Podcasts about as mary

2 Kings 4:38-44 ESV 38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. 40 And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41 He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot. 42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firs fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” 43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.'” 44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord. GOD'S PROTECTION AND PROVISION. The famine of the land has made life very hard for Elisha and the sons of the prophets. As Elisha commanded his servants to cook stew for the sons of the prophets, one of them went out into the wild to gather herbs. He ‘found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were.' While they were about to eat it, they found out they could not do it. They cried, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” Elisha asked for flour and threw it into the pot. They ate and there was no harm in the pot. How did Elisha know what to put in in order to make the stew alright? His wisdom from God made him greater than the cook. At another instance, a man had given his firs fruits of twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha instructed his servant to give to the sons of the prophets. But, the servants thought it won't be enough for one hundred men. To make his command clear, Elisha repeated it, by saying, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.'” They ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord. We couldn't limit God or put Him in a box, could we? Like Paul, we may confidently say, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”[Phil 4:19] In His first miracle at the wedding in Cana, Jesus had helped the problem of lack and shame to the couple and their families. He changed the six jars of water into the best wine. The key was the obedience of the servants to His words. As Mary had cautioned them, “Do whatever he tells you.”[John 2:5] Similarly, Jesus fed five thousand men excluding the women and children at the wilderness by just five loaves of bread and two fishes from the boy. It was incomprehensible so that Andrew, Peter's brother commented, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”[John 6:9]. The key was that these bread and fishes were in Jesus' hands. During the time of crisis, who is in charge of our lives? Do we take things in our hands? Or, do you surrender to God and obey Him whatever He says? God will provide the way. Our, responsibility is to trust and obey. ------------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

The Spirit in the Wind is here--bound to Winthrop's will to steal away the very drop Sorrowful aimed to return to it! As Mary glimpses a sight of their true quarry in Thomas' memory, it's up to Sorrowful Barks to keep the Spanish crew fooled and fight off a demon besides. Meanwhile Captain Crowe comes face to face with the sneering Goodrich and is offered a bargain--one he can neither refuse nor accept...

As Mary proclaimed in the Magnificat, “God has remembered his promise of mercy.”This promise is being fulfilled in Mary.

What do we do with God's delays? Or even harder, God's seeming lack of response? Jesus knows his friend was dying, but he waited, and when he finally responded, Lazarus was already four days buried. As Mary wept, Jesus began to weep as well. What he was about to do would in no way erase the suffering and sorrow his beloved friends had endured. Yet his waiting would show them, and the world, the glory that was about to come. Listen as Joanne Hagemeyer reflects on John 11.

Mary Stuart is an artist and writer from Geelong in Victoria, Australia. She grew up in Melbourne as a painfully shy child, socially awkward with very little self-confidence. As Mary got older, her anxiety, insecurities, her social awkwardness and work stress led to excessive drinking. Mary attempted to quit a few times and decided to prepare for when it felt right to quit. She learned from things that worked and didn't work and decided to take those forward into her alcohol-free life. She now wants to share her story and provide tools to help others to discover how to Live an Alcohol-free Life YOUR Way! Learn more: Website: https://www.marystuart.net.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mary-Stuart-Author-and-Artist-108662008050895/ Private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/493783968403932 IG: https://www.instagram.com/marystuart_author/ Amazon US Link: https://amzn.to/2Tbe1R5 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-an-alcohol-free-life-your-way-mary-stuart/1139228800?ean=9780645132106     Be a Part of the Rise in Recovery Network for Entrepreneurs! Are you someone in recovery who wants to make a difference in the lives of others? Do you want to be a part of a network of supportive like-minded individuals that are here to help you start your business or take your business to the next level, and make a positive impact in the world? Join us in the Rise In Recovery Network Facebook Group where you'll find Community, Connection & Collaboration - We Rise Higher Together!    Do you want to network and collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs in recovery? Then make sure you join our next Collaboration Zone Zoom Party. Here is what to expect so bring your best!  10 minutes of Tips & Strategies to grow your mind and business.  Speed Connection Round where you get to share who you are and what you do. You also get the opportunity to ask for support, feedback or connections from other members in the group. Collaboration is the key!  Hot Seat session where you get to share your biggest struggle and have the rest of the group share their secrets and strategies to overcome that roadblock.  Opportunities for you to be invited as a guest speaker where you get to share your expertise with the group to showcase your skills.   Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/riseinrecovery Twitter: https://twitter.com/riseinrecovery Instagram: @theroadbeyondrecovery LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamarmedford/ Website: www.theroadforward.ca

Get ready to Sparkle and Shine and live life in full color, Queens!!!  This week, we welcome style blogger and personal stylist Mary Higham, creator of “Glam in Gotham.” Mary's personal aim is to fill each day with whimsy and color, and she unapologetically believes that fashion should make people happy. Well, duh! As Mary says: “Every piece of my clothing makes a statement towards a little piece of my personality - I wear my heart on my sleeve (sometimes literally)!” Mary's blog and Instagram page are saturated in her trademark fluff and sequins – as well as her beloved headbands – where she shares her perspective on her new life in NYC, tips and tricks for vintage finds, and loves to promote her favorite fashion accessories and styles. Nolan brings us the goods this week and introduces us to Mary as only Nolan can: recounting a story about the first time he hung out with Mary at a Halloween party, where he got super trashed and had a great time… well, you can imagine. But back to Mary: we discuss her first career as an event consultant specializing in meetings, conferences and trade shows. She then started blogging, moved to NYC – LITERALLY moving into a new apartment the day before the pandemic shut down the City - and decided to focus on her love of fashion when the world's planning and live events actually died in 2020. We L.O.L about personal shopping gigs, sample sales, thrifting, blogging, curating your own personal style, our love for NYC, and even why there is a lot of online discussion about the state of her husband's pant-wearing status on most days. Some things just have to be seen or heard, so take a listen.  Seriously though, Mary shares how she supports up-and-coming brands by promoting and elevating the designers and products she loves. She then combines her professional experience as an event planner to connect brands and consumers. We are so inspired by Mary's business insights and career path: “You can't fit a career in a box. Nobody's life fits into a perfect box. It is not always in a straight line. There is no clear path. Carve out what you love.” Join us for a wonderful adventure full of rainbows and unicorns, career journeys and the love of fashion! And of course, we include all the usual swear words and things that totally annoy us along the way.  In This Episode: [2:11] NOLAN: It's been such a long year. So I mean, you wear so many hats. So, you're an event consultant. You're a stylist. You're a personal shopper. A color and style enthusiast, because it brings you joy. You're like also like me, you're a sample sale queen.  [3:01] HOLLY: Mary, I just want to say I'm looking at you right now. I've only seen your picture. You're completely Gorg! Love your headband. She's got on this beaded headband and, I mean, super colorful rainbow dress. You look amazing! [5:07] MARY:  So, I'm actually adopted and I grew up on the Jersey Shore as an Asian kid with white parents - grew up on the Irish Catholic Riviera of America on the Jersey Shore. [8:04] MARY: It's not easy to follow your passion. I attended panels where brand designers and CEOs are sitting there, talking about how, you know, “One day I just decided I wanted to create my own line. So I cold called a lot of people and now look at how successful I am.” And I'm like, “That's not true. You started your career as an intern, you started as a stylist assistant.” [11:28] MARY: I used to travel all over the world. So, I could be in any city or any country, like who even knows. But the most popular thing I ever asked about on my Instagram Stories was: do you want to know if my husband is wearing pants or not? [17:43] HOLLY: And what is your shtick? Are you “fashion at your age”? Are you “fashion for a certain size?” Tell me what your shtick is… you believe in color, or what is your unique perspective about why your outfits are important. [23:27] MARY: You know, look, if we really want to break it down in a nutshell, what I believe I can do to help other women is: I think it's really important to embrace yourself. I'm not going to tell every woman that she needs to be wearing color. You know what, if you like black, and it is an entirely black ensemble, if you feel that's you, and that's what makes you happy? Then you do that. [28:15] MARY:  There was almost an entire month where Nate was like “Come on, just walk the dogs with me” I was like, okay, so I go out, and of course, I put on sequins and a big-ass bow on my head, and I was like, we're gonna walk the dogs! So we go downstairs and my doorman was like “Holy Shit, Mary! Oh my god, you're alive. We had a pool going, we really thought your husband had murdered you know, you for weeks.” [52:02] MARY:  I think I would say it's a fashion crime to just follow trends and to wear it because like, oh, pink is the new, you know, what is it? Orange is the new pink? It's the new red?  [61:00] NOLAN: I proceeded to get blackout. Oh, and then we had Korean barbecue afterwards. It was so good.  Key Takeaways: Nolan has fabulous fashion friends who make amazing podcast guests Mary Higham followed her head and her heart to combine careers without following the rules, or the norms, or what everyone says is the correct path to success. Pandemic got you down? Pivot to expand your career opportunities and you just might find a way to do more than your day job. But you still gotta pay the bills. There are highs and lows and depression, and then there are people who are fake about what it means to be successful.  You be you. Your personal style, your path to happiness, your success and failures – no one can tell you how to be you, or how to be happy. People want people. We want live fashion shows again. We want to touch and feel and taste fabric. We want to see the good, the bad and the beautiful at live fashion shows. Some things just cannot be digital.  Find people, brands, products and ideas that you love. Follow them, lift them up, promote them, be a part of their community. Collaboration is the new black.  Websites and Links:   Glam in Gotham website:  https://www.glamingotham.com/ Glam in Gotham Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/glam.in.gotham/   Lele Sadoughi Headbands: https://www.lelesadoughi.com/ Loren Hope Jewelry: https://www.lorenhope.com Stony Clover Lane: https://www.stoneycloverlane.com Quotes: “I like to think that fashion should make people happy. And the fashion is uniquely personal to you. I am never gonna tell someone what they have to wear.” – Mary Higham “It's shot girl summer: vaxxed, waxed and ready to relax." – Mary Higham “So, I'm actually adopted and I grew up on the Jersey Shore, an Asian kid with white parents who grew up on the Irish Catholic Riviera of America on the Jersey Shore.” – Mary Higham “Listen, no one is upset that you're Asian, Jewish AND Italian. Okay? Because you grew up on the Jersey Shore. It's all good that you're Jewish, that you're more Jewish than most people.” – Holly Katz “And I'm never gonna not love headbands. I've loved headband since I was like six years old. So I don't care. I could be 18, I could be 45, still gonna be wearing a sparkly headband.” – Mary Higham “You don't need a million followers to have any degree of influence.” – Mary Higham

In the second part of “Mary Goes Blind,” we meet Adam, a sassy, straight-talking teacher who shows Mary some tough love and then inappropriate love as they begin a student/teacher romance. As Mary navigates the world of the blind, Walnut Grove continues to fall apart without its star pupil. In the end, the Ingalls family decides to pack up the team and follow Mary and Adam to Winoka. Jennie is fresh off of Happy Hour and has an index card four minutes in, and Mary is definitely in rehab-which Jennie immediately recognized.Show Notes:To sign up for our Patreon feed, download the Patreon app or visit www.patreon.com/genxthisiswhyFollow Gen X, This is Why on Facebook: facebook.com/genxthisiswhy/Join our Facebook Group, The Me-Me B's for extra content, giveaways, and some fun Gen X introspection: facebook.com/groups/genxthisiswhy/And find us on Instagram at: @genxthisiswhyYou can find Amye at: @amyearcherwriterYou can find Jennie, but good luck with that.Questions? Comments? Email us at info@genxthisiswhy.com

As Mary says this week, "how exclusive!" This week, we take a pause from watching new episodes and consider season one of Melrose Place as a stand alone piece of art/trash. This means one thing: we get to talk a lot more about Sandy than we have in months. melroseplacecast@gmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/melroseplacecast/message

I was delighted to be asked to appear on Mary Meckley's podcast 'The Daily Meditation Podcast' to be interviewed for her listeners. I am such a meditation advocate and I discuss why it has helped me through some really stressful times over the years. I talk about how and where I meditate to get you started and there are plenty of other little tips in there of how I implement them into my busy dance world!There are a few mentions to those who I am truly grateful for throughout this past year as it has been a really tough one for a lot of us.  We discuss the importance of having someone you can trust who is there for you to talk to all the time. How people have so much going on that you would never know, so lets be kinder and not take everything to heart.I love listening to Mary's podcast and I love meditating and learning from Mary, she is such a wonderful person.As Mary says at the end of every single episode....'You are so worth slowing down for'How to listen and meditate with Mary - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/daily-meditation-podcast/id892107837Well done everyone, you are smashing life and I couldn't be prouder of my students!Thank you so much to everyone who bought a copy of the healthy dancer booklet we raised £55 which will go to the charity Childline.Please click the link below if you would like to purchase a copy -https://gumroad.com/l/pyUEl?fbclid=IwAR2fRuj9aAqYrsVKFTCqyjsSNHMBUVb3-kDWzy9H47-QLsvdIvdYJ4hfTP4Thank you for listening, please rate, subscribe and share the podcast!Stage Dance Wear (Our Dance provider for - tights, ballet shoes, tap shoes, accessories & much more)Join their large social media following on Instagram & Facebook and see their amazing ambassador Team, including our gorgeous students Fin & Melissa.www.stagedancewear.co.ukSquad Dance Wear (our bespoke uniform supplier)Check out their website www.squaddancewear.com Also if you're a teacher and would like to know more about their bespoke uniform service just drop them an email at askus@squaddancewear.com They are super helpful and friendly and would love to have a chat.  Equally if you're a dancer and would love your school to have Squad Uniform, why don't you suggest to your teacher that they contact SquadA huge announcement will be shared by the end of the week as the ISTD magazine has now been released and the podcast has been featured with another interview! I am so made up! thank you thank you thank you everyone!!!I am so grateful for you all, Sarah x

We're knee-deep in toys, but who's really to blame for this outrageousness? As Mary and Kate ponder the usefulness of a salt lamp, coolness of a pair of Wayfarers, and treasureability of a baby gift, perhaps all-encompassing consumer culture is a little too close for comfort.  Mr Monkeyjocks also has us wondering if overwhelm is to blame for the "I'm bored" kid chorus? And if a box of toys gets "lost" in Mary's house move, is it unethical to blame the removalists? And of course, all the reasons that Mr Monkeyjocks ends in tears. So special.   ++ Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too! Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

This week, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and begin a new series; Belong, Believe, Behave. The Gospel of Jesus is an invitation to belong, before you believe all the right things, or behave in all the right ways. As Mary encountered the risen Jesus at the tomb, it wasn't until he called her by name, that she saw Jesus for who he really was. To belong, is to be known, seen and loved. That is where faith in Jesus begins. Passage: John 20:1-18

