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	<title>Walk With Me</title>
	<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" />
	<modified>2009-07-01T14:57:25Z</modified>
	<tagline>a Today's Christian Woman magazine blog</tagline>
	<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21</id>
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	<copyright>Copyright (c) 2009, Bonnie McMaken</copyright>
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			<title>A Christian Sense of Humor</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/07/a_christian_sense_of_humor.html" />
			<modified>2009-07-01T14:57:25Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-07-01T14:37:56Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538981311</id>
			<created>2009-07-01T14:37:56Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p><em>When others insult Christianity, should we laugh, be silent, or get mad?</em></p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Holly Vicente Robaina</name>
				
				<email>bmcmaken@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Mind</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;Did you hear about the so-called Christian group that’s protesting the upcoming video game “Dante’s Inferno”? Claiming they were from a church in Ventura County, California, about 20 members of S.A.V.E.D. (an acronym for “Salvationists Against Virtual and Eternal Damnation”) handed out pamphlets outside of the Los Angeles Convention Center during the Electronic Entertainment Expo last month and held picket signs that read, “Hell is not a game” and “Trade in your PlayStation for a PrayStation.” The group also posted a &lt;a href="http://www.wearesavedgroup.org/"&gt;website&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/wearesavedgroup"&gt;YouTube videos&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I should tell you right now: The whole thing is a publicity stunt for the video game company Electronic Arts. Yet two reputable newspapers, the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/06/e3-protesters-target-dantes-inferno-game.html"&gt;Los Angeles Times&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; and the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/06/03/e3-tidbits-from-today/"&gt;San Jose Mercury-News&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, initially reported this “protest” as actual, factual news. Online posts and blogs on the topic indicate a number of folks are taking it seriously. Regardless of whether they’re in on the joke or not, many are offering the same comment: “Can’t Christians take a joke?”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Once again, Christianity’s been portrayed as laughable. Most Christians will get an earful of jokes, pokes, and even some outright insults in our lives. When this happens, should we laugh it off, express our hurt, or get angry?&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/07/a_christian_sense_of_humor.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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&lt;/div&gt;</content>
		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>The Path to Divine Patience</title>
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			<modified>2009-06-24T20:41:20Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-06-24T18:55:46Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538981277</id>
			<created>2009-06-24T18:55:46Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p><em>How life keeps messing up my “Spiritual Walk”</em></p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Renae Bottom</name>
				
				<email>bmcmaken@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Strength</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;It’s time for my nightly devotions. I fluff my pillows, wedge them against the headboard behind me, and arrange my spiritual arsenal. A dual translation Bible lies open on the comforter, an assortment of inspirational tomes arranged to my left and right.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I select a favorite daily-walk book and begin. Maybe the day’s theme is “Extending Grace to Others” or “Expressing Divine Patience.” Maybe it’s more along the lines of “Becoming the Servant of All” or “Showing Humility in the Face of Provocation.” Whatever the topic (and I made those up; no need to cast aspersions on any fine devotional writers), I quickly find myself amazed at how the words ring so true in my mind.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Extending grace sounds so simple. The path to Divine Patience seems so clear, so easy to follow. I understand it, desire it, even commit to it.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Service? That appears within my grasp. I effortlessly assimilate the simple steps to Becoming the Servant of All. And I feel utterly prepared to respond with humility in the face of any provocation.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Could it be that I’m really starting to get this stuff? That I’m becoming insightful? Spiritually mature? Profound, even? I think so . . .&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I take time to pray, mentally ticking off all the people on my list. Then I set my books aside and drift peacefully into the unruffled sleep of the just.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/06/the_path_to_divine_patience.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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&lt;/div&gt;</content>
		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>Seventy Times Seven: A Collie Named Max</title>
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			<modified>2009-06-16T18:01:31Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-06-16T17:54:46Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538981221</id>
			<created>2009-06-16T17:54:46Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p><em>I’m a good hater and a slow forgiver. It took a dog to show me I was wrong.</em></p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Cindy Crosby</name>
				
