How to pray the Holy Rosary?
Pray with your heart
Make the Sign of the Cross and say the ´Apostles´ Creed´
Say the ´Our Father´
Say the three greetings and three ´Hail Mary´
Say the ´Glory be to the Father´ and the 'Saint Michael'
Announce the First Mystery; then say the ´Our Father´
Say on the ten beads ten ‘Hail Mary´ while meditating on the Mystery.
Say the ´Glory be to the Father´
and the 'O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, ... '
Announce the Second Mystery, then say the ´Our Father´
Repeat 6 and 7 and continue with announcing the Third, the Fourth
and the Fifth Mysteries in the same way.
End with a special prayer of the heart
Make the Sign of the Cross en thank God
The 15 promises of the Holy Rosary (see below or click)
The joyful mysteries (Monday and Saturday)
The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday)
The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar
The Birth of Our Lord Jesus
Jesus is Crowned With Thorns
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
Jesus Carries His Cross to Calvary
The Finding Jesus in the Temple
The Crucifixion of Jesus
The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesday and Sunday)
The Luminous Mysteries (Thursday)
The Glorious Resurrection of Jesus
The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan
The Ascension of Jesus
The Wedding at Cana, when Christ Manifested Himself
The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
The Transfiguration of Jesus
The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven
The Last Supper, when Our Lord gave us the Holy Eucharist
Make the Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Our Father
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ His only Son, Our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead,
He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty,
from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
The Three Greetings and The Hail Mary
I greet you, Mary, daughter of G´d the Father -
Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee,
blessed are thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners; now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
I greet you, Mary, mother of G´d the Son - Hail Mary …
I greet you, Mary, bride of G´d the Holy Spirit - Hail Mary …
Glory be to the Father
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Prayer to Saint Michael
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the Day of Battle,
be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly Host, by the Power of God,
cast into hell Satan,
and all the other evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Prayer to Jesus Requested By Our Lady of Fatima
O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell,
take all souls to Heaven, and help especially those most in need of Your mercy.
Prayer 1 for after The Holy Rosary
O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life;
grant, we beseech Thee, that, meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer 2 for after The Holy Rosary
Hail! Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope,
To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve,
To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, O most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us,
and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
Prayer 3 for after The Holy Rosary
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send nów Your Spirit over the earth,
Let the Holy Spirit live, in the hearts of áll nations,
that they may be preserved from degeneration, disaster and war,
May the Lady of All Nations, who once was Mary, be our Advocate.
The 15 promisses of the Holy Rosary
Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive powerful graces.
I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Holy Rosary.
The Holy Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.
It will cause virtue and good works to flourish, it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God, it will
withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire
of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries
shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by
an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and
the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire
celestial court during their life and at the hour of death
All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
The blessings of the Holy Rosary
Sinners are forgiven
Souls that thirst are refreshed.
Those who are fettered have their bonds broken
Those who weep find happiness
Those who are tempted find peace
The poor find help
Religious are reformed
Those who are ignorant are instructed
The living learn to overcome pride
The dead (the Holy Souls) have their pains eased by suffrages
The benefits of the Holy Rosary
It gradually gives us a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ
It purifies our souls, washing away sin
It gives us victory over all our enemies
It makes it easy for us to practice virtue
It sets us on fire with love of Our Lord
It enriches us with graces and merits
It supplies us with what is needed to pay all our debts to God and to our fellow men;
and finally it obtains all kinds of graces for us from Almighty God


This afternoon, I read an interview that Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu gave shortly after the creation of the Desmond Tutu Chair of Peace, Global Justice, and Reconciliation Studies at Butler University and Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Tutu, he was the Archbishop in Cape Town, South Africa and was one of the leaders of the struggle against Apartheid.
He has been a long time advocate for the rights of all people, and has earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986, the Pacem in Terris Award in 1987, the Sydney Peace Prize in 1999, the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2007, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Put simply, Desmond Tutu is an internationally respected voice for peace and he might be one of the closest things that we have today to the prophetic voices of the Hebrew Bible.
I don’t say this because of the size of his audience, or the socio-political sway that he has. Rather, I say it because of the fact that Desmond Tutu has consistently spoken truth to power in a way that is rarely seen in our times. He has spoken out against injustice, regardless of who happens to be playing the role of oppressor and who happens to be playing the role of the oppressed, and he has refused to step down until changes are made.
As you can probably tell from the title of this post, Tutu had some things to say in this interview about issues that we might consider a little…contentious. If you know me, you probably know where I stand on these issues, but if you don’t it is fair to say that not everyone who calls themselves Christian will agree with me on everything (and those are conversations to be had face to face, not in a nightly blog post).
Regardless of that fact, I want to share one particular question and response that Tutu gave during this interview:
Q: What is the most pressing issue in which Christians need to relate their faith to power and injustice?
A: Anywhere where the humanity of people is undermined, anywhere where people are left in the dust, there we will find our cause. Sometimes you wish you could keep quiet. It’s the kind of thing you heard the prophet Jeremiah complain of where he says, “You know God, I didn’t want to be a prophet and you made me speak words of condemnation against a people I love deeply. Your word is like a fire burning in my breast.”
It isn’t that it’s questionable when you speak up for the right of people with different sexual orientation. People took some part of us and used it to discriminate against us. In our case, it was our ethnicity; it’s precisely the same thing for sexual orientation. People are killed because they’re gay. I don’t think, “What do I want to do today? I want to speak up on gay rights.” No. It’s God catching me by my neck. I wish I could keep quiet about the plight of the Palestinians. I can’t! The God who was there and showed that we should become free is the God described in the Scriptures as the same yesterday, today and forever.
There are two things that I want to highlight from that response.
– The most pressing issues that our church needs to face are those anywhere where the humanity of people is undermined, anywhere where people are left in the dust. Tutu could have named any issue that he felt strongly about, but he chose not to. Instead, he said that the job of the church is to respect and acknowledge the humanity of all of our brothers and sisters. Period.
– Speaking truth to power has never been easy, and it never should be easy. Tutu chose to speak about Jeremiah, but the reality is that there were very few people chosen by YHWH to speak truth to power that readily accepted the calling.But ultimately they did just that. They aligned themselves with the poor, the marginalized, the downtrodden, and the oppressed, and they demanded justice.
Where are you seeing the humanity of people being undermined?
Where do you see people being left in the dust?
What can you do about it?The Rainbow People of God To read the entire interview, click here.


NIV: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days
you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a
Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work,
neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your man servant or
maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates....Therefore
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (See
also Deuteronomy 5:12.
25:3-7 Describes God's command to let the land lay fallow every
25:8-13 Describes the Year of Jubilee after every 49 years.


Want to partner with us financially?
We are a 501c3 organization, the marketplace division of Cru. All donations are tax deductible by the IRS.
If you have been touched by the ministry of Cru Austin and would like to help us expand our services and spiritual resources to others, there are 2 ways you can give.
- Online giving via the link at the top of this page
- Write a check payable to “Cru” and mail it to our office address:
Your gifts are a blessing and will help us reach out to others with the love of Christ.
Pictures from our 2014 Vision Dinner on Friday, November 14.


Your Support Makes a Difference
Luther Crest is proud to continue our long-time tradition of providing exceptional care to all those we serve. In order to help us fulfill our mission, we rely on the compassion and support of philanthropic donors.
Luther Crest is owned and operated by Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, a not-for-profit organization committed not only to offering a continuum of care and service to active seniors, but also to providing a wide range of services to children, youths and families, including adoption, foster care and family counseling. With “Many Hands Acting as One Heart,” Diakon cares for older adults in its communities through acts of service.
As part of Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, Luther Crest is proud to offer charitable care to residents who have exhausted their financial resources through circumstances beyond their control or whose cost of care exceeds reimbursement. This benevolent care promise allows residents to receive continued housing, care and support services for the rest of their lives within our community.
In 2016, Luther Crest provided more than $887,000 in uncompensated care as part of our investment in service to older adults. That amount included the actual cost to provide nursing care beyond what is reimbursed by state and federal programs and the provision of personal-care services for those who have exhausted their financial resources. For a chart depicting charitable care at Luther Crest in 2016, click here.
With support from dedicated and generous donors, Luther Crest continues to fulfill our promise of care despite rising costs and shrinking reimbursement levels. Your support makes a vital difference in the lives of many.
If you would like to make a donation to Luther Crest, please visit our Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries page by using the convenient link below. We greatly appreciate all gifts to help support our mission – regardless of size or method.
In addition, members of Thrivent are able to designate Thrivent Choice dollars to support Luther Crest. We would certainly appreciate your designating some or all of those funds to Luther Crest. If you are a member, you can give now through Thrivent at Thrivent Choice or by calling 1-800-847-4836 and stating “Thrivent Choice.”


Do these words about the psalmists make you feel a little uncomfortable? “They were people who knew far less about God than we do, yet loved him a great deal more” (Alec Motyer). If so, a healthy spiritual envy should drive us to this question: what can we learn from the psalmists about loving God?
“Whom have I in heaven but you? / And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Psalm 73:25
Asaph isn’t saying that he finds everything on earth undesirable. The psalms often declare the goodness of earthly things such as “wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart” (Psalm 104:15). No, what Asaph means is that there is nothing in the world that competes with God in his affections, nothing that runs a close second to God. God has won his heart, and he has no rivals.
But it wasn’t always that way. At the start of Psalm 73 Asaph admits that his feet “almost slipped” when he “saw the prosperity of the wicked.” The turning point in the psalm is verse 17: “I entered the sanctuary of God.” Something about the sanctuary – God’s temple in Jerusalem – restores God to his rightful place in Asaph’s heart.
In the temple he would have seen the blood of animal sacrifices, reminding him that God lovingly offers forgiveness. The temple was also the venue for festivals celebrating God’s loving acts: Passover, commemorating God’s liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt; the Feast of Weeks, marking God’s kind provision of abundant crops; and the Feast of Tabernacles, reminding the Israelites that God led them from their trailer park in the desert into the promised land with its “houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant” (Deuteronomy 6:11). So the temple reminded Asaph of God’s love for his people, a love that the wicked reject to their own destruction (vs 17, 19 & 27). God’s love for Asaph stirred up Asaph’s love for God.
We can learn from this. Let’s spend time reflecting on the love of God shown at the cross and seen in his sustaining care as we journey towards a better Promised Land. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Meditating on God’s love for us can be the turning point that restores his place in our affections. Let’s be honest, meditation – consciously thinking about something for an extended period of time – takes a bit of effort, which might be why we do it so little! As Thomas Watson says, “The reason we come away so cold from reading the Word is because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.” Anyone who truly envies Asaph’s love for God will be driven to that fire.
“O God, you are my God … your love is better than life.” Psalm 63:1,3
In his book More than Conquerors, Simon Guillebaud tells a story from Burundi that chimes with David’s experience in Psalm 63: “A fellow missionary out here saw an old man in grubby clothes at one of the many displacement camps. She wondered what his story was, and so approached him to find out … He had seen his wife and children hacked to death and his house burnt down. He had walked many days to get to the camp, and had lost just about everything he ever owned, except the rags on his back. Yet at the end of his story of horrific personal loss, he was able to declare, ‘I never realized Jesus was all I needed until Jesus was all I had.’” In Psalm 63, David is in a similar position of utter deprivation. It’s one of the times when his enemies are seeking his life (verse 9), and he’s fled to “a dry and weary land where there is no water” (verse 1). And yet, like that refugee in Burundi, he’s able to find satisfaction in God: “Because your love is better than life, / my lips will glorify you.” What’s his secret?
To begin with, he seeks God “earnestly” (verse 1). He’s not messing about! And if we have real spiritual envy of David and the other psalmists, we’ll also demonstrate great earnestness in seeking God. We can’t expect our love for him to match the psalmists’ love if we seek trifling things in this world more earnestly than we seek God.
The second point to note is that, like Asaph, David focuses on God more than focusing on his feelings about God. He’s aware of his feelings about God (vs 1 & 8) but his eyes are turned upward much more than inward: “I have seen you in the sanctuary / and beheld your power and your glory” (verse 2); “On my bed I remember you; / I think of you through the watches of the night” (verse 6). What C. S. Lewis says about joy applies equally to love: “Its very existence presupposes that you desire not it but something other and outer.” That’s why we can’t increase our love for God by straining to produce loving feelings for him in our hearts. You could put it like this: more love for God comes from having more of God.
The final thing David does that helps him love God greatly is sing his praises (vs 5 & 7). David is the Poet King. Psalm 63 is a song. Singing is meditation with a melody. It’s a way of focusing on God so that we love him more. Pick a song of praise and sing it!


Countdown Until Our Next Event
This free live concert will feature groups of many faiths, professional soloists or duets and interactive activities outside after the performance.
Their theme “Living Peace” is a call to encourage peace in our daily lives, in all our interactions with others, and in the wider community and the world at large. Please save the date!
Join the re-enactment of the Spanish Tradition of “Las Posadas.” The procession begins at Boone’s Lick and South Main and proceeds to Frontier Park. Participants carry candles while following Mary and Joseph as they seek shelter prior to arriving at Bethlehem. The journey ends at a live nativity scene on the riverfront. A celebration follows with Christmas carols around the Yule Log bonfire.


Donated in 1494, chapel with star vault, in the hospital garden funeral lamp (14th c.)
Remains of the medieval town fortification (14th/15th c.) with three towers, which can still be seen in Spitalgasse.
Cath. city parish church St. Ulrich
15. Century, and former ossuary
Crucifixion group with St. Catherine and Barbara (1431)
Remains of a probably late Carolingian refuge (9th/10th c.)


BABY DEDICATION INFORMATION
A child is a God-given trust (Psalm 127:3), and Baby Dedication is a ceremony that signifies your commitment to uphold that trust. It is an event that symbolizes your pledge to raise your child in a Christian home and church where he or she can come to know, love, and serve Jesus. It also signifies a commitment by the people of First Assembly of God to provide a loving, biblical community that supports and prays for your family.
Baby Dedication at First Assembly is not the same as infant baptism. We believe that baptism is a public statement of faith that can be made only by someone who has personally believed in Christ. Infants cannot make a personal decision to believe in Jesus. Older children, however, can make that personal decision, and we offer baptism for those children.
If you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, you are invited to present your child in Christian dedication to the Lord. While parents often dedicate their children while they are young, you may dedicate your child at any age.
In order to participate in Baby Dedication, you must either be a member of our church, serve on one of our volunteer teams, or get expressed permission from one of the pastoral staff. We feel that these criteria are important as a first step for you as parents to understand what we believe and for us to truly be able to partner with you in the spiritual development of your child. If you would like to become a member of First Assembly of God, please Contact Us and ask for membership information. For more information on serving as a volunteer Click Here.
Step 1: We have three parenting messages from North Point Ministries that we feel will help you start right now to do the things that truly matter the most to you and your child in the future.
Step 2: You will attend a 30-minute orientation during one of our Sunday morning services. Complete the Baby Dedication form to register for the orientation.
Step 3: We would love for you and your family to participate with us in a time of dedication and celebration.
Registration and Questions
For more information email us at email@example.com or call 239-936-6277 x316.


Please include your contact information and how you would like your donation designated, ie. General Fund, Missions, Building Fund. If there is no designation it will automatically go into the general fund. The money is deposited directly into the church account and does not require a security question.
There is a basket at the back of our church.
Calahoo Alliance Church recognizes that there are those who will prefer to use their credit card to give, however, it is a desire of Calahoo Alliance Church that donors are not incurring debt when giving to the church.


CC Christian Fellowship invites you to join their community.
Information from CC Christian Fellowship
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:16-17).
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9).
Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:28).
In working out differences, we have a positive and an often perceived negative.
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It was testimony time at the church stewardship committee meeting.
“I’m very rich,” one man said. “I am very rich because God has blessed me.
I am rich because when I was a young man, with only $1 in my pocket, I heard an address by a missionary.
The Spirit told me to give everything I had to that missionary. So I gave that dollar.”
A fellow committee member tapped him on the shoulder. “I dare you to do it again,” she said.
Overhead on Noah’s Ark
1. “Did anyone think about bringing a couple of umbrellas?”
2. “Hey, there are more than two flies in here!”
3. “Wasn’t someone supposed to bring some shovels?”
4. “Okay, who’s the wise guy who let the mosquitoes on board?”
5. “Don’t make me pull this ark over and come back there!”
6. “Steak for dinner? We didn’t bring any steak with us. Uh.Oh.”
7. “Are we there yet?”
* * * * *


The Little Church with
The Big Heart
Virtual Sunday Service
Virtual Sunday Services are taking place on Facebook Live every Sunday. Tune into our Facebook page at 10:30 AM on Sundays to watch.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Please note that we are now back on Facebook Live for services and live-in person with gathering limits and mask mandates.