A Sermon for Easter Day Colossians 3:1-4 & St. John 20:1-10 by William Klock There are echoes of John’s prologue in those words telling us that Mary came to the tomb while it was still dark.  In the beginning.  John’s prologue in turn deliberately echoes Genesis.  In the beginning…God spoke into the darkness and called forth light.  John writes, “In the beginning was the word.”  On the sixth day God spoke and called forth man.  John writes that the word became flesh and dwelt among us.  On the sixth day, Pilate presented Jesus to the people and announced, “Behold the man!”  Hanging on the cross, Jesus used his last gasp of breath to declare, “It is finished.”  Again, an echo of Genesis.  Any normal person who counted himself a friend of Jesus would have considered that first Good Friday a very bad day, but that echo from Genesis reverberates through John’s account.  When God had finished the work of creation he declared that it was all very good.  Jesus was laid to rest in the tomb for the sabbath—another echo of Genesis.  Death is not the end, but the beginning of new creation.  As Mary went to the tomb that first Easter morning, the word of God was poised to burst forth in an act of new creation. At the time no one understood any of this.  Mary went to the tomb expecting that, like every other person in history who has died, Jesus would still be there, stone cold and lifeless.  She went to mourn and to meet her friends to finish the work of anointing Jesus’ body.  She found the tomb was open, the great stone door rolled away.  It was dark, so there was no point poking inside for a look.  The open tomb meant only one thing: Jesus’ body was gone.  John doesn’t reveal Mary’s thoughts, but resurrection would have been the last thing on her mind.  No, the open tomb meant someone had taken the body, maybe grave robbers, maybe Roman soldiers playing a joke on some silly Jews, adding insult to injury.  So she ran.  She ran to Peter’s hiding place in the city and he came running with John.  He’s the one who describes himself as the one whom Jesus loved. John tells us that he outran Peter and got to the tomb first.  The sun is rising and as he peers into the tomb he sees the linen strips that had wrapped Jesus’ body.  That’s an odd thing.  Mary, John, and Peter can think of any number of reasons why someone might have taken Jesus’ body, but that they would first unwrap him is inexplicable.  Peter arrives and heads straight into the tomb.  If Jesus’ tomb was like others that have been found, his body was likely placed on a shelf to one side of the small, low entrance.  If his head had been oriented towards the door, it would have been difficult to see without at least putting head and shoulders into the tomb as Peter did.  And what a curious thing they find.  Not only was the body gone with the wrappings left behind, but the wrappings appeared to be undisturbed, as if Jesus has simply passed right through them.  And the cloth that had been on his head, probably a piece of linen tied around the head to keep the jaw closed, it had been moved and neatly placed nearby. It hadn’t been that long before that Jesus had raised Lazarus from death.  The disciples had watched as Lazarus stumbled out of his tomb, still tightly wrapped in linen, probably not unlike a Hollywood mummy.  His friends scrambled to tear the linen cloths away, making a mess in the process.  In contrast, everything about Jesus’ tomb spoke of calm and order, even the face covering neatly set aside. John tells us that at this point he squeezed into the tomb beside Peter.  He saw and believed, he writes.  But believed what?  John goes on to tell us in the next verse that “as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”  They did not yet understand, but he believed.  Some argue that John merely believed Mary’s report of the missing body, but this seems like a pretty trite detail in amongst everything else John has told us here.  Peter and Mary believed Jesus’ body was really gone, too.  No, what would seem to make the best sense of this passage is to understand that John is here saying that this was the moment when he realised that Jesus had been raised from death.  He said nothing to Peter or to Mary.  He and Peter returned home.  Mary remained at the tomb weeping.  They, the others, didn’t know what to make of the missing body, because they did not yet understand the implication of either Jesus’ claims or the of the scriptures.  We can hardly blame John for not saying anything.  He, himself, must have been struggling to put it all together.  But there it was.  Suddenly all the things Jesus had said, things like his statement that he would tear down the temple and rebuild it in three day, it all made sense and his brain started reaching back into the scriptures and he began to understand.  I think that, again, the contrast with Lazarus must have stood out.  John had seen a sort of resurrection before, but Lazarus was resurrected to a life still subject to death and decay and emerged from the tomb still wrapped in his graveclothes.  Something different had happened to Jesus.  The undisturbed graveclothes spoke of something greater.  Resurrection—something God’s people longed for—had happened, but not as expected.  But that meant that Jesus really was the Messiah and that somehow this meant that God really was going to set everything to rights.  New creation had begun that morning, but it would take some time—and a meeting with the risen Jesus—before John would be able to sort out for himself what it all meant. But if new creation was born that morning, it also had to have implications not only for Jesus, but for his people too.  John doesn’t let us in on how much of this—if any—he understood.  The wheels in his head were just starting to turn, after all.  But that’s where St. Paul and our Epistle come in, written decades later after he and so many other had had the time to think it through and work it out.  Let me read those four verses from Colossians again.     If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.   What are the implications of the resurrection of Jesus for his people?  St. Paul wrote Colossians, at least in part, to address what seems to have been a common problem in the New Testament churches: legalism.  Jewish Christians struggled with the place of the law in the new covenant and many gentile believers were told that they needed first to embrace a form of Judaism before they could really be followers of Jesus.  In 2:20-23 Paul asks such people why they continue to live as if they were still enslaved by that old way of life.  Sure, the law has “an appearance of wisdom” in helping a person to attain an outward appearance of piety, but that’s just it: it’s an outward appearance, an outward conformity to holiness.  It’s not that this is necessarily a bad thing in itself, but that true holiness is something that wells up out of the heart—or, at least, it should.  It’s not hard to hear Paul’s frustration in these words.  Jewish converts should know better.  This had been Israel’s struggle since the beginning and Jesus, in his death and resurrection, had finally fixed it.  But as every Christian knows, we often struggle with a new problem.  New life is the starting point when it comes to defeating sin, but all too often we forget and start thinking that new lift is the result of first having tackled sin ourselves.  Paul knew all too well that’s not how the gospel works. Jesus has led us in an exodus from sin and death.  In his resurrection he has given us new life.  We are no longer slaves.  This is the basic truth of the Christian life and if we don’t get it right, we’ll get everything else wrong.  As the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt through the sea and freed them from their bondage to Pharaoh, Jesus sets us free from sin’s bondage when we pass through the waters of baptism.  It’s a truth.  A fact.  A done deal.  We have been redeemed.  Even if we don’t feel it, Jesus and the Spirit have transformed us: we were slaves to sin and death and now we are free; we were in bondage to the world and are now citizens of the kingdom of heaven.  This is what we mean when we speak of “regeneration”.  This is what Paul gets at in our Epistle.  He writes in 2:20 that we have died with the Messiah and now he writes in 3:1 that we have also been raised with the Messiah.  Again, we may not feel it, but if we have truly taken hold of Jesus in faith, he has carried us through death and out the other side into a new kind of life.  Of course we have to be careful to understand that what Paul is saying here is one of those “already-but-no-yet” truths.  Jesus has been raised to the sort of real life and true humanity that we lost through our sin.  We look forward in faith and hope to the day when we will be raised as he was, but in the meantime we have God’s own Spirit living in us as an earnest on that day.  We await the resurrection, but even today the Spirit makes that future resurrection a reality for us.  Maybe this is what makes life in Jesus a struggle.  If we could appear in locked rooms and never know sickness or decay again—as is true of Jesus—it would be easier to remember who and what we are.  Instead, we are called today to live by faith, not by sight.  One day the promise will be fulfilled.  One day the things of the present age will be gone for good and God’s new age will come in all its fulness, heaven will descend to earth and man will live with God. And so we begin with first principles: If we have died with the Messiah, we have been raised with the Messiah.  We need to get this truth into our heads and when we do, we’ll remember that our life and everything about it that matters, is in the heavenlies where Jesus sits at the right hand of God.  Our true lives are hidden there with Jesus, Paul says.  It’s a kind of mystery, this “already-but-not-yet” life we have in the Messiah.  But even though it’s stored away in the heavenlies along with the rest of the age to come and God’s new world, Paul wants us to understand that it’s still very much who and what we are right now.  The new age dawned that first Easter morning when Jesus rose triumphant over death and if we are in him by faith, we really are part of that new age.  It may be hidden from the world around us, but it’s not hidden from us, because Jesus and the Spirit have made it our reality.  And as difficult as it may be some days to live this reality, Paul urges us to do so in faith-filled hope, knowing that Jesus, who is our life, will return to finish what he has started.  On that day we will know glory in all its fullness.  Our hope is not merely that Jesus will return, but also that when he returns he will reveal who we really are in him.  Resurrection will vindicate and reveal the faithfulness of God’s people, just as Jesus was vindicated and glorified in his resurrection.  As we struggle against sin and as we labour for God’s kingdom we may feel inadequate or insignificant, but the resurrection of Jesus ought to be a source of encouragement to live the truth of who we are in Jesus even as some aspects of it are still hidden with him.  Brothers and Sisters, glory awaits.   Let’s pray: Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant us by your grace to set our minds on things above; that by your continual help our lives may be transformed; through the same, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Clark Hill’s Credit Eco to Go kicks off Women’s History Month with best-selling author Mary Shores. Mary’s unbelievable journey from overcoming incredible odds to successful business owner to industry expert is inspirational. Along the way, she developed and unlocked the science to effectively communicating with consumers about their financial reality. As Mary says, “All consumers want is to be heard and to be understood.” Mary is hopeful that expanded technology channels, especially in the debt collection space, will help consumers achieve this goal. DISCLAIMER – No information contained in this Podcast or on this Website shall constitute financial, investment, legal and/or other professional advice and that no professional relationship of any kind is created between you and podcast host, the guests or Clark Hill PLC. You are urged to speak with your financial, investment, or legal advisors before making any investment or legal decisions.

Link to Love’s Pure Delight here: ⁣ ⁣ https://tinyurl.com/yysjvwjm⁣ ⁣ 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38⁣ ⁣

READ: Luke 1:51-53 NLT His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. As Mary praises God that she is going to give birth to his Son she takes us right to the heart of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus didn’t come merely to rearrange things. He came to turn the world upside down. If we are to take Jesus seriously, we have to look at our society with new eyes because God is not merely disappointed with arrogance, abuse of power and injustice. God wants them to be toppled. Sadly, it is all too easy for us to fit in with our society and, in the interests of a quiet life, not to challenge injustice. The story of the church in Germany in the 1930s is a terrifying illustration of this. Hitler sought to bring the church under his exclusive control and the overwhelming majority accepted this. They were, understandably, fearful of resisting him and so allowed themselves to be pressed into the Nazi mould. Only the Confessing Church led by people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer were brave enough to stand up and be counted. For many of them like Bonhoeffer it was at the cost of their lives. This is certainly a dramatic example, but the reality is that much of what happens in our society is contrary to God’s will. Our world is shaped by money, sex and power and very often the cries of the poor, elderly and weak are overlooked. If we are to sing Mary’s song, then we need to use it as the lens through which we examine the daily life of our society. I would encourage you to grab a copy of one of today’s newspapers and imagine how different our society might be if we turned Mary’s song into practice. QUESTION: What injustice are you most aware of in our society, and what are you doing to oppose it? PRAYER: Loving Heavenly Father we praise you that you love us so much that you want to turn our world upside down. Pour out your Spirit upon us so that we will be able to see your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

December 20, 2020. Have you ever had a moment when you realized that your whole life was changing, that something was emerging that you couldn’t quite see yet? This year, of all years, we really need to know that there is something much bigger than us going on, that there is order in this chaos that we are living. Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, Luke 1:26-56 *** Transcript *** Have you ever had a moment when you realized that your whole life was changing, that something was emerging that you couldn’t quite see yet? I can think of several times when I knew that transformation and mystery was happening — and fear, even terror. When I first said out loud that I was gay. When I moved into my first apartment, living on my own for the first time. When I made the decision to leave my job of nine years and go back to school full time. And when I got the phone call from the Call Committee here at Christ Lutheran, one Sunday morning just about a year ago. My pastor at my home congregation describes me as having a look of shock and wonder and disbelief as I shared the news with her a year ago. I'm not much of an astronomer, but my wife knows enough to be able to point out Mars and Venus and Jupiter in the sky at night, and I can usually spot them when she does. And I do enjoy looking at the stars, even if I can’t find any constellation besides the Big Dipper. There is something about the stars that, like the ocean, takes me out of the minutiae of my daily life, and reminds me just how big this world is, and just how small I am. The wise people knew far more about the night sky than I do. And although Jesus hadn’t been born yet, and they had no idea what it meant, they knew because of what they saw that something was up. The wise people probably didn’t suddenly see the star after Jesus’ birth, and begin their journey after he had been born. They had been watching the sky for years, and the unique star that they saw probably caught their eyes months prior to that sacred night in the stable in Bethlehem. And when they saw it, they knew that the world was about to change. They knew that something was about to happen that was worth traveling for days or weeks or months, worth lying to King Herod, worth giving up their treasure for. And soon, the wise people will be greeting a child whose birth was revealed to them by the stars they watched at night — the child whose birth, as insignificant as it might have seemed, would change everything. Jesus hasn’t been born yet, but the wise people already see it coming. They are living, as we Lutherans do, in a world that is, and is not yet. Mary sang of it in our gospel today, and in our opening hymn from Holden. After hearing from the angel what was going to happen and traveling to see Elizabeth. Mary’s song is really quite remarkable, as Debie Thomas points out in her blog this week. The angel brought Mary news that would shake any unmarried teenager — she is pregnant, with no good way to explain how that happened, and by tradition and law could be easily punished, beaten, ostracized, even killed. And yet, when she greets Elizabeth, her first words are ones of deep joy: “My spirit rejoices in God.” I can only imagine that her journey to Elizabeth must have been quite a wrestling — with herself, with God, reconciling and trying to understand what has just happened to her. Mary goes on to say that God has seen her in her humanness — poor; female in a world that didn’t value women; living in a brutal, occupied land; young, not yet married. God saw her just as she was, and was mindful of her. Somehow, out of all the people in the world, out of all the people in Nazareth, God saw and knew Mary intimately. And he was mindful of her. Then Mary the prophet, who was living in a broken world, full of injustice and hunger and poverty, saw and claimed the vision of God’s promise already at work. God has not only seen Mary, but all who are on the edge, as the hungry are filled and the marginalized and forgotten and abused ones are lifted up. The strong and the powerful, it seems, are already taken care of in this world, so God is especially mindful of those who have been pushed aside. And in the middle of the world still bound with injustice and pain, Mary sang of the world she knew God was bringing into being. “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” As Mary sings, she echoes the faith and the hope of many who came before her — Hannah, and Hagar, and the psalmist, and all the prophets, who proclaimed the hope and promise that is now, but not quite yet. Jesus hasn’t been born yet, but the wise people are on their way, following signs in the world our God created that pointed to things much bigger than themselves. And this year of all years, a year of pandemics and fires and elections and racial tensions, so much chaos, we really need to know that there is something much bigger than us going on, that there is order in this chaos that we are living. And in our time, that transformation that Mary speaks of, that the wise people saw coming, continues. Christmas isn’t here yet, but we know Christ is coming. And our world is in just as much need of transformation, healing, and re-creation, as the world the wise people traveled 2000 years ago. The prophets of today are claiming the promise anew, like Kelly Brown Douglas claiming that God is freedom, William Barber II declaring that people on the margins are seeking transformation and justice and healing and not a return to a disparate normal, Valarie Kauer’s revelation that the chaos we are living in is the darkness of the womb, not the darkness of the tomb, and that it will bring new life and not death. Jupiter and Saturn are close to aligning, and tomorrow they will come together to show us a sign. Astronomers today think that what we will be seeing in the sky if we venture out tomorrow evening after sunset is perhaps the same sign the wise ones saw so many years ago, the star that gave a glimpse of the promises of God to come that led the wise people to Bethlehem. The very same star that showed them that something new, something world-changing, was about to happen. In this time of COVID-19, as we have stayed away from our church building for a time, we have learned what Nathan tried to tell David so long ago — God is building a house, has been building it for millennia, a house not of brick and mortar but of people, of us. And Christ Lutheran family, God is still building us up, inspiring us, breathing new life, healing, and transformation into this broken world. We can look to the skies as the wise people did, and know that Christ is coming. We have just a few days left — I bet some of the kids could tell us even how many hours we have left — and in this moment we join all the people who for millennia have been claiming and proclaiming the promise. This was not a one-time event that happened 2000 years ago and was complete, but a movement of the Spirit of God that began with creation and continues on today. We are not alone. We can see the star, hear the words of the angel Gabriel, and know that something new is happening. With the prophets of yesterday and today, we can embrace all the change and fear and grief and wonder that that brings. And then, we can join Mary in joy, promise, and hope, and sing with her as our spirits rejoice in the promise coming to us in Christ. Thanks be to God. *** Keywords *** 2020, Christ Lutheran Church, Webster Groves, sermon, podcast, transcript, YouTube, video, Pastor Meagan McLaughlin, 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26, Luke 1:26-56, COVID-19, coronavirus

What do you think was going through Joseph’s mind when Mary told him this amazing story about the angel’s proclamation? “Does she really expect me to believe this?” Can you imagine how disappointed he must have been? As Mary’s betrothed, he had the option of having her stoned to death… he could do that if he wanted to deal with the shame. No, he was going to dismiss her quietly so that they could both move on with their lives. The post Is It So, Joe? appeared first on McFarland UMC.

