Merianna Harrelson

I am the Pastor of Garden of Grace United Church of Christ in Columbia, SC and the Director of Consulting at Harrelson.Co. I am always looking for a good cup of coffee and a great book.

Leave the Wildlife

One of the great benefits to going to the dog park is that I have been able to get advice from some experienced puppy moms about what is worth worrying over and what is normal behavior. I’ve also learned what commands are most worthwhile to teach your puppy and what they would have done differently …

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Schedule Stickler

I don’t know how he knows, but Willie knows what day it is and what we usually do on those days. I am not sure I purposefully created some of these schedules, but if they change, then he gets off. It’s crazy to think that within a couple of weeks you can train a puppy …

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Festival of Homiletics

I am overwhelmed by the number of famous preachers I’ve seen. It really is a surreal experience to be listening and seeing in person these preachers I’ve read. It is also surreal to be in a room full of pastors and ministers who preach on a consistent basis.  It makes the struggling and fighting and …

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Mother’s Day

I’ve honestly never thought about how significant this day can be for those who aren’t mothers until I had friends who started to share their journeys to try to be parents and how difficult they are and until I started reading and hearing stories like this one: Fast forward several years to Mother’s Day.  A …

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Looking Sideways

It’s amazing to me how people start acting differently around you when you say that you are a minister, but even more so if you say that you are a preacher and even more so if you say you are actually preaching in the near future. There’s a look that crosses their faces accompanied by …

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Parting Ways with Hebrew

After a yearlong journey, my formal studies of the Hebrew language end on Monday. It’s crazy for me to think that a year ago, I identified the markings on the classroom board as field goals posts and golf flags. Now, I know them as letters joined together to make words that tell a story of …

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Growing Boy

Well, I can’t say that Willie liked today’s bath anymore than he liked his last one, but I can say that he acknowledged that his coat felt better a little bit sooner than last time. In fact, he is currently snuggled up to my computer playing with a new toy.  He has hit the 6 …

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6 Months Old!

I really can’t believe that Willie celebrated his 6 month old birthday yesterday! It seems crazy to think that we have been together for 4 and a half months now, but at the same time, I can’t imagine not having him in my life.  He celebrated his birthday by moving up to adult food and …

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