The Lowest Member of Heaven
There was once was man who was more monster than man. His name is Marcello and he killed droves of men and women of varying ages and cultures. He started out as a poor homeless boy who couldn’t get any help from anyone. They wouldn’t even bother to listen to him as he cried in the mud and rain. To get attention, to get some semblance of power or control in his life, he killed people which finally got people to turn their heads his way. He then grew up to kill different kinds of people ranging from skilled fighters to unborn children. He had to kill every type of human for a reason he had not thought of. This man wore a goat’s head and skirt that had the design of every sin a man could commit. His weapon of choice, a single curved sword with edges and curves to it that made it an incredibly dangerous weapon. He met his match with a group of vigilantes who took him down though he killed fifteen of them before he was brought down. They tied him up and brought him to their camp site.
“If you’re going to kill me then do it now,” he said in the mud he found himself in again, “I have finally been defeated by warriors more skilled than I.”
The woman who struck him down knelt down and said, “We have no reason to kill you. You will be one of our friends.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve killed thousands of men, women, children, and even your friends. What reason do you have not to hate me?”
“We are better than that. We love our enemies.”
“Love your enemies? What insanity is this?”
“This is one of the commands given to us by our Lord.”
“Your Lord is a fool. Who loves their enemies?”
“Those able to forgive and be strong as Him. Sinners and people without wisdom love those who do good to them and hate their enemies. The two are not so different from each other therefore we follow our Lord’s words and do good to our enemies and treat them like people and not as animals.”
“You fools are too late to save an animal such as I and turn me into a saint if that is your intention.”
“Death is the only time when it is too late. You still have plenty of time.”
The vigilantes treated him like a friend while they had him. They fed him, shared stories of adventure, and let him sleep in their tents during which the man was surprised beyond words to even do anything as he tried to comprehend their mercy and forgiveness.
One day he asked the woman he talked to, “Who is your Lord? I must talk to him to understand his philosophies.”
“Our Lord is God who created what you see before you. He created everything good and all of the beauties of the world.”
“He must’ve not created me for I am evil.”
“Nothing in this world is created to be evil. You were unjustly treated by those around you and I apologize on their behalf. Human nature can be weak and easily corruptible.”
“But what about all that which is not human like disease and the various monsters that roam the world?”
“What makes them evil? They are only performing the actions they were planned to.”
“But what God would create things that would make others suffer?”
“These things are not created to make us suffer, rather, they were created to keep humanity moving, active, and wise. Humanity would be docile and lazy if there was nothing to challenge us.”
Amazed by her knowledge, he says, “Then I must meet your God to truly understand what you are saying. Is there any way to meet him?”
“Prayer and observing all that is around you is the only way to contact him. There’s also death but He would deny seeing you because of what you have done.”
Marcello then devoted his life to finding God in the world and through the years, he slowly got an understanding of Him through his new friends and the beauty of the world that laid before him. He became a better man and helped others like how his friends helped him. Unfortunately, others didn’t like this group of man changing vigilantes and formed an army to kill them all and so they did with Marcello the only survivor. As the battle raged, the woman who helped him and who became his lover died in his arms with a smile on her face and hope in her eyes and through these eyes, he saw the eyes of God.
“Yes Lord. I’ve finally found you and I will carry out Your will as a loyal soldier.”
He then took his sword and cut down the entire army. It is said that there were hundred, thousands, or hundreds of thousands of corpses at the battle. The man is told to be a devil among men with his fighting capabilities though He fought in God’s name. Though he triumphed, he died from his wounds and approached Heaven’s gates where he knelt before God.
“I am not worthy to enter your kingdom Lord. Let me defend your walls instead and be at my rightful place as the lowest of all your people.”
God granted his request and he is now one of the only guards to defend the gates of Heaven. Every now and then, his past friends and lover will exit Heaven just to talk and act like how they used to and this is enough to keep him satisfied. The Lowest Member of Heaven is a man who can cut down hundreds of thousands of men single handily. What does that say about those in its walls and those lower than those who reside in Hell?


Nepal Baptist Church Council, formed in 1992
The Nepal Baptist Church Council was formed on April 11, 1992, with the support of the world-wide Baptist family including American Baptist International Ministries. The Council carries a strong compassion to share the Gospel and to bring blessings to their communities. The Council has grown from 20 churches twenty years ago to now 110 churches and more than 500 fellowships/ preaching places.
- Mobilize Nepali Christians to share the Gospel and build new churches
- Train youth, women, lay and pastoral leaders in regional conferences and in the Nepal Baptist Bible College
- Promote community and economic development
Name: Nepal Baptist Church Council
Email: email@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.org
Address: P.O. Box 8975, EPC 1051


Diocese of Savannah Cursillo Movement
As members of the greater community of believers in Jesus Christ, the Cursillo movement lives our discipleship through knowledge of our friendship with Chirst, sharing of that friendship with neighbor, and reaching out to those searching for that friendship.
We follow the structure of the Cursillo Movement originally formed in Mallorca, Spain in the 1940s to grow our Catholic Church through friendship, knowledge, and prayer. The Cursillo Movement is rather simple: Love the Lord, Grow in the Lord, and Share the Lord's message in our everyday lives. Though it's beginnings were simple on an isolated island to has grown to encompass the entire world. Cursillo de Chistianidad is diocesan based and works to offer those searching for a closer relationship with the Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church that opportunity
We are here in the Savannah Diocese, 37,038 sq. miles, 90 counties, 55 parishes, 24 missions, and over 77.287 active Catholic families. Our movement has reached to all corners of the diocese since the first Cursillo Weekend was held in 1978.
We regularly hold monthly Ultreyas (Cursillo group gatherings open to all), School of Leaders (Open to all who have attended a Cursillo Weekend), and weekly small reunion groups (open to all wanting to grow in Christ). Ultreya and School of Leaders are regionally based and currently active in Middle Georgia (Macon/Warner Robins), Southeast Georgia (St Mary's/Folkston/Kings Bay), Savannah, Bluffton (in South Carolina), and are currently hoping to begin again in Augusta and Valdosta.
We are currently planning on having Men's and Women's weekends in spring and fall each year. There are times when there are not enough Cursillo Candidates registered to hold a weekend but that never stops new members from participating in reunion groups and Ultreya.


SUNDAY WORSHIP 9:30 AM Sunday School during worship; confirmation meets after worship in Gathering room.
Final meeting for Sunday School and confirmation is Sunday May 22nd.
WEDNESDAYS 8 AM Men's breakfast and Text Study; meets at church to discuss Bible text for next Sunday
TUESDAY MAY 3RD NOON Book club meets to discuss
TUESDAY MAY 17TH Women of the ELCA meet to plan for upcoming events for spring and summer
TUESDAY MAY 17TH 6 PM Church Council meets
TUESDAY MAY24TH 9 AM - NOON Quilters meet to assemble quilts/blankets for Lutheran World Relief
SPECIAL EVENTS: SALAD LUNCHEON WEDNESDAY MAY 18TH NOON - 1 PM $12 PER TICKET
FISH BOIL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY TUESDAY MAY 31ST. FISH BOIL IS FRIDAY JUNE 3RD AT 5 PM


Enrollment for Summer and Fall 2021
Enrollment for summer and fall is open but classes are filling quickly. Please call the preschool office at 913 441-1473 to check availability.
Click here for the FALL enrollment form. The enrollment fee of $110 will hold a spot for fall enrollment.
Click here for the SUMMER enrollment form. An enrollment fee of $55 applies to new children who are enrolled for summer only.
Every child is created in the image of God and deserves to be taught in a learning environment where they are loved! The Monticello Preschool is a ministry of Monticello United Methodist Church. Monticello Preschool offers a structured learning program including a broad range of activities such as music, art, Spanish, reading readiness- all with a Christian emphasis. Our teachers are the heart of our preschool. We offer a low student to teacher ratio, a relaxed and fun learning environment, and time for God's children to learn and grow.
Current Students HERE


Pastor Mary McCauley is the National Director for the Redeemed Christian Church of God Teenage ministry in the UK, the Senior Pastor of RCCG De-Vine Sanctuary Parish in Croydon and a practical teacher of the Word who has empowered many through her ministrations and outreach projects.
An anointed woman of virtue with a vision and passion for youths, women and parents. Pastor Mary has helped many youths; women and their families from all walks of life discover their potentials thereby fulfilling their destinies. Her passion to help young people and their parents is giving the society hope and peace for the future.
She is also the CEO of Open Gate DR2 DV8, a community-based organisation with headquarters in Croydon offering different services for young people and their families addressing and preventing the exclusion of children from school, family, community, justice and life.
As the Proprietor and Head Teacher of ALTE SCHOOL, she works with the Local Education Authority and many schools to re-integrate young people who are excluded or at risk of exclusion back into education. She is by Grace the wife of Pastor David McCauley, a mother and grandmother.


