If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the…
There is more than one way to rob a bank. Let me explain. Time and weather had taken their toll on the interior of the Wells Fargo Bank in downtown Owatonna, robbing it of its amazing beauty. So the bank embarked on extensive renovations that involved placing an elaborate system of scaffolding and platforms throughout…
Along with the American Quilting Society’s competition quilts and the quilts on display from the 500-member strong Des Moines Area Quilters Guild, there are always several special exhibits at the Des Moines Quilt Show. Here are some images from some of the special exhibits that caught my attention this year. Most impressive to me was…
There are only a few basic shapes in the world but as this collection of quilts from the Des Moines Quilt Show illustrates, quilters these days can create some pretty incredible things with just a few shapes. It definitely helps that quilters today can choose fabrics in an almost limitless number of colors. Squares, circles,…
Artists of all varieties are drawn to faces. The many fine artistic quilters that are around these days are no different. In this first installment of my impressions of the Des Moines AQS Quiltweek quilt show, I focus on quilts that highlighted faces. This quilt by Hiroko Miyama is entitled “Lily.” Artists never…
“From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed the exact times and places where they should live. God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.…” Acts…
Lutherans, and others who follow the teachings brought to light during the Reformation, will mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. As they do so they face a future that is uncertain. And, strangely enough, they are just fine with that. Luther and his supporters faced death threats throughout their…
How do you make a living? I’m not talking about your job. Yes, we have to have jobs to support ourselves but isn’t living something more substantial than the way we make our money? According to Jesus in Matthew 16:25, Christians make their living by losing: “For whoever would save his life will lose it,…
Even though Psalm 23 is still a very popular reading, it has been a long time since I have written anything about it so here goes. And I still prefer the old King James Version of this classic. The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green…
The revolving artwork displayed at our local Owatonna hospital continues to impress me. Here are a few works of one of the current featured artists, Brenda Ward. One of Ward’s specialties is making original copies of old masters and one of my favorite old masters is John Singer Sergent. Can you tell which painting is…
Mirror Neurons 