By JIM NICHOLS She looked like a regular university student, but she was carrying a background that made her unique and, to me, especially positive. She was a “missionary kid” and had spent most of her life in a country and lifestyle much different from mine. She told me that it had taken her several months after arriving back in
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON The sea’s gentle swells glistened momentarily, then once again fell dark as the moon appeared from behind the clouds and returned to darkness. The clock had just passed midnight breaking into a new day. It was July 30, 1945. Several hundred miles from the nearest shore in the Philippine Sea, the Portland Class Heavy Cruiser, the USS
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CURTIS HOUSE CULTURAL CENTER630 Washington St325-701-7804Facebook Instead of meeting in person for the 2020-2021 programming year, the Abilene Interfaith Council is presenting video interview with local religious figures or tours of local institutions. The latest is an interview with the Rev. Andrew Penns, pastor of Valley View Missionary Baptist Church. The setting is the Curtis House Cultural Center, which Penns
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON In the movie “City Slickers,” Mitch, a city boy, has a conversation with Curly, a rough-looking cowboy. The conversation goes: Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? Curly: [holds up one finger] This.Mitch: Your finger?Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that, and the rest don’t mean nothin’.Mitch: But, what is the “one
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK Many of us will talk about the hardships of the year 2020 for a long time. This year has indeed made life difficult for more than one reason. Even though 2021 has begun, I include the recent hardships of the deadly winter in the difficult year that began last March when the COVID pandemic began. I had
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS If one tends toward a somewhat cynical view, transitions in life do not seem so significant as they do to others. Graduations, proms, weddings, and even funerals can be described as simply human concoctions that are trivial in their true importance. There is work to be done, decisions to be made, and thoughts to be considered—let us
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By LESLIE STRADER Mashed potatoes and gravy. Fried chicken. Chocolate cake. There’s a reason it’s called “comfort food.” We turn to this nostalgic nourishment (those are some of mine anyway!) when we seek relief from pain or stress or sorrow. There is a kind of soul-ease that comes when our bellies are full of food that is familiar and satisfying.
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Editor’s Note: Everyday Ministry is an occasional feature of Spirit of Abilene, highlighting people who weave ministry into their everyday lives. If you know someone you would like to see featured, email editor@spiritofabilene.com with the name, contact information and a brief description of the person’s ministry. By LORETTA FULTON Ray Holder’s philosophy of helping others is a modest, understated one, but it
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsFor Further Information: Kristy McDonough ksmcdonough89@gmail.com325-665-2200 By Kristy McDonough On Sunday, February 21, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were busy unloading pallets of bottled water in the parking lot to help the Abilene community. Abilene was under a
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