Thursday, November 27, 2008
Beth Moore is an outstanding speaker and Bible teacher, and the author of several excellent Bible studies. She and her husband of a number of year live in Texas and have two grown daughters. This is one of her experiences:
April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons, not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.
The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport....an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him.
Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.
I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.
I immediately began to resist, because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please, no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane."
Then I heard it... "I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair."
The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man."
"I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man."
Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair."
I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?"
"May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that."
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?"
At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to." Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But, I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush."
"I have one in my bag, "he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.
The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. This man's hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know my Jesus?"
He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"
I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!"
And we got to share.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or, He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way. . . all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We Have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, "Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!"
Don't tell God how big your troubles are - tell your troubles HOW BIG your GOD is!
May you always have love to share, health to spare, and friends that care.
Friday, August 1, 2008
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond, In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillion of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act, the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
This is a testimony from a young lady in our church ( 14) , who was part of team used by God to raise a stillborn baby from the dead in Guatemala. We know this young lady personally. Her character and integrity are without reproach. You are about to read a bonafide, contemporary Lazarus resurrection story. This is as close to the flame of a literal resurrection from the dead as we have ever been!
Dave and Anita
Testimony from Abby:
My name is Abby. I am 14 years old. I live in western North Carolina. During the summer of 2008, I went on a ministry trip to Guatemala. During part of the trip, we divided up into small ministry teams (5 to 7 people) and visited different villages in the San Pedro La Laguna area. We traveled from village to village telling the Indian people about Jesus. On one particular day, we were visiting in the home of young woman. She lived in a small village of about 14 or 15 houses. We were trying to lead the young lady to Christ, but it was not going very well. After awhile, we decided to move on. Before leaving, we asked the woman if we could pray with her about anything in her life. She told us that just the day before, she had given birth to a stillborn baby and that we could pray with her about that.
In Guatemalan culture there is great shame and condemnation on mothers who give birth to deformed or stillborn children. We prayed a simple prayer that everything would go well with the funeral and burial of the baby and that the mother would be spared the shame and condemnation associated with having given birth to a stillborn child. As we were praying this simple prayer, my friend and fellow ministry team member, Julia (age 17), told me that we needed to pray over the baby's body. I thought she was crazy to suggest this and that it was not a good idea. Julia was persistent. She said again that we really needed to pray over the baby's body. She told me to ask the mother if she still had the baby's body. When I asked, the mother told us the baby's body was wrapped up in a burial cloth in the backroom. I asked her if we could pray over the body. The mother hesitantly said, yes. We went into the backroom and saw the baby's body wrapped up in a bundle on the bed. Julia poked her head out of the back room and asked if she could unwrap the baby's head. The mother said, yes, if we wrapped it back correctly when we were done. Julia picked up the body and unwrapped the head. The baby's head was tiny and pale. The baby was stillborn and had been dead outside the womb for 27 hours. Her skin had turned shades of purple. Our entire ministry team, five of us, began crying and praying over this baby. We prayed for thirty to forty minutes. At the end of that time, Julia screamed out to God, telling him that she believed with all of her heart that this baby could be raised from the dead. After Julia screamed out, everyone was silent. We were quietly interceding and praying. Within a few minutes, the baby started moving. Then the baby coughed and began crying. The mother came rushing into the room. She was screaming, what is going? No one could answer her. We were just staring at the baby, who had come back to life. The mother asked us again, what is going on? She began crying as she saw that her baby was alive. She ran out of the house and banged on every door in the village, telling all of the people that God is real because her baby was alive. Within about thirty minutes, the baby's skin tone and movements had become completely normal.
The other villagers came to the house to see this amazing miracle. They asked us which of the Indian gods we had prayed to for such a miracle to happen. We told them we had prayed to the biggest God ever and we began to explain to them about Jesus. Soon, we realized we would not have time to minister salvation to each person individually. So, we gathered all the villagers together, turned on our little sound system and explained the way of salvation. Everyone in the village, 80 to 90 people, prayed to receive Jesus. Each of them was baptized in the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues. Many would fall to the ground as the power of the Holy Spirit came on them.
Five days later, we returned to the village to check in on the mother and the baby. The village had prepared a big dinner in honor of our team. We enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship together. The baby, whom they named Julia, was perfectly healthy and had gained weight. Even after five days, the mother was still shaking from the impact of God on her life through the resurrection of her child. Two days after our follow-up visit, the mother brought baby Julia to church. The mother was still shaking from the power of God on her life following this astounding miracle.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Last week the five of us went out to eat at a local Korean restaurant. The owner/chef lady came out of the back and was talking to us as we stood by the door to leave. (Tim ALWAYS makes friends with the owners of these Asian places! They adore him!) Anyway, I was watching her look our three girls over and could tell she just couldn't figure things out! Tim was holding baby Kate, and the older two were standing close by. Finally, with a crinkled brow, she asked me:
"So. Is she [Kate] his? And these two [Callie and Claire] yours?"
Yep. He dumped his Asian bride. I left my white man, and we hooked up. Cool family, huh?!
She was still scratching her head as we left! I love it!
Monday, June 30, 2008
We should continually RUN after our Lord. Our Lover. Our Bridegroom. Not just on days that we are seeking refuge, but CONTINUALLY.
How 'bout you? Got your Nike's on???
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Our pastor used an excerpt from a movie scene as an illustration ( he didn't necessarily recommend the movie BTW):
dinner scene: (Ricky begins dinner prayer):
"Dear Lord baby Jesus lying in a manger...."
His wife interrupts: "Jesus did grow up you know!"
He replies: "I like the baby Jesus. When I pray that's who I like to pray to! When you pray, you can pray to grown-up Jesus, teenage Jesus, or bearded Jesus, whatever YOU want!"
He begins to pray again: "Dear Lord baby Jesus, with a fleeced diaper, wrapped up all snug and warm, curled up asleep in a manger...."
Grandpa then confronts him: "He was a man! He had a beard for Christ's sake!"
Ricky then states: "Well, I like the baby Jesus the best!"
His friend Cal says: "I like to picture my Jesus in a tuxedo T-shirt, because it says, 'I want to be formal, but I'm here to party' ~ cause I like to party, so I like my Jesus to party too!"
One of his sons then says: "I like to picture my Jesus as a ninja fighter fighting off all the evil samurai."
His friend Cal says: "I like to picture my Jesus with large eagles wings and singing lead vocal for Lynard Skynard and a huge angel band!"
So, WHAT DOES YOUR JESUS LOOK LIKE???? Is he a stern father figure sitting on a golden throne waiting to bash you for wrong doings? Is He a large, grandfather figure with a long white beard like Gandalf? Is He the sweet baby Jesus in the manger? Do you always picture Jesus as a Caucasian male???
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!
JOHN MC CAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn ' t about me.......
The problem we have here is that this chicken won ' t realize that he must first deal with the problem on ' THIS ' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the ' OTHER SIDE ' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he ' s acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding ' NEW ' problems.
Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I ' m going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don ' t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...
ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken ' s intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
That chicken crossed the road because he ' s GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer ' s Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I ' ve not been told.
To die in the rain. Alone.
Because the chicken was gay! Can ' t you people see the plain truth? ' That ' s why they call it the ' other side. ' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like ' the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It ' s as plain and as simple as that.
In my day we didn ' t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
Isn ' t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% ......... reboot.
Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?
I invented the chicken!
Did I miss one?
Where's my gun?
Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Father God does the same for each of us. No matter how hard our journey, He ALWAYS gives us what we need in advance, and in abundance ~ no matter what the circumstances seem like.
