By Jim Nichols The first two weeks of July were part of my boyhood rhythm. More correctly, they were part of my family’s annual rhythm. Those were the weeks when Procter and Gamble (my father’s employer) shut down the plant. Only maintenance workers remained; everyone else was on vacation. My parents planned family trips for us and, since Kansas City
Read moreBy Marianne Wood Maitland: What will you do now? Miss Madrigal: Continue to explore the astonishment of living. Sometimes, a bit of a line in a movie–especially one for which you had low expectations–grabs you surprisingly. It inspires you to be a better person or moves you because it connects with a sore place in your heart. I’ll bet that’s
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Walt Kelly is most remembered for his comic strip published more than a half-century ago. Its central figure Pogo–campaigning to fight world pollution–made an incisive statement that still rings true. You remember it: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” It’s about money. The golden rule has become twisted, however. Now, “them” who
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By Loretta Fulton If all goes as planned, United Methodists in the Northwest Texas Annual Conference, which includes Abilene, will become part of a new unified conference that will reflect changes in membership following the departure of many conservative congregations for the new Global Methodist Church. The majority of former United Methodist Churches in Northwest Texas have left for the
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Links to previous stories First Baptist Church Pastor Resignshttps://spiritofabilene.com/2024/04/07/first-baptist-church-pastor-resigns/FBC Moving Forward After Pastor Resignationhttps://spiritofabilene.com/2024/04/15/fbc-moving-forward-after-pastor-resignationFBC Welcomes New Pastorhttps://spiritofabilene.com/2023/01/26/fbc-welcomes-new-pastorFirst Baptist Names New Pastorhttps://spiritofabilene.com/2022/12/19/first-baptist-names-new-pastor By Loretta Fulton The congregation at First Baptist Church will vote Sunday, July 7, on whether to accept a proposal from the church’s personnel committee to ask Matt Cook to be the interim senior pastor. A town hall discussion
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TEXAS NORMAL SINGING SCHOOLWhen: July 21-26Where: Abilene Christian University Biblical Studies BuildingRegistration deadline: July 7. Click here to registerMore Information: http://www.singingschool.org WORSHIP LEADER CONFERENCEWhen: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. July 20Where: Abilene Christian University, Room 114 Biblical Studies BuildingLeader: Randy GillRegistration: Click here to registerMore Information: http://www.singingschool.org/programs/worship-leader-conference By Loretta FultonDeadline to register for the upcoming Texas Normal Singing School and Worship Leader
Read moreBy Danny Minton I recently wrote an article entitled “The Casualties of War” about our greatest war against Satan and how we should arm ourselves in the fight against the evil that he presents to the world around us. We are promised to win this war if we look to Jesus to lead us in the battles we face. However,
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By Jim Nichols The first of this year’s version of the Presidential Debates is now over. Many of us wrestled with whether we wanted to watch. Did we not know what each candidate would say? Should we even bother to spend our time on this? What we got was two candidates of whom neither seemed to be a preferable choice.
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury A Texas doctor, closing out a hectic week, hoped it to be his final medical appointment. He stared at a Q-tip that was devoid of cotton at both ends. “This Q-tip must have gotten right up against 5 o’clock Friday at the factory,” he muttered. In the span of one week recently, I felt that my
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