Jason Johnson, Director of Church Ministry Initiatives with Christian Alliance for Orphans, shares about his journey into foster care and adoption and how his family handles the joys and frustrations all foster and adoptive families experience from time to time.
The fear of loving a child that might leave shouldn’t deter us. It’s the fear of that child not knowing our love that should drive us.
In this episode, you’ll discover…
- how to find the “perfect” time to foster or adopt.
- how to navigate the concern of loving a child that might leave.
- a new way to look at comments from strangers about your adoptive or foster family.
Meet our Guest | Jason Johnson
Jason is the Director of the National Church Mobilization Initiative with Christian Alliance for Orphans where he spends the majority of his time coaching and consulting with church leadership teams from around the country on how to start, lead and grow orphan care ministries within their church.
Jason is the author of ALL IN Orphan Care and The Beauty and Brokenness of Foster Care and blogs regularly at Jason Johnson | Blog. He has a deep passion to see the gospel catalyze a movement of orphan care within the Church around the world.
Jason and his wife, Emily, are foster and adoptive parents and live in Texas with their four daughters.
Don’t miss out on future episodes! Subscribe today on iTunes; don’t forget to give us a rate or review so more people can find this podcast.
Learn more about The Forgotten Podcast.
Meet our Host | Jami Kaeb
Jami Kaeb is a dreamer and a coffee lover! She is married to Clint and the mother of seven–five through adoption. It was through a difficult season of waiting, that Clint and Jami’s eyes were opened to the foster care community. They became foster parents to three siblings who they eventually adopted, and in April of 2011, Jami founded The Forgotten Initiative. Follow Jami’s personal blog for more real life perspective on parenting seven children!
We want to hear from you!
We’d love to know…what is your 30 second “elevator pitch” that explains the unique variety in your family?
Leave your comments below!


My sometimes cold, broken, melting HEART
resting on the Solid Rock.
Walking on water, turning water into wine, and talking donkeys, the list goes on and on and on, but do we ever see 21-century miracles or do we just read about miracles in the Bible? Being aware that God still does perform miracles is a difficult concept to explain, is it just a coincidence or it was a fluke? No, really it’s a miracle, a sign from God.
On Thursday February 18, this is really where the “Snow Miracle” begins. My sons needed to clean out the snow boarding equipment that had been left in the car from the night before so A.J came out to help put the SNOW boarding equipment away and discovered that a rock in our yard had melting SNOW on it, the SNOW melted in a HEART shape, he was so excited to show me this, so I took a picture. Interestingly enough miracles that are written about in the Bible do not have pictures as proof of their existence, we do. A cold hard rock that has been in the same place for many years, outside of our house where it is past by numerous times in a day by the many people that come in and out of our home. Frankly, I only ever noticed the rock there because I hid a house key under it for my daughter one time. The snow melted on top of the rock literally in a perfect heart shape except for a little line that had melted quicker that made the heart look like it had a little crack in it. The SNOW ROCK could be thought of as a fun little coincidence, but was it? I think not, I thought it may be more significant than a cute picture and it was confirmed by today’s SNOW day that God was giving me the encouragement that I was going to need for the two days I had ahead of me.
“Move”-ing ahead 24 hours; I was preparing to leave for a winter experience with the Middle school and High school students from my church. The title for the weekend was MOVE. Close to 400 teenagers, all piled on to school busses and made their way north. Do you know how many different circumstances these kids are coming from? Not one of these students has the same life story; their stories are incredible to think about. How much life experience can a 12-18 year old have, you wonder? Well as I have said before, our student ministry represents real life: broken homes, family problems, drugs, sex, eating disorders, self mutalation, loneliness, longing to be accepted and suicide it’s a long list of brokenness that comes with the HEART of a student. So here I am in the mist of students some that I know, some I don’t know and some that have really seeped into my HEART.
It’s a mystery how a high school retreat will go; expectations are always there but rarely are they ever as intense as God has planned. My HEART is overwhelmed with joy when I see students praising God, talking about spiritual issues, trying to figure out what is right and wrong through God’s eyes, and committing to be a part of God’s plan, planning "to be used not replaced". Then here I am, a Christian for 30 plus years, touched by the lives of these teenagers. Feeling extremely inadequate to be used as a part of God’s ultimate plan when sure enough, I am reminded by “SNOW” that I was right where God wanted me to be. Although the experience of this past weekend did not go how I expected it to, God has placed an understanding of the greater picture in front of me. Then HE confirmed it today by giving me a SNOW DAY from work. I had the whole week off last week, went to the retreat, and was filled with so many different emotions and thoughts my HEART ached, so as a gift to me God sent the SNOW so that I could have a day of rest, reflection, prayer and worship. I am reminded today that God loves me and wants me to be a part of His plan just as I tell the beautiful young women I am privileged to lead at church.
Human HEARTS that appear hard and cold, are really just like rocks covered with snow. God melts our heart into the shape that He wants it to be. How? By placing us in the lives of people that we can love and gives us those that love us. Shaping our hearts involves some pain on occasion (like heat that melts snow) even the little crack in the SNOW HEART was a significant part of this weekend for me. Ultimately God will shape our hearts, if we allow Him to.
HEART shaped SNOW on a ROCK, SNOW camp and a SNOW DAY off of work to reflect on God's love! Oh how He loves me!!! I didn’t even mention that my husband and three of my five children were at SNOW camp. Too much love from God makes me need a day off to fill bottles up with tears. You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalms 56:8 I feel so much better, the ache in my heart for these teens is fading a little, but only until I see them again.


A Quick Note From the Author: This is a glimpse of how Jesus saved my life. Ultimately our saving is marked the day Jesus died on the cross; however, we have free will and my free will took me down a path I never want to travel again. In addition, this piece is written from my experience and perspective. This piece is meant to share testimony to Jesus’ saving ability. To know Jesus more and to know Him personally, the only source is the Bible, his true word.
I’ve spent much of my life having an idea of who Jesus was and found great satisfaction in being known as the “good girl”. I went on living this way for years until one day I didn’t. I made a public decision that dethroned me of my “good girl” title. The effects of that decision caused a wave of bitterness, anger, and resentment toward Christianity. Judgement sounds hammered loud from other Christians. One public mistake changed the way many viewed me, talked about me, and befriended me and I was tired, sad, and unable to live up to the Christian expectation.
No longer wanting to be associated with Christians and being judged based on the (public) good and bad I do, I surrounded myself with people that didn’t judge me. It was during this time I fed my flesh most everything I thought it desired. The deeper I got into this bitter way of life, the more addicted to my bitterness I became. You see, I started out angry at Christians only to find out that the true anger and hate I had was toward myself. I fed on things, did things that only proved I was worth hating. I thought I was satisfied until I became bored and then it happened … it didn’t happen overnight but when it did it felt abrupt. I was hit hard with guilt and shame of the bitterness that became me, of the things I had done. As the reality of the things I had done came crashing in, I realized I didn’t know who I was anymore. Suddenly, I became tormented with these thoughts:
“I’ve gone too far.”
“I didn’t mean for my anger to take me this deep.”
“What have I done?”
“How was this worth it?”
I’m not talking about embarrassment or a little guilt here and there. No, I had done too much, hurt too many people, damaged my body one too many times to have a little guilt. Rather, I was so full of shame that I wanted to end it all, my life. I wanted to run and hide from the consequences and was willing to cower. At this point, I hated myself just enough to do it. At this point, my whole being became so consumed by shame that it was more than my body could bear and thought I had to do it.
If you’d ask me years prior to this, I would have told you I have been a Christian since I was six years old. The truth is, it wasn’t until this particular season of life that I truly surrendered my entire heart to Jesus because, for the first time in my life, I saw the condition of the human heart apart from Jesus and was amazed (to tears) by his ability to love me still, desire me still, and choose me still. At the point of thinking I had to end it all, he saved my life. For the first time, I stopped trying to be “good” and just accepted that he loved me at my worst. In the summer of 2010, I finally learned what the human heart is capable of apart from Jesus, and I’ve never been the same since. It was that day I realized, I may not know what the future holds but I know one thing … I NEVER want to go back to that place of bitterness and shame again. I haven’t left Him since that day and since that day His word continues to prove he is more (more than I was told by others, more than my preconceived ideas, more than religion, more than being good, more!).


ATTENTION: Registration is no longer required for the Youth and Young Adult Rally!
Date: January 19, 2013
Time: 7 – 10pm • Gather at 6:30pm
Location: Arizona State University Memorial Union, 2nd Floor Ventana Ballroom
Parking: Covered Garage at Apache and Normal
Speakers: Thomas Peters of CatholicVote – “How to use social media to spread the pro-life message.”
Short procession through Arizona State University Mall to the All Saints Catholic Newman Center. All-night adoration in the Old Church after the Rally.!!!


John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me”, that is, if you are following the Lord, remaining in the Lord, doing what God wants you to do, and you are up to date with your obedience to God, and, “My words abide in you”, then you can ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. What does this mean? If we are abiding in Christ, and His words are abiding in us just like Paul says in the book of Colossians, this means we are one with the Lord. When these things are true, you can say God is asking in our asking, or God is praying in our prayer. Another way to say it is we are praying or asking the prayer of God. If you are one with the Lord, you are obeying the Lord, you are abiding in the Lord, and His Word is dwelling in you, then you are one with the Lord, and what the Lord wants to pray, you want to pray, what the Lord wants to ask the Father through your prayer, you want to ask the Father. So who is really praying here? Is it us praying or is it God praying? It is kind of hard to understand. When we abide in the Lord and just stay with Him, this is the best way to pray.