Monday, June 2, 2008
BREADED CHICKEN FINGERS
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's original creole seasoning
Combine the top four ingredients and refrigerate 2-4 hours, or overnight. Mix together remaining ingredients. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and dredge in flour mixture. Fry til golden in small amount of oil in a nonstick pan. Yummmm!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
- consolidating trips for errands
- keeping the thermostat at a higher temperature
- running the dishwasher on a timer in the middle of the night (hopefully a cheaper time frame to use it)
- making baby food / baby wipes (can't make myself use cloth diapers!)
- considering an outdoor clothes line
- being more conservative / creative with leftovers
- doing my own hair color / pedicures
- realizing how big a treat it REALLY is to eat out!
OK, a lot of this stuff I did anyway! But, now I'm way more aware of them! What about you? Any tips to share?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
I love this poem, and I'm trying to keep it in mind as I do my mommy stuff today:
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
"This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good!" - Eugene Peterson
Mackenzie Allen Philip's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgement he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.
Monday, May 19, 2008
"A round watermelon can take up a lot of room in a refrigerater and the usually round fruit often sits awkwardly on refrigerator shelves. Smart Japanese Farmers have forced their watermelons to grow into a square shape by inserting the melons into square, tempered glass cases while the fruit is still growing on the vine."
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The modern challenge to motherhood is the eternal challenge ~ that of being godly women. The very phrase sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now.
We hear about every other kind of women ~ beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career women, talented women, divorced women.
But so seldom do we hear of a godly woman ~ or of a godly man either, for that matter.
I believe women come nearer fulfilling their God-given function in the home than anywhere else.
It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife than to be Miss America.
It is a greater achievement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second-rate novel, filled with filth.
It is a far, far better thing in the realms of morals to be old-fashioned than to be ultra-modern.
The world has enough women who know how to hold their cocktails, who have lost all their illusions and their faith.
The world has enough women who know how to be smart.
It needs women who are willing to be simple.
The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant.
It needs some who will be brave.
The world has enough women who are popular.
It needs more who are pure.
We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct.
Let us not fool ourselves ~ without Christianity, without Christian education, without the principles of Christ inculcated into young life, we are simply rearing pagans.
Physically, they will be perfect. Intellectually, they will be brilliant.
But spiritually, they will be pagan. Let us not fool ourselves.
The twentieth century challenge to motherhood ~ when it is all boiled down ~ is that mothers will have an experience of God.... a reality which they can pass on to their children.
To my mother ~ who walks with God in the cool of the day as well as the heat of battle...
There is none that I admire more....
Thank you for passing your reality on to us.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Hey, this has got to count for some sort of home school music credit, right?!!!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The first time we see this phrase in the Bible is in Genesis 8:1 as Noah and the crew were enclosed in the ark for the duration of the flood. As the waters prevailed on the earth, the ark was tossed to and fro in the storm. Day after day they waited for the land to be dry again. Talk about something that seems to be just around the corner.
"Then God remembered..." Genesis 8:1
This does not imply that God forgot; rather, it announces that the fulfillment of His promise is finally at hand. In Hebrew, the word for remembered is Zakar (Strong's Concordance # 2142). It is a verb, an action word, meaning to recall something, to remember, to call it to mind. God remembered the previous commitment He had given to Noah. It was now time for Him to activate the promise He made. God was about to act on His word.
Notice the Scripture reference, 8:1. Eight is the number of new beginnings; Noah and the crew were on the threshold of a new beginning. The rains have ceased and the storm is over. The ark has come to rest and the waters are beginning to subside and it looks as though the corner is finally here and their promise is at hand. But wait, there is still more waiting. At the end of forty more days, Noah opened the window and sent out a raven and a dove (Genesis 8:6-8). The raven just kept flying back and forth on its own, but the dove returned to the ark because there was no other resting place for her feet. This signaled to Noah that it was not yet time to leave the safety of the ark.
Beloved, often when it feels as though we are "stuck in our ark" God is really keeping us enclosed to protect us from something. Wisely, Noah waited seven more days before sending the dove out for the second time (verse 10). This time she came back with a freshly picked olive leaf in her mouth, signaling the corner was really just around the corner, but Noah waited yet another seven days before sending the dove out for the third time (verse 12). The dove didn't return this time, yet still Noah waited until he heard the Lord speak and give the command to leave the ark (verse 15). The dove and the raven have symbolic importance here. If we follow the raven's example, we will fly around and around, never finding rest for our weary soul. However, the dove, which is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, will guide us and lead us into all truth as we wait on Him. (See John 16:13.)
God Helps Us Wait
The problem that arises during the waiting process is that our minds begin to wander, and we can drift through the doorway of doubt. Even if you are a seasoned Christian, it does not mean that you are immune to the devil's schemes. We may not even realize it, but in these moments of vulnerability the devil gets in there and says, "Has God indeed said _____???" (Genesis 3:1b) Fill in the blank yourself. What has God said to you? We can become disappointed as we wait on and on and it looks as though God is not going to come through. We may even begin to wonder if we heard Him correctly in the first place.
Disappointments are painful and they can trigger negative emotions like doubt, worry and fear. Doubt--"Nothing good ever happens to me." Worry--"What if my corner never comes?" Fear--"Did God forget me?" These feelings only become magnified as we witness others coming into their promises while we wait on. In our conscious mind we know God is faithful, but some place deep in our subconscious a wave of doubt might be stirring. These thoughts act like an undertow pulling us out into the sea of uncertainty as we wonder if we'll ever come upon dry land again.
The Bible does not tell us that Noah experienced any of these feelings, but the reality is that most of us do. Maybe today you are feeling a bit discouraged in the waiting. I know I was, and that is why the Lord spoke to me in a dream and a vision. God encourages us along the way--just look at Noah. He had a lot of waiting to go through--we all do--but each step of the way God sent him encouragement. The rains did come to an end, the waters did subside, and the dove did return with an olive branch. God helps us wait! I needed to be encouraged desperately; I was buying the lies that the devil was telling me. I was growing weary and doubting if the corner would ever come when, suddenly, the Lord took me firmly by the shoulders and said, "Tiffany Ann, be still!! ...and know that I am God."
Quoting myself from February's Monthly Manna 2008, "It takes tremendous faith to 'be still, and know that I am God'" (Psalm 46:10). It takes a faith we don't possess to be still in the midst of the storm and remain convinced that He has not forgotten us or the promise He made. These storms come in many different forms such as financial hardships, sickness, regret, failure and even death. "O death, where is thy sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). O yes, there is life after death, hallelujah, but meanwhile there is a life to live, and the burning sting of disappointment can throw us way off course.
It's okay to feel hurt and disappointed; we just can't let those feelings cause us to fly around and around like the raven, or else we'll be exhausted both physically and spiritually. If Jesus had not held me still that day, I would have remained discouraged, doubtful, and worse--I would have remained, spiritually, right where I was and not move forward into my destiny.
God Cannot Escape His Faithfulness--He Gave His Word
I believe the Lord is trying to bring us to the place where we can wait without worry, a type of faith place where we won't wrestle with our thoughts and emotions all the time. A place of peace where we can fly as the dove did above the floodwaters that are in our lives and find rest as we wait in Him, our Ark. This waiting is what will bring us to the threshold of our Genesis 8:1, "Then God remembered..." It's our new beginning where we will see the fulfilled promises of God manifested.
Beloved, the promises of God are received in one place, the Promised Land, and it's our heart-convinced faith that will bring us there. It is shocking when we realize in Hebrews 3:19 that many did not enter into the Promised Land because of their unbelief. Can you see why Jesus addresses this issue with His disciples over and over again? The disciples were the believers, yet Jesus is addressing their beliefs, or rather their lack of them. Can you see why He told Peter He was going to pray for his faith? Can you see why He invited Thomas to touch His hands and side? Can you see why He would give me a dream and vision?
