christianity
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A Few Lessons from Pruning My Grape Vines

When we first moved to Iowa, we were met with tremendous fruitfulness—and not just spiritually! Upon moving into our home, we found a young apple tree, a mature cherry tree, and two lush grapevines. I was enchanted. Having grown up in Phoenix, I was used to planting ill-fated gardens each year only to watch my Continue reading
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Doing Death Together

Maybe it’s because it’s Lent or maybe because I played for a funeral on Saturday, but I’ve been thinking a lot about death. Okay, actually, I think that’s just my personality. I’m a joyfully melancholic person with a bent toward the Medieval. Memento mori (“remember that you must die”) has always been more appealing to Continue reading
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Why I Moved to Iowa

I was asked today how I knew moving to Iowa was the right choice. This picture is the closest I can come to an answer. In June 2021, two weeks before our wedding, Billy and I visited Iowa for him to interview at Prairie Bible Church and it was one of the worst weekends of Continue reading
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Not the First and the Last

There is a hole in my ceiling. In the basement room where I practice organ, what began as mild water damage is now a hole. My first instinct was anxiety, but as I investigated our home’s new “feature” last night, the following phrase came to mind: “You are not the first to have water damage, Continue reading
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This Fear of Our Lord 2023

It’s popular now to pick a theme word for each new year instead of crafting a list of resolutions. As a lover of words, this idea appeals to me. And yet, the word I feel most drawn to for this year is far from the ordinary ones—joy and kindness, for instance. Instead, my theme word Continue reading
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Our Temporary Eternal Flame

Many churches feature an “eternal flame” at the front of their sanctuaries, a continually-burning candle that signifies the presence of Christ. Our church, being nondenominational and fairly young, does not have such a candle. This week, however, we did have an eternal flame. When Prairie Bible Church first moved into its building, the congregation read Continue reading
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Wednesday

Wednesday is a day of reorientation. Monday and Tuesday, I reflect on Sunday’s services. What went well? How did the music interact with the message? Was my preparation enough? On Wednesday, I turn my gaze toward the coming Sunday. I finalize my service binder, confirm my prelude and postlude, and rehearse with the choir. I Continue reading
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