FOR the last 15 years Lutheran Community Care has looked after the Queensland Lutheran Church’s Hospital Chaplaincy ministry.
Our Lutheran hospital chaplains are a unique group of Lutheran volunteers, whose shared skill is their ability to listen and be the presence of Christ to those in need.
“It takes a special type of person to be a hospital chaplain because you are visiting people who are facing life situations that can be very challenging for them, such as a serious operation or a significant health challenge,” Lutheran Community Care (LCC) Director of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Pastor Paul Semmler said.
“The chaplains spend quality time with these people in the most intense times of their life and then they might never see them again, so their role is a very special one. It is also a very important one in the Lutheran Church, as hospital care has always been an essential part of the Christian Church’s mission, going back many years.”
How it works
Each chaplain is attached to a particular hospital and they visit patients there once a week. All work done in the hospitals is carried out under the supervision of the hospital’s pastoral care team.
LCC uses money raised through LCC’s annual Easter Appeal to fund this very caring and personal ministry.
Through those funds LCC provides financial support for the chaplains in the form of helping to cover any training required and assistance to cover the volunteers’ hospital parking, petrol and stationery costs. The chaplains also get together for monthly debriefing and support sessions.
Cathy Brown, who has been a hospital chaplain for 13 years, visits Prince Charles Hospital and the Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital, both on Brisbane’s north side, and said the role required a degree of nimbleness.
“Forest Gump said ‘life is like a box of chocolates; you don’t know what you are going to get’ and that is a bit like hospital chaplaincy,” she said.
“Sometimes there can be no-one who wants to see you, other times there can be 10 people waiting for you to visit. The length of those visits can also vary greatly: one day you might see five people in two hours, another day it could be two people in five hours.”
Retired TAFE teacher Doris Mortimer has been volunteering at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital and Redlands Hospital for four years.
Doris said listening skills were crucial for the role.
“I see hospital chaplaincy as a way of helping people,” she said.


Updated: Sep 26, 2020
A man needs a woman that genuinely loves him.
A man needs a woman that is not ashamed to cater to his needs, build with him, and submit to Father God's vision.
A man needs a woman who is confident and trustworthy.
A man needs a woman who will not gossip about his growing areas but will get on her face to find out how to help him grow.
A man needs a woman to keep it simple, to say what you mean and mean what you say.
A man needs a woman who will never stop researching and finding ways to help him be better and her be a better companion.
A man needs a woman who will listen to him first and give insight if he asks. She will not try to control him, but be a support for him.
A man needs a woman who he can be safe and secure with. He can be himself, and be silly with as much as he likes.
A man needs a woman who will keep her body in shape as a reflection of her being a representation of him.
A man needs a woman who will not spend up all his money but will invest and multiply it back for him.
A man needs a woman who will find ways to make him laugh and see the joy in every day.
A man needs a woman who will pray for him and intercede on his behalf.
A man doesn't need a woman full of drama and who is a nag.
A man doesn't need a woman who will read him down with his words.
A man who is covenant minded needs a Proverbs 31 woman.
Ladies, measure your readiness for marriage or your commitment level in your marriage.


Our grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. She raised her family in Akron, Ohio and had six children. Once diagnosed, and out of concern for her safety, they placed her in a Catholic run assisted living facility in Fairlawn. Her Catholic faith was very important to her, and her new home had daily Mass. She eventually moved into the full-time nursing home. She passed away in September of 2014 the day before my eighth wedding anniversary. I was blessed because she was at my wedding and still independent. She got to meet her great-granddaughter. She was also able to hold her first great-grandson. As I am writing this, she has ten great grandchildren, but most of these children she was not able to meet.
The day her three daughters took her to live at the assisted living facility, she wouldn’t get out of the car. Thinking about that breaks my heart. I am positive this was one of the hardest choices my aunts and uncles every had to make.
What if my grandma could have purchased long term care insurance? Or what if everyone could have afforded to let her stay in her home and have a caregiver?
My family opened a home care company because we want older adults to have care options that are affordable. We want seniors to have choices. We want the care they receive in their home to be excellent. We want to give peace of mind to those hardworking adult children who worry about their parents, or the parents of a disabled child to have respite care. Or a new Mom with multiple newborns to recover.
There are easier industries we could have chosen. There are easier paths than being caregivers. It is a calling and a privilege to have the trust of a family in taking care of a loved one who can’t take care of themselves.
We called our agency My Family for a reason. Because we treat all our clients like a member of our family.


“By golly, if the majority of Americans have been celebrating Christmas for the past few hundred years, why should we have to kowtow to the overly sensitive minorities of outsiders who don’t and start saying ‘Happy Holidays’?!”
“Why should I have to say ‘Happy Holidays’ if what I really mean is ‘Merry Christmas’? Am I too ashamed to admit I’m a Christian?”
It can be challenging to live in any kind of healthy balance these days. It seems we run the risk of offending someone, no matter what we do.
But I’ve become convicted of something recently which has helped me settle this issue in my mind once and for all. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul admonishes us to live lives of true godly love; love that is patient and kind. In verse 5 he tells us that love “is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (NIV)
If I am to live in that kind of love, then I must put other’s first. When I am tempted to take offense in someone not recognizing one of the most hallowed of holy days in all of Christianity, I need to remember that to love as Christ loved means to not seek my own preferences. Christ never led his disciples to revolt against the culture in order to get their own way. Instead, he taught about humility and grace and justice for those who were struggling under heavy burdens.
As a Christ-follower, I am giving the opportunity to practice grace every time someone wishes me a “Happy Holiday.” When I respond with the same, I’m offering grace to those who worship under the heavy burdens of other religions, including the religion of political correctness. I realize forcing a “Merry Christmas” on them as a form of proving my point, or of taking offense, is not an act of love or grace. I know that the happiest of holidays can only occur when I offer Christ-like love to those with different beliefs, living in grace and mercy and sharing the love of Christ through word and action.
“Happy Holiday” is just a greeting, a salutation. In my mind, when I say “happy holiday,” I recognize the recipient of my greeting as someone dearly loved by God. If I want to love them as Christ does, then I need to move past my offense of this two-word greeting and start putting my efforts in building bridges with them. I pray that God will use me to turn their “happy holiday” to the happiest of Holy Days, the Birth of our Savior.


How many times a week do you hear (or say) these words in conversation: “I’m so busy”?
Lately, my conversations with friends has taken on a different theme. I have heard something more along the lines of “I have a lot of white space on my calendar.” In other words, “I’m so NOT busy. “
I think I hear it because I live it at the moment. I find myself in a quiet season, a season of waiting. Maybe a new job? Maybe a new book? The rhythm I had for my weeks has now changed, and flexibility comes hard for me. I love the structure of routines, schedules, plans, lists.
Maybe you wait for a job interview. Maybe you have a newly, empty nest, or semi-empty nest. Maybe retirement looms. Maybe your schedules and routines have disappeared as chemotherapy takes center stage. Maybe the fog of grief has wrapped itself around your heart, and you just find it hard to get out of bed every day.
So, how do we live well in these times of quiet, of white space on the calendar? I ask myself that question daily.
In my search, I have gravitated toward a book: The Message. My heart and soul and mind find hope and strength and challenge as I read these words in this vivid translation of the Bible. I couldn’t help but turn these words into visual art.
This verse, which has become my prayer of late. I know that I can get so stuck in what I think I want and how and when I want it that I can miss God’s good and kind provision right in front of my nose. God sees and cares, I know. And I know He works in ways far beyond what I can see or imagine.
Oh the comfort of these words in unsteady times!
God’s Word still speaks to my heart every time I read it. And in this time of quiet, I have found that it truly does renew my heart and provide perspective like nothing else.
Cheering you on, even in the quiet, NOT busy times.
What I’m listening to:
Jen Pollock Michel’s Lenten Podcast:
Jen has a series of short podcasts (6 minutes) focused on the theme: “What if?” Jen does a wonderful job of talking about faith in fresh ways. I like that she doesn’t tie everything up in a neat package. One of my favorites is “What if curiosity is as necessary to faith as confidence?” – Week 3
Marc Maillefer’s sermon on depression
A decades-long pastor friend of ours preached one of the best sermons I’ve heard on the subject of depression, something that can so easily develop in the moments when life gets quiet.
Sharon Garlough Brown ‘s (The author of Sensible Shoes) Retreat #7
I discovered this thirty-minute, long-form audio retreat on the podcast, The Invitation, by Josh Banner. This podcast seeks to create time and space for God and serve the spiritually hungry through a practice of spiritual direction invigorated by the movement of the Spirit in prisons. Sharon’s segment focuses on Mark 1:35-38 and the spiritual disciplines Jesus practiced.
What I’m writing:
I wrote a devotional for Arise Daily Devotional this month: Empty-Nest Living by Faith. My study of the life of Abraham inspired me.
What I’m looking forward to:
My girl coming home for a few days!
Redbud Writer’s Guild retreat in early April. These women writers of faith inspire me, challenge me, and help me keep doing the often lonely work of writing. Grateful!
I found an extra copy of this wonderful book about living through the inevitable storms of life. I’d love to pass it on. Just comment on the blog or send me an email: st[email protected]. I’ll do a random drawing.
Sign up here if you would like to hear from me once a month(ish).


