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Our Pet Sins
By Holly Scheer The name “pet sins” has always made me uncomfortable. When I think of pets I think of cute, warm, cuddly animals– the kind of thing you nuture and like to keep around. That’s not how I like to think about my sins. It’s fitting, though, isn’t it? The sins we take in, hold close, and nuture through our lives. The ones we hold close. The ones that we excuse as just part of us. Pet sins. Having a predisposition to something doesn’t make it something that’s good for us, though. Sometimes the sins that come easiest to us are the hardest to really call sin– because that’s…
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Sparring with Marilla: Part One
By Mary Abrahamson If you are an Anne of Green Gables fan as am I, you will be familiar with Marilla Cuthbert. Marilla is practical. She has little time for imagination. She has no patience with vanity. Marilla is a strong pioneer sort of spinster woman who, together with her bachelor brother, Matthew, adopts dear Anne from the orphanage. They had asked for a boy to help Matthew with the farm. But instead, got red-headed lively Anne. Anne who has known nothing but poverty and hardship comes complete with imagination galore and dreams of elegance and love. I have much Marilla in me. And much of Anne. The character of…
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Smalcald Articles– Part III, Article VIII. Of Confession
Part III, Article VIII. Of Confession. 1] Since Absolution or the Power of the Keys is also an aid and consolation against sin and a bad conscience, ordained by Christ [Himself] in the Gospel, Confession or Absolution ought by no means to be abolished in the Church, especially on account of [tender and] timid consciences and on account of the untrained [and capricious] young people, in order that they may be examined, and instructed in the Christian doctrine. 2] But the enumeration of sins ought to be free to every one, as to what he wishes to enumerate or not to enumerate. For as long as we are in the…
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Book Of Concord– Part III, Article VII. Of the Keys
Part III, Article VII Of the Keys 1] The keys are an office and power given by Christ to the Church for binding and loosing sin, not only the gross and well-known sins, but also the subtle, hidden, which are known only to God, as it is written in Ps. 19:13: Who can understand his errors? And in Rom. 7:25 St. Paul himself complains that with the flesh he serves the law of sin. 2] For it is not in our power, but belongs to God alone, to judge which, how great, and how many the sins are, as it is written in Ps. 143:2: Enter not into judgment with…
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Children’s Book Review- God Makes Me His Child in Baptism
By Bethany Kilcrease God Makes Me His Child In Baptism After buying Whisper, Whisper: Learning about Church for my daughter’s first baptismal birthday, I thought it would also be appropriate to round out the gift with something from Concordia Publishing House about baptism. A quick search of the website led me to God Makes Me His Child by Janet Wittenback. Wittenback’s original text was published in 1968. You can see the original cover here (I would have expected something a little more groovy given the year of publication). It was then revised and republished with some now rather dated looking illustrations in 1985. The current 2007 edition has been re-illustrated…
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On Getting Along
By Holly Scheer I don’t like being disagreeable. Conflict makes me nervous. The idea of upsetting the people near and dear to me is, well, upsetting. There’s peace and then there’s false peace. Do you have friends or family that you get along with, but only because you’re silent on things that matter, like the faith? What can you do when it feels like relationships chug along at the cost of keeping the peace and avoiding contentious topics? First, decide where the relationship fits with your vocation. Is it given to you as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, Ect to engage this person on this subject? Next, pray about…
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The Value of Life
By Holly Scheer Life issues are at the forefront right now. With pending elections, videos telling us incredibly disturbing news, wars and murders… we think of life. And the end of life. Our lives are not valuable because of what we do, what we contribute, what our potential is. The best of us isn’t more dear to our Lord than the least– and that’s something that can be hard for us to remember. Our beauty as humans, our worth as people– it’s not tied to what we can offer others, but to what has been offered to us. You, me, babies, the elderly… all of us are created in the…
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Adoption and the Church as Family
By Dalas Mueller Today is Gotcha Day for our sweet daughter, Hope. That is, the one year anniversary of my husband busting her out of her orphanage and making her our daughter forever. I didn’t expect to be celebrating today sitting across the room from my sweet girl as she lies in a hospital bed in the ICU, fighting off an infection and awaiting her third brain surgery since coming home. But… I wouldn’t trade her for the world! And I could not be more thankful that she is in our arms for comfort and love as she faces her earthly trials. Other than God Himself, there is one entity…
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Giveaway! Whisper Whisper by Mary Moerbe
CPH has published a lovely book to help parents and caregivers with kids in church. It was discussed on our blog here. Have you read it? Would you like to, or would you like to give it as a gift? Well, here’s your chance! CPH and the author have gracious agreed to give a copy to a lucky someone. Entering is easy and painfree- go to our facebook page and like it and then enter the rafflecopter below. If you’ve already liked the page, just enter the rafflecopter below (and thanks so much for liking and encouraging us!). Good luck and thank you! a Rafflecopter giveaway “Giveaway ends on 7/28/15 at…
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Smalcald Articles–Part III, Article VI. Of the Sacrament of the Altar
Part III, Article VI. Of the Sacrament of the Altar. 1] Of the Sacrament of the Altar we hold that bread and wine in the Supper are the true body and blood of Christ, and are given and received not only by the godly, but also by wicked Christians. 2] And that not only one form is to be given. [For] we do not need that high art [specious wisdom] which is to teach us that under the one form there is as much as under both, as the sophists and the Council of Constance teach. 3] For even if it were true that there is as much under one…
