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J.O.Y.
I was taughta three-part formulafor pleasing God,for achieving success,for finding happiness:J.O.Y: Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. For a child first forging identity,this is bad advice;developmentally,the child's primary taskis to put herself first.Forcing her to do… Continue reading
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Christmas, Day 2
"Christ did not come into the world for gold." –Bartalome de Las Casas (1484-1566) Christ has not come for power.Christ has not come for gold.Christ has not come for fame.Christ has not come to shame or scold. Christ has… Continue reading
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Seeing
The scales fell from his eyes,and for the first time he sawthe nothingness in their stare,the empty ache of their longing,the unbridgeable distance between their hearts;he knew no going back. The scales had beenboth curse and grace;the former he'd known;the… Continue reading
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Great and Historic Virtue
We see our lives small:what have we accomplished, really? Yesterday I spent three hours ironing–did this heal the world?Did this advance the reign of God? From the 13th centuryechoes the voice of St. Bonaventure:"The perfection of a spiritual man [woman]is… Continue reading
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A Mild Panic
Daylight filters through the blinds,and with it, a mild panic– another day of challenges I'm ill equipped to face, another day of disguises to don, another day of unrehearsed roles to play, another day of moods to muster. It's called:Doing my job. And I… Continue reading
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PB&J
We make 100 PB&J sandwiches,gently spreading crunchy peanut butteron donated white bread(which tears easily given the fragility of the breadand the stiffness of the peanut butter). The other slice of breadwe coat with squeezable grape jelly(squeezability speeds up the process).… Continue reading
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The Ticket to Heaven
"What's this?" Jesus asked his disciples.He held up a rectangular slip of paper. "Looks like a light-rail pass,"said Peter. Jesus flipped it over:one the back, in large letters,he'd written the word HEAVEN."What's this?" he asked. "Oh, oh, I know!" said… Continue reading
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You Do the Math
Denver:10,000 homeless people1,100 beds for thema new ordinance forbidding "camping" in city parks you do the math if we don't see them,they don't exist Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading
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Each child is born in truth.(It's in living we learn to lie.) What gifts do you offerto bring us backto original innocence? Share them.Share them now. Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading