Searching and Serendipity
Among Uncle Hugo's notes is a scrap of paper that says his grandmother, Barbara Wirth, was from "Mandel, Bavaria". However, there is no Mandel in Bavaria. There are a couple of villages named "Mandl" and there is a town named Mandel in another part of Germany. But while researching another family in Cedarburg church records, by chance I found a John Paul Wirth, whose father had the same name as Barbara's: Bartholmäus Wirth. And it said he was from "Mantel, Bavaria". There are in fact two villages named Mantel in Bavaria. But for these Cedarburg church records, all I had access to was someone's typed transcription of the originals, so I wasn't sure how reliable they were. Which spelling was correct?
Then I found Barbara's marriage record in the Trinity (Milwaukee) church records. Her father's birthplace looked like "Mandel" or "Mandele", but could have been "Mantel[e]" too. Her mother's name wasn't listed, but her mother's birthplace was given as "Colburg". There is no place with that name in Bavaria, but there are several named "Kohlberg" or with similar spellings. And there is only one place in Bavaria where a Mantel/Mandl was near a Kohlberg: in the Oberpfalz region, near the city of Weiden, where Mantel and Kohlberg are only a few miles apart.
Barbara's death certificate supplied one more clue: her mother's maiden name was listed as "Margaret Kunz".
The Lutheran Church of Bavaria has an archive which has a website; it indicated that the archive did not have the church records for Mantel. So I wrote to the archive asking whom I should contact. They wrote back and provided the address for the church in Weiden. (This was early in 2003, when Lucy and I were starting to plan our trip to Germany.)
I wrote to the Weiden church, and a few weeks later got a reply from the church in Mantel. It seemed like I did have the right place, though there was some confusion: Bartholomäus's wife was named Elisabeth Kunz, who was from Kohlberg. Margarethe Kunz was married to a Johann Paul Wirth--though presumably not the same one I found in Cedarburg. The letter gave the name and address of Oskar Kammerer in Mantel, who (it said) was also researching this family.
By this time (late March) we had our itinerary set, and had planned to spend one night in Weiden. I wrote to Oskar, to see if were related, and to find out if I could see the Mantel church books. A few weeks went by, and then I got an email from Oskar's daughter, Renate Pöhnl. We were, indeed, cousins. This was my first contact with one of my German relatives.
John Bartelt 2006-01-30


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In the truest sense of the word, Veridicans are Christians, because Veridicans follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, Veridicans are not Judeo-Christians, which most denominations and sects of Christianity are.
Judeo-Christianity is a mixture of the Jewish religion, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the teachings of the Apostles and early Church fathers. Therefore, Judeo-Christians use the Old Testament and New Testament in the Bible. Veridicans, on the other hand, use only the four Gospels of the New Testament, the Gospel of Thomas (which is not in the Bible), and the Veridican Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus, Veridicans follow only Jesus and nothing else.
So, Veridicanism is a form of Christianity, but the differences between Veridicans and regular Christians are big. Perhaps the most significant departure is that Veridicans believe the human being is to become Christ, not just follow Christ. We follow Christ to become Christ, or as close to Christ as we can before we pass on from this world.
It would also be accurate to say that Veridicans do not worship the same God as Judeo-Christians. Judeo-Christians do not subscribe to the notion of a monistic God. They consider God and the universe to be separate from one another, and that both have an independent existence from one another. Veridicans believe the only real thing that exists is God, and everything is of the substance of God in the form of Divine attributes and modalities of Divine attributes.
In other words, for a Veridican, only God exists. Everything else is a kind of sub-real illusion. Much the same way that characters and objects in a dream are a kind of sub-real illusion of the mind of the dreamer.


God works in mighty and mysterious ways to draw together people and ministries. I (M.R. Wells) thought you might enjoy a little “back story” about how our books and outreach through our pets came to happen.
Rewind with me to a Christmas over 15 years ago. I’d been having a persistent training problem with my little sheltie mix, Morgan. I’d been trying to work with him. But Christmas night, he “messed” again. In spite of all my efforts, he’d still blown it. And I lost it.
I knew I loved this dog dearly. I knew my yard was fenced and gated. I knew I didn’t mean what was coming out of my mouth. But I needed to vent. I put Morgan outside, in the fenced and gated yard, and told him to go live somewhere else.
Three minutes later I was running up the outdoor steps to the back fence, calling the little guy. When he came I gathered him in my arms. I plopped down on a step, wept into his fur, and told him that no matter what he did, I would always love him. I told him he was going nowhere. He was mine, no matter how badly he blew it, no matter how many times he messed.
And suddenly, out in the cold on Christmas night, with my little dog in my arms, it hit me. What a picture of my relationship with God! Through faith in Jesus’ death for my sins, I was adopted into God’s family…just as I’d adopted Morgan into mine. But I still sinned. I still kept “messing.” Even so, God didn’t put me out and tell me to go live somewhere else. He loved me so much that He was not willing to part with me, even though I deserved it (so much more than my dog did). So, figuratively speaking, He did with me what I did with Morgan. He gathered me into His lap, wept over me, and forgave me!
In that moment an idea was born. Could I write a book about how my Master used my dogs to reveal more to me about His love?
Fast forward several years from that moment. During the intervening time I occasionally went back to that idea, like a dog to a bone. I toyed with it. But I didn’t really “chew” it. Other people had done devotional books about pets. Was there room for another? Did I have enough to say?
Then one weekend, I was part of a small group praying over a mutual friend who was battling cancer. After our prayer time, some of us started talking. I learned two others in that prayer group, Kris Young and Connie Fleishauer, had both thought of doing books on what their dogs had taught them about God’s love. We looked at each other and said, “What if we wrote a book together?”
I already had an agent because of another book project. We put some thoughts together and shared them with him. He was intrigued and asked that we develop some sample stories. We worked with him to tweak our format and some months later he sold our project to Harvest House Publishers. They released our first book, Four Paws from Heaven: Devotions for Dog Lovers, in February of 2006. It has now sold over 125,000 copies.
Okay, so we’d given recognition to how God used the special dogs in our lives—but what about our cats? Connie and I had kitties too. Were there things God showed us through our equally delightful but somewhat more willful feline friends that would make an engaging devotional for cat lovers?
God emphatically said “yes” and in the process gave Connie and me a new cat-loving co-author…an awesome Bible teacher and dear friend, Dottie P. Adams.
I and my friends went on to write four more devotional books together, two for cat lovers and two for dog lovers. Now they’re pursuing other endeavors, but God has put it on my heart to turn a new page in my own love of animals. Dogs to the Rescue celebrates how our wonderful four-pawed pals help their humans in a multitude of ways.
Each story also serves as a metaphor for how God rescues us.
I am now working on a new book about the healing influence of dogs.
My royalties from both of these solo efforts will go to nonprofits involved with the stories who are working to expand the marvelous partnership between dogs and people in ways that provide hope and help and make a positive difference.
So, that’s my story so far…and now I invite you, my readers, to join the tale as well. Click “Reader Feedback” and share your response to the books on this site. Or click “Share Your Story” and tell how a special pet of your own has impacted your life. I’d love to hear from you…and thanks so much!


