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all of God's grace in one tiny face
Debbie Prather Debbie Prather

all of God's grace in one tiny face

After I repeated the expression, you told me it brought you to tears.

“All of God’s grace in one tiny face.”

We'd talked on the phone for an hour that afternoon—me swatting bees on the deck of our rental house in Indiana and you back home in Illinois in your comfortable recliner, looking at birds out the window.

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be a light
love Debbie Prather love Debbie Prather

be a light

“I can’t smell my coffee” was followed later in the day by “This ketchup tastes awful!”

No, please let it not be so!

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Choosing Joy During Uncertain Times
faith Debbie Prather faith Debbie Prather

Choosing Joy During Uncertain Times

She gave me a wry grin and shook her head.

"Is that getting old?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, but then her laughter told me she (sorta) liked my little comedy routine.

Now that my daughter, husband, and most of us are doing school and work at home, I say, "Drive safe!" and "See you tonight!"

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build a bridge
Debbie Prather Debbie Prather

build a bridge

Trying to wing the toast at my son’s wedding last May was a horrible idea.

Once I had the microphone and looked out at that lakefront ballroom full of cherished family and friends, I felt an uncomfortable lump forming in my throat. When I turned to address the bride and groom, the swelling moved up to my eyes and nose, releasing a fall of emotion that spilled over.

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a fine line
Debbie Prather Debbie Prather

a fine line

There's a fine line between joy and despair, laughter and tears, the truth and a lie, life and even death. We should've seen it coming—we already knew we were on very thin ice. Especially after our agency was shut down by the U.S. State Department in December, but, still, we had hope. Looking back now, that shutting down was the beginning of the end

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