(Sgs.2:8-14 or Zep.3:14-18;  Ps.33:1-3,11-12,20-21;   Lk.1:39-45)   “Let me see you, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.”   “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” – she who comes bearing the Christ child, she whose very voice magnifies the presence of the Lord.  Listen to the witness of Elizabeth: “The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby stirred in my womb for joy.”  Mary carries the Son of God not only in her womb, but in her soul; the Spirit working within her serves to inspire him who shall go before the Lord, and so she paves the road the forerunner of Jesus shall tread. How one are mother and child!  Never so evident has it been than in this passage from Holy Scripture.  For Mary's voice carries the very presence of Jesus, and Elizabeth's ears convey that presence to her child.  Here is that relationship of love depicted in our reading from the Song of Songs exemplified most clearly; here is the oneness of lover and beloved.  And the loveliness of the lover becomes the loveliness of the beloved; the blessing of the Child becomes the blessing of the Mother – and in this love the earth brings forth its fruit. “The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.”  “The Lord, your God, is in your midst,” and He blesses all with His presence.  He calls to your soul to come forth and know His love.  “Springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills,” He hastens to your side.  He visits you.  He visits you, speaking to your heart, calling you to arise and join Him.  As Mary visits Elizabeth, “proceeding in haste into the hill country,” to bring her Son to the son of Elizabeth and so producing joy in this unborn child's heart – so she brings her sweet Jesus to us this day, her voice speaking of His glory to the ears of Mother Church. And so she becomes our Mother; and so she becomes our lover, for she bears the great lover of all souls to wed Himself to us as He is so perfectly wed to her.  His sweetness comes to us through His “beautiful one,” causing our hearts to rejoice at the sound of her voice and leading us to sing songs of praise to His holy name.  Let us raise the joyful shout to our God!   ******* O LORD, in joy with Mary, help us to bring Jesus to every waiting soul. YHWH, should we not rejoice at the coming of your Son?  He comes to us across the hills in the womb of His Mother: should His approach not fill us with expectation and wonder, with joy in the Holy Spirit?  And should we not cry out that joy with the Baptist and his mother? She who secluded herself for five months is now in her sixth, and now your Son comes to her.  And what has lain dormant within her womb springs to life at the sound of the voice of His Mother.  O LORD, are we not just so in need of your Spirit to awaken in us the love that has been dormant these many days?  Do we not begin to doubt your gifts to us as we long to see them fulfilled, as we sit this day in darkness?  And will you not come to us in your Son, in His Mother who carries Him to our side – she who is your perfect Bride? You desire to rejoice over us, O dearest LORD and God, and so our misfortunes you take away, and so the darkness of winter you dispel.  Even we who are aged in sin you find beautiful.  May our loveliness match your own.  May our voice be pleasing to you. 

(Sgs.2:8-14 or Zep.3:14-18;  Ps.33:1-3,11-12,20-21;   Lk.1:39-45)   “Let me see you, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.”   “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” – she who comes bearing the Christ child, she whose very voice magnifies the presence of the Lord.  Listen to the witness of Elizabeth: “The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby stirred in my womb for joy.”  Mary carries the Son of God not only in her womb, but in her soul; the Spirit working within her serves to inspire him who shall go before the Lord, and so she paves the road the forerunner of Jesus shall tread. How one are mother and child!  Never so evident has it been than in this passage from Holy Scripture.  For Mary's voice carries the very presence of Jesus, and Elizabeth's ears convey that presence to her child.  Here is that relationship of love depicted in our reading from the Song of Songs exemplified most clearly; here is the oneness of lover and beloved.  And the loveliness of the lover becomes the loveliness of the beloved; the blessing of the Child becomes the blessing of the Mother – and in this love the earth brings forth its fruit. “The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.”  “The Lord, your God, is in your midst,” and He blesses all with His presence.  He calls to your soul to come forth and know His love.  “Springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills,” He hastens to your side.  He visits you.  He visits you, speaking to your heart, calling you to arise and join Him.  As Mary visits Elizabeth, “proceeding in haste into the hill country,” to bring her Son to the son of Elizabeth and so producing joy in this unborn child's heart – so she brings her sweet Jesus to us this day, her voice speaking of His glory to the ears of Mother Church. And so she becomes our Mother; and so she becomes our lover, for she bears the great lover of all souls to wed Himself to us as He is so perfectly wed to her.  His sweetness comes to us through His “beautiful one,” causing our hearts to rejoice at the sound of her voice and leading us to sing songs of praise to His holy name.  Let us raise the joyful shout to our God!   ******* O LORD, in joy with Mary, help us to bring Jesus to every waiting soul. YHWH, should we not rejoice at the coming of your Son?  He comes to us across the hills in the womb of His Mother: should His approach not fill us with expectation and wonder, with joy in the Holy Spirit?  And should we not cry out that joy with the Baptist and his mother? She who secluded herself for five months is now in her sixth, and now your Son comes to her.  And what has lain dormant within her womb springs to life at the sound of the voice of His Mother.  O LORD, are we not just so in need of your Spirit to awaken in us the love that has been dormant these many days?  Do we not begin to doubt your gifts to us as we long to see them fulfilled, as we sit this day in darkness?  And will you not come to us in your Son, in His Mother who carries Him to our side – she who is your perfect Bride? You desire to rejoice over us, O dearest LORD and God, and so our misfortunes you take away, and so the darkness of winter you dispel.  Even we who are aged in sin you find beautiful.  May our loveliness match your own.  May our voice be pleasing to you. 

As Mary stood below the Cross and endured the pain of watching her Son die she would not have cared less about perceived public opinion nor who was the latest emperor in Rome. What she desperately needed to know was that there was someone who cared. Jesus, in spite of His own personal battle looked at her with compassion and made a provision for her need. Check out more podcasts and subscribe on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and Radio Public!!! Visit the following link for more information on the Barnabas Bridge: https://www.thebarnabasbridge.org/ Subscribe and check out videos on the "Barnabas Bridge" YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmLERg5BJYYJTjS_Eu8rbaw Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebarnabasbridge Contact us: The Barnabas Bridge - P.O. Box 2403 - Kearney, NE 68848 thebarnabasbridge@gmail.com (308) 627-3802

(Gal.3:22-29;   Ps.105:2-8;   Lk.11:27-28)   “Each of you is a son of God because of your faith in Christ Jesus.”   Praise God!  “Glory in His holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!”  For He has come among us.  Born of the womb of Israel, the Messiah is in our midst.  And so we should “sing to Him, sing His praise, proclaim all His wondrous deeds.”  For now by faith in Him we live, and are truly blest. Brothers and sisters, “before faith came we were under the restraint of the law… the law was our monitor until Christ came to bring about our justification through faith.”  Under the law we lived in sin, for who could fulfill all the demands of the law?  “But now that faith is here, we are no longer in the monitor's charge.”  We have found One who has fulfilled the demands of the law, and who is perfect in the eyes of God; and He makes us as Himself, as sons of the living God!  And so what can we do but rejoice.  We “who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have clothed [our]selves with Him.”  And so we stand naked to the world no more.  And so we hide no longer from the sight of God, for our sin before Him has been taken away, and with it the law. Listen attentively to the preaching of Paul, that “there does not exist among [us] Jew or Greek,” that it is faith in the Lord that saves us all.  It is the same lesson Jesus teaches in our gospel today.  For “the womb that bore you” refers to Israel; it is the breasts of the Chosen that have given Him suck, that have nourished Him well – it is of them He comes.  But not for this is the people blest; we cannot boast of our heritage.  Rather, we shall be judged worthy of blessing only by how well we “hear the word of God and keep it,” as our Blessed Mother has done in preeminent fashion.  She, as Paul, does not boast in her Jewish upbringing.  She knows that it is not even for her great work of bearing the Son of God that she found favor with Him.  Rather, all favor, the highest favor and grace, comes to her for the love she bears Him and the service she performs eternally in His Name… for her absolute faith. We must “seek to serve Him constantly” as does our Blessed Mother, as does our Mother, the Church, in faith.  Then truly we shall be “descendants of Abraham, His servants, sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!”  And we shall rejoice to see His Day. ******* O LORD, may we hear your Word and keep it in faith, like Abraham, like Mary, that we might inherit eternal life in Jesus your Son. YHWH, because of our faith in your Son, we become as your children, indeed, as He is before you.  You bless all who come to you through Jesus, all who do your will.  And what should we do but rejoice for such grace, for this wonder you perform in our midst. It is Israel that bore your Son; at Mary's breast He did suck.  But it is not for this the nation is blessed, nor she who carried Him in her womb.  It is your people's obedience you seek, and so any may become as your Chosen by listening to your Word and keeping it in their hearts.  As Mary let us be, LORD, giving you our lives. All of faith are descendants of Abraham.  All are blessed who are baptized in Christ.  He it is who justifies us in your sight, LORD, and makes us sons of the Most High.  Glory to you for the grace upon our souls in Jesus' Name.

(Gal.3:22-29;   Ps.105:2-8;   Lk.11:27-28)   “Each of you is a son of God because of your faith in Christ Jesus.”   Praise God!  “Glory in His holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!”  For He has come among us.  Born of the womb of Israel, the Messiah is in our midst.  And so we should “sing to Him, sing His praise, proclaim all His wondrous deeds.”  For now by faith in Him we live, and are truly blest. Brothers and sisters, “before faith came we were under the restraint of the law… the law was our monitor until Christ came to bring about our justification through faith.”  Under the law we lived in sin, for who could fulfill all the demands of the law?  “But now that faith is here, we are no longer in the monitor's charge.”  We have found One who has fulfilled the demands of the law, and who is perfect in the eyes of God; and He makes us as Himself, as sons of the living God!  And so what can we do but rejoice.  We “who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have clothed [our]selves with Him.”  And so we stand naked to the world no more.  And so we hide no longer from the sight of God, for our sin before Him has been taken away, and with it the law. Listen attentively to the preaching of Paul, that “there does not exist among [us] Jew or Greek,” that it is faith in the Lord that saves us all.  It is the same lesson Jesus teaches in our gospel today.  For “the womb that bore you” refers to Israel; it is the breasts of the Chosen that have given Him suck, that have nourished Him well – it is of them He comes.  But not for this is the people blest; we cannot boast of our heritage.  Rather, we shall be judged worthy of blessing only by how well we “hear the word of God and keep it,” as our Blessed Mother has done in preeminent fashion.  She, as Paul, does not boast in her Jewish upbringing.  She knows that it is not even for her great work of bearing the Son of God that she found favor with Him.  Rather, all favor, the highest favor and grace, comes to her for the love she bears Him and the service she performs eternally in His Name… for her absolute faith. We must “seek to serve Him constantly” as does our Blessed Mother, as does our Mother, the Church, in faith.  Then truly we shall be “descendants of Abraham, His servants, sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!”  And we shall rejoice to see His Day. ******* O LORD, may we hear your Word and keep it in faith, like Abraham, like Mary, that we might inherit eternal life in Jesus your Son. YHWH, because of our faith in your Son, we become as your children, indeed, as He is before you.  You bless all who come to you through Jesus, all who do your will.  And what should we do but rejoice for such grace, for this wonder you perform in our midst. It is Israel that bore your Son; at Mary's breast He did suck.  But it is not for this the nation is blessed, nor she who carried Him in her womb.  It is your people's obedience you seek, and so any may become as your Chosen by listening to your Word and keeping it in their hearts.  As Mary let us be, LORD, giving you our lives. All of faith are descendants of Abraham.  All are blessed who are baptized in Christ.  He it is who justifies us in your sight, LORD, and makes us sons of the Most High.  Glory to you for the grace upon our souls in Jesus' Name.

This week we discuss the multiple implications that could have been Steve Squared’s inspiration for this song. Is the singer questioning?  Are you confused?  As Mary says in JCS, “Everything’s alright, everything’s fine.”  And hopefully you will feel the same about this episode!  Stunt  Demo version with a different second verse  Live from Seattle on Au Naturale tour  Video  Tynyspencer  Steven playingRead More

We tune in to find that Jack is late for the broadcast. As Mary tries to cover for him in the studio, we are transported to Jack's wisecracking cabbie who gets stopped by the cops, but do you think Jack makes it to the studio? No? Yes! Don't worry, that'll make more sense when you listen. In the studio, Don Bestor plays, but his song is snipped. Jack jokes on music, the sponsor, Don Wilson being cheap. That's right Don Wilson is cheap. Jack didn't quite corner that treait at this point in his famous career. Jokes also include being in the movies, but Mary's remarks brings Jack down. Don's next number is snipped as well. Frank Parker enters for a few jokes about the theater scene in town. In the process, Frank invites Jack to visit him at home and meet his folks. As Jack leaves the audience in the hands of Don Bestor, his number is again snipped. The visit at Franks turns into a musical, operetic spoof as Jack meets the musical family. Jack and Mary have some fun with the musical conversation as they hold their own.

In this episode, I speak with my friend, Mary Dorsett, who has spiritually mentored countless women as a pastor and professor's wife. As Mary began writing her own autobiography for her family, she realized some a few life lessons she learned that I wanted to share with you as well. You'll hear:- Mary's best definition of sin- What God really thinks of you- How to relinquish your will to God'sMary's husband, Lyle Dorsett, talked with me about the formative power of biography in episode six. Listen to that episode HERE. Click HERE to learn more about the online course, All About Homeschool. Subscribe to this podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. If you enjoy this podcast, leave a review so we can share the message of homeschool made simple with others!

As Mary and Dickon explore the garden, they make some fun discoveries. Let’s find out what they discover in chapter 11. Enjoy!The Secret GardenBy Frances Hodgson BurnettNarrated by Erin Robertsonhttps://www.gutenberg.org/files/17396/17396-h/17396-h.htmFind me online: https://www.erin-robertson.com/ Thanks for listening!

This week All Ears brings you a special bonus episode: Abby couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk to author Mary Trump about her new book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man”. As like-minded mavericks, Abby and Mary discuss what it’s like to stand up to a wealthy American family empire from the inside, and the friction and drama that results. Mary brings a gimlet eye to the Trump family mythology, and deconstructs the brutal dynamics that destroyed her father, Fred Trump Jr. (Donald Trump’s elder brother). As Mary relates in vivid detail, the Trump family patriarch, Fred Sr., pitted the five Trump siblings against each other, and Donald emerged as the ruthless victor by emulating Fred Sr.’s narcissism and sociopathy, while Fred Jr. died at 42 from complications of alcoholism, broken by years of emotional abuse at the hands of his father. This is an interview you won’t want to miss! EPISODE LINKSToo Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man (Mary Trump)The Inside Story of Why Mary Trump Wrote a Tell-All Memoir (New York Times)Mary Trump's interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos (ABC News)The Men Who Gave Trump His Brutal Worldview (Politico)Mary Trump on Twitter: @MaryLTrump

As there are no dog shows this summer in Dungarvan and west Waterford Mary Curran and Sar'anne Walsh decided to do an online dog show for Irish dogs for the disabled and as they have a number of dogs placed in partnerships in county Waterford from Irish dogs for the disabled they have chosen them as the designated charity!Mary and Sar'anne saw it as a fun way of raising some much needed funds for this very worthy cause and have a bit of fun at the same time.Basically you take a pic of you and your dog,it's open to all dog breeds large and small and to both adults and children and all categories ,best fancy dress ,cutest pic both human and dog or just dog ,best outdoor shot ,best silly shot ,best serious shot ..... dogs having fun etc . There will be one overall winner which will b picked by you the public ( with €100 for the winning dog and owner to treat themselves and a gorgeous plaque ) and 50 runners up will receive a rosette ..... we simply would ask you to please donate €5 to Dogs for the Disabled in return ,the link is attached here so post your pics under here and p m Mary Curran your receipt after donating and your name and address.As Mary herself says "GOOD LUCK everyone PLEASE SHARE". https://dogsfordisabled.ie/donate/

The unbelieving world that we live in has a way of thinking, speaking, and doing. The world has its own values and order. Sadly, we can sometimes think, speak, and act like the world.We lift up the high and put down the lowWe honor to the rich and dishonor the poorWe think salvation is for the great not for the weak.As Mary celebrates Christ’s coming in Luke 1:51-56, she reminds us of how Jesus turns the world upside down. He has come to re-order the world, to change our way of thinking, speaking, and doing.JESUS OVERTURNS THE WORLD'S ORDERHe dethrones the mighty (52)He enthrones the lowly (52)He fills the hungry (53)He empties the rich (53)He helps Israel (54)He keeps his promises (55)His mother is a poor unknown country girl (56)JESUS OVERTURNS THE SPIRITUAL ORDERHis strong arm defeats the proud (51)His strong arm delivers the weak (55)Has Jesus turned your world upside down so that you think, speak, and act like him rather than like the world.This is a series of audio podcasts for kids who want to meet with Jesus by using Meeting with Jesus: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids.

