hospitality
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Christmas, Consumerism, and Conflict
As we are squarely in the middle of this Christmas season, I cannot help but find myself in a bit of a uncomfortable situation. I love Christmas. As a Christian, I embrace the longing and waiting brought on by the season of Advent. Secularly, I love the sights, sounds, smells, and overall cheerfulness and expectation Continue reading
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How a Cabin in North Carolina Became Part of Our Empty Nest Plans
During our entire time in military ministry, we have known from the day we drove away from our hometown, that we would one day return. Southeast Tennessee is the place we consider home, no matter where the Army takes us. It’s where our parents are. It’s where we have deep roots. It’s where we believe Continue reading
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The Necessity of Close Proximity Friendships
It seems that with every small, and sometimes, hardly noticeable shift in life, the way I’m showing up in friendships takes on different forms. Things have felt different lately and I can’t quite put my finger on what has changed or if I have changed. I’d like to examine some considerations and offer some thoughts. Continue reading
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Top 10 Purchases That Defined 2021
All year I have completed LOTS of 10 Good Things Lists. At the conclusion of 2021, I’m writing a series of blog posts on some of the best things that got me through this year. This list is dedicated to the top ten items I would say made the biggest impact on me during 2021. Continue reading
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Top 10 Things We Watched in 2021
We like watching television together as a couple and as a family. It is one of the ways we like to unwind in the evenings and connect together. We now have just about every single possible streaming service so mind ya business! For posterity, here are my top 10 picks from the past year. Best Continue reading
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January Wood Family Adventures
One of the things I have done over the years that has added immense value to me is to regularly document our family life. The benefits include: a succinct way to organize photos and memories, a digital scrapbook/record book of daily life that will be archived in a way that brings our entire family joy Continue reading
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Fort Polk: Letters to Myself
The time has come to write my traditional “Some thoughts on __________ and why Fort _________ is the Army’s Best Kept Secret” post like I have done at Fort Bliss , Fort Gordon, and for our short stay at Fort Jackson. I have found that writing these reflections are a vital part of my own closure Continue reading
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When a PCS and a Pandemic Collide
I know that everyone has it hard right now. There are dozens if not hundreds of extenuating circumstances that theoretically feel 100 times worse because you are adding the weight of that hard and terrible thing to a pandemic. Within my own personal circles I know of friends who are grieving lost loved ones during Continue reading
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Notes From a Reporter’s Desk: United Through Reading
“Once Upon a Deployment” for Books Make a Difference appears here. When the assignment first came in to cover United Through Reading, I imagined writing this type of article to be a slam dunk. I’d read up on UTR, write up my draft, and hit submit to my editor, Terri. After all, it combined Continue reading
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Board Games We Love
*** As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. *** Over many years our family has not only collected many beloved board games, but we have also created life long memories around the table laughing, strategizing, competing, and enjoying the company of friends and family. We have accumulated our collection over more Continue reading
elizabeth Claire Wood 