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Wisdom is heavy

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING I have the memory of an elephant. Really? Yes, I remember seeing an elephant at a fair when I was nine years old. ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING TOO Folklore said if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she...

Trusting God's word during Lent

Lent is just around the corner. Years ago I read an article titled, Five Reasons Not to Observe Lent, written by Aaron Damiani. My first inclination was to scoff at the title - Lent is among my favorite parts of the Church year. As it turns out, the article was not about doing away with the Lent...

Minnesota's 14,444 lakes

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING My sister is a librarian. She hit me with a grammar book. Did you get a concussion? No, but I was in a comma for a week. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. We’d been...

Get wisdom

In the early hours of a very cold Christmas morning in Great Falls, Montana, the police and fire departments were called to a park to rescue a grown man who had gotten himself stuck in a plastic toddler swing. To make things worse, the man was completely naked. The swing and its occupant...

'I'll become a bouillionaire'

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING It’s a great day. What happened? The bulb in my car’s “check engine” light finally burned out. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. Each year, I suffer through an...

Kindness is a gift that should always be returned

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING I want to be a millionaire just like my dad. Was your father a millionaire? No, but he wanted to be a millionaire. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. The...

My light and my salvation

I’ve always found mid-January to early February to be a time of hope and anticipation. As the tilt of the earth begins to favor the northern hemisphere, the rays of dawn and the evening sunset start to separate a little more each day, sharing sunlight and bringing greater warmth to the land....

Remembering our shared humanity

Humanity - the shared experience of being a human being. At this time, we are all sharing the same time and space, living in this world together. Yet our world is experiencing a troubling lack of seeing each other as humans. It is no secret that each one of us will experience life...

Word for the year 2026: Listen

Have you ever stopped to listen? Maybe it's to the sound of a gentle breeze, or a child telling you a secret. Maybe it's to a low sound or a dialogue that's spoken softly. Hopefully it's not to eavesdrop on someone else's private conversation, just sayin'. Would you agree that we live in an age...

Kindness is the secret ingredient

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING I think my car was made in Prague. What makes you think that? Every time I start it, the Czech engine light comes on. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. I...