My birthday is June 18. This weekend I will celebrate another year of life as I have done for so many years, associated with an AME Meeting. All of my life I have shared my birthday with Father’s Day. It has been a pleasure since I was born on Father’s Day, and my father was in the pulpit during my birth. No one, I am sure, saw that divine connection. God gave him his last child on Father’s Day and every year there was combined acknowledgement. No one knew that the day I was born, I would continue the Henning legacy to preach the gospel.
Celebrating my birthday on or around Father’s Day has never been a problem. My husband shares love and gifts with me, and I do the same. It is a family celebration where we purchase two cards.
Beginning in 2015, I also remember the massacre of the Emmanuel Nine. This is a more sobering thought than giving thanks for fathers. This is not a celebration but a commemoration. Confirmed in my spirit is the uncertainty of death. Further confirmed is the diabolical, inhumane, community of evil that bases its hatred on color, race, gender, sexuality, gender identification, race, religion or anything evil creates. No matter how righteous we try to live our lives, we are only a breath away from death not just from accidents but premeditated murder. Yet, also confirmed in my spirit is the abundance of love, strength, and power in the collective resolve of a people who refuse to bow down to fear, oppression, and to evil in any form.
Every time I see the collective pictures of Emanuel Nine, I grieve their senseless deaths, and the pain their families must continue to endure. But I thank God for The Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, The Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Tywanza Sanders, Ethel Lance, Susie Jackson, Depayne Middleton Doctor, The Rev. Daniel Simmons, and Myra Thompson. We will work so their individual and collective legacies will continue, healing will prevail in their families’ lives, and our fight for justice will be one day victorious.
This weekend I celebrate another birthday not only to enjoy my life, but to fight for life for others. Happy Birthday to me.


Thrill to the glorious sound of the Northwest Boychoir as it performs A Festival of Lessons & Carols, a holiday concert series now in its 36th year that showcases the 90-member combined chorus of the Northwest Boychoir and Vocalpoint! Seattle accompanied by the Northwest Sinfonia and conducted by Joseph Crnko.
Patterned after the Christmas Eve observance at King’s College in Cambridge, England, A Festival of Lessons & Carols has become a holiday tradition for thousands of families in the Seattle region. This traditional performance consists of nine holiday readings, each followed by a traditional carol performed by the choir, and another carol sung by the choir and audience, bringing the beauty and magic of Christmas into crystal-clear focus.
The Northwest Boychoir’s ability to perform music from any era, its bright tone, and dedication to musical excellence have established its reputation as one of the nation’s premier boychoirs.
Watch a clip here.
Northwest Choirs, USA
1 Caroling, Caroling
2 Good King Wenceslas
3 O Come All Ye Faithful
4 Adam Lay Ybounden
5 O Come, O Come Emmanuel
6 Sweet Little Jesus Boy
7 Angels We Have Heard On High
8 Riu Riu Chiu
9 O Little Town Of Bethlehem
10 There Is No Rose
11 What Child Is This?
12 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
13 Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
14 We Three Kings
15 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
16 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear


In the inner part of the basilica, we immediately notice the circularity of the structure that presents the environment, the white marble Lasa on which the altar is placed, which houses the shrine with Our Lady of Tears, immediately draws the attention of the faithful. Above the altar there is a precious crucifix dated and the original half bust that was the protagonist of the tearing in the house Iannuso.
The base of the altar is made of bronze, and is composed of four panels depicting some scenes from the book of the Apocalypse: the throne, the new Jerusalem, the lamb; and on the right, the tree of life, the column and the scroll. The Sanctuary is divided into 16 small chapels on two levels, 5 at the sides of the central room, and 11 in the crypt of which we will discuss later. Below the Basilica there is a Crypt, the latter was inaugurated on August 28, , is accessed from 18 entrances and has a capacity of 3, seats. It shows a circular shape with an external diameter of 80 meters, the internal one of 38 meters and a height of 9 meters.
The altar of the crypt is placed on a red granite floor, the presbytery is in a semicircle, here was housed the picture of Our Lady of Tears from to and, subsequently, from May 1, to November 4, Inside this crypt, there are several chapels, one of which is used for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, another, instead, houses a crib with handmade terracotta sculptures from different eras by craftsmen from the city of Caltagirone, famous for its pottery. The remaining 8 chapels feature large mosaic icons dedicated to the Holy Family, St. Lucia, St.
Agatha, St. Corrado, St. The main altar of the crypt also houses an important burial chamber dating back to the Byzantine period AD — AD , under which there are two small rooms dating back to the Greco-Roman period, near which flows a small stream, the latter unfortunately is not accessible. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears is surrounded by a botanical park that extends for nearly 17, square meters, where there are more than different species of plants: trees, palms, evergreen shrubs, flowering shrubs, various shrubs, flowering herbaceous plants, cacti.
The different species of plants and flowers present, make it a place full of colors throughout the year, colors that are renewed with the passing of the seasons, so as to create an oasis of silence, peace, beauty in which you can meditate. The entire Park of the Sanctuary was designed by the landscape architect Nino Attardo and also includes service areas: walkways, Via Crucis, Mysteries of the Rosary, Stele della Madonnina, reception area for pilgrims, thus reaching 35, square meters.
Friday, September 27, Siracusa Travel.
Pantalica tour. Boat tour in the Ciane reserve. Vendicari and Marzamemi Excursion. Cavagrande del Cassibile excursion. Extra-urban Ast service. AST city bus service. Shuttle bus to Syracuse. Villa Gallo a due passi dal mare Fontane Bianche. Casetta Atena. Casa Arancia a due passi dal mare. Villa marina a due passi dal mare Fontane bianche.
Bistrot del mar — Fontane bianche. Cod da Saretta — English Breakfast. La Locanda del collegio. In the 16th century and probably continuing into the early 17th century, the image was modified by then adding the mandorla -shaped sunburst around the Virgin, the stars on her cloak, the moon under her feet, and the angel with a folded cloth supporting her — as was determined by an infrared and ocular study of the tilma in It also contains the following glosses: " Also in that year of appeared to Cuahtlatoatzin our beloved mother the Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.
Cuahtlatoatzin died worthily" . This tract contains a section called the Nican mopohua "Here it is recounted" , which has been already touched on above. It has been attributed since the late s to Antonio Valeriano ca. Most authorities agree on the dating and on Valeriano's authorship. Two separate accounts, one in Nahuatl from Juan Bautista del Barrio de San Juan from the 16th century,  and the other in Spanish by Servando Teresa de Mier  date the original apparition and native celebration on September 8 of the Julian calendar , but it is also noted that the Spaniards celebrate it on December 12 instead.
The initiative to perform them was made by Francisco de Siles who proposed to ask the Church of Rome, a Mass itself with allusive text to the apparitions and stamping of the image, along with the divine office itself, and the precept of hearing a Catholic Mass on December 12, the last date of the apparitions of the Virgin to Juan Diego as the new date to commemorate the apparitions which until then was on September 8, the birth of the Virgin.
These published documental accounts of the origin of the image already venerated in Tepeya, then increased interest in the identity of Juan Diego, who was the original recipient of the prime vision. A new Catholic Basilica church was built to house the image. Completed in , it is now known as the Old Basilica.
The image had originally featured a point crown on the Virgin's head, but this disappeared in — The change was first noticed on 23 February , when the image was removed to a nearby church. This may have been motivated by the fact that the gold paint was flaking off of the crown, leaving it looking dilapidated.
But according to the historian David Brading , "the decision to remove rather than replace the crown was no doubt inspired by a desire to 'modernize' the image and reinforce its similarity to the nineteenth-century images of the Immaculate Conception which were exhibited at Lourdes and elsewhere What is rarely mentioned is that the frame which surrounded the canvas was adjusted to leave almost no space above the Virgin's head, thereby obscuring the effects of the erasure.
A different crown was installed to the image. During his leadership, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints declared Juan Diego "venerable" in , and the pope himself announced his beatification on 6 May , during a Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, declaring him "protector and advocate of the indigenous peoples," with December 9 established as his feast day.
At that time historians revived doubts as to the quality of the evidence regarding Juan Diego. The record of the ecclesiastical inquiry omitted him, and he was not mentioned in documentation before the midth century. In the year-old abbot of the Basilica of Guadalupe , Guillermo Schulenburg , was forced to resign following an interview published in the Catholic magazine Ixthus, in which he was quoted as saying that Juan Diego was "a symbol, not a reality", and that his canonization would be the "recognition of a cult.
It is not recognition of the physical, real existence of a person. He concluded that Juan Diego had not existed.
- Basilica Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears | Siracusa Travel!
- MACHALAND: The Hollywood Crime Novels.
- Titles of Mary.
In , Father Xavier Escalada, a Jesuit whose four volume Guadalupe encyclopedia had just been published, announced the existence of a sheet of parchment known as Codex Escalada , which bore an illustrated account of the vision and some notations in Nahuatl concerning the life and death of Juan Diego. Previously unknown, the document was dated The codex was the subject of an appendix to the Guadalupe encyclopedia, published in Paul's vision of Christ on the road to Damascus , drawn by St.
Luke and signed by St. In the earliest account of the apparition, the Nican Mopohua , the Virgin de Guadalupe, later called as if the Virgin Mary tells Juan Bernardino, the uncle of Juan Diego , that the image left on the tilma is to be known by the name "the Perfect Virgin, Holy Mary of Guadalupe.
Scholars do not agree as to how the name "Guadalupe" was ascribed to the image.
Others hold that the Spanish name Guadalupe is the original name, and refers to the Spanish Our Lady of Guadalupe, Extremadura , whose cult had been important in Spain in the 16th century and had been brought to the New World with the Spanish conquest. The first theory to promote a Nahuatl origin was that of Luis Becerra Tanco. In addition, the Virgin Mary was portrayed in European art as crushing the serpent of the Garden of Eden.
This appears to be borne out by the fact that this goddess already had a temple dedicated to her on the very Tepeyac Hill where Juan Diego had his vision, the same temple which had recently been destroyed at the behest of the new Spanish Catholic authorities. In the 16th century the Franciscans were suspicious that the followers of Guadalupe showed, or was susceptible to, elements of syncretism , i.
The theory promoting the Spanish language origin of the name claims that:. The portrait was executed on a fabric support of natural material constituted by two pieces originally three joined together. The join is clearly visible as a seam passing from top to bottom, with the Virgin's face and hands and the head of the angel on the left piece.
It passes through the left wrist of the Virgin. The fabric is mounted on a large metal sheet to which it has been glued for some time. At this point, there is a wide gap between the wall and the sanctuary facilitating closer viewing from moving walkways set on the floor beneath the main level of the basilica, carrying people a short distance in either direction.
Viewed from the main body of the basilica, the image is located above and to the right of the altar and is retracted at night into a small vault accessible by steps set into the wall.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
The nature of the fabric is discussed below. Neither the fabric "the support" nor the image together, "the tilma" has been analyzed using the full range of resources now available to museum conservationists. Four technical studies have been conducted so far. Of these, the findings of at least three have been published. Each study required the permission of the custodians of the tilma in the Basilica.
the many faces of Mary
However, Callahan's study was taken at the initiative of a third party: the custodians did not know in advance what his research would reveal. Virgil Elizondo says the image also had layers of meaning for the indigenous people of Mexico who associated her image with their polytheistic deities, which further contributed to her popularity. Morelos adopted the Virgin as the seal of his Congress of Chilpancingo , inscribing her feast day into the Chilpancingo constitution and declaring that Guadalupe was the power behind his victories:.
New Spain puts less faith in its own efforts than in the power of God and the intercession of its Blessed Mother, who appeared within the precincts of Tepeyac as the miraculous image of Guadalupe that had come to comfort us, defend us, visibly be our protection. In , Emiliano Zapata 's peasant army rose out of the south against the government of Francisco Madero. By the 16th century the Extremadura Guadalupe, a statue of the Virgin said to be carved by Saint Luke the Evangelist, was already a national icon.
It was found at the beginning of the 14th century when the Virgin appeared to a humble shepherd and ordered him to dig at the site of the apparition. The recovered Virgin then miraculously helped to expel the Moors from Spain, and her small shrine evolved into the great Guadalupe monastery. According to the traditional account, the name of Guadalupe, as the name was heard or understood by Spaniards, was chosen by the Virgin herself when she appeared on the hill outside Mexico City in , ten years after the Conquest.
Guadalupe continues to be a mixture of the cultures which blended to form Mexico, both racially and religiously,  "the first mestiza ",  or "the first Mexican". Cisneros' story is constructed out of brief notes that people give Our Lady of Guadalupe in thanks for favors received, which in Cisneros' hands becomes a portrait of an extended Chicano community living throughout Texas. In Chayo's words, "I finally understood who you are. Your church at Tepeyac built on the site of her temple" Our Lady of Guadalupe, Juan Diego, and the tilma have been investigated through film several times in recent history.
Several Pontiffs have honored the image, specifically:. Roman Catholic sources claim that the original image has many miraculous and supernatural properties, including that the tilma has maintained its structural integrity for approximately years despite exposure to soot, candle wax, incense, constant manual veneration by devotees, the historical fact that the image was displayed without any protective glass for its first years, while replicas normally endure for only circa 15 years before degrading,  and that it repaired itself with no external assistance after a accident in which nitric acid was spilled on its top right, causing considerable damage but leaving the aureola of the Virgin intact.
Furthermore, on 14 November a bomb hidden within a basket of flowers and left under the tilma by an anti-Catholic secularist exploded and damaged the altar of the Basilica that houses the original image, but the tilma was unharmed. A brass standing crucifix, bent by the explosion, is now preserved at the shrine's museum and is believed to be miraculous by devotees. In and photographers claimed to have found a figure reflected in the Virgin's eyes; upon inspection they said that the reflection was tripled in what is called the Purkinje effect , commonly found in human eyes.
Numerous Catholic websites repeat the claim  that in biochemist Richard Kuhn analyzed a sample of the fabric and announced that the pigments used were from no known source, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable. Philip Serna Callahan, who photographed the icon under infrared light, declared from his photographs that portions of the face, hands, robe, and mantle had been painted in one step, with no sketches or corrections and no visible brush strokes.