He Calls Me Friend
His conversation is sweetness itself,
He is altaogether lovable.
Such is my beloved, such is my friend
Song of Songs 5: 16
While researching last months sermon on the place of the garden in scripture, I came across these beautiful words about friendship in the Song of Songs, which got me thinking about God as friend. In Genesis we are given a picture of God’s intended friendship with us, as we see him walking in companionship with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. But the picture grows cloudy because of their disloyalty to this friendship and in shame they find it necessary to hide away from him. It seems to me that our journey back to the friendship of God invovles a choice, a decision if you like, to come out of hidling and into the light.
Maybe the friendship of God is a more tricky picture to get our head round, than that of God being our mother or father. A God who is understood as a parent can still be kept at a safe distance. Where a true friend is a different matter all together, as it’s about an intimacy and commitment. If God comes too close what might be exposed.
Sometimes this distancing is part of our human relationships too. We fear that if people come close enough to know us well, they might not want to. This is a challenge of course, because at the same time we long for intimate friendship, to be known as we really are, but we get bruised along the way. Sometimes we wonder and blame ourselves for not being all we think we should be.
What God offers in the Bible are stories where friendship with him touches and heals the darker side of ourselves. There is Isaiah praying in the temple, when one day he sees a vision of God and he feels the terrible weight of his own inadeqaucy, confronted by such holiness! He says, “What a wretched state I am in! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips.” (Isiaiah 6:5). He wants to cut and run. Faith is needed to believe that what God did for Isiaiah, he can do for us, but more gradually perhaps, in small steps, for we need time to grow in the experience of his friendship before letting him come really close.
I don’t know if any of you have been watching the new BBC 2 comedy on Friday night called Mum. It’s about a long suffering widow, Cathy and her growing relationship with her son’s girlfriend, the most annoying Kelly. Kelly mocks everything including herself and giggles incessantly, keeping everyone at a distance and I wondered whether I could sit through a whole episode of her, let alone a series. However, through Cathy’s generosity and kindness, a warmth has grown between the two of them and Kelly’s defensive giggling has eased. In the last episode of the series we were treated to a line of intimacy and connection from Kelly to Cathy, “I know that you are 4 times as old as me, but even if Jason does go off to Australia and dumps me and I never leave the house again, can we still be friends?” Cathy embraced Kelly and said of course they could with such warmth and tenderness and suddenly we all felt that we could be friends with Kelly too!
It is a lesson that we all need to learn on our spiritual journey, that our own human frailties and weaknesses are never ever an obstacle in our relationship with God. He accepts us in true friendship totally as we are. Where we are, and there won’t be any surprises.
Rev Julia July 2016
For without words in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are borne and shared with joy that is unacclaimed. And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter and a share of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morn and is refreshed.
Kahil Gibran: The Prophet
Come, our friend calls to us. Come, our friend has time for us.
Come, our friend speaks to us. Come to Jesus, our friend.
Jesus, you were a friend to the disciples,
You walked with them and you walk with us today.
As we meet in community, befriend us, guide us, love us. Amen


I am a working mother and self-employed consultant who has lived and been actively involved in the Parkdale-High Park community for over 18 years.
As an effective grassroots organizer and passionate community activist, I have lent my communications, leadership and political skills to many diverse causes. These include spearheading traffic bylaw changes to make streets safer for children, helping struggling not-for-profits in their fundraising goals and most recently, fighting for the rights of parents to build tree houses for their kids in their own backyards.
My two sons attend outstanding Catholic elementary schools in our neighbourhood, as did my husband and I. While it is our right to provide a Catholic education for our children, It would be a mistake to take this right for granted – yet our current trustee is doing just that.
As stewards of the next generation of Catholic education, I believe that it is up to us to ensure our education system remains strong for generations to come by making the right decisions today that will guide Catholic education into tomorrow.


How to Apply at CUA
To apply for any of the jobs listed in the Current Position Listings, please follow the directions at the bottom of each position. If you experience any difficulty during the application process, please feel free to contact the Office of Human Resources at tel: 202-319-5050.
We seek candidates who support, understand, are enthusiastic about, and will make a significant contribution to the mission of the University, which reads as follows: “As the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States, founded and sponsored by the bishops of the country with the approval of the Holy See, The Catholic University of America is committed to being a comprehensive Catholic and American institution of higher learning, faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ as handed on by the Church. Dedicated to advancing the dialogue between faith and reason, The Catholic University of America seeks to discover and impart the truth through excellence in teaching and research, all in service to the Church, the nation and the world.”
Complete and sign a CUA Application for Employment. Be sure to include your signature and the date.
Attach any related paperwork to the Application. Attachments to the Application for Employment should be related to the position for which you are applying.
Mail, fax, or e-mail the Application to the appropriate recruiter. The fax number for Human Resources is 202-319-5802. If you prefer to send your application by mail, please address it to:
The Catholic University of America
Office of Human Resources
Re: Position Title & Number
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Washington, DC 20064
Wait for a response.The CUA Application for Employment and resumes are received and screened by the Office of Human Resources. Applicants that meet the "minimum requirements," as advertised, are forwarded immediately to the hiring department. CUA does not encourage applicants to contact hiring departments/offices before being contacted for an initial interview, since the hiring department presently contacts applicants to be interviewed. Upon receipt of your application, the Office of Human Resources will send you an acknowledgment letting you know that we have received your application and that it is in the process of being reviewed. While we process applications as quickly as possible, it may be two to three weeks after you have sent your application that you receive our acknowledgement of receipt. However, please note that even though it may take some time for you to receive our acknowledgment, your application is sent immediately upon receipt to the hiring department.


Which side are you on? Are you for Creation or Evolution?
The Creation vs. Evolution debate is an ongoing dispute most prevalent in regions of the United States. It concerns the question of how man, as well as animals and plants, came to exist in their present form; whether they were created as they currently are by the intelligent design of a Creator, or they evolved though natural selection from primitive lifeforms. Believers in Evolutionism usually support other atheist theories concerning the origin of the universe, Earth, and life.
Which side are you on? Well, lets hear what you have to say after reading this from a Christian perspective.
Creation, according to the Bible, is the act of God that brought the universe and all living beings into existence. According to Genesis 1:26-28, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Those are the words of our beginning, our first knowledge of ourselves. What that shows us is that in creation, we are shown likeliness with God, a certain dignity specially related to God. But the dignity of mankind has been compromised
Evolution, on the other hand, is a theoretical process of development by which all species develop from earlier forms of life. According to this theory, natural variations in the genetic material of a population favours reproduction by some individuals more than others, so that over the generations all members of the population come to possess the favourable traits. It was Charles Darwin (1809-1882), a British scholar who revolutionized biology when he identified the process termed evolution (a process by which new species are created through the survival of the fittest).
What can be observed is that Darwinian theory washed away Biblical anthropology. In Darwin theory, we do not look to God for our likeliness, we look to animals. That can also means we are not lower than God’s angels but that we are higher than monkeys. That’s where the devils first shows is hand in God’s plans.
When applying Darwin’s theory on sexuality, men are prone to multiple sex partners because of the impulse to survive. The survival of the fittest instinct drives a man to have sex with as many women as possible to increase his chances of propelling his seed into the next generation. My friends, God created us (you and I) as humans to rule all animals not to think/act like animals.
Science through Darwianin theory reduces us to animals. It is Satan’s determined purpose to seperate us from our Creator in any way possible when he promotes the notion that we are not specially related to God. While it is still a theory, it is treated like proven fact. Evolution infiltrates in all fratenities of Western culture not just in Biology. We see it also in Archaeology, Physics, Sociology, Psychology and even Theology. In fact, all the world’s cultures.
Do you also agree that we are like animals, subject to our impulses and cannot control ourselves? Hell no, that’s not what God says in Genesis 1:26-28. Man should provide direction to all animals and he himself is not one of the animals.
Dear brethren, God created us from the dust of the soil. He didn’t just call and man stood up. He created him and breath through his nostrils. That is not said of any other creature on earth.
But Charles Darwin strives to explain human nature as an extension from animal kingdom: the last link from evolutionary chain but a little higher than animals, and more developed: a step up from horses ect. People lets wake up. Satan is at work even in our education system.
Which side are you on? Creation or Evolution?
The world is changing so fast in the 21st century. A lot of divorces, multiple partners resulting in failed marriages etc.. Non of the social scientists want to find a plausible explanations for that, tracing it back to its roots. Why? Where did we take the one-man-one-woman notion our forefathers handed down to us? Nowadays, there are sex chains that can even make a long railway. Men just act, women feel the impact.
KJV Bible (mobile app can be downloaded from http://wap.jolon.org/
Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species
Written by Josiah Phiri


