Our Stories Unleashed

Hide and Seek

One of my favorite games growing up was hide and seek.  I lived in a neighborhood with several other boys my age who became my closest friends.  Most days, we would gather at one of our houses and run through a list of options of things we could do.  This list included the typical options of riding bikes, playing sports, jumping on the trampoline, or playing video games.  When we were younger, however, hide and seek was a popular choice.  There was even a stretch...

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Emmanuel

“God with us.” A promise of his presence. A promise that we are never truly alone. The mighty one who was present at the creation of the world is also present on our best, our worst, and our most mundane days.  In Matthew 1:22-23, an angel provides hope that, “... all of this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel...

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Waiting in the Storm

A couple weeks ago, as Hurricane Idalia churned toward the west coast of the Florida peninsula, weather forecasters made clear the threat this storm carried for residents in its path. We heard and read about the predicted path of the storm in the days leading up to its landfall, including the name of the town where some of my relatives live. It would hit hard there and cause significant damage. I began praying for the safety of the people and their towns, both during and after the...

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