				<email>bmcmaken@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Heart</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/upload/2009/06/TCW-Walk.jpg"&gt;&lt;img src="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/upload/2009/06/TCW-Walk-thumb.jpg" width="175" height="131" alt="TCW-Walk.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;He was a tri-color, collie-shepherd mix whose whole world was a cardboard refrigerator box with a short kennel run, tucked behind a seedy motel. A Rottweiler shared the same space. As the bitter months of winter bore down on Illinois, the two huddled together for warmth. But a cardboard box isn’t much protection against the cold.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Someone alerted animal control, which came out and saw the two dogs braving the increasingly raw weather with so little shelter. The owner was warned that unless the dogs were given a better refuge, they’d be seized. The warnings were ignored. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When the January wind chills began their slow descent to thirty degrees below zero, animal control came for Max and his Rottweiler friend. He and his dog pal were taken away from their rough “home” —perhaps the only one they’d ever known—and sent to the shelter, headed for euthanization. At the shelter, the two dogs were separated, but barked so piteously for each other that they were put together.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/06/seventy_times_seven_a_collie_n.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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&lt;/div&gt;</content>
		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>We All Is Self-righteous</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/06/we_all_is_selfrighteous.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-10T16:34:32Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-06-10T16:21:50Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980757</id>
			<created>2009-06-10T16:21:50Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p><em>The truth about our secret judgments</em></p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Nancy Kennedy</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Heart</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;In the newsroom where I work sits a counter where people put doughnuts and cookies for everyone to share.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Today someone set out a container of humungous cookies, each with 480 calories and 23 fat grams. For those keeping score, one cookie is 12 Weight Watchers points, which is more than half my daily allotment.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I’m telling you this because I am not eating any, not even a taste. Instead, I’m drinking a cup of decaf coffee, sipping it slowly as I listen for the sounds of other people nibbling massive amounts of caloric sinful indulgence and feeling quite pleased with myself.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/06/we_all_is_selfrighteous.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>Ultimatum to the GOP</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/06/ultimatum_to_the_gop.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-16T17:43:23Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-06-03T18:31:10Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980717</id>
			<created>2009-06-03T18:31:10Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p><em>Liberty University boots Democratic club; inspires Holly to take a stand.</em></p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Holly Vicente Robaina</name>
				
				<email>bmcmaken@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Mind</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;I’m publically issuing this ultimatum to the Republican Party: Take a pro-life stand in a big, visible way, or I’m leaving. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;TCW readers will recall that just two months ago, I suggested Christians reserve discussion on abortion for the right time and place. I’m seizing the opportunity presented by a Gallup poll conducted this May, which found 51 percent of surveyed Americans identify as “pro-life,” while 42 percent identify as pro-choice. Get this: It’s the &lt;em&gt;first time&lt;/em&gt; there’s been a pro-life majority since Gallup began conducting the poll in 1995. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Additionally, I’ve been inspired by a bit of &lt;a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4l0GyiJRDeTC1MlnVptIz17R1wQD98BMDOO2"&gt;controversy at Liberty University&lt;/a&gt;, the private university in Lynchburg, Va., that was founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. In May, Liberty officials notified the student Democratic club that their status as a University-sponsored organization was being revoked. The reason: the club’s charter stated that members would support the Democratic Party’s platform and candidates. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/06/ultimatum_to_the_gop.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>Extravagant Impatience</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/05/extravagant_impatience.html" />
			<modified>2009-05-21T15:20:51Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-05-21T15:15:04Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980643</id>
			<created>2009-05-21T15:15:04Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>I don’t want to squander my independence</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Renae Bottom</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Strength</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;Old people are fussy, stubborn, and downright cantankerous.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Anytime I catch myself applying these labels to individuals born a few years ahead of me, I try to stop and think: &lt;em&gt;Does my occasional impatience with “old people” really stem from the thoughtless way I take my own independence for granted?&lt;/em&gt; I think it does.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Case in point: I had some minor surgery awhile back. It was nothing serious, just a few days on crutches until I could be up and around. But it quickly reminded me how much I take my mobility for granted.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If the trash needs emptying, I tie the bag and walk it out. If an ice cube springs to the floor, I bend over and pick it up. I go for a walk, take a bike ride, feed the dog, lift a heavy skillet, stretch for the top pantry shelf, anytime I want, all without breathing a single “thank you” for the privilege. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/05/extravagant_impatience.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>Swine Flu Blues?</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/05/swine_flu_blues.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-30T16:18:46Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-05-13T20:54:24Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980581</id>
			<created>2009-05-13T20:54:24Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>Letting go of fear and changing focus</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Cindy Crosby</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Soul</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;"FLU IS HERE!" blared the boldface headline of my local paper. Rattled, I picked up the &lt;em&gt;New York Times&lt;/em&gt;. Smaller type, but no less reassuring: "World Health Organization Raises Swine Flu Alert Level" and "Containing Flu Is Not Feasible, Specialists Say." &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;At the coffee shop where I write in the mornings, flu fear talk filled the air. Anyone who sneezed or coughed got "the look" and a wide berth. If people hadn't been so frightened, it would have been funny. But people were - and are - afraid . . . and that's &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; funny.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Our access to constant information is both a blessing and a curse. I love punching a few keys on my computer and accessing a weather forecast, finding traffic conditions for a trip, or Googling some obscure factoid. Thanks to technology, I can look up a recipe for Key lime cheesecake at the click of my mouse or watch a YouTube video on how to pack for a camping trip. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This instant information is also overwhelming, as evidenced by this latest flu scare. We get our news in short sound bites designed to grab us. As the media vies for my attention among so many distractions, the headlines take on an urgent - and often alarmist - intensity. Murder! Ponzi Schemes! Famine! And now: Pandemic! How do we keep this barrage of fear-news from running our lives?&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/05/swine_flu_blues.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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&lt;/div&gt;</content>
		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>Tattle Tales</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/05/tattle_tales.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-30T16:18:45Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-05-06T15:51:47Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980511</id>
			<created>2009-05-06T15:51:47Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>Confessions of a reformed spouse snitch</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Nancy Kennedy</name>
				