A reflection of being thankful and grateful on this Easter Sunday. I took the day off from my MK power hour Sunday to spend time with family and friends.
It's was beautiful sunny day and there is nothing better than playing wiffle ball with the family. It was a fun game. We had a tumbler, a cheater and a few people who tried hard to hit the ball but it didn't happen LOL. It's those little moments we tend to treasure most.
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday. God is good even through the storm.
Tomorrow is a day of preparation and of working on appointments.
I want to leave you with this :
Life is short, leave behind the negative people and all the negative thoughts. Take time for your family because a job can always replace you but your family cannot. LIVE LOVE LAUGH
God first, family second and career last. ~Mary Kay Ash~


2 edition of Seven words to the cross. found in the catalog.
Seven words to the cross.
Robert Franklin Jones
|LC Classifications||BT453 .J58|
|The Physical Object|
|Number of Pages||92|
|LC Control Number||61007593|
Jesus spoke these Seven statements while He was being crucified on the cross. Tonight, please meditate on Jesus’ final words from the cross (His words of grace, love, hope, agony, suffering, finality, and rest) and respond to the Lord in repentance, reverent worship, singing, prayer, devotion and Size: KB.
Jon Meacham explores the last words of Jesus from the cross Jon Meacham discusses 'The Hope of Glory,' his new book on the seven last sayings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. Feb. 27, The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards. God put our sin on his Son and punished it there. Your sins have been placed on Jesus. Jesus receives the blow. And since Christ is between you and God, you don’t. The sin is punished, but you are safe—safe in the shadow of the cross!
A video presentation of Jesus' seven last words on the cross. This video was made for First Pres Glen Ellyn () for their Good Friday . As Jesus hung on the cross, he uttered seven last words. Reflect on the third word that Jesus spoke on the cross.
protocol to the agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding safeguards in the United States (Treaty doc. 107-7)
Armorial Worcester porcelain of the first period
Mediæval Scottish poetry
Casper The Ghost Clr
Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Elastic and Diffractive Scattering
Implmenting welfare-employment programs
Joint Review of the Strategic Plans and Budget of the Internal Revenue Service, 2005
Iohannes Scottus Eriugena
Madonna, vibrations, echoes
Introducing the SAS System
[Letter to] Dear Miss Weston
Soviet sociology, 1960-1963.
Text and film in the India song cycle of Marguerite Duras
The Seven Last Words from the Cross come from the various pieces in the gospel stories of the crucifixion. They are, according to the King James Version, as follows: 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' (Luke )/5(10).
Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross: A Devotional Bible Study and Meditation on the Passion of Christ for Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday Services Paperback Seven words to the cross. book Septem Find all the books, read about the author, and more/5(14). “The Seven Words” from the cross, Jesus' supreme sermon The most frequently read Biblical passages during Holy Week are, obviously, the accounts of the crucifixion.
We remember the sufferings of Jesus -his passion- we celebrate his victory over sin -our salvation- and we are moved to worship. Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross 2 Preface. By all accounts Jesus didn’t do a lot of talking on the cross.
He was silent during the hours he hung there, except for a very few words. But these Seven Last Words provide a window into Jesus’ soul, a way to understand what isFile Size: KB. THE FIRST SEVEN WORDS OF THE RISEN SAVIOUR The seven words of the Cross give a message from God to all the World.
(See the sermon on the last 7 words of Je-sus on the cross) The first seven words of the Risen Christ give a message from God to the Church to his people. The Resurrection of Christ was the miracle of Size: 81KB.
Luke records the final words of Jesus before he died on the cross: It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father.
THE SEVEN WORDS FROM THE CROSS. Text from the book: “Life of Christ” by Bishop Fulton Sheen. Our Lord spoke seven times from the Cross; these are called His Seven Last Words.
In His goodness, Our Blessed Lord left His thoughts on dying. He was representative of all humanity. 7 INTRODUCTION Seven pronouncements were made by Our Lord in His passion on the Cross. They were a lifeblood for us all.
At very few instances did He talk during His trial or while being tortured and reviled. He forfeited His own right, and conceded His self. 7 Last Sayings of Jesus on the Cross. Throughout this Lenten season, Christians around the world are focusing on the gift of Salvation.
Remembering the agony experienced by Jesus in His death on the Cross, crucified by Roman soldiers is so profound, isn’t it.
Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross: A Devotional Bible Study and Meditation on the Passion of Christ for Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday Services by Ralph F. Wilson Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read/5. The Seven Words Spoken by Jesus Christ on the Cross This season of the year is an invitation to GROW, REFLECT, PRAY, EXPERIENCE, SORROW, and BE GENEROUS.
What an invitation. All the words of Christ’s were powerful words of life although His seven last sayings as He died for us are worth our Size: KB. An examination of, and meditation upon, the seven sayings spoken by Jesus on the cross -- aka "the seven last words" -- as well as the associated total solar eclipse.
Every saying is examined from different perspectives, each intended to make the reader think more deeply about Jesus' life and death and feel the sayings' applications to his own. THE SEVEN WORDS ON THE CROSS St Robert Bellarmine. Nihil Obstat: EDWARD A. CERNY, S.S., D.D. Censor Librorum. Imprimatur: FRANCIS P.
KEOUGH, D.D Archbishop of Baltimore. Table of Contents. PREFACE; BOOK ONE: ON THE FIRST THREE WORDS SPOKEN ON THE CROSS. The four New Testament Gospels record seven "words," or sayings, from the crucified Jesus of Nazareth.
It has long been customary on GoodFriday to preach seven meditations on the Seven Words. In the traditional order, the first saying is from the Gospel of Luke: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.".Brand: Eerdmans, William B.
Publishing Company. The Gospels record that during the six hours Jesus was hanging on the cross He made seven different statements. These statements are of tremendous significance because they are the last words of Jesus before His death.
They demonstrate that Jesus was consistent in His life and in. BOOK ONE: ON THE FIRST THREE WORDS SPOKEN ON THE CROSS. CHAPTER I: The literal explanation of the first Word, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." CHAPTER II: The first fruit to be drawn from the consideration of the first Word spoken by Christ on the Cross.
The book is illustrated with remarkable watercolors by James Jacques Tissot (). The book includes a brief exposition and reflection on each of the Seven Last Words, plus questions for personal meditation as well as for group discussion. In addition, you'll find in the appendix a two-page synopsis of the discussion questions for a group.
An examination of, and meditation upon, the seven sayings spoken by Jesus on the cross — aka “the seven last words” — as well as the associated total solar eclipse.
Every saying is examined from different perspectives, each intended to make the reader think more deeply about Jesus’ life and death and feel the sayings’ applications to his own life. As Jesus hung upon that Cross almost two thousand years ago, he made seven great statements, treasured by believers as the Seven Words from the Cross.
They cover the basic needs of mankind. Let’s meditate on them together as our Lord’s testament to a world wrecked by sin, bowed down by needs of healing in body, mind and : Owen Bourgaize. This morning, we have looked at a few theological principles from Jesus' sixth saying from the cross.
First, we have learned from the words "it is finished" that Jesus faithfully fulfilled His mission to save mankind from sin. Second, we have learned from the words "it. Summary: SUMMARY OF THE LAST SEVEN SAYINGS - PRACTICLE, PRECISE AND TO THE POINT. 7 LAST SAYINGS SUMMARY. THE WORDS OF: 1) FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO = FORGIVENESS.
LUKE 2) TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE = SALVATION LUKE 3) WOMAN BEHOLD THY SON - BEHOLD .HIS booklet “The 7 Words of Jesus Christ on the Cross” was received in by the inner voice of the Spirit and written down in Graz by Antonie Grossheim, a woman who belonged to the group of friends of the great mystic and servant of God, Jakob Lorber.
Further File Size: KB. An examination of, and meditation upon, the seven sayings spoken by Jesus on the cross -- aka "the seven last words" -- as well as the associated total solar eclipse.
Every saying is examined from.


"Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple that I may be pleased with it and be glorified" says God
2 Kings 12:11
"They gave money which was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the LORD and they paid it to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the LORD"
1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are also doing"
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
A call for an action
All members, friends and visitors of CFCI church as well as generous Christians from all over the world are called to join us and make a contribution towards building the house of the Lord.


Once a symbol of French intentions towards Vietnam, during the war Hanoi’s principal temple of Catholic worship became a safe haven for those escaping American bombing. Words by Bennett Murray. Photos by Theo Lowenstein
West of Hoan Kiem Lake lies a curious spiritual legacy from Hanoi’s colonial history. Resembling a smaller, more austere version of Paris’ legendary Notre Dame, the St Joseph Cathedral is the heart of Vietnam’s 5.5 million-strong Catholic community.
The old cathedral, with its faded neo-Gothic facade, stands out noticeably in the Old Quarter for its imposing stature and Western design. Surrounded by bustling shophouses and hotels, it’s a relic of a bygone era when the predominately Catholic French colonialists conquered the city.
The consensus among the cathedral’s neighbours today, who are mostly Buddhist, is that their slice of the Old Quarter has always provided a peaceful respite in the midst of Hanoi’s hectic evolution.
Le Thi My, an 82-year-old woman who serves chicken soup from the first floor of a house directly opposite the cathedral’s front entrance, says she wants to spend the rest of her life in St Joseph’s shadow.
“I’ve been here for three generations, for 65 years,” she says, adding that despite accumulating real estate investments around the city thanks to her profitable soup trade, she has no desire to leave her shop in the Old Quarter.
“Here is the best.”
The Arrival of Jesuits
Catholicism in Vietnam stretches back to when the first Portuguese missionaries arrived in the 16th century. The faith began to take off in earnest during the stay of the French Jesuit Alexander de Rhodes, who converted thousands in the 1620s.
During his time with the Trinh and Nguyen lords, De Rhodes transliterated Vietnamese into the Latin alphabet. While the Portuguese missionaries had previously attempted to Romanise Vietnamese, De Rhodes’ system forms the basis of the quoc ngu script used today.
After centuries of confusion among the royal courts as to whether Catholicism was benign or threatening (an uncertainty that cost thousands of lives), the predominately Catholic French put the matter to rest when they conquered Vietnam in the 19th Century.
A year after France formally took over northern Vietnam from China with the 1885 Treaty of Tientsin, a place of worship was built in Hanoi to accommodate the religion of the conquerors.
In an act that would prove symbolic of France’s intentions for Vietnam, St Joseph’s Cathedral was built on the site of an 11th-century Buddhist pagoda from the Ly Dynasty.
Catholicism would grow throughout the colonial period, with the first Vietnamese bishop consecrated in Rome in 1933.
But when the French exited in 1954 and The Socialist Republic of Vietnam found itself under Ho Chi Minh’s leadership, the church entered a period of uncertainty.
Christians and Communists were not on friendly terms in those early years of independence, leading to tension. Although the church was never outlawed outright, one million Catholics fled south.
Complicating matters was South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem’s outspoken Catholic identity and tendency to appoint Vietnamese Catholics to high positions.
With most of the Catholics gone from the St Joseph neighbourhood, the area around the church was soon reoccupied by a new wave of residents as the government nationalised all houses larger than one room throughout Hanoi.
Bui Van Thuong, an 81-year-old retired textile factory worker, moved into a small apartment next to the cathedral in 1954.
“The rich people left, and I came here and took the house,” he says, referring to the widespread flight of the colonial-era elite from northern Vietnam after the Viet Minh victory.
Thuong went on to raise four daughters and one son in his 15 square-metre apartment.
While the new neighbours weren’t interested in the Catholic faith, they found that the prominent cathedral, which was clearly visible to US pilots dropping bombs on the city, provided protection during the war.
At a time when other parts of the city were ravaged, long-term residents say that American hangups over attacking churches kept the neighbourhood free from bombings.
“I was safe here because of the church,” says Thuong.
Tran Van Phong, a 62-year old retired watch factory worker who has lived on the block north of St Joseph’s for 50 years, says the area functioned as an ad hoc safe zone throughout almost a decade of bombings.
“This place was very safe compared to other places, because it’s near the church,” says Phong, who lives in a 16 square-metre flat with his wife.
Once the war ended in 1975, a new calm came over the cathedral in the years prior to the intensive urban migration sparked by doi moi.
Reforms also sparked a resurgence in Catholicism, with the church and government having found accord in recent decades. Former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung even visited the Vatican in 2007 for a meeting with Pope Benedict.
Vietnam is now around seven per cent Catholic, making the religion the second largest in the country.
Yet the church neighbourhood remains largely Buddhist, with the same families occupying the same shophouses today that they did in the 1950s.
Hanoi, says Phong, is far too busy for his tastes these days.
“I preferred it back in the past. I know that society has changed, but there are too many people and it’s very busy,” says Phong, adding that he doesn’t want to leave the relative tranquillity of the church neighbourhood.
Phong has the option of leaving his small apartment on top of a bun cha eatery — his children, who have all moved away, have stable jobs and can buy him a new home.
He has decided, however, to make peace with the changing times in the house where he has spent his entire adult life.
“My children have a lot of money, but I don’t want to change,” he says.
Thuong agrees, stating that he has owned his flat too long for him to leave it.
“I view this place as for my family, I don’t want to leave for another place.”