What do you see when you see a baby? We often would say we see a baby. As Mary carried her 8-day-old son into the temple, some people saw a baby, but two people saw the messiah. Jesus is the revelatory light of our salvation.Support the show (https://www.ultimateoutcomes.org/donate)

Christ Appears to Mary Magdalene----1 As Mary is weeping--2 As Mary is wondering--3 Leads Mary to worshiping

"As Mary could not hold on to the Jesus she had known, so we cannot hold on to the lives we have always known. To Golgotha we must go, bearing the cross of this pandemic with us, but where we are going is to the empty tomb, proof that death is not the end of the story. For, you see, Christ is risen—and so are we." +John Michael Botean --- Music: Scott Buckley - Tears in Rain

April 12, 2020. It's been challenging thinking about how to mark Easter this year, when in the season of COVID-19 we can't be together physically. In our isolation, we feel a little closer to the disciples in theirs, waiting for a bit of good news. Pastor Meagan's sermon this morning is on the promise of the resurrection, on the light and life and healing and hope on the other side.Reading: John 20:1-18*** Transcript ***This Easter feels really weird, doesn't it? It's been challenging thinking about how to mark Easter this year, when in the season of COVID-19 we can't be together physically. We aren't gathered in our sanctuary with the altar full of gorgeous color, and the choir resounding, and the smell of lilies flooding the space. We won't be feasting on a brunch, at a table surrounded by loved ones, traveling from distant places to celebrate. In comparison with "normal" years, in some ways it hardly feels like Easter.And yet here we are. We have shared the Last Supper in our Upper Rooms. We've been at the cross with Jesus, remembered how he died, acknowledged the ways in which we contribute to the brokenness that still oppresses and wounds so many today. And now we are huddled again in our Upper Rooms — just as the disciples were that early first Easter morning — waiting for a bit of good news, something to let us know that resurrection is coming, something to prove that Jesus has in fact risen from the dead.In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens declares, "Marley was dead to begin with. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story that I'm going to relate." And I say to you this morning, Jesus was dead to begin with. And this must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I'm going to relate. Because although Jesus' death is not the end of the story, if we don't know the sacredness and intimacy of Maundy Thursday, the horror of Good Friday, and the silent despair of Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday comes like too much chocolate and jelly beans on an empty stomach: it tastes really good but it won't get us very far. And so, my family of faith, this year may in fact be more like that first Easter than our typical Easter celebration, because we in our Upper Rooms are a little closer to the disciples in theirs.The women — Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and John — who went to the tomb that morning bearing spices, were there when Jesus died. They knew he was gone, and they didn't have the slightest expectation that he had survived all that had happened. They were drawn to the tomb that morning not by the thought that Jesus might be alive, but by the call of their faith to honor one they had loved and followed by anointing the body that was left. They were there because they were not afraid to face the darkness of the tomb. They faced the darkness, walked into the tomb, and saw evidence of the miracle: the stone rolled away, an empty tomb, a pile of linen left lying on the floor. What would you have thought had you been there? How would you have told the story to the others, waiting back in the Upper Room to hear about their visit to the tomb? What would you have thought if you were one of Jesus' other followers hearing this story?The women themselves didn't believe it at first. Mary was sure that someone was playing a cruel trick, that Jesus' body had been stolen and hidden. As Mary begs to know where Jesus is, she hears the voice — that voice, the one she knew so well — saying her name. And she believed, or began to believe. And knowing how crazy it might sound, she runs to tell the others.Resurrection, this coming of life out of certain and undeniable death, is impossible to explain or prove. And yet for those who have experienced it, it changes everything. The women who went to the tomb and the other disciples who followed them, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, once they had witnessed the resurrection, they were never the same. They faced the darkness of the tomb. They knew the despair. And they were transformed when they discovered that death is not the final word.And resurrection isn't just a one-time event. It is a promise from God in Jesus that when we enter that tomb, God will be there. Those who have been to the tomb know this. People who have lived with the devastation of addiction and found recovery. People who have experienced profound grief, and found to their surprise that one day, if only for a moment, they could feel joy again. People who have found reconciliation after years of estrangement. Or healing and empowerment after living with abuse.Resurrection, beloveds, is not so much a one-time event as it is a process of coming out of death, over and over and over. Just as the disciples did not instantly understand and believe and experience the freedom of Jesus rising from the dead, the resurrection in our lives comes slowly. In times of darkness and destruction, we need to hear this promise — as we follow the news of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we stick close to our phones and computers and tablets to stay in contact with loved ones we can't be with right now, as we struggle to navigate all new routines and all new ways of sharing space, as we live with the loneliness of not being able to be with our close communities, as we pray for the health of those who are called to risk their well-being and lives to serve others, as we hold our breaths hoping for good news about those who are ill, and as we grieve from a distance those whose funerals are deferred to an uncertain future. We need to know that even in the face of illness, oppression, loneliness, and grief, death will never be the final word.Resurrection is not a magic eraser that takes away the pain and the despair. Jesus was dead to begin with, and nothing can ever change the horror of that. The women in the tomb knew that. The good news came to them when they were fully expecting to anoint a body. The disciples in the Upper Room knew that. It took many days and many encounters with the risen Jesus to ease their fear and fulfill their freedom. Resurrection does not erase death, but it does reveal the loving, redemptive presence of God in the midst of it. And that changes everything.The promise of the resurrection, brought first by Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and John, is that no matter how dark the tomb is, God is with us in the tomb, and there is light and life and healing and hope on the other side. When we know that, we can face the tomb, even if we are afraid. Resurrection is hard to explain and impossible to prove, but when we see it we have to tell the story. Today, just as Jesus said Mary's name, the Risen One is whispering our names, and calling us to be witnesses to the resurrection. Today we celebrate this promise in our Upper Rooms, trusting that new life is here and it is coming to us in its fullness. We celebrate today in our Upper Rooms, claiming the hope of a celebratory feast, with flowers and food and physical community, when the doors can be safely opened. Come with me and tell anyone who will listen: alleluia, Christ is risen!Thanks be to God.*** Keywords ***2020, Christ Lutheran Church, Webster Groves, sermon, podcast, transcript, Pastor Meagan McLaughlin, John 20:1-18, coronavirus, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

