“Trust me and follow me”

I was sprinting out of the auditorium that had been screening the Passion of the Christ at the church camp my foster family had sent me to as a last-ditch effort to give me some direction. It could have been the pain I saw on Jesus’ face while He carried the cross, or the unbelievable rage people had for Him, or the way He called out to God exclaiming, “why have you forsaken me?” that caused the flight response. But soon I landed myself in a nearby field and screamed as loud as I could so God could hear me.

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Mark 15:21-25

And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyre′ne, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Gol′gotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour, when they crucified him.

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All Praise to Our Redeeming Lord

All praise to our redeeming Lord,
who joins us by His grace,
and bids us, each to each restored,
together seek His face.
He bids us build each other up;
and, gathered into one,
to our high calling’s glorious hope
we hand in hand go on.

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Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Music is central to my faith journey. Music has a way of drawing me into the presence of God. When I’m struggling with life, when my faith journey isn’t what I know it should or could be, the first two places I turn are to scripture and music. They have a way of grounding me in ways that are unexplainable. I have many favorite hymns; however, number one on my top ten list is Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Like scripture, I find that knowing the context, or the story behind the hymn helps me to better understand and appreciate the gift of music.

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Natural Consequence

After working in childcare for the last 18 years, I often get questions from parents and caregivers about discipline and how to help their children. Oftentimes, it’s along the lines of my child wanting to do X, but I know as a parent that isn’t the right choice for them, i.e., a child not wanting to sit in their car seat or wanting them to wear a jacket when it is cold outside. The first thing we usually talk about is how, as a parent, it is our job to keep our children out of harm’s way, help them learn, and how we best do that for each child. Sometimes, like sitting in a car seat, these are non-negotiable choices, and the child must sit in one to be safe. Then there are things like wearing a jacket when it’s cold that I like to advise parents that this an excellent opportunity to practice Natural Consequences.

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“Our Fodder”

During the season of Lent, giving something up is a common practice, but I generally like to add something into my life to help me become more focused on God. This year, I’ve decided to add something simple, but I think it will help me to stay focused on the purpose of this practice, and that is the love that Jesus has for me.

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Crisis

For the past four years, my sister has been living with and battling stage IV breast cancer. Cancer is an awful disease, and learning that someone close to you has cancer is a sobering experience.

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The Lenten Spring

My husband, George, and I fast during Lent. We follow his family’s tradition, the Orthodox Christian Great Lent Fast. The Great Lent is the longest and most intensive fasting period in the Orthodox Church, lasting for 40 days before Easter. During this time, Orthodox Christians abstain from meat, dairy, and wine. The act of fasting is often misunderstood. It tends to be mischaracterized as a form of deprivation. But we know that Lent is not a season of deprivation.

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John 3:16-17

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:16-17

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