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It is said that Billy Graham spoke in-person to over 100 million people. That’s one third of the current population of the United States. His “crusades” filled arenas and stadiums from the mid 1940’s to the mid 2000’s. Before a Billy Graham event would come to town, a grassroots movement of churches and volunteers invited…
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Does anybody really know you? Not just know of you but actually know YOU? I find that there is a mixture of great fear and great relief in being known. On one hand, having your personality, thoughts, emotions and behaviors exposed can be freeing to the soul. There is no need for hiding. On the…
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Trust is really important if we want to find true rest. No human can rest in any satisfactory way unless they trust the atmosphere around them. Our cat can sleep deeply on the back of the loveseat because she fully trusts Shannon and me. I can sleep next to my wife because I know that I…
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Note: I wrote this blog on Monday and thought I had published it. Nope. So here it is. Yet another medical update… My body is a mess. Joints and muscles, bones and nerves… just about every major function of my body has been compromised in some way. I wish I could blame it on my
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Scattershooting while regretting the three (or more) chocolate peanut clusters I consumed on New Year’s Eve at my mother-in-law’s house… It’s two degrees outside here in the mighty plains city of Hays, Kansas. The lovely Mrs. Newton and I arrived yesterday, this being the third and final stop on our annual Christmas visitation tour. It’s
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When I was a kid I never realized how stressful the Christmas season could become. When you’re eight or 10 or 11 years old, Christmas is all about presents and Christmas trees and lights and sugar cookies. There are road trips to see grandparents, singing “Silent Night” by candlelight at church, and endless teasing from
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“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” — Jesus (from John 11:9-10) It’s tough to walk in the dark. In
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Merry Christmas, y’all! Even though our society is already a month into its Christmas/Winter/Holidays/Sales party, for those in the liturgical Church the official Christmas season begins today. Advent, a Latin word meaning “the coming,” is the beginning of the official Church calendar year for the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Anglican and a number of other
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There is great power in a name. If you think about it, to name something gives it great weight. Adam named the animals and they had identity. Our parents named us and now we are known by that name. Or, if we don’t like our given names we give ourselves or are given another name
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It is a sleepy hazy, dreary day here in the Ozarks. The trees just finished displaying their vibrant autumn color, turning hillsides into tapestries of orange, yellow, brown, red and green. Now, my lawn is buried under four or five inches of leaves, giving my mulcher/blower a run for its money. I’ll get to it…
J.C. Newton 