So...chapter two. We've been together for a few pages; it's time for me to make things really awkward. Let's talk about sex and religion! I promise, no matter what you have going on in your sex life, there really is hope for you in the story of Mary. (Seriously! I'm not kidding!!!)If you grew up in church culture, you are probably geeking right now about how inappropriate it is for me to talk about the VIRGIN Mary alongside our modern sex struggles in our sex-crazed culture. If you're geeking, I imagine it's because most of American church culture has tried to control sexual behaviors through fear. Fear leads to shame and I believe shame has led us to the mess we are currently in.How have we gotten to the place where a gay teenager's biggest fear is the rejection he will face from church culture? How have we gotten to a place where some churches rally around an abusive pastor while his victims are pushed aside? How have we gotten to the place where Christians still support institutions which repeatedly cover up sexual abuse? I'm no expert, but I know we didn't get here by doing a great job loving people the way Jesus did!One time, I did a talk about shame and sexuality for a women's ministry. In my talk, I ranted about victims of child molestation being shamed more than the perpetrators. Afterwards, several people told me they had been molested and were always afraid of people finding out their secret because of how they would be judged! I was shocked by the response. There were less than a hundred people there, and my speech was mostly a venting rant, but it resonated with people.This is absolutely crazy! It makes me literally want to vomit to think about how many people are living with this kind of shame for decades. It's even more horrendously sickening when the shame is coming from the people who claim to be following Jesus and should be sharing hope for survivors of abuse.Let me just tell you right now, struggles with sexual issues can be more damaging than many other struggles because they are so close, personal and private. Sex gives us powerful ties to people and when those people are evil and abusive, it warps our sense of who we are.But listen closely: what these struggles don't do is lessen how much God loves and accepts us. God desires the best for you. In his perfect plan, I believe that sex was supposed to help us bond with our spouses (because relationships are tough and he wanted to give us something super awesome and fun to emotionally link us together). But we mess up his ideal all the time. I believe it grieves his heart because he wants better for us. I believe it hurts our ability to know him because shame competes with his voice of hope for us. But, guess what? He loves us anyway!So, crazy as I am, I'm sharing all of this because the second story in the book of Luke is the story of the Virgin Mary.Now, if you are like any other sane, rational person, then right now you are thinking something along the lines of “What the heck does the story of the virgin Mary have to do with shame and struggles surrounding sex?”Well, there are two glaring points from the story of Mary which will fill you with peace and hope when you begin to grasp them.First, the hyper-focus on Mary's virginity is quite insulting to the incredibly strong woman she was. Her story was meant to be a story to inspire us all. Her story is the story of a young peasant who stood strong through many trials because of the extreme gritty hope she had.The second point we should get from the story of Mary is that, the God who created this entire universe did not use his power or the importance of his plan to redeem humanity as an excuse to use anyone. As you will see when we look at her story, God sent messengers to ask Mary to be part of his plan and he uplifted her. He didn't use her. He honored her.How can American churches claim to represent him while using people? I do not believe for one second that the sexual abuse and the way it has been mishandled in church culture by the previous two generations is remotely representative of what the Bible teaches us about following God. No religious figure or institution is more important than the dignity of a human being.Mary's story is amazing, powerful, inspiring and real. It needs to be heard. The sanitized version of the perfect, pale, timid, woman walking around in a bubble of holiness that many churches tell presents little hope for us in our modern world. She is held up as the ideal none of us can ever attain to. This ideal led to a whole tradition of bad teaching about sex and purity. The ideal has been used to shame people into submitting to a controlling church culture which is sickeningly tragic. The worship of Mary's purity forgets about the prostitutes and “not sexually pure” survivors in Jesus' family heritage. Worst of all, the sanitized version misses the point of Mary's story. The virgin birth was never meant to be the emphasis of the birth story of Jesus. It's just one sign that Jesus was the Messiah, but certainly not the most powerful one. Because let's be real, there's no way to prove it. (Thankfully, Jesus fulfilled around 300 other prophecies!)Also, just to be clear, (and more awkward!) ancient religions were filled with stories of gods lusting after women, having sex with them and tossing them to the side. Luke was writing to an ancient Roman audience. His readers grew up believing in Zeus. Remember him? The super lusty god who created half the problems in the universe by sleeping with humans and angering his goddess wife Hera? The Roman Emperors claimed to be “sons of gods” who had sex with whoever they wanted to. So, as uncomfortable as it is for Christians to talk about, God having a son with a woman would not have been shocking to Luke's original audience.What would have been absolutely 100%, mind-blowingly, core-rockingly shocking to Luke's ancient Roman audience was the way that God had a son through Mary. First, Mary was a peasant woman. Women had few rights in that day. Women in poverty were disposable playthings for men in power, especially the Roman men Luke was writing to. In striking contrast to the way they used women, God sent a messenger to Mary to get her permission. Just mull that over in your mind for a little while. I don't think we can ever fully wrap our limited minds around this detail of the story. Many ancient Romans probably responded to Luke's story by laughing at the idea of a god so highly honoring a peasant woman.We see how much God honored Mary in Luke 1:28, when the angel greeted Mary and called her “highly honored.” The angel revealed God's plan to bring his son into the world through her. Mary was understandably scared, so the angel reassured her as he explained God's plan. Mary agreed to the plan and even though she was scared, she said “may all of this be fulfilled” Luke 1:38 (NIV), demonstrating that she wanted to be part of this plan.And then there is the act of conception... I think Luke knew this would bother his ancient audience as much as it bothers us today. As awkward as it must have been, the gospel writers questioned Mary about how it happened. In Luke's description, he used a Greek word: episkiazo. This word meant “to surround with brilliant light”. Many Bible translations use the word “overshadow” because the idea is hard to translate. The idea was that something was creating such bright light that it caused everything around it to seem shadowy. It's the word New Testament writers frequently used to describe God's presence. It referred to an uplifting, holy, empowering, beautiful, experience which edified the person. It was not in any way a creepy instance of God using people the way humans use each other. God elevates people who choose to follow him. He elevated Mary. She was not an object to be used by a petty god. She was a young woman who was being empowered to be a fierce survivor in a harsh world.I need to camp out with this part of the story for another minute. As I write, I feel like I can sense little old judgmental ladies cringing. But I have to write this. This isn't the closed world my parents grew up in. You and I can't maintain the delusion that church people used to present. We have seen how cruel and awful this world can be, especially when it comes to sex. As I've already mentioned, we all know tons of stories of religious people sexually abusing those they have power over. It's sadly common. No good person should want to have anything to do with a god who even hints at promoting such things. Sorry. Not sorry if this offends your religious sensibilities, but my religious sensibilities are offended by people covering up abuse and shaming people over sex issues.I absolutely believe that Luke gave us these details about the story of Mary to provide a startling contrast to the gods and the culture of the ancient Roman (and modern American) world. The Creator of the Universe had a plan to save all of humanity and he did not find it more important than the dignity of a peasant woman. He did not use her for his pleasure. He empowered her to be part of his plan. Therefore, if anyone covers up abuse because they think their mission, agenda, or institution is more important than an individual, they are not representing the God of the New Testament! God's extreme value of people is the point of the virgin birth!Consider all the ways, God valued and empowered Mary. Mary needed to be empowered because her path was not an easy one! She had unbelievable struggles, gut-wrenching fears, doubts, and eventually “had a sword pierce her own soul.” But when it was all over and she was asked to tell her story, she was able to look back on everything she had been through and say, “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my heart rejoices in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46 (NIV)Our struggles and traumas are obviously very different from Mary's. And if you are like me, your mind is screaming at you about how much more your struggles are caused by your own bad decisions and not the more honorable trials of a hard path. I get that. I wrestle with that a lot, too. My mind instantly rejects finding inspiration from Mary because I'm far from living the kind of life that causes people to put up statues of me and worship my purity. But God doesn't make that distinction. That's a distinction from which Jesus came to free us. It's a judgment religious people make, but not God. He loves all of us: virgins AND those of us whose sex lives could inspire an MTV series with ten seasons worth of escapades.When we choose to follow him, he enables us to be bold in our struggles. Even when those struggles are X-rated in their origins, God will help us when we turn those struggles over to him. He wants to empower us to follow him, even when we are the cause of our struggles. He wants to give us power to stand strong when life is beating us down. He will give us hope in the worst situations and give us purpose even when things don't change. We just have to learn to hear his voice and understand his incredible acceptance of us.I pray you see this as you consider how hard and powerful Mary's story really was:First, let's just take a minute to consider the extreme emphasis on virginity in the culture in which Mary lived. Ancient Jewish people took virginity so seriously that a woman who was found not to be a virgin on her marriage night could be stoned to death. During Mary's lifetime, Israel was under Roman rule, so they were not allowed to execute women for such offenses, but the judgment was still there. Consider that Mary was pregnant and unmarried in this society. It's challenging for women even today; it was devastating in Mary's day. Unfortunately, she didn't get to walk around with a halo shining on her, declaring that she was following God. She was judged and shunned just like any other woman in her society would have been. (Except that God graciously sent an angel to convince Joseph it was OK to marry her.)And that was just the beginning of the struggles this amazing survivor faced.Most of us know Luke's story in chapter 2:1-7, where Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem before baby Jesus was born and struggled to find a place to stay. Every Christmas nativity set shows how Mary ended up giving birth to Jesus, the Son of God, in a stable. It is one of the most beautiful pictures of God's heart for humanity. He chose to come be one of us and enter the world as a helpless baby in a place where animals ate and did their business. It wasn't the stuff moms dream of when they plan their babies' birth stories; it was dirty, hard, lonely and amazing.In verses 8-20, the story gets even crazier and more awesome. Most of us know about the shepherds showing up soon after the birth of Jesus. It's depicted in most every nativity scene: cute little shepherd boys with adorable little lambs to add to the quaint picturesque scene of Jesus' birth.Only shepherds were dirty, stinky outcasts. They did one of the worst jobs in their society. They slept outdoors and hung out with a bunch of other outcasts. People generally viewed them as dangerous or at least suspicious. They were about as far as you could get from being accepted by the religious leaders of their day. It's a glaring statement of how God feels about religion. The religious scholars were poring over Scripture, memorizing prophecies about the coming Messiah, and God sent angels to the religious outcasts and told them where to find Jesus.This is one of the most crazy-awesome things in the world to imagine. Can you picture Mary, camping out in a stable just after giving birth to Jesus? Then a bunch of thugs showed up to worship Jesus. It must have been mind-blowing for her. This isn't how kings are supposed to be born, and those certainly weren't the people you'd expect to be his messengers. (And the shepherds certainly weren't going to help her reputation!)I LOVE picturing the next part of the story! The shepherds went around telling people about Jesus, glorifying and praising God. Considering their status, I imagine it being like a gang running around the streets telling people about this little baby being born and how God was doing something new and amazing. I tend to picture a homeless person with a shopping cart chasing down a snooty lady, cornering her, scaring her out of her mind, then telling her about Jesus with a handful of swears in there. That's not exactly how it went, but pretty close.The story then takes a leap forward a few weeks. In verse 22, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple for a purification ritual and dedication. While they were there, a priest named Simeon came up to them and took baby Jesus in his arms and praised God. Simeon had faithfully served God his whole life and was filled with joy just in seeing Jesus and knowing God was going to do a great work through him. Simeon spoke highly of Jesus and then spoke to Mary.Simeon said, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” Luke 2:34-35 (NIV).Let's think about what Simeon said from Mary's perspective. Think about all the things a new mom feels when she holds her infant in her arms. As you look at a precious child so unable to care for themselves, somehow, everything in you wants to protect them. I still feel that way about my kids even though they are grown. The mama bear side of me will still go off on anyone who tries to hurt them in any way. To me, nothing in the world is worse than imagining my kids suffering.Now, imagine mama bear Mary standing with her infant in her arms. Simeon looks at her and says, “This child is going to cause powerful people to fall and lowly people to rise. People are going to speak out against him and it will show where their hearts are. And as he goes through all of this, you are going to experience such devastation that it will feel like a sword has pierced your soul.” (Luke 2:34-35 CFV*)If Mary didn't have miraculous peace at this moment, I don't believe she would have continued. At this point, I feel like I'd be saying, “Uhmmm, excuse me Simeon. That's not a very good blessing. This is the Messiah. How about you try again….”But God's message to his followers is never that our path will be easy. He tells us we will have meaning and He will be with us. The Americanized version of following God, which focuses so much on physical comfort and praise from people, would not have helped Mary much in the ordeals she would endure as she raised Jesus.For example, we know from Matthew's (and other non-biblical scholars) account of the early life of Jesus that within a few years of his birth, King Herod tried to have him killed. Mary and Joseph had been warned and escaped to Egypt where they lived as refugees for several years until Herod died. After Herod's death, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus back to Israel but were afraid to return to the region of Bethlehem because Herod's son had taken his place, and he also believed Jesus was a threat.That's a traumatic first few years of motherhood for Mary!In the last story of Luke chapter two, Luke's annoyingly, sparsely detailed ancient writing skips forward all the way to when Jesus was 12 years-old. Here we read the story of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. This was the most important religious festival for the Jews. Everyone went to Jerusalem to observe Passover. Because of the crowds, people traveled together with everyone from their town. As Mary and Joseph were returning home, they naturally assumed Jesus was with the crowd from their hometown. However, when they began to set up camp for the night, they began asking where Jesus was and no one knew.We don't know how frantic Mary was at this point. Luke doesn't share this detail. All she had already seen had to have entered her mind. Herod had killed all the baby boys in a town because of Jesus. Surely, she wrestled with some fear at this moment. Did she remember that prophecy; was this the moment when a sword would pierce her soul?Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem and searched for Jesus. They didn't find him until the third day.When Mary and Joseph found Jesus, they were astonished to see him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers. Jesus was wowing these religious leaders with his insights. This wasn't something Mary and Joseph could have trained Jesus for. In their strict culture of religious elitism, sitting among the teachers this way, wasn't something any twelve-year-old of their time should have been comfortable doing. Though Mary was amazed at what Jesus was teaching and surely intimidated by the powerful religious leaders, frustration seems to have been her strongest emotion as she interrupted their conversation to tell Jesus she and Joseph had been frantically searching for him.Jesus' replied to her:Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. (Luke 2:49-50 NIV)Jesus' response seems quite odd at first. At the time, Mary didn't understand what he was saying. But looking back, his reply is incredibly beautiful. I imagine God orchestrated this event for Mary. We don't know what happened to Joseph, but there are no reports of him being around when Jesus was crucified. Most likely, Joseph had died by then. As Mary went through the extreme trauma of seeing her son being unjustly accused, beaten, and then crucified, I wonder if Jesus' words echoed in her ears. I wonder if she remembered all God had already brought her through. I bet she still hoped something good was going to come from this. Even though her eyes and everything in her was telling her it was over, I bet she remembered all the times she had feared it being over before. I bet she remembered her frantic three-day search and wondered if Jesus was still somehow doing the work God sent him for.We don't know much more of Mary's story. But it's important to know she wasn't journaling about all of these events as she went along. What we know of her story is what she shared with writers who interviewed her after Jesus had been crucified and resurrected. Understanding all she had endured makes her reflections on her story more beautiful. In Luke 1:46-55, Luke records the reflections of this amazing survivor this way:“My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.From now on all generations will call me blessed,for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.His mercy extends to those who fear him,from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.He has brought down rulers from their thronesbut has lifted up the humble.He has filled the hungry with good thingsbut has sent the rich away empty.He has helped his servant Israel,remembering to be mercifulto Abraham and his descendants forever,just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:46-55 (NIV).Read this reflection and think about all that Mary had been through. She had seen her son be wrongly accused, betrayed by those closest to him, beaten and crucified. She had lived a tough life and was a widow. Yet she started out her reflection with “My soul declares how great God is.” She had an amazing peace with all that had happened to her. She had fully looked at the horror and evil of this world, but she also saw something more. I believe the resurrection and constant presence of God in her life gave her hope and peace as she reflected on a lifetime of experiencing how hard and cruel this world can be.Her hope is the same hope we are all called to no matter how hard our lives are or how many mistakes we've made. God values us. Me and YOU. He values every aspect of our lives. He wants to empower us in this harsh world. He wants us to know him. He wants to give meaning to all of our struggle as we find hope for more. He cares about our value more than we can fathom. As you follow him, your life may still be very hard. But one day, you will be able to reflect on all you have overcome with the same grateful victorious attitude Mary had because you know Jesus and the power and purpose of his resurrection: to show us how much God values us.

Newly arrived in Philadelphia, Addy and her mother set out to build a new life. Addy begins attending school and quickly learns the value of good friends (we see you Sarah) and the lure of the mean girl (not cool, Harriet). On Wednesdays, Addy wears pink, but when it comes to the big spelling bee, she crushes it in a new blue dress. As Mary and Allison review this Porter classic, they consider the careful treatment of both friendship & literacy. Filled with a cast of new and rich characters, Addy’s second story exposes northern racism, segregation, and the challenge of making a new life. Join us and dive into a book that makes you cherish your friends and favorite stories more than you already do.Visit our merch store! Join our patreon!Follow the show on Instagram (@americangirlspodcast) and Twitter (@agirlspod)Email us at AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.comYou can follow Allison on Instagram (@allisonhorrocks) and Twitter (@allisonhorrocks)You can follow Mary on Instagram (@mimimahoney) and Twitter (@MaryMahoney123)--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

When you feel good in your body and embrace your sexual side, you show up in a more empowered, confident way. Welcome to this special “V-Day” edition of Tea Time with Mary. In this episode, Mary discusses ways that have personally helped her to be more confident in the bedroom. What happens when you use sex to seek validation? And what can you do to show yourself a little more love? As Mary states, your body is for YOU and feeling pleasure in your body is not shameful, it’s natural and needs to be embraced more by women everywhere. So, let’s celebrate this V-Day by celebrating ourselves, our bodies and our sexuality a little bit more!Books mentioned: Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski and Pussy: A Reclamation by Regina Thomashauer. Products mentioned: plusOne makes affordable, high-quality sex toys that you can get at WalMart, Amazon, or Target all under $35! plusOne is breaking down barriers and disrupting outdated taboos regarding self-pleasure with their line of beautiful, affordable and approachable vibrators and sexual wellness products. P.S. If you’re not in a relationship right now, please don’t let this be a day where you beat yourself up about it. At the end of the day, V-Day is a highly-commercialized holiday and literally means nothing. Take this as a day to show extra love for yourself, just because.

Music included in this recording: "Alleluia, Vidimus stellam" - (Mode 2) Alleluia for the Epiphany Lyrics: Alleluia. We have seen his star in the East, and have come with gifts to adore the Lord. Alleluia. "The Three Kings" - Peter Cornelius (arr. Sir Ivor Atkins) Lyrics: Three Kings from Persian lands afar To Jordan follow the pointing star: And this the quest of the travellers three, Where the new-born King of the Jews may be. Full royal gifts they bear for the King; Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering. The star shines out with a steadfast ray; The kings to Bethlehem make their way, And there in worship they bend the knee, As Mary’s child in her lap they see; Their royal gifts they show to the King; Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering. Thou child of man, lo, to Bethlehem The Kings are travelling, travel with them! The star of mercy, the star of grace, Shall lead thy heart to its resting place. Gold, incense, myrrh thou canst not bring; Offer thy heart to the infant King.

Dec 22, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms Like Mary, we believe the great promises of God's Word. We believe that God is going to do great things… but through me? Luke’s gospel brings the conversation Mary has with Gabriel to a close. What seems like an impossible reality in Mary’s eyes is not impossible when God is working. After Mary understands what is to be done, and her role in this divine plan, she humbly identifies herself as a bondservant of the Lord. She commits her life to fulfill his plan exactly as the Lord has called her to fulfill. As Mary comes to this conclusion and obeys the command of God, Gabriel departs from her. Nine months from this moment Mary will give birth to her Messiah and Savior. How often do we sit around waiting for God to show up? As believers, we need to consider the times God did show up, but we either failed to see because it was not a dramatic revelation, or we failed to obey because it appeared to us as an impossibility. God’s will is not always discovered in the dramatic invitation, but instead through simple obedience. As we obey the Lord and live transformed lives, we will be able to discern the will of God (Romans 12:1-2) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12%3A1-2&version=NKJV As we have seen in Mary’s story, her invitation comes from one who stands in the presence of God. I think we would all wish God would do that today, has he? God may be showing you exactly what he wants you do, but in your mind, you believe the task is impossible and you continue looking. Perhaps that impossible task that you sense you need to do, may in fact be that dramatic invitation from the Lord to partner in his will.

God speaks to a young virgin girl, Mary, through the angel Gabriel. This important message relayed God's favor for Mary. As Mary did not desire this calling of bearing the Son of God, the Messiah, we can glean the significance of God's sovereign calling and Mary's faithful submission to God's will. God wanted Mary to be the Theotokos, the "mother of God". Gabriel's final words of comfort for Mary are in Luke 1:37, "For nothing will be impossible with God."

Following after the blessed virgin Mary’s faithfulness in the New Testament are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, Junia, Sapphira, Lydia, Phoebe, Aquila, and many others. So, too, women have a place in the church, whether they were born outside of faith like Ruth, whether they come from a checkered past like Rahab, whether they laugh at God’s promises like Sarah, whether they listen to temptation’s voice like Eve, and even if their lives are marked by scandal like Bathsheba. As Mary sang, “ [He has] exalted the lowly. And He has filled the hungry with good things.” That’s mercy. That’s forgiveness. That’s Jesus!

As Mary finds out that she is pregnant with the Messiah, she bursts into song! Listen along with City Church as we learn from her song.

We have another incredible interview today! I had the pleasure of sitting down with my friend + colleague Mary Codina to discuss all things yin + yang of muscle care. Mary is an RMT in sunny California, as well as an online self-care coach. Together we discussed how working out and muscle care techniques such as foam rolling, stretching, massaging, etc complement each other to relieve our aches + pains. As Mary discovered, some pains won't just go away with massages or post-care techniques, sometimes our aches are caused by muscular imbalances that can only be fixed by STRENGTHENING the weakest link aka working the muscle out! We also discuss how Mary analyzed my pain and stances while lifting, and after only a few recommended tweaks + stretches, I improved my squat speed and stopped getting injured! If you like nerding out about muscles and how they interact, this is the episode for you! ~~ If you want to know more about my coaching approach and get motivated to take that next step into health + fitness, check me out! On Facebook at Sexy, Strong, & Super Community On Instagram www.instagram.com/daria.musclemom/ And my Website to see up and coming offers! Go to my Website now! (I just launched an AMAZING self-paced nutrition course if you are wanting to take the first step into becoming a healthier, happier, well-fed being!) I also announced a BRAND NEW program that begins in the new year for those who are just beginning their health + fitness journey. For more information, join my Facebook group!! Don't forget to go check out Mary and the incredible knowledge that she offers through her YEARS of experience working with all kinds of bodies and ailments. You can find her on Facebook at Empowered Confidence Thank you so much! Starting December 12-24 I will be hosting "12 Days of Podmas" where a new episode drops EVERY SINGLE DAY and along with it, a 12 Days of Giveaways so BE SURE TO TUNE IN!!

