Fifty years ago I was a young, inexperienced 5th- and 6th-grade teacher in a rural Christian school near Lynden, Wash.

“Santa” was good to me last Christmas (see editorial, Dec. ’06 issue). I got goats for HIV/AIDS orphans in Africa.

The Common Cup coffee house in Rogers Park, Ill., looks and feels like many neighborhood java joints in the Chicago area.

I always come early for morning services so I can take my place undetected under the back bench.

 New England isn’t the part of North America that springs to mind when someone says “Christian Reformed Church.” O

We rarely think about the things listed on these pages. Yet each one makes a BIG difference in our lives.

Relationships

Q I know a number of people who take antidepressants but never go for counseling.

It really was, as the cliché goes, a dark and stormy night.

Stopping Violence

Kudos to Rev. David Kromminga for his article “Being Baptized in a Violent World” (October 2007).

Several weeks ago I attended a conference at Calvin College that focused on the Christian Reformed Church’s 150th birthday.

Seen in Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods Store in Arnold, Calif.,

—this promise: “Children who are not supervised while in

The year of celebrating the 150th birthday of the Christian Reformed Church is drawing to a close.

The Closet of Compassion

As the author of “The Closet of Compassion” (August 2007) says, it is risky to care about

Being a church mouse is a lonely business.

The right person for this position will possess strong relation

Do you know any kids who have disabilities?

James and Karen Garlock are devoted to God and to each other.

The picture on the next page hangs in my church office. Parishioners often ask if there is a story behind it.

Bible

Q Why does Matthew’s genealogy (1:1-16), in contrast to Luke’s genealogy (3:23-38), mention four women (Tamar,

Understanding Islam

Thanks for printing “Understanding Islam” (September 2007).

I’m glad that none of us shooed her away.

At first it sounded like someone was about to be really, really sick.

A new supermarket opened near my house. It has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh.