Friday, January 23, 2009
I guess one of the reasons I haven't posted in some time is because I've not been working as a journalist for about 1 1/2 years, and I feel that the name of my blog is somehow an inappropriate description of me now. When you're out of the field for this long and longer, it is increasingly more difficult to get back into the field. I'm not sure if I will ever go back, or if I will ever be able to go back into journalism, and I'm not entirely sure it bothers me anymore.
One of the reasons is because I've been disgusted by some of the attitudes and behaviors I have encountered in other journalists. I am almost at the point where I'm just ready to say, "You know what? I did the best I could and got screwed by the people I came to depend on one too many times. I'm done." But there's a part of me that's wondering if I should keep trying to get back in for no other reason than the fact that I enjoyed the work and was relatively good at it.
My last job ended three weeks after I missed the announcement of a homicide on police scanners (probably because I was either in the bathroom or had just ended my shift and was walking out the door so the next guy could take over). I got a call on my cell phone while I was driving home from the guy who took over the newsroom after my shift ended, and he asked if I was aware that there was a homicide. I told him no, but that he had better call out the on-call reporter to go to the scene. I was surprised he called me instead of the on-call person! That wasted valuable time, and I guess the story got missed by our station because of it.
This same guy, I should mention, was a recent college graduate who had just been hired to fill the full-time position that I (an 8-year veteran of the journalism/reporting field at the time) had been denied. I am fully convinced that he was given the job for the following reasons: (1) He's a man, (2) He graduated from the same college that my boss did, and (3) He was a member of the same fraternity as my boss. Oh, and they attended the same church. Can't forget that little tidbit.
I had very strongly considered quitting after he was given that full-time position instead of me, because it was the second time I had been passed over for promotion. Also, I began looking into the past of the station under my boss's command, and realized that he had NEVER hired a woman for a full-time position in the news department in all of his 29 years as the news director. Yeah, I really didn't have a shot.
When I was called to my boss's office on that last day, I knew he was going to fire me. He had called me on the phone the Friday before and told me that he needed to visit with me in his office before my Monday shift, and that it was "very important" that I make it and be on time. He'd never talked like that before, and had a certain tone in his voice that told me it was all over. I had the weekend to think about what my reaction would be, and decided that because of all the frustrations I had been going through with him and the fact that I had considered quitting before, that I wasn't going to fight being fired. But I also wasn't going to confront him on it because I knew that since I had been a good employee, I could use his reference and good words in my job search. I didn't want to burn that bridge.
So, why am I talking about it now? Well, partly because I know that he has little chance of seeing or hearing about this blog or post, and partly because I really don't know if I'll ever go back to that life. Also, I've not dropped names of my former boss, any of my co-workers or the station that I worked for, so it's virtually unsearchable from this vantage point. You'd have to know an awful lot of information about me in order to find that out, and if you know the required information, chances are you know who I'm talking about anyway.
Also, I'm wondering if it's a good thing to try to go back to journalism anyway, because I'm a conservative Republican, and I always get eaten alive by the majority of journalists who are liberal Democrats. I'm not the kind of person to put up a huge fight with others, especially when fighting won't help me keep or improve my job, and, in fact, would cause me more career harm than good. I have my beliefs, and I won't waver from them, but I also don't do a very good job of explaining my points of view, which is one of the reasons I get eaten alive so often by co-workers and peers who disagree with my beliefs.
But I'm doing well, anyway. Next month, I will celebrate two years as a newborn photographer. In the last two years, I have become the right-hand lady to the only trainer in town, and have become so in-demand that my District Sales Manager insists I work five days a week, even though I'm part-time, to increase the possibility of meeting our daily sales goals. I'm still enjoying my job, too, which is more than I can say for a lot of people who get hired and then don't show up for the duration of their training. Who knew finding reliable help could be so difficult?
Anyway, that's been the last several months in my life in a nutshell. I'm going to try to do a better job of posting on this blog this year. Maybe I'll get my readership up again eventually. :)
Friday, July 18, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
"Oh, for a Faith That Will Not Shrink," TLH #396, from Luke 17:5; St. Peter; Wiliam H. Bathurst, 1831, alt.; Alexander R. Reinagle, 1836
Oh, for a faith that will not shrinkThis is beautiful as a prayer, asking God to keep our faith strong and steadfast in the midst of tumult in the world. It could just as well be prayed in our current struggle with the changes in our synod.
Tho' pressed by many a foe;
That will not tremble on the brink
Of poverty or woe;
That will not murmur nor complain
Beneath the chast'ning rod,
But in the hour of grief or pain
Can lean upon its God;
A faith that shines more bright and clear
When tempests rage without;
That, when in danger, knows no fear,
In darkness feels no doubt;
That bears unmoved the world's dread frown
Nor heeds its scornful smile;
That sin's wild ocean cannot drown
Nor Satan's arts beguile;
A faith that keeps the narrow way
Till life's last spark is fled
And with a pure and heavenly ray
Lights up the dying bed.
Lord, give us such a faith as this;
And then, whate'er may come,
We'll taste e'en now the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal home.
President Kieschnick, it appears, is trying to "transition" the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod into a "seeker-sensitive/purpose-driven" church, as opposed to the "Gospel-driven" church it has always and historically been.
No good can come of this. It will turn the LCMS into a denomination that is not unique to any other. The LCMS is quickly becoming a church body that embraces gimmicks and marketing ploys, fads and catch phrases. It is becoming a church body that is more concerned with fitting in with the world than changing it and resisting its wiles.
Remember these words from John 15:18-20... (From Bible Gateway)
18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
If we are so concerned with what the world thinks as to look and act just like the rest of the world, then the world will accept us as its own. But that's not what we are here to do. We are not here to "fit in" with the world, but to let the world know that it is sinful, and that God, Himself, is the cure.
Yes, we will be hated for it, persecuted, spat upon (hopefully not literally, but figuratively). That is what happened to Pr. Wilken and Jeff Schwarz: They preached and helped spread the Word of God without dressing it up in fancy catch phrases, songs that are not hymns, or gimmicks. They, in fact, rejected such nonsense, and I believe (as do many others) that they lost their jobs and their radio program because of it.
Verse 20 ends: "If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." This is why Issues, Etc. had such a large following.
In fact (and I hope President Kieschnick takes note of this), since the program was canceled, people who were not already familiar with Issues, Etc. have been finding and listening to recordings of the show, liking what they hear and signing the petition! In other words, the cancellation of the show has served to only increase its popularity and demand for its return!
Confessional Lutheranism is not going away anytime soon. We may have to hold services apart from the LCMS eventually, but we will not and cannot relinquish or compromise our faith just because our current leader tells us that we have to conform to the world. Doing so would be giving in to the devil.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
For those of us who heard about the show's cancellation and the firing of Pr. Wilken and Mr. Schwarz early on, our tone has changed (somewhat) from outrage to action. We are still demanding answers from the LCMS headquarters, and want to know who pulled the plug and why. We are still angry that this was allowed or forced to happen.
So, what do we do now? We need to continue to spread the word about what has happened. Even at this point, there are a lot of people who don't know, primarily because they don't subscribe to the same e-mail lists as a lot of us do, and don't usually listen to the program online – maybe just on Sunday nights. There was a program on last Sunday night, but unbeknownst to any of us, that was the last Sunday night broadcast. And those who don't have access to the internet or don't use it like many of us do won't likely know anything about this until they talk to others at church tomorrow morning, or try to listen to the program tomorrow night and realize it's not on.
Realize that this program was listened to by not just those in the LCMS, but by other Lutherans and by other Christians not associated with any branch of the LCMS. Talk to your friends about it, even if you think they wouldn't have a connection. The more people who know about it, the better. Maybe they'll sign the petition, too. At the time of this posting, there were about 3,440 signatures. Mine was one of the first 25. (Because I don't publicize my name on my blog, that's the only narrowing you're going to get. Those who know me know which signature is mine.)
What more can we do? Look at my last post and take down the contact information. Write real (paper) letters if you can – e-mail only goes so far, and many of those on the list have programs designed to send back a generalized form letter to the sender. You can call the LCMS headquarters at 1-888-THE LCMS and ask to talk to someone who isn't just taking down notes, but rather someone who has some kind of authority in this position. Don't allow yourself to be transferred to just anyone: ask to whom you are being transferred and why.
There is talk about protesting the decision on the steps of the "Purple Palace" which is the LCMS headquarters in St. Louis, MO, one of these Saturdays coming up. No specific date has been determined at this point, but consider attending. One commenter on Pr. Weedon's blog suggested making it a vigil instead of a protest, so that the negative connotation of a protest is removed. (His was comment number 70-something.)
Bottom line: As I said in my previous post, we cannot sit by and idly take this kind of abuse by the "powers that be." If they are willing to cut the most confessional and best Christian radio program there is, and fire Pr. Wilken and Mr. Schwarz, it seems they will stop at nothing to take away every trace of real Lutheranism there is. Countless pastors have been thrown out of the LCMS for non-Scriptural reasons; they were thrown out for BEING FAITHFUL to God, to the Lutheran faith, to those they served.
With so many congregations throwing away good Lutheran liturgy and hymns in favor of big praise bands, contemporary music and "feel good" messages (I won't even attempt to call them sermons), the line between what is and is not Lutheran has been blurred to the point that those from Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. backgrounds can go from their own churches to a so-called LCMS church and find nary a difference.
Those of us who are staying faithful to the confessions and to Scripture are becoming fewer and fewer, and are understandably skiddish about speaking out too loudly for fear that our pastors will be made to join the list of those thrown out for faithfully doing the jobs they were trained to do in the LCMS seminaries!
If we're going to survive these evil trials (yes, they are evil), we need to stick together and fight. We need to stand up for our pastors and for the right to remain Lutheran, and not let the world influence our worship, but rather have our worship and faith influence the world in which we live.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
A reminder: If your post is listed in this Carnival, don't forget to post a link on your blog directing readers to the Carnival.
Now, ON WITH THE LUTHERAN CARNIVAL, edition LXVII!!
