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Lessons from a Bird Feeder
I have no idea what the weather will be like when this is posted and when you are reading these words. I’m typing these words on December 24, 2022. As you may remember if you live anywhere close to Paducah, Kentucky, as I am typing this, there is snow on the ground and the temperature is in the teens. It seems that those who wish for a white Christmas will have that wish granted this year. That fact has made the bird feeder outside of our sunroom very popular all of a sudden. For quite some time, Donna and I have sort of lamented the fact that we haven’t had any…
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An Influencer
Having all of our family home for the holidays was simply wonderful. We even had a few extra days to relax and enjoy one another’s company. One of those days was spent with the girls going shopping at our mall. We enjoyed browsing through the stores without all of the hustle and bustle of trying to find just the right gift. When it was time for lunch, we decided to just eat in the food court and our guys joined us. While eating lunch I noticed that our youngest granddaughter (she’s 15 now) got a stunned look on her face. She was staring at someone with utter awe. I asked her…
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A Four-Word Gift that Meant the World
Sometime ago, I was trying to think and pray through something in my life. I had talked with Leah and some other members of my family and trusted their wisdom, but I also wanted more input, because this really was a big deal and could have affected a significant number of people. (No, it had nothing to do with moving!) Anyway, I contacted a trusted friend and told this person that I just needed a few minutes of time to bounce something off of them. (I am intentionally using things like “them” so as not to give away anything about this person’s identity. They wouldn’t want to be known.) We…
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Some Thoughts at the Beginning of a New Year
This should be posted on the second day of a (still) new year. By now, most of us have already had time to fail on one or two of the resolutions we thought we had made as the new year began. I thought that it would be good before we got too far into the new year for me to review some material from one of my favorite speakers of all time. I don’t listen to or read material from a lot of what some people call “motivational speakers/writers,” but I did have the privilege of hearing Zig Ziglar speak a couple of times in person during his lifetime, have listened…
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Episode 166: Spending More Time Together at Home [Podcast]
https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Legacy_Podcast_166.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS (Player not displaying or working? Click here to listen.) Adam and Leah share a struggle they had not long ago, when they realized that their family of four was too often separated all around the house. They talk about why it is important to make time to spend together at home, and some reminders of how this does not have to be anything complex. We hope this encourages your family to spend those precious times together! Find our podcast on… Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Stitcher TuneIn Radio RSS
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What’s the Deal?
It’s that time of year! All of you last minute shoppers, it’s your time! Find the deals, grab the gifts, and make it to the finish line. It is that idea of deals that got me thinking for this week’s article. Actually, the title of this article is a line from the Grinch movie that makes me laugh, but then I thought about deals as related to gift giving and … well, you may not want to know all the twists and turns my mind takes as it churns out an article. You all know the basic premise of finding a great deal: it’s finding something you need or want…
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When There Is Grief at Christmas
We watch a good number of Christmas movies in December. We have our favorites that we go through each year, and we might sneak in another one or two new ones. One theme that runs throughout most of these movies is happiness. Commercials also sell it. Songs celebrate it. And, if we are honest, that’s what we want. We want Christmas to be about smiles and happiness. A number of times over the last few years, though, I have heard something said (in various forms) that I’ve found interesting. I’ve heard people my age and older say things like, “The older I get, the sadder Christmas becomes.” Now, I doubt…
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Abandoning, Cramming, or Prioritizing
What are your plans for this coming Sunday? If you are reading these words on the day or during the week that they are posted, Sunday is a special day. It is the day during which followers of Jesus gather for worship. According to the New Testament and history, this weekly practice has continued for over twenty centuries. This coming Sunday is the Lord’s day. This past Sunday was the Lord’s day. As long as the world continues, every Sunday will be the Lord’s day. “But, I thought you were talking about Christmas,” somebody might say. “I thought that Christmas Day was the special day you had in mind.” The holiday season is, indeed,…
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Preparing to Worship on Christmas
If I am correct, 2022 marks the third time since I began preaching that Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. (If you haven’t bought gifts yet, you’ve only got a week and a half!) It is interesting to watch on those days to see how families–especially those with young children–handle this situation. (By the way, this article is assuming your congregation will still have services on Christmas Day. To cancel or move services off of the Lord’s Day just for a holiday is wrong and sad, and you need to find a congregation that will be meeting on that Sunday with which to worship.) What are some things to keep…
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Interesting, But Sad
I was listening to a podcast recently that, in part, was explaining some of the differences between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. During the relatively short podcast, I learned some things I did not know – starting with the fact that I had no idea that these two groups even existed. Among other things, I also learned that each group has its own “Patriarch” – one in Moscow, Russia and one in Kiev, Ukraine. At the same time, I was saddened to learn of their existence. These two groups are merely representative of something that directly contradicts the wishes of Jesus that He expressed in His prayer…
