a very merry christmas sing-a-long

when i was little, we always had a crowd at our house on christmas night. after all the presents were unwrapped and the dishes were cleared it was time for the music to begin. we had stacks of song books, lots of singers, a piano, and some trumpets. it was a good time. a few years ago we decided to start recreating this great tradition. i brushed up on my accordion skills, my cousin monte very wisely decided to marry a professional musician, and my uncle mick was put in charge of the percussion...

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special delivery

if you’ve been checking your mailbox in anxious anticipation of my christmas card, i’m sorry to say you may be disappointed. i’m breaking tradition and blogging my card this year, so here it is for you to enjoy. this season i’ve been especially mindful of the realities of life; people who are hurting in the midst of a time of celebration and joy. even though holidays are especially difficult for some, i think these hard times actually make the birth of our savior that much sweeter. the other...

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an idealistic dreamer

remember those great conversations in college, where you would sit around for hours talking to these interesting and wonderful people you were lucky enough to call friends? the topics could be anything...life, love, theology, the future, changing the world, and of course brainstorming for the next great prank. time was never a factor. these convos could happen at any hour of the day and last an infinite amount of time [because conversations such as these were often much more important than going...

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why i love my friend

it is kim's birthday today and she's three decades old. there are lots of things i love about her, here are thirty of them in random order. i love kim because…she is a great teachershe loves the lazy rivershe is really good at fake laughingshe is very passionate about the jayhawksshe screams a lotshe is an avid gamblershe gets very hyper about winter weathershe loves to help peopleshe is digging herself out of the holeshe is extremely generousshe smiles a lotshe experienced new life ranch with...

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