Our church father for this edition is Claus Harms, and the following about him was found on Wikipedia. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a picture of him, so if you know where I can find one, please let me know by leaving a comment at the end of this post.
And this from Lutheranwiki.org:
Harms was born at Fahrstedt in Schleswig-Holstein, and in his youth worked in his father's mill. At the University of Kiel he repudiated the prevailing rationalism and under the influence of Schleiermacher became a fervent Evangelical preacher, first at Lunden (1806), and then at Kiel (1816).
Harms's trenchant style made him very popular, and he did great service for his cause especially in 1817, when, on the 300th anniversary of the Reformation, he published side by side with Luther's theses, ninety-five of his own, attacking reason as "the pope of our time" who "dismisses Christ from the altar and throws God's word from the pulpit."
As a musician, Harms sought to restore Lutheran hymns back to their original state. To this end, he researched the original texts from people such as Luther, Gerhardt, and others, hoping to find the original texts for the hymns his people were singing. In this he was mostly successful - the textual reforms he made still remain in hymnals today. He was unsuccessful, though, in restoring the tunes to their original states. The Renaissance-style tunes employed by the early Reformers had largely been smoothed out, such that the lively syncopations common to music of that era had been replaced by simple, plodding meters. His attempts met with early resistance, and he abandoned the project.
Besides volumes of sermons Harms published a good book on Pastoraltheologie (1830). He resigned his pastorate on account of blindness in 1849, and died on the 1st of February 1855. See Autobiography (2nd ed., Kiel, 1852); Michael Baumgarten, Ein Denkmal fur C. Harms
Claus Harms was born on 25 May 1778 in Fahrstedt, a small community in modern Dithmarschen County (northwest of Hamburg between North Sea and Elbe River). On the next day he was baptized at the church in neighboring town of Marne and named after his father's father. He was the first child of his parents Christian, a miller, and Margarethe nee Jochims. In the May of 1784 the Harms family moved to neighboring St. Michaelisdonn (30). Having outgrown the local school at age 13, Harms began to be instructed by the local pastor, F. E. C. Oertling (1757-1837), a rationalist (44), in various subjects, including, Latin, high German, geography, history, the classics, and religion. For religious eductation, Harms is told to copy the manuscript of Oertling's rationalistic explanation of Luther's Small Catechism (46). At this time, Harms experiences first-hand the commotion created by rationalistic pastors in the by-and-large traditionally Lutheran congregations (48f.).
After a year and a half, Harms quits his instruction with Pastor Oertling, much to the satisfaction of his father; he again spends more time working for his father. In 1793 Harms is confirmed (51). In his autobiography, he only remembers moralistic teachings from confirmation instruction. Unusual for the time -- and against Harms' own later judgment -- he receives communion right after confirmation. Having for now finished his formal schooling, Harms continues to read Pietist and rationalist devotionals (52)...
In the fall of 1799, Harms moves to Kiel to attend the university (68). The Kiel faculty is dominated by rationalistic professors; the one exception, the "biblical supranaturalist" and friend of J. G. Herder, J. F. Kleuker (1749-1827), is shunned by faculty and student body alike. Harms cannot bring himself to attend an entire seminar on the confessions (70f.). In 1800, student Harms preaches his first sermon in Kiel (74). As his rationalism takes on an "aesthetic" bent -- after reading the German writer F. Schiller -- he is censured for this by his strictly Kantian professor (75f.).
As he works his way through the curriculum, neither Schiller nor Kant satisfy the young student any longer. A friend gives him a copy of Schleiermacher's 1799 On Religion: Speeches to the Cultured among Its Despisers. He reads the book several time and is deeply impressed by it (79):... and on this walk it was that I, at once, recognized the vanity and nothingness of all rationalism and all aesthetics and all knowledge and all activity of the self in the work of salvation; as by lightning, I realized the necessity that our salvation has to be of a different origin.
Harms calls this his "higher life's hour of birth, or better yet: the death of my old man according to his knowledge of divine matters" (ibid.). He -- in the words of J. H. Jung-Stilling -- "received from this book the impulse to an eternal movement" (80). However, he soon realizes that Schleiermacher does not help him in his struggle against the old man beyond this first impulse: his sermons, a first selection was published in 1801, turn out to be no bread at all; they are not a popular version of his Speeches Harms expected them to be (ibid.).
Harms instead turns to the territorial catechism explanations in use at the time. He prepares a catechesis on the sentence: "We men are all sinners, in our behavior [actual sins] as well as in our nature [original sin]." He works on the part on original sin "out of and according to my new-found faith according to the churchly confession." His fellow students greet his presentation with utter silence; his professor harshly criticises him "for placing some good pillars under the delapidated building of churchly faith" and admonishes him to stop doing that: "Then the old building collapses which cannot and must not remain upright any longer" (81).
In early October 1802, Harms goes through his written and oral exams before the (orthodox) general superintendent of Holstein, J. L. Callisen (1738-1806), whose son, J. F. L. Callisen (1775-1864) becomes one of the few clergy supporters of Harms during the theses controversy (82-84)...
In 1817, Harms, inspired by Luther's 1517 theses -- he calls them the "diapers of the Lutheran church" (117) -- authors his 95 Theses to draw Luther's work out of oblivion and to do something about a rationalistic bible edition that had been published in 1815. This public appeal was preceded by futile attempts to accomplish something with the church authorities that had approved the publication of said edition (117f.). The theses, published just before the tricentennial of the Reformation, caused St. Nicholas to be overcrowded on Reformation Day and caused a mighty stirr for the next two years, among the citizenry of Kiel (119f.), among the theologians (120-122), and among the church authorities (122f.). Looking back, however, he finds that his theses marked the beginning of many a student's and many a pastor's turn from rationalism to orthodoxy (128, 131-133). Asked by students of the university -- it belonged to St. Nicholas Parish -- Harms agrees to speak informally on various pastoral subjects; his Pastoraltheologie grew out of these weekly evening conversations (132).
In 1834, Harms is asked to become Schleiermacher's successor at Trinity Church in Berlin. He shows some interest but finally declines the call because he is assured to become the next senior pastor and superintendent at St. Nicholas in Kiel. This takes takes place in 1835 (166f.).
Twenty years later, on 1 February 1855, Harms dies peacefully. His burial takes place on 8 February at St. George's Cemetery in Kiel (202).
My husband also posted about Pr. Harms' publishing of the Theses. Unfortunately, most of you would be unable to read this post without joining The Wittenberg Trail (which you are all welcome to do), which is why I am going to post it in its entirety here:
I was delighted to see the completion of the 95 Theses of Claus Harms from German to English. You'll notice they apply today.
The first eight...
A Call to Repentance from Man-Centered Religion and Ethics, A.D. 1817 (Theses 1-8)
1. When our Master and Lord Jesus Christ says: "Repent!", he wants that men conform to his doctrine; he, however, does not conform his doctrine to men, as is done now, according to the changed spirit of the times, 2 Tim. 4:3.
2. Doctrine in relation to faith and life is now construed in such a way so as to accomodate men. This is why now protest and reform have to be repeated.
3. With the idea of a progressive reformation -- as this idea is defined and how it is brought up -- one reforms Lutheranism into paganism and Christianity out of the world.
4. Since the doctrine of faith has been construed according to the doctrine of life which has been construed according to the life of men, one has to start again and again with this: Repent!
5. In a time of reformation, this sermon addresses all, without distinguishing between the good and the bad; for also those who have conformed to the wrong doctrine are considered bad.
6. The Christian doctrine as well as the Christian life is to be built according to one draft.
7. If men were on the right way as to their actions, one could say: In doctrine go backward and in life go forward, then you will arrive at true Christianity.
8. Repentance shows itself first of all in falling away from him who has placed himself, or has been placed, in God's place; at Luther's time this was, in a certain sense, the pope, for him the antichrist.
The remaining here: http://www.lutheranwiki.org/The_95_Theses_of_Claus_Harms#The_95_Theses_of_1817
The following was a comment from "Michael Zamzow" on that post, listed here because it adds history and relevance:
The idea of progressive Reformation (semper reformanda) is a Reformed concept which is at the root of many of our current struggles in the Lutheran Church. Continuous repentance would be more in line with the Biblical witness and catechetical foundations of our faith. As Harms points out, it is not adapting the Gospel which is true reformation, but repentance. It is important to note the historical context of Harms' theses. The Reformation was being hijacked by the Prussian Union and Schleiermacher & Co.Now, on with the rest of the Carnival:
The first post comes from Bill of The Covenant Blessing. He has submitted a post entitled, "God's Word is Alive." In it, he states, "I find that I have to constantly be on guard so that my favorite passages of scripture do not become familiar to me. This verse is one of the reasons that we must be careful to look at God's Word with an open spirit. If we allow it, His Word will change our hearts." Thank you, Bill. That is a good reminder for all of us.
Ritewinger of TheoCon, a Canadian seminarian, entered the Carnival with the post, "Because That's What We Do". In this thought-provoking post, he talks about having attended a midnight Mass with his father-in-law and his wife's grandma. He says that he spotted people kneeling for a time, but just to look around to see who was there, and then sitting back in their pew. Although he is thankful that these people have actually taken the time to go to church and sit in the pew to listen to the Word being presented to them, he says that it's also very important to know why we do the things we do in church, and not just follow the crowd "because that's what we do."
Excellent point, Ritewinger. I would love to see a follow-up on this post from you or another clergyman that goes into more depth to explain why we kneel, stand and (for some) cross ourselves in church, and why these actions are important and practiced. Maybe you can use that good seminary training you're getting to draw from as a follow-up post. :)
The last person to enter a submission was Dan at Necessary Roughness, with his post about "A Child's Brush with Sin and Forgiveness". Now, this is something everyone needs to know about Dan: He is very proud of his daughters, and it shows in every post he publishes about them. He spends the time it takes to teach them not just about God and what Jesus did for us, but what it all means. In this post, one of his daughters puts that knowledge to good use, surprising her parents in the meantime. Both of Dan's daughters are under 5 years old, but that doesn't mean they don't know what sin is, or the true meaning of repentance.
In his words, "Kids, I told her [one of his daughters], aren’t the only ones who mess up and don’t mean to. 'We daily sin much' and are in need of forgiveness ourselves. When these things happen, we pray, and we practice. We pray God to forgive us, and we practice doing things the right way. The absolution that we receive from the pastor in church is as real as our forgiving of our daughter."
The posts that follow are some that have been drafted from people who have submitted posts to former editions of The Lutheran Carnival, and whom I'm assuming (hoping, really) just forgot that there was another Carnival to submit to. ;)