What an amazing affirmation of the blessings and the abundance that God has in store for us when Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them”(Mark 11:24).
This means it is already done.
The marriage made in heaven, done!
That new job, done!
The new home, done!
Health and Healing, done!
In that prayer and in that affirmation we have been set free from struggle and strife
In that prayer are the promises of God, the eternal the divine.
The law of attraction states be grateful before you receive and life “as if”.
Do not wait for God’s blessing to appear–no, no, no be thankful before it manifests.
Live in the joyful heart, NOW.
All things will be given to you.
And if you need a little inspiration, then click on the link to my man Garth, whose got some inspiring country gospel music for your soul.
Blessings to you all!!!!!!!
- Prayer for Protection (jewelindapalace.wordpress.com)
- The Prayer of the Heart (celiaelaine.wordpress.com)
- Prayer to provide Jobs (revthechristianlife.wordpress.com)
- “Praying For Power & The Power Of Prayer” – August 26, 2012 Sermon Text & Podcast (nearwestclevepastor.wordpress.com)
- How Can You Be Blessed in Prayer? (underthecoverofprayer.wordpress.com)
- Prayer That Never Ends (frted.wordpress.com)
- Healing prayers (yourmesshismessage.wordpress.com)
- The Gift of Prayer (theworldneedsgod.wordpress.com)
- Let’s pray this daily prayer…. (jewelindapalace.wordpress.com)
- Dare to believe, then command. – Smith Wigglesworth (alookintomymind.wordpress.com)


There are several ways to give to support Liberty Church. We receive tithes and offerings in all of our services as well as online through credit card or bank transfer. All giving is tax-deductible, and we will send you your year-end contribution statement in January.
EFTs or deposits can be made out to:
Liberty Church Swaziland
To give from the US please click here.
Recurring giving via ACH is the most convenient way to give. It just takes a few minutes to set up, and your giving will automatically be sent to Liberty Church on the recurring schedule you set. Click here to set up recurring giving.
Simply text “edit” to Liberty Church: Smart Giving number 646-350-0705, and a reply will be sent to you with a link through which you can view and edit your scheduled gifts, add a new scheduled gift or change your payment method. It is important to note that the giving history contained in the link is not a complete record of your giving to Liberty Church. For instructions on viewing your giving record or downloading a giving statement, please see the next question.
If you do not have a smart phone or prefer to edit your scheduled giving online using a computer, you can create an account with our online giving partner, Kindrid, by visiting kindrid.com and choosing “Create a New Password”. For security, your account settings with Kindrid will need to be confirmed with a text to a phone number.
Your giving record is held in your profile on the church database (CCB). Both your Kindrid online giving and in-service giving is included in your giving record. Your first time accessing CCB will require creating a login. Choose a campus (what we would call your Community) and follow the directions. You will be emailed a link to activate your account.
The tithe is 10% of our income, that in Malachi 3:8-10, God instructs us to bring back to Him. Offerings are contributions that are given over and above the tithe – from a generous and faithful heart responding to God (2 Corinthians 9:11, 1 Timothy 6:17–19).
It is important to understand, however, that giving to the church—whether tithe or offering— is used to maintain, grow, and provide for the local church community.
Tithes and offerings are most often undesignated, meaning that we use the funds for the normal operation of our church. However, giving can also be designated for the following purposes:
We encourage givers to use ACH/bank transfer rather than credit cards. The single best way to reduce fees is to give using an automated transfer from your bank by ACH, for which we pay a very small transaction fee. While we have very favorable fees on credit and debit cards, giving $100 on a card would have transaction fees that are quadruple a bank ACH. A $1,000 gift would have transaction fees 35 times as much as a bank ACH.
Your information is held securely by the Church Community Builder system. This information will remain private and will never be given away to third parties, other than to process your scheduled contributions.
You can schedule new contributions at any time and can modify or cancel those contributions at any time prior to the date they are scheduled. Once the contribution has been processed, however, it cannot be cancelled.
Yes, you may make large donations online, but we suggest that you consider giving via bank wire or ACH to minimize transaction fees, and maximize the reach of generosity. Please email firstname.lastname@example.org for instructions on wiring donations.
Yes, some companies can and will match your donations to Liberty Church. If your company is not able to match a donation to a church, please consider having your donation matched through Liberty Foundation. You can email email@example.com for how to set up matching donations for either organization.
“This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.”
2 Corinthians 9:6–11, The Message


ACCESS Youth is the official youth group ministry of Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Our Mission is to To glorify God and make Him known through service, prayer, and fellowship...On Purpose...so as to be an open door to Jesus for ALL teens and families. No one gets left behind, we ALL have ACCESS. And we have a blast doing it!
We believe in serving and loving God with all of our hearts and souls and gifts and talents and resting our imperfect selves in His grace and mercy every single day. Because without Him we have nothing. And we are so blessed to have such an awesome team of leaders and volunteers that are dedicated to guiding our students in the ways of God and the study of his most precious Word.
We also believe in food! And always have that, as well as games, worship, and laughter! Tons of laughter and good times. Just ask Abbi about the waffle maker or the time Joe jumped off stage with the bass and almost took out the front row of students. Trust me-there's no lack of goings on here at ACCESS.
And we would love to have you join us! So please stay a'while and visit the different pages to see all that's going on. Ready to get connected? Check out our contact page!
We are so glad you visited and hope to see you soon!!!
Much Love, ACCESS


Click here for the registration form:
For those interested in helping create the great conferences we have, here’s how:
Since the 1980’s there have been periodic regional gatherings to provide education, support and fellowship for deacons, deacons in formation, and those family, friends and colleagues who support deacons and diaconal ministries in New England and neighboring dioceses of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada. Since 2004, there have been three 2-3 day regional gatherings planned and conducted by volunteer Design Teams led by a Convener or Co-conveners and in coordination with staff and administrative support from Episcopal Province One. The Design Teams seek widespread representation from across the New England dioceses and welcome participation by laypeople and clergy.
Given the geographical distance, the Design Team communicates most effectively using teleconferencing and web-based technology. On average there are bimonthly conference calls for Design Team members with subsequent follow up email communication and information/document exchange. Design Team participation is generally self-directed and flexibly scheduled. We are in the process of exploring the feasibility of using interactive web-based communication for conference planning. Key roles and responsibilities for the various Design Team functions are listed below.
Convener or Co-conveners: provide overall leadership to the conference planning process
- Convene the conference design team and facilitate ongoing communication among all design team members through electronic communication, teleconferencing, and face-to-face meetings
- Assure effective coordination and communication with Province One staff, conference facility and/or hosting staff, and any other key personnel
- Facilitate, support and/or assure effective communication with key diocesan personnel
- Represent the New England Deacons Network to Province One
Program (leader and workgroup)
- Develop all aspects of conference program and present to Design Team for review and implementation
- Recruit speakers, workshop leaders and other participants
- Coordinate site logistics as related to programming in collaboration with the Convener/Co-convener, Province One staff and conference facility and/or hosting staff
Budget/Finance (individual or leader and workgroup)
- Manage and review all aspects of conference budget and communicate with convener/co-conveners
- Coordinate and financial arrangements with Province One Treasurer
Communications (individual or leader and workgroup)
- Design and prepare PR materials for conference, including conference description, registration information, reminders, press-releases, etc.
- Coordinate and follow up with diocesan and other communications personnel to assure effective communication of conference information.
Come join us at the Sheraton, Framingham, MA on September 28-30, for Crushing Poverty: Service and Solidarity With Those on the Edge. We’re thrilled to have plans for the following guest speakers:
Beth Mattingly is director of research on vulnerable families at the Carsey Institute. Her interests center on women, children, and family well-being. Her work at the Carsey Institute examines child poverty and how different family policies influence rural, suburban, and urban families and how families adjust their labor force behavior during times of economic strain. She also examines poverty-related issues, how families cope with economic distress, childhood maltreatment, and foster care across states.
The Hon. Byron Rushing was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1982. He came to the House with a work background of community organizing and of Afro-American history. In the legislature, Byron’s priorities are human and civil rights, and the development of democracy; local human, economic and housing development; and housing and health care for all. Byron is a member of St. John’s, St. James Parish in Roxbury. He has been an elected lay deputy to the General Convention of The Episcopal Church since 1973; he was the chaplain to the House of Deputies at the 1994 General Convention–the only layperson to hold this position; he is an Adviser to the President of the House of Deputies. He is a founding member of the Episcopal Urban Caucus and serves on the boards of the Episcopal Network for Economic Justice and of The Episcopal Church Archives. He holds an honorary doctorate from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge. He is a popular speaker and preacher on the ministry of all the baptized and on politics and faith.
Professor Willis Jenkins. Professor Jenkins’s research focuses on environmental ethics, sustainable communities, global ethics, and theological ethics. He is author of Ecologies of Grace: Environmental Ethics and Christian Theology, published in 2008, editor of The Spirit of Sustainability, and co-editor of the forthcoming Bonhoeffer and King: Receiving Their Legacies for Christian Social Thought. Professor Jenkins previously taught at the University of Virginia and at a rural campus of Uganda Christian University. He has significant international experience in community development initiatives, was co-founder of the Episcopal Young Adult Service Corps, and served on the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on World Mission, 2000–2006.
Welcome to the new blog site of the New England Deacons Network! This site can be used to share information, sermon ideas, and news about upcoming events, like the New England Deacons Network Conference 2012, this September 28-30, in Framingham, MA. Be sure to join the site and learn more as news becomes available!


