Salvation

Ashes

Last night I went to church and had ashes painted on my hand. It’s tradition in some churches on Ash Wednesday to have ashes placed on the forehead or back of the hand. It’s a sign of repentance hearkening back to the sackcloth and ashes described in the Old Testament. And it’s a symbolic start…

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Debt Free

I recently paid off my student loans. With submission of that last payment, I was – for the first time in (too many) years – debt free. You might think this would result in feelings of relief, elation, excitement, happiness… You’d be wrong. Instead I was plagued by sporadic moments of irrational panic. The moments were…

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Shepherds

Some of the most interesting questions are raised during Bible study. Like this one, that came about while reading Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth: And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them… And the angel…

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Clean T-Shirt

There are some who do not understand the appeal of camping.  “How is that a vacation?”  They want to know.  Cooking in primitive conditions, swatting mosquitos, trudging through the elements… “Doesn’t sound like a vacation to me,” they say. Their logic is hard to argue, but I just can’t help it.  I love to camp. …

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Do It

I am a total Harry Potter fan.  I have read every book (multiple times) and frequently find myself pondering one brilliantly penned scene or another.  Recently, I found myself contemplating the complexity of a scene at the end of book three.  A swarm of dementors are descending upon Harry and his friends, ready to deliver…

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Janet Beagle
Meet Janet!

Janet Beagle, PhD is the founder of The Mustard Patch. She divides her time between the Midwest and New England, and if she’s not writing, she’s probably out hiking with her 2-and 4-footed friends.