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A very warm welcome to Yalding, St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church of England Primary School.
Yalding School is situated in the heart of our historic and beautiful village providing an excellent education for the children from the local community.
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The biblical calling for the pastor is not to be a vision-caster, not to create a bunch of stuff for people to do and then badger them into doing it, and not to grow the church numerically. Those are all methods of business, developed to make money and often by men who do not know the Lord. Why has the church in so many places carved into stone these unbiblical ideas of the pastorate? A pastor is to feed people the Word of God, to point them to Jesus in all things, and to equip them for ministry into which the Lord Himself will call them. It is Jesus who builds His church at His discretion.
(Matthew 16:18; John 21:15-19; Ephesians 4:11-16)
Three days into 2017, are your New Years resolutions still intact? I’m not one for making such resolutions, but I do strive (however feebly) to live by the Scriptures every day of my life. The very end of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians gives us some good things to shoot for as believers in Jesus in 2017 (and beyond, should the Lord tarry). His last three statements (prior to the “amen”) are powerful:
- “Our Lord, come!”
- “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.”
- “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.”
If we could wrap all of that into one resolution for the new year, it would look something like this: Long for the Lord’s return while living in the light of His grace and loving one another.
Can you imagine how transformed the Church of Jesus Christ would be if our lives were so defined? Can you imagine the focus we would have? Can you imagine the trivial things that might fall by the wayside in our lives as the things that really matter rise to the forefront? Can you imagine the impact we might make for Christ?
Dear Fellow Evangelical Christians:
In the eyes of man, I am a nobody from nowhere. I pastor a very small church. Some of you host small groups in your homes that are larger than the congregation before which I stand each Sunday. Some might thus consider me unqualified to write what is something of an open letter to evangelicals. Well, sorry, but I have something to say that I think needs to be said about the way many of us are responding to the culture that is changing rapidly around us. I speak from an American perspective, but these principles apply across all cultures and time periods. Here goes.
Liberals are not our enemy. Muslims are not our enemy. Homosexuals are not our enemy. Transgenders are not our enemy. Atheists are not our enemy. Some from among these groups and others may hate us, but they are not our enemy. And to be frank, some of us hate some of them, which is not our right to do, given who our Lord is and who we are apart from Him.
You may think you are better than people in the groups I have listed, but you are not, nor am I. Viewing people as our enemies tends to puff up our pride and give us a sense of superiority, which is hideously unChristlike.
So who is our enemy? If you know your Bible, you should not have to think very hard to answer that one. But just in case, here’s a hint: Ephesians 6:12. Look it up. It says we do not wrestle with flesh and blood. What are liberals, Muslims, homosexuals, transgenders, atheists, and others? Flesh and blood! I don’t think I have to spell it out, here.
Now, of course, if we embrace the Bible as God’s word (which is essential to evangelicalism), we will disagree with many things espoused by these various groups. Some things with which we disagree we will even call sin because the Bible calls them sin. Disagreeing is not hating, nor does it require hate. We may be accused of hate for disagreeing, but we cannot control what people think of us. All we can do is respond as Christ would have us respond. If our response is good with Him, then it is good, period. And so what should our response be? The apostle Peter gives us good instruction on this:
“. . . in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-16, ESV).
Notice those words “gentleness and respect.” Do we respond that way? I hear a lot of us not doing so, and there are times when that includes me. But even when we are imperfect in this, we must not justify our bad behavior and somehow view it as sanctified. Rather, we must repent and purpose by the grace of God to respond properly the next time. We may even need to humble ourselves and apologize for how we said something. Apologizing doesn’t mean you have to surrender the point under discussion. You can simply say something like, “I do hold to the point I was trying to make, but I was out of line in how I made it, and I’m sorry.” Gentleness and respect.
Notice that Peter’s comments above refer to speaking of the hope that is in us. In our cultural and political discussions with unbelievers, I wonder if that hope is often not even part of the conversation. While we are certainly going to have political and cultural opinions and engage in conversation and debate about those things, ultimately, the Lord would have us stay on message. And what is that message? Our hope in Christ.
We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Sometimes, a country’s ambassador may be nice and respectful and well behaved yet still be hated simply because the country he/she represents is hated. We represent Christ, who is hated by the world. His word is rejected, and His cross is an offense to the world. But our calling is to represent Him well in a world that is not our home (Philippians 3:20-21). This calls for us to don the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10ff) so that we might stand against our true enemy–the enemy of our souls–and speak the truth, yes, but the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Because, after all, Christ has not called us to drive people away from Him, a sad consequence that sometimes follows our attempts to maintain a culture that is to our liking, one with which we are comfortable. He has called us to serve in His rescue mission to the very people we sometimes treat like enemies.
I am going to be very transparent here, not in a passive-aggressive attempt to gain anybody’s sympathy but in the hopes that someone might be helped by my experience.
I have this calling from God to preach His Word. He brought the calling to me so strongly one night that I had to fall on my face and surrender. That moment was phenomenal, but the calling has been difficult for me over the years. I have always been a self-doubter, and I struggle with the idea that I could ever do anything that really matters. Don’t get me wrong; I envision myself in more great moments than Walter Mitty, but when it comes to reality, I am more like Winnie the Pooh’s pal, Eeyore.
And so, all these years later, I find myself at the stage of life where it seems most pastors who have pastored as long as I have pastor churches of at least an average size. I, though, pastor a little church that not many people attend. The people who do attend are dear to me, and I love being their pastor. But honestly, we could all fit into two or three of the church’s pews. I sometimes wonder if we will ever be even an average sized church. But visitors are rare, and even my friends and family in the area choose to worship elsewhere. This leads me into periodic moments of confusion, wondering if anyone likes me, and sometimes questioning whether I heard my calling correctly. (Like I said, just being transparent). Those moments can become quite dark and debilitating. However, no sooner do I question the call than the Lord reminds me of the night I fell face down in surrender to Him, and I am reminded that I do not deserve to pastor even one person. And so I press on, doing the only thing on this planet that I want to do and that which gives me joy like nothing else, even though I have questions that remain unanswered.
But that’s how we shine the light of Christ; we press on in faith. Whether you’re a pastor or a plumber, a missionary or a manager, pressing on with Christ is no big deal if everything is lining up nicely for you. Even as I type this, thoughts of confusion begin to swirl in my head. “Why, Lord? I’m faithful to teach Your Word. I’m not asking for a mega-church. Maybe 150 or 200 people. Even just 5 or 10 new families would make a huge difference. Is that asking too much? Am I doing something wrong? Did I mishear the call to preach all those years ago? Etc.”
My fear is that a lot of the people I hear about who are walking away from ministry (and even from the Lord) might be doing it because of questions like that. The confusion I have expressed is about ministry, but maybe someone is confused over other matters in their walk with the Lord and is growing tired of asking the “Why, Lord” questions and is on the verge of throwing in the towel on ministry or faith. If that’s you, I hope you hang in there. It really is worth it, and there are eternal benefits to doing so. Your questions may not ever be answered. Mine, either. We may be in the company of those mentioned in Hebrews 11:32-40, who suffered and pressed on and endured much more than we may ever endure, all to reach the ends of their lives without tangibly receiving what they were pressing on toward. But it was never the Lord’s plan to fulfill in their earthly lifetimes the promise they pursued. Their involvement with the promise was as links in the chain that would one day lead to the promise’s fulfillment. Eternity will show that their faithfulness was worth the cost and that God did keep His promises.
And so it is for us. Eternity will show that pressing on through the waiting and the disappointment and the confusion was more than worth it. Such will be the case for you and for me if we press on in faith, faithful to our calling, no matter its difficulties or the fact that it bears no resemblance to what we had expected when we began the journey. Over time, we learn that the Lord knows just what He is doing. And the end of the journey–in the presence of the Lord where we will know as we are known–will tell the true tale of what the Lord was doing through us.


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(Tea Party PAC) – It doesn’t take much for President Trump to start a big stir with the mainstream media or any of the completely loony left-wing Kool-Aid drinkers who imbibe the fake news material these outlets pump out by the proverbial gallons, but it seems the commander-in-chief’s visit to a torched out church in Washington, where he posed for photos holding a Bible, has really set the fringe element within the liberal crowd off.
An Episcopal Bishop, Mariann Budde decided to phone in to CNN where she slammed and trashed the president for holding a Bible in front of the church without daring to ask for her permission. Can you believe these people?
This gal has apparently stopped taking her meds.
Here’s more on this from Gateway Pundit:
It’s not clear why this woman believes she gets to decide who can, and who cannot, carry a Bible.
DC Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: “Let me be clear: The President just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus.”
DC Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: "Let me be clear: The President just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus."
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) June 2, 2020
But Bishop Budde could not let this go.
Later tonight she called into CNN to continue to lambaste on the President of the United States.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde called into CNN to talk about Trump’s photo op. Listen to this.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde called into CNN to talk about Trump's photo op. Listen to this. pic.twitter.com/i2G0nS4Xxf
— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) June 2, 2020
Bishop Budde is OUTRAGED at President Trump for holding a Judeo-Christian Bible without her permission!
She repeatedly referred to the violent rioters as peaceful protesters.
And she said NOTHING after criminals just destroyed the historic St. John’s Church.
So, if we’re all to understand this correctly, Budde has no problem whatsoever with violent criminal vandals burning down a church, but it sends her off the deep end of the peer that Trump held a Bible without asking for her permission?
Um, aren’t Christians supposed to want people to hold Bibles? Isn’t the whole point of the gospel to preach to folks the truth about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, praying for them to repent and put their faith and trust in Him so they can be saved from the wrath of God?
If that’s the message of the Bible, and it is, wouldn’t you want Trump to be saved if you are a professing believer? Budde, it seems, hasn’t actually read the Book that is supposedly a guide for her faith. Just think, teaching the Bible is supposed to be her job, folks. This is insulting on a number of levels, some of which we won’t go into here because of the lengthy theological nature of the topic.
Regardless, Budde is nuts. There’s no nice way of putting it. She’s out of her gourd. Then again, isn’t that kind of the definition of Trump Derangement Syndrome?


THOUGHTS ON ARTS, MY WORK.... Which includes my art, family, music and things I like to ponder
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Isaiah 5:20-24 - Darkness for Light
New Work - Christmas Eve
Based on Isaiah 5:20-24
20 Woe unto them that call evilgood, and good evil; that putdarkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that arewise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drinkwine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
This is probably the most abstract of my metaphors on Isaiah - and will probably become a trend. There are many graphic elements; lines, curves, color elements that have little to do with the metaphors contained in the painting.
The metaphors include the three pairs of color patches that represent verse 20 i.e. the red and white representing Evil and Good. Verse 22 is abstractly shown with the dark wine color running from the top outside corners down through the middle of the grey/black crossing bars. Verse 24 is indicated with the fire and "flowers" with rotting roots.
Isaiah here is speaking to the house of Judah at Jerusalem (actually all occupants of the city). They are wicked enough to be spoken of as the chaff and stubble with roots of rottenness and the blossoms as dust.
Many of my earlier Isaiah works had no written mention of the scriptural metaphors, others started to have notes. Here I have written a portion of the scripture to help viewers understand both the written and visual metaphors.