As a Christian parent, I'm always on the lookout for new ways to live out my faith in front of my children...not that I'm some sort of 'super-Christian' or anything, but I desperately want them to be able to look at both my husband and myself and be able to say with confidence that my husband and I each have an authentic faith- one they'd want to emulate.
For far too long I've feared people more than I've feared God and have not lived out very well the idea of hospitality. So when I ran across the book by Kevin and Sherry Harney, 'Organic Outreach for Families: Turning Your Home into a Lighthouse', I was pretty excited at the thought of learning how to reach out to others.
The book is divided into three sections: Reaching Your Own Family (because you can't reach others if you haven't reached your own family first), Raising Children of Light in a Dark World (get to know your children and discipling them, equipping them to handle all the fiery darts the enemy will cast their way in this world), and Turning Your Home Into a Lighthouse (creating an inviting atmosphere, reaching out to others). Each chapter ends with a section for practical application titled 'Becoming a Lighthouse' in which readers are challenged with a few action steps for the up-and-coming week.
We are commanded: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself."
For families who have struggled in the area of reaching out to others, and for those who are simply looking for a fresh way to do it, this book gives practical wisdom on how to put into action the command of Luke 10:27.
**I received this book free from Tommy Nelson publisher's Booksneeze blogger program. I was not compensated in any way for this review, and was not compensated in any way for a positive review of this book.
6 Ways to Avoid the Homeschool Comparison Trap
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Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith compre...
Archive for the 'Recognized by Our Fruit' Category
Oct 25th, 2018
Dec 12th, 2016
Test, struggles, hardships are necessary in the development of our Character! Those test and Fire trials birth the Fruit of Patience in us which brings glory to God!
Dec 5th, 2016
Developing Godly Christian character. Long-suffering is important in our walk with God, we must have patience and endurance through all situations, trials, test , etc.
God has given us a gift, a seed of Faith by his compassion that afforded us salvation through Christ! What is the seed growing in your life? Are we Faithful with this undeserved gi...
Oct 31st, 2016
Submission to God is important in Developing Godly Character, but people find it difficult to submit to the Lord. Why is that? What is submission? Why should we submit to Hi...


Judging criminals is civic responsibility, jury forewoman in bakery trial says
By Thomas Peele, The Chauncey Bailey Project
When the Rev. Karen Stokes was called to jury duty and found herself being screened for a long and complex trial involving a member of the former Your Black Muslim Bakery, her first thought was, “I can get out of this.”
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Reardon said the trial would take about six weeks to complete. The calendar in Stokes’ mind lit up. The schedule corresponded with Lent, the weeks during which Christians prepare for Easter.
For Stokes, the pastor of Montclair Presbyterian Church, it was, in simple terms, her busy season.
She listened as Reardon talked to prospective jurors about hardship.
“He said it was a hardship for everyone,” Stokes recalled in a recent interview at her home.
Then, she said, the judge said the standard for dismissal from the jury pool was undue hardship.
Stokes, 57, knew then she was in. She didn’t have a child care problem, or a sick relative to care for, or a job that wouldn’t pay her for time performing a civil duty. That the trial was scheduled for the Lenten season was simply “one of God’s little left-landed jokes,” she said.
Her husband, who is also a minister, told her, “You don’t want a jury made up of people who aren’t smart enough to get out of it.”
So she sat through all the testimony and was chosen as the jury forewoman. The jury eventually convicted Lewis on April 7 of six felonies for the kidnapping of two women in May 2007 and the torture of one of them in what was described in testimony as a failed attempt to learn where a drug dealer hid his money.
In a sermon delivered the Sunday after the Lewis verdict, Stokes told her congregation that it was a civic responsibility to serve on a jury. She provided the congregation a rare glimpse inside the deliberation room, saying jurors agonized over the case and that she tried to maintain an emotional balance, taking frequent breaks when things got tense.
Lewis is to be sentenced in June and is expected to receive life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jurors are instructed not to consider the possible sentences that result from their verdicts. Stokes said the jury deduced from testimony that Lewis faced life. “It is so huge, we had this guy’s whole future in our hands.”
Both Prosecutor Christopher Lamiero and Lewis’ attorney, Patrick Hetrick, declined to be interviewed. Hetrick said Lewis will appeal the verdict.
Former bakery leader Yusuf Bey IV is scheduled to stand trial later this year for allegedly ordering three men killed in the summer of 2007: Odell Roberson, Michael Wills and journalist Chauncey Bailey. A former follower of Bey IV, Devaughndre Broussard, has pleaded guilty to killing Roberson and Bailey and told a grand jury that another Bey IV follower bragged about shooting Wills.
In an interview last week, Stokes said that Oaklanders, despite a natural and valid fear of the Beys and their followers, have a responsibility to judge them.
“It is really important for this city,” she said. “Being willing to pass judgment is different from being judgmental. What is hypocritical is to judge someone and not have the same rules applied to yourself.”
Her jury judged Lewis’ actions, “not his value as a person,” she said.
He is 26, “the same age as one of my sons.” Stokes said that while Lewis committed horrible acts, she felt empathy for his situation.
“I can feel for Richard Lewis, but I don’t want him on the street,” she said.
Stokes said she was a liberal “who approaches things intellectually,” but two aspects of the trial were especially emotional. The first was the testimony of the victim, who described a terrifying beating and was shown in photographs covered in blood.
That the women admitted to being a small-time drug dealer had no bearing, Stokes said. “Nobody deserves what happened to her.”
The other was the testimony of Bey IV’s half-brother, Joshua Bey, who testified against Lewis after taking a plea deal.
“I really felt for Joshua,” she said. “He obviously had trouble thinking things through. He couldn’t work his way through complex questions.”
She said it was obvious that Bey IV took advantage of Joshua Bey because he “just wanted someone to love him and protect him.”
“He wanted Bey IV and (Yusuf) Bey V (who also testified against Lewis) to respect him. I wanted to ask, ‘Why did you guys put him in that position?’ Big brothers have responsibility. Joshua is not a savvy or conniving kid.”
Stokes, who joined the clergy in 1983 and has been at Montclair Presbyterian for 12 years, said she hoped Lewis could somehow find peace in his life, even as he lives it out in state prison. She said she prays for him.


The Monthly Prayer Request for Priests (MPRP) Apostolate is an international apostolate which was founded in 1990 to encourage people to support Catholic priests by prayer and sacrifice.
It is currently operative in over seventy dioceses in the United States and several dioceses overseas, with requests for new establishments coming in regularly. The eventual goal is to establish this apostolate in every diocese around the world.
Here is how the apostolate works: Each diocese prays for its own priests. Each day of the year bears the name of a priest from that diocese, obtained from the diocesan directory. Thus, by means of the calendar, the faithful are united in offering prayer and sacrifice for the particular "priest of the day," always remembering to include the general intention of prayer for all priests of the diocese and around the world. Many dioceses also include special dates for remembering the Pope, local bishops, specific religious orders, etc.
Each diocese has a volunteer "contact person" who is responsible for the printing and distribution of the calendars in that particular diocese. Financial donations are requested, but not required, from those who use the calendar. As the MPRP Apostolate has been entrusted to the Virgin Mary, Mother of All Priests, we rely on Her assistance to provide the funds necessary for this prayerful endeavor on behalf of our priests. She has never been known to fail in this regard.
The MPRP has been endorsed by many cardinals and bishops as a simple, yet powerful, means of spiritual and emotional support for priests. In addition to those who receive an individual mailing, many monasteries, seminaries, shrines, and churches participate by requesting and distributing calendars. The calendars can also be found printed in church bulletins or posted on the Web, depending on the diocese. Won't you join us in praying for a priest a day?


What part should the Church play in political life? How can the message of Jesus be heard, and help shape society’s future in times of political change and uncertainty?
The Church’s relationship with political authority is a thorny issue. It has to be worked out in different ways over time and from place to place. In the UK, with our long-standing Christian heritage, the situation is very different from those places where there is no such tradition. Further complications arise because of the multifaceted nature of church organizations – a church body established by law is in a very different situation from that of other denominations. The existence of non-Christian religious groups muddies the murky waters even further.
For those who look to the Bible for help, guidance is not easy to find. The history of ancient Israel provides some helpful insights on the relationship between faith and political power, but as far as the Christian Gospel is concerned, there are few parallels between first century Judaea and a twenty-first century democratic state.
The most obvious encounter between Jesus and political power occurs in his conversation with the Roman Governor Pilate immediately before his death. John’s Gospel gives us the most interesting and extensive account of this. Jesus is taken by others to Pilate – it is not a meeting that he sought or chose. On the other hand, it was the likely, if not the inevitable outcome of the things he had been saying and doing. It is clear that the issue for the Governor was not Jesus’ guilt or innocence but the likely response of the group of priests, representing in his eyes, the Jewish community, to any decision he might make. But the conversation with Jesus is shown as important for him personally, especially by the inscription he later insisted on being fastened to the cross, in spite of opposition, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
Jesus’ answers to the Governor’s questions are provocative and enigmatic. He refers to the kind of Kingdom he came to establish, to the truth and to the nature of power and guilt – all topics which are directly relevant to the exercise of political power. Above all, the conversation revolves around the theme of kingship. Jesus acknowledges that he is a king, but not the kind of king Pilate has in mind. In the other Gospels, Jesus’ enigmatic response to Pilate’s “Are you the King of the Jews?” suggests something similar – he does not deny he is a king, but neither does he accept the Governor’s implied understanding of kingship.
In the end, Pilate, driven by fear and the political realities he faced, handed Jesus over to be crucified.
Given the circumstances in which this took place, and in which the Gospel was written, is this encounter relevant for Church-State relations today? It was clearly important for the early Church and its relation with those in power – only here does Jesus come face to face with genuine political authority. For us, in contrast, there are plenty of opportunities for political engagement, and to some degree it is inevitable, even if it goes no further than abstaining from voting in an election.
One implication is that authentic Christian living, with its emphasis on serving others and standing alongside the poor and excluded, will draw the Church into the political arena, whether or not this is sought. Another is that the distinction between political power and Christ’s kingdom is crucial. The two overlap, but the way change is brought about in the two spheres is very different. In Christ’s kingdom, character and truth bring their own authority without resorting to coercive power over others. Individual believers may engage in direct political action, often in partnership with others who do not share their faith, but the Church, representing corporately the Body of Christ, has a special responsibility to demonstrate the way of Jesus and the kingdom he came to establish.
Pilate shows up the limitations of political power – probably greater in our day than his. Those who exercise it find their options, in practice, are restricted by the political realities they confront. The patience and self-control shown by Jesus in the face of the Governor’s inability, or unwillingness, to act justly is remarkable.
For the Church, injustice and ridicule may at times be the consequence of contact with those in power. The manner in which this is endured is also in itself a political act, as indeed was the crucifixion of Jesus.
Peter Shepherd (February 2017)