				<email>cthomas@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Heart</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;My husband ate my lunch!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;One Sunday afternoon I saut?ed some matchstick carrots, sliced sweet onion and mushrooms, seasoned it with garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese, put it all in a plastic container, and put it in the fridge for my lunch on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Sometime between putting it in the fridge Sunday and seeing the empty container in the sink Monday morning, I realized my husband ate it.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;He ate it &lt;em&gt;all&lt;/em&gt;. My lunch. &lt;em&gt;My&lt;/em&gt; lunch.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;He ate my lunch!&lt;/em&gt;	&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In his defense, I didn't tell him it was my lunch; I didn't put a sticky note on it saying, "Don't eat this."&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;On Saturday I'd made some macaroni salad and put it in an identical plastic container. He ate from that and I didn't say anything, so I'm sure Barry thought everything in a plastic container was fair game.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;But it wasn't. That was my lunch - and he ate it!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I wasn't so much angry as I was amused, in a ticked off way, if you can imagine that.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/05/tattle_tales.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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&lt;/div&gt;</content>
		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>A Time to Mourn</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/04/a_time_to_mourn.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-30T16:18:45Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-04-22T16:40:48Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980299</id>
			<created>2009-04-22T16:40:48Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>We laugh together, play together, and celebrate together. Why is it so difficult to cry together?</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Holly Vicente Robaina</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Mind</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;Within the past week, I lost two friends. One was a Christian, a member of my church. She committed suicide. The other was an atheist, a high-school buddy. I found out that she died of a drug overdose.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Mourning is a struggle for me, primarily because it's difficult to tell others I'm sad. I'm afraid they won't understand or won't care. So I've been walking around with a pleasant expression on my face, telling people "I'm fine" when they ask, "How are you doing?"&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I'm not fine. I'm angry with my friends who took their lives. &lt;em&gt;Why did they give up?&lt;/em&gt; I'm angry with myself. &lt;em&gt;Was there something more I could have done?&lt;/em&gt; I'm angry with God. &lt;em&gt;Why, God, did you allow their pain to become unbearable? Why didn't you send more help? Why didn't you intervene?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/04/a_time_to_mourn.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>The New Girl</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/04/the_new_girl.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-30T16:18:45Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-04-15T19:12:41Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980220</id>
			<created>2009-04-15T19:12:41Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>Why her memory still haunts me</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Renae Bottom</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Strength</dc:subject>
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				&lt;p&gt;She was the sort of girl you spoke to when the teacher was listening, but later shunned on the playground. In the well-defined social strata of fourth grade, she occupied the lowest position in the pecking order.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;She provided my first glimpse beyond the comfortable borders of my elementary school experience.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;She arrived halfway through the school year and she rode my bus. She seldom bathed, or so we surmised after standing next to her in the lunch line. The raveled hems of her dresses swung unevenly around her dirty knees when she ran. Her sleeves were always too long or too short. We regarded her as an unwelcome interloper into our well-incubated world.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/04/the_new_girl.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>After the Burn</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/04/after_the_burn.html" />
			<modified>2009-04-08T23:14:53Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-04-08T23:11:45Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980158</id>
			<created>2009-04-08T23:11:45Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>Fires that change us</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Cindy Crosby</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Soul</dc:subject>
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				&lt;p&gt;Mom always told me not to play with matches. But today, I�m starting fires.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;It�s late in the morning, and already there's a charred ruin behind me. Smoke � so thick I can barely breathe. Flames lick the sides of the little prairie. Crackle-crackle! Pop! It sounds like a catfight in a brown paper bag. The fire gulps and swallows everything in its path.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The wind suddenly shifts, and the flames roar toward me. Ashes float through the air. Heat scorches my face. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/04/after_the_burn.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>Lessons from the Gilmore Girls</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/04/lessons_from_the_gilmore_girls.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-30T16:18:45Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-04-01T15:39:17Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980078</id>