Welcome to Crown Point....we’ve
been waiting for you!
It’s true, because we believe that every person who comes
into the circle of this fellowship was sent by God Himself.
It’s not by accident that we have the joy of meeting you.
So, above all else we want to express Christ’s love to you
with genuine, heartfelt warmth.
We’re eager to know you and we’re excited to share with you
the marvelous ways God is working in our church. It won’t
take long to discover that this is truly a family, rich in
the relationships that matter most. Growing together, we
worship, we serve, we laugh, we carry, we learn, and reach
out to you, as well. Our doors are open. Our hearts are open
If you’ve been praying, searching, and hoping for a place to
belong, we say…
Check out our
Word of the Week
– “Fear God and
keep His commandments, for this is man’s everything.”
Magazine, an online community that celebrates the joy of
storytelling, invited readers to submit 6-word memoirs
that describe their lives.Thousands responded with
brief biographies ranging from the light-hearted “Sweet
wife, good sons – I’m rich” to the painful “Sixty, still
haven’t forgiven my parents.”
Based on Scripture, I tried to
imagine how King Solomon might have summoned up his life
in 6-words.As a young man, he could
have written:God has given me great
wisdom.But in his later years, he
might have said:Should have practiced what
I preached!During a reign
distinguished by peace and prosperity, Solomon developed
spiritual heart problems.His heart was turned after
other gods.The result was God’s
displeasure and a sad end to a previously exemplary
life.This once wise king who
had it all, lost it all, and pondered it all, ended the
book with this final conclusion:“Fear God and keep His
commandments.”Obedience to God is the
key to a life of blessing!


Genesis 46:1-4 – Restoration, Resolution, and Reliance5 min read
1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
Verse 1: We open up this chapter and see Jacob making a sacrifice, but if we look to previous sacrifices we see that this is the first one recorded of Jacob in 30 years! When we look at the most recent sacrifice, it was made when Jacob’s life was at a climax. After the sacrifice was made Rachel died, Joseph was sold, Judah was defiled, and Benjamin’s life was threatened. Jacob’s life was a disaster (he knew it), and he had no fellowship with God as he should have in those years.
Perhaps we, as Christians, have lost fellowship with our Father like we used to have. Perhaps it’s a time-span of a month or even a year since proper fellowship has been enjoyed. Perhaps life in our eyes has gone totally wrong, and we began to stray. We need restoration. And as Jacob sacrificed to God, we must recognize that life is better than we realize and that He is worth serving. We must make a sacrifice to Him in humble return. We must go to God and do something about our position before Him; we must make the first step. God will not force us to serve Him. We must return to Him and the things that He enjoys.
Verse 2: Immediately when Jacob turned to God, God spoke, saying, “Jacob Jacob!” God was eagerly waiting for Jacob to return to Him. He was joyed to see him take interest in Him again. Then Jacob said these crucial words: Here am I. Jacob was willing to submit to God as he saw that his life was more than ‘bad luck’. On his path to restoration, he made a resolution to serve God.
After God is acknowledged on our part, God acts. God speaks, perhaps through Scripture, through prayer, or through another person. He will call us out, telling us how greatly He longed for His sheep to return. And we will see that God genuinely does care for us. But, depending on how we respond, this voice could fade away as we fail to listen as He desires. This is why the response is so important. We must respond: Here am I Lord! I am willing to listen! We must completely submit to Him, making a resolution. This is the key. How do we respond? Our response dictates the results.
Verse 3: After Jacob showed that he was willing to serve God, God gave a command. Before that, however, God established the fact: I AM GOD. He showed His credibility and authority to show why Jacob should listen. Then He simply commanded: Fear not. Then He reminded Jacob of His promise. This is what Jacob needed to do at this level of restoration: to rest on God. He needed to simply trust Him.
When we listen to God speak, submitting our will to His, He says something to us. He first establishes the fact: He is God. In a way He is saying, “Listen to Me; I am God, not you. I am the One in control.” He wants us to know this before anything else: His supremacy. Then He says, “Fear not.” Sometimes we get caught up in the cares of this world, when we need to simply sit back and meditate on Him. Many times this is simply God’s will. When we need restoration, we must establish this fact in our lives: He is God. Sometimes we just need to be still, knowing that He is God and that we have a wonderful covenant of grace with Him. When we meditate on this, fears are relieved, and our walk with Him is enhanced greatly.
Verse 4: Egypt was a place that could be feared, but Jacob was promised security. He knew that he wouldn’t go alone, but rather rest in a God capable of leading. Not only that, but he could know that Egypt wasn’t the end; he would be brought up again. He didn’t know when; he didn’t know how. He just rested. And he could know that he would die peacefully with his well beloved son by his side. Through all this, Jacob was restored to God, resolved to serve Him, and relied on Him.
After all is said and done, when fellowship is restored, God wants us to know one more thing. There will be trials in the world. Jacob had to look forward to entering the pagan country, Egypt (a picture of the world). We have this same thing to look forward to. We, throughout our Christian walk, will experience trials; this is the truth. However, we know that we do not have to go through this alone, for He will be there with us. He has overcome the world, and He knows what true tribulations are. He has suffered more than we can imagine, making Him aptly capable to handle our problems. But that’s not all! We have a day to look forward to when the trials will ultimately be over. They will never be over on earth; but they will in Heaven. We don’t know when; we don’t know all the details; but we can rely on Him. Let’s be restored; let’s make a resolution; and let’s rely on Him.


Ref: Genesis 17:1-8, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-5
The Lord be with you.
Time flies! Imagine July is done. As we start a new month of August, we pray for God’s grace upon each one of us, and that His peace will remain our portion as a nation as we prepare for the general elections in a few days to come. With the polls around the corner, many Kenyans have been talking about the general elections. The Media houses have dedicated a lot of airtime on the happenings around the elections, we can generally say that our focus as a nation has been on who is going to become the 5th .Our reflection today reminds us that in as much as elections are an important event for any Nation; we must not lose focus on God; Acts 17:28 clearly reminds us, ‘For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
The truth is, staying focused on God in today’s ever-changing world is not easy. Life happens so fast in the 21st Century, but we have to discipline ourselves to remain focused on God.
The Bible came into being as God revealed himself through the lives of real humans, as they sought to focus their lives upon him. God wants to reveal himself in your personal world, through you, as you focus your life upon Him. It is absolutely essential that believers look beyond the divisive issues and focus on God. This requires a personal focus; it is something for which each of us must strive.
Abrahams experience with God is something to behold, simply because he remained focused on God, right from the time He called him to leave his familiar environment to the time he died. The Apostle Paul in our reflection passage succeeded in all his missionary journeys because he too focused on God. He reminded the Christians in Thessalonica that even when persecution was so bad in Philippi, he focused on God and as a result, the good news of Christ spread in many cities.
As we look forward to the upcoming general elections, let’s keep our focus on God. A Christian who is focused on God will vote wisely as directed by God, but also be a peacemaker throughout the electioneering season.
The secret to remaining focused on God is when one commits to a life of prayer and study of God’s word Christ came to give us a clear picture of God. Lives focused on Christ are focused on God. He is the expressed image of God.
Have you been distracted by the happenings of this World lately? The Lord is calling on each one of us to go back to Him and remain focused on Him.
Have a focused week.


my name is kevin sean hardin. i am from north carolina. i am a son of the Son of Man. i believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the awesome power of the Holy Trinity. i am straight edge and have been since age 16. i want to live a life full of something real. i want to live a life where the people around me build me up and i in turn do the same. and in the immortal words of bill and ted "be excellent to each other and party on!"
"Revival, in my opinion, is defined as living daily surrendered to Jesus for the glory of God through the Holy Spirit’s power. Craving an intimately-crafted relationship with Jesus ahead of any competing treasures. Seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, trusting that everything else will be added in the end."
Ask me anything
from now on any social network i take part in will have a one strike policy. this means if anyone i follow or am friends with on any social networks post anything sexual or porn related you will be blocked/unfollowed/defriended/what-have-you. this is to protect me so that my relationships with my girlfriend and most importantly God will not be hindered by dealing with anything lust related. i respect your right to post whatever you like on your own respective blogs so please respect my right to do what i wish to avoid lust.