Hello! We are Jeff and Heather Stutzman. Our lives began very differently, but God in His grace brought us together.
I was born in Indiana on a farm. Ok…actually, I was born in the hospital, but I came home from the hospital to a farm. I grew up in southern Indiana on a small farm and most of my younger years were spent taking care of animals--mostly the 180+ hogs we boarded. I was saved very young when my sister witnessed to me. Later, I began to doubt my salvation. My mind (at the prompting of Satan) kept coming up with questions like, “Did I really, fully understand what I was doing?” In junior high I received assurance of my salvation. I came to understand that we all accept Christ like children. No, I may not have understood all the doctrinal ins and outs of the depravity of man and the vicarious atonement, but I believed I was a sinner and that Jesus died for me and I could go to heaven by asking Him. God began leading me to surrender to serve Him vocationally in junior high, and I submitted to His will. He then began leading me to missions. I was willing and trusted Him to work out the details. Through an encounter with a Filipino missionary, God started leading me to the Philippines. All through high school God kept bringing up the Philippines. I was not serving God at the time, but He kept working on me. I developed a love for aviation while in high school and began working on my private pilot’s license. I tested for my license just days before leaving for college and actually passed before registering for classes at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. One of my flight instructors was a Filipino, so even in this God was keeping the Philippines at the forefront of my mind.
I arrived on BJ campus a young, arrogant freshman with a lot of things for God to straighten out. When I enrolled for college I was outwardly doing what I believed God wanted me to do, but inside I was far from God. It took some very hard circumstances and Christian friends, but God got a hold of my heart and began directing me His way. By the end of that school year I still had a ways to go, but was at least headed in the right direction physically, mentally and spiritually. My major at college required me to stay for two months of summer school. When the second month started, I met a young lady named Heather. One of the first times I saw her, I was at the sand volleyball court with a friend of mine. I pointed to Heather as she was walking over to the court and said to my friend, “You see that girl over there? I’m going to marry that girl.” Sure enough…I married her four years later!
I was born in Barge Memorial Hospital on Bob Jones University campus. My father was studying as a ministerial student at BJU, and after he graduated we moved to Danville, KY. I grew up in Kentucky helping in my father’s church plant as a Sunday school teacher and eventually as a pianist. I was saved at a Christian camp when I was 11 and surrendered to serve God full time at the same Christian camp at age 14. The summer between my junior and senior year of high school I went down to Bob Jones University and took some college level classes through a summer school program. While there I met Jeff, and it was clear to us from the first that it was God’s plan for us to be together.
Us in the U.S.:
We met the summer of 1995 while we were both in summer school at BJU. For 14 months after that we dated long distance while Heather was finishing high school in KY, and I was still in school in SC. God kept us growing together and in Him all through college. I (Jeff), spent the summer in the Philippines in 1997, and it was my time there that solidified in my mind that God wanted me to serve Him full-time as a missionary in the Philippines. Heather was willing to serve God anywhere, and we believed that it was God’s will for us to serve Him together. After college we were married and spent several years living in Indiana helping Ervin Stutzman (Jeff’s father) with a church that he planted while we were in college. While living there and working in our local church, we continued to prepare to leave for the Philippines as full-time, career missionaries. First, we both worked full time jobs for several years to pay off our school bills, and once that was done we began deputation. After much research and prayer, we chose Biblical Ministries Worldwide as our mission board. In the spring of 2008 God had us ready and moved us to the Philippines.
Us in the P.I.:
We arrived in the Philippines in 2008 and began helping in a local church that was already well established and was probably more of a help to us than we were to them. We spent our first two years living in Manila, taking language classes, beginning our lifelong learning of the culture and helping as we could with Cross and Crown Baptist Church. Our first child, Samuel, was born during our first term in the Philippines. His outgoing and engaging personality has definitely opened doors for us in our community.
In April of 2010 we took a short furlough, returning to the Philippines in October, 2010. When we returned, we made preparations and moved about 6 hours north of Manila to the city of Dagupan. Our overall passion has always been to help Filipinos plant local, reproducing churches. The Lord led us to start in the city of Dagupan. While living in Dagupan our second child, Izaak, was born. So far he is turning out to be a quieter, more serious personality than his brother.
In February 2014 we took our second furlough. When we return to the Philippines, we will be moving to the city of Baguio. We will be helping with a training center ministry there in Baguio as well as continuing with some of the work we started in Dagupan.


Community Baptist Church --2430 S. State, Greenbush, (989) 724-5264.
Pastor A. C. Caincross. Sunday school 9:45 a.m. Sunday morning service
11 a.m. Sunday evening service 6 p.m. Wednesday prayer meeting 7 p.m.
Family Heritage Baptist
Church 4260 M-72, Harrisville (2.5 miles west of the light). Paster
Ernest Ruemenapp (989) 724-6728. www.church72.org. Sunday worship services
11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday school 10 a.m. Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Patch the
Pirate Club. Wednesday 7 p.m. midweek service (Bible study and prayer service).
Curtisville Baptist Church
3165 Curtisville Road, South Branch (989) 735-3643. Pastor John Barner.
Sunday school 10 a.m. Sunday service at 11 a.m.
First Baptist Church of
Lincoln 202 Main Street, Lincoln. Pastor Dr. Rev. Arie VanBrenk (989)
736-8796. Sunday school 9:45 a.m., worship 11 a.m., Bible study and prayer,
Wednesday 7 p.m. AWANA program Monday at 3:30 p.m.
Calvary Baptist Church
2902 E. F-30, Mikado. Pastor Tim Steiner, Pastor Emeritus Larry Richmond,
(989) 736-8345. Sunday school: 10 a.m., Sunday worship services 11 a.m.
and 6:30 p.m., Monday: 6:30 p.m. *Teen program (grades 7 12), Wednesday:
6:30 p.m. Adult prayer and Bible study and *youth programs (Grades K
6). *Fall-spring programs. Website: wwwcbcmikado.com.
Lott Baptist Church
4257 State Road, Glennie (989) 735-3771. Dr. Elmer Ash, Pastor. Sunday
school 9:45 a.m. Sunday morning worship 11 a.m. Sunday evening worship
6 p.m. Bible study and prayer Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Hubbard Lake Baptist Church
13508 Hubbard Lake Road, half mile north of the post office. Pastor Mike
Wigle (989) 727-3443. Sundays: 9:30 a.m. Sunday school for all ages; 10:45
a.m. Worship (including childrens church and nursery 5 years and younger);
7 p.m. evening worship. Wednesdays: 7 p.m. Bible study and prayer meeting.
7 p.m. Extreme Kids Night Out (kindergarten 8th grade).
St. Anne Catholic Church
-- 110 S. State Street, Harrisville. Fr. Robert Bissot, Pastor. Rectory
phone: (989) 724-6713. Sunday Mass: 11 a.m. Saturday evening 4:30 p.m.
Confessions: Saturday, 2-2:30 p.m.
St. Raphael Catholic
Church 2531 E F-30, Mikado Fr. Robert Bissot, Pastor, (989) 736-6071, Saturday Mass: 4:30 p.m.
St. Gabriel Catholic
Church 5570 N Lake Shore Dr., Black River, Saturday Mass: 6:30 p.m.
St. Andrews Episcopal
Church Corner of US 23 and Medor Road, Harrisville, (989) 724-5160.
Sunday service 9:30 a.m.; Bible Studay every Thursday at 3 p.m.
New Life Lutheran Church
(ELCA) ¾ mile south of White Pine National Golf Course. Sunday
worship and Sunday school 9:30 a.m. Pastor ChristinaBright. Office (989)
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church (WELS) Church Street at Traverse Bay Road, Lincoln. (989)
736-1227 Pastor Michael Sheppard. Sunday service, 9 a.m.
Spruce Lutheran Church
(ELCA) - 1246 E. Spruce Road, Spruce. (989) 471-5013 (3 miles west
of F-41 & US 23) Sunday worship service 9 a.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church
(ELCA) 2100 Trask Lake Road, Barton City. Laraine Sundin, Pastor.
Sunday worship 11:15 a.m., Sunday school 10:30 a.m.
Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church 12365 US-23 S., Ossineke. (989) 471-5428. Sunday worship service
10:30 a.m. Sunday school adult Bible class 9 a.m. Barrier free.
Faith Lutheran Church
3395 E. M-72 (4 ½ miles west of US. 23) Harrisville. (989) 736-1141.
Pastor Dennis Neigh (989) 727-2496 Sunday worship 9:30 a.m. Sunday school
and adult Bible class at 11 a.m. Barrier free.
Our Savior Lutheran Church
3639 South M-65, Glennie. Rev. Carlo Sgambelluri, Pastor. Sunday morning
worship service 10:30 a.m.
St. Paul Lutheran Church
6891 Nicholson Hill Road, Hubbard Lake. Sunday worship 9:30 a.m. Sunday
school and adult Bible class 11 a.m. Pastor Roger C. Mikkelson. (989) 727-2496.
Harrisville United Methodist
Church 217 North State Street, Harrisville (one block north of light
on US-23). Pastor Tracy Brooks. Church (989) 724-5450. Worship 10:45 a.m.
Lincoln United Methodist
Church 101 E. Main Street, Lincoln. Church school 9 a.m., worship
9 a.m. Pastor Tracy Brooks, Parsonage (989) 724-6266, church (989) 736-6910.
Glennie United Methodist
Church 5088 Bamfield Road, Glennie (989) 735-3951. Pastor Don Wojeski.
Sunday service at 11 a.m.
Church U.S.A. 201 N. Second at Jefferson, Harrisville. Thomas J.
Welscott, Pastor (989) 724-6734. Induction loop equipped for tele-coil
hearing aids. Adult class 9:45 a.m. Worship and Sunday school 11 a.m. Tuesday
office hours 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Grace Community Church
Evangelical Presbyterian 6012 Skeel, Oscoda, next to the Robert Parks
Library, former WAFB (989) 739-3424. Dr. Thom Burbridge, Pastor. Family
worship, Sunday 10:45 a.m., Sunday school, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Bible study of the Book of Daniel with Assistant Pastor Charles Sheldon.
Spruce Presbyterian Church
6230 Gillard Road, Spruce. Thomas J. Welscott, Pastor. Wednesday office
hours 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (989) 471-5464. Worship 9 a.m. Induction loop equipped
for tele-coil hearing aids.
Haynes Community Church
405 Shaw Road, Harrisville. Sunday morning service 11 a.m. Pastor Claire
Duncan (989) 724-6665 or (989) 724-6578. haynescommunitychurch.org
Solid Rock Church of God
158 N. Barlow Road, Harrisville. Pastor Edward Morrison (989) 736-6350.
Full Gospel. Sunday school 9:45 a.m. Sunday worship 11 a.m. Evening service
6 p.m. Family Bible study at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Community of Christ
3155 E. F-30, Mikado. Pastor Richard Karsen Sr., (989) 736-3218, Church:
(989) 736-8727. Church school 9:45 a.m., worship 11 a.m.
Seventh Day Adventist
Church 4874 Bamfield, Glennie (989) 735-2064. Worship: Saturday 9
a.m. and Sabbath school 10 p.m.