How Nutrisystem Works
Nutrisystem allows you to track your weight loss progress through the tracking tool available on its official website. Archived December 2, , at the Wayback Machine. You simply adhere to your allotted points. Nutrisystem is offering day risk-free guarantee. Archived from the original on November 30, The most attractive feature of Nutrisystem and one of the main reasons for its effectiveness is that it does not offer one-size-fits-all weight loss solutions.
Jenny Craig – Food, Body and Mind
Much of the theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church corresponds to common Protestant Christian teachings, such as the Trinity and the infallibility of Scripture. Distinctive teachings include the unconscious state of the dead and the doctrine of an investigative judgment.
The church is known for its emphasis on diet and health, its "holistic" understanding of the person,  promotion of religious liberty, and its conservative principles and lifestyle. The world church is governed by a General Conference , with smaller regions administered by divisions, union conferences, and local conferences. It currently has a worldwide baptized membership of over 20 million people, and 25 million adherents.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the largest of several Adventist groups which arose from the Millerite movement of the s in upstate New York , a phase of the Second Great Awakening. William Miller predicted on the basis of Daniel 8: In the summer of , Millerites came to believe that Jesus would return on October 22, , understood to be the biblical Day of Atonement for that year.
Miller's failed prediction became known as the " Great Disappointment ". Hiram Edson and other Millerites came to believe that Miller's calculations were correct, but that his interpretation of Daniel 8: These Adventists came to the conviction that Daniel 8: Over the next few decades this understanding of a sanctuary in heaven developed into the doctrine of the investigative judgment , an eschatological process that commenced in , in which every person would be judged to verify their eligibility for salvation and God's justice will be confirmed before the universe.
This group of Adventists continued to believe that Christ's Second Coming would continue to be imminent, however they resisted setting further dates for the event, citing Revelation As the early Adventist movement consolidated its beliefs, the question of the biblical day of rest and worship was raised. The foremost proponent of Sabbath -keeping among early Adventists was Joseph Bates.
Bates was introduced to the Sabbath doctrine through a tract written by Millerite preacher Thomas M. This message was gradually accepted and formed the topic of the first edition of the church publication The Present Truth now the Adventist Review , which appeared in July For about 20 years, the Adventist movement consisted of a small, loosely knit group of people who came from many churches and whose primary means of connection and interaction was through James White's periodical The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.
They embraced the doctrines of the Sabbath, the heavenly sanctuary interpretation of Daniel 8: Ellen White came to occupy a particularly central role; her many visions and spiritual leadership convinced her fellow Adventists that she possessed the gift of prophecy.
The church was formally established in Battle Creek, Michigan , on May 21, , with a membership of 3, The denomination in the s turned to missionary work and revivals, tripling its membership to 16, by and establishing a presence beyond North America during the late 19th century.
Rapid growth continued, with 75, members in By this time the denomination operated two colleges, a medical school, a dozen academies, 27 hospitals, and 13 publishing houses. The church's beliefs and doctrines were first published in in Battle Creek Michigan as a brief statement called "A Synopsis of our Faith".
White was not one of them. The Adventist Church adopted Trinitarian theology early in the 20th century and began to dialogue with other Protestant groups toward the middle of the century, eventually gaining wide recognition as a Protestant church. Christianity Today recognized the Seventh-day Adventist church as " the fifth-largest Christian communion worldwide" in its January 22, issue. The official teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination are expressed in its 28 Fundamental Beliefs.
This statement of beliefs was originally adopted by the General Conference in , with an additional belief number 11 being added in Adventist doctrine resembles trinitarian Protestant theology, with premillennial and Arminian emphases.
Adventists uphold teachings such as the infallibility of Scripture , the substitutionary atonement , the resurrection of the dead and justification by faith alone , and are therefore often considered evangelical. There is a generally recognized set of "distinctive" doctrines which distinguish Adventism from the rest of the Christian world, although not all of these teachings are wholly unique to Adventism: As with any religious movement, a theological spectrum exists within Adventism comparable to the fundamentalist -moderate- liberal spectrum in the wider Christian church and in other religions.
A variety of groups, movements or subcultures within the church present differing views on beliefs and lifestyle. The conservative end of the theological spectrum is represented by historic Adventists , who are characterized by their opposition to theological trends within the denomination, beginning in the s.
The most liberal elements in the church are typically known as progressive Adventists progressive Adventists generally do not identify with liberal Christianity.
They tend to disagree with the traditional views concerning the inspiration of Ellen White , the Sabbath , a seven-day Creation , the doctrine of the remnant and the investigative judgment. The Biblical Research Institute is the official theological research center of the church. The church has two professional organizations for Adventist theologians who are affiliated with the denomination. During the s the Adventist Theological Society was formed to provide a forum for more conservative theologians to meet and is held in conjunction with the Evangelical Theological Society.
Part of Friday might be spent in preparation for the Sabbath; for example, preparing meals and tidying homes. Adventists may gather for Friday evening worship to welcome in the Sabbath, a practice often known as Vespers. Adventists abstain from secular work on Saturday. They will also usually refrain from purely secular forms of recreation, such as competitive sport and watching non-religious programs on television.
However, nature walks, family-oriented activities, charitable work and other activities that are compassionate in nature are encouraged. Saturday afternoon activities vary widely depending on the cultural, ethnic and social background.
In some churches, members and visitors will participate in a fellowship or " potluck " lunch and AYS Adventist Youth Service. The major weekly worship service occurs on Saturday, typically commencing with Sabbath School which is a structured time of small-group study at church.
Adventists make use of an officially produced "Sabbath School Lesson", which deals with a particular biblical text or doctrine every quarter.
After a brief break, the community joins together again for a church service that follows a typical evangelical format, with a sermon as a central feature.
Corporate singing, Scripture readings, prayers and an offering, including tithing or money collection , are other standard features. The instruments and forms of worship music vary greatly throughout the worldwide church.
Worship is known to be generally restrained. Adventist churches usually practice communion four times a year. It commences with a foot washing ceremony, known as the "Ordinance of Humility", based on the Gospel account of John The Ordinance of Humility is meant to symbolize Christ's washing of his disciples' feet at the Last Supper and to remind participants of the need to humbly serve one another. Participants segregate by gender to separate rooms to conduct this ritual, although some congregations allow married couples to perform the ordinance on each other and families are often encouraged to participate together.
After its completion, participants return to the main sanctuary for consumption of the Lord's Supper , which consists of unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice. Since the s when the church began, wholeness and health have been an emphasis of the Adventist church.
The church discourages its members from consuming alcoholic beverages , tobacco or illegal drugs compare Christianity and alcohol. In addition, some Adventists avoid coffee , tea , cola , and other beverages containing caffeine. The pioneers of the Adventist Church had much to do with the common acceptance of breakfast cereals into the Western diet, and the "modern commercial concept of cereal food" originated among Adventists.
His development of breakfast cereals as a health food led to the founding of Kellogg's by his brother William. In both Australia and New Zealand , the church-owned Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is a leading manufacturer of health and vegetarian-related products, most prominently Weet-Bix. Research funded by the U. National Institutes of Health has shown that the average Adventist in California lives 4 to 10 years longer than the average Californian.
The research , as cited by the cover story of the November issue of National Geographic , asserts that Adventists live longer because they do not smoke or drink alcohol, have a day of rest every week, and maintain a healthy, low-fat vegetarian diet that is rich in nuts and beans.
He cites the Adventist emphasis on health, diet, and Sabbath-keeping as primary factors for Adventist longevity. Adventists' clean lifestyles were recognized by the U.
The first task for the scientists was to find people willing to be infected by pathogens that could make them very sick. They found them in the followers of the Seventh-day Adventist faith. Although willing to serve their country when drafted, the Adventists refused to bear arms. As a result many of them became medics. When contacted in late , the Adventist hierarchy readily agreed to this plan.
For Camp Detrick scientists, church members were a model test population, since most of them were in excellent health and they neither drank, smoked, nor used caffeine. From the perspective of the volunteers, the tests gave them a way to fulfill their patriotic duty while remaining true to their beliefs.
The Adventist understanding of marriage is a lawfully binding lifelong commitment of a man and a woman. The Church Manual refers to the origination of the marriage institution in Eden and points to the union between Adam and Eve as the pattern for all future marriages.
Adventists hold that marriage is a divine institution established by God Himself before the fall. They hold that God celebrated the first marriage and the institution has as its origin the Creator of the universe and was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is "one of the two institutions that, after the fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise.
The Old and New Testament texts are interpreted by some Adventists to teach that wives should submit to their husbands in marriage. Adventists hold that heterosexual marriages are the only biblically ordained grounds for sexual intimacy. Adventists do not perform same-sex marriages , and individuals who are openly homosexual but not "practicing" cannot be ordained, but may hold church office and membership.
Current church policy states that openly homosexual and "practicing" persons are to be welcomed into the church services and treated with the love and kindness afforded any human being.
The official Adventist position on abortion is that "abortions for reasons of birth control , gender selection , or convenience are not condoned. Adventists believe in and encourage abstinence for both men and women before marriage. The church disagrees with extra-marital cohabitation.
The Adventist church has released official statements in relation to other ethical issues such as euthanasia against active euthanasia but permissive of passive withdrawal of medical support to allow death to occur ,  birth control in favor of it for married couples if used correctly, but against abortion as birth control and premarital sex in any case  and human cloning against it while the technology is unsafe and would result in defective births or abortions.
Adventists have traditionally held socially conservative attitudes regarding dress and entertainment. These attitudes are reflected in one of the church's fundamental beliefs:. For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty.
While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit.
Accordingly, many Adventists are opposed to practices such as body piercing and tattoos and refrain from the wearing of jewelry, including such items as earrings and bracelets. Some also oppose the displaying of wedding bands, although banning wedding bands is not the position of the General Conference.
Though it seems unbelievable to some, I'm thankful that when I grew up in the church [in the s and s] I was taught not to go to the movie theater, dance, listen to popular music, read novels, wear jewelry, play cards, bowl, play pool, or even be fascinated by professional sports.
Adventists often cite the writings of Ellen White, especially her books, Counsels on Diet and Foods , Counsels to Parents, Teachers and Students , and Education as inspired sources for Christian deportment.
The Adventist church officially opposes the practice of gambling. The Youth Department of the Adventist church runs age specific clubs for children and youth worldwide. Pathfinders is a club for 5th to 10th grade up to 12th in Florida Conference boys and girls. It is similar to and based partly on the Scouting movement.
Pathfinders exposes young people to such activities as camping, community service, personal mentorship, and skills-based education, and trains them for leadership in the church. Yearly "Camporees" are held in individual Conferences, where Pathfinders from the region gather and participate in events similar to Boy Scouts' Jamborees. After a person enters 9th grade, he or she is eligible to join Teen Leadership Training within Pathfinders. In the 11th grade, typically after being a member of a club, they can become a Pathfinder or Adventurer staff member and begin the "Master Guide" program similar to Scout Master which develops leaders for both Adventurers and Pathfinders.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church operates youth camps all over North America and many other parts of the world. Each camp varies in the activities they offer but most have archery, swimming, horses, arts and crafts, nature, high ropes challenge course, and many other common camp activities. The Seventh-day Adventist church is governed by a form of representation which resembles the presbyterian system of church organization. Four levels of organization exist within the world church. Each organization is governed by a general "session" which occurs at certain intervals.
This is usually when administrative decisions are made. The president of the General Conference, for instance, is elected at the General Conference Session every five years. Delegates to a session are appointed by organizations at a lower level. For example, each local church appoints delegates to a conference session.
Within a geographic region, ministers receive roughly equal pay irrespective of the size of their church.
The Church Manual  gives provisions for each level of government to create educational, healthcare, publishing, and other institutions that are seen within the call of the Great Commission. The ordained clergy of the Adventist church are known as ministers or pastors. Ministers are neither elected nor employed by the local churches, but instead are appointed by the local Conferences, which assign them responsibility over a single church or group of churches.
Ordination is a formal recognition bestowed upon pastors and elders after usually a number of years of service. In most parts of the world, women may not be given the title "ordained", although some are employed in ministry, and may be "commissioned" or "ordained-commissioned".
A number of lay offices exist within the local church, including the ordained positions of elder and deacon. Elders serve a mainly administrative and pastoral role, but must also be capable of providing religious leadership particularly in the absence of an ordained minister.
The role of deacons is to assist in the smooth functioning of a local church and to maintain church property. Although the church has no written policy forbidding the ordination of women, it has traditionally ordained only men. In recent years the ordination of women has been the subject of heated debate, especially in North America and Europe.
In the Adventist church, candidates for ordination are chosen by local conferences which usually administer about 50— local congregations and approved by unions which serve about 6—12 conferences. The General Conference, the church's world headquarters, claims the right to declare the worldwide qualifications for ordination, including gender requirements. The General Conference has never stated that ordination of women contravenes the Bible, but the General Conference has requested that no local conference ordain women until all parts of the world church accept the practice.
The primary prerequisite for membership in the Adventist church is baptism by immersion. This, according to the church manual, should occur only after the candidate has undergone proper instruction on what the church believes. As of December 31, , the church has 20,, baptized members.
Depending on how the data was measured, it is reported that church membership reached 1 million between and , and grew to five million in At the turn of the 21st century the church had over 10 million members, which grew to over 14 million in , 16 million in , and 19 million in Jeffrey MacDonald, an award-winning religion reporter, and author of Thieves in the Temple, reports that the SDA church is the fastest-growing church in the United States.
The church has been described as "something of an extended family",  enjoying close, "two- degrees-of-separation social networks ". The Biblical Research Institute is the theological research center of the church. White Estate was established in at the death of Ellen White, as specified in her legal will.
Its purpose is to act as custodian of her writings, and as of it has 15 board members. White Estate also hosts the official Ellen White website whiteestate. The Geoscience Research Institute , based at Loma Linda University , was founded in to investigate the scientific evidence concerning origins.
Started in the late 19th century, Adventist mission work today reaches people in over countries and territories. Missionary outreach of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is aimed not only at non-Christians but also at Christians from other denominations.
Adventists believe that Christ has called his followers in the Great Commission to reach the whole world. Adventists are cautious, however, to ensure that evangelism does not impede or intrude on the basic rights of the individual. Religious liberty is a stance that the Adventist Church supports and promotes.
Globally, the Adventist Church operates 7, schools, colleges and universities, with a total enrollment of more than 1,, and a total teaching staff of approximately 80, The largest in terms of population Seventh-day Adventist university in the world is Northern Caribbean University , located in Mandeville, Jamaica.
Adventists run a large number of hospitals and health-related institutions. Throughout the world, the church runs a wide network of hospitals, clinics, lifestyle centers, and sanitariums. These play a role in the church's health message and worldwide missions outreach. Adventist Health System is the largest not-for-profit multi-institutional Protestant healthcare system in the United States. It is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and cares for over 4 million patients yearly.
ADRA works as a non-sectarian relief agency in countries and areas of the world. Worldwide, ADRA employs over 4, people to help provide relief in crises as well as development in situations of poverty. The church embraces an official commitment to the protection and care of the environment  as well as taking action to avoid the dangers of climate change: A reformation of lifestyle is called for, based on respect for nature, restraint in the use of the world's resources, reevaluation of one's needs, and reaffirmation of the dignity of created life.
The Adventist church has been active for over years in promoting freedom of religion for all people regardless of faith. In its leaders founded the International Religious Liberty Association , which is universal and non-sectarian.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church State Council serves, primarily through advocacy, to seek protection for religious groups from legislation that may affect their religious practices. In May , for example, the organization fought to pass legislation that would protect Adventist employees who wish to keep the Sabbath. According to Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has, throughout its history, aggressively advocated for the separation of church and state.
Adventists have long been proponents of media-based ministries. Traditional Adventist evangelistic efforts consisted of street missions and the distribution of tracts such as The Present Truth , which was published by James White as early as Andrews was sent to Switzerland in , Adventist global efforts consisted entirely of the posting of tracts such as White's to various locations.
In the last century, these efforts have also made use of emerging media such as radio and television. The first of these was H. Richards ' radio show Voice of Prophecy , which was initially broadcast in Los Angeles in Since then Adventists have been on the forefront of media evangelism; It Is Written , founded by George Vandeman , was the first religious program to air on color television and the first major Christian ministry to utilize satellite uplink technology.
Today the Hope Channel , the official television network of the church, operates 8 international channels broadcasting 24 hours a day on cable, satellite, and the Web. Adventist World Radio was founded in  and is the "radio mission arm" of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
A large portion of the ministry's income is derived from membership gifts. SDA evangelists such as Doug Batchelor, Mark Finley and Dwight Nelson have undertaken a number of international satellite-broadcast live evangelistic events, addressing audiences in up to 40 languages simultaneously.
It allows you to eat 5 or 6 times a day and never feel hungry. If you are not hungry all the time, you do not feel like you are dieting at all and it is easier to stick to the regime and get in the desired shape. Plus, all the meals are healthy and balanced, so you can improve your overall health and well-being while shedding pounds. They are rich in protein and fiber and contain low-glycemic carbs, which help keep your blood sugar in balance and reduce those nasty cravings.
However, Nutrisystem provides more than just meals. Along with your regular deliveries of tasty food, you get handy grocery guides that help you eat properly outside the program, plenty of extra information that can help you better understand the weight loss programs, and expert guidance from counselors and dietitians, as well as helpful tools and trackers.
While researching for this Nutrisystem review, we were happy to see that the company has an excellent referral program. Let us begin with the basics. Nutrisystem menu features more than items. The items on the menu include breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, shakes, and bars. Everything on the menu meets or exceeds the standards set by the US government in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Furthermore, all meals and snacks are free from artificial sweeteners, MSG, and trans fats. You can choose your meals yourself or get pre-selected favorites, depending on your preferences. All plans are 4-week plans that allow you to eat 6 times a day, enjoy plenty of fresh produce, form healthier eating habits, and steadily lose weight throughout the program. The plans include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 1 or 2 snacks per day, depending on whether you are a lady or a gentleman.
In addition to pre-made meals in your deliveries, you get to enjoy 4 flex meals a week. Flex meals are meals that you cook on your own following the provided Nutrisystem guidelines.
Alternatively, you can dine out, but the same guidelines apply. The Basic plan is the most affordable plan. In the past, this plan only allowed you to get pre-selected meals. Now, the key difference between the Basic and Core and Uniquely Yours plans is that it only allows you to choose from a limited range of meals and does not come with free tools, trackers, and counseling.
It simply includes meals and snacks per day for 4 weeks, so you have all your dietary needs covered, but without the extra help — except for the online resources available on the website. The Core plan allows you to choose from a greater variety of meals. Plus, you get unlimited support from counselors and dietitians who are there to assist you throughout the program, as well as handy tools and trackers to monitor your progress.
Uniquely Yours is a highly flexible meal plan. It includes everything provided with the Core plan, plus several added benefits. You get to choose your meals from a rich menu including more than items — that is, whatever Nutrisystem has on offer, you can enjoy it on your program. You can choose both frozen and non-frozen items and customize your menu with as much frozen food as you need. You get to choose from over 90 dietitian-approved menu items, including frozen meals.
Plus, you get support from counselors and dietitians and free online tracking tools and apps. It is now time to say a word or two about the diabetic-friendly versions of the Basic, Core, and Uniquely Yours plans.
Particularly designed for individuals at risk or suffering from type 2 diabetes, the Basic-Diabetes, Core-Diabetes, and Uniquely Yours-Diabetes plans include all the benefits available with the standard plans, with several important additional features. First of all, the meals available with diabetic-friendly plans are designed in accordance with the American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association guidelines for recommended sugar intake.
They are carefully crafted to help you lower your A1C by 1. Furthermore, as you progress toward your goal weight and get used to the Nutrisystem way of eating, you get to significantly improve your blood sugar and reduce insulin levels.
In a word, Nutrisystem diabetes plans are not only suitable for pre-diabetics and diabetics who want to lose weight, but they offer you a great way to shed pounds while improving your health and easily keeping your blood sugar and insulin levels in check. How much does Nutrisystem cost? It entirely depends on the meal plan you opt for, but it is always much less than you would expect from such a famous weight loss meal delivery service.
Plus, the company offers a great day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your first shipment, you can get in touch with the support staff and get a full refund. Therefore, you can try it out without worrying about wasting money on a program that does not work for you. With the general information covered, we can proceed to a comprehensive overview of Nutrisystem pricing. View the table below and discover exactly how much you pay with each Nutrisystem weight loss plan.
As soon as your order is shipped, you receive tracking information, so you know when to expect the delivery.