Have you heard of the
4 Spiritual Laws?
Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws that govern your relationship with God.
God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
“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.”
[Christ speaking] “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” [that it might be full and meaningful]
Why is it that most people are not experiencing that abundant life?
Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for his life.
Man is Sinful
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his own stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was broken.
This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man Is Separated
“The wages of sin is death” [spiritual separation from God]
Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through Him you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.
He Died In Our Place
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”
He Rose from the Dead
“Christ died for our sins… He was buried… He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures… He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred…”
(1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me'”
We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ
“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
We Receive Christ Through Faith
“By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as result of works that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth (Read John 3:1-8.)
We Receive Christ Through Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting
Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be.
Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience.
We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer
(Prayer is talking with God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, I invite you to pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.
© Bill Bright 1965-2012
To enjoy your new life in Christ to the fullest consider the following (2 Corinthians 5:17):
Go to God in prayer daily
Read God’s Word daily (Acts 17:11); begin with the Gospel of John.
Need a Bible? Contact us
Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21).
Witness for Christ by your life and words—tell others (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8)
Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7).
Holy Spirit—allow Him to control and empower your daily life (Galatians 5:16, 17; Acts 1:8).
Fellowship in a Bible teaching church: God’s Word instructs us not to forsake ‘the assembling of ourselves together’ (Hebrews 10:25).
If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited—take the initiative. Call the pastor of a church where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week and plan to attend regularly.
We welcome you to join us! Please contact us for more information about service times and where we meet, or if you have any questions regarding Salvation.
Need A Bible? Contact Us
“Several logs burn brightly together, but put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your relationship with other Christians.”
— Bill Bright


Christmas is arriving in just a few days, and it certainly may feel different than what we are used to. This year has been unusual, but we are brought joy in remembering the essence of Christmas: the birth of Jesus Christ. We can sense this joy through many of the symbols and memories that remind us of Christmas. Decorations, dinners, giving gifts, and most especially Christmas Masses, are all ways that we are reminded of Jesus Christ. This year it is especially important to remember to “Keep Christ in Christmas,” as our social interactions are limited.
“Keep Christ in Christmas”
As attending Mass in person may be impossible for some of you, we will be providing all of our Christmas Masses through livestream on Facebook and Youtube in addition to in person. You can access these at www.HolyFamilyChurch.org/stream.
The schedule for our Christmas and New Year’s Masses is below:
Christmas Eve: 4pm & 8pm
Christmas Day: 9am & 11am
New Year’s Eve: 4pm
New Year’s Day: 9am & 11am (not streamed)
I would like to encourage you to continue to pray for an end to this pandemic. We had the opportunity yesterday and today to see the planets Saturn and Jupiter in very close distance to each other, and it manifested as a light on the horizon. These two planets are as close to each other as they were in the year 1226. This light, coming from the planets, reminds us of the light of Christ during this Christmas. If God can move the planets around the sky, we have very little to worry about from a new virus. Please don’t let the bad news keep you from the Good News of the Gospel. God has become one of us to save us from our sins.
Be hopeful, because we are not alone, and God is with us.
Sincerely, Monsignor Sweeney


ActiveForever St Vincent de Paul Toy Drive
ActiveForever Launches Toy Drive to Benefit Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Toy drive and donation code to help raise money for non-profit organization
Scottsdale, AZ - November 9, 2010 - ActiveForever, a Scottsdale-based medical supplies and health equipment company, has partnered with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to collect toys and raise money for the less fortunate this holiday season. ActiveForever will be collecting donations of toys and children's books in collection boxes at both its Scottsdale and Peoria, AZ retail locations.
Through its Life Changing Gifts program, ActiveForever will be raising money for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Customers who shop on ActiveForever's website or in its retail locations can use the code "SVDP" to receive 5% off of their purchase and have 5% of the purchase donated to St. Vincent de Paul. The toy donation drive will run from November 15, 2010 through December 20, 2010, but the donation code will continue to work through 2011.
ActiveForever's Life Changing Gifts program is celebrating its third year of donating to non-profit organizations. In addition to St. Vincent de Paul, Life Changing Gifts works with and donates to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Alzheimer's Association among others.
About the Society of St. Vincent de Paul


Love Walk Assembly is a Ministry Commissioned by God to take the Message of His love to all the Nations of the World, making lives and living beautiful for all.
This we have began to do through various means including Spiritually impactful Church meetings, Conferences, Seminars, Out reach programs to different segments of the Society, Plans are also in place to set up special educational Institutions, etc.
The fact that wickedness abounds in the world is so obvious. We are set to put a stop to this destructive agenda of Hell. This is God’s agenda. Man can not experience any true fulfillment no matter how hard he tries, outside of the Arena of the love of God in Christ Jesus. What do we need to do? The good news is that the situation is not hopeless.
God has mandated us to take the message of His love to all the nations of the world. Because of the way things are in the world today many think this is an impossible mission but I want to assure you it is not.
We are already seeing results in the little effort already put in and we know that together we can do a lot more. Amen


Monday December 24, 2018
Meghan Markle’s dad says his daughter has “ghosted” him and is asking the Queen of England to intervene. (https://dailym.ai/2EzkbS8)
66-year-old actor Mickey Rourke stepped out with his 32-year-old girlfriend in Beverly Hills last week. (https://dailym.ai/2Chxg0a)
You’ve heard of the gift that keeps on giving... well two men have taken that concept to a whole new level with a twist... it’s the gift that keeps getting given!
Share this with your friends... they'll think you're really smart!
-Productive or provocative of laughter.
-Tending to produce laughter
From Greek gelos “laughter" + word-forming element -genic meaning "producing, pertaining to generation."
Used in a sentence:
“Pubert’s wife just did not find his jokes quite as gelogenic as he’d thought she would.”
A waggish person may be described as gelogenic.
The Grandiloquent Word of the Day Calendars are now available for pre-orders! https://gwotd-2019-calendars.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Two remarkable calendars – grandiloquent words with definitions, period illustrations, daily holidays, and more!
How long has Santa Claus been around? Far more than Christmas trees or candy canes, Santa Claus sparks controversy among Christians. Many believers reject the idea of the kindly old gentleman in the bright red suit because it takes away the primary focus of Christmas: celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. Certainly when the focus of Christmas becomes children's expectations of gift receiving, using St. Nicholas as the agent of distribution, we have missed the true meaning of Christmas. Unfortunately, the original Nicholas and his godly example is lost in the controversy. St. Nicholas was a Christian priest who lived in Myra, in Asia Minor (modern Turkey), from 280-343 AD. He became Bishop of Myra, and was known for his generosity. He did not like to be seen giving gifts, so the children were told to go to sleep quickly or he would not come. He also is known for giving gifts of gold to a poor man's three daughters, placing the bags of gold inside their stockings, which the young ladies had left by the fire to dry. The name "Santa Claus" was derived from the Dutch "Sinter Klaus" pronunciation of St. Nicholas. When Dutch settlers landed in New Amsterdam (now New York), their "Sinter Klaus" celebration in December came with them. Interestingly, in many other European countries, and Latin America, Santa Claus is not even the deliverer of gifts to the children. Other figures fill the role. Nevertheless, the original (the REAL) St. Nicholas did demonstrate, "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
A Miama man dressed as Santa got stuck in a chimney trying to steal
Christmas gifts “Grinch Style” - FAKE NEWS
With Shoppers–and it’s Hilarious https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org


Outreach Ministries International was established in June 2003, as a corporation composed of educators, business owners, financial consultants, licensed counselors, sociologists & ministers. We work globally through schools, nonprofits, and individuals that support our youth.
Our focus is to facilitate young people to discover the power of their purpose and to help save lives. We do that by providing resources, hosting events, and partnering with other youth organizations to teach conflict resolution, anger management, and self worth. We are fighting against youth suicide, homicide, school shootings, and self hatred. We also have a week dedicated to youth to celebrate their potential and promise through innovation, community service, teamwork, and achievement.
It is our desire to bring a message of hope and encouragement to young people, and we are in need of your support.
The purpose of OMI is to facilitate youth to discover the power of their purpose and to help save lives.


