God’s Nevertheless

by Michelle Bauman, Director of Y4Life I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of conjunctive adverbs. Words like therefore, consequently, furthermore, and likewise get my adrenaline flowing. They’re bold and flashy sports car words—the five-cylinder, rev-your-engine type. …

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Lessons from a Bird’s Nest

by Michelle Bauman, Director of Y4Life There’s a bird sitting in my herb tower, a robin to be exact. As I write this article, I can see her nestled down and half-hidden between the parsley and dill I planted early …

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Reunions

I’m a big fan of reunions. Like a child looking forward to Christmas morning.

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An Unexpected Wedding

by Michelle Bauman We had an unexpected wedding this week. Though it was supposed to happen at the end of May, last Tuesday the couple moved it to Sunday. Caterers were called and guests were contacted. The DJ, photographers, and …

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You Are Your Best Thing?

by Michelle Bauman You are Your Best Thing is the title of a book by Tarana Burke, founder of the “MeToo” movement, and Brene Brown—professor, author, and public speaker. The book is a “collection of essays on Black shame and …

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Stop the Silence Run 2020

Photo: Martin Luther High School, Northrup, Minnesota by Ella Bolen  Stop the Silence was a fundraising race put on by Corrie’s House. Corrie’s House is a non-profit Christ-centered house with refugee services, focusing on girls who have been sexually exploited. …

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Life Work in 2020: Shaped 4 Good

by Michelle Bauman, Director of Y4Life As a child, I spent lots of time with my grandma. She taught me how to crochet, how to ease an earache, and how to level off a cup of flour. She introduced me …

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For Whom the Bell Toll

by Michelle Bauman, Director of Y4Life Perhaps you’ve heard of the fairly famous novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway. As Hemingway novels go, it’s supposed to be one of his finest. I spent years reading novels and …

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Life High the Cross

by Michelle Bauman We sang “Lift High the Cross” today at church. I’m certain I’ve sung it more than a hundred times in my life; it was a staple of my childhood, an easy hymn to belt out alongside my …

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Suffering and Psalm 74

by Michelle Bauman I don’t know about you, but I occasionally find myself being able to relate to the writer of Psalm 74. From the first verse, it’s clear the psalmist is tired of the suffering He is enduring, tired …

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