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Category: Newsy Updates

#alt=The Proposal, debbiejoneswarren.com
The Proposal: He Asked and She Said …

The Proposal: He Asked and She Said …

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Today our daughter, Heather, contributes to this blog post for you as this month we celebrated Chris’s 65th birthday with his dream golf vacation in Scotland. All of our adult kids, including Andrew, his wife, Sarah, Heather, her boyfriend, Aaron, and Robby, joined us. We took in the sights, visited friends and relatives, golfed, shopped … and enjoyed much excitement around a surprise proposal, which Heather shares here: STORY TIME! Aaron proposed on Princes Street with Edinburgh Castle in the…

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The Land of the Scots

The Land of the Scots

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Come with me on a photo journey as we meet up with Chris’s family and friends in his home country of Scotland. In March 2023, we had a fabulous time in the land where Chris was born and in which he hopes to retire. (Chris and I are still in negotiations about that, haha.) As I consider spending more time in my husband’s home country, it is a special gift that I have found friends in Scotland–connections from my childhood…

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Scotland Vacation

Scotland Vacation

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This year, Chris and I spent the entire month of March in Scotland celebrating two great events. My husband wanted to be back in the land of his birth, on the day of his birth. In 1958, he made his grand entrance into the world on March 19 in the maternity hospital in Bellshill, near Glasgow. This year marked his 65th birthday. All month long we celebrated that momentous event as well as our 38th wedding anniversary. In my next two…

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Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Advice That Changed My Life

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Advice That Changed My Life

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Hi Friends, I’m excited to reveal the secret I’ve been keeping: I’ve finally had a story published with Chicken Soup for the Soul. I was surprised to hear Chicken Soup accepted this story because I submitted others to them but they were rejected. Last summer I mulled over my idea for their newest edition titled, The Advice that Changed My Life. However, I was sure my efforts wouldn’t be good enough so I didn’t write anything. Then two days before…

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#alt=Happy New Year to You, debbiejoneswarren.com
Happy New Year to You

Happy New Year to You

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Each one of you, my dear readers, is extremely important to me! I cherish your comments, your support, and your ongoing friendship. Writing my short stories has been therapeutic as I’ve faced the joys and trials of my childhood at a boarding school in Nigeria. Today I’m happy to share with you the exciting news that one of my stories was recently selected for publication in Chicken Soup for the Soul. Yes, that iconic association is still printing several books…

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#alt=The DNA of a TCK, Part 2, debbiejoneswarren.com
The DNA of a TCK, Part 2

The DNA of a TCK, Part 2

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In July, I posted a short article about the MK/TCK reunion Chris and I attended over the July 4th weekend. It was wonderful to see so many people with whom I had gone to school as a child in Nigeria. The group was made up of MKs, TCKs, Nigerians, expats, and their spouses. (*Terms are explained below.) As in any school reunion, we chatted, got reacquainted, and shared familiar stories of bygone days. On Saturday morning we had a large…

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#alt=From Tears to Tea Parties, debbiejoneswarren.com
From Tears to Tea Parties

From Tears to Tea Parties

Comments 24 comments

While standing at my kitchen counter, I chopped lettuce for a salad for my husband and me. The late afternoon sun streamed brightly through the window, but my thoughts were gloomy. Why does Chris have to fly away again? This time he’ll be gone for two weeks. My eyes filled with tears as I reached for the green onion and started dicing it. Because he’s a pilot, life has been like this throughout our marriage. I brushed my cheek with…

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#alt=The DNA of an MK, debbiejoneswarren.com
The DNA of an MK

The DNA of an MK

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Over the July 4th weekend, approximately 110 missionary kids (MKs) and their spouses gathered for a reunion to explore The DNA of an MK. Every three years we hold a reunion for both of the boarding schools I attended in Nigeria.… and no, the reunions aren’t in Nigeria! The location alternates between Indianapolis and Dallas, the two cities in which the volunteer organizers live. At each reunion, only three or four people from my graduating class attend. However, because they…

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#alt=An Incredible Connection, debbiejoneswarren.com
An Incredible Connection via Social Media

An Incredible Connection via Social Media

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During the months of sheltering in place due to Covid restrictions in 2020, I spent extra time surfing the internet. (As many of us did!) One morning in November, I was reading an inspiring post on Facebook by a well-known author, and I casually scrolled down, reading the responses. One of the names, Tosin Iyawo Ogaga, jumped out at me. That sounds like it might be Yoruba, the language of the people group my family lived with. My heart rate…

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#alt=The Secret Garden, debbiejoneswarren.com
The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

Comments 26 comments

As a child, I lived for eight months a year at Kent Academy (K.A.), the boarding school in Nigeria for missionary kids (MKs). Every afternoon after school, one hundred kids spread across the playground getting exercise, goofing around, and having fun. But most often, I felt overwhelmed by the noise and activity. The tropical sun beat down, warming my body and causing sweat to trickle from various places. I often sought a quiet, cool, corner in which to rest. Along…

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