It may seem cliche, but Christmas is about love and friendship. It has little to do with receiving and much to do with giving. Because this is now beginning to sound very boring and predictable, I'm going to now connect these ideas in a way I haven't seen from others.
We provide gifts to each other as a traditional part of the season. If you're Christian, you may have heard the story of the three wise men, aka the three kings. The gifts they brought to Jesus on the night he was born were a small example of how much they love God. Santa Claus provides gifts (arguably) to remind us of the wisdom of these three kings, as one small way they show Jesus their love for God.
Santa Claus's nice list has little to do whether you pick on your little brother or sister and everything to do with love. He'll probably overlook minor infractions as long as you demonstrate through your behavior that you love and respect others. A disregard or hatred of others is the most common reason for getting on the naughty list.
So that's the friendship bit, now giving vs receiving. Though it of course feels great to be loved and to receive something we've always wanted, the love we show others is more important. To give is to provide a small demonstration of that love. It's to provide a physical or monetary manifestation that someone else matters in your life. Indeed, there are many ways to demonstrate that love besides gifts.
For me, there's no greater gift than to see my gift to them being appreciated. If I receive no gifts will I feel any less loved? Will I feel left out? Not at all. It's not about me, it's about everyone else. Though I won't deny that I wish I had an iPad or Android tablet, the greatest gift is seeing my family being happy (heck; the tablet would be a gift for the whole family anyway!).
So what do I want for Christmas? Send me thank you cards for what I've given to you. Those cards are the best gifts in the world.


March 30th, 2007, marked the beginning of something truly special. It's a little something that Bishop David said "Some people read history in history books, but what you are doing today is that you are makinng history."Sometimes we don't like to reflect on things in fear that we will be dramatic or fall into pride...but God really does deserve to be praised for the work that He has done through this little idea called FTFT! He's done some things that we can taste, see and measure- such as numerous of prisoners and sick children and elderly that were visited, countless hours spent feeding the poor and thousands of slices of pizza being served to those in need. But He's done some things that are way more subtle but are equally important. He's transformed a culture of apathy to a culture of service.
Take a look around you now and think of a church that is resistant to the idea of service or mission in some form or another. That number is few or close to none. That wasn't the case 5 years ago. When a high school kid now is used to going to a dangerous part of NY or NJ to spend time with men and women who are poor, hungry, struggling and in need of a warm heart, a genuine smile, a listening ear, and a spiritual word- that's cool! When middle school children are accustomed to thinking and praying for the poor, that's not to be taken lightly.
It's easy for us to think that things have always been this way. But they really haven't. There was a time when going regularly to visit the sick, the poor and the imprisoned was foreign (unless they were Egyptian.) That time has come and gone! Now, churches all over the country are discovering the joy of finding Christ in the hospital, the soup kitchen and the prison! This, of course, can't all be traced back to the work of FTFT! But, it'd be silly to bypass the work He's done through this idea.
From countless presentations in churches, to numerous emails and phone calls of guidance...these servants helped lead the church back to who she always was- the place where the sick, the broken and afraid find healing and comfort in the person of Christ and in His body.
May God give us the zeal and courage to continue to be faithful to His lovingkindness.
We're excited to invite you to join us at the first annual Orthodox Missions Conference. There will be speakers from the Ethiopian, Coptic, and Indian Orthodox churches! We will spend the day exploring what God is doing on the local mission field in North America and how we can join Him! The lectures and workshops will focus on "Doin' Work: Liturgical Evangelism". You will have an opportunity to get involved in a number of Orthodox Mission and Evangelism opportunities right where you are!
At the end of the conference lectures and workshop, we will actually be heading out for mission together!
Cost: $20 in advance $25 on site
We hope you had a blessed feast of Nayrouz! Good luck with those Coptic New Year's resolutions :)
One beautiful church started the year off in a pretty amazing way, if we do say so ourselves :) St. Mary's Church of Raleigh, North Carolina hosted the servants on FTFT! this past weekend. They allowed us to spend Friday evening sharing with them from the experiences and some of the biblical passages that just rock our world. The church youth group didn't stop there though. They wanted to spend the weekend out on the field serving the poor and the broken hearted. They seemed to have a sneak preview of the Gospel of the Nayrouz feast (Luke 4).
So we spent the day on Saturday in prayer and fellowship in the church to prepare our hearts for the weekend of missionary service. After that, we hit the streets of downtown Raleigh with some pizza and with the love of God. Though there were some initial reservations, you wouldn't know it when you observed the scene in the park that day. It was like an army of 20 expert missionaries were in town to hand-deliver the love of Christ Jesus our Lord, with some extra cheese pizza on the side :) Everywhere you looked there were young Coptic people sitting at the feet of the poor of the community. Some were being prayed for or ministered to and others just had the rare opportunity of an open ear to hear their daily struggles. It was just a heavenly sight. An added contrast was made when a catholic group (God bless them) were also present handing out food. But they left right after giving the food. They missed out on the best part of being able to spend personal time with Jesus in His clever disguise (Matt 25).
The group was probably done by then right? NOPE! After loading up on the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, they decided to hit the nearest campus to share the blessing they received. They interacted with young seekers in NC State and shared with them the "Hope that lies within them" (1 peter 3:15). From Hindus and Agnostics to "former Christians," people were personally touched by the truth of Christ because these dedicated and loving ladies and gentlemen of the Coptic Church, loved the Lord way too much to stay on their couch. May God bless this amazing youth group as they shine like stars and serve as examples to us in "word, conduct, love, faith and purity" (you know this reference :)
As always, we encourage you to..."Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37)
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
It's an amazing feeling to explore a city for the first time, isn't it? Experiencing a culture and taste it's history through it's architecture and dinning is just great. There's a similar feeling though, of experiencing the work of God in a new city; to taste and see His goodness in the eyes of it's natives. It's one of the key sites that you don't want to miss. It's like seeing New York City, without seeing Time Square, it's hard to believe that you really saw New York City. Your trip just just wouldn't be complete, would it?
Maybe that's what drove the group of visitors from the UK to want to see the fullness of the sights; not just the tall buildings, bright lights and busy streets of this great city but the work of the Living, Breathing, and Resurrecting God in the midst of all of that.
As the UK group boldly and lovingly distributed Easter candy and pamphlets filled with comfort from God's word and His church, they saw the real New York. they saw it in J.L., the man who was just laid off and was need of a gentle voice who would encourage him and pray with him. They met New York in C.C., the man earnestly seeking to know God, but deceived by a cult. As he broke down and told them "this is so scary. I was so confused. Thank you for what you're doing!" they knew they were witnessing something special. They saw, first hand, The Truth manifested. That man walked away with a copy of the true message of love and salvation. Had it not been for these tourists, who knows where this man would be today?
This group knew that there were more God-sightings out there to experience. They spotted Him in Staten Island, NY, as they invaded the church neighborhood with love and hope; Speaking with store owners, home owners and the like. They went off two by two in the Spirit and power of our fathers the apostles. They went to continue the unfinished book of Acts. They distributed beutiful hand-made Easter cards that contained a message of the love of God and an invitation to His Coptic Church. Some were overjoyed at the visits- practically singing Hosanna and welcoming the King in their lives! While others were so beaten down by life that they would not even accept a free card. The sadness and hurt of the past covered their faces. But God surely heard their affliction, and came down to deliver them! (As He always does Ex. 3:7)
The stories are many, but they aren't just 'stories.' they're real lives that were touched and transformed by God and His children for all eternaty.
We invite you this vacation season, to do some Christ-seeing along with your sightseeing. The face of Jesus sure beats any beach, building or boardwalk.
"Spring Break" is the long awaited and practically sacred time in the life of a student. This year a group of young Coptic people, like you...chose to give a part of it away. The group from Tallahassee flew all the way to New York and chose to spend their time washing the feet of the poor and the lonely. They teamed up with FTFT! for a missionary service weekend; the third of it's kind that FTFT! has arranged.
Throughout that weekend, they hit the streets of New York City and Jersey City to feed the poor, to stand beside the broken, to listen to the story of those who have no one to listen to. If you're familiar with the City, you know that a poor person on the street might as well be a part of the pavement. The sight of a barefoot woman sleeping on cardboard has somehow become...part of the scenery- but not for this group. They were here to say with their actions that this is NOT OK. While handing out simple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that they made, they took time to speak God's truth into the lives of God's hurting children. They took time to notice NYC's invisible population. They heard enough sermons telling them "Go, and do likewise." (Luke 10:37) So they came...and showed mercy to their neighbor in the example of a familiar Samaritan.