My first drafted post comes from Pastor Snyder of Ask the Pastor. Pastor Snyder is a very talented and knowledgeable pastor from Missouri, and of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and shows his talent in the form of an Epiphany Hymn that he wrote. If you decide to use this hymn at your church, or reproduce it in any way, please contact Pastor Snyder to ask his permission to do so, and DO NOT change any of the wording. It's his creation, after all, and he retains the copyright.
The next drafted post is from Orycteropus Afer, otherwise known as Aardvark Alley. This pastor of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is known for helping us all to remember the saints who have gone before us, and what they did, as well as why they are to be remembered. In his recent post about Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa + Basil the Great of Caesarea, 1 January AD 379 with Gregory of Nazianzus, 9 May AD 389 and Gregory of Nyssa, 9 March AD 395, the Pastor tells us that, "Their defense of the doctrines of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity, together with their contributions to the liturgy of the Eastern Church, make them among the most influential Christian teachers and theologians of their time. Their knowledge and wisdom continues to be heard and known in the Christian Church today."
Included at the end of his post is a collect to be prayed.
A post of political and religious importance comes from Timotheos of Balaam's Ass. In his post from Friday, he talks about why it's important to ask questions and know what you're talking about when comparing religions, such as Christianity to Mormonism, in "Mere Jesus Syndrome: Case in Point". He takes an excerpt from an interview of Presidential candidate Mitt Romney with Joel Osteen. Osteen doesn't ask questions when Romney says that Jesus is his savior, or that he believes in God, but it's important to do so, and Timotheos tells of a few things he learned by doing a quick 5-minute search of Mormon beliefs on their website. Do some comparing of your own before you cast your vote for President.
The last blog I am going to highlight is written by TKls2myhrt on Be Strong in the Grace. This lovely lady has recently posted the third installment of a series on "Koehler's A Summary of Christian Doctrine: The Holy Scriptures." In this post, Koehler is quoted as saying, "It is not our business to sit in judgment on what we have learned to be the plain sense of the Bible text, accepting what agrees, and rejecting what does not agree with our personal views and rationalizations." TKls2myhrt gives the example of her former Lutheran synod trying to twist the Scriptures into something that justified the ordaining of women, and how she doesn't question God's intentions that come from His Word.
I'm going to call that good for this edition of The Lutheran Carnival. Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope to see you all back again, since I'm hoping to be a more active blogger this year. I also encourage those of you who belong to the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod to join The Wittenberg Trail, so you can have an even larger community of LCMSers to chat and share with.
Friday, January 11, 2008
- Title of Your Blog
- Link to Your Blog
- Title of Your Blog Post
- Link to Your Blog Post
- Summary of Your Blog Post
Thursday, January 10, 2008
So far, I have received four entries. That's not gonna cut it, folks. I know many of you are used to waiting until Friday or Saturday to submit your posts, but I'm going to challenge you to get them in at a time that's not "just under the wire."
I've put in a request on The Wittenberg Trail, but I'm not sure very many people are listening.
So, put your thoughts together and get typing! Let's get ready for a great carnival!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
I won't tell you what my resolutions are, but I can tell you that I, like many others, plan to keep my resolutions. What makes me think I have any shot at keeping them? I am praying for help and guidance. Not that that means I'll actually achieve my goals, but it does give me a fighting chance.
Praying. Now there's something that a lot of people could do more of. I know I could. Can we ever pray too much? Is there such a thing? No, I don't believe so. I mean, sure, some people could spend hours on end praying. Luther did, and he still felt that he was inadequate.
But the great thing about our Lutheran faith is that we know that there is nothing that says we have to do anything, or how we have to do it, or when or how many times. Some Christian denominations do give those regulations. They are, as my husband would label them, "pietistic."
Lutherans believe in a cross-centered theology, as opposed to a theology of glory or works-righteousness. That means that we recognize that there is nothing at all that we can do to get us closer to God or to get us into Heaven. Jesus did all of that for us.
So, how does that tie in to New Year's resolutions, you ask? Well, there are also some people who strive to be closer to God, who want to do everything they can to make it more likely that they'll get into Heaven when they die. Now, of course, eventually, they're going to mess up. And I'm guessing that it won't be more than a few days, if that long, before they do. Then, how are they going to feel? Are they going to be depressed? Will they be filled with despair?
The truth is that making a New Year's resolution to do better and try to get closer to God is good, but that's not what saves you: Jesus did all of the work for all of us. He is there to catch us when we fall. He picks up the pieces of our broken hearts, minds and bodies, and carries us home to Him.
So, when we fail to meet the goals we set out for ourselves in our New Year's resolutions, we may be frustrated and disappointed with ourselves, but God is there for us, and will be there to help us get back on track or realize more realistic goals. With His help, we can achieve many things.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Even the television shows are getting their panties in a bunch, saying, "Happy Holiday" (oftentimes omitting the final "s" that would give the greeting the implication that they are talking about more than one holiday). It's not a "holiday party" or "holiday dinner" or "holiday get-together, it's CHRISTMAS!!! Those who don't want to have anything to do with Christmas can just ignore the whole celebration, but they must acknowledge that this is a largely Christian nation, and therefore, Christian holidays will be celebrated.
Stores and other retail outlets can be the worst. They send you their "holiday catalogs" and other advertisements, not mentioning at all for which holiday they're marketing their tactics. It really bothers me, and I'm not the only one it bothers. Of this I am sure. Case in point: "Merry Tossmas". I think I'm actually going to start endorsing the views put forth in that YouTube video to the point that I'll follow through on what that guy does: toss the "holiday" advertisements and catalogs, while keeping and looking through those that acknowledge that it's Christmas that's being celebrated. And those will be the only ones I consider buying from.
Will you do the same?
Support and celebrate Christmas, and endorse "Tossmas" with those who decide to ignore the Reason for the Season: Christ and the Mass that is celebrated on the anniversary of His holy birth.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Friday, October 05, 2007
The verse is Joshua 1:9, which reads: "9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (NIV)
Think about it: what can you possibly go through that, as a Christian, you wouldn't be comforted by this verse?
I have, in my life so far, been through 19 foot surgeries, two hernia surgeries, sinus surgery (just to name the surgeries), lengthy unemployment of myself and my husband at the same time, am married to someone my parents didn't want me to marry but have (for the most part) accepted, losing countless loved ones, and more. I'm sure that many of you have been through some of the same, and maybe some things I couldn't even imagine. But whatever your trial, this verse (and many other favorites from the Bible) can be of great comfort.
How do I know this verse so well? It was my confirmation verse, one that was given to me as a source of comfort and inspiration when I was confirmed in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, by a pastor who is now President of the Kansas District, Pastor Keith Kohlmeier, who was the pastor of the church my family and I attended at the time.
Through all of these trials and tribulations, I have prayed and looked to this verse for comfort. Why? Because in it, God promises to be with us, standing with us and for us, no matter what happens to us. We can go through the worst life has to throw at us, and be given the best life has to offer, and we know that He is going to see us through all of it, because He loves us. He must, or He wouldn't have given His only Son to die for us, that we might live with Him eternally.
Is God telling us, in this verse, not to ever be afraid? Well, I'm sure He realizes that we might be afraid of things sometimes, but in this verse, He is telling us to let Him handle the hard stuff, to put our fears aside and let Him take charge. It's part of loving and trusting Him.
And the same goes for being discouraged. I'm sure a lot of you have also heard the phrase, "When God closes a door, he opens a window (or another door)." We might not always see that other "door" or "window," but there is a reason for everything that God allows us to experience in this life. We may need to learn a lesson, grow in our faith, or go through something so that we can be sympathetic or empathetic to others, or that we might be able to teach others something that we have learned as a result. And for those reasons, we need to remember that God is with us, no matter what.
"Be strong and courageous." Is God telling us, as some would have you believe, that we need to be physically strong, able to lift hundreds of pounds, brave mountain lions without weapons, or something of that sort? No. We are to be strong in our faith in Him and in the actions of His Son Who saved us, and be courageous against the things and people in this world and life that threaten and challenge that faith. Remember: babies and invalids can have faith – great faith, too, and most of them are anything but physically strong.
There is nothing in this life that can make God turn His back on us. He has so much love for us that He will never go away, and we will never be able to hide from Him, no matter how hard we might try. And that's not meant to be something to cause fear – rather, the opposite. We are to use that knowledge to go forward with life as Christians, with the knowledge that He will never abandon us, even in our darkest hours when we feel the most alone. All we have to do is pray and believe.
Praise be to God!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Yes, it's hosted somewhere other than Blogger. So, yes, I'm trying something different. When you visit, let me know what you think.
The same rules apply there as here: no foul language, no name-bashing, and comments are moderated for everyone, just so it's fair and stays clean. If you have any questions, you may refer to the post that's already there, or scroll down in this blog to find my rules for posting.
I'll see you there or here! This blog will remain on this site... At least for now. :)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The Random Intolerants are expecting a baby girl at the end of October. I'm getting very excited to see her and hold her and (hopefully) be able to babysit her once in a while. My hubby and I have made jokes about her and my nephew ending up together when they get older. ;) Depending on who you talk to, those jokes are well received.
The guys, and whoever else wants to join them, will be playing poker after the gifts have been opened. Elle said, though, that her husband's family tends to break out into poker games at the drop of a hat, so we'll see how it works.
I'll give you an update close to or just after the shower. Nice to see you all again! :D
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
So, since a lawyer I've never met decided to teach me a lesson after I accidentally cut his wife off while driving a company vehicle, I don't have that job anymore. Sad, I know. Especially since I was loving that job.
Also, I just underwent my 19th foot surgery last Monday, to remove a metal plate from my right foot that was put in during one of my reconstructive surgeries three years ago.
And an update on that adorable nephew of mine, who's pictured below: He's now 7 1/2 months old! He laughs these big belly laughs, smiles all the time, and absolutely loves his aunt: me. :D
I'm going to try to post on my blog more often, too. So, if you just happened to be stopping by to see if I'd actually added anything lately, thank you. Pass it on that I'm back! I'm hoping to contribute to the next Lutheran Carnival, too. I just have to come up with something to post about. ;)
Until next time!


