Author Archives: Becky Dingle

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”

Seeing Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child

Dear Reader: What fun yesterday was! Honey was the first to stop by to pick up the Apple Tree stand but she had to leave before Mollie and Eloise arrived. Thank goodness we were all able to reconnect later in … Continue reading

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Father Knows Best

Dear Reader: There are probably a good handful of us ‘baby boomers’ out there who still remember growing up with the popular series “Father Knows Best.” It aired from 1954 to 1960 and immediately went into syndication with the closing of … Continue reading

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Leaving Joy Behind…

Dear Reader: I should have remembered yesterday that the pink candle of Advent (representing joy) would be lit. What a fitting day to return to church and be filled with joy at seeing friends, whom, I haven’t seen in months! The … Continue reading

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Reflections of Christmases Past, Present, and Future

Dear Reader: Quinn Caldwell (All I Really Want-Christmas devotions) shares insightful musings on the one single animal species (that lives on the ground) who can sing…us! “Humans are also the only singing species with a precise and shared sense of … Continue reading

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Christmas is taking a Risk on Love

Dear Reader: This is the season where I find myself longing to re-read Madeleine L’Engle’s thoughts and prose on the meaning of Christmas. Such thoughts as: “Was there a moment, known only to God, when all the stars held their … Continue reading

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Praying Through Christmas Carols

Dear Reader: Executive Guidepost editor, Rick Hamlin, had a little one-minute video clip on the Guidepost website in which he considered how singing a Christmas carol can be linked to prayer. We hear Christmas carols everywhere this time of year….in the … Continue reading

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Prayer Through Christmas Carols

Dear Reader: Have you ever thought of praying with Christmas carols? Think about it.  We are surrounded by Christmas carols this time of year and it is a wonderful way to pray. Use the music to help us pray. Think … Continue reading

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The Magical Golden Star of Christmas

Dear Reader: Yesterday I read a true short Christmas story from Guidepost (author-Craig Johnson) that took my “I Believe” personal “escalator” to the very top of the faith pole…even setting off a bell at the top! “The Star that Saved … Continue reading

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Christmas is a Time to “Take a Sentimental Journey”

Dear Reader: There are so many memories involved with preparing for Christmas that it is hard not to grow sentimental over the holidays…some happy memories and others perhaps sad. Still collectively they touch our hearts with laughter or a tear. … Continue reading

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Christmas at Hampton Plantation

Dear Reader: Going back in time…even to the early 2oth century when Archibald Rutledge still brought his family home for Christmases…expectations were kept pretty simple except for food and that special once a year gift. Decorations were made from natural … Continue reading

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