The Rule of Benedict in the Carolingian Era
The Rule of Benedict (hereafter RB) ranks among the most important monastic texts of western Christianity. The influence of the RB, which was written in sixth-century Italy, expanded significantly in the eighth and ninth centuries thanks to promotion by the Carolingian authorities. Another sign of the growing influence of the RB during the Carolingian period was the production of the first commentaries on the text. Two major commentaries appeared in the ninth century. The first was by Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel (ca. 816) and is readily available in a modern scholarly edition as well as an English translation. The second, written by Hildemar of Corbie around 845, has been much less utilized by scholars owing to the absence of a modern critical edition and the limited availability of older editions.
Hildemar of Corbie/Civate
Relatively little is known about the author of this commentary. Hildemar was a monk active in the mid-ninth century who spent his early monastic life at the monastery of Corbie in northern France. He spent his later career, including the time during which he wrote his commentary was created, at the monastery of Civate near Milan. In addition to the Commentary, there survive two letters, a poem, a commentary on Luke’s Gospel, and two treatises (on vices and sin, respectively) attributed to Hildemar. The letters indicate that he was writing in the 830s and 840s. His name also appears in confraternity books from Pfäfers and Brescia that date to the 840s and 850s. He is presumed to have died in the 850s.
Hildemar's commentary on the RB has a complex transmission history and survives in three versions. The longest version, the one translated on this site, is known as the Expositio; its oldest manuscripts are from the eleventh century. A second, abbreviated version, traditionally attributed to Paul the Deacon, dates to the tenth century and appears to have circulated primarily in Italy. A third version, attributed to an otherwise unknown abbot Basil, is not only abbreviated but stops at RB chapter 61. Klaus Zelzer's study of the different versions has led him to conclude that the Basil version and the Paul the Deacon version are not abbreviations of the Expositio, but rather that all three draw on different versions of the text in circulation during the ninth century.
Described by Josef Semmler as a handbook for monastic life, the Expositio is a wide-ranging and digressive text, touching on everything from the rules of Latin grammar to the management of adolescent wet dreams. It provides a chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse commentary on the entire RB. Containing a wealth of information on the details of monastic life and the functioning of monasteries in the ninth century, the Expositio is unmatched in scale by any other contemporary source.
Last update: September 2014


Kimberly Ann Mathews Keynote speaking topics
Understand and overcome addiction
Kimberly was once an addict. She appeared to be a success on the outside but her reality was depression, anxiety and loneliness. During her use of alcohol she suffered in many different areas of her life including, divorce, co-dependency, eating disorders, and financial insecurity. Kimberly shares her thought process during the disease and how she was able to change her thinking to change her life. She now lives a holy, healthy, happily balanced life and is helping others do the same. Romans 6:6 “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”
Treat your body as His temple not your trash can!
Kimberly is a personal fitness trainer and Christian wellness life style advisor with over 30 years of experience. She talks about common ways people compromise their health and more importantly she helps her audience become solution orientated to overcome the excuses. Kimberly teaches simple steps that most people can utilize immediately. She believes that fitness is more then just diet and exercise and includes nutrition and fitness tips. It doesn’t stop there! 1 Timothy 4:8 “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”
Get out of the Sunday box!
Kimberly has a tremendous passion for the Lord! Her enthusiasm for Him is contagious. She motivates her audience to get out of the Sunday box and live holy lives every day. Kimberly gives simple examples on how to apply His word to our daily lives and gives comical examples of what happens when we don’t. Her focus is helping each other overcome the temptations of this world and act in accordance to our Sunday desires. Ecclesiastes 4:12 “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Kimberly Mathews offers many additional topics relevant to those seeking holistic health. Check out these topics, and contact her for more information.


I am going to take the opportunity of our migration to a new domain to launch the first of an unknown number of posts in a series concerning the delicate balance between scriptural commands, the teachings (and commands) of Christ, and the freedom that comes from a relationship with Christ.
We know Jesus came to free us from the oppressive constraints of Mosaic law. Most of the old laws are disregarded. We do not concern ourselves with mixing cotton and wool or cross-breeding cattle. We do not keep kosher. We no longer sacrifice doves and oxen on holidays. But clearly a strong legacy of the Old Testament law is ingrained into Christian morality. For example, we still revere the Ten Commandments. No murder, no lying, no stealing, etc. We honor the Sabbath, albeit in a more relaxed fashion than in past. Many Christians adhere to a strict Old Testament tradition of tithing. In the early days of the Christian church, the issue of whether Gentile converts needed to be circumcised was a heated divisive issue, even among the Apostles.
This can be confusing, and sometimes seems to outsiders as if we are simply cherry-picking the laws we want to obey while claiming Jesus freed us from the more inconvenient ones. That is not the case. Perhaps the clearest explanation (this comes from actual scholars, not just me) is that the laws in the Old Testament were divided into three categories:
civil – laws concerning property rights, the government, settling of disputes, etc.
ceremonial – laws concerning religious ceremonies, sacrifices, holy days, the priesthood, etc.
moral – laws concerning sexual conduct, theft, treatment of the poor, etc.
I think this is a good analysis, but I would put forth that since ancient Israel was a theocracy, the civil and ceremonial categories could be combined. That is a bit semantic. The primary point is that our new covenant with Christ abolishes the civil and ceremonial categories but God’s moral laws remain intact.
However, I think this is something of a weaksauce theology. I suggest that Christ has freed us from all of the Old Testament laws, and we are left to rely on a combination of guiding principles from the Old Testament moral law, Jesus’s teachings, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to determine how we, as Christians, should act.
Gal. 5:18, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”
Now, that does not give us free rein to go out and engage in a lifelong litany of licentiousness. Practically speaking, the conclusions we draw from the teachings of Jesus and the guidance of the Spirit should converge on the guidelines from the Old Testament, much like when you solve an algebra problem and check the solution in the back of the book to see if you are on the right track.
The distinction between those two interpretations is subtle, but I believe it is an important one. Learning to be in tune with the Spirit and apply Jesus’s teachings are important skills Christians must develop. (And spend their whole lives developing. Perhaps some day I’ll put up a post on Christian “continuing education”)
I have heard many preachers say things like “The Bible contains all you need to know” or “All the answers are in this book.” I appreciate what they are saying, and I am not diminishing the importance of the Bible or suggesting it is incomplete. But we cannot expect a book that was written 3000 years ago, in a different culture, to have explicit instructions for all situations we will encounter in our modern society. We have to apply the teachings and principles from the Bible, coupled with active guidance from the Spirit, to find our way in our own culture and world. The moral precepts from the Old Testament can certainly inform those decisions, but we should not expect to find the answers laid out for us in detail for every situation we encounter.
Of course, not all Christians always arrive at the same conclusions about some difficult issues. You can find Christians on both side of the political spectrum. Some people abstain from alcohol, some do not. Other dividing issues include controversial topics like abortion, the use of deadly force in defense of yourself or others, the role of the government and the church in caring for the poor, relations with people of other faiths, as well as more ecclesiastical topics like infant baptism, the ordination of women, congregational autonomy, and so on.
There are sincere, informed Christian people on every side of each of those issues. But is that okay? Are some of these people wrong? Is it possible for them to all be right? It is a very complicated question. Over the course of several blog posts, we’re going to explore some of these issues and try to determine if there is a clear Christian stance on some issues, or perhaps if there is room for disagreements on others. We will also examine the nuanced question of is it possible for earnest Christians to genuinely be led by the Spirit in different directions on the same issue. I don’t promise that I’ll arrive at any solid answers for that question, but I believe it warrants pondering, and I am confident we will learn something worthwhile along the journey.


A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Take a second to think about the transformation taking place during the birth of Christ. Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and the shepherds were all being filled with the wonder of what God was doing for the world. In my own life, I am transformed from a self-interested and impatient human into one who lives in wonder of God’s love. I think it’s true that we are all in constant need of being touched by God’s transforming power, and the road building Isaiah wrote about is for our whole lives.
I’d be the first to admit that it is not (always) easy to prepare the Lord’s way; however, we are called to “make way” for our God by making the “rugged places a plain” and the “rough ground level”. We build roads by living out our faith and sharing God’s love. We are preparing the way of the Lord as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. The people of Israel had a rough road coming back from their exile, but God promises to make it possible, and he promises the same to us still. Israel had spiritual darkness before Jesus came, but the glory of God came with him into the world. We are in spiritual darkness until Jesus comes to us too, and while “making way” may never be easy for us, God’s transforming power is always at work in the deserts of our lives.