So if the town is mostly Christian, you're out of luck most of the time. If you're Muslim, good luck getting a chance to give prayer in your town. Christians will happily protest a Muslim prayer. It is worth noting that all 5 majority justices are Catholic, so they would have no qualm if a Christian prayer is allowed.
Christians seem to think they are uniquely qualified to determine what is right and what is wrong with religion in politics today. But they get awfully upset if you question their motives for introducing religion in civic gatherings.
I find this quote by Justice Kennedy revealing:
"By inviting ministers to serve as chaplain for the month, and welcoming them to the front of the room alongside civic leaders, the town is acknowledging the central place that religion, and religious institutions, hold in the lives of those present," he said. "Indeed, some congregations are not simply spiritual homes for town residents but also the provider of social services for citizens regardless of their beliefs."Kennedy believes that just because religion holds a central place in the lives of citizens, prayer before civic proceedings is justified. Who's religion? Who gets to decide?
The civic leaders get to decide. That is what amounts to an establishment of religion that is prohibited by the Constitution. But that matters not to the majority justices. Many Christians engaged in political discourse seem to be in an awful hurry to declare the United States a Christian nation. Never mind that the Founding Fathers left Britain due to a distaste for a religion established by government.
I have no problem with churches, synagogues, mosques and other establishments that provide a place of worship. I welcome the pluralism that we enjoy in America. I do have a problem when religious organizations stray from their original purpose and get involved in politics.
Be careful what you wish for, my fellow Christian Americans. A government dominated by Christian interests may be quite happy to turn this place into a Christian mirror of Iran or Afghanistan. Even if that wasn't your intention.