Stick to the 4 excellent methods to consecrate your self to God
So we will walk inside the Lord’s way
Just before we were saved, we walked in our personal way, manufactured our own selections, and chose our very own path. But after we’re saved, God desires us to walk in His way, follow Him, and be led by Him. But when we do not give ourselves to Him, how can we understand what His way is? How can He lead us? Consecrating ourselves to Him keeps us in His way and saves us from taking our own way. We can pray, “Lord, I do not wish to make my own choices or consider my very own way. I would like to be stored with your way. So Lord Jesus, I give myself to you.”
So we are able to grow in lifestyle
With any physical life, following birth comes growth. During the identical way, when Christ comes into us His intention is for His divine lifestyle in us to develop. But any type of life, even the divine life of Christ in us, needs the appropriate atmosphere and chance to grow.
Our surrendering ourselves to Him presents the ideal opportunity for His existence to increase in us. As we surrender every single portion of our getting and each element of our lives to Him, we give His life the most effective chance to increase in us.
No matter whether or not we give ourselves towards the Lord helps make a large big difference in our go through of Christ. Once we hold ourselves in our very own hands with no consecrating ourselves to the Lord, we may not truly feel specific things are incorrect, and we’re not able to inform whether or not or not a thing is of God. Our lack of consecrating ourselves on the Lord hinders the existence inside. The existence in us just does not function that properly mainly because it does not have the chance to expand or develop.
But when we surrender ourselves towards the Lord, we supply the most beneficial opportunity for His life to increase and create in us. Spontaneously, we will sense what exactly is pleasing to Him and what on earth is not, precisely what is of God and what exactly is not. This sensation comes from the functioning of God’s divine existence in us. Our consecration is what activates this lifestyle perform that provides us the sense of God’s daily life in us. As we go together with and obey God by this sense, we expand during the divine life in the real and sensible way.
So God can function in us
Before we are able to go and deliver the results for God, God desires to deliver the results in us. While we’re saved, many of us really need to admit that He nevertheless has much deliver the results to accomplish in us to conform our ideas, feelings, decisions, and inner disposition-our total being-to the picture of His Son.
God is certainly omnipotent, but in His romance with us, He’s not a dictator. He respects our human will and does not force His function on us. He desires and needs our consent as a way to deliver the results freely in us. Our consecration is our consent.
Because God will only get the job done in us if we allow Him do so, this explains how an individual might be genuinely saved for many years and yet have minor to no growth while in the divine lifestyle, and minor real change in their getting. God will wait until we give Him the permission to do the job Himself into us for His purpose.
So in place of letting our time slip away or resisting His function in us, we can pray to Him, “Lord, I provide you with permission to operate in me. I supply myself willingly to you. Lord, I open the door of my heart for you. Come into each room of my heart and conform me for your dear Person in each way.”
To like the riches of God’s salvation
God’s salvation is packed with riches. It consists of being saved from eternal perdition, surely, but God’s salvation encompasses so much much more. Whenever we were saved, God blessed us with each spiritual blessing in Christ.
The divine daily life, Christ’s ideal humanity and residing, His powerful death, His highly effective resurrection, His victory above Satan, His ascension in excess of all things-all are ours. But without consecrating ourselves to Him, we’ve got no approach to enter in to the enjoyment of all of these blessings. We now have them in reality, but for us to take pleasure in them in our regular lives, we must consecrate ourselves to God.
In this respect, consecration is like a gate or even a door. To enter right into a building, we have to undergo a door. If we do not, regardless of what terrific matter awaits us on the other side, we can not love or participate in it. It is there, but we’re about the outdoors. Consecration is the door for us to enter by way of to take pleasure in all the riches of God’s salvation. Once we give ourselves for the Lord, He will lead us in our expertise into the enjoyment of your rich blessings of God’s complete salvation.
We will pray, “Lord, I do not just wish to learn about the riches of your salvation; I prefer to enjoy them. So Lord, here I’m. I give myself to you thoroughly. I belong to you. Lead me by Your Spirit in to the working experience and enjoyment of all You could have for me in the salvation.”
Get the subsequent phase
If we’re saved, we’ve taken the first stage of our spiritual journey. Thank the Lord for that! But we’ve only just begun. The next stage for us is always to consecrate ourselves to your Lord. Whenever we do, we’ll be kept in God’s way, expand in His daily life, allow God to deliver the results in us, and get pleasure from the riches of His total salvation.
If we’re newly saved or we’ve been saved for a whereas, every among us can give ourselves to the Lord. Whether or not we by no means heard of consecration, we are able to even now present ourselves towards the Lord perfect now. He is joyful and prepared to get our consecration at any time!
Inside a subsequent publish, we’ll cover additional factors on this essential matter of consecration; we hope you’ll read and delight in that one particular also.


Seeing the sun rise on Easter Day morning is like an explosion of ‘Resurrection Life’.
When we recognize that the Resurrection is not ‘historical’ but an ever present reality that happens over and over, it is then that we can catch a glimpse what the meaning of this life really is – it is much bigger than any death!
ALL AGE MESSAGE
Mary’s Easter Day Story was a surprise happening.
She was the first to recognize that ‘a resurrection’ had happened.
Mary becomes the Apostle to tell all the other Apostles what she had experienced.
The eternal Christ never dies and never dies in us. Renewal and positive change are always happening.
Click on the button below to get the information sheet on today’s presenters, messages, and readings.


It is no secret people criticize the Christian faith for being a “crutch” or an appealing illusion to diminish the harshness of real life.
A few weekends before I returned to school, my mom and I went to see Woody Allen’s film Magic in the Moonlight. From the trailer, I arrived at the conclusion that it seemed like my kind of movie: 1920s, England, superstition, and Colin Firth.
It was indeed a lovely way to escape reality for ninety-seven minutes, and what seemed like nothing more than famous people pretending to be mediums and 1920s costume/scenery porn turned out to also be an interesting exploration on whether or not anything exists beyond this world.
To spare you from spoilers, I will not summarize the entire film; however, I will say it pushed the question of whether or not it is beneficial to believe a lie as long as it brings someone happiness.
Many people look at Christianity in the same way, but what if you are the Christian looking at your own life that way?
This happened to me a while back. Seeing only the negative aspects of life for ninety percent of the time, I often considered the other ten percent as my “Christian time”- a time where I was okay with life but only because I was focused on God and what I knew from my personal study, church, and upbringing. Soon, I began to wonder- If I could only convince myself of God’s truth for ten percent of the time, was I using Christianity as a crutch to get me through the other ninety percent?
I wasn’t sure.
Lies beguiled me for the ninety percent. Lies about myself and my life. Voices that told me I would never be good enough or that certain people hated me or that everything was my fault.
I came up with a strategy.
I looked up Bible verses, wrote them out, memorized them, and thought about them whenever the lies attacked. It worked- as long as I convinced myself that they were more true than my own feelings.
This seemed like a form of brainwashing myself, and if I had to use Christianity to brainwash myself, it was definitely a crutch and maybe even an illusion that I allowed only because it made me happier.
The truth is, I didn’t like the idea of relying on something other than myself and my own feelings in order to find a sense of satisfaction with my life. I wanted to provide the answers for my suffering and confusion and the solutions to my problems. Whenever I had to rely on God’s Word to explain things that were pretty much unexplainable, I felt weak and insufficient. Like a human whose purpose had malfunctioned. I wasn’t supposed to not know the answer or to not have control over my circumstances and feelings.
But a person who is broken and in the process of healing will fall without using crutches.
I hate feeling weak and imperfect and unable to handle life, but that’s for another post. What I’m really trying to convey here is that lately, I’ve been thinking that maybe all Christians should embrace their crutches because, like Jesus, we can’t carry our crosses by ourselves.
Now, before you go off on me for being heretical, let me put a disclaimer here:
I am not saying my faith is based on a blind leap into the dark void of something I’m not really certain of.
When I talk about struggling to trust God and doubting and lies, I’m not talking about “Is Christianity even true?” or “Is God real?” but emotional and relational issues with God Himself. Like, “How do I know I can trust God if people in the past have hurt me?” and so on. I am not saying Christianity is an illusion I put my trust in to make myself feel better.
I am saying that God Himself is my crutch to help me walk through a world full of evil, sin, suffering, and disappointment, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Comments and questions are always welcome!


First post in a long time, and of course, I’m in my feelings. LOL.
I’ve been in a funk for a while now. I’m not even going to front and act like I don’t know why or what the cause is. I’ve allowed my flesh to become stronger than my spirit man. What we feed will grow. So, without prayer, time with the Lord, reading my Bible, my Spirit man becomes weak; and my flesh grows stronger.
And in the flesh, the soulish realm, is where the emotions lie. And my emotions are always target #1 for the enemy. The first step is realizing and admitting you have a problem. Haha! The crazy part is that I know what’s going on and how to rectify the problem.
So with that being said, yesterday was Thanksgiving. I spent it with my family. We had a great time, as usual. I laid around while Brooklyn ran around with her aunties. It always feels good to be home. I love being around my parents and my siblings. It’s just right, ya know? So, my mom and I ended the night watching TvOne’s Unsong. Man oh man! They had a marathon going on and I was hooked. I watched the documentaries on David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Tammy Terrell, and Minnie Riperton.
Ahhhh Minnie. This one got me. The fact that she left this world so young, that she left her babies and the love of her life so soon…. it really got to me. And let me not forget to mention how Minnie is the author of one of my fav songs ever! Of course, I was provoked to listen. And boy did I listen. I listened last night, woke up singing it, and listened to it on repeat this morning on my way to work… Knowing full well that I’m feeding my flesh gobs of yummy goodness. I usually would listen to worship music, meditate on the Lord, or read.
But not today! Honey, Minnie crooned in my ear the entire hour and ten minutes in!
Now, there are those who believe that there is nothing wrong with listening to secular music. They say it depends on the lyrics. They say it depends on the setting, i.e. married couple listening to love songs. And others say that it’s all the devil.
Well, I can only speak for myself. Listening to my fav Minnie song does not provoke me to read my Bible. It does not make me think about Jesus. And it definitely doesn’t make me want to fall down on my knees in worship.
Listening to Minnie made me think about my fleshly desires. I’m not talking about sex. But about relationships, things that I want, how I miss the feelings that her words brought back to my mind. But none of this glorifies God. What good does this do me?
Now, I know what God has promised me. I know full well what is around the corner. But listening to this made me impatient. It made my mind slip back to such and such… you get what I’m saying?
For me, secular music, in a nut shell is a no-no. I have to guard my heart. I have to guard my thought-life. Out of the heart spring the issues of life. I want my heart to be full of hope and faith in God. Not full of flashbacks, fleshly desires, thoughts of what could have been, etc.
Am I saying that you shouldn’t listen to secular music? Nope. Not at all. That is between you and the Lord. And perhaps, with the spiritual state that I was already in, listening to my fav Minnie song was a bad idea at that moment. But because I can’t stand to feel far away from the Lord, I’m going to give Minnie a rest for now, repent for ignoring the Holy Spirit tugging me to spend time with Him, and get into this good Word.
That’s enough transparency for the day.