The Salvation Army was raised up by God to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to win people for His Kingdom.
The Salvation Army is a church. Our message is based on the Bible, Our ministry is motivated by love of God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
The Salvation Army is an international movement based on Christian principles. Currently The Salvation Army is active and engaged in 125 countries. The Salvation Army provides countless social and spiritual services on a global scale to help people find freedom.
PNG Salvation Army History
The Salvation Army officially commenced in Papua New Guinea on 31st August, 1956. The first officers appointed to work in PNG were Major Keith and Mrs Major Edna Baker, and Lieut Ian Cutmore (now retired commissioner).
PNG was part of the Australia Eastern Territory for 38 years until it became an independent command on 4th July, 1994. It gained territorial status on 9th December, 2000.
In 2005, as the Army was approaching 50 years of service in PNG, the first national officers were appointed as territorial leaders: Colonels Andrew and Julie Kalai. Colonel Julie died in October 2006, while Commissioner Andrew Kalai remained as the territorial commander until his retirement in January 2013. Colonels Andy & Yvonne Westrupp are the current territorial commanders.


As we prepare to receive Bishop Irenee at St. Nicholas, we are given a chance to also reflect on the lives of two very important bishops who helped establish our current Church life and administration. This week we remember the repose of both Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevitch) May 14th 1965, and Archbishop Sylvester (Hannus) May 19th 2000.
It could be said that after Sts. Innocent and Tikhon, Metropolitan Leonty is the most important Church leader in the over two hundred year life of the Russian Mission, Metropolia, and Orthodox Church in America.
Leonid Ieronimovich Turkevich was born in 1876 in Kremenets, Volhynia. In 1905, he married Anna Chervinsky and was ordained a deacon and priest at the Pochaiv monastery. In 1906, Bishop Tikhon (latter Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus) of the North American diocese found him a suitable candidate for the rector of the new seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, later becoming the dean of St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York where he was the main advisor of the ruling bishops. Fr. Leonid was widowed in 1925, and in 1933 took the name Leonty in monasticism, being elected and consecrated bishop of Chicago. In 1950 Bishop Leonty was elected unanimously as Metropolitan by delegates of the Eighth All American Sobor.
Metropolitan Leonty assumed leadership of a rudderless Church. Years of administrative neglect (and at times ineptitude) brought on by the Bolshevik Revolution, the Great Depression, and rising nationalism, made the once visionary Russian Mission, into a loose collection of independent congregations. Little by little metropolitan Leonty organized and established administrative norms, such as working Church offices (Chancellor, Secretary, Treasurer etc.) as well as statues for the Church. He also brought with him many of the ideals of the All Russian Council of 1917- 1918. Chiefly the ideal of Sobornost (Собо́рность “Spiritual community of many jointly living people”). That both the laity and clergy of the Church had a responsibility in the direction of its life, as guided by the Holy Spirit, and blessed by its hierarchs. We see this lived out in our Church today, whether it be in the Metropolitan or Archdiocesan councils or our local parish councils. By the time of his death, Metropolitan Leonty had left the Metropolia a stable enough foundation in which to continue, but also grow into an autocephalous Church. The Orthodox Church in America (1970). The life of Metropolitan Leonty, like our beloved Archbishop Arseny, is currently being reviewed by the Holy Synod to be included in our list of North American saints.
Vladyka Sylvester was born of Latvian-Russian parents in 1914 in Dvinsk, Latvia, and named Ivan Antonovich Haruns. By the early 30’s his life was entirely dedicated to serving the Church. At this time, he also met, and was a devoted disciple of Archbishop John (Pommer) of Riga, until the archbishop became a martyr in 1934. During these days also, the future archbishop became acutely aware of the persecutions in the USSR, because Dvinsk was very near the border. Then, despite the early opposition of his parents, which later changed, he went away to study at the Institut de Théologie Orthodoxe Saint-Serge in Paris, France. The future archbishop was tonsured a monk with the name Sylvester at the Institute, and then he was ordained in 1938 to the diaconate and priesthood by Metropolitan Evlogy of Paris.
Archbishop Sylvester spent his early priesthood serving many of the refugees of the Bolshevik revolution, and then Russian POW’s who came to France as forced labourers for the Nazis. It could be said that this work among the broken, starving, abused and dying would leave a lasting impression on his ministry as priest and then as bishop. He was ordained to the episcopate by Metropolitan Vladimir of Paris (Ecumenical Patriarchate) in 1952, and he was assigned first to those administrative duties connected with missionary work and publications, first in Paris and then Nice France. In 1963 Bishop Sylvester moved to Canada to become the bishop of Montreal. He was elevated to Archbishop in 1966. Like Metropolitan Leonty, He inherited a diocese, that had not had an active, and stable Episcopal life in over 40 years.
like many others in the Metropolia, he considered that autocephaly was necessary and correct for the North American Church under the conditions existing at that time. He managed to calm the fears of some, and to pacify the inflamed passions of others about this matter. In 1974, he was appointed Temporary Administrator of The Orthodox Church in America to assist the ailing Primate, Metropolitan Ireney. In this position of great responsibility, he ably fulfilled many functions of the Primate until October 1977, when Metropolitan Ireney retired and Metropolitan Theodosius was elected to succeed him.
Like St. Tikhon, Archbishop Arseny, Metropolitain Leonty, and countless other bishops, priests, and laymen, Vladika Sylvester understood the importance of cultivating Orthodoxy beyond its traditional centers. With foresight and charity, the blessing of English and French language missions in Canada started with him. Changing the face, and context of over a hundred years of Orthodoxy in Canada, without dismissing its historical and cultural foundations. If Vladyka Sylvester had not done what he did, and been who he was, there would very likely have been nothing for any of us, from Archbishop Seraphim (his successor) to my children’s children, to inherit.
Archbishop Sylvester retired in 1981 and although the diocese was by no means structurally able to manage itself at that time, it was able to spiritually manage its life, following his example of meekness and humility. in May 2000, he received Holy Unction and also the Holy Mysteries before his repose. This was through the hands of the then Hieromonk Irénée (Rochon), who would later become our current Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada. It is of note that Vladika Sylvester requested to be buried as a monastic, and not a bishop. Bishops do not usually request this, but in this their is both an indication of his humility, and a constant awareness of the primacy of his monastic life of repentance. This says more than words can convey.
So much has been written about both these bishops, and their blessed work. But for all their administrative and visionary accomplishments (which are far-reaching in themselves), they are truly remembered, (even venerated for) their profound love and humility. They were able to see the presence of the Kingdom in the life and liturgy of the Church, through all the disfunction and disarray of life, and as such, bore witness to it until the end. This is the foundation we continue to build upon and the examples we try to follow.
As our Saviour said we should, both bishops had done their duties as faithful servants, and will surely have been greeted with the words “‘Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mt. 25:23)
Pray to God for us holy Metropolitan Leonty, and Archbishop Sylvester.
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
Priest Gregory Scratch


