By NANCY PATRICK In February 2020 Spirit of Abilene ran an article I wrote entitled “Like a Box of Chocolates.” The title alludes to the movie “Forest Gump,” but the piece focuses on the randomness and serendipity of life. In the article I referred to a television series entitled “This Is Us” on CBS. That series is now in its
Read morePew Research CenterNews release The United States celebrates National Day of Prayer May 5, a day Congress set aside in 1952 for Americans “to turn to God in prayer and meditation.” Pew Research Center surveys indicate that the frequency of prayer among Americans has declined in recent years. Fewer than half of U.S. adults (45%) say they pray on a daily basis, according
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By LORETTA FULTON At least two organizations will host live National Day of Prayer services on Thursday. 1-Kingdom, an organization of local civic leaders and ministers, and the Abilene Interfaith Council, which has members from various faith traditions, will host services that are open to the public. 1-Kingdom is sponsoring several prayer opportunities throughout the day, all at Festival Gardens
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By LORETTA FULTON For the second time in a little over a month, a new senior pastor has been named at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Effective July 1, Benji Van Fleet will become the senior pastor. On Sunday, March 13, Bobby Wilson was announced as the new pastor, also effective July 1. But Wilson, current pastor of St. Paul’s
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Tim Kennedy, former Univerisity Chaplain and director of Religious Life at McMurry University, was one of seven graduates honored by the university on April 22. Kennedy received the Outstanding Alumni Award in Religious & Spiritual Life. The awards were announced at the Annual Night of Distinction dinner. The Distinguished Alumni Award and Young Alumni Achievement Award were among the honors
Read morePalmer McCown, Class of 1961, former director of the HSU Baptist Student Ministry, is the recipient of the Altom Christian Service Award for 2022. The award is given in recognition of McCown’s devoted service to Christian higher eduation and for his exemplary influence in the lives of university students and senior adults. The award was given April 11 at HSU.
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By JIM NICHOLS I suspect my friend does not remember saying it, but I have not forgotten his statement, “Not every task demands perfection.” Like many of you, I have tried to do things correctly for my whole life. It has become obvious that most pieces of life are out of my control; nevertheless, I have worked hard to perform
Read moreEditor’s Note: This is the sixth installment of articles about missionaries Russell and Darlene Deibler. Click here to read the first article, “Evidence Not Seen” Click here to read the second, “Beautiful Feet” Click here to read the third, “Walking With Jesus” Click here to read the fourth, Face to Face With Evil Click here to read the fifth, “Lord, Just One Banana By DANNY MINTON Darlene slowly
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Craig Murphy, a well-known Fort Worth country music vocalist, has found his niche after trying several other pursuits that turned out to be short-lived. He’s certified in both law enforcement and auto mechanics, but his interest in both fields flagged quickly. During COVID’s darkest days, he tinkered with auto repair once more, but
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