In January my mother flew from Pennsylvania to visit my family.
My mom likes to visit new places, so one day we took a day trip to Tucson. We visited the Mission San Xavier del bac, one of the oldest Spanish missions in the country.
If you like, you can attend services at the mission. It is a Catholic church, you can visit during Mass if you plan ahead.
The Mission is located seven miles south of Tucson. Take I-10 to I-19 South and look for Mission signs to exit. The mission can be seen from the interstate.
The address is: 950 W. San Xavier Road, San Xavier District. To contact the church directly, call (520) 294-2624. The Mission is free to visit.
From the Old Pueblo,


I praise and thank God today for time spent with my parents.
My mom called me early this morning.
She needs a favor. A BIG one.
Because God is gracious, the Lord has provided for us so we can help her with what she needs.
Evidently, she needs to get the “favor” from us. Since it’s Christmas Day, most establishments are closed.
So, my parents had to travel and meet us so they can get what they needed.
Originally, my husband and I planned on inviting my parents to his parents’ house.
This way, our parents have more time to know one another.
We always hope our parents could be good friends since they are family to us.
After finding out that his mom is not home and his dad is not feeling well, we decided to take my parents out to lunch instead!
Our family discovered a new resto at this mall where we always spend our Sundays.
My dad is hard to please when it comes to food.
Thank God that with this restaurant Buffalo’s, we were able to match not only my dad’s type of food but also his taste. (Our family loves pizza but my dad is not the pizza kind of guy.)
The different flavors appealed to him. (Praise God!)
It turned out the “favor” was a blessing in disguise!
Because of it, we were able to spend Christmas with my parents.
We were able to show love by helping them with their need and they were able to show love to their grandkids by handing over their gifts.
While I am thankful for the material and financial gifts, I am most thankful to the Lord for another Christmas spent with my parents especially that my mom has been diagnosed with the big “C” this year.
We may not feel the effects of her illness yet, but I am thankful to the Lord for her daily strength, and the love and support she gives me, my husband, and my children.
How about you?
What is your Christmas story? Looking forward to being blessed by your Christmas story. Share them in the comment section below.
❤ Mama Sel


First off, I don’t dislike Christians in general. I don’t even dislike Christianity. Yet every time I hear someone declare the United States a Christian country, I want to scream at them.
I could get into the whole melting pot thing again or even the escape from religious persecution thing again. But what I’m going to address is when people declare the US to be a “Christian country” they seem to forget the phrase “Christian charity.” The new “America First” budget proposed by the White House, besides having massive military spending, major cuts to the state department, major cuts to the EPA, etc, also includes cuts to:
-the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program: They help poor people pay for heat in the winter.
-the Legal Services Corporation: Provides free legal assistance to the poor.
-the Community Development Block Grant Program: This program includes Meals on Wheels which provides meals for the elderly, poor, and disabled.
-the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program: This includes the program Head Start which provides breakfast for poor school children.
Mick Mulvaney, a graduate of a Catholic high school (So I’m going to assume he’s Catholic), and a White House Budget Director was asked if the budget was “hard-hearted.” To which Mulvaney replied in defense: “No, I don’t think so. In fact, I think it’s—I think it’s probably one of the most compassionate things we can do…”
There you have it. Mulvaney thinks he’s being compassionate in letting poor children and poor elderly not to have food. People like him actually make me wish there is a heaven and a hell. I would like to know how Mulvaney would tell God that he was “compassionate” in letting the poor starve. I would like Mulvaney to experience starvation and understand the meaning of compassion.


Dear Father Jenkins
We are students and alumni of Notre Dame fighting for the protection of our consciences, our faith, and our university. We pray in a special way this Lenten season for the university to proclaim — boldly & unapologetically— the Catholic mission of Notre Dame.
We petition Fr. Jenkins to take action against the unjust HHS mandate imposed by our government with a series of letters over the 40 days of Lent.
April 7, 2012: As we arrive at Holy Saturday, the final day before our Lord’s glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday, we submit the "Unacceptable" statement as a letter to Father Jenkins and prayerfully request that he add his signature to its closing.
Father Jenkins, throughout Lent we have prayed for your strength and the grace necessary to proclaim the “good news” by standing athwart the bad. — As the disciples rejoiced on the other side of these mysterious three days of the Triduum, encountering the Resurrected Christ and understanding, finally, the trial and suffering that had taken place, may you also receive this same abiding peace as encounter your unenviable mission. Our prayers will remain with you.
To participate, please submit your letter to email@example.com


Luke 4:18-19 says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon ME, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,(vs.19) to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."By this time I was 63. This placed us beyond the age of having children. She has a son and a daughter and six grandchildren. My first wife gave her daughter piano lessons while we were ministering to them in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Also, my first wife and second wife were very good friends and, they had the same first name!
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Your hosts, Jeff and Michelle, never imagined they would be innkeepers. Between their day jobs, family, and especially grandchildren, they had full plates. But little did they know all that was about to change!
Jeff & Michelle have always enjoyed hospitality! As a pastor, Jeff and and his wife Michelle often welcome guests to their home. Holidays always include children, good friends, friends of friends, and even the occasional stranger. One Easter included guests from three different continents!
Jeff & Michelle visited the Firefly Inn on a lark and quickly fell in love with the historic Bed & Breakfast. Could it be that the unique, history filled home was a part of God's plan for their lives? Yes! Within a few weeks they had purchased the Firefly Inn and settled in to innkeeper life.
Jeff has always had a love of cooking for family and friends and Michelle is great at making people feel at home. They have one daughter, three sons, and most importantly two grandsons...with hopefully, more on the way (hint, hint).
Jeff & Michelle look forward to metting you and know that this will be one of your favorite places to stay!


As the world becomes more evil, I wish to lift and inspire
Because, you see, my dream is to lift each person higher
As the world becomes polluted, I want all to see its beauty
Because you see, my dream is a world of light and purity.
As the world becomes more troubled, I wish this site to be an oasis of peace
Because you see, my dream is a world where all fighting has ceased.
When people’s faith begins to fail, I wish to lift them up
And bring them to the Savior so He can fill their empty cup.
When someone’s hope begins to slacken, I wish to open their eyes
To the goodness and glory of God who’s so good and kind and wise.
When people forget who they are, I want them to always remember
They are children of a loving God - a beloved family member.
When people forget why they are here, I wish to show them the reason
God sent them here to Earth – to learn and grow – each in his season.
When people forget where they are going, I wish to show the way home.
For God wants all his children to return – no more to wander and roam.
When people hunger, I wish to lead them to He who is the Bread of Life
So they can feast with the Savior – each son, daughter, husband and wife
My mission, then, is to lift and inspire, to strengthen and to build
So each can know the Savior’s love for them is eternal and real.
To this end I dedicate this site and hope all who enter here
Will be edified and uplifted is my one and only wish sincere.
Inspiring Art for Everyone
Kent F Langston
May 7, 2007


Lester Memorial UMC
Friday, May 24, 2013
To be Disciples - To make Disciples.
UMW Circle Meeting
Date: Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: Annex Conference Room
"The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose PURPOSE is to know God and to experience freedom as a whole person through Jesus Christ; to develop creative, supportive fellowship; and to extend concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church."


