By JIM NICHOLS In my more introspective moments, I consider how I have changed in my life. This is normal, of course, and it can be an instructive activity. Many wonderful people have enriched me and cared for me; indeed, many have sacrificed for me. I have had a blessed life compared to virtually everyone I know. When I consider
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON A young man sat down one day and viewed his life. It was a life of despair. At one time, he was a man of wealth. He had friends, dined in the nicest places, and was respected by each person he met. Then, in what seemed like an instant, it was all gone. He reached into his
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By LORETTA FULTON The thought of a bunch of gifts under the tree on Christmas morning might have been dancing through the minds of children at a recent gift-making workshop, but you wouldn’t have known it. Boone Snodgrass, 7, was one of the children packing plastic bags with soft peppermints at a work station set up in the fellowship hall
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By CARLO SOSA-ORTIZ Sing, Daughter Zion, shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion;
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON “Christmas Tree Lightings:” you see them in movies, and many cities around the country enjoy one in the town square every year. They occur in the nation’s capital, state capitals, neighborhoods, malls, and about anyplace a group wants to have one. They initiate the beginning of the Christmas season. The dates will vary, but the excitement they
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(Editor’s Note: Monica O’Desky is the cantor at Temple Mizpah, 849 Chestnut St. She travels to Abilene for special services, including Hanukkah, which will be observed Dec. 23-30. She submitted the following primer on what Hanukkah is and isn’t.) By MONICA O’DESKY For those who may not be aware, what Hanukkah isn’t, and what it is: What Hanukkah isn’t: *
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By NANCY PATRICK For many Americans, Christmas celebration has begun. Sometimes people begin their preparations well before Thanksgiving. Although I’ve never done that, I have always tried to get into the spirit immediately after Thanksgiving. Years ago, I found it easier than I do now. At the age of five, my family moved to Texas from Arkansas. We began a
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By GRACE SOSA This Advent season has been one of the most joyful ones I have experienced. I began the month with an exciting new job, working at my church coordinating children’s ministry. My husband and I bought our first Christmas decorations for our first home. We both finished a semester of seminary and celebrated the graduation of friends. But
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(Editor’s Note: The following devotional first was published in an Advent booklet prepared by Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. A different member contributed each day of Advent.) By Kirk W. Hancock Depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, shame, rejection, abandonment, self-hatred, abuse, trauma, and grief. People struggle with these problems every day. Normal people with common problems. Their wounds are deep and painful.
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Spirit Of Abilene 