Mike is married to Natalie Garcia-McDermott. They have been happily married for 12 years. Natalie works along side of Mike. She has earned a Master of Organizational Leadership with a concentration in consulting from a School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship. She also has a Bachelor of Professional Development, an Associates of Arts and Science, and an Associates of Practical Theology. They reside in the great state of Texas and have three beautiful children. Their daughter Aaliyah is eight, their eldest son Michaiah is three, and their youngest son Malachi is three months. Aaliyah is an Arabic name that means to "ascend to the highest", Michaiah is a Hebrew form of Michael meaning "one who is like God" and Malachi is Hebrew for "messenger of God."
The McDermotts' have traveled the world to see the Kingdom of God established through the mission of ministry, business, politics, and education. Mike travels regularly to Africa every 30-60 days and domestically across the U.S.A monthly. Some of the nations and territories they have traveled are Mexico, Panama, Peru, Costa Rica, Thailand, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Portugal, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Honduras, Germany, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Switzerland, St. Lucia, England, Belize, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Martin, West Indies, Barbados, France, Spain, Italy, Vatican City State, Tunisia, Greece, Qatar, the territory of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and to over 35 of the 50 United States.


Scripture Swaggy Tags
Custom Church/Scripture Swaggy Tags!
It's Simple! Hit the dropdown to select your amount. At checkout, in the Notes to Seller section, please type in the Scriptures or Church website (so we can pull the correct logo)
Perfect for Churches to buy in bulk and give out to their parishioners to use as a fundraiser item.
1. John 3:16.......2. Jeremiah 1:5 ...3. Philippians 4:13
Example: you order 10, make sure 10 scriptures/church website are in the notes.
Got Questions? We got Answers at 352.606.9742


We walk by faith, not by sight - by hearing the Word of God, heeding what the Spirit of God is saying to the heart... For now we "see through a glass darkly," which literally means "in a riddle" (ἐν αἰνίγματι). A riddle is an analogy given through some resemblance to the truth, though quite often the correspondences are puzzling and obscure. Hence, "seeing through a glass darkly" means perceiving obscurely or imperfectly, looking "through" something else instead of directly apprehending reality. We see only a reflection of reality, and our knowledge in this life is indirect and imperfect. This is contrasted with the "face to face" (פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים) vision and clarity given in the world to come, when our knowledge will be clear and distinct, and the truth of God will be fully manifest and no longer hidden. Being "face to face" with reality means being free of the riddles, the analogies, the semblances, etc., which at best adumbrate our way.. Such reflection should make us humble whenever we share our faith. "Now we know in part, but then shall we know in whole" (1 Cor. 13:12). An honest theology must find a place for mystery, for "seeing through a glass darkly," and for the apprehension of awe and wonder.


Giving to Mount Pisgah
Jesus gave us the directive to “Go, and make discipleship of all the world.” Your generosity enables us to help people meet and be transformed by the love, truth and grace of Jesus Christ.
Mail Your Donation
Mount Pisgah Church – 2600 Pisgah Church Rd. Greensboro, NC 27455
Give During Worship
During each of our worship services, we take up an offering as an act of worship and generosity toward God who has given Himself to us. You may participate in that act of worship by dropping your tithe or offering in the offering box.


What Are The Most Popular Hymns To Choose For Funerals?
Arranging a funeral when dealing with grief is very difficult for most people, especially when so many decisions need to be made at a time when your mind feels numb and foggy.
To make one decision easier for you, we reveal the most popular hymns to include in a funeral’s order of service.
Christian funerals feature traditional hymns, and, according to Dignity Funerals, Jerusalem is the most commonly-chosen one.
Indeed, many people admit to feeling emotional when singing: “And did those feet in ancient times / Walk upon England’s mountain green? / And was the holy Lamb of God / On England’s pleasant pastures seen?”
- Amazing Grace
Another favourite hymn is Amazing Grace. This is just as often sung accompanied by bagpipes as it is in gospel churches, making it a universally-loved song.
The lyrics, which include “I once was lost, but now am found / Was blind, but now I see”, tell the story of finding harmony in death, which often gives mourners a sense of peace.
- Abide with Me
Abide with Me is frequently sung at funerals, as well as at military services across the Commonwealth, Sunlife revealed.
It is written as a prayer seeking guidance from God during difficult times, including death.
“Abide with me; fast falls the eventide / The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide / When other helpers fail and comforts flee / Help of the helpless, O abide with me.”


So while I watched my ncis episode for the night I doodled in my Bible. That is so weird to say because we were Never instructed to doodle in our bibles as kids. But now it is so meaningful. I was looking through and trying to decide what I wanted to draw. My oldest sons name is Jonah and so I thought about drawing a whale in that chapter.
The book of Jonah is so short, and I have read it a ton of times. But this time as I sat and read it Jonah 2:2 really spoke to me. I have been struggling here lately with stress. Sometimes as a Christian we feel like we are automatically close to God just because we go to church or we play the role. I know that I allow myself to stray sometimes because I'm so busy with life that I forget that the Grace that God provides to me is there, but yet I don't get up every day and ask him for it. I start my day with my coffee, breakfast, shower, ect, that I don't take the time to do my reading or quiet time. When I stop doing this and pull away from God into the business of my day, things start to go down hill. My health, (due to worry that I wouldn't have if I would stay close to him), stress, worry, the issues go on and on because just one day of not setting close with him I allow the distractions of this life get to me more when I feel like I need to handle them instead of him handing them.
So, I say all that to say this verse speaks volumes to me. "I called out to the Lord, out of my distress and he answered me: out of the darkness and he Heard my Voice!!! He does hear our voices!!! Using the drawings and time to mediate over what to draw is really helping me to retain more of the words. I think this is something great for kids to help them retain scripture! This is what I finished lately.


In 1889, when Drummoyne was part of the parish of 'Balmain West', the church-school of St Mark's was built. The first classes began about June 1889 and were taught by two local sisters, Colse and Sarah Hayes. They began with 13 pupils and built up to 98 by 1894. In 1894 the school was taken over by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, who walked there each day from their convent in Rozelle. This was clearly difficult, and so in 1900 the Sisters of St Joseph agreed to staff the school. In that year St Mark's became a separate parish, which provided a convent for the Josephites and a separate school building (in 1903).
Based on our records, we believe that the St Mark’s School Fete has been around for over 50 years – now you can be a part of your community and a part of our history.


NORTH AMERICAN MISSIONS SEMINAR
February 11-14, 2019 | 9:00am - 4:00pm at Northeast Christian College
Rev. Scott Sistrunk, Director of North American Missions of the United Pentecostal Church International, and Rev. Galen Thompson will be at Northeast Christian College on February 11-14, 2019 for our block week. The college would like invite everyone who is interested in North American Missions to come and join us.
Registration Fee: $80 - without certificate | $120 - with certificate
Note: Lunch included
Multiple people coming from the same church, please contact us to get a special discount.
Please use the form below to register.


Touch of Class Chorale’s annual Christmas Concert todayPosted December 7, 2012
A popular choral group featuring local members, “A Touch of Class Chorale,” will present its annual Christmas concert at 7 p.m. today, Dec. 7, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 5607 N.E. Gher Rd. in the Orchards area of Vancouver. Concertgoers will enjoy an evening of holiday music with the adult chorale as well as the Vancouver GirlChoir, directed by Janet Lindsley, owner of MiniMozarts Preschool in downtown Vancouver. Tickets, available at the door, are $12 for adults and seniors or $6 for children ages six through 16. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit Winter Hospitality Overflow (WHO).


