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.

Something New

As I watch the posts from parents of end of the school year awards’ days, graduations, and field days, I think about how we are moving into a new season. We are moving from the daily hustle of getting up and getting into school into the summer days filled with camps and new schedules. For …

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Unexpected Growth

As we sat outside in the fading sunlight, we discovered that the terrarium that our four-year-old has faithfully been watering had sprouted grass! I have to admit I was convinced with the way we had left it out in heavy rains and had twisted and turned it, there wasn’t much of a chance for anything …

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When Milestones Sneak In

Just a couple of days ago, our four-year-old announced it was time for her first haircut. It’s not as though we haven’t asked if she wanted a haircut. She was fiercely determined that she would not have her haircut until she her five-year-old birthday even as she tagged along to her brother’s routine haircuts. And …

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Is It Full Enough to Run?

Once or twice a day, I find myself looking into the depths of the dishwasher wondering, “Is it full enough to run?” This calculation is actually pertinent because over the years with small children who help clear their plates, we are down to a single-digit number of forks. Although I haven’t run the dishwasher just …

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Voicemails and Memories

I got the dreaded “mailbox is full” notification yesterday morning. Between Spring Break and Holy Week, I had let some phone messages pile up and was slowly working my way through those voicemails. In an attempt to get back on track, I scrolled through. my voicemails to see if there were any I could automatically …

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Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Yesterday, it was time. I had put it off long enough. I had to clean the four-year-old’s car seat. Cleaning car seats is probably my least favorite parenthood task and it’s because it’s not just one task. It’s a multi-layered, long series of tasks. First, you have to uninstall the car seat. Next, you have …

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Sprouts of New Life

As part of the children’s church, our four-year-old brought home a cup of soil where they had planted a seed. The lesson had been about planting seeds of love and kindness and how important that was in bringing about new life and hope in people’s lives. The idea was that we could be the sunlight …

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Looks Can Be Deceiving

Last week, I decided to take some time to bake cookies. Baking is something that calms me and brings me back to waiting and watching for something new to be created; a practice that doesn’t come naturally to me. I have been baking my family’s chocolate chip cookies for years and can make that recipe …

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A Lenten Prayer

We enter into the center of Lent,  recognizing we aren’t to the end yet.   We stay in the darkness of Lent,  even though it’s uncomfortable. We trust you are here with us,  and that you will be revealed to us again.