At Kids of the Heights, we strive to create a space where your kids feel comfortable and welcome, while teaching them about the unending love of Jesus. Each of our children’s environments are staffed and prepared by loving volunteers who are ready to welcome your child in and show them the love of Jesus!
Kids of the Heights is a safe and fun place to learn about Jesus
Your child’s safety is our top priority. We are committed to a system that creates a safe environment. Each of our volunteers in every service and every classroom have completed a background check. Our check-in system ensures that our volunteers know each child by name and can verify that the correct people are picking them up after every service.


Happy Easter Sunday! While my sisters and I celebrated this easter a little more unconventionally (sans-parents), we still had a beautiful Easter brunch this morning followed by a long walk through Hope Ranch. We made a fresh zucchini and kale frittata, cinnamon knots, and a gorgeous fruit platter. We even had Canadian-style ham in lieu of the honey-baked one we have at my aunts every year. I hope your day was also filled with plenty of good food and good company!


Today Years 1 and 2 were visited by the Reverend Mary Cruddas.
Firstly, she visited Year 2 who have been learning about kindness in R.E. She told them the story of Ruth and they quizzed her about her job and about what kindness means!
Then she visited Year 1 to talk about creation. She discussed how much God enjoys creating things and how he created people in ‘God’s Eye’. Then they created little people in their own image.
Please see the gallery for more photos.


What We Believe
About the Bible – The scriptures are infallible in all areas. They are inspired by God and declare His design and plan for mankind.
About God – There is only one true God–revealed in three persons who are co-equal… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity).
About Jesus – Jesus Christ is God. He is equal with the Father. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary by miraculous conception and exists as both human and divine. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days demonstrating His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory where he is the only Mediator between God and people and will return again to earth. He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
About Humanity – We are made in the image of God, which offered us tremendous potential for doing good, but we willfully sin(ned). Sin is an attitude of rebellion toward God which mars each of us. Sin ushered in evil and death, both physical and spiritual, into the world and separates people from God.
About Salvation – Every person can have restored relationship with God through ‘salvation’ (trusting Christ, through faith and repentance, to be our Savior). It is a gift from God we can never earn nor can we make up for our sin through self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus can a person be saved from sin’s consequence.
About the Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He provides the Jesus follower with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. We receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, but Jesus also offered us a baptism in the Holy Spirit following salvation that offers greater power for witnessing and effective service, just as it did in New Testament times. The initial physical evidence of this baptism in the Holy Spirit is ‘speaking in tongues,’ as experienced on the Day of Pentecost and referenced throughout Acts and the Epistles.
About Faith and Practice – Following God is a progressive lifelong process of separating from evil as believers and continually drawing closer to God; becoming more Christlike. Each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she is ultimately responsible. We celebrate and remember this process through spiritual practices. These practices include the ordinances of Baptism, which is a symbolic declaration of crossing over from a life of spiritual death and decay into a vibrant new life in Christ and Holy Communion, which is a remembrance of Jesus’ sacrificial death on our behalf and our hope in Jesus’ return.
About our Mission – The “Church” is the Body of Christ and consists of the people who, throughout time, have accepted God’s offer of redemption (regardless of religious denomination) through the sacrificial death of His son Jesus Christ. The Church has a mission to seek and save all who are lost in sin (those who have chosen to live life separate from God). The Church has a mandate to gather in the worship of God and the commission to actively equip and empower those who choose to be followers of Jesus Christ.
About Leadership – The leadership ministry that serves the Church should be divinely called and scripturally ordained. The Bible teaches that each of us under leadership must commit ourselves to reach others for Christ, to worship Him with other believers, to build up or edify the body of believers (which is the Church) and to meet human need with ministries of love and compassion.
About Healing – Divine healing of the sick is a privilege for Christians today and is provided for in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for our sins.
About Eternity – People are created to exist forever. Every person will either exist eternally separated from God by sin on in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with Him is heaven. Heaven and Hell are places of real and eternal existence.


HELPING TO BRING CHRIST INTO RECOVERY OF ALL SORTS
Credo retreats are run by men and women who are in recovery. Clergy are often invited to discuss some of the finer points of spirituality, but almost all of the talks given are done so by men and women who, at some point in their lives, have made a positive third step.
Those who attend the retreats are anonymous as to their professions and background. Counselors are not ‘counselors’ during the retreat, they are men or women who have come to an awakening of God’s presence.
This is the role of all men and women who are team members. It is a firm belief of Credo that it is God who puts on the retreat and ultimately designs its outcome. The desire to serve God by sharing with others our personal experience with Him in our lives helps us to keep our egos out of the way in this endeavor.
The Next set of weekends is schedule for FALL 2024.
#11 Men's is Oct. 24-27
#12 Women's is Oct. 31-Nov. 3
Weekends start on thursday evening and go through Sunday afternoon and are Held at Trinity Methodist in Pomona.


"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ".
(1 Corinthians 3 v 11)
Westminster Baptist church is the oldest Free Church in Westminster. It was founded in 1807 when services were started in Grafton Street S.W.1. The church then moved to Panton Street and soon after to Lewisham Street.
In 1828 a permanent premises was found and on 12 March 1828, Romney Street Baptist Church was opened. The Rev C. Woolacott was the minister at that time.
The church was temporarily closed in 1865, but was re-opened later that year by C.H.Spurgeon and the Rev J.S.Morris was the minister. Romney Street was eventually demolished and so services were held at a local hall, Stockwell Baptist Church and even on the street corner of Old Page Street in Westminster.
The present building in Horseferry Road was opened on 27 March, 1935. Prior to the purchase of the present building an attempt was made to buy another building but the Lord closed the doors and 100 Horseferry Road was purchased. The Lord knew which building he had planned for us as during World War Two the other building was damaged by enemy action, but Westminster Baptist Church was left untouched. In 1956 the Rev Thomas was inducted and 42 years later he was still faithfully preaching the word of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Rev W.H Thomas retired from the pastorship in 1999. In September 2005 God blessed the church with a new minister, Pastor Kevin Keenan was inducted on 17 September 2005(the audio for which can be found on the sermons page) we hope and pray God will bless his ministry in this needy place of London and that all may be done to the Honor and Glory of Almighty God.


In our area, in which 18th and 19th century organs from the Veneto school prevail, an organ from the Lombardy school is a novelty.
The Serassi organ of S. Agostino was built in 1858 and perhaps the fact that a Lombard organ-maker was engaged is due to the presence in this church of the Somasco Religious Order, which has its roots in Lombardy. The acoustic frame of the instrument differs from the essential rationality of Veneto tradition and is rich in coloured stops.
It is situated in the choir loft above the main door of the church and enclosed in a neo-classical case decorated with imitation marble. The instrument was recently renovated by the organ-maker Giorgio Carli from Pescantina (Verona).
To arrange a visit, contact the parish church of S. Maria Maggiore.


WHAT IS FULL?
FULL is a project of Spero, a non-profit 501(c)3, that is a community development ministry focused on developing relational networks that help neighborhoods to address food insecurity and to reach their full potential. We know that Oklahoma City is a place full of hope, relationships, and resources that can ensure all communities in our city thrive.
Community is created around something that a group of people have in common - the image of God. Community development involves recognizing the image of the Creator in creation and drawing that image out to shine fully and brightly.
There are as many practical ways to develop community as there are people. Over and over, we have seen that a central, and key thing, that brings people together and enables conversations and relationships to develop is food. We are helping people all over the city love and learn from their neighbors by using food as capital. Through neighborhood food cooperatives and in-home deliveries, we see Heaven come to earth as barriers are broken and the image of God comes to light in the lives and hearts of people.
The neighborhood food cooperatives that we partner with are community-based food distributions in collaboration with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Individuals within a neighborhood sign an agreement to be a part of the cooperative. The agreement requires attendance and participation of its members, as well as a monetary contribution. This money does not go toward the RFBO-resourced food, but toward a project decided upon by the cooperative members, that will benefit the community.
Food cooperatives are not run by volunteers, but the members themselves. Members pick up the food from a designated location, bring it to the neighborhood distribution site where they sort, organize, and distribute the food. The primary focus of the cooperative is building relationships, using food as a conduit for those in relationships to develop.
The in-home delivery program brings food to elderly, homebound individuals who meet the income requirements set by the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma (RFBO). We partner with several churches and community organizations across the metro area to meet the needs of our neighbors. Our goal is for a family, or small group of people, to deliver groceries to the same houses near their neighborhood each month, using groceries as a way to build relationships.
The Spero Project works to partner with local food pantries and food resource centers so those making deliveries can pick up food and deliver it within proximity to their neighborhood. This distinction is important to us because it makes the bridge into long-term, authentic relationships beyond the initial connection of food delivery more likely and natural.
PARTNERSHIPS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
We work with incredibly generous food pantries and faithful volunteers to supply 61 homebound, elderly individuals with groceries every month. Are you a church, organization or an individual that wants to sponsor an in-home delivery or membership for a food coop? For $27 a month you can support a household in Oklahoma City that struggles with food insecurity.
Want to get involved? Shoot us an email and we will walk you through the process!
If you or your organization would like to make grocery deliveries please start by filling out the form and we will get back to you with available routes.
Full is a program of The Spero Project, a local 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to mobilize the Church by offering entry points to partnering with under-resourced communities.
Full is sustained by great community and church partnerships and is facilitated by some of The Spero Project Staff Team who are excited to see communities in OKC reach their full potential through meaningful relational networks.


