By NANCY PATRICK I often write about the importance of honesty and transparency. As I look through my titles for Spirit of Abilene, I see some suggest an obsession with the idea. I seem overly invested in the topic of the danger of hypocrisy to relationships. I think this philosophy applies not only to individuals and families but also to

By NANCY PATRICK The holiday seasons that include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s evoke many emotions from many of us. As a child and young adult, I felt excitement and anticipation as I waited for the holidays. My family had many aunts, uncles, cousins, along with our parents and grandparents. These early occasions provided the few times we all had

By NANCY PATRICK I grew up in a church that did not observe religious traditions such as Advent or Lent. Although we observed Christmas and Easter, our leadership sort of skipped over other liturgical events, so when I began attending a church that followed the liturgical calendar, I had a lot to learn. The twenty-four days preceding Christmas is the

By NANCY PATRICK Recognizing that the twenty-first century world differs greatly from the world I grew up in, I confess that I would find today’s school systems difficult to navigate. In the 1950s and 1960s during my school years, we respected teachers as role models in our society. I fearfully admired my teachers and would never have disobeyed them or

By NANCY PATRICK For many years my husband and I did not lose any close family members to death. In my early sixties, I still had both my parents and both in-laws. The closest relatives I had lost were my grandparents. That status quo began shifting during my late fifties. My parents began having multiple health issues, including cancer for

By NANCY PATRICK Today’s world seems much bigger than it did in my childhood. Not everyone shares that opinion because the world today allows people anywhere in the world to see and talk to each other in real time, thus creating the illusion that the world is smaller. Because of this new connection we share with people all over the

By NANCY PATRICK I have recently mentioned that my church, First Baptist Abilene, has an interim pastor while the church seeks a new senior pastor to fill the position vacated by Dr. Phil Christopher last fall. Our interim, Dr. Matt Cook, works for an organization called The Center for Healthy Churches. Among many aspects of church needs, the Center helps

By NANCY PATRICK I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the needs all around me. I truly want to help those in need, but I sometimes have ambiguous feelings about the people themselves and the needs they have.  Rescue the Animals frequently sponsors a clearing the shelters campaign in which the centers try desperately to find forever homes for animals in their