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Author Archives: awtraughber
Good Words from Seth
Seth Godin has had a few resonant posts for me these last couple of weeks that are worth bookmarking and sharing. In this post, he talks about slowing down and speeding up. The post’s last line: Hurry, but don’t rush. … Continue reading
Posted in Church, Internet, Organizations and Institutions, Teaching
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A Long January
April may be the cruelest month, but January feels like the longest. That seems to be the way that some people feel, at least. Maybe it’s because the end of December is more loosey-goosey and less defined and then the … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays, The Long Story
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Sentence Stems for Two Conversations
There are two kinds of sentences that one should hear at church or in relationships with other Christians. One should be primary, the foundation for everything that could follow. Unfortunately, the second one has become the actual primary sentence stem, … Continue reading
Posted in Church, Faith, Recovery Journal, The Long Story
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Just As I Am [January 17, 2025]
This past Christmas break was the first one where I felt like all of the “unbundling” of the last few years of work and church could finally be felt. There was a lightness to things for me, an appropriate size … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Just As I Am, Music, Teaching
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Managing the Stacks
It seems to me that a big part of daily life is a matter of managing the stacks. Because things pile up.1 Lots of things pile up, which requires a lot of sorting. But the sorting, however meticulous it is, still … Continue reading
Routines, Ruts, and the Groove
Routines are good and necessary things. At the very least, they can be scaffolding and safeguards. Without care, though, you can fall into the unfortunate side of a routine: the rut. The rut is a good thing turned into drudgery. … Continue reading
Once More with Resolve
While I don’t think big decisions should be made on little etymological nuances, those nuances are often intriguing. Case in point: resolve and resolutions. Counselor and author Chip Dodd starts his January newsletter with some thoughts on the terms: Resolution … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Holidays, Music, The Long Story
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Resolved But Never Solved
I’m sitting in the A-gates area of the Denver International Airport. I’ve spent the last nine days in Tennessee seeing family and friends, and it was a really good trip. I learned some time ago that the only way to … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Faith, Holidays, The Long Story, Travel
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Institutional Enchantment (or not)
I’ve done a decent job of being in “break mode,” I think, but this recent post by Richard Beck unexpectedly took me back a few weeks to a meeting I was in. The article, for which I am grateful, is … Continue reading
Posted in Church, Faith, Organizations and Institutions
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“The Blue Back in My Eyes”
One of the nice surprises of these last few weeks has been the chance to hear some new/old U2 music that’s rooted in their How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb phase. I already shared the link to “Country Mile.” Here’s … Continue reading
Posted in Music
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Space Enough, and Time 