In her own words…
“Finding Joy in every moment has always been my reward in this life.
At 80 I lost my husband of 57 years to COVID-19 after a brave battle. Through the grace of God, my son and his family were there to share this life changing event. The next day, we packed up and moved me from my home for the past 27 years in Fishers IN, to their home in Chicago. My neighbor, a realtor, agreed to list my house. It sold in 2 days!
My life has been based on my faith in God, who has chosen many wonderful paths for me to follow. Volunteering for 35 years at my local hospital in its Gift Shop and buying its products has given me great joy. Give and you shall receive is also a motto of mine. I have given many hours in making blankets for the needy through my church, which allowed me to utilize my artistic abilities.
Gardening is another rewarding joy. From the planting stage in the warmth of spring, to the brilliant blooms of summer and the careful end in the fall, it makes each day a new surprise full of happiness.
My love for a wonderful family is perhaps my greatest joy, and I thank God daily for them and all of the great friends who are a part of my life.
I now have a beautiful studio apartment with my Chicago Kiddos and am starting a new chapter of fun and giving back. I will begin to volunteer in a local flower shop to continue my life of finding joy in all that I do. What you make of your life is up to you, so find joy each day of your life and give thanks.”


When you register for the 4rd International Apostolic Conference of Paraná, you will have the right to attend all the ministrations during the days of the event.
ATTENTION: Hotel, food, and transport are not included and are the responsibility for the participants.
* This year only 300 seats will be released and no evening service will be open due to space limitations. *
The event is aimed primarily to Pastors, Workers, Deacons, Auxiliary and IPUB Leaders, members of the Biblical Apostolic Institute (IBA) and members who have access to a ministry.
The registration of participants of other denominations will be analyzed by the coordination of the event.


St Paul's Egham Hythe is commited to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults as an integral part of our life and ministry.
Our Parish Safeguarding Officer is Alison Hawkins. If you have any safeguarding questions or concerns you can contact her at firstname.lastname@example.org
The Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor is Jackie Broadfoot - email@example.com 07918 559387
Parish Safeguarding Policy
At the PCC meeting held on 3rd May 2023 the PCC of St Paul’s Egham Hythe adopted the Church of England “Promoting a Safer Church” Policy Statement, national policies and Practice Guidance approved by the House of Bishops. This policy statement actively underpins all safeguarding work within the church.


SICC Church Membership Covenant
- Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and on profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and having accepted the Bible as our sole authority of faith and practice, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
- We do endeavor to maintain family devotions and Bible studies; to educate our children in the Christian faith; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to be just in our dealings and faithful in our engagements. To avoid all things that have the appearance of evil and to abstain from practices that may cause another person to stumble; to avoid all gossiping, backbiting and excessive anger.
- We pledge to walk together in brotherly love and watchfulness, as members of the Christian church. Giving and receiving admonition with meekness and affection; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech. To be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior, and to secure it without delay. We will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
- To use our influence to combat the abuse of drugs and alcohol and the spread of pornography and other practices which lead to moral and spiritual decay.
- We will work together for the continuance of a faithful evangelistic ministry of this church, as we sustain its worship, discipline and doctrines. We will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expense of the church, the relief of the poor and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
- We moreover pledge that when we move away from this place, we will be united with another church as soon as possible. Where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.
- I hereby agree and abide by the above declarations.
- May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.


Benefits of Group Travel
Traveling with a group makes all the difference! From boarding your plane to the adventures you make along the way, having family or friends with you creates an abundance of fun memories and a heightened sense of comfort. It’s also a beautiful experience to share with those you care about. Whether you’re volunteering, taking a spiritual journey, or simply vacationing somewhere new, it will give you a new perspective on life. Embracing all this together is what makes traveling go from ordinary to extraordinary!
Why Book Group Travel With Us
Shuping Travel has lead and facilitated a wide variety of group trips and experiences. We understand how having a sense of community when you travel can bring people together, create powerful bonds, and make everlasting connections. We’ve helped clients team up for mission trips, explore ancestral homelands, and come together for spiritual journeys at a iconic religious destination. Our expertise in planning for groups and impeccable organization skills allow everyone to travel with ease and have the experience of a lifetime.
Do you have a group trip in mind? We want to hear about it!
Group Trip Ideas
The possibilities are endless when it comes to the various trips that a group can attend.
Here are a few suggestions that will surely peak your interest to get you thinking about the next group vacation!
Bible Land Exploration
After returning from an inspiring and life-changing trip to Jerusalem, Laurie curated an all-inclusive trip for her clients to enjoy! This journey is an in-depth exploration of the Holy Land and religious landmarks that showcase the countries rich and spiritual heritage. In addition to venturing through Jerusalem, you’ll visit a variety of other awe-inspiring places from cities like Nazareth and Bethlehem to the Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, and so much more!
Christmas in the Highlands of Ecuador
Join an annual mission trips to Ecuador! Along with a compassionate team of volunteers, you’ll give back to two villages and see highlights of the areas. First, arrive in Quito to organize and buy gifts and supplies for the villages, and then head to Riobamba to put it all into action. You’ll help children and families with everything including food, clothing, and more. You’’ll also join together to read, sing, pray, and spread positive messages. The goal is to not only help them, but bring love and share the good news of the gospel.
Steps of Paul
Follow in the footsteps of St. Paul, the revered Christian missionary, through Turkey and Greece. He spread the word of Jesus throughout the the two countries while surviving grueling opposition, which included stonings, beatings, and imprisonment. This journey will take you from Izmir and Ephesus to mystical Greek Islands and historical Athens. Walk along the path of Apostles, visit iconic holy landmarks, and gain further understanding of how Christianity impacted the region. You’ll love admiring the churches, temples, and tombs, while also having time to enjoy the Mediterranean beauty that surrounds you.