Good Friday to You,
This weekend, I have the privilege of teaching what might be my favorite Old Testament story. I hesitate making this statement because of the countless stories of God working in the lives of His people. I add this disclaimer because the Old Testament is actually THE Story of God preparing to send Jesus to save His people. But the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is so inspiring.
Here’s the punchline of their following our Lord:
“Our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!” Daniel 3:17-18
They were bold, courageous, and unwavering! I read these two verses and I feel boldness and courage! I read these two verses and I want the opportunity to stand unwavering for our Lord! It’s the bravado we feel when watching a great movie showcasing the hero saving others from disaster, regardless the personal sacrifice.
I want to be THAT kind of Christ-follower.
I want to be THAT kind of husband.
I want to be THAT kind of father.
I want to be THAT kind of neighbor.
What prepared these three men for this once-in-a-lifetime event? Was this their defining moment? Or, when we really begin to look at their life story, was their defining moment much less dramatic?
We are tempted to look at our lives and view the “big” decisions as the defining moments. You have a list of those. I have a list of those. The list typically includes vocation, spouse, children, house, town, etc. You know…all of those decisions that impact our daily lives…for the rest of our lives.
But what if saying “I do” wasn’t really the defining moment? What if it was more the culmination of several defining moments? What if taking that job was also more the result of the way you had already been defining your life? What if that one decision or event that seemed to have come out of nowhere had actually been a long time in the making? And if so, how can we recognize these “making” moments?
We’re gonna have a blast this weekend as we take a look at this story. I would recommend you get a head start by reading the first three chapters of Daniel. It is an amazing story of God’s grace and presence. This story has provided much insight into many events in my life. I am absolutely convinced God may use this story to dramatically change your life. Let’s take a look together!
Hope to see you this weekend,


Closing of a Church Liturgy by TLW
Before church meetings and activities, there is always an opening prayer, and then a closing prayer at the end of the meeting. During the primary worship service, called Sacrament Meeting, Mormons also have a special prayer to bless the sacrament, which is similar to communion in many churches.... The closing prayer at the very first meeting might be more of a blessing than anything else. As the group begins to get to know each other, you may find that what used to take five minutes now takes 30. You may also find that, without some intentionality, the authenticity of your members’ prayer requests are stuck at a fairly superficial level. This is the point when it will benefit everyone
Adoration Prayer Prayers - Catholic Online
Don't ask if they can say the prayer today, but if they can say the prayer next week, or the week after. Keep a calendar with you at church. If they say no, ask if they'd be willing to schedule a time in advance. People are more willing to accept even simple tasks (and less likely to freak out over them) if they don't need to do them right away. Also, it's harder to decline if you let them... A key part of the successful closing of a church (or of any other dilemma) is the necessity for the pastor to maintain his or her own spiritual health. Central to this are the disciplines. Central to …
9 Incredible Closing Prayers for Church Meetings Cherish
to be the giver of life in the Church, to help us to grow in the likeness of Christ, and to serve you as a holy people, spreading your gospel among all nations. how to open a png file in windows 10 Mass of the Faithful - Closing Prayers. Latin. Explanation of text meaning. (The font styles will not show up in Netscape 3, IE 2 and basic WebTV) 1. Small red letters are the rubrics for Mass. 2. Small bold letters tell when to stand, sit and kneel. 3. LARGE BOLD LETTERS in all caps signify the main parts of the Mass. 4. Large bold letters are smaller divisions of the Mass. 5. A + means that
What Is an Example of a Closing Prayer After a Meeting
Here is a wonderful prayer to use to close a meeting, church service, or any type of gathering! Use your departure as a time to thank God and ask for His protection and blessings. Thank You for how to say i love you in french youtube thankyou..I need a closing prayer for our divine service tonight as this is a beautiful prayer to use. Report. Comment Link Wednesday, 15 August 2018 10:26 posted by Jytte Bauer Thank you so much that prayer is just what I need. Reverend Jytte Bauer ?
How long can it take?
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How To Say A Closing Prayer In Church
Have you ever wondered why congregations say, “Amen” after prayers? Many people have said “amen” hundreds or thousands of times to opening and closing prayers at church …
- One example of a closing prayer that can be used after a meeting is: "As we close this meeting, we want to give honor to You, Lord, and thank You for the time …
- Opening Prayer Let us pray, All say: God of tenderness and peace, Be with us this morning as we gather to reflect on our calling to be ministers of comfort and support in our communities.
- PRAYER for the closing of the service. Lord, we thank you for your guidance, And help throughout this service, For teaching us, For leading us,
- The closing prayer at the very first meeting might be more of a blessing than anything else. As the group begins to get to know each other, you may find that what used to take five minutes now takes 30. You may also find that, without some intentionality, the authenticity of your members’ prayer requests are stuck at a fairly superficial level. This is the point when it will benefit everyone


I wanted to share a favorite quote of mine, one I learned at a local conference. It validates our repetitive parenting tasks and casts each diaper change, reread story, retold instructions, dinner made again, dishes and laundry again and again all in a new light.
Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore, they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again” and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says, every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike, it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”
Nothing worth doing is easy. Homeschooling is worth every moment. Invest liberally into your children’s souls. Galations 6:9 urges us on, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Do not give up.
Tip for the day: Set a schedule that your children can follow. Teach it to them and enforce it until it becomes a habit. When you are multi-tasking--juggling many important tasks, their schedule, once learned, will keep them going and teach them to be self-learners.
Shared by April Shepherd, November 2022


Ga 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Ga 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Ga 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Ga 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Ga 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
Ga 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.


Good morning 🙂
I’m greeting the day with a heavy heart. Why I’m not sure. I have these days sometimes, as we all do. However, depression seems to find me at my most vulnerable times.
As I search the scriptures today, here is what I’m finding…
Ps 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43
1pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 1pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
2ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 11 Timothy 1
Ps 56:11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Psalm 56
1jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4
Ps 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27
Ps 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46
I purchased a book yesterday at Walmart. It’s called…
Daily Guideposts – 365 Spirit- Lifting Devotions For Women
When I’m not working, you will find me curled up with this book somewhere in my house…most likely the couch in our living room. 🙂
Here is the website where you can find this book (in addition to Walmart) 😉
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2 thoughts on “Bible Scriptures For The Week – Fear, Depression, Peace and Guideposts.org”
Thank you!!!!! These verses so encouraged me. They were a balm-and a day brightener.
You’re welcome, I’m glad this post encouraged you. 🙂 Subscribe and you will stay updated on all new posts. Thanks for stopping by. =)


Testimonies & Miracles
Ezekiel: The Prodigal's Return Home
Ezekiel is currently homeless. We met at the library, where I found out he was the son of a preacher and he had made a series of bad choices that had led him far away from God's path. After some prayer and a few conversations, Ezekiel decided to rededicate his life to Jesus! I baptized him in the river and we have been meeting weekly for Bible study. He is so grateful to have the peace of the Lord in his heart. He is an excellent painter and will provide custom artwork to anyone who is interested.
Holy Spirit Breaks out in a Tire Shop
A friend and I went into a tire shop and began chatting with the manager there. Another worker came out and Holy Spirit told us he had back pain. We asked if we could pray and he said yes. As we prayed, more workers began to come out and they all had varying levels of back pain. We prayed over each one and they felt heat and electricity through their bodies as they were healed. They were shocked to find out that all their pain completely left! We shared the gospel and a young man named Noel responded that he was ready to make Jesus His Lord and Savior. He had been wanting to get closer to God but didn't know how. What an amazing Divine appointment for these workers! Thank You Jesus!
Kate's Miracle & Peruvian Missions
I met my friend Kate about a year and a half ago. She was struggling with a chronic illness that left her in bed often, and dealing with symptoms almost 24/7. After consistent prayer from myself and others, she reported that she has been completely symptom-free for months! Not only that, but while traveling to Peru over the summer, she connected with a church there in a small village that is hungry for training and activation on the gifts of the Spirit. I offered to take a team there to evangelize the area and partner with the church and they were overjoyed! They had received a word from the Lord months prior that He would send someone to train them and we fully believe my team is the fulfillment of that prophecy! If you'd like to sow into this trip, you can do so here. Every little bit helps, thank you so much!