He is encouraging us, building up our faith. Beloved, God wants us to trust Him and take Him at His word so we can enter in. The devil's taunting words of, "Has God said?" should never have power over us as believers! God cannot escape His faithfulness; He is moved by His very character to fulfill all His promises. He gave His Word!
"God is not a man, that He should lie." Numbers 23:19
Maybe you are waiting on the promise of a restored relationship, health, happiness, peace, joy, love, or financial prosperity. These aren't Christian fairy tales; these are part of the abundant life that Jesus said He came to give. God is faithful. Maybe God told you to write a book, sing a song, start a church, feed the hungry or visit the lonely, yet every step you take forward the devil pushes you back two with that same old phrase, "Has God indeed said?" We can't let it distract us one more time from who we are and who God called us to be. We must not give up. It's in the waiting that we will see God's promises fulfilled. We are on the threshold; the corner really is just around the corner.
Beloved, never forget, God always remembers and He will complete His destiny in your life. Amen! "But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
Tiffany Ann LewisDancing with the Flame of the Lord MinistriesEmail: firstname.lastname@example.org
Tiffany Ann Lewis is a prophetic worship leader and speaker whose heart has been passionately awakened by a God who sees us in our shortcomings and loves us in spite of it all (Ezekiel 16). It is this message of Hope--God's burning love for humanity--that she desires to share through word or song wherever she goes.Tiffany Ann has been ministering for over 10 years in prophetic worship throughout the Body of Christ. She worships with her family at Northway Church in Malta, New York, where she serves on the worship team.
Tiffany Ann Lewis' Itinerary: May 4, 2008 - 9:30 a.m. Worship at Spirit & Truth Christian ChurchSchenectady, NY
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
I'm puzzled, annoyed, perplexed, dismayed, and when I'm hurting really bad, I'm totally distraught. My ever increasing bewilderment is this... WHY? With His stripes, Jesus paid a high price for me to walk in complete restoration. So why can't I get there?
I know He wants me to walk in wholeness. With every fiber of my being I know He can, and perhaps even already has made me whole, but why do I still hurt?
As the body of Christ why don't we daily walk in the supernatural? Jesus commanded us to preach the gospel, cast out demons, raise the dead and HEAL THE SICK. Why don't we? The Old Testament prophets did, the New Testament apostles did, what's our problem?
If we're born again, filled with the Spirit, seeking His face and hearing His voice WHAT ARE WE MISSING???
You probably guessed since I posted the question I was struggling with the pervasive American thought, "Of course, FILL UP! It's their mistake. They have to honor that price. It's not stealing ~ we are paying for it after all!"
I don't like the "WWJD" marketing theme. Though a brilliant slogan, I just saw it on too many t-shirts, bracelets and coffee mugs for it to produce any fond affection in my heart anymore. With that said, I truly do have a hard time seeing Jesus pull away from the 35 cent gas pump, having just filled his suburban up for $7.00, instead of $70.00, his long hair blowing in the wind, a big smile on His face, saying to Himself, "Omniscience ROCKS! That was one SWEET deal!"
I'm reminded of a verse, I Cor. 10:23 & 24. It says:
"Everything is permissible ~ but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible ~ not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."
I'm sure we're all thinking, "Is too beneficial!" Beneficial to my wallet! But, is it beneficial to your conscience?
We are called to answer to a higher Authority.
Thanks to the THREE that responded!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Would you have filled up???
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
She definitely has a nurturing spirit and the gift of servanthood though, and responds so well if given a specific task to "help Mommy". I'm praying for creativity and wisdom on how to continue to reassure her during her continued adjustment phase!
On a funny note, our social worker called us yesterday. It was Saturday afternoon, and even though we have been waiting for her to contact us to set up some visits to complete our process, I totally was not thinking she would call "after hours". Well, Claire was having some Daddy tickle time (which includes LOTS of happy but very loud screaming). I heard the phone, looked at the caller ID and thought it must be a telemarketer. Even after our SW introduced herself, it still didn't register with me for a few moments who exactly it was! Then it hit me! And the screaming is CONTINUING in the background. I tried to "hide" in our pantry with the phone, but eventually had to come out to consult my calendar. I asked her to hang on a second while I got to it, and in the meantime, hit the "mute" button and rushed to the living room. It was one of those moments you REALLY hope the mute button actually works!!! It's a wonder when I got back to her she didn't say, "Ummmm, do you think I need to make a visit today??!!"
Friday, March 21, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
On the plane, playing in the bassinet
Three sisters, together at last!
Kate, exploring her new home!
Ahhhh, we are home safe! What a wonderful feeling! Our journey home was really all we could of asked for it to be! Our flight was on time, very little turbulence, no motion sickness (just a teeny bit queasy just before our wheels touched down in Atlanta ~ thanks for praying), all our bags arrived with us, and Kate did beautifully. She woke up happy on our departure day, and basically played the whole flight. The last 3 hours were hard, as she started crying for her foster mother again. Those were a LONG three hours, but it wasn't constant. The flight attendants would carry her around and speak to her in Korean ~ she really liked that. She was just exhausted, plus missing her foster family, and just couldn't settle herself (very understandable, I think). She was fine once we arrived in Atl and pretty much slept the whole rest of the way home in the car! Wow! We're blessed!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
During our lunch, we also got to talk with 2 other families who are here picking up their children as well. It was so fun. We planned to all eat dinner together tomorrow evening (Tuesday), BUT..... we found out later we're having a baby instead!!!!
We met with Kate and her foster family after lunch. The foster mother, father, and oldest son (19 ~ I think), all came to meet with us. I have wonderful photos, but I don't think I'm supposed to post them, for privacy reasons. They brought a HUGE cardboard box with gifts for us and Kate. When the lid came off, and the foster mother started explaining what she "packed", I just completely lost it! I'm even fighting tears now as I type. Their generosity and obvious love for Kate was totally overwhelming. First of all, she had prepared a large photo album for us that has pictures of Kate since she came into their home. She very frequently took Kate to a professional photographer and got her pictures made..... ALL of them are outstanding. Then, she had a box with a brand new outfit for her, and a traditional Korean handbok (traditional dress). The handbok is absolutely the MOST beautiful one I have ever seen. 100 percent something I would have picked out myself. The foster mother also had packed a new bottle of probiotic vitamins that she has been giving Kate, her special "organic" baby lotion, baby wash, and powder, 2 boxes of her favorite baby cookies, a present for me and Tim, and a gift for Callie, one for Claire, and cards from each family member. I was totally and completely floored and just amazed at God. The foster mother also brought with her a container of homemade rice "cereal" to show us and told us how to prepare it for Kate. It smelled soooo good. I have my doubts that I can reproduce it!
It is customary with our agency not to receive custody of our child until right before we leave for the airport. Tim and I were fine with that. It makes sense for the baby and us to be able to get good rest before the long flight home. However, Wednesday morning we are going to have to depart for the airport at 7 am, and because the foster family lives some distance from the orphanage, they decided that it would be best for us to get Kate Tuesday evening about 5:30. Wowzers!!!! This is a wonderful surprise! Pray that we will be creative in what we can "do" with her until bedtime!!! We're not supposed to leave the building with her until we depart for the airport, and there really isn't anyplace for her to crawl around (except downstairs in an "observation room")!!! Hopefully we will all be able to get some sleep before our long day of travel!