			<created>2009-04-01T15:39:17Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>Watching these fascinating mother-daughter relationships makes me wistful about my own</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Nancy Kennedy</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Heart</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;Those who know me know my two grand passions: cake with buttercream frosting and the &lt;em&gt;Gilmore Girls&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
Currently, I'm watching season 2 on DVD. (I have all seven seasons.)&lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
For those who don't know about the &lt;em&gt;Gilmore Girls&lt;/em&gt;, it's a now-canceled TV series about a single mother and her teenage daughter who live in Stars Hollow, a quirky little town outside Hartford, Connecticut. The mother, Lorelai Gilmore, is young, gorgeous, witty, talks a mile a minute, loves movies and TV, and eats like a horse.&lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
Her daughter, Rory, is studious, thoughtful, also witty, also talks a mile a minute, loves movies and TV, and eats like a horse. The two are best friends as well as mother and daughter.&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/04/lessons_from_the_gilmore_girls.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>A Church Without Issues</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/03/a_church_without_issues.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-30T16:18:45Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-03-25T14:54:22Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538980001</id>
			<created>2009-03-25T14:54:22Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>Which political or social issue should we rally around? Maybe none. </p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Holly Vicente Robaina</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Mind</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;If you could pick one issue for the Christian church to represent, what would it be? Abortion or same-sex marriage? Environmental stewardship or poverty? Morality?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Some evangelicals are tossing this question around in light of the passing of the old guard: Jerry Falwell died last May, and many other prominent Christian leaders including Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, and Tim LaHaye have retired or handed over the reins of their ministries. Earlier this month, James Dobson resigned as board chairman of Focus on the Family.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The mere mention of these men elicits either a warm smile or a cold shoulder because they all were vocal on some issue. For good or bad, their words have shaped the image of the Christian church in America - both the way we see ourselves, and the way non-Christians view us. As we await new representatives who will become spokespeople for the church, one thing is highly probable: We'll identify these leaders as proponents or opponents of some issue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/03/a_church_without_issues.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>The Big Red Truck</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/03/the_big_red_truck.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-30T16:18:45Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-03-18T16:34:03Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538979930</id>
			<created>2009-03-18T16:34:03Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>Pray, and keep on praying</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Renae Bottom</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Strength</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;Not knowing.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Of all the nightmares that haunt a parent's private moments, this one is particularly terrifying.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Losing contact with an adult, or young adult, child, for whatever reason. Then living every day with a host of silent questions.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Is he sick? In jail? Is she married? Are there children? Is she suffering? Is he somewhere in the next town, or the next country? Is he alive?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/03/the_big_red_truck.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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		</entry>
			<entry>
			<title>Word from a Rickety Rowboat</title>
			<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/03/word_from_a_rickety_rowboat.html" />
			<modified>2009-06-30T16:18:45Z</modified>
			<issued>2009-03-11T18:29:13Z</issued>
			<id>tag:blog.todayschristianwoman.com,2009:/walkwithme//21.538979847</id>
			<created>2009-03-11T18:29:13Z</created>
			<summary type="text/plain"><![CDATA[<p>How Jesus calmed the disciples’ fears—and mine</p>]]></summary>
			<author>
				<name>by Nancy Kennedy</name>
				
				<email>ccourtney@christianitytoday.com</email>
			</author>
			<dc:subject>Heart</dc:subject>
			<content type="text/html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/" mode="escaped">
				&lt;p&gt;As I paddled my rickety rowboat - I was on a rushing river somewhere - a couple of humungous alligators came up underneath, flipped me over, and started biting my feet.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I've always hated that about alligators.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;It was 2:14 a.m. and thankfully only a dream. I tried going back to sleep, but the alligators were waiting to finish me off, so I turned on the TV and listened as four political commentators discussed the current crisis of the day.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The more they yipped at each other, the more I longed for the alligators eating my feet. At least they were only a figment of my subconscious, and the likelihood of me being in a rickety rowboat in a rushing river is, um, nonexistent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
									
						&lt;p class="extended"&gt;&lt;a href="http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com/walkwithme/2009/03/word_from_a_rickety_rowboat.html"&gt;Continue reading ...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
					
				   
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