Author: Randy Grathen
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If There Were No Storms In Our Life…
New Mom Cured of Terminal Cancer After Church Prayed and Fasted 30 Days – Ashley Hallford. ‘If there were no storms in our life there would be no testimony.’ ‘If we never had adversity in our life, we would have nothing to share about the faithfulness of God to carry us through.’ (Tina Griffin) Click here for full… Read more
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Simply Thankful
story by Laurie Grathen Last year around Thanksgiving I wrote a short post with a little history of the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, after another brush with breast cancer, I’m feeling very grateful for life itself, and for the abundance and blessing with which we live that life. Let me count just a few of… Read more
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Rick’s Birthday Party
Story by Kristine Barnes April 2002 – Come with me to John’s Island, just south of lovely historic Charleston, SC. My brother Rick, an alcoholic, and a skilled carpenter was turning 40. Our Mom was here in NC visiting from Missouri, so we drove down for the weekend to give him a nice birthday celebration.… Read more
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After 78 stories the well has gone dry – for now.
Sorry folks. I know there are people out there who have God-stories to tell. I’ll still be posting Rerun Tuesdays. Thanks to all who shared their stories and for being loyal readers since April 2022. Read more
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Fed-X Truck vs Our Minivan – It’s a Long Way Down
Story by Randy Grathen One of the fundamental laws of physics says that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Here’s proof. My sister Kristine’s son got married in July of 2007. They all live in North Carolina. Because we ran a pressure washing company in Camdenton Missouri at the time,… Read more
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Are You a Pollyanna or Mrs. Snow?
Story by Kristine Barnes In 1960 there was a movie, based on a best-selling 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter, about a young girl who had a habit of finding the good in every situation. She was a “glass-half-full” kind of girl. Or was that half-empty? That analogy has never made sense to me. Whether… Read more
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Toxic Positivity. Huh??
Story by Laurie Grathen In my post two weeks ago, I recommended you read Dr. Gladys McGarey’s book, The Well-Lived Life. I’m doing my second read through this week, picking up all kinds of things this time that I missed on the first go-round. After Hurricane Ian I put up this sign in our yard.… Read more
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Needs and Wants – Getting out of Debt
Story by Randy Grathen “Mom!” “School is starting, I need some new clothes.” “Mom, I need to get one of those new foldable cell phones. All my friends have one. “Mom, I’m turning 16 next month, can I get a raise in my allowance. I can’t afford to go to Starbucks with my friends anymore.”… Read more
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Abounding Grace
Story by Summer Chaney Have you ever lived your life caught up in the small details of the day to day, consumed by a routine, so much so that you’ve lost sight of the bigger picture? Have you ever continuously let things slide without realizing how rapidly the ice below you was melting away, until… Read more
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Clean Underwear and Ibuprofen…
…and the Joy of Good Clean Fun – August 2017. Story by Laurie Grathen Growing up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, some of my most vivid good memories of my teen years involved the Rollaire Roller Skating Rink. It was just a few blocks from my house, and as a preteen and teen, it was the place… Read more