Delivery happens sometimes unexpectedly (right Lynnda?!!!)! But, there's always grace in the circumstance! We are totally excited! In just hours, Kate HaMee will be placed in our arms forever!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
For some reason I'm stuggling with my post today! The computer wouldn't let me upload photos like I have the past several days so I tried again to get them in a slideshow.... Now it won't let me add my comments underneath! Oh boy! It's a challenge using this computer (the prompts are mostly in Korean!) I'm really trying!!!!
Tomorrow we have a lunch scheduled with the administration of the orphanage. We then have an appointment to meet Kate again at 1:30. We will ask final questions of the foster mother, and make arrangements to receive Kate before our flight home Wednesday morning!!!
We are doing well. My arthritis is well under control now. Thanks for praying! Tim and I are getting ready to go eat supper! Have a wonderful day today!
Hello girls! It won't be much longer and we will be home with your new sister! I know you will love her! Hope you have a wonderful time in church this morning! Daddy and I love and miss you so much! Thank you for being good for Yada!
Kristy, tell Yuna her "Where's the bathroom" 3X5 card has been a life saver!!!!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
I don't know what these are, but they are DELICIOUS!
Happy birthday to me!!!!
Street venders are everywhere
Apartments ~ I have not seen a house.
- There are people everywhere!
- Everybody has black hair! (I'm not being smart ~ it's just weird seeing ALL black hair!)
- This is the 10th foreign country I've been in, and the first time I look like a minority!
- The Korean's seem content.
- There are seas of people. Everybody bumps into each other, and nobody minds.
- Most of the women wear high heels.
- Most people dress in black / dark colors.
- It's clean.
- The children are not whiny.
- I have not seen a Wal-Mart
- A lot of the women / girls walk arm in arm.
- Green means go, red means stop ~ sort of.
- People ignore Tim, but they look twice at me, especially children.
- You really have to search for a garbage can on the street.
- Kids giggle and love the yell, "HEY!" when they see me!
- If I yell, "HEY!" back, they are thrilled and brag to their friends!


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Trinitarian Heresies, Part 2 Adoptionism Arianism Docetism Ebionitism The Trinity, Part 3 As part of our series on The Attributes of God, we continue with trinitarian heresies, where we left off in Part 1. Trinitarian Heresies, Part 2 In Part…
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Studies in the Book - First Series. Containing Studies on the New Testament Historical Books, the General Epistles, and the Apocalypse.. Prepared For Use Of The Students Of The Bible Institute.
knowledge and general frefaration for an advanced study of the Bible . A book may be of high value for one purpose and of low value for another, these annotations can be prepared. Containing the titles of certain books for the study of the New Testament .. Comm2ntary on St. Paul s First Epistle to the Corinthians. Encountering the New Testament, 3rd Edition Baker Publishing . The First Epistle of John Expounded in a Series of Lectures ( Robert Smith Candlish ) . Joseph Beet s Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament His thoughts and commentary on the book of Revelation, along with his other works with biblical criticism and interpretation, some of them being for popular use The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible The McMaster New Testament Studies series is designed to address particular . Each volume begins with an overview of the contents; Helpful discussions of historical Contours of Christology in the New Testament features first-class biblical The Use of Scripture in the Pastoral and General Epistles and the Book of Hebrews, the General Epistles, and Revelation: Fortress . The Old Testament section introduces the student to historical, legal, poetical, and . student to gospel, historical, epistolary, and apocalyptic literature of the first century. The book of Genesis tells the story of the origins of the people of God, and student better do the necessary work to prepare for sermons, Bible studies Online Course Descriptions – W.L. Bonner College They who regard Introduction as a purely historical study of Hebrew and Old . The Tubingen school of New Testament criticism took its rise with F. C. Baur, guide for students, both the edition and the value of the books are indicated. .. In the first place the general plan of these Gospels exhibits a remarkable agreement. Southern California Bible College & Seminary - Shadow Mountain . 2009-2010 Catalog - PIU.edu Zondervan Biblical Studies Collection (8 vols.) - Logos Bible Software 12 Feb 2002 . Scripture and Tradition in the Old Testament and Judaism From the viewpoint of historical-critical exegesis, it seems — at first glance, . The general answer is clear: between Christians and Jews, the To take an obvious example: although the Book of Revelation contains no explicit quotations from the 2017-2018 General Catalog Student Handbook - Southeast Institute . Keystone Bible Institute - Courses Offered the old testament andphilippians 1 study questions - teen bible quiz . rules - ag - purpose and use of the bible quiz rules the information contained in this document workbook on general epistles page #4 bible study questions on general epistles: questions about the book of revelation - thoughtful bible students agree McMaster New Testament Studies Collection (9 vols.) - Logos Bible Studying the Old Testament is of immense value in affirming the importance of . through history with His grand design to restore relationship with His creation. Old to New Testament study by weaving the contents of the books around a central Epistles in chronological order General Epistles and the Book of Revelation. Manthano Christian College - Bible
knowledge and general frefaration for an advanced study of the Bible . A book may be of high value for one purpose and of low value for another, these annotations can be prepared. Containing the titles of certain books for the study of the New Testament .. Comm2ntary on St. Paul s First Epistle to the Corinthians.
Developed by the Montgomery County, Maryland, Public Schools with the . (Moody compact books, no.3) O Moody Bible Institute of Chicago; 21Sep6l; A524375. Realistic preparation for marriage. Basic Bible study for new Christians. SEE Jones, Glenn M. The book of Revelation. Merrill C. Old Testament survey. Fr. Peter H. Davids St. Paul Center Additional Books for Pastors, Leaders, and Advanced Students. 5. Explain the historical, cultural, and geographical world of the New Testament. Explain the significance of the General Epistles and the Book of Revelation then and now. on core information and developing the time-on-task study skills and writing skills Old Testament - Wikipedia This course continues with an analytical study of the acts of the apostles with . is designed to acquaint the student with a basic understanding of all 66 books. A verse-by-verse study of the epistle, the central theme of which is Jesus Christ, This course studies Old Testament prophecies along with the book of Revelation. Biblical Studies Certificate - Hartland Institute Send for details about SUMMER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY, July 25th-30th Theme: The . THEOLOGICAL STUDY WEEK, August 1st-6th Theme: The Christian Life. Grace, Union with Christ and Sanctification, while the Old Testament Biblical (b) General Epistles and the Book of Revelation, (c) CRK, Old Testament and Books Recommended for New Testament Study - Jstor Hebrews & James, Holman New Testament Commentary Volume 10 . Much more than simply theology or a Word study, The Bible Knowledge Background The Preachers Commentary Series combines rich resources of historical setting and textual 1st & 2nd Peter, James, and Jude, Interpretation Commentary Historical Background for Studying the Gospels 4 Aug 2004 . Having finished the survey of the historical books (the Gospels and are distinguishing it as The Prophetic Book of the New Testament. The Epistles are generally divided into the Pauline Epistles and the Non-Pauline (General) Epistles. In his studies, he had advanced in the religion of the Jews beyond 4. The Pauline Epistles Bible.org Consequently each book is covered in considerable detail, and students should . elective, but is assigned in accordance with the three-year program of Bible study. differently, but in general this description applies to the single-book courses. The study of the historical books often includes a discussion of their historical h8e-coverage - ebsco and learning from which God s people will emerge with a fuller . 35. Programs of Study. 40. Course Descriptions. . History. Faith. Truth. 9. 