Cultures of Jackson: The Power of Light & the Celebration of a Miracle

On a sunny afternoon in the fall Melissa and I found ourselves outside, sitting at a black metal table with a red umbrella, and discussing ideas for “Cultures of Jackson.” As I perused through the calendar looking for some hidden inspiration, my eyes fell upon the dreaded finals week in December, but something else also caught my eye. With a mischievous grin I looked up at Mel and said, “Hey . . .did you know Hanukkah is in December this year?”

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Theatre Review: It's a Wonderful Life

The Jackson Theater Guild has brought a Christmas classic to The Ned in its presentation of It's a Wonderful Life. Set in the town of Bedford Falls, New York, in the 1940s, the play opens as George Bailey contemplates suicide at the top of a bridge. This triggers the appearance of Clarence Odbody, guardian angel, second class. He was sent to George to remind him of his past—times when he had acted honorably and made profound sacrifices for his family and friends. 

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Missing Jackson, Part 6: "I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me"

In September when I packed up all of my things and started my fall journey I had no idea what to really expect. Not because I hadn’t toured before or worked before, but because this time was different. Working two full-time jobs simultaneously is not my norm, and it felt like I was possibly biting off more than I could chew. But I had to trust that God was not giving me more than He thought I would be able to handle. So off I went to New York City to begin putting Songbird on stage.

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A Simple Solution

As the end of the year draws nigh, discussions about what the next year will look like are taking place at dinner tables, over late night cookies, in the Twittersphere, and beyond. How have we grown and been shaped over the course of the last year? How will that affect our trajectory for the next? And how on earth will we condense the local zeitgeist into a 2016 hashtag? As I’ve found myself in these conversations, #Hustle2015 is a recurring term of endearment used to describe the last year.

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A Portrait of Hope

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think sometimes the best ones don’t need words at all. As I browse through the photos taken last Saturday, December 5, at Help-Portrait (hosted by RIFA), I’m smiling behind my computer screen so big that if someone were to walk by my office they might think I’ve had just a little too much coffee.

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