the…
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“Stop”: Christmas Lyrics Based on the Book of Job
Earlier this autumn, I got to play Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living with one of the choirs I accompany. I’ve written before about how much I love playing Forrest’s music. A pianist himself, he writes choral music that requires accompanists to be genuine collaborators. His piano parts tend to be equal parts intuitive—fitting perfectly…
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Love is a Garage Door Opener
When we were dating, I would typically get off work earlier than my now-husband, Billy. My favorite running trail went past the church where he worked, so I’d park behind the church and chase that daily tread. I ran with particular enthusiasm during that season because I knew that if I “happened to mention” that…
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Ryanne Molinari 