Pope Francis has been widely lauded in the media for his focus on serving as an example of Christian humility and engaging the marginalized and poor. His decision to live in the the Vatican guesthouse rather than in the Apostolic Palace, his handling of extreme opulence within the Catholic Church, and his priority for frequent, visible acts of charity all point to the direction Pope Francis wishes to guide the Church.
On November 26 Francis made his aims for the Church more formal through an apostolic exhortation, a document called “Evangelii Gaudium” (the Joy of the Gospel). According to the New York Times’ coverage:
Francis’ prescription for the church is inextricably tied up with his analysis of what is wrong with the world. He devotes many pages to denouncing the “dictatorship” of a global economic system and a free market that perpetuates inequality and “devours” what is fragile, including human beings and the environment.
“How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?” he wrote, in the folksy language that has already marked his as a memorable papacy.
Francis intends to infuse a new energy and evangelism into the Church. The same NYTimes article quotes the pope:
I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.
The philosophy and worldview underpinning the pope’s announcement did not arrive out of the blue. Since the beginning of his papacy both the pope’s actions and his words have suggested a shift in focus as compared to his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI.
In order to glean more clues about Pope Francis’ philosophy and how he will communicate it, I analyzed word frequencies in the first 104 official speeches given by Pope Francis, from March 2013 to November 2013. For comparison, I did the same analysis for the first 102 official speeches of Pope Benedict XVI, given between April 2005 and November 2005. For both popes I used only speeches that had English translations. To visualize the results I created word clouds below, where the sizes of words are proportional to their usage (the differences in color are meaningless and intended to help the reader focus on specific words). Finally, I removed the top five words used by both popes, to better discern differences in word usage. These top five words were: God, Jesus, Lord, Christ, and Church.
Pope Francis: most commonly used words in speeches
Pope Benedict XVI: most commonly used words in speeches
Some differences stick out, for example Francis used the words one, thank, and heart more often than Benedict XVI did. However the vocabularies of the popes strongly overlap. Both popes made heavy usage of words like: people, faith, world, life, must, and love. Because both popes use these words often, subtler differences in their vocabularies are difficult to see.
The visualizations above show the most common words used overall. What I’m more interested in are the words that Pope Francis tends to use much more often than Pope Benedict XVI did, and vice versa. I want to visualize the relative differences in word usage, rather than overall word usage.
To show relative differences, I extended my word frequency analysis. Here’s an example of the calculation:
|Word||Benedict XVI Frequency||Francis Frequency||Relative Difference|
The second and third columns show the frequency that a word occurs in each pope’s speeches. Benedict XVI used the word apostles 0.037% of the time, compared to 0.010% for Francis. The last column shows the percentage difference in frequencies. So while Francis’ frequency of usage for the word saint might seem low, at 0.044%, it actually represents a 279% increase compared to Benedict XVI’s usage. Looking at relative differences, we can identify the words that Francis emphasized more, relative to Benedict XVI, and vice versa.
Words appearing in the word clouds below are used at least 50% more often when compared to the other pope.
Words that Francis emphasized much more than Benedict XVI
Words that Benedict XVI emphasized much more than Francis
In these word cloud visualizations the vocabulary differences are more striking. Francis clearly emphasized poverty and poor far more. Interestingly, he also invoked the words cross, courage, and flesh far more than his predecessor did. This suggests he referred in his speeches far more often to the example and sacrifice of Jesus. Importantly, Francis also emphasized women much more than Benedict XVI.
Benedict XVI’s language showed emphasis on more terms relevant to the Catholic Church as an institution: apostolic, apostles, priests, ecclesial, diocese, parish, etc. He also used more words indicating the formal address of a diplomat; the words cordial and cordially stick out, as well as collaboration and country.
All this suggests that from the start of his papacy, Francis has focused on speaking directly to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. He does not emphasize the importance of the Church as an institution. With simple language, he emphasizes the need for Catholics to follow the example of Jesus, to serve people who have been marginalized by the world, and especially the many poor who he sees as excluded from the global economy.


Cultivating the love of learning since 2016 in Southeast Aurora
Welcome to Aurora South Classical Conversations! We are a community of Christian homeschool families who meet weekly to:
Join us on the journey of homeschooling! We welcome new and veteran homeschool families. See how being part of our homeschooling community can supercharge your homeschooling. We meet weekly September through April each school year.
For 7th graders, we are delighted to offer Challenge A, our popular program that is an introduction to our middle and high school Challenge offering.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NKJV)
All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.Aristotle
Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.G.K. Chesterton
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct your paths.Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
Feel Free to Drop Us a Line to contact us
Please fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you shortly.
Applications for new families are accepted beginning April 1st.


Welcome to Holland Home
Holland Home has been serving seniors in beautiful Grand Rapids, Michigan, since 1892. We have grown to include three campuses providing the full continuum of care — independent and assisted living, skilled nursing and respite and memory care, as well as home health and hospice services. We are now the 40th largest non-profit continuing care retirement community in the nation.
At Holland Home, we are guided by the values and ideals represented by our mission statement:
In fulfilling God’s calling to serve others we will:
- Serve with love and compassion
- Commit to excellence
- Follow Christ’s teachings and example in all we do


It begins with the king as a boy, having to spend the night alone in the forest to prove his courage so he can become king. Now while he is spending the night alone he’s visited by a sacred vision. Out of the fire appears the holy grail, symbol of God’s divine grace. And a voice said to the boy, “You shall be keeper of the grail so that it may heal the hearts of men.”
But the boy was blinded by greater visions of a life filled with power and glory and beauty. And in this state of radical amazement he felt for a brief moment not like a boy, but invincible, like God, so he reached into the fire to take the grail, and the grail vanished, leaving him with his hand in the fire to be terribly wounded.
Now as this boy grew older, his wound grew deeper. Until one day, life for him lost its reason. He had no faith in any man, not even himself. He couldn’t love or feel loved. He was sick with experience. He began to die.
One day a fool wandered into the castle and found the king alone. And being a fool, he was simple minded, he didn’t see a king. He only saw a man alone and in pain. And he asked the king, “What ails you, friend?” The king replied, “I’m thirsty. I need some water to cool my throat.”
So the fool took a cup from beside his bed, filled it with water and handed it to the king. As the king began to drink, he realized his wound was healed. He looked in his hands and there was the holy grail, that which he sought all of his life. And he turned to the fool and said with amazement, “How can you find that which my brightest and bravest could not?”
And the fool replied, “I don’t know. I only knew that you were thirsty.”
—The Fisher King, Terry Gilliam/Richard LaGravenese
“Dean,” Sam said quietly when they were in the Impala, “take me to Dolores Street.”
“What’s there?” Dean started up the engine.
Sam was silent a moment or two. “A mission,” he said finally. “I think I need to do something . . . good. For a while.”
“And hunting’s not good?” Dean said, anger flaring, but he tamped it down when Sam turned agonized eyes to him. “Okay, Sammy,” he said gently and pulled out into the street.
“You’ll be okay,” Sam said as they drove. “You’re a survivor. And it’ll just be for a couple weeks, probably. I’ll call you or come find you when I’m ready to come back.”
“You’d better,” Dean said, and tried to look brave and supportive as Sam packed up a backpack of belongings and went into the mission.
Dean found himself a motel, not ready to leave the city just yet, and spent Saturday sleeping. His dreams were peaceful, as they’d been for the last few weeks, even when he took off the malachite amulet and put it with his other relics.
On Sunday he put on his best suit and went back to Grace Cathedral for the Easter services. The clergywoman noticed him and smiled hello, and Dean tried to return the smile. He didn’t linger to talk afterwards, but went out to the courtyard instead. The day was beautiful — the air was so clean and fresh it seemed to dance, and the park across the street was turning a deep, lush green in the clear sunshine. A few people were walking the labyrinth, their steps slow and steady, and he wondered if they’d feel any different about the place if they knew what existed there just beyond their vision.
He had no desire to walk the labyrinth himself but he didn’t want to leave the church just yet. There was a small sculpture garden beyond the labyrinth, so Dean went there. He sat on one of the benches, his elbows on his thighs and his head down.
He missed Sam. He missed Castiel. He had no idea what he was going to do tomorrow.
“You look like you could use a friend, son,” said a man as he joined Dean on the bench, and Dean grimaced.
“Are you sure about that? I’m told I’m a pretty good listener.” Dean looked at him — he was just a guy in a suit, probably one of the parishioners from the cathedral, about John’s age when he died. He looked something like John, too, dark hair and eyes and a sturdy build. “I’m good at keeping secrets, too,” the man added.
Dean looked at the sculpture in the hedge opposite and said, “I’ve just accomplished something I’ve been afraid I couldn’t do, and I lost two people I love in the process. I know it was worth it, but . . . I still feel empty. I don’t know what to do next.”
“As I see it, you have two choices,” the man said. “You can go on doing what you usually do, or you can try something new.”
“Very helpful,” Dean said dryly and covered his face with his hands.
The man patted his back. “There, there, son,” he said gently. “It’s okay. You’re still alive, aren’t you? Where there’s life there’s hope.”
“I don’t have much hope,” Dean said into his hands. He took a deep breath and looked up again. “I hoped . . . maybe, when all this was over, I’d have some kind of reward, you know? Something to say, Good job. You’ve earned this. Instead . . .”
“And the work itself wasn’t a reward?” the man said gently.
“I guess.” He frowned. “No. I mean, yeah, of course, because it was a good thing, but . . . I’d just like my friends back.”
The man chuckled, and then gestured to the courtyard, the cathedral, the city. “Look at all of this,” he said. “Bustling with life and activity, full of people who love each other, observing a day they hardly think about the rest of the year. But they’re extra grateful this year, even if they don’t know why.” He looked at Dean with wise, dark eyes. “But you know why.”
Dean narrowed his eyes at him. “Who are you?”
The man smiled, stood and kissed Dean on the forehead. “You did good, son,” he said gently, and walked down the garden path to the street.
Dean jumped up to follow him, but by the time he was at the street the man was out of sight.
Monday morning, Dean left San Francisco. He didn’t know where else to go so he went back to Bobby’s, arriving there late Tuesday. He told the story, ate the pancakes Bobby put in front of him, and slept like the dead on Bobby’s couch.
He stayed for a few weeks, going with Bobby to jobs or helping with the junkyard, and finally struck out on a job of his own when he felt he was straining Bobby’s patience. He knew he was always welcome, just not for quite so long.
The job was simple enough, just a salt and burn, and Dean thought maybe he could handle hunting solo for a while no matter how much he missed Sam. A few times at night he thought he heard the rustling of wings in his hotel room, but of course there was no evidence of a celestial visitor to be found in the morning.
He tried to pray a few times but he didn’t know what to say.