I am fully aware of how easily we can find the evidence to confirm any of our biases. Confirmation bias is everywhere and I can be as vulnerable as anyone in applying this to my own questions
I recall as a 6 or 7 year old asking my mother, “How do you know that there really is a God and a heaven?” The answer stored in my memory is, “Jenny I believe it but even if it turns out not to be true I think it is the best way to live my life”. I was somewhat unsettled by her answer which I guess is why it has stayed with me all these decades. It vaguely made sense to me and quietened my questioning at the time but I was hoping for more assurance about what I was taught at Sunday school.
Last month I faced a tragic loss in my broader family. The details are not necessary to write about but what has been a growing up challenge for me is a reigniting of questions about life beyond the grave. I was confronted with a fresh challenge to the basis of my Christian belief, in particular of the hope of a better eternity and a renewed heaven and earth. There is nothing like the invasion of unexpected sadness to either turn a person to considering spiritual faith or conversely to challenge the faith foundations of any believer. Can I really trust a God who allows such pain? Is the hope of heaven just wishful thinking to ease the sharp edge of grief?
A number of people have said to me that they know my faith will carry me through this sad time but this doesn’t quite capture the tumult of my spirit when facing pain. Faith in itself isn’t a comfort, it is the object of my faith that I need to be sure of. Hence over the past weeks I have re-examined the basis and object of my faith. I have needed to revisit the historical life and death of Jesus who claimed to be God revealing himself in human flesh (the word became flesh and dwelt among us John 1:14; John 3: 16-17).
Most importantly I have considered as rationally as I can the evidence for the physical resurrection of Jesus; the hundreds of eye witness accounts and the dramatic change in life priorities of his followers as a consequence of seeing first-hand the mind-boggling presence of one who came back from the grave. (Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:6). It would not be sufficient for me to base my hope on just one person’s isolated revelation.
In one of the many recent conversations about my experience of questioning the basis of my faith, I heard another express that she is not looking for any faith that speaks to what happens after death. For her the important thing about any belief system is living a good and ethical life in the present. I get this priority. It reminds me of my mother’s previous ‘back up’ rationale if the heaven promise turns out not to be true – at least its teachings provide a basis for a life lived well now. There are many spiritual, philosophical and religious bodies of wisdom that speak to living better in the present. And yet when tragedy and death confronts us, so often our natural yearnings want more. Social researcher Hugh Mackay reports in his just released book ‘Beyond Belief’, that 68% of Australians claim some kind of belief in God although regular church/ temple/mosque attendance is under 15%. He writes about many reports of how a crisis turns even hardened atheists to praying. Mackay writes, “For some people, calling on God in a crisis is simply a case of ‘nothing to lose.’ For others, it’s a return to a faith they once had….or perhaps a last-ditch test to see if there is a God who might somehow intervene.” (p 19 Sun Herald Sunday Life, May 1 2016) While our society is predominately secular, spiritual questions are prevalent for many, especially in the face of adversity.
With my own spiritual journey I am fully aware of how easily we humans can find the evidence to confirm any of our biases. Confirmation bias is everywhere and I can be as vulnerable as anyone in applying this to my own questions. I am committed to reading widely the reasoning of different positions and making every effort to not just create my own subjective version of belief. Recently I have devoured writing about the varied works of many eminent scientists in the study of the origin of life (i.e. Signature in the Cell, S Meyer). Dr Bowen’s writing about the degree to which emotional and relational process can shape our belief systems has been helpfully provocative for me and challenged me to stay open to information that might not sit comfortably with my inherited or assumed viewpoints. If I am not willing to allow my beliefs to stand up to an examination of contrary thoughtful explanations then it doesn’t say much for the strength of my faith platform. While one reviewer of my book on Good Reads wrote that my discussion of my Christian faith runs the risk of alienating some readers my view is that is the tone of discussion rather than content that unhelpfully alienates people. My effort is to communicating considerately, without emotive dogmatism and to being genuinely interested in differing positions expressed respectfully.
It’s been good to ask questions of the basis of my faith at this time. I am not grateful for the painful circumstances of grief but I am thankful for the opportunities to re- ask my deep and challenging questions of life and of God. I’m in good company with the ancient Israelite King David who often in the psalms directs his troubling questions to God: “Why o Lord, do you stand so far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1)While not all my questions can be simply and fully be answered I have come to a deeper confidence in a supernatural resurrection faith. It’s interesting to look back on my mother’s faith journey as she faced the ramifications of her incurable cancer in her early 50s. As I watched her face death it was clear as she spent much time reading her Bible and praying that her trust in God’s promises of heaven were not just wishful thinking. She had travelled well past her ambivalent answer to my childhood probing’s to a personal and confident relationship with the Good Shepherd of David’s Psalm 23. At this time in my own life I have asked hard questions of the God of my faith and have not been left empty. Even though walking through a dark valley I have not been alone. My experience is that I have been met, not with an apparition or mysterious hallucinatory voice but by a historical person, Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed to be God and backed up this audacious claim with many solid eye witnessed evidences*. I have cherished the gift of a presence of God’s love and sustaining and a renewed confidence that “goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”*
* What constitutes reliable historical evidence? I found this discussion drawing from credible academic ancient historians helpful. – More info
Dr Bowen writes about a mark of higher functioning people:
These are principle oriented, goal directed people who have many qualities that have been called “inner directed”. [While] sure of their beliefs and convictions they are not dogmatic or fixed in their thinking. They can hear and evaluate the viewpoints of others and discard old beliefs in favour of new. They are sufficiently secure within themselves that functioning is not affected by either praise or criticism from others. They can respect the self and identity of another without becoming critical or becoming emotionally involved in trying to change the life course of another. FTCP P 164
For any who are interested to explore an evidence perspective on the Christian faith these are books I recommend
- New Evidence that Demands a Verdict – More info
- The Christ Files – More info
- The Reason for God – More info
- Hugh MacKay’s book referred to: Beyond Belief – More info
- Another fine Australian journalist and social researcher who has a different conclusion to MacKay is Roy Williams. His book God Actually documents his journey of investigation into the evidence for God – More info
‘Wishful Thinking’ – Jenny Brown


GivingA ministry for the wounded ... and those who care for them.
Standing With Hope has two program areas:
A ministry to family caregivers.
Both of these programs have the single goal of equipping broken and hurting individuals to stand with hope in Jesus Christ.
Listen to a clip below from our New Year’s Eve 2017 Show discussing our prosthetic limb recycling program with inmates at a Tennessee correction facility.
Family Caregiver Outreach
Tens of millions of Americans serve as a volunteer family caregiver for an elderly, disabled, or chronically-ill loved one—and the number is growing! EVERY DAY, you will encounter at least one of the 65+million caregivers. They feel overwhelmed, stressed, and burned out.
Do you know what to say to them? WE DO!
Use this form to donate today
Sponsor a prosthetic limb for $30.00 per month for a year. ($350 one-time).
Through our radio show, books, and live appearances we are bringing practical help, Biblical principles, and community to those isolated in caring for vulnerable loved ones. Peter Rosenberger, co-founder and president of Standing With Hope, brings his 30 years of experience as his wife’s [Gracie] caregiver through a medical nightmare of 80 operations, multiple amputations, and more than $10 million in medical bills.


Join the Superbook Club
- Invest in the future of Children all over the world
- Get a different Superbook DVD each month!
- Get unlimited streaming of Superbook Seasons 1, 2 and 3.
- Have 2 extra discs of the same episode for you to share with friends and family.
- Grow the faith of your family through our Superbook devotionals
- Be a part of a ministry that has brought over 1.2 million children into a relationship with Jesus.
£15.00 / month


Healing Prayer Service Every Second Wednesday at 7:00 pm
Submit your prayer request using the form at the bottom of the page
Join Rev. Dick and Cathy Brooks on the second Wednesday of each month for a healing prayer service. The minister and prayer teams create and hold a holy, or sacred, space for healing to take place and focus God’s healing power on the individual.
A healing ministry is God’s work of healing on all levels, including physical, emotional, and spiritual healing as well as the healing of relationships. We believe God offers balance, harmony, and wholeness to heal whatever brokenness we may have in our lives through God’s presence, love, and grace.
It is God through the Holy Spirit who opens us to healing. The minister and prayer teams create and hold a holy, or sacred, space for healing to take place and focus God’s healing power on the individual. People can request prayers for themselves or someone else and can act as a substitute for the other person.
A healing ministry is an extension of what ministers do: praying for the sick in church and at home, visiting people in the hospital, visiting the homebound and visiting people who are grieving. Healing prayer can work in conjunction with traditional medical practices, such as going to the doctor, taking medicine, physical therapy, exercise and healthy eating.
We meet in the parlor at 7:00 pm. If you would like to have someone pray with you and for you in regard to physical, mental, emotional or spiritual well-being, this service offers a wonderful opportunity.
2024 Dates for Healing Prayer Service


Coming Preaching Dates and Locations:
Sundays from July 1, 2018-Wolf Creek United Methodist Church-8:15 a.m. Find us at County Road G and River Road every Sunday at 8:15 a.m.
Beginning February 16, 2020, I will be taking services at Turtle Lake United Methodist Church until the end of June, 2020. This is a contract period at the request of the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church and will be in addition to my serving at Wolf Creek. Services at Turtle Lake will begin at 11 a.m.


As used in the Bible, it generally means more than mental agreement, although it would include that; it is the entrusting of one's case to God, acknowledging personal need and receiving the Lord Jesus as Saviour.
Simply means the "book" and refers to the collection of sixty-six books generally accepted by Christians as the written Word of God.
An act of the will in which a person believes God and what He has said; it is not blind, but is based upon the evidence provided in the Bible that God has proved Himself to be faithful and is therefore deserving of our trust.
In the Bible, that one true and supreme being who created everything good, who sustains everything, who has set about to rescue those creatures who have rebelled against Him, and who will some day judge everyone in a just way.
An Old English word meaning "good news" and referring to the message of the Bible that, although we are sinners deserving of God's judgment, God offers complete forgiveness to all who turn from their sin and accept His offer of salvation.
From a word meaning to be different or separate, it refers to God being separate from sin and so different from all others; through faith in Christ's work on the cross, and by obedience to God's Word, the Bible, Christians are able to obey the command of God, "Be holy, as I am holy."
A judicial act of God by which He is able to declare a sinner right if such a person agrees with God concerning his/her personal guilt and accepts Jesus Christ as his/her substitute in paying the acceptable price for sin; self-justification by "accusing" others or by "excusing" ourselves is futile.
That aspect of salvation which refers to the price paid through the death of Christ that makes it possible for a sinner to be "bought back" from the slave market of sin.
Generally a change of mind that leads to a change of life; more specifically, agreeing with God that I am guilty as charged, offering no excuses in my defence. When linked with faith, it is the pathway to personal salvation.
As commonly used, to be saved means to be saved from some danger, as for example to be saved from drowning or saved from a fire; so salvation in the Bible refers to a person being saved from sin, its penalty and/or its negative influence.
Everything that falls short of God's perfect standard, whether by thinking, doing or wanting something wrong or by not doing something right.
Although there is only one God, the Bible reveals God as three persons; this "Godhead" or tri-unity is a mystery but can be illustrated by the equation 1x1x1 = 1.