The Truth about
Sex, Friendship, and Life Together
Mark & Grace Driscoll
Quote:" The greatest gift a grace a man can have is a pious, God-fearing, home-loving wife, whom he can trust with all his goods, body, and life itself, as well as having her as the mother of his children." ~ Martin Luther pg 23
Started: March 4, 2013
Finished: March 14, 2013
From the cover:
Traveling the world, raising five kids, speaking to thousands, Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, don't live in a bubble. They know we live in a " hook-up, shack up, and break up" culture. They've seen the divorce rates, heard the sexual abuse statistics, they've been statistics themselves. All of which makes them realistic and sympathetic.
But that's not why we are qualified to write this book.
Mark and Grace know and respect God's Word, and they've experienced it's power to transform their marriage. Today, In this culture. Those are their qualifications.
Unflinchingly honest and direct, they describe God's plan for marriage, explain how it has changed their marriage, and dive into the issues that keep us from it, including a lack of friendship in marriage, previous sexual abuse, and the use of pornography. and you'll find the answers to some sex-related questions that you just can't ask your own pastor.
If you want the straight truth wrapped in the grace of the gospel, read this book. If you're asking questions you think the church would never answer, open the pages. And if you're not sure lifelong soul-mates are even possible in the 21st century, read and be encouraged by what the grace and power of God can do for your marriage.
I absolutely loved this book. It was so well written, wonderfully descriptive and truly honest. I know, little by little and through God's grace this book is and will continue to be a blessing to myself and my marriage.
No matter how many or how few issues you feel your marriage has, this book can and probably will help you and your spouse in some way!
The book is divided into specific topic chapters.
1.New Marriage, Same Spouse
2.Friend with Benefits
3. Men and Marriage
4. The Respectful Wife
5. Taking out the Trash
and so on.
This book covers everything from porn obsession and how it can destroy a marriage to what is the difference between lawful and helpful.(Just because you CAN do it, doesn't mean you should. Is it helpful to YOUR specific marriage?)
It uses reference to scripture in almost every question or subject(which I LOVED). It gives tons of helpful statistics, testimonies and study results to help you understand better.
This book shows you right from wrong, how to prioritize(take out the trash) and how to be open, honest and start over from any stage of marriage.
You learn tips, prayers and methods to slowly, gradually transform your marriage into what God had planned for you and your spouse! It even has a "plan" for you to set up and use as a guideline for goals, dreams and things you want to accomplish as a married couple.( How can we get where we want to be next week, year, in 5 years?)
I highly recommend this book to any Christian couples. No matter how wonderful you think your own marriage is, everyone can benefit from this book!
Definitely 5 stars*****


“But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater of a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you’.”
1 Cor 5:11-13
I am speaking from my own experience.
Do you think I am angry?
I am speaking about a lack of integrity.
Let me explain.
In simple English, this is someone within the church who calls themselves a Christian. In biblical Greek, the word is defined as “a community based on identity of origin of life.” This community is the church - those of us who identify with new life in Christ and have formed a community of believers based on the saving work of Jesus at the cross. The term does not refer to only males.
In simple English this refers to any sexual activity outside of a marriage between one man and one woman and it’s design for procreation. The bible defines sexual immorality as both innuendo and explicit sexual content in all forms of media, lust, perving, rape, fantasising dressing provocatively, sensually or immodestly, homosexuality, beastiality, pedophilia, fondling or flirting with any one other than your spouse, incest, adultery, having an affair, or speaking about sex in a way that does not honor it as a sacred thing between a man and a woman. . Loving fidelity where both husband and wife are honored, cherished and respected would be the opposite.
In simple English this refers to lust, unjust gain, coveting, desiring to have more in a cruel and grasping sense, ,money loving, or also the inverse to be miserly and stinting. It comes from a root of discontentment, grumbling and dissatisfaction. Gratitude and contentment would be opposites.
Idolatry includes both sexual immorality and greed along with worshiping other religions, any kind of impurity, obscenity, foolish talk and coarse joking. At it’s root it is a complete lack of submission to the authority of the Word of God.
To slander someone is to accuse them falsely, thus stirring up trouble. The Devil is said to be a false accuser.
To become intoxicated, usually with alcohol.
In simple English, this is extortion, blackmailing, theft, plundering and or robbery.
My Two Sins: A ConfessionI have two sins to confess publicly.
Why was no-one called to account?
How many others did we lead astray because we weren’t disciplined?
Why did they only look at our natural giftings and not our hearts when appointing leaders?
Why did they not know our hearts?
So many lost years.
Where were the Shepherds?
Do our churches need to be way, way smaller so that true shepherding relationships are formed?
Do we actually need to start practicing this principle of church excommunication and rebuke?
Do we actually need to get back to the basics of what is and isn’t sin?
Because I then continued to have friendships with people who did these sins. We did hospitality together. We did Holy Communion together. We did church luncheons together. We did church picnics together. We did fellowship together. As a Woman and Mother, I regularly invited these church people into my home.
I didn’t walk away.
I didn’t set up a boundary.
I didn’t call them to account either.
I left that to the Shepherds.
“But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater of a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.”
‘Must not” is a strong term.
‘Do not’ is a strong term.
“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” Jn 15:1,2


Alma Lorene Jones, 92, of Oak Ridge, died Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at Windwood Health and Rehab in Clinton.
She was born March 22, 1914, in Carroll County in West Tennessee, the daughter of John Henry Abbott and America
Elizabeth Norwood Abbott.
Mrs. Jones was a long-time member of Robertsville Baptist Church. She was always willing to serve her church in any
capacity that was needed. She also loved to read and was an avid supporter of the church library. She was a member of
the Order of the Eastern Star and an advocate for the Recording For The Blind. She enjoyed gardening, crocheting and
music and was an excellent seamstress, often making clothing without patterns.
Mrs. Jones was preceded in death by her husband, James Arlie Jones in 1983, and children, Mary Lois Stooksbury in 1992,
Joyce Sharpe in 2001 and James Elmer "Buddy" Jones in 2002.
She is survived by daughters and sons-in-law Doris and Sam Clinton and Ann and Boyd Hartman, all of Knoxville, and
Debbie McKenzie and husband Ben of Rydall, Ga.; sons-in-law, Bill Sharpe of Andersonville, and Earl Stooksbury of Oak
Ridge; sister-in-law, Wanda Marthin of Memphis, Tenn.; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; and many, many
The family wishes to express their love and appreciation for the care and support given to Mrs. Jones by the staff and
residents of Windwood Health and Rehab Center.
Funeral services are Saturday, April 1, 2006, at 8 p.m. at Weatherford Mortuary with Dr. Michael Prince officiating.
Graveside services are Sunday at 2 p.m. at Oak Ridge Memorial Park.
The family asks that any memorials be in the form of contributions to the Moving Forward Building Fund of Robertsville
Baptist Church, 251 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.
The family will receive friends on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Weatherford Mortuary.1
- Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com


Weaving the Web: Cultivating Faith and Resiliency in Adolescents Through Youth-Adult Relationships
Adolescence. It's a time of transition, exploration, discovery, risk-taking, and development. It's a time where children learn and grow and experience challenges physically, mentally, emotionally, and relationally. So how do we help adolescents navigate it all? This workshop will focus on ways parents, youth workers, volunteers, and anyone passionate about coming alongside pre-teens and teenagers can weave a web of trusted relationships that will help cultivate faith and resiliency in the midst of this challenging, yet exciting, phase of life. Led by Pastor Angie.
Highrock is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational church taking root in neighborhoods across Greater Boston. We believe in the transforming power of God such that by joining Jesus, Salem and the surrounding North Shore will become a little more heaven-like.


(Excerpted from Dad Most High: Revolutionizing your Relationship with God)
Abba’s love is amazing! Your appreciation of it will only deepen as you learn more and more about it. One astounding revelation scripture provides is that we’re adopted children. Paul writes in Romans 8:15 about the Spirit of adoption within us that empowers us to cry, “Abba!”
The Greek word for “adopt” literally means to put in the place of a son. It’s taking someone who’s not a natural child and treating them as though they are. It’s taking an outsider in and making them the full beneficiary of all the blessings and privileges of a family member.
Adoption is an incredible feat of love. I admire those who do it. I sometimes wonder if I could. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. That’s why I have all the respect in the world for those who do it right.
I marvel at people who possess the heart to take in someone else’s children and count those children as their very own. People with the love and grace inside them to make no distinction between their biological children and those who have a stranger’s blood in their veins. People who wholeheartedly welcome kids who don’t look like them or talk like them or act like them, and love them unconditionally.
You and I don’t look like our Father. Naturally speaking, there’s not much resemblance at all. He’s holy. We’re not. He’s all light, all the time. We gravitate toward the dark. He’s perfectly good, through and through. Us, not so much.
And yet here we are, sitting comfortably at Abba’s table! Accepted. Embraced. Fully a part of the family.
He lets us take His name. He gives us the privilege of calling Him Abba and calling ourselves His children. He lets us come to Him day and night to ask for whatever we need. He even writes us into His will and gives us an inheritance. That’s the highest form of love—to take ungodly and ungrateful creatures like us, and to treat us like beloved, precious children, His very own offspring.
That’s awesome! But it gets even better.
There’s an important contrast in scripture that’s worth taking note of. It’s the difference between us and our “big Brother.” See, we’re all the Father’s adopted sons and daughters, but Jesus is the Father’s only begotten Son.
Think of it this way: we’re all His children, but Jesus is God’s only “biological child.” He’s the only One who’s holy like the Father. He’s the only One who’s totally righteous and thoroughly good like the Father. He’s the only One who bears a perfect family resemblance, the spitting image of God. The rest of us are adopted kids.
Now, have you ever thought about what your Father did to finalize your adoption? If not, get ready to have your mind blown. Imagine you’re in the process of adopting a child. You’re excited to do this and you’re relieved to be taking the final steps of this long journey. You’ve done all the paperwork and passed all the checks. You’ve completed every requirement.
Then one day you get the call you’ve been waiting for. The person on the other end says, “Congratulations! Everything looks good. All the paperwork is in, and we’re ready to go forward. There’s just one last thing left to do in order to finalize the adoption—we need you to bring us your son. Once you hand him over, you can take your new baby home!”
If you’re anything like me, your response would probably go something along the lines of, “Wait…what?!? You mean to tell me that in order to adopt and bless this other child, I’ve got to give up my own child? Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I’m sorry, but it’s just not.”
No matter how excited you were to bring a new son or daughter into your family, everything would come to a screeching halt if that were the condition to complete it. However happy you had been to add to your brood, however badly you wanted to love this new baby, it wouldn’t go any further if the price were your biological child. No way, no how. You just wouldn’t do it. You couldn’t.
But that’s exactly what God the Father did!
He sacrificed His one and only biological Son to become Father to a bunch of kids who look nothing like Him. That right there is some nonsensical love! That’s some totally irrational, completely illogical love! It’s ridiculous and unreasonable. It doesn’t make any sense, but that’s exactly what your Father did to make you His child. That’s how badly He had to have you and me.
Listen and listen good—don’t ever doubt your worth! Don’t you dare entertain the enemy’s lies about you, not even for one second. Whatever falsehoods that deceiver whispers in your ear, you know better now. The price your Father paid for you proves your value to Him.
No matter what anyone else thinks of you.
No matter what anyone else says about you.
No matter how anyone else treats you.
You were worth everything to Him, and there was nothing He wouldn’t do to have you for Himself. If you’re a parent, you know that feeling. You know that you would go to any lengths—even lay down your own life—to give your children a chance to live.
If you struggle with your sense of self-worth, you need to make John 3:16 the center of your renewed identity. I know, I know—we’ve heard that verse so many times that it’s become something of a church cliché. The magnitude of its meaning has gotten lost with the repetition. But close your eyes and say it slowly and let it sink in. Let it inspire you and thrill you and liberate you all over again.
You were worth the life-blood of God’s only begotten Son!
You were worth all of that purity and perfection. He laid all of that goodness, beauty, and virtue on the altar just to claim you. You were worth every bit of the undeserved agony, every last iota of the pain He endured to get you back. You were worth it all.
So start living like it.
If this article blessed you, please leave a comment, hit one of the share buttons at the top, or subscribe to the blog.
Visit www.DadMostHigh.com to learn more, or order your copies wherever you buy books.
THORNTON J DAWSON
Wonderful just wonderful to be in God’s family!
I can’t even utter how this had made me feel. All I can say is amen. May God bless you for putting your words together to illustrate what we take for granted.
Powerful. Every. Last. Word.


