jamie y. watkins

Tag: community

  • Come Right In, We’re Out Back

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    jywatkins
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    Once our first few friends arrived, I grabbed one of my chalkboard signs, scrawled the words, “Come Right In, We’re Out Back,” and set the sign on the front porch  Then we all grabbed a beer or a glass of wine and went to sit under the big white tarp my husband strung up over the…

  • Tomatoes

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    jywatkins
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    When I was younger and my mom would ask me to help with dinner, one of my least favorite things to do was cut up tomatoes. Sometimes they needed to be diced for tacos, or sliced for hamburgers, or quartered for salad. But no matter what, I didn’t want to do it. Something about the…

  • {pretty, happy, funny, real}

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    jywatkins
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    ~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ {pretty} / {funny} I read something online the other day that went something like this: Remember years ago, before camera phones and social media, when you had to take a photo of your dinner and get it developed and then walk around to all your friends and…

  • To the Moms in My Life, From Your Friend Without Kids

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    jywatkins
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    Chad and I have been married for almost six years. Many, if not most, couples who plan to have children would have already started by now, but the truth is we love being just us. And we will probably have kids in the future, but we’re in no rush for the most part. But we…

  • We Do Look Crazy, and Yes, I’m One of Them

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    jywatkins
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    I am the only member of my family who goes to church. And when I started going to church in high school, I kinda went all in… Sunday services, Friday night youth group, Wednesday night Bible study at a friend’s house. And then I chose a Christian college and volunteered with my youth group at home…

  • Seeking Community: United Church of Christ

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    jywatkins
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    Last Sunday we attended a United Church of Christ service in the next town over. It was a beautiful building tucked on the shore of a lake. We were welcomed at the door by a deacon. I am always impressed when the person at the door knows we’re visitors. I’m sure sometimes we give ourselves…

  • Seeking Community: Episcopal Church 2

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    jywatkins
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    A couple Sundays ago we visited a second Episcopal Church. I wrote in my post about the first Episcopal Church we’d visited that I had so much hope in going, because I’ve been reading different articles and books about evangelical Christians who have found a new home in the Episcopal Church. But our first visit…

  • {pretty, happy, funny, real}

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    jywatkins
    in

    ~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ {pretty} One night I was cooking dinner and I looked out the window to see nine furry guests making themselves very much at home in our yard. I love seeing the deer because I certainly think they are pretty. It doesn’t bode well for our…

  • Seeking Community: Presbyterian Church 2

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    jywatkins
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    Two Sundays ago, Chad and I visited another Presbyterian Church. This one in the town next to us, right up the street from our old apartment. The building is beautiful, especially considering this church has been around for more than 250 years. The sanctuary had a balcony section that went all around the room, which…

  • Celebrating a New Baby

    Celebrating a New Baby

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    jywatkins
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    Today, I got to go to my friend Kelly’s baby shower to celebrate with her, and all her family and friends, the expected arrival of “Peanut.”  Chad and I met Kelly and her husband Frank a few years ago and we served together in our satellite church. Since then, we’ve built an even stronger friendship,…