Marian Youth Conference, for all the teenagers, youth and young couples. Will be held at Sacred Heart Church, Kingdom of Bahrain on 1, 2 & 3 September 2017.
Jesus Youth is an international Catholic youth movement that had its beginning in India and currently has an active presence in over 35 countries around the world. A missionary movement at the service of the church
Live Gospel Concert, Aug 31st our Lady of Arabia Auditorium
Please click here for Register online for Marhaba - Marian Youth Conference
Inspiring Talks, Choice-Based Seminar/Workshops, Marian Exhibition, Heart lifting Music...
Marhaba is a Marian Youth conference being conducted for teenagers, youth and Young couples. Venue of the conference is Sacred Heart Church, Kingdom of Bahrain.
As Gospel says "Do not be afraid" (Luke 1:30). This conference is intended to strengthen the catholic youth of the Kingdom of Bahrain in their faith, through Mother Mary.
Venue : Our Lady of Arabia Auditorium, Sacred Heart Church, Kingdom of Bahrain. Dates : September 1, 2 & 3, 2017 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
This is an invitation to translae your Faith into Action. Let your faith be Bigger than your fears..
Like us in Facebook, Follow us in Twitter for regular updates about the conference
OUR Lady of Arabia Auditorium


Critical Thinking Assignment
This religion assignment is based on the lectures covering the New Testament,the four gospels, the assigned scripture readings and the materials on the religious and political factions that existed in the time of Jesus. I recommend doing a split screen, one so you can look at the questions, and the other screen with a Word Document to write down your answers before submitting.
1. a) In this Religion assignment, What does Mark focus on as evidence that God’s Kingdom had already begun? Read the passages from Mark that you can find in the Readings.
b) When does Mark assure his readers about the ‘eschaton?’
c) What does Mark tell his readers they should expect in this life – as Jesus did – and what reward will be theirs?
2. The Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament was directed to Jewish converts. How does Matthew draw parallels between the story of Moses and the evolving story of Jesus? Give four (4) examples between the ministries of Moses and Jesus (be specific).
3. Write a brief description/definition of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots. Now, think in contemporary terms. Who would you think in our world, society, politics, hierarchies, would you describe as each one of these groups? (Exp: Sadducees: in our time they might be the pope, Wahhabi Sunni, Mormon leaders) (don’t use these examples in your answer for the Religion assignment)
4. What sense of the future does the original ending of Mark offer the reader of the 1st century ce? ( Mark 16: 1-8) What reason do you think explains the addition of verses 9-20? Why would that ending be unacceptable to later readers in the 2nd century? for the Religion assignment
5. Read Matthew 5:17-20 then Galatians 2:15-21 and 3:1-4.
Paul’s radical understanding of the Mosaic Law and the Gospels contrasted with what Jesus was to have said in Matthew. How are they contradictory?
USE DOCUMENT PROVIDED TO ANSWER
For Religion Assignment Critical Thinking help please click here


Lately, I have been stressing out really hard about an assignment God revealed to me. Since I received this call, I have been having a very real “Moses” moment.. that has been going on for weeks actually.
“God this is too big for me. I don’t know enough. The people doing this have doctorate degrees. I haven’t even graduated college yet. I have no money and I don’t know the right people. I have 60 followers on Twitter. Now is really NOT the right time with EVERYTHING else I have going on. Besides, I may write well but in person I am extremely shy, God are you sure?”
Yes, the urgency in my spirit is direct confirmation that he is sure and If God calls you to it, he will equip you for it… right? Yes. I know this. I have heard it. It’s been proven in the bible from Abraham to Jesus to Paul. But that did little to assuage my fears. In fact, I felt so overwhelmed by my inadequacy that I had use my lunch break to pray and seek God. As I was praying with tears in my eyes, “Father, I have faith in you but….” I heard him say,
“Keciah, it’s not really faith if you have nothing to fear. It’s not really faith if you can see your way clear. It’s not really faith if you have the means to do it and are comfortable with it. If you did, you wouldn’t need me.”
And without faith, it is impossible to please God. Having heard from Him, I was instantly reassured.
But the line that stuck out to me, so much so that I had to write it down, was “It’s really not faith if you have nothing to fear.” After all, faith is developed in the uncertainties, in the areas where we fall short, in the dark places where fear and the possibility of failure is looming.
The story of Abraham is a perfect illustration of faith in uncertainty.
God told Abraham to leave the land of his mother and father and go to a place “I shall tell you of” (no details) and Abraham did so. God told Abraham he would be a father to many nations even though he was past child bearing age and his wife was barren, yet the scriptures tell us in Genesis 15:6, “Abraham believed the Lord and he accounted it to him as righteousness.” Later, we see that God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac, and Abraham willingly took the child to offer him up to God. Scripture tells us that Abraham was called a “friend of God”, because he believed God and did as He commanded even when he did not understand.
Truth is fear and faith typically co-exist and the presence of one does not indicate the absence of the other. However, It’s the choice that makes the difference. Do I choose to press forward in spite of my fear or do I cower and run because of it?
It is in these moments that I can truly appreciate the purpose of the Bible in my life. In my uncertainty, I have Abraham as a model, a perfect example of what it looks like when God calls us to do something that is beyond our understanding or beyond the scope of our natural abilities. I have Abraham to refer to whenever I stress about what lies on the other side of my fear – God proved himself faithful to Abraham every single time, and since he is God and he does not change (Malachi 3:6), I have faith he will prove himself righteous and faithful to me as well.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Roman 10:17).
So even though I am afraid of the unknown, I am comforted by the these three immutable truths: It is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18), God is for me so nothing can stand against me (Romans 8:31), and all things (success or failure) ultimately work toward my good (Romans 8:28).
So what do I have to fear? In my own strength – everything. I AM incapable. I do lack the resources and frankly I’m not even smart enough.
But with my faith in God, my hope in his word and my obedience, I know he will make up where I lack and his will shall be done in my life.
Like Abraham, I want to be called a friend of God… such an honor is worth moving beyond my doubts and fears and stretching toward what God has purposed me to do.


Seven hundred employees from government and non-government sectors in the province of Negros Occidental in central Philippines came to the second public affairs and religious liberty convention held at the gymnasium owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Negros Occidental (NOC), January 29.
Themed “Proclaiming God’s Grace in the Workplace,” the gathering enabled the participants to work out ways by which they can strengthen their bonds as purveyors of religious freedom. Lawyers, elected public officials, teachers, office secretaries and other career employees took part in discussions, presentations and open forums. Asked of their impressions on this gathering, participants commented that they were “enlightening, inspiring, revealing, and mind-boggling but spiritually focused agenda.”
The Honorable Daryl Grace Abayon, a congresswoman in the Philippine House of Representatives, representing the Aangat Tayo Party-List and herself a Seventh-day Adventist, told the attendees about the two Department of Education (DepEd) memoranda granting Sabbath privileges to public school teachers and students who were victims, mostly in the past, of religious intolerance in their workplaces and schools. “Today, you can freely practice your rights as citizens to observe your religious beliefs without fear of reprisal from intolerant administrators and teachers,” said Ms Abayon. She was instrumental in the formulation of said memoranda after seeking the help of the country’s DepEd secretaries of the past and the present administration.
Atty. Harlin Abayon, who preceded his wife, Daryl Grace, as representative in the Philippine House of Congress and a very strong advocate of religious freedom in the workplace, challenged the Adventist public servants and also non-government workers to keep “your faith in the midst of forces that could influence withdrawal of loyalties to God and the tenets of the church.”
“If you are drawn to politics but do not have the backbone to withstand the temptation to remain advocate of truth and purveyors of faithfulness to the church, you better kill that desire,” Atty. Abayon advised the participants. “However, like Daniel and the three Hebrews standing true to their faith in the halls of public service, had rather followed God than lost their lives, you too can place yourselves into the hard grind of public accountabilities.”
Dr Jonathan C Catolico, public affairs and religious liberty (PARL) director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the southern Asia-Pacific region (SSD), invited the attendees to come into the picture of making themselves “messengers of the everlasting gospel in the workplace either as employees or employers.” He told the participants that “serving God does not wait for weekends or holidays when you go out to tell others about the love of Jesus because you can live His life in your workplace.”
Pastor Donald E Zabala, PARL director for the Church in Central Philippines, also admonished the participants to make use of their opportunities in the workplace to show how a Christian worker can be “different in all aspects of right workmanship and living.”
The convention went through smoothly according to the well-coordinated preparation done by Pastor Heber Bacolod, NOC PARL director, and the NOC officers and staff.
During the event, a league of Adventist lawyers was organized in order to provide legal assistance to church members who may be infringed of their rights in the conduct of their service while being faithful to their religious belief. [AND Staff]


St Peter’s Church
It’s fantastic news that restoration work to St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church in Wisbech is due to start shortly. The National Heritage Lottery Fund is committing £363,200 to the scheme to revitalize the Grade I listed medieval church. It’s the culmination of three years of hard work by the Parish Project Team and church trustees, supported by the local community – including some great work by children at Nene and Ramnoth, the Orchards and St Peter’s Schools. Special thanks and my congratulations go to Val Spriggs, church treasurer and project co-ordinator. The funding will be put to good use on the church’s leaking roof as well as the masonry and drainpipes. Inside, plans for a new kitchen and toilets will make the church fit for the modern era and allow expanded use as a community hub able to host events. Work should take about a year. The church was built in the 12th century and in 1217 was valued at £33 6s 8d. Now it is a priceless gem that has been safeguarded for the community for years to come.