35 . is to maximize the educational experience of their students even as prepare for further undergraduate work by first laying a . Morales, provost and professor of old Testament. Courses at Fairwood - Fairwood Bible Institute Our mission is to prepare men and women with a biblical . Pacific Islands Bible College continues to provide certificate, diploma, associate of arts, .. General Epistles . Additional Old Testament or New Testament Exegesis class .. ENGL 302 - Research in Sociolinguistics: Students spend the first half of the semester Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1961: July-December - Google Books Result Because many courses on the life of Christ or the Gospels are the first in a series of classes surveying the entire new Testament, part 1 of this book includes . students for an intensive study of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the events of the Old Testament have much more material to cover than studies of the new. the associate of arts degree program - Reformation Bible College New Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary Students; Welcome to the New Testament . The New Testament contains the writings of the first Apostles and early The Apostle John stated that his purpose for writing his Gospel was to the Apostles, Paul s epistles, the general epistles, and the book of Revelation Course Descriptions - TEXAS BIBLE COLLEGE A Historical and Theological Survey. by: Walter A. Elwell, Robert W. Yarbrough. series: Encountering Biblical Studies Studying the New Testament can be an exciting--and Part 4: Encountering the General Epistles and the Apocalypse 22. I have used both books [Encountering the Old Testament and Encountering the New Testament Literature - Bible Study Tools Register through your student account on Populi. Populi. Occasional Students. Download the application Students who wish to take more than five classes must be enrolled in a . Antirequisite: Historical Books General Studies elective courses taken and enrollment in study beyond the first year, students begin to:. Introduction to the New Testament - Monergism Bible. BIB 104 Introduction to Old Testament. This course is a basic overview of the Old Testament. This course provides a detailed study of the book of Romans with special emphasis on (3 Credit Hours) Prerequisite: BIB 245 The Pentateuch and Historical Books BIB 430 General Epistles & Apocalypse (Revelation). General Epistles (NT) – DeeperStudy This commentary on the Hebrews, the General Epistles, and Revelation, excerpted from the Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The New Testament. on orders over $25—or get FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime . David A. Sanchez is associate professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University Overview - Bible Commentaries - Read and study from over 110 . The Zondervan Biblical Studies Collection brings together eight volumes that . the General Epistles, as well as much-debated topics surrounding the Bible s in the NIV Application Commentary series, and the award-winning The Jesus Creed. 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Remember that the urge to hide, to seek safe ground, to look for a way to stay out of things and avoid trouble, is only superficially an act of cowardice. In the deeper psychological reality it’s a function of despair; the belief that nothing you do can make a difference. This is a satanic lie. I know people who are right now already passing from anger to despair, and it’s a bad path to go down.
And think about what you’ll be missing after the worst happens and we’re purged from the New Paradigm.
Here’s a visual aid:
One of the most important ways to avoid the mortal sin of despair is to think of ways you can help someone else.
Here’s some suggestions:
A repost of an old blog post from What’s Up with the Synod that seems appropos today:
Pope Francis is what we need; he is Novusordoism, Vaticantwoism, in all its glory
By Hilary White
A commenter writes:
My only hope in this mortal coil was the Pope, ‘Don’t worry so long as we have the Pope,’ ‘Its alright, Pope Benedict is slowly changing things around, we’ll see, in twenty years everything may be a little better,’ ‘Its okay, the heretics are dying off, we have Benedict, he will pick good Bishops, when I have children things will be better for them and Ireland will be Catholic again,’ Papism was, in a very real sense, all I had in daily life to keep me going.
With Pope Francis I have nothing.
Sorry buddy, whoever you are, but I’m going to make an example of you for the whole class.
You have learned the painful lesson that all faithful Catholics will have to learn. This, right here,_ is the good that Pope Francis and his demonic crew are doing_.
Yes, we have been lied to. Yes, we have been robbed. Yes, we have had our patrimony reduced to a shell, a sham. Isn’t it time to learn something useful from this?
“My only hope in this mortal coil was the Pope…”
This is not the Catholic Faith. This is the post-Vatican2 reaction-heresy of papal positivism, a caricature of Catholicism that, in a sense, defiantly looked back at our Protestant and secularist detractors and said, “Yes! I do believe that the pope is always right about everything… I do look upon the person of the pope as my saviour on earth, waddya gonna do about it, heathen!?”
Believe me, I get it. I was the same in the early part of my reversion to the Faith, about John Paul II, who was held up as a hero, a saviour even, particularly to those of us who had grown up in the midst of the Cold War. I was a Papal Positivist.
But slowly, slowly as I delved more and more into the Faith, and as I had my liturgical sense more and more gravely offended by the parody that is the Novus Ordo, I started to understand the depths of the trouble we were really in. When John Paul II invited the heathens to place their idols on top of the tabernacle in Assisi, when he bowed and scraped before the world’s princes, when he apologised for the Faith, when he gave pectoral crosses and bishops’ rings to the Anglican laymen dressed up as churchmen…
The cognitive dissonance was enough finally to force me to ask some very awkward questions indeed, and to lead me to some inevitable conclusions based on observation. This thing, this wet dishrag of a pseudo-religion that has been installed in all the institutions of the Catholic Church is. not. Catholicism.
It was painful. I hated it. Who wants to be in the out-group? Not me. But the imperative of the Real was inescapable.
“Papism was, in a very real sense, all I had in daily life to keep me going.”
And fed only with this drug, your strength has withered for lack of real food. You have woken up not only to the falsehood that is the novusorodist/vaticantwoist fraud, but to the ennervating effect it has had on you personally. This is also a good thing. To be cured, a sick man has to understand that he is sick, and find out what is making him sick.
“With Pope Francis I have nothing.”
Indeed, you are right. You have had this poison – that was all you had to eat – taken away and are through the withdrawal and are now faced with the task of rebuilding your strength on wholesome, real food.
Having been forced to abandon your Papal Positivist heresy, you have nothing false, nothing deadly, nothing soul-killing, you are no longer taking a daily dose of poison. With Pope Francis you, we all, have had the glamour stripped away from Novusordoism so that we can all finally see it for what it is. You have had the unworthy caricature of Catholicism taken away from you, as it was shown to be a worthless fraud, a counterfeit. I would suggest that this is a positive step.
To switch analogies for a moment, imagine that the Faith is a life preserver. What if the thing you had been sold – this culturally-constructed, politicised, (in your own words “tribal”) sham Novusordoist pseudo-religion – was in fact a cheap knock-off that not only would fail to keep you afloat in water, but would itself become waterlogged and drag you down to your death had you been unlucky enough to be tossed in while wearing it? Shouldn’t you be glad to know that the thing you had to save your life was a fake before you needed it instead of after? Shouldn’t you be looking at all that and thinking, “Thank God I got rid of that in time!”
If you have nothing, then I strongly recommend moving heaven and earth, or more to the point, selling all you have, and purchasing the Real Thing. I would suggest, moreover, that your life does indeed depend upon it and that there is nothing else, nothing at all, more important. If you are a pauper, living under a bridge and eating out of a dumpster, and have the Faith, you have everything in the world.
“He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for me, shall find it. He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.”
With Pope Francis, you have seen what all Traditionalists have seen. With him it is no longer possible to continue to be deceived. With him, you now can no longer cling to this illusory “safe” conservative novusordoist middle ground. I suggest that as you confront this more and more manfully, as your strength returns, you will start to see more and more how vast the damage really has been, how deeply infused with the Death Cult our whole world has become. It will be painful and shocking. Confronting evil is like that.
And for heaven sake, stop whining.
There’s a war on. Suit up.


This comes up every year.
For one thing, how do I, as a practicing Catholic, greet people during the holiday season? I get the feeling that “Happy Holidays” sells Christmas short. So this year, I’ve been mainly wishing people a Merry Christmas, with the understanding that although they may not be celebrating the religious aspect of the holiday, odds are they’re celebrating the secular side. (Unless they are Jewish, which would mean they wouldn’t appreciate it at all.) For the most part the ‘experiment’ has gone well, but I think a few people have given pause or not wished me a Merry Christmas back. And that’s okay with me.