AllYeBeasts is a developing online community of furries, thinkers and writers in various Christian traditions, hopefully offering some insight into the why, the how and the what of Christian thinking.
We aim to be Christ-like in our witness, affirming in our community and challenging in our thinking.
The editor/co-ordinator is (currently) a Church of England Seminarian, more details about our other contributors can be found on the ‘Bio’ page.
O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever…
O all ye Fowls of the Air, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Children of Men, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever…
(The Prayer of Azariah or the Song of the Three (Appears after Daniel Ch3 v23 in Catholic/Orthodox Bibles or as Apocrypha in Protestant translations).
Feel free to drop us a line using the contact button at the top of the page. My apologies in advance if life gets on top of me and I’m slow in replying.


Welcome to the official website for Ian Simpson, the Liverpool-based church buildings consultant
CHURCH RESTORATION BLOG
As work has now commenced on the Restoration Project at St. Agnes & St. Pancras' Church, Toxteth Park, Ian has launched a blog to update parishioners, supporters and interested parties on progress. The blog is at ChurchRestoration.iansimpson.eu and you can sign up to receive updates and permission to add comments by emailing Ian.
HERITAGE & BUILDINGS NEWSLETTER #10
The latest edition of Ian's Newsletter is in production now. It should appear on the Publications page of this site by the end of July 2017.
CHURCH VIDEO CLIPS
A selection of video clips taken by Ian from 2011 onwards featuring churches in England, Italy, Portugal and Spain may now be viewed by following this link. New videos will be uploaded over time.
CVTA ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM 2016
The slides illustrating Ian's talk to the Churches Visitor & Tourism Association's Annual Symposium on October 22nd in St. Albans Cathedral Library may be viewed by following this link. You will need Acrobat Reader or similar installed on your device to read the slides as they are in PDF format.
AS SEEN ON TV!
On Sunday August 14th, Liverpool-based cable TV channel's Faith Matters programme featured an interview with Ian in which he discusses and reflects upon his work as Heritage officer for the Diocese of Liverpool. You can view the show (approximately 23 minutes) by following this link to Bay TV's YouTube page.
SPONSORED ABSEIL EVENT:
You can still view the footage of Ian's sponsored abseil, undertaken in January 2016 in order to raise money towards the restoration project at St. Agnes & St. Pancras Church, Sefton Park by following this link to Dave Graham's YouTube page.
UPDATED 2nd APRIL 2017


That’s really a rhetorical question to which we all probably already know the answer. It’s God’s. Psalm 24 says:
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. (Ps. 24:1)
There’s another question that begs to be answered after that scripture reading, though—Why are we reading Jesus’ teaching about the end of the world on the first Sunday in Advent?
The short answer is because advent is a time of preparing for Jesus’ coming, and this is Jesus telling us to not just spend time remembering how he came in the past, but also in being prepared for his coming in the future.
We we might think of some things as secular and other things as sacred. But there is really no distinction between them. Everything is God’s. We just don’t always remember to see things that way.
So Jesus tells us in our reading today to be watchful. Look at what’s happening in the world around you not just as passing events, but also as signs—signs that God is at work in the world around us. Watch for Jesus’ work and look for opportunities to participate in it, to help with it.
Be watchful. Not just physically. We can’t literally keep our eyes open 24/7. This is more of a spiritual watchfulness. An invitation to look beyond the physical, to remember that there’s more going on that just what we can see. Just like the wind, we can’t see the Holy Spirit, we can’t see what the Spirit is doing in people’s hearts. Sometimes we can see the results, though.
Jesus gives us the example of Noah who trusted God and built an ark in anticipation of a great flood. There’s no way Noah could have known there would be a flood other than to listen to God, to follow God’s guidance. Noah prepared by building an ark, just as we prepare through prayer and study and doing everything we do in ways that honor God and further God’s purposes—that spread God’s love.
Be watchful. This is a call to keep our eyes open for opportunities:
· opportunities to be thankful,
· opportunities to show God’s love,
· opportunities to grow in our faith and to help others grow in theirs
· —to make disciples, to show mercy, to be God’s people in the world.
The Bible tells us to make the most of every opportunity, and to do so with hope, our theme for today. We do have hope, and we also need to be prepared to explain our hope. We don’t know how long we’ll have with the people around. Jesus could come at any time. Or they could go to meet Jesus at any time. The people in Noah’s time were caught by surprise—caught unprepared. We need to be prepared because there won’t be time to go do what we should already have been doing…preparing our hearts to meet Jesus, and helping others to also be prepared.
You may have had an English teacher who in teaching how to write told you to show instead of tell. This means to paint a picture, describe a scene, use an illustration, and to just fill the page with theorizing and postulating. In fiction, this would mean showing how a character is reacting to a situation through dialog and action, instead of through remote description. It brings the writing alive to put the reader into the scene.
In a sense, it’s the same with our faith and our hope. We can tell about it, and we need to tell, but it’s much more effective if we also show it in how we live—in how we interact with other people, in how we spend our time and money, and in what we say and do on a regular basis.
Be prepared—Be prepared to demonstrate our hope and then be prepared to explain why we have hope.
Remembering to be kind and gentle in doing so. Ultimately we have hope because of Jesus, but that takes time for someone who doesn’t know Jesus to understand. The ways of Jesus don’t always make sense to the world, because the way of Jesus is that people matter more than stuff, more than anything. The way of Jesus trusts, hopes, and loves joyfully, prayerfully and thankfully.
May this advent be a time for spending time with God and with those you love, and for sharing that love with someone new.


I was watching a YouTube video discussing the question, “Does God choose your mate? Is this the one?” In the video, the husband talked about how he was previously engaged to another woman. He mentioned that it was a great relationship and she was a wonderful woman. He was set to be married, but he asked God about his romantic future because he wasn’t sure and God said, “You can have good or you can have My best – what you have right now would be a good choice, but it is not my best for you. And God said to him, “the choice is yours.” God left it up to his own free will. Our own free will – that’s a topic I will dive into on another day.
As I was watching the video, it made me ask, “When it comes to a mate, how do we know when it’s God speaking, our own emotions speaking, or the devil speaking?” I wish I had an answer to share with you, but I don’t. I’ve heard stories and know people who instantly knew that person was the one and they did, in fact, end up being the one.
But many people are so focused on being in a relationship – it’s not really about the person. It’s about being in a relationship. Have you ever been in a relationship with someone and although they were a good person, something about the relationship left you with a feeling of uncertainty? Have you ever justified staying with someone because they are a good person? No? Well I have. I stayed in a relationship or two longer than I should have and I rationalized it by saying, “he’s a good person with a good heart.” Perhaps I was fearful I wouldn’t meet another good person with a good heart. Who knows. The irony is that more times than not, every person after that person ended up being better than the last, and it made me grateful that I didn’t stay with someone just because he is a good person with a good heart.
If a life partner is what you seek, I encourage you to not settle for good when God has best waiting for you.


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Praise the Lord.
In the wondrous name of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, we welcome you to the website of Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC) CAMBRIDGE. We are located ten minutes away from Cambridge Airport. Cambridge is a great place to live and work, with spectacular natural beauty and great tourist attractions.
According to Acts 2: 46-47 (‘’And day by day, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people’’). The apostles and early church met in the upper room to the fellowship with God and one another.
This local congregation of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC) CAMBRIDGE, was started by few believers passionate for the Lord in the year 2010. Today, the Lord has multiplied the work manifold over and he continues to bring increase spiritually, physically and in every way.
Indian Pentecostal Church of Cambridge is full gospel India Christian Church, preciously holding the Pentecostal faith passed down by the fathers in India and passing it on to the coming generations. Our worship is part Malayalam and part English. We are especially thankful to God for our Pastor. Seejo Joy (Malayalam worship leader) and Pastor John Savage (English worship leader) of their leadership in the Church. We are also privileged to have you with us in worshiping the almighty God in truth and in spirit. We invite you to be a part of our fellowship, growing in every area of your life along with your family.
Whether you are a long time resident here, or just visiting, we welcome your presence and invite you to worship with us. We are sure that you will enjoy the lively and Spirit filled worship.
We are quite sure that you are going to be blessed and experience the difference. Please mail your concerns to us and we assure you that we as a church will pray for your needs.
Our Lord is coming soon, Harvest is truly plenty and Labourers are very few. If the coming of the Lord tarries, let us gird up our loins and go out to the byways and highways to bring souls into His Kingdom and fulfil the ‘’Great Commission’’ of our Lord.