We are planning our next trip to Ukraine, probably on Friday, May 06, 2022.
Life-Project e.V. will be on the road again, travelling from Germany with a step van full of supplies. As on the last trip, we will buy the urgently needed groceries directly in Ukraine, and we will leave part of the money with the Baptist congregation in Anadoli for this purpose. The women of this church provide food for their men on the front lines by preparing it and taking it directly to them, together with other relief supplies. We want to continue to support this church in these efforts.
Furthermore, we will again buy groceries in Czernovitze in the Metro (store name) and distribute them directly on site. As we did last time, we will be bringing medical wound dressings from Germany and, above all, hemostatic wound compresses. These special emergency supplies were requested by our churches in Ukraine, which take care of the soldiers directly on the front lines. Obviously, these life-saving emergency bandages are part of a soldier's personal protective equipment. They are urgently needed at the moment and are not sufficiently available.
We will try to procure these in Germany and will also provide more detailed information on this in the next few days.
Our Ukrainian brother Boris will accompany us again and guide us through the customs and border formalities. We are grateful that the Lord has placed a believing local brother at our side who knows the country well and coordinates activities and contacts locally.
Please pray with us that the contacts made will also prove themselves to be helpful on this trip and that the Lord can use it for his glory. The exact details will be worked out in the coming week and will be published in this blog in the next few days giving an update on the current status.
Here's another request: We need Ukrainian Bibles that we wish to take with us. There is also a hunger for God's Word in this country. We still have room to take along Bibles or other donated items such as clothes, blankets etc. However, we ask that you call Gert Pohl in advance on 0172 7300577 if you want to donate something.
After the final accounting from the last trip, there are currently only about 3,240.00 euros in the account. However, we have binding commitments that should be arriving in the next few days, so that, believing God will provide, we are reckoning on between €10,000.00 and €12,000.00 to be available for this upcoming trip planned May 6th, 2022.
At this point we would like to once again express our thanks to all donors on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Without people like you, on whose hearts God places this burden, none of this would be possible. We are making every effort to faithfully and directly apply all funds as efficiently as possible to the urgent needs on site.
Here is once again our donation account information:
Donation account: Life-project e.V. VR-Bank AA IBAN: DE40614901500024414000
BIC /SWIFT: GENODES1AAV
Thank you for your prayers, gifts and donations!
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
All glory to HIM!


We all have moments in our lives that we will never forget. Moments like reading Anne of Green Gables for the first time, and completely falling in love with Gilbert Blithe. Moments like reading how Samwise stayed loyal to Frodo, and followed him into the heart of Mordor. Or reading the Gospel of John and being overwhelmed by the passion of Christ. From Jesus to Jane Austen I have learned the most important truths through love stories. I will always be a student of them, and probably always write them.
I spend most of my days taking care of my four little loves and enjoying a love story of my own with my husband. My first novel A Lily at Dawn was published in 2014, and follows the story of a young woman who finds herself, God, and romance in the midst of tragedy.
You never know what the next chapter of life will hold or what story I’ll write next, but I bet you’ll love it.
“A Lily at Dawn” is available for purchase!


Contemplation And Disability is a podcast about Christianity, prayer and disability. I hold nothing back in what it takes to be a Christian while being disabled. I also dive into contemplative prayer and how the Holy Spirit has ministered to me through being still before Him. You can reach me at firstname.lastname@example.org. Join the Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/239858830887650/. Also
Todays Guest is Mark Sowersby and not only is he about one of the nicest guys you’ll meet but, he’s been a victim of abuse and survived and wrote a book on how to forgive and live! His book, Forgiving The Nightmare talks about his story and overcoming the abuse and learning to live by
Aug 2, 2022 “Author of Forgiving The Nightmare, Mark Sowersby shares how he was intensely sexually, physically and emotionally abused as a child. Could one forgive such an assault on body and soul? In the next The Reality, Mark shares how the power of God’s grace enabled him to forgive and how condemnation, shame, and
Is the trauma of unforgiveness holding you to your hurts of the past? In this episode, my guest is Pastor Mark Sowersby. Pastor Mark has written his story in a book called Forgiving the Nightmare, a story of how God’s abounding grace transformed him to set him free from a nightmare of abuse and years of suffering.
Mark Sowersby joins Janell on the podcast. Mark shares about his experience of being abused as a child, how his identity was impacted by the abuse, and how he dealt with it. He shares how he came to faith at 16 years old, meeting his biological father at 45 years old and much more. Mark


Open up the skies of mercy
And rain down the cleansing flood
Healing waters rise around us
Hear our cries Lord let 'em rise
It's your kindness Lord
That leads us to repentance
Your favor lord, is our desire
It's your beauty Lord
That makes us stand in silence
Is better than life
"Kindness" by Chris Tomlin
This post will also start with something I wrote last year.
Saturday, March 31
Today I joined the Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church. I am still amazed at the transformation over the past 30 hours. I feel happy. I am the kind of person who sometimes feels passionate or strongly about things at first, but then sometimes it fades. Sometimes things seem exciting to me and like a good idea, but I find that then a few days or weeks later that my opinion has gone back down to normal and I feel like a hypocrite because I spoke words that were strong and sort of have to take them back. Usually I trty to just never mention it again and hope people don't notice. There is a part of me that was scared over the past day that the feelings that I had last night and the things I feel like I've been discovering will leave me. That I will wake up one day and realize that I didn't find anything, that I just got inspired somehow by being at church, or that I was influenced by other people and just went along with what they were saying and it wasn't really my opinion. I have to let go of that. Part of having faith is trusting that the faith is not just going to abandon you.
This morning we went to the second half of our new members class at the church. Today we talked more about what it means to be Presbyterian, what they believe, how the church is structured, the two sacraments that they observe, and what their ideas about the bible are. We got a little history in there, and a little bit of information about the bible, and a tour of the church, which has WAY more staircases than I realized and several rooms I never knew were there! Towards the end of the class the active church Elders came in to meet us and vote on the new membership. At that time, we went around the room again and introduced ourselves, and I was able to share a little bit about the experience and discovery that I had last night. I got teary eyed, even just reading the above that I wrote last night out loud makes me cry a little bit. I even made Mike (the Associate Pastor) cry, but that's not hard because he cries at just about everything if it has to do with God. Then we answered the four questions out loud for the Elders, they motioned to let us join the church, and we all became members. Then we prayed together and I couldn't stop smiling. I could try to describe the feeling of being surrounded by joy and love, but I don't feel all that articulate right now and it really can't fit into words well. I was the only person in the class who has not been baptized, so I will have that done. I see it as the beginning of something new - living a life of faith in goodness and love. I am currently supposed to be baptized by sprinkling at church on the 22nd, but I am actually thinking about changing my mind and being immersion baptized in the lake when it gets warmer out in the summer time. I feel like it might be a powerful experience, and you only get baptized once, so maybe I should really go for it. So, I have a couple of weeks to decide.
After the class several people came up to me and thanked me for sharing and one person even said that I was articulate. I found that particularly funny because as I spoke to the group this morning I actually felt really unarticulate and like I was just blabbing out in a disorganized way. They gave me hugs and made me feel really welcome.
I feel comfortable and confident in my choice of churches. There are several reasons that I am happy with my choice of denominations and of churches. This is the first church where I have felt really, unconditionally welcomed. Where I didn't feel like they were ultimately thinking of having a new member, pulling in someone new, having someone contributing to their church monetarily. In the congregation and also in the small group of the new member class, I feel comfortable in having my own opinions and ideas. I don't feel like I have to conform, that I have to feel the same way as everyone else or have exactly the same ideas that they have. That I feel loved, that people are just happy for me because I have discovered something new, they're just glad I'm there sharing with them in love and faith. This is also a church that is very family oriented. They have a wonderful nursery and a wonderful children's ministry with Sunday School all the way through middle school, then youth groups. They have lots of mission trips for the teens and the adults, they have vacation bible school in the summer and a lot of options for hands on ministry. They believe in worship plus two - growing faith and hands on ministry being the plus two. I don't feel judged. I feel comfortable with Mike, which is important to me because I usually feel somewhat intimidated by that kind of 'authority figure'.
As for the denomination, there are a lot of things I like about Presbyterianism. I like the fact that they believe in family and marriage. I like their views on the Bible, and that they don't necessarily believe that the Bible is the word of God and he just used people to write it like they were puppets, but that it was written by people who were inspired by God and understood what to write because of that inspiration. I like it that they are welcoming of people from other churches, recognize baptisms done at other churches, and welcome all people to take communion and don't exclude people because they aren't church members or were not baptized presbyterian. They gave us a pamphlet about what it means to be a presbyterian and the last page says that the presbyterian church is people. That's what I like. It's all people, and it's a community. Somewhere to belong and feel welcome and to be there for other people and have them be there for you.
So, here I am. Belonging somewhere that I never thought I would belong. Understanding things I never understood and never thought I would. Thanks for 'listening'.
So, there I was. Suddenly a member of a community. What would be next?
to be continued next Thursday...
- Find the next post in the series here: 'Baptism, Washington Style'
- Find links to all posts in the series here.