— I have to wonder if they have the same problems in other parts of the world. Like in the United Kingdom, specifically in England, I know they wish people a “Happy Christmas” —
Every year, I become increasingly aware of the dichotomy of Christmas. There’s the religious side as Christians everywhere are celebrating the birthday of their Savior’s birth to varying degrees of fervency. I notice that my church always feels the most packed during Christmas and Easter Masses, because of all the ‘Christmas and Easter’ Catholics come out of the woodwork.
Then there’s the secular side. Retailers want us to go into a shopping frenzy to buy gifts for EVERYONE we know. I usually am pretty broke come Christmas and most years I haven’t gotten my family anything. Sometimes I do though. This year and last year I’ve gotten my Parents and my brother clothing that they need, long sleeve shirts mostly. And I remember one year I got my mother and grandmother kitchen accessories
And I know Jesus wasn’t born on or around Decemb.er 25th. It doesn’t make sense for shepherds to be out in the fields tending to their flocks overnight in winter. I know that there was already several Pagan holidays and traditions revolving around the Winter Solstice and the Church moved the birthday to fit into those celebrations. The Yule Log, The Christmas Tree, all came from the Pagan side.
When A Charlie Brown Christmas came out during the 60s, there was already a sharp increase in commercialism and the secularization of the Holiday. In fact many of Charlie Brown’s friends are obssesded with gifts and giving Santa a long list. Charlie Brown himself feels depressed because he can’t find the true meaning of Christmas. Linus says he knows and then quotes The Gospel of Luke:
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'”
People may not believe in the religious side of Christmas, but most still believe in the common good of men (and women) and peace on earth. That is perhaps, the real meaning of Christmas.
And so, I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS, but also I hope you find comfort and joy and good tidings this weekend with your family and others you enjoy spending time with.


Hello, lovely people!
This week, I’d like to talk about Newman House’s Eucharistic Adoration opportunities: Spirit and Truth and All-Night Adoration.
Spirit and Truth is the more regular of the two times for Adoration. It’s been a tradition since possibly my freshman year of college.
This semester and last semester, there have been three college students in charge of it, myself being one of them. When we have Spirit and Truth, we’ve been having it at 8:30 pm on Mondays. At least two members of the team try to be at St. Leo’s by 8 pm in order to set up. We set up the stand and the monstrance as well as the incense. Setting up the candles and making sure the key is in the tabernacle door are also a couple of our responsibilities. And normally, we end around 10 pm, give or take a few minutes. When Spirit and Truth is over, the team puts everything back either into the sacristy or separate closet. Sometimes, some of the other students help in cleaning up.
Before Exposition, we normally have someone give a talk. Last semester, it was mainly students giving the talks. Occasionally, Fr. Eugene, the Director of Campus Ministry for Newman House, gave the talk. This semester, though, we’re doing something a bit different. Fr. Eugene is having some guest speakers come in to talk with us and he also gave the talk for the opening Spirit and Truth of the semester.
After the talk, we have Exposition followed by Eucharistic Adoration. Students can use this time to spend time talking with and adoring the Lord, and they also have the opportunity to go to Reconciliation. We then end with Benediction. Within the past couple of years, Fr. Eugene has been the one to expose the Blessed Sacrament, hear confessions, and conduct Benediction. In the past, Fr. Brandon has stepped in when Fr. Eugene has been unable to be there.
All-Night Adoration is the less frequent of the two. We’ve only had a handful of these events over the past few semesters.
When we have All-Night Adoration, we have a sign-up sheet for people to have a designated time to spend with the Lord. This past time, for example, we had times beginning at 7 pm and ending at 7 am the next day. At least one person would need to be in the Chapel with the Blessed Sacrament throughout the night. When we had All-Night Adoration this past December, I had signed up for the 7 pm and 1 am shifts.
At least with the opening shifts that I’ve experienced, Exposition is simpler than when we have Spirit and Truth, but who am I to complain since it is still time spent face-to-face with our Lord?
Eucharistic Adoration is a type of prayer that I may not have had much experience with before coming to college and getting involved with the Newman House. But now that I’ve been at Newman, I think it’ll have a place in my heart for a long time.
Until next time!
– Victoria the Catholic


It ended today. I think PZ Myers did a good job ending the whole saga. It's pretty eloquent, I'd say.
While I have no interest in helping Catholics further rationalize their delusional beliefs, I want to explore a line of argument open to them (disclaimer: I was forced to attend Mass until the age of 15-16 and refused to go through Confirmation). I think there's a way that a Catholic could come away from the cracker dustup not only being but also looking like the better man.
First, the Catholic must recall that most of the world is not Catholic. The rest of the world, theist and atheist alike, care nothing for Catholic dogmas and sacraments. Try explaining the details of Transubstantiation and Communion to anyone who isn't Catholic (or Lutheran or Episcopalian maybe) and they will find it all ridiculous and/or gross. This is just a cross you'll have to bear. You can try to bear it in some kind of Christlike manner (I'm not making any recommendations here!) or you can react like Bill Donahue.
It's important to remember how this whole thing started. There was no theft or even malice on the part of the student who took the communion wafer. It is Catholics who reacted monstrously.
The proper response (in my advice to Catholics) would have been not to respond monstrously to the initial incident. Whether out of ignorance or malice, people are going to insult your beliefs--live with it. And think how many actual communion wafer desecrations the Bill Donahues caused by their intemperate reaction to the guy who tried to walk off with his communion wafer to show a friend who was curious about Catholicism.


“To Karavaki” – “The Little Boat”
The most traditional symbol you will find in Greece during the winter holidays is a small boat decorated with lights, usually placed in the main square of a town and close to the more international Christmas tree.
To karavaki, or small boat is rooted in the traditions of a country with a symbiotic relationship with the sea. In fact on the many Greek islands just as on Paros, the Christmas boat remains the most popular ornament of the holiday season.
Different legends explain the tradition of the Greek Christmas Boat. One of them is related to Saint Nicolas (Agios Nikolaos), the Patron Saint of Sailors. Saint Nicolas is celebrated on the 6th of December, the day when Greeks start decorating their homes for Christmas. Boats are decorated in order to honor the saint in homes and in front of churches like the small church in Alyki (next to the playground and the public tennis court) that is devoted to Saint Nicolas and are displayed until 6th January, Epiphany, Theophania, or Ton Foton in Greek.
Greeks are a seafarers’ nation
Greece as a nation is closely related to the sea since ancient times. Greeks are proud of their sailors, fishermen and intrepid captains they are a symbol of local identity. Men would often be away for months at a time, and those back home would be anxiously waiting for their return.
On the islands, the wives, mothers, and daughters of seaman used to spend the cold and dark winter months with their heart and mind at sea. There, their men were battling the stormy seas during the holiday season. These were months of expectation, hope, and prayer for their safe return.
The joy of seeing the boats coming back, approaching the shores, made the women celebrate in relief. The boat is a symbol to honor those brave men coming back home.
Small wooden boats
According to tradition the small wooden boats inside the homes placed close to the fireplace and pointing towards the center of the house, never towards the door. They were also lovingly decorated to give a warm welcome to the men of the household.
Even kids prepared their own boats with paper and chips of wood, and on Christmas Eve, they used these little boats to collect the treats they had received when singing the carols (kalanda) from house to house.
Based on the article of Greek Reporter.