For the last 4000 years, our Western concept of God has been based on the God that evolved out of the Old Testament theocracy of ancient Israel. That God came into His own as an evolution from earlier gods, all of whose indivdual traits, the True God Most High was given. It is this God that we have come to “love” in some way, though it seems mostly a one way street in practical human experience. It is this one true God of the OT that we read is a jealous God, never thinking that in that context, He was jealous because there were still other gods a lingering and it was not that He was the only one, but just needed to be the top one. Therefore, “you shall have no other gods, BEFORE ME.” The others are lesser types and don’t forget it. “I am a jealous God.” Even as a kid, I wondered why the only God was jealous of no other gods that existed, until I learned that when the Decalogue was given, they did exist. I guess they have since moved elsewhere. Www.israelcelebs.co.il
The Bible God is everything from a co nsuming fire (hmm, the Sun?), to the Bright and Morning Star, to a loving Father. He created humans, then didn’t realize how nasty they could be, so he wiped them out drowning them all, save 8, like rats and left humanity the unending quest for the original ark and a way to explain badly the origins of everything from dinosaurs to the Grand Canyon. That one story has slowed the progress of human critical thinking probably as much as any. A few weeks ago headlines asked “Has Noah’s Ark Been Found,” (again) but it turned out to be a pile of rocks.
This one true Bible God scattered humanity so they couldn’t talk too much to each other in one language and advance the cause of science too quickly. They built a tall mud building which scared the Bible God into thinking man thought he could ascend to heaven. No scientific understanding that mud bricks could only take so much pressure and go so high. They obviously haven’t seen the Sears Tower from the air. Hard to spot down there on the approach to O’Hare. The Bible God lived in an obscure land, in obscure mountains and choose to wander around in the desert with an obscure people for a time in an effort to get them to worship him and Him only. He got the group out of Egypt by an Exodus of hundreds of thousands, which neither history nor archaeology can find, but non-the-less, it happened. If you have ever seen the start of the Boston Marathon, you would get an idea of what that might have been like with those in the back jogging in place for days until the mass of humans moved. In exchange for this, and at the exclusion of everyone else on the planet, He would make them the greatest and their kind as the sand of the sea and the stars of heaven. Oi…if this is the greatest humans can be, we need another plan. So for a couple thousand years, this Bible God threatened, punished, exiled, warned, spanked, abused and gave up a couple times, save for that one guy that was worth saving. Seems the Bible God had flawed plans.
Along the way, this Bible God, the same God who is the loving Father now of Jesus and the Christian Faith, but of whom there is precious little known since Jesus has taken all the attention away from Him for the last 2000 years, this Bible God slew the masses for the benefit of His people. Any nation that ended in “ite”, like Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites…got slaughtered if they got in the way of the people of the Bible God. I guess if you wore “tites” you were history back then. Ok, the Stone Tablets said “Thou Shalt Not Kill” but that only meant “Each Other.” It was not binding on the “ites” that got in the way, including the born and unborn children of women who just happened to be not born of the true Bible God people. Those poor souls got their heads smashed, bellies ripped , burned and generally routed in various and hideous ways.
The Bible God loved meat during this time and millions of animals ended up on the alters and in the pots of a Priesthood working the Temple shifts day and night for a thousand years. That’s a hell of a lot of precious wildlife going up in smoke to appease the Bible God. Between Roman arenas and the BG’s love of animal flesh, it’s no wonder there are few impressive animals left in the Middle East. The Turtle Doves went to Rumania just to recover their numbers since the Romans, at least, didn’t send Turtle Doves into the arena.
The BG loved blood as well as the smell of burning flesh. The more blood the better and even the Christians figured out that “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.” Always blood…blood, blood, blood. The life might be in the blood as the Bible God tells us, but getting it from the body onto the ground seemed to be more of the goal. From redemption by blood sacrfices we went to redemption by execution of the Lamb and the shedding of human blood once and for all. Whew..at least that stopped all the slaughter…well OK , it didn’t, but we can say it did in Church and feel better. Actually, history has shown us that after Jesus shed his blood once and for all, a whole lot of human blood was going to be spilled over the next couple thousand years by those that love Jesus and want everyone to see and experience the love of Jesus as they do, and come under his once and for all blood sacrifice. Go figure.
So up to this point, we have a Bible God that is pretty scary, vengeful, jealous, bloodthirsty, clannish, has no wife or consort, surrounds himself with male angels by the millions and seems to think and teach that women are just one rung above animals and other household possessions. Ever ask why ALL Bible Angels are MALE and ALL gift shop angels are FEMALE? Oh well, nuther story. This BG has tons of laws about human sexuality and the consequences of not abiding by the rules, but seems to Himself only be a God from the waist up, even though we are told he has hands and feet.


Have you ever heard of the Proverbs 31 woman found in the book of Proverbs in yes, chapter 31? Many of us have and many strive our entire lives to live up to a standard that is frankly unachievable. Amy Bayliss’ book Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 has given me a fresh perspective on the Proverbs 31 woman and also a freedom from guilt that is totally misplaced.
This bible study is laid out in an easy to handle format. Each chapter gives you a chance to dig deeper into Proverbs 31 and also deeper into The Word. There is scripture to look up, which I really like because we are told to test what hear against God’s Word. There are also thought provoking questions that really make you take a look at yourself and see where you stand. Amy also uses examples from her own life to explain things, which helps me to understand where she is coming from. It makes her more of a real person, living a real life, just like me. She also gives us suggestions to implement the things that we are learning from God’s Word.
All in all I enjoyed Amy’s book Pursuit of Proverbs 31. It put a clearer perspective on the illusive Proverbs 31 woman making her more of a guideline not a rulebook!
You can purchase this book on Kindle at Amazon.
I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of


The Mission of Stayton Christian School is:
To inspire students to love God and learning, build
excellent academic and spiritual foundations, and equip
students for lifelong achievement and Christian calling.
Welcome to Stayton Christian School's Home Page!
We are located in Stayton, Oregon, a few miles southeast of Salem. We are housed in the Stayton Christian Church facilities located at 189 East Washington Street in Stayton.
Use the navigation buttons to the left for more detailed information about our school as well as the latest news and activities.
Thank you for visiting our website. We hope to hear from you soon.


Melissa and Brian list their personal favorite Bible verses.
Show Notes (expand)
- 1 Samuel 15:22 - And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
- Ezra 7:10 - For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
- Isaiah 41:10 - Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
- Jeremiah 9:23-24 - Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
- Matthew 5:41 - And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
- Romans 6:6-7 - Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
- Romans 11:33 - O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
- Romans 12:18 - If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
- 1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
- James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- Job 13:15 - Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
- Ephesians 3:20 - Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
- Psalm 113:5-6 - Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
- Psalm 130:3-4 - If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
- Micah 7:18 - Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
- Psalm 32:8 - I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
- Hebrews 4:15-16 - For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
- Romans 8:1, 31-39 - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Philippians 3:13 - Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
- Job 22:21-23 - Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.


About Our Church"...to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ."
The Episcopal Church (TEC) is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and is based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere. It is a mainline Christian denomination divided into nine provinces. The Episcopal Church describes itself as “Protestant, yet Catholic”
Our Beliefs & Values
We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As constituent members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and are part of the third largest group of Christians in the world.
We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world.
We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.
We believe that God loves you – no exceptions.
For the Episcopal Church, the Jesus Movement calls us to focus on three specific Priorities:
Listen for Jesus’ movement in our lives and in the world. Give thanks. Proclaim and celebrate it! Invite the Spirit to do the rest.
Embody the loving, liberating, life-giving way of Jesus with each other.
Encounter and honor the face of God in creation.
“We seek every day to love God with our whole heart, mind and soul, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.”


Denise has traveled to third world countries where she has personally observed poverty and injustice, particularly towards women. The impoverished conditions Denise has observed overseas, as well as in the United States, have caused her to have an overwhelming desire to help enhance human welfare.
Her evangelistic mission has taken her to Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Kenya, India, Guyana, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. Denise works as an Employee Relations Consultant in Georgia. Denise is also an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.


Hi my real name is Thalia Sylvena Skopellos and this is a place where you will have the opportunity to get to know me behind the music on a much more personal level both spiritually and emotionally. In 2013 the course of my life changed in a way that I never imagined. I found out that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were back on earth :O!!!! This happened when I was introduced to spiritual truths called Divine Truth that teaches principles of God's Absolute Love and Truth. These teachings are taught by a man named Alan John Miller and woman named Mary Luck who claim to be Jesus and Mary Magdalene. I have personally met Jesus and Mary and after 3 years of listening to Divine Truth and experimenting with it in my life I now trust them enough to call them my friends. From experimenting with these Truths I have come to see positive changes in my life and trust what they say about their identity and their identity has become irrelevant to me. It is the message they share that has impacted me tremendously and answered so many unanswered questions that I have had about myself and life. Jesus and Mary made a decision to come back to earth to teach 'The Way' to reconnect and reestablish a relationship with God, the Being who created our soul, our True Parent and how to receive God's Love into our soul. This 'way' is an emotional process of opening our heart and soul to God's Absolute Truth about the universe and all creations including the Truth about God, who God is, our soul and how it was created and functions.
It also involves emotionally understanding and accepting personal truth about ourselves in regards to our true feelings and the emotional damage that has occurred throughout our lives so that we may begin to feel and release these feelings from our soul so that we can heal and develop our real self that God created us to be. This process of opening our soul to all Truth also opens our soul to the reception of God's Love which is the only substance that will permanently heal and transform the human soul and reestablish the connection and relationship thats been lost.
I consider this process the most important journey that anyone could ever choose to undertake, and it is a journey that I am currently experimenting with. I have such a desire to discover who God is and who I am. I have such a desire to know who the real me is underneath all of the layers and layers of damage and facade that has been created in me. I have such a desire now to connect to God, to love God and receive God's Love into my soul.
This blog will be about sharing myself openly and honestly about the experiences I have gone through and the new emotional and spiritual truths I learn about myself and the universe as I begin to delve deep into my relationship with God and myself.
I look forward to sharing myself and letting you in to my heart and soul. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me.
Here is my new song Wanna Know. Its the first single off my upcoming EP due for release later this year. The lyrics were excerpts taken from my personal journal about my deepest feelings about myself and my deep desire to know about God and the truth of the universe. If you would like a free copy of the song please get in touch!