The Drowned Church of Potosi - Potosi, Venezuela
Between 1985 and 2008, fishermen and daytrippers traveling by boat along the lake formed by the Uribante Reservoir in Táchira, Venezuela would be presented with an unusual and eerie sight: a lone and mildewed cross rising crookedly out of the water, clearly attached to a foundation leading to something anchoring it – something big, deep beneath the surface.
In 2008 however, the cross started to rise higher and higher out of the water, revealing more of the gothic structure below. The unsettling cross was literally just the tip of something much more massive.
In reality, the structure was not rising out of the water, but rather the water of the reservoir was receding, revealing what the lake had concealed for more than two decades. By 2010, the water had receded almost entirely, revealing a large stretch of flat land, and a towering gothic church that was once nearly submerged.
More on visiting the formerly Drowned Church of Potosi on Atlas Obscura…
- Source atlasobscura.com


This year's trip is April 20 to April 23, 2023.
Everyone is responsible for getting to San Diego airport by 3pm on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Here is an outline of what you can expect:
For those who have never done a mission trip, it may be helpful to know that while YWAM is a Christian organization, people of all faiths are welcome. The purpose is to show God's love, and our love for each other, through service.
To GREATLY expedite the border crossing, please complete a Mexico Tourist Card for all family members prior to travel. Here is some key information you will need to complete the form:


The feast is held in honour of St Paul, or rather the Shipwreck of St Paul, recorded in Acts 28, in 60 AD. St Paul was on his way to Rome from Jerusalem when a storm blew his vessel onto Malta's shores.
According to tradition, St Paul established the first Christian community on the Island.
Religious ceremonies and street festivities are held in and around St Paul's Shipwreck Parish, Valletta.
This event is a National Public Holiday and a Religious Feast.


Vacation Bible School
A week long program for children to learn more about Jesus Christ and the Bible. This year’s theme is Faith Expedition– God’s Treasure Revealed and will showcase six faithful men: Moses, Daniel, David, Matthew, Paul and Silas. Their stories will reveal what faith is and how great a treasure God has given to believers through Jesus Christ. In their lessons, children will learn about man’s need for God and the faith God has given us to follow His plan; to believe His promises; to obey Him; to repent and turn to Jesus; and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Beyond the classrooms, lessons will be reinforced at “Expedition” sites including “fueling” (snacks), music, craft and outdoor recreation.
When is Vacation Bible School? Monday, June 23 – Friday, June 27, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where is Vacation Bible School? Grace Church of Greenwich meets at the Woman's Club of Greenwich, 89 Maple Avenue, Greenwich, CT.
Who is Vacation Bible School for? Children ages 4 years – 6th grade.
Why Vacation Bible School ? It is a wonderful opportunity to teach the Bible’s message of faith in a more in-depth way reinforced by skits, songs, crafts, games, Bible memory, and real life application.
For more information email VBS Director Sarah Berg at firstname.lastname@example.org
*ENROLLMENT IS CLOSED FOR SUMMER 2014


Irish: Religious Records (formally Irish: Conformist and Non-Conformist)
Updated and Available Now!
This course focusses on the differences between the various parish records in Ireland, particularly between the Roman Catholic Church and the conformist records of the Church of Ireland. Historical backgrounds, content and availability of the records and effective research procedures will be discussed.
What You Will Learn:
Beginning with an introduction to Church Records, including the history of their compilation, major denominations will be examined. The module for each denomination includes its historical background, practices and beliefs, and what is contained in the records. Emphasis is primarily placed on pre-1864 research problems where the parish records are major sources of information. The location of the records and the valuable genealogical information they contain is also explored.
This course can be taken for personal interest or as an elective. It is included in the Irish Records Certificate.
Research With Confidence
Study at Your Own Pace
Need help with your order? Call 800.580.0165 x1 in US/Canada or email firstname.lastname@example.org with your question.


In Mark, John baptizes Jesus, and as he comes out of the water he sees the Holy Spirit descending to him like a dove and he hears a voice from heaven declaring him to be God's Son (Mark 1:9–11). This is one of two events described in the gospels where a voice from Heaven calls Jesus "Son", the other being the Transfiguration.  The spirit then drives him into the wilderness where he is tempted by Satan (Mark 1:12–13). Jesus then begins his ministry after John's arrest (Mark 1:14). Jesus' baptism in Matthew is similar. Here, before Jesus' baptism, John protests, saying, "I need to be baptized by you" (Matthew 3:14). Jesus instructs him to carry on with the baptism "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). Matthew also details the three temptations that Satan offers Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:3–11). In Luke, the Holy Spirit descends as a dove after everyone has been baptized and Jesus is praying (Luke 3:21–22). John implicitly recognizes Jesus from prison after sending his followers to ask about him (Luke 7:18–23). Jesus' baptism and temptation serve as preparation for his public ministry.


Director of Missions
Bruce is available to help you and your church in any way he can.
Rev. Bruce Conley attended the University of Maryland - College Park, and Bowie State University where he did undergraduate work towards a degree in music education. He has also taken seminary extension courses as time allows. He is a graduate of the Prince George's County Police Academy having served in law enforcement since 1979.
He still serves as an active duty Police Chaplain, holding the honorary rank of Major. Bruce has served on staff in Southern Baptist churches in Maryland for over 30 years, serving as a Music/Worship Minister, Associate Pastor, Senior Pastor, Executive Pastor, and a Church Planter. He has been active in Associational work, serving as a music and worship coordinator, and has volunteered with the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware as a State Music Specialist for instrumental music.
He and his wife, Linda are native Marylanders, and they have 4 children, and one grandchild. Bruce is also an active hobbyist with Amateur "Ham" Radio. He is very much looking forward to serving the churches and the people within the Blue Ridge Baptist Association as Director of Missions.
Mae is available to help you Monday - Thursday from 9am - 1pm.
Mae Argilan is a native Marylander. She grew up in Glen Burnie, attended the University of MD College Park, married at Berea Baptist Church in the Arundel Association, then moved to this area with her husband Fred.
After raising 2 children she went to work as the office manager for the JTPA Program in Hagerstown for 5 years. The next few years she was a pathologist assistant at a medical research lab in Frederick.
In 1997 her first novel was published and she went to work as a senior editor for a local publisher. She started her own editorial service and was doing that when the position of Administrative Assistant opened up at the BRBA. All of these past job experiences seemed to lead to this point.
Mae is delighted to serve you at the BRBA and hopes to be here for a very long time.
Phil is available to help with any web, graphic, video, or computer needs your church may have. He is normally in the office from 10am - 3pm on Wednesdays but is always available via email or cell phone.
Phil has been our Multimedia Minister since August of 2002. Phil enjoys serving others as he serves our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His primary responsibilities include building and maintaining the BRBA web site as well as assisting our churches with web design, print and promotional material, worship graphics and multimedia presentations.
He is also an ordained minister of the Gospel and serves as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Brunswick. Phil holds a B.A. degree in History from Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio with a minor in Bible and Communication Arts. He also has a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Antietam Bible Seminary.
Phil is married to the beautiful, Kristie and is the father of the cutest kids in the world, Kara Brianne, Ethan Philip, and Owen Thomas.


Life begins with two cells coming together (you know the ones) over the next 25 years those cells split, adapt and develop into a fully formed human being. As one of those fully developed 25-year-old human beings, it is incredible to think of the growth that has taken place in me. Physically my growth has happened naturally without any real effort (although my mum would disagree when it came to feeding a teenage boy). As I move further away from 25, there is now little physical growth that will take place. I’m not going to get any taller, and my brain is fully developed. However, I want to continue to grow in places that I still can. That is, as a man, in my ability to navigate life, demonstrate my faith and as a leader in my world. However, figuring out what this growth looks like is the hard part.
I was having lunch with my dad recently, discussing how I felt that I wasn’t growing fast enough. I complained that I was stagnating. Lovingly, he looked at me and said, “Ben, a tree grows, and it just stands still.” When we look at a tree today we may not see growth, but see the same tree a year later, and it won’t be the same. Therefore, growth doesn’t have to be noticeable to be legitimate. Have you noticed that your interactions with a particular person aren’t healthy? That’s growth. Have you decided that you want to pray more? That decision is in itself growth.
While growth isn’t always noticeable, it is something we do have to work at. Ultimately, if we don’t to determine to grow, we have then committed to staying the same. A decision not to grow is a decision to remain stuck in our ways, closed off to advice and dealing with the same problems over and over again. Choosing to grow is a choice to do, and be, better. I know that when I get to 50, I want to be a better leader with greater integrity, capacity and ability to fulfill my role as a disciple of Christ. However, this will only happen if I choose to allow it and am willing to work at it.
My goal with the Growth Mandate is to help you achieve the very same things. I want to take this journey together. To see us become more faithful and fulfilled leaders. I aim to share my thoughts, revelations to stir a desire for continual growth in you. I also want to connect those of you who are willing with others seeking growth. Finally, the three key areas of growth include desire, truth, and community.
Now, all you need to do is click subscribe in the bottom right corner and you and I will start our journey. I’m excited to grow together in life, leadership, and faith.