I live in Utah County which used to be in pre-historic times, a lake bed. Lake Bonneville shoreline can still be seen around the mountains that surround my home. We call it in Mapleton, “The Bench”, because it is a slight leveling out on the side of the mountain and then it drops into the valley where I live.The soil in my area is extremely rich. My city has grown substantially in population and residential areas are more prevalent since I moved her 45 years ago, but it used to be a farming community. My husband and I still grow a small garden and have a few fruit trees, and we feel very blessed to have fertile soil with no rocks to contend with.God has provided all things necessary for food and sustenance aplenty!Michael, on our call today, shared his belief that we chose our circumstances before we came to Earth. I don’t know if we chose them, or if they were selected for us as the best way for us to have our most rich and full experience on earth. But I do believe there must have been a plan, that nothing is random and that as such, no one is a victim of his/her circumstances. In fact, by believing that there was a plan, we can more easily find gratitude for it all.Coleen on our call today talked of a song the children in her church congregation sang “I Will Be What I Believe” by Blake Gillette The references in the song are from the Book of Mormon which is a book of testifying of Christ, that is accepted as scripture among those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has a powerful message of standing firm in what we know and having the courage to align our actions with what we claim to believe.Her reference to the song tied in with an analogy of crabgrass that comes without us planting it. We do have the choice of the thoughts and beliefs we plant, and just like crabgrass, limiting thoughts come without our asking them to.Jesus and our Heavenly Father have told us over and over that they are there for us and all we need to do is knock, seek, ask. Satan and his minions come unbidden.The key to staying in a space of gratitude is to identify when darkness has entered by recognizing low vibration emotions, then choosing to rip them out by the roots by doing the Permission Process.We are at home on Earth, wherever we are. As Mary mentioned this morning on the call, we have friends and family wherever we go. As I have traveled to countries far and wide, I can honestly say I left a piece of me there with new dear friends.We also have a home in heaven, We are in a sense, visiting Earth and having an experience here that we can call home about every day as we connect in Gratitude, Prayer and Scripture (Daily GPS).I heard a quote yesterday, that certainly applies: “to Live with Gratitude Ever in Our Hearts is to Touch Heaven” -Thomas S. MonsonToday, I Give Myself Permission to Feel “At Home” in My CircumstancesI live in gratitude every dayI am eternally grateful for my body, my earthly circumstance and my ability to shape themI am perfectly capableI give time to perfecting all parts of me and my worldI am expanding my earthly experience in exactly the right waysI am grateful I am living in possibilityI am seeing the positive outcomeClick Here for more info on living a life of gratitude.Click Here to find out how to join the Gratitude Call live every weekday morning at 7 am Mountain Time.

A scene near the beginning of the Russian movie version of War and Peace (1965-67) conveys the inner dialogue of a young woman as she lays dying after childbirth -- actually, as she has just died. Her spirit wonders to herself in sorrowful bewilderment: "I gave everything to everyone else, sought to love everyone else, but I was rejected by them, treated badly by them. I don't understand." The passage is moving, and also unsettling, because the character's inner reality comes to expression only in her closing moments, and it is most definitely un-resolved. As Mary and I watched this, we both thought to ourselves, May it not be so with us. Please let it not be so with us when our time comes -- whether that is sooner or later. This podcast affirms three essentials, three sine qua nons, of the human heart -- really, the human self -- as we face death, whether "early", whether accidental, or whether "in the nature of things" in old age. Three essentials for a happy exit. Each of these I would say is necessary and primary, not optional nor secondary. Each is core and decisive. Each is "required". Wonder what you'll think. Hope you'll like the music, too, from an excerpt by Gordon Lightfoot, whose music has never appeared on the cast before, and from Livingston Taylor. Soft Rock, OK, but quietly profound, perhaps, in both cases. LUV YOU!

October 20, 2019 Last week we started our study of the book of Matthew by looking over the genealogy. We began to see how Matthew emphasizes the Old Testament in his gospel because he wants the Jews to know that the king or Messiah that they have been looking forward to is here. The one whom all the Old Testament has been preparing us for has been born, and his name is Jesus. He is the son of Abraham, fulfilling all the promises made to Abraham. He is the son of David, fulfilling the promises God made to David. He is the Messiah fulfilling all of the promises made during the deportation to Babylon. This week, we will begin to look at the story of Jesus’ beginning. Many people look at this story around Christmas time, but we can see that Matthew wasn’t writing this to be taken in once a year. He was writing this to build our faith every time we read it. This morning we will see how God has paved the way for Jesus to come in accordance with many Old Testament scriptures. In the section, I want us to see the proof that Matthew lays out for his bold claim. He has stated that Jesus is the Messiah, and now he seeks to prove that is the case. As it turns out, Jesus was not born under normal circumstances. He was born in conditions that allowed God’s word to be fulfilled. It might help us to grasp all of these concepts this morning by doing a broad swipe through the rest of the first and the second chapter. Summary If we read through this story, as many of us have on multiple occasions, we will see a lot of information that we probably already know. Jesus was born by the Holy Spirit, creating a child inside the womb of Mary. Joseph was going to divorce her, but the angel revealed that Mary was faithful and that the child was from the Holy Spirit. Joseph listens to the angel, marries Mary, and they name the child Jesus. Then the story transitions to wise men or magi coming from the East, following a star, to worship the newly born king of the Jews. When their caravan reaches Jerusalem, they ask Herod, the king at that time, where the newly born king of the Jews was. Herod gathered the chief priests who told them that he would be born in Bethlehem. So they went to Bethlehem, worshipped the child, and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When the wise men left, they were told to go back home and not return to Herod because Herod was hoping to kill the child. God warned Joseph in a dream, and he escaped with his family to Egypt, where he stayed until Herod died. When he returned, he came to live in Nazareth. Most of us would look at this story and say, “Wow, that is a turbulent start to life.” Actually, there is more to the birth than what is mentioned in Matthew. Luke goes in even greater detail, but his description is much smoother. Why does Matthew choose to include this in his book? Five Birth Prophesies As we look a little closer, we recognize that there are some valuable pieces of information that Matthew adds to each part of this story. Matthew gives us five prophesies, and in the midst of the prophesies, he uses wording that an educated Jew would recognize in the Old Testament story. One thing that we have to train ourselves to do as we look at the New Testament is to understand the context of the Old Testament references that are given. The writer expected the reader to know the circumstances surrounding each prophesy because that was their Bible in those days. So I would like for us to get a clearer picture of these Old Testament references to grasp what Matthew is revealing fully. Immanuel As we look at the angel revealing that Jesus was from the Holy Spirit and that he would save God’s people from their sins, Matthew brings up Isaiah 7 to say that God was fulfilling what he spoke through Isaiah. Matthew 1:22--23 (ESV) --- 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew is referring to a part of Isaiah where the prophet was speaking to King Ahaz and telling him that God would deliver Judah from two enemies, Israel and Syria. God wants Ahaz to ask for a sign, but Ahaz refuses. So God tells him what the sign will be. Isaiah 7:14--16 (ESV) --- 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. God fulfilled this sign to Ahaz, but Matthew points out that God was revealing his ultimate plan of salvation. As Mary was pregnant with a child by the Holy Spirit, Matthew sees the fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise that his name will be Immanuel (God with us). Jesus will be God living among humanity. This would be a lot for the human mind to take in during the first century. All of the Jews were waiting for God to descend and fill his temple with his glory. This was promised over and over again by the prophets (Hag 2:7; Eze 43:1-5). The Jews may have considered these promises to indicate that God would do what he did for Moses and Solomon, but God had always intended to come in human form and save his people in this way. King The next prophecy is part of a dramatic scene where the world recognizes that a king has been born and responds. It is interesting to see the wise men come from the East. They are like Daniel, who was chief of the magicians in Babylon, but they see a star, and that tells them that the king of the Jews has been born. So the travel to Jerusalem thinking that the capital city would be where the child would be born, but he is not there. The chief priests and scribes reveal that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem based on the book of Micah. Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah. He was a prophet who spent a great deal of time condemning the people for their great sins against God. But, amid his prophecy, he points to the fact that Judah is crying out because they have no king. Judah thought they would always have a king under the succession of David, but Micah foretells the Babylonian captivity that would take place over 100 years later. In Chapter 5, Micah reveals that God will give them a new king who will be from Bethlehem. He will provide the people with the peace and security that they are longing for because he will come in the strength of the Lord to shepherd his people. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy completely. This is the one clear-cut prophecy of the five. It is easily understood to refer to the Messiah. As Jesus fulfills this prophecy, Matthew wants us to note who recognized him. The wise men will find him in Bethlehem and worship him, bringing gifts to show him honor, while the king of the Jews, Herod the great, plots to kill him. The contrast is meant to represent how the Jews were like the evil, half Jewish, half Edomite king Herod who everyone hated. They were proud and unwilling to submit to the Messiah. What a contrast to these Gentiles who traveled far to find him and pay him honor. Matthew wants us to feel the tension that would have existed in the first century. Rescuer Now, as the story continues, we find Matthew pointing to several unique events to prove that Jesus is the Messiah. Joseph has a dream, escaped to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. Matthew says, “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” This is a quote from the prophet Hosea, another contemporary of Isaiah and Micah. Hosea is a book about how Israel was like an unfaithful spouse. Hosea is commanded to illustrate God’s feelings by marrying a woman who would be a prostitute. God lets his prophet go through the emotional pain of being betrayed by the one he loves most to show us what he is going through. Israel’s idolatry was breaking God’s heart. The first ten chapters describe Hosea’s situation and how that relates to God’s situation. Then, in Chapter 11, we have a change of tone. Mixed in with the condemnation of Israel for treating God this way, we find a song of rescue and salvation. Hosea 11:1--4 (ESV) --- 1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. 3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. 4 I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. God recalls how he cared for Israel and saved them from Egypt. He goes on to say in the song that he will not completely abandon his people. How could he when he loves them still? He promises to give them an even greater Exodus. Hosea 13:14 (ESV) --- 14 I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death. O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? God will let Israel die, but he will bring them back to life. Going to captivity and coming back out is illustrated as a resurrection from the dead. Why does Matthew use this text? Matthew is saying that when Jesus was a child, he experienced the exile of God’s people in Egypt. He points to Hosea to show that Jesus is the one who has come to bring the new Exodus, an Exodus from death to life. Comforter The next section outlines Herod killing the children two years old and under. The imagery here is also more profound than it seems. He says that this was to fulfill what was spoke by the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was writing during the time of the Babylonian captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar repeatedly terrorized those in Jerusalem for their sins. Jeremiah is constantly condemning the people and calling them out for their idolatry and hard-heartedness. Jeremiah is a book full of reasons for weeping and wailing. God’s people have rebelled, and the perpetual slaughter of the Babylonians is punishing them. Three times they are carried off into captivity, and the captives were gathered in Ramah to be killed or carried away. The words of Jeremiah 31:15 that Matthew quotes represent their pain and suffering. But right before these words are spoken, Jeremiah tells the people that God will turn their mourning to joy (31:14). Also, after this verse, he says, “Keep your voices from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy” (31:16). Chapters 30-33 offer a glimmer of hope. A king is coming to save and lead God’s people back to him (30:21, 33:15-17). This is a representation of God’s people at the time of Matthew. The oppression and suffering are likened to the time of Jeremiah, with the king carried off to exile while the people suffer. But the king will return as Jeremiah prophesied. The weeping will soon be over, and sorrow will be turned into joy. Humble The last prophecy is said to be fulfilled by Joseph taking Jesus to Nazareth so that he would be called a Nazarene. According to Matthew, many prophets told that this would happen, but oddly enough, not one prophet mentions Nazareth or a Nazarene. Some have supposed that Nazarene sounds like Nazarite, but Jesus was not a Nazarite. He was accused of being a winebibber and a glutton. The word Nazarite has no relation to the word Nazarene in the original language. The closer relationship would be to the word branch or shoot, which was called neśer. The Messiah is a branch or a shoot from the stump of Jesse, David’s father, has popped up multiple times by many prophets. However, the most likely cause for Matthew to say that prophets called Jesus a Nazarene is understood by knowing a little about the town of Nazareth. Nazareth was a very tiny village. It is only estimated to have around 500 people in it. The prophets never mentioned it because it probably didn’t exist for very long before Joseph moved there. In the New Testament, we get the impression that no one liked it or thought much of it. Nathaniel said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth” (John 1:46). But it was common knowledge that the Messiah would be from nowhere significant. John 7:27 (ESV) --- 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” They all understood that the Messiah would come from nowhere. He would be despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:2-3, 49:7; Psalm 69). He would be humble and lowly (Zech 9:9-10). Coming from Nazareth made Jesus a nobody. How could a Galilean be the Messiah? The best Jews were in Jerusalem. Matthew recognized that God was a fan of taking the lowly and making them extraordinary. That’s why he was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. What Is The Point? The events that Matthew described were all selected for a reason. They reveal a king who is God living among us. He has come to be glorified by those who are truly wise and hated by those who are powerful. He will lead his people through a greater Exodus, turn sorrow into joy, and show the people God’s love for the humble. As we read through the New Testament, we may be tempted to read past all of the Old Testament references. But as we have seen in this chapter, the writers expect their readers to know the context of every passage selected and understand how it relates to the point they are trying to make. There are things here that are way beyond what we would have seen when we skim through the story of Jesus. Why did he do all of that? To open our eyes to how vital Jesus is and to help us see the value of all of God’s word from beginning to end. Jesus is not just a prominent figure because of the story we read about him in the New Testament. He is the central figure of all the Bible. When we open our Bibles into the Old Testament, we are learning about God, Jesus, and ourselves. Don’t think that Bible class is a repetition of things we already know. This is our opportunity to develop a greater understanding of our creator who fashioned Israel in such a way that it would represent what Jesus would one day come to do, or it would represent the opposite of what Jesus would go and do. Application Matthew’s gospel shows us that Jesus is God, but also that he has come down to earth to be human. He chooses a lowly life out in the middle of nowhere and he becomes a nobody. Why did he go through all of that? In our society, everyone is trying so hard to be somebody important. Everyone wants to be known and looked up to. Here we see that the all knowing, all powerful creator of the universe chooses to be a nobody from nowhere. That is the life that he wants to experience. He doesn’t show up and go into Jerusalem, expecting to be the best religious leader that men can create. He doesn’t expect to be crowned king from birth and live his life with servants waiting on him. He becomes a simple man from a simple family so that he can understand and sympathize with the basic needs of all mankind. He did all of that because he loved us. He was humble and lowly even though he was the greatest of all mankind.

In Josefina Saves the Day, the Americans have arrived and things get (el Camino) Real for the Montoyas and everyone’s favorite interloper, Tia Dolores. For this summer story, the family visits grandpa’s compound just outside of Santa Fe for a big trade meetup. Armed with the fruits of Tia D’s forced labor experiment, they are ready to make some cold hard coin. After luring a young Missourian scout with a clay pipe, Josefina fears that the Jason-Bateman-like Patrick O’Toole is not a trustworthy trade partner. Eventually, Josefina channels both Felicity Merriman & Nancy Drew to save the family’s big trade, but not before a bizarre night out in Santa Fe. As Mary and Allison discuss Josefina’s spring-break-like jaunt, they consider what it means for her to be an “American” hero in the context of US imperial intrusion. They also tackle the film trailer of the moment, LITTLE WOMEN, pig history, and most important of all, a Leo season engagement.Visit our merch store! Join our patreon!Follow the show on Instagram (@americangirlspodcast) and Twitter (@agirlspod)Email us at AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.comYou can follow Allison on Instagram (@allisonhorrocks) and Twitter (@allisonhorrocks)You can follow Mary on Instagram (@mimimahoney) and Twitter (@MaryMahoney123) 

Have you thought about how you have lifted others today? As Mary reaches the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, she is a reminder of how we can be an inspiration. Before she left, she invited Burgess Owens to the podcast. He is a former University of Miami and NFL star who travels the country delivering a message of optimism and hope. Together, they talk about race relations when they were younger. He speaks of the values espoused by our country's founders through such documents as The Declaration of Independence & the U.S. Constitution. How can we get back to that place and be the voice of illumination and excellence? Learn more about his incredible story on today's show! Learn More About Burgess Owens Mary Crafts Inc.