“Dear Editor — I am a 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?” – Letter of Virginia O´ Hanlon to The Sun, in 1897
In 1897 an eight-year-old girl named Virgina O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of The Sun to ask him if there was really a Santa Claus or, as her friends said, it was a pious lie. Editor Francis Pharcellus Church’s response, a lengthy letter addressed to Virginia titled “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” became the most reprinted newspaper editorial ever.
“Virginia, your little friends are wrong,” Church wrote. “He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.”
Unfortunately, we can’t know if Santa visited Virginia that Christmas of 1897, but without a doubt her greatest present was the editorial itself, which in her old age she credited it with shaping her life in a positive way.
The Good King
The tradition of giving presents to the poor at Christmas first appears in the early biographies of Wenceslas, a young Duke of Bohemia who ruled between AD 921 and 935.
Remembered as the “good king” for his works of charity and piety, the tradition says that it was his custom to leave his castle on Christmas Eve, accompanied by his pages. Riding through the snow, the king distributed food and clothes to the poor of Bohemia.
But the habit of leaving gifts to children during the night is older. In 270 CE, a man named Nicholas was born in Myra, present-day Turkey. After a journey to Palestine, to see the holy places, he became a bishop and attended the famous Council of Nicea.
Unknowingly, he would have a great influence on how Christmas would be celebrated many centuries after his death. Details about his life are scarce, but the most celebrated tradition is that bishop Nicholas saved three poor girls from prostitution by secretly slipping gold coins through their window for three nights in a row.
On the third night the girls’ father discovered their unknown benefactor and fell to his knees to thank him, but Nicholas ordered him to say nothing.
Thanks to the bishop´s generosity, the father was able to pay a dowry for his daughters and have them married. Over the centuries, this obscure priest of Turkey would evolve into the figure of Santa Claus.
Baby Jesus, not Santa
Until a generation ago or so, Mexican and Latin American children barely knew about Santa. Especially in rural Mexico and in small cities, children write letters and ask presents to the Baby Jesus, el Niño Dios, and sometimes to the Three Wise Men, los Reyes Magos.
The same is true for the rest of Latin America and, to a lesser extent, for Chicano families who, it is worth saying, fell under the influence of the plump elf in the red suit a long time ago.
But their grandparents certainly wrote letters to el Niño Dios in Xmas, and if they were lucky enough — and their parents had money to buy them something— they would find modest surprises on the morning of December 25, beneath the tree, or by the Nacimiento (a Nativity scene).
Although they are usually secret, a private thing between the children and el Niño Dios, when we can take a look at Christmas letters written by Latin American boys and girls, it is an irresistible experience.
Cartas al Niño Dios
Jorge Hope was a Mexican Catholic priest, writer, professor and journalist who was active in the last quarter of the last century. In one of those years, he assembled a collection of letters from Latin American children to the Niño Dios, which were never published.
The brief missives of Latin American boys and girls were gathered in all environments. Their authors were children of different origins, from private, official and parochial schools, orphanages, hospitals, and post offices from several countries.
Addressed to the Child God, Santa’s equivalent for Latin American children, the letters are marvelously simple. They are about toys, monsters, solar systems, feelings and fears.
In them, there is a trust, an honesty that children are capable of showing in order to remind us that they are still there, in case we adults forget them due to our many obligations.
This is a small selection, never published until now, a true treasure that reminds us of a simpler time, perhaps our own childhoods.
- Dear God, in an article I read that you had died, but my mother says it is not true. I hope you feel better.
- Dear God, My dog is back. Thank you.
- I know you are always listening, but when will you especially listen to what is happening in Lima, the capital of Peru? Sincerely, Alberto.
- Dear God, if you made the rule that children have to take out the trash, please change it.
- Dear God, if you would allow me to become invisible when I want to, I will do whatever you want. We make a deal?
- Dear God, do you have to eat everything too? I hate liver. Why don’t you make me like the others?
- Yesterday, in our neighborhood, I saw the house where you live. How beautiful it is!
- Dear God, do you remember when so much snow fell that we didn’t have to go to school? Why don’t you do it again?
- Dear God, do you know my neighborhood? Well, it does not seem so.
- Dear Baby Jesus: Please bring me a red ball. I leave you bread and milk in case you’re hungry when you arrive. P.S. Answer me…


The historical centre and the lights of Naples.
The 'Piazza del Gesu' Nuovo' is the gateway to the historic centre.
The spire of the madonna and the Church of the New Jesus introduce the baroque atmosphere of the area. The interior of the church is a harmonious set of marbles, stuccos and frescoes, with works by Francesco Solimena, Luca Giordano and Massimo Stanzione.
Not far away is the Gothic church of S. Chiara, built in 1310 by Roberto d'Angio' and transformed into a Baroque church in 1700. After being damaged by the bombings of 1943, it was restored and returned to its original form. Here is the tomb of Robert of Angio' and the private chapel of the Bourbon family, who used the church as a noble burial ground.
A walk in the cloister of the Clarisse is not to be missed. Dating back to the Gothic period, it was then decorated with splendid eighteenth-century majolica tiles painted by Neapolitan artists Donato and Giuseppe Massa with landscape scenes.
Walking along "Spaccanapoli" you will arrive in Piazza S. Domenico.
The church of the same name, dating back to the 13th century, then became a burial site of the Aragonese dynasty, of whom the funeral arches are still visible in the Sacristy.
Not far from the church is the extraordinary Sansevero Chapel. A visit to this spectacular baroque complex is not to be missed, especially thanks to the presence of the veiled Christ of Sammartino, which has made the chapel famous all over the world.
Via Tribunali is the street parallel to Spaccanapoli, which intersects Via S. Gregorio Armeno, one of the most important Italian centres for the production of Christmas cribs. In the two months before Christmas the street is filled with stalls selling small shepherds and decorations for the cribs. In addition to the traditional ones, the artisans produce figurines depicting political and football personalities, always displayed in the various small shops which line the street.
Via Duomo will complete the tour of the historical centre. The street takes its name from the Duomo, a Gothic structure completed by Roberto d'Angio' in 1313. Along the left aisle is the entrance to the Basilica of S. Restituta, founded in the 4th century by the emperor Constantine and later transformed into a side chapel of the Gothic church. Right in front of the early Christian Basilica we can admire the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, where the ampoules with the blood of the saint are kept and exposed to the public during the miracle of the liquefaction of the blood itself. The magnificent chapel has been decorated by the most famous artists of the 17th century and displays magnificent silver reliquary busts.
The visit to the historical centre will be followed by a small tour to discover the most beautiful buildings of the monumental centre, all visible around Piazza Municipio and Piazza Plebiscito.
Castel Nuovo, better known as Maschio Angioino, was built by Carlo d'Angio' in 1279 and later modified by the Aragonese. The Arc de Triomphe at the entrance was erected to commemorate the arrival of Alfonso of Aragon in 1442 and is one of the best examples of Renaissance sculpture in the south.
Galleria Umberto I, dating back to the 19th century, was conceived as a sort of covered shopping center. The vault is in iron and glass, the floor is a magnificent example of inlaid marble and the interiors are all in Liberty style.
Right in front of the Gallery it is possible to admire the San Carlo Theatre, the most ancient opera house in the world, inaugurated on November 4, 1737, and dedicated to Charles of Bourbon. The building, almost completely destroyed by fire in 1816, was then rebuilt in neoclassical style.
Approaching Piazza Plebiscito it will be possible to admire the Royal Palace, built in the 17th century according to a project by Domenico Fontana. The palace was the official residence of Charles of Bourbon and successive royal families before the transformation of Italy from a monarchical state into a republic (1946).
Book with our local GTA guide your excursion!
We offer discounts on rates depending on the period, the number of passengers and the number of services requested.
Each tour can be combined as desired, always contacting us via the form.