God Told Me
I have always been more than a little skeptical of Christians who use the phrase, “God told me…” Or, “I have a word from the Lord…” You have to admit, it is quite a conversation stopper, isn’t it? If God told you, then I guess any other point of view is moot. Indeed, if God did tell them something, then any other piece of the puzzle is moot. However, I suspect some Christians may, wittingly or not, say it when they really aren’t open to any other counsel. Or when they really don’t want to be bothered with pesky details of reality in dissecting a problem, when they just want to follow their feelings. Or worst, when they confuse their own desires for God’s voice. But in conversation anyway, they get an awkward spiritual pass as long as they say, God told me.
On the other hand.
Which is why God gave us two hands. He told me. ;-)
Recently some of my best Christian people have flung the God told me thing at me, and actually, maybe God really did tell them. Whaddya know? Three stories:
Even as I type, Josiah and Ivy are painting our kitchen and family room. Tom and I agonized for weeks, even months, over what color to paint the new kitchen. I hired an interior decorator over TWICE to help me choose a color that would work well with the new cabinets and the granite. We lived with samplings on the walls of the first color, a soft green, but eventually decided we needed a neutral instead. We lived with a sampling of the neutral on the wall for weeks, but we just couldn’t warm up to it either. Argh!!!
So then one day Tom sat in the kitchen for a quiet time, looked over into the dining room and noticed the dining room color, a beautiful color called Latte. He decided God had told him that we should paint the kitchen and family room the same color as the dining room. Eye roll. Well, I thought, I guess that’s the end of *that* discussion. And hello, why didn’t you ask Him *before* I had paid the decorator to come over twice???
But at this moment, Josiah and Ivy are busily Latte-ing the kitchen, and it is very, very lovely. It’s light, airy and cheerful, the very feel I was looking for, and it works well with the cabinets. We had been barking up the wrong tree with our other choices.
Well, all right. Maybe God did tell him what color to paint the walls.
I have a dear, sweet friend who, before she was a dear sweet friend, decided she had heard from God that she was to mentor me. I wasn’t so sure about this, but I wasn’t going to be rude either. I was helping her with some editing she needed on her doctoral thesis, so we had occasion to meet regularly over a period of time. She was very proactive in getting to know me and my family, taking a deep and personal interest in everything to do with my life. She was completely transparent about her own life and struggles and brought a God-perspective into every conversation. All in all, she was irresistible, and I have found myself thankful for her wisdom and godly counsel time and time again. I am just thankful for such a godly friend on whom I can count for prayer when I need it.
Soooo, maybe God did tell her.
Today a friend gave a small luncheon for another gal and me. The other gal graciously brought a small bouquet of yellow and orange flowers as a hostess gift. As it happened, our hostess had put some yellow tulips on the table, and the new bouquet looked beautiful with them. The gal told us that when she was at the store, she really liked the purple and white bouquet better, but something told her to buy the yellow one.
Hmm. Maybe God told her.
Okay, one more story!
Many years ago I attended a BSF group led by a godly woman. At one point she told the story of how the BSF group began and how she came to be the teaching leader. She had been meeting regularly with a group of women to pray about starting another BSF group. Just pray. As she was having her devotions one day during this time, she felt a nudge to her heart that she was to be the teaching leader of the new group.
She didn’t say a word to anyone else about it. But soon afterward the rest of the group approached her saying that they believed God was telling them that she was to be the teaching leader. In that way she received confirmation that, indeed, she had heard from God.
It was not her own pride talking, nor was it indigestion. She also didn’t need to say a word to anyone or promote herself in any way.
There is only one Spirit, and He is fully able to corroborate His desires through others.
So now let me just tell you my own little moment…uncorroborated by others. Just a warm fuzzy between me and God.
I pray for my Reed. I pray for my wonderful and most precious Reed quite a lot these days. I perceive a battle for his affections in a sense – worldly versus Godly pursuits. So the other day I was walking and praying for him, asking for wisdom, and actually, kind of wondering why God hadn’t more obviously shown up in his life yet. I was wondering this very respectfully because I do believe that God has shown up. It’s just that Reed, I suspect, is still playing with fire. And so I was walking Oliver through the cemetery one beautiful day last week discussing this with my good and kind Father.
Just then Beatriz texted me: “Hey, guess who just graduated from the 190’s!?”
Bless her heart. Beatriz struggles with her weight. I began praying for her even as a child and all throughout middle and high school that God would help her with this. In college all her roommates were teeny, tiny morsels of femininity. I was so hopeful that they might have some positive influence on her eating habits. Instead it had the opposite effect. Many, even most, of them had struggled with the opposite type of eating disorders (anorexia/bulimia), and so she grew disdainful of their asceticism. Was she really disdainful, or was she using disdain as an excuse to not face her own demons? I don’t know, but she graduated from college and moved to Chicago for her first job still overweight.
Now, now, now, almost two years out of college, she is beginning to deal head-on with her unhealthy relationship with food, specifically with her sugar addiction. She is getting to the core of the problem. Of course, losing weight is a high! But she is focused first and foremost on the root of the problem. When she does get down to her healthy weight, I believe she will be there permanently.
And God chose that moment, as I was asking for His help in understanding why any progress with Reed was taking so long, to have Beatriz text me with her progress.
In the quiet places of my heart I felt like I understood. All those years I prayed for Beatriz and she didn’t lose weight, God was working. All those years, she could have lost weight in a matter of months! But it would have been a superficial fix. Her behavior is easy to control in the short term. The affections of her heart that guide her behavior are another matter entirely. And that’s where God, in His wisdom, had been working all those years I was praying for her. He had been busy laying the groundwork for a more permanent remedy.
Just like Josiah spent so much time repairing the walls and priming before he actually got to work putting on the pretty color.
And so my heart was comforted for Reed. Making his behavior conform to conventional Christian standards is easy. Any monkey can be taught to behave. But God is interested in Reed’s heart being His. He is interested in Reed hearing the voice of his Savior and falling in love. He wants Reed to come to Him willingly and adoringly, drawn by the Father’s all-consuming love for his very soul. The behaviors will follow.
I felt like God “gave me a word.” “God told me…”
In the quiet place of my heart, I did feel like God had whispered a special secret into my ear. A special secret just for me. “I’m working, honey. You’ll see. It’ll be great.”
So what do you think? Was this just personal angst mixed with hopefulness? Was it indigestion? Or did God really whisper into my heart? I won’t know for a while. In the meantime, I won’t be broadcasting it either. It is just a moment I’ll hold onto and treasure privately.


Dear Members of Saint Sebastian Parish Community,
Saint Sebastian Parish is alive and you, as a parishioner, are part of the life force in a community that began over 100 years ago. The stories created within this parish could fill a book. Whether your family is new to our parish or you count baptisms, weddings and funerals in generations, you are important to the vitality of our faith community.
As a vital player in the midst of this historic Washington Heights neighborhood, the parish carries a legacy of dedication, hard work and friendships. The life of our parish is a journey, in many ways similar to our own lives. We grow, mature, struggle, thrive, but more than anything, we gather and celebrate together. In 2015, we had:
3,470 Parish members 1,313 Households 37 Baptisms
44 1st Communions 14 1st Reconciliations 7 Confirmations
15 Marriages 16 Funerals
When you think about all the history and what makes up this parish, it is an honor to be responsible not only for the excellent buildings, but for all the memories of lives that have been touched through the generations. Now it is ours to care for and pass it on to the next generation. A responsibility we take on willingly and even passionately. We have much to be grateful for:
- A faith-filled and dynamic new principal.
- Faith formation programs meeting the needs of children, youth and adults.
- Exquisite worship services bringing all parishioners the joy of the Gospel.
- Community-building activities in both the school and the parish, like the Auction, the Holiday Boutique, the plays, as well as all the weekly clubs and sports.
General maintenance and repairs for our aging campus are vital to provide a beacon for our west-side community. Recently, work has been done to create a more welcoming environment. The school entrance was renovated and the prayer garden was installed. We have many plans for improvements, including more efficient lighting throughout the campus. However, the purpose of the Love without Limits campaign is to not just pay for the cost of operating the parish, but for the honor to serve this neighborhood.
The past few years have seen our offertory giving drift downward, even as our parish membership stays about the same. In the current fiscal year, we are within our budget, but we need to build our reserves and strengthen our building maintenance plan. Stewardship is a part of our Catholic spirituality. The support that comes through a stewardship mindset requires prayerful reflection, an acceptance of responsibilities and generous hearts. Tithing should not be undertaken in a ‘what will I get out of it?’ mental attitude.
We have an abundance of gifts. Reflect on your place in the generations who have laid our foundation, and consider how valuable we are to future generations who grace our parish. Experience the joy of making a difference as you take your place in the proud legacy of Saint Sebastian Parish. Please take time to prayerfully reflect on your openness to our Love without Limits campaign, which depends on you doing your part to provide a sustainable future.
With that I am asking that each of you take the time to prayerfully reflect on your level of sacrificial giving to the parish and respond with some commitment for the next year and the years beyond. As always, I keep all of you and your families in my prayers. Again, I am very thankful for each of you and all that you do and for your continued support.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Larry Chapman