Surprise! We are three books into the Josefina series and everyone in the Montoya household is still super sad. As Mary and Allison continue their exploration of Josefina’s colonial world, they find her Christmas story to be both deeply moving and riddled with Catholic guilt. As the sisters continue to grapple with the loss of Mama, their grief is eclipsed only by Dolores’s drive to work. While evaluating the town’s Freudian passion play that is at the center of the action, Mary reveals her own thespian past & a Quincinera connection. Finally, after unlocking a potential connection to the film Sister Act 2, Mary and Allison consider how religion has shaped American girls from Josefina to Hannah B. Perhaps most importantly, the hosts also use this episode to consider whether Bachelor contestants are most deserving of encounters with the sublime (i.e. Vermeer paintings and Dollywood).Visit our merch store! Join our patreon!Follow the show on Instagram (@americangirlspodcast) and Twitter (@agirlspod)Email us at AmericanGirlsPod@gmail.comYou can follow Allison on Instagram (@allisonhorrocks) and Twitter (@allisonhorrocks)You can follow Mary on Instagram (@mimimahoney) and Twitter (@MaryMahoney123) 

Jesus Christ is a Central and revered figure in the Islamic faith. A fundamental pillar of Islam involves the fundamental belief in all of God’s Prophets and Messengers, that He has sent down to relay His Message to humanity. Anyone who does not believe in any of God’s Messengers or Prophets is considered a disbeliever in Islam. Muslims hold all Prophets of God in high esteem, including Jesus peace be upon him. Muslims love and admire Jesus peace be upon him and will not speak the name of Jesus, or Isa in Arabic, without respectfully adding the words ‘peace be upon him’ following the reference. Aside from Christianity, Islam is the only other religion that requires followers to believe in Jesus Christ. God’s last and final Prophet, Muhammad narrated, ‘He who bears witness that there is no true god except Allah, alone having no partner with Him, that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, that 'Isa (Jesus) is His slave and Messenger, and he (Jesus) is His Word which He communicated to Maryam (Mary) and His spirit which He sent to her, that Jannah (Paradise) is true and Hell is true; Allah will make him enter Jannah accepting whatever deeds he accomplished.’ Jesus Christ is mentioned over 25 times in the Holy Quran. The mother of Jesus is Mary (Mariam in Arabic). She was a very pious and righteous woman. According to the Quran, she is the holiest and greatest of all women that ever lived. Mary has the great honor to be the only female mentioned by name in the Holy Quran and even has a whole Chapter named after her. "And [mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds" (Quran 3:42) The mother of Mary, Hannah, was at one time a barren woman who longed for a child. She made a vow to God that if He gifted her with a child, then she would consecrate him to His service in the Holiest of all Temples, the Temple of Solomon, to be a scholar or a priest. God answered her prayers and gifted her with a girl child. Hannah was saddened at the child’s gender, as usually only male children were given in service. Following her promise to God, she instructed that Mary is raised at the Temple. Her Uncle Zechariah, who was a Prophet of God raised her. As Mary got older, Prophet Zechariah would visit her in her chamber at the Temple, where only he had access, and he would observe that she feasted on the best of foods and cold drinks. He would ask who had delivered these feasts when no one else had keys to the chamber. She then would respond, ‘Allah!’ She was blessed by miracles from God, even before the birth of Jesus Christ. According to the Quran, Angel Gabriel walked into Mary’s chamber. Terrified that someone had come to harm her or to remove her chastity, she cried out, ‘I seek refused from Allah!’ Angel Gabriel responded, ‘I am not an enemy, I am Allah’s servant and a messenger who came to deliver glad tidings to you, that Allah would bestow upon you a child.’ She replied, ‘How can I have a child if I don’t have a husband, and no man has touched me?’ Angel Gabriel then responded: “Allah creates what He Wills. If He decrees a thing, He says unto it only: Be! and it is.” (Quran 3:47) Jesus’ real name is Esau (Hebrew) or Yeheshua (Classical). The Christians of the West gave the Latin name, Jesus,. The letter ‘J’ does not exist in Aramaic, so Jesus himself would not recognize the name, Jesus. Mary gave birth to Jesus in the valley of Bethlehem, away from the people, after which she then returned. The Quran confirms that Jesus was born of a virgin woman. When they saw her with her newborn child Jesus, they said: "…O Mary, you have certainly done a strange thing. O sister of Aaron, your father, was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste" (Quran 19:27-28) Mary didn’t speak but pointed at her child. "So she pointed to him. They said, ‘How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?’ [Jesus] said, ‘Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me Prayer and Zakah as long as I remain alive and [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. And peace is on me the day I was born, and the day I will die, and the day I am raised alive’" (Quran 29-33) The Quran references the miracles that Jesus performed by the power and will of God, even in his infancy, when he spoke in the cradle to defend his mother’s chastity and innocence. The word Messiah is the title of Jesus. The word Messiah comes from the Arabic and Hebrew word mesaha, which means to rub, to massage, to anoint. In religious context, the word translates to mean ‘the one that has been anointed.’ It was common to appoint or anoint a King or Judge of Israel on the head with oil when taking office, as a sign of his inauguration. In the law of previous nations, they would rub a person’s head with special water when they converted to their religion. This practice lives on today, in the form of a Baptist ritual. Prophet Jesus was anointed as the next Prophet by his cousin, John the Baptist, the preceding Prophet. Jesus peace be upon him is called by four noble titles: The Messiah, the Messenger of Allah, A Word from Allah, and A Spirit from Allah. Muslim’s belief and understanding of Prophet Jesus stands in accordance with God’s final Book, the Holy Quran, and narrations of God’s last Prophet, Muhammad peace be upon him. Jesus Christ was a mere prophet of God; whose mission was to confirm the Torah which was revealed before him. He did not come bearing a new law, but only abrogated some laws to make life easier for the Children of Israel—the nation that lived before us. Jesus was sent to teach the same general Message, which was taught by all the previous prophets of God; that we must worship and follow the One God and shun every false god. God created Jesus Christ without a human father, just as Prophet Adam peace be upon him was born without either a human father or mother; Allah just said Be, and it Was. Declining to call Jesus the son of God is not done to belittle or insult Jesus; instead, it is done to Glorify and Magnify God. Allah is the One and Only, and He is far above having a child or a partner in His divinity. One should realize that Jesus never claimed to be the son of God, let alone God Himself. Through a careful study of the Bible, one would conclude that Jesus never called himself a god or God’s son. Nowhere does it state in the Bible that Jesus proclaimed himself as God. Instead, others made that proclamation after Jesus’ departure. Jesus, peace be upon him, only preached the teachings he received from God the Almighty. Prophet Jesus was only a servant and slave of God. He is not the son of God in the sense he was the begotten Son of God, instead; he is—metaphorically -the son of God in the sense that all righteous people are the sons of God. Yet this title is not to be taken literally as many Christians have done in error. There are many individuals labeled ‘sons of God’ in the Bible including Prophet Jacob, Solomon, and Adam peace be upon them as this was a common saying amongst the children of Israel. As Jesus Christ grew into adulthood, he began to travel and preach God’s Message throughout the land of Palestine to the children of Israel. He taught the scripture that God sent to him, known as the Injeel, which translates to mean ‘Good News’ or ‘Gospel’; confirming the truth of previous Holy Books of God. "And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me"(Quran 3:50) To reinforce his Message, God granted Prophet Jesus peace be upon him the ability to perform miracles; such as fashioning birds from clay, then blowing into them to turn them into real birds—healing lepers and the blind, and even resurrecting the dead, all by the will and power of God the Almighty. Never did Prophet Jesus peace be upon him take credit for performing the miracles by himself, without the power of God. According to the Bible, many verses show that Jesus never took credit nor stated that he could perform miracles on his own: ‘…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth’ (Matthew 28:18) ‘I can of mine own self do nothing …’ (John 5:30) ‘…I with the Finger of God cast out devils…’ (Luke 11:20) Prophet Jesus peace be upon him preached and stressed that no deity is worthy of worship except the One true God; and only through Him (the One true God, Allah, which is the unique name of God) can one obtain salvation in the hereafter. Prophet Jesus peace be upon him attracted an inner circle of devoted followers who listened to his teachings with humility; a ring known as the disciples. Jesus Christ peace be upon him preached the same general Message as the Messengers and Prophets before him. According to the Bible, ‘One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ “The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one’ (Mark12:28-29) Never did Prophet Jesus, nor any other Prophet, preach that God is part of a Trinity. Because the Children of Israel had gone astray from the straight path of God, Allah, the Glorious, sent them their final Prophet, Jesus Christ, to remind them that this is their last chance to fulfill God’s commandments. When Jesus Christ continued to preach God’s Message, commanding them to do certain things and to avoid certain things, instead of believing him and following him, they got frustrated by him; turning their backs on him and rejecting him, plotting against him. According to the new testament, a group of hypocritical and self-serving men of the Children of Israelites plotted against Prophet Jesus peace be upon him. They complained to the Roman authorities, who were pagan idol worshipers who had political power at the time; this because the children of Israel were only a minority. The Children of Israel complained that Prophet Jesus peace be upon him was preaching something new, and they provoked the Romans to rise against him; making the Roman governor believe that the call of Jesus Christ conveyed direct threats against the Roman power. His people claimed that Jesus Christ was an agitator speaking against the emperor which was not true. The Roman governor issued an order that Prophet Jesus peace be upon him is arrested, then crucified by hanging him on a cross and starving him; a common form of shame killing.    According to the Christian narrative, which Muslims do not believe, the Roman authorities found Jesus Christ, arrested him, then put him on the Roman cross—where he died. They eventually buried him, only to see him resurrected and returned from the dead. He announced to everyone he was the son of God. However, in reality, according to the Holy Quran, God states: "And [for] their saying (in boast), ‘Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.’ And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise." (Quran 4:157-158) So according to the Holy Quran, they neither killed nor crucified Prophet Jesus peace be upon him; rather, God placed a resemblance of Prophet Jesus peace be upon him on another person to make him like Prophet Jesus. The Christians were differing amongst themselves as to the truth of the matter, as they themselves were in doubt and had no certainty what happened. In all actuality, God rescued His Prophet by raising Prophet Jesus’ soul and body up to Himself. The Israelites and the Roman authorities never could harm him, crucify him or kill him; this version of events was only an assumption. According to some Islamic scholars, God punished Judas, the traitor by casting him in a resemblance to Prophet Jesus peace be upon him. So, they crucified him instead, assuming it was Jesus Christ. According to the New Testament, Jesus Christ returned to his followers. Whereas Christians believe that he returned from the dead, Muslims believe that he never died. His followers were terrified at his reappearance, as they thought he had been crucified. Then Prophet Jesus said: ‘Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have’ (Luke 24:39) Jesus Christ then asked for food, so he could eat before them like a human being would, not a spirit or a ghost. After he proved his existence, he told them God had willed him to leave; and that in his absence they should preach and teach his Message and be faithful to God. He promised them finally that another would come after him. Whereas Christians believe that Prophet Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit in the context of this statement, Muslims believe that his words referenced the Prophet, Muhammad peace be upon him. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is mentioned and prophesied in Scriptures of all major world religions. In the Old Testament, God the Almighty speaks to prophet Moses: ‘’I will raise up for them (the Israelites) a Prophet like you from among their brethren (the Israelites); I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them (the Israelites) everything I command him.’ (Deuteronomy 18:18) This verse is referencing Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, who came after Prophet Moses and after Prophet Jesus peace be upon them. Prophet Muhammad is also mentioned by name in Song of Solomon Verse 5:16 in Hebrew. The Hebrew word used there is ‘Muhammuddim.’ The letters ‘im’ in the end indicates a plural variation of a term that translates to mean respect majesty and grandeur. Without the 'im’ suffix, the name would be ‘Muhamud’; translated to mean ‘the praised one’ or ‘altogether lovely’ in the Authorized Version of the Bible. Gospel of John 16:12-14 Jesus Christ states: ‘I have much more to say to you, more than you can now them bear.’ God did not find it fit for mankind to receive the whole Message of Islam (the way of life of submitting fully to God) at that point, as they would not have been able to bear the Message in its entirety. So, Jesus Christ says: ‘But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me…” (Gospel of John 16:12-14) This Spirit of truth is none other than God’s last and final messenger of mankind, meant to be followed until the last day. Prophet Muhammad, who came after Jesus Christ, preached the same general Message as Prophet Jesus and every other Messenger and Prophet before him. After the departure of Prophet Jesus, controversies sparked amongst his followers. They questioned whether the person who returned was really Jesus Christ. A severe split erupted in the Christian faith, revealing a broad spectrum of opinions regarding Prophet Jesus and his role in the world.  Prophet Jesus was a mighty messenger of God, but he was only a mortal human being. He was born from a mother; he ate and drank; he would sleep and use the bathroom; he suffered pain and emotions. This differentiates him from God the Almighty, as God need not eat, sleep, or drink. He was only a servant and slave of God. The Trinity—the father, the son, and the holy spirit—and the concept that Jesus died for our sins is firmly rejected in Islam. “O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So, believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, ‘Three’; desist - it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs”    (Quran 4:171) God makes it clear in the Quran that the act of ascribing a son to Him, angers him. Ascribing a son to God is beneath the Almighty. God states: “And they say: ‘The Most Beneficent (Allah) has begotten a son (or offspring or children)’ Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing. Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins. That they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to the Most Beneficent (Allah). But it is not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most Beneficent that He should beget a son” (Quran 88-92) According to the Holy Koran, the one that calls God part of the Trinity is a disbeliever who will face a painful punishment. The Quran states: "They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the third of three’ And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment" (Quran 5:73) The Quran then says: "The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look at how they are deluded" (Quran 5:75) It’s important to mention that Prophet Jesus peace be upon him did not come down with a new Law, nor did he come out to abolish the Old Testament (Torah); instead he came to affirm, teach and preach the previous law, the law of Moses. According to the Holy Koran and the Bible, the Children of Israel were veering away from the laws and disobeying the commandments of God. Prophet Jesus’ mission was to confirm the Torah that was previously sent, to render certain things lawful to facilitate life for the Children of Israel and to proclaim and re-affirm the belief in One God. Prophet Jesus peace be upon him was the last in a long line of Messengers sent to the Jewish people. Prophet Jesus peace be upon him and the Book he came down with, the Injeel (Gospel), was not meant for non-Israelites. According to the Bible, Jesus states: ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of Israelites’ (Matthew: 15-24) In another verse, 'These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Mathew 10:5-6) So, my dear Christian brother and sister, why are you spreading the Gospel to those for whom it was never meant? Jesus states he was sent ‘only to the Children of Israel’ and not for everyone else. God has sent another Book after the Gospel—his final Book, the Holy Quran—and his last and final Messenger--Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him — which is meant for our nation, the latest nation to exist on earth until the end of time. Christians believe that every child is born with the taint of the original sin committed by our parents, Prophet Adam and Eve peace be upon them; a sin committed when disobeying our Creator and eating from the forbidden tree. According to Islam, the notion of the original sin is inconsistent with the concept detailing justice of the Almighty, the All-Merciful, the All-Loving How can God, the All-Just, make an innocent child responsible for or to bear the guilt of a sin committed by a distant ancestor? It is not just for one soul to carry the burden of another, and there is no justice to be found in one person being punished for saving another when they never committed the sin themselves. Islam teaches that everyone is responsible and will be held accountable for their own actions and that everyone is accountable for their own salvation. Salvation only comes from the act of Believing in the One God and following His commandments. Christians believe that since all men are born in this sinful state, it is necessary that a Christian believes in the atonement; the idea that Jesus Christ died for our sins. However, nowhere in the Bible did Jesus explicitly state that he would die to save mankind from sin. According to the Holy Quran and the Bible itself, one can receive forgiveness of sins from God solely through sincere repentance sought directly from God. If God, the Almighty, wished and willed to forgive humanity, then he certainly could have done so without the need of sacrificing Jesus Christ, his supposedly ‘begotten son.’ The idea that all one has to do to attain salvation is to simply believe Jesus Christ died for their sins, without the need of any worship nor the need to follow the Holy Law because Jesus Christ fulfilled it for them, was never preached by Jesus Christ himself—nor is it even in the Bible. Muslims believe that Jesus is still alive and that he will return to this world in the last days before the Day of Judgement. Muslims believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ. Muslims believe that Jesus Christ will return and preach the true Oneness of God as he has always done, and; he will not preach the trinity. Jesus Christ will prove to the Jews that he never was crucified and will prove to the Christians that they were wrong to ascribe him as divine. Imam Mahdi will be alive at the time of his return, also the time of the Battle of the Great Armageddon that Christians also predict. Muslims will fight on the side of Prophet Jesus peace be upon him, who will be their leader. According to the Holy Quran, God will ask Prophet Jesus peace be upon him on the day of Judgement: "…O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah?’ He will say, ‘Exalted, are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen. I said not to them except what You commanded me - to worship Allah, my Lord, and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are, over all things, Witness. If You should punish them - indeed they are Your servants; but if You forgive them - indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Quran 5:116-118) Muslims are the true followers of Jesus Christ, following what Jesus Christ preached and taught. To my dear Christian brothers and sisters, it’s imperative you research and learn the real Message of Jesus Christ. God, the Almighty has distinguished man above His other creations, by providing him the gift of reason. One would not be considered a rational being if he or she believed in faith without using their intellect, without investigating, rationalizing, analyzing, examining, pondering, and reflecting over what he or she believes and just blindly following their Church and pastor. To my dear Christian brother or sister, take the time to research and think for yourself.