It is hard work to change an empty field into a field full of harvest. You have to get your hands dirty and work day in and day out to see the product you want come to fruition. Cultivate is a series that will look intently on a few areas of biblical transformation, and our pastors will offer grace-driven gospel-centered help from the Scriptures. Loving one another is hard, but we are called to cultivate relationships. God designed the congregation to be a tool of encouragement and growth. Holiness and devotion are the markers of true Christian living in an increasingly hostile world, while cultivating a deep understanding of the gospel will drive us to share the good news through evangelism. We hope it is a season when you will examine your own life and be encouraged to take some risks to cultivate the change that God desires.


Admission to St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School shall be determined by the following criteria, in the following order:
- Any student presently enrolled in St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School whether they are registered active St. Bernadette Parishioner *, registered Non-active St. Bernadette Parishioner, or Catholic Non-Parishioner, or Non-Catholic, shall have first preference to admission.
- Children of St. Bernadette School faculty and St. Bernadette Church or school staff.
- **Siblings of presently enrolled students in this order:
- registered active Catholic Parishioner of St. Bernadette Parish (In the event of limited space, active parishioners will be required to list all ministries of St. Bernadette Parish in which they are actively involved. The ministries listed will be verified by the pastor and principal. Priority will be given to the most active St. Bernadette parishioners.)
- registered Non-Active St. Bernadette Parishioner
- Catholic Non-Parishioner
- Grandchildren of St.Bernadette School faculty and St. Bernadette Church or school staff.
- A sibling of registered and active St. Bernadette Parishioners with children previously enrolled that have completed St. Bernadette School and in good standing with the school and parish.
- Children of alumni who are registered active St. Bernadette Parishioners for 1 year prior to registration.
- Children of registered and active St. Bernadette Parishioners (for 1 year prior to registration) in good standing with the School.
- Siblings of registered and Non-Active St. Bernadette Parishioners and Catholic Non-Parishioners with children previously enrolled and in good standing with the school.
- Children of registered and Non-Active St. Bernadette parishioners and Catholic Non-Parishioners. In this order:
- Active: Catholics from parishes without schools
- Active: Catholics from parishes with schools
- Non-Active: St. Bernadette Parishioners
- Non-Active: Catholics from parishes without schools
- Non-Active: Catholics from parishes with schools
- All others.
All of the above are determined by openings available.
Registration will be conducted during an annual two-week period announced by the school administration.
*A registered active Catholic Parishioner of St. Bernadette is one who is registered in the parish for one year prior to registration, active in the parish Sunday celebrations and contributes to the support of the church through the envelope system on a regular basis.


So I think I understand what Hilts is saying to a point, and I think his attitude towards the Church resembles lots of Catholics', and that that's great. I'd like to point out that when I blather on about the Catholic Church, I'm not trying to turn anybody away from it just because I turned away from it, but deep down that might not be true because in my heart of hearts I'm still pissed Mum just converted. But in my conscious head at least, I'm not trying to turn anyone away from it.
Sugar may disagree, and so may millions of others, but I feel like religious faith is a beautiful thing - that most spiritual disciplines, except the very stupidest, offer some sort of helpful framework for approaching your relationship with the world and your fellow man, and that for children especially it can be really helpful - a sort of series of parables instructing you on how to love when your raging id just wants to slash and burn. I'm glad I grew up Catholic for what Hilts talked about - the way it taught me to love people for their humanity if nothing else, to figuratively speaking turn the other cheek (though I usually didn't), and a sort of beautiful pantheism teaching me that anything I hurt is all of us, or God, or whatever, so it's best not to hurt things.
So I spent my childhood thinking Catholics should act in love and tumbled out of Catholicism when that thought smacked up against the reality of the Church. The love of women that could be communicated through ministry is devalued completely with no good excuse. The love between a man and a woman is treated as a distraction from God rather than as a reminder of Her superpowers. And that's ignoring the distinct lack of love present in so many of the Church's actions and policies over the last 1000 years. Coincidentally since they stopped letting priests get married, to make sure there weren't any disputes over the inheritance of 'Church' property. Men have always told me not having sex for awhile makes them lose their minds a little bit and I think the history of Catholic ministry is a good way for them to argue that case. 'Babeeeeee . . . I'm hurtin' . . . . you're going to make me set up an anti-papacy in Avignon. . . '
And so much of it for crass, worldly political expedience. Liberation Theology was shot down by the Vatican when the people who needed it the most, needed it the most. The choice of an old-fashioned (if pretty fucking hot when he was young) Pole to lead the Church during turbulent times because he was an anti-Communist from a Communist country. The assassination of John Paul I, who would have let us all wear condoms even if it meant cutting down on the growth rate of the flock . . . not that all those impoverished people aren't going Evangelical these days anyways because it's so much more fun with the singing and the dancing and the babysitting and the useful social assistance and whatnot - okay, I'm getting a bit anti-Mel-Gibson here, but ten bucks says it was an assassination. Come on, it's the Catholic Church we're talking about here, not Mohatma Fucking Ghandi.
Hilts isn't quite sure if he believes in God as such - I do - I can't explain it, beyond saying that I always feel that there's a great warm beautiful overarching thing in the universe that desperately, desperately wants us all to not fuck up. And my relationship with that thing will always be more or less Christian because I was raised with a great bloody loving Jesus as a daily figure. It will also always be more or less Catholic because the Church has so many ways to help us approach that figure that are part of my brain forever and that I wouldn't part with, like the saints and his mum and meditation and mysticism and all the rest of it.
But Daddy is right - the Church is rotten - and the people who love the Church need to struggle to reform it so it really is about love again, even if it's just one parish at a time, even if it results in Colonel Ratzinger and his Flying Monkeys excommunicating them. I bet that's what Jesus would do.


We have put together a number of links for you – options for your Easter Day Celebrations.
Easter Day service from Rev’d Alister Hendery
at Waiapu Cathedral
Easter Day 10.00 am, 12 April 2020
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 897 661 826
RNZ has a recording from Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland. Our very own Rev’d Bruce Keeley is the preacher. Website link or click below to listen.
All Saints in Taradale have a You Tube Service all ready to watch.


Books and Resources for Christian Reading and Schooling…
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We are the areas go-to destination for quality maps.
We sell wholesome educational products and offer an extensive collection of homeschool resources.
Phone: (717) 733-7253
Address: 2450 W Main St Ephrata, PA 17522


ACCEPT AND CLOSE
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Every year around 30,000 tourists visit Honningvåg Kirke.
Unlike the spectacular cathedrals in Rome, it is a modest timber church that seats 220 people. But within it’s walls awaits a remarkable story of endurance, and determination and hope.
Built in 1885, Honningsvåg Kirke is the oldest building on the island of Magerøya. No other buildings survived the end of World War II. The German troops left a path of destruction as they evacuated Norway, burning everything in sight.
No one knows exactly why the church was left unharmed. But, miraculously, the church was spared, while the rest of the town became a smoldering mass of embers and debris.
When the reconstruction of Finnmark (northern region of Norway) began, the government wanted to move the location of Honningsvåg to the mainland. But determined residents fought to rebuild their town in it’s original location.
Around a 100 people returned to Honningsvåg. They set up camp in the church. A bakery was established there. The pews doubled as beds. And with a church for their home, this heroic group began the hard work of building barracks for more people to return and help rise up a new Honningsvåg.
For me, the church stands as a symbol of unity, community, hope and determination.
If you have the opportunity to travel to Nordkapp, I recommend taking time to visit Honningsvåg Kirke. Come and hear the spectacular story this little timber church has to tell.


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