6 edition of Life is a blessing found in the catalog.
|Statement||Clara Lejeune ; translated by Michael J. Miller.|
|LC Classifications||QH429.2.L45 L4513 2000|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||155 p. :|
|Number of Pages||155|
|LC Control Number||00109332|
Note for the couple: After you have selected the readings, prayers, and blessings, and have made the other choices provided here, indicate them in the proper fields and submit this form to the priest or deacon preparing for the wedding ceremony. New York Times bestselling author and pastor invites readers to pursue, recognize, and flip every blessing from God. He provides the tools necessary to inventory one's blessings and participate in double blessing - that moment when a blessing in your life is leveraged to doubly bless another.
During the past forty years more than nine million couples have used the Together for Life booklet to prepare for their Catholic wedding ceremonies. The information you can explore below is meant to supplement the book and help you during the wedding planning process. Resources for Your Catholic Wedding Ceremony. Three Forms of Celebrating. The Book of Blessings is a how-to-why-to book containing more than Scripture blessings, sorted into 24 categories so that readers can apply the power of the Bible to almost any situation. This is for anyone wanting to enrich the lives of others by speaking the right word at the right time but may struggle to find the appropriate expression.
Feb 3, - Explore spoonfulofpaint's board "Blessing Book", followed by people on Pinterest. See more ideas about Keep it cleaner, Household binder and Old book crafts pins. © All material is owned by Hearts Blessing of The Stages and Lessons Of Mid Life, except where otherwise specified. This content cannot be reproduced elsewhere, nor reproduced in a commercial format without express written permission from the author.
Wessex and old English poetry, with special consideration of The ruin.
Notebook for gas engineers and students
The academy of complements
Davis and other family lines
Children with special needs
The tale of the old fisherman
Costume in England
Recommended outline for a research protocol [and] recommended format for protocol clinical research programme
imperial theme: a study of colonial attitudes in English novels set in Africa.
George Meredith, a bibliography
Life Is a Blessing, is the biography of French geneticist, doctor and father, Jerome Lejeune. The book was written by his daughter Clara Lejeune-Gaymard.
Lejeune was known for discovering that the presence of an extra twenty-first chromosome causes Down Syndrome(trisomy 21). He went on to identify other chromosomal s: “THE ARTIST’S WAY is the seminal book on the subject of creativity and an invaluable guide to living the artistic life.
Still as vital today—or perhaps even more so—than it was when it was first published init is a provocative and inspiring s: The Blessings is a portrait of a large Irish family from Northeast Philadelphia that spans several decades of tragedies and joyous events, successes and failures, and an ever-increasing number of family members.
Author Elise Juska has adroitly captured the essence of families like the Blessings, and her portrayal of events rings true/5. The Book of Blessings, compiled by my spiritual son, Scott Osborne, is a book to include in your spiritual arsenal – a book to use to bless others and to receive blessing.
This book stands unique among the volumes that have been written about blessings because it amasses literally hundreds of Scriptures with which to bless. "The Blessing Life is a love story about a love that's bigger than the universe. As I read the book, I found myself ushered, amazingly, into the Life is a blessing book love story of Jesus and his Father that's been opened up to include me--to include us.
The Blessing Life was written for the weary and heavy laden. In other words, it was certainly. My Blessed Life. 30K likes.
Hi friend. Life is a blessing book I'm Myra. I love to share my life through this little blog. I love to talk about raising kids, living in the country, pretty things, delicious food. The Blessing is a life-changing gift of unconditional love and acceptance passed down from one generation to the next.
Through The Blessing, children (and adults) find out what it means to be highly valued and loved by someone else using five specific actions first laid out in the Bible.
Cheon Il Guk Book of Life Registration Blessing Ceremony February 2, 28 Tree of Life Ministries Israel Highlights of the February 28th Blessing Ceremony - Duration: Sanctuary. “What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it – would you be likely to give them another.
Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.” Ralph Marston.
Share With Others To Help Them Awaken. Millionaire Success. Blessings consist of prayer, Scripture, and sometimes a special ritual sign (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. People are accustomed to seeing bishops, priests, and deacons blessing objects or persons in the name of the Church.
Indeed, "the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration. Recently, megachurch pastor Robert Morris has written a book on the topic. It’s entitled The Blessed Life: Unlocking the Rewards of Generous Living.
Morris, the founding pastor of Gateway Church in Texas, unpacks his understanding of blessing and details how his self-styled principles for generosity can “unlock” blessings for others. A chapter by chapter and verse by verse study of Psalms taught by Pastor Paul LeBoutillier of Calvary Chapel Ontario, Oregon.
Visit us at for online studies through the entire Bible. On the bedrock of this Perfection Level Blessing of True Parents that took place onfaithful brothers and sisters under True Father’s authority can receive the grace of participating on Febru in the Cheon Il Guk Book of Life Registration Blessing which is the final, perfection level Blessing that True Father instructed.
Your support of Water for LIFE since it began in has helped provide more than water wells, and we are thankful for your continued help with the goal of new wells in » read more. Mission Feeding. Mission Feeding is the answer to the nutritional needs of starving children around the world.
That’s why we say, “There’s. Blessing is the bestowing of privilege, right, responsibility, or favor upon some portion of the creation, by God or by one whom he has blessed In relation to humanity, to be blessed is to be one of God’s own people with all the benefits that brings: in other words, the blessing of God is his relational presence in one’s life Such a.
The Rural Life Prayerbook is a devotional gem that makes a perfect gift for every lover of growing things. May the devotion to St. Isidore and his spirit of faith unite the Catholic farm families of our country in a spiritual and social movement which will enrich the Church in.
Children of every age long for the gift of The Blessing—the unconditional love and approval that comes from a healthy relationship with their parents. This life-changing gift for Christian parents and their children, essential for instilling a deep sense of self-worth and unshakable emotional well-being, contains five essential elements.
31 Decrees of Blessing for Your Life will inspire you with a daily devotion for every day of the month that will turn your attention to the heart of God and His wonderful intentions for your life.
Each devotion is followed by ten powerful decrees-faith-filled words of biblical truth for you to be blessed with love, fruitfulness, friends, wisdom.
Explore the 'blessing' bestowed by parents, discover what to do if you never received it, and learn to give yours to loved ones. pages, softcover from Simon & Schuster. The Blessing, Original Edition () by Dr. Gary Smalley, John Trent Ph.D. A “book of life” is also mentioned in the apocryphal book of I Enoch, a second-century BCE Hebrew visionary work that survived only in an Ethiopian Christian translation.
First, a blessing was a public declaration of a favored status with God. Second, the blessing endowed power for prosperity and success. In all cases, the blessing served as a guide and motivation to pursue a course of life within the blessing.
The Old Testament Terms for blessing abound in the Old Testament, occurring over times. The major. A Life of Blessing and Rest from Nicholas Batzig Category: Articles “ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles ” (Gal.
). Life is Not The Mystery But Life is a Meaningful Standpoint of View which provides us with an comprehensive array of Abilities, Intellectual Proficiency, Knowledge, Logical Rationality to Analyze and Decide Before embarking upon the Platform of Decisions, Life is the Gift that is always providing us with the Gift of The Precious Moments, Life.