As Mary approached retiring from grooming, She and Chris discuss the process along with career options afterwards.

As Mary gets ready for her climb up Mt Kilimanjaro, she has been looking for individuals who exhibit what she calls a "Warrior Spirit". One such person that embodies that spirit is Mary Nickles. Mary has spent 28 years at KUTV in Salt Lake City and she is a cancer survivor. Together, they talk about her decision to go through her procedure to recovery on the air in real time. Showing her strength to others allowed them to see that they can do it as well. As she walks you through the process, you will discover the importance of the love for others in the battle, the mental and physical strength she needed and the "Warrior Spirit" that can make your life one that can defeat fear! It's all on today's episode of Crafting A Meaningful Life! Follow Mary Nickles on Facebook Learn More About Mary Crafts

Grandmothers on the Move Episode 34 - Mary Pipher, Author of Reviving Ophelia and her newest book Women Rowing North - Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing as We Age. A profound and transformative book...I was enlightened, deeply moved and couldn't put it down. It's one of those books you want everyone you love to read right away! As Mary says in this interview "I want readers to understand that this life stage is not solely defined by diminishment but also by great spiritual and emotional growth". Mary shares deep insights about building resilience, crafting resplendent narratives, forming intimate relationships, and Grandmotherhood... this book is a real gift to us all. Distilled wisdom and beauty.

When the sun set on Friday, Jesus was dead. As the Jewish leaders were afraid the disciples would steal Jesus’ body and stage a ‘resurrection’, they posted guards at the tomb and sealed the stone. Any unauthorized breaking of the seal would result in death. As the sun was rising Sunday morning, an angel descended to remove the stone and the battle-hardened guards fainted from fear. Everything God does is ‘authorized’ (Is. 45:9; Dan. 4:35)! As Mary arrived, the stone was rolled away, guards gone, and an angel told her Jesus had risen. She then saw Jesus and held onto his feet proving he wasn’t an illusion or ghost. Sometimes the greatest news is given to the most unlikely, so God gets the most glory (1 Cor. 1:26-30)!

Boxes.  We are always creating these mental boxes or categories in which we are placing people, assigning labels and then feeling very uncomfortable when people do not fit our assigned boxes.  In fact, some tend to get angry when people do not fit into their perceived boxes.  We do this with all kinds of people, and we are so very, very good at doing this with God.  We are forever boxing God in.  We, who consider ourselves good “church people” regularly try to place God in boxes like tradition or even religious patriotism.   And, we are forever trying to remake God in our image.  We are forever trying to place God’s very self into a box based on our perception of God, one that was usually formed during our childhood education but never develops and grows beyond that early understanding.  Furthermore, we want to make sure other people’s understanding of God fits into the God box we create because we are so comfortable with our perceptions and traditions and we don’t want to find ourselves feeling uncomfortable, especially when it comes to what we say about God.  And, heaven forbid if someone does something outside of the box or something gets changed because we want things to be done the way they have always been done!  Well, I have news for you today!  God is always going to be bigger than the God boxes we create.  God is always going to be shattering those boxes, and God is always going to be pushing us out of our comfort zones.  As we look at today’s gospel reading, Mary is bumping up against the mental boxes people have created around cultural norms, traditions, and people’s perceptions of the way Jesus should act and respond to various situations and people.  She is bumping up against The Way Things Have Always Been Done while breaking cultural norms at the same time. Today’s gospel story is so familiar to us that it no longer sounds scandalous or uncomfortable to our 21st century ears.  But, in the first century, what happened at Mary and Martha’s house would have been the talk of town. First, as the story unfolds, Jesus’ feet have already been washed. You see, everyone walked along those dirty, dusty roads in sandals.  The oxen, sheep, horses, donkeys and camels traveled the same roads, so their pungent droppings needed to be washed off sandals and feet as well. Foot washing was a customary part of hospitality, something done before guests entered a house. Mary and Martha would have already made sure this lowliest of tasks had been done before guests even entered their home. Second, Mary was NOT supposed to be showing up in the dining room at all, unless to serve.  However, just recently Jesus had miraculously raised her brother, Lazarus, from the dead, and Mary was overflowing with gratitude, devotion and love.  So, into the dining room she went, shattering a cultural norm.  To make matters worse, Mary begins touching Jesus as she anoints his feet with perfumed oil.  Now, men and women in that culture were prohibited from touching each other in public; in fact, a man wasn’t even supposed to speak to a woman who was not his wife, mother or daughter. Well, the scandal escalates as Mary loosens her hair and uses her long, flowing hair as a towel. Because a woman’s loose hair was viewed as too sensual, it was taboo for a woman to even have her hair unbound. We still see this in some religious cultures today – a woman’s hair should not only be bound, it should also be covered. Finally, Mary uses an extravagant nard worth an entire years’ salary to perfume Jesus’ feet. The writer of John’s gospel describes Mary’s act as an “anointing” of Jesus.  Anointing was reserved for kings, prophets or priests who were called by God for a special task, and such anointing was done by a male priest in Jerusalem.  It was NOT done by a layperson.  It was NOT done in a Bethany home and it was most certainly NOT done by a woman.  Mary is shattering multiple boxes of tradition and culture. The writer of John’s gospel offers us the outrageous idea that Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ, is being lavishly anointed for his journey to the cross by a small-town laywoman, who, in a moment of unbridled devotion, seems to shatter every tradition in the books.  Mary obliterates cultural norms and the many categories and mental boxes people have created for Jesus and his ministry.  And, people in the room are pushed WAY beyond their comfort zone. Well, Judas Iscariot gives voice to the discomfort in the room. He pretends to care about the poor as he publicly shames Mary and tries to put her in her place with his supposed male superiority. Now, if you have ever been belittled, shamed or mocked for any reason, you know how awful and uncomfortable Mary must feel.  But when Judas does this, the real scandal and miracle of the story takes place! Jesus admonishes Judas, not Mary, as one would expect. Jesus puts Judas in his place by saying, “leave her alone!” Mary will not be denied. In those three words, “leave her alone” Jesus sharply defends Mary and receives her as an equal. Jesus is perfectly comfortable being touched by a woman.  Not only is he perfectly comfortable with this.  He is perfectly comfortable that she does this with her hair down in a room full of men!   Instead of siding with tradition, Jesus joins Mary in breaking down the cultural barriers between women and men, and she embodies the radical equality in the Reign of God. Throughout his ministry, Jesus shattered people’s perceptions, traditions and all of the boxes they created to categorize people.  All were welcome in his presence.  He was perfectly comfortable ministering to and welcoming all people, especially those considered outcasts – those who were supposed to stay in the boxes marked the fringe of society. Twenty centuries later, Jesus is still shattering our mental boxes, our perceptions and our traditions.  Who are the outcasts today?  Who, if they joined us at the Lord’s Table, cause you discomfort and the urge to say, “no that just can’t be.”  Perhaps your discomfort rises around people who are gay, lesbian, or transgendered. Perhaps it is with those who don’t speak English or any considered “other.”  Perhaps it is with someone who suffers severe mental illness.  Perhaps your discomfort even rises from small children being able to receive the gifts of God’s very self at the Lord’s Table.  Maybe your discomfort is with the very poor, who, Jesus reminds us, are always with us due to ever present human greed.  Well, the gospel truth is that ALL are equally welcome at the Lord’s Table and ALL are equally welcome in God’s kingdom.  And, the gospel truth is that God is quite likely going to break open all of the boxes you have created for God’s self, so that you might be transformed and so that you can begin living into the radical equality and love of God’s Reign.  Yes, God is always going to shatter our mental boxes regarding the way we think things should be because God is always about bringing transformation to us and this world.  As we shall see in just a couple of weeks, God is going to obliterate the most powerful box of all, the box that creates fear and anxiety within us and shapes so much of who we are and the way we live – the box of death.  As Mary acts generously and lovingly and shatters people’s perceived notions of how things should be done, she anoints Jesus for the ultimate obliteration of perceptions, categories and mental boxes.  And, we are going to see that ultimate box destroyed as God conquers death and raises Jesus from the dead! Heaven rejoices when, with Jesus, we let go of our mental boxes and step into the radical equality and love that is found in the Reign of God.

As Mary anointed Jesus with the scent of sacrifice, we are called to pour out ourselves for him.

As Mary and I have studied Exodus, we noticed that the children of Israel died in the wilderness! They saw the judgment that God brought against Egypt to free them from their bondage. They saw the miracles that God did in caring for them in the wilderness. Yet, they all died there with God angry at them. How do we know this? Hebrews 3:10 says; "THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; This brought the fear of God into our minds and hearts. Why? Because if they believed on the Passover lamb to save them from Egypt and we believe on Jesus Christ as our Passover lamb can we suffer the same fate as they did? It appears that even though they saw God's provisions and were given His laws they chose not to study them to get to know the God of the Universe. WOW! We had better pay attention to the lessons contained in the Bible. Abram did the opposite. He obeyed God. Faith is a gift God gives us. But we must act on His word. Isn't this what the Children of Israel faced as well? Faith is obedience to God's word. That is why we are studying and applying it. If it weren't for His work in our lives, an eternal home is nonexistent! But we have hope in Jesus Christ We want to live a praiseworthy life to God. We please Him by trusting in Him even when we can't see through the trials. Join Ric and Mary Joyner in a podcast for pewsitters. The video: https://youtu.be/9D31SMDZdJo The challenge document: https://adobe.ly/2CgDzk9

The "Get it Done Facilitator", Mary Strachan, and I talk about our kids who "colour outside the lines", and how we've had to adjust our parenting in response. As Mary says, it's always a work in progress as a parent, and we chat about our expectations and how they can work against us appreciating who our kids actually are.

Mary the Ark of the Covenant and “Do Not Touch the Ark”. The presentation of Jesus in the Temple means the true presence of God is back in the temple again.  Simeon and Anna rejoice. We begin today’s podcast with St. John’s vision at Patmos in REV 11-12. The contents of the ark are sacred and not to be touched. Everyone knew the rule; do not touch the ark.  Recall how in Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, offered unauthorized fire and were struck dead. David’s man Uzzah was also struck dead when he touched the side of the Ark to steady it (2 Sam 6). We also recall when the Lord slew 70 men who looked into the Ark of the Covenant (1 Sam 6). We too become a tabernacle of meeting each time we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. The episode continues with the circumcision of Jesus, and Presentation of Jesus in the temple.  We remember from 2 Maccabees 2 that the true presence of God has been absent from the temple ever since Jeremiah sealed the Ark of the Covenant in a cave on the mountain of Moses.  As Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus for the purification ceremony, the true presence of God has finally returned to the temple, an event long anticipated and recognized by Simeon and the prophetess Anna. The Holy Family returns to Nazareth for the “hidden” years of Jesus as he grows in strength and wisdom with the favor of God upon him.  Luke 2 concludes with 12-year-old Jesus teaching in the temple:  the true presence of God has returned to the temple yet again, “Why are you looking for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s House?” With the Eucharist present in every tabernacle of every Catholic Church, we have access to the true presence of God at all times. The post ST-Luke-6 – The presentation of Jesus in the Temple – The Gospel of St. Luke – Seeking Truth with Sharon Doran – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

As Mary and Joseph bring baby Jesus to the Jerusalem temple for dedication, this young couple finds themselves face to face with an elderly man named Simeon. As he takes the Christ child in his arms, he too breaks out in blessing and praise. Simeon's song reminds us that there are two ways to hold the Savior in our arms: for ourselves and for others. Even though his song of praise is marked by personal celebration for the fulfillment of God's plan through years of waiting, he also celebrates God's saving inclusion of the Gentiles. This song provides the powerful reminder that Advent makes missionaries because true love always extends itself toward the other. In the spirit of Christmas, may we too be a missionary people.

**Subscribe and leave a comment about your experience with Advent. Were you raised talking about it, just hearing of it now, or was a weird thing someone tried to introduce you to with candles and wreaths?    1. Social Media Is...Good? What it is: New stats from Pew reveal that the overwhelming consensus among US teens ages 13-17 is that social media is a largely positive force in their lives, though they’re willing to acknowledge some of its drawbacks. Why it's interesting: 81% of teens agreed that “social media makes them feel more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives,” while only 43% said they feel pressure to post content that makes them look good. So case closed. Let them have free reign! …..Or not. Pew’s research contradicts a recent studyfrom the UK that found that only YouTube had a net positive effect on teens’ mental health (Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram had net negative effects). This could indicate that UK teens are less healthy...or that they’re more willing to be honest. It could also indicate that US teens want social media to be good for them, so they go easy on it. No matter the reason, we need to keep the conversation about social media and its effects going.   2. Palessi What it is: The newest high-end shoe brand that social media influencers can’t wait to get their hands on. Why it's crazy: Though it’s only been around for a short while, the brand has made waves, with influencers lining up for their invitation-only pop-up in LA, spending hundreds on a pair of their shoes. One problem: It doesn’t exist. Payless created a fake website and fake Instagram to “rebrand” their discount shoes and prove that people don’t know the difference between luxury and bargain. Their experiment is an opportunity to not only talk with your teens about the power of branding, image, and presentation, helping them avoid the pitfalls of consumerism, but it’s also a chance to talk about quality. Is there a difference between Payless’s $20 shoes and Jimmy Choo’s $1,000 shoes? Is it actually as big of a difference as the prices suggest? Is it ever worth paying more for “handcrafted” or better materials? Could there be a negative side to both bargain and luxury? 3. Are You Influential? What it is: Speaker Josh Shipp’s newest FB video is something anyone who works with teens should watch. Why it’s an important reminder: Let’s face it. Between teenagers’ rolling eyes, their incredulous gasps that you don’t know what “yeet” means, and our own insecurities and negative self talk, it’s easy to wonder why we even wanted to be parents/educators/pastors/youth volunteers in the first place. “What’s the point? I have nothing to offer, and they don’t even listen to me because I’m not ‘cool’ enough. Besides, why should they listen to me when I have no idea what I’m doing?!” We all go through periods of self-doubt, and his video speaks truth to encourage us, give us perspective, and remember that these teenage hearts are worth it.   Patience and The Promise of Advent Sunday is the first day of Advent, a four week season of patient expectation as we await not only the promised Christ-child, but the eventual return of Christ the king. Advent also reminds us that things are not as they one day will be: that although war, poverty, sickness, and injustice remain, God is making all things new. Just not quite yet. As Mary labored delivering Jesus, the world itself is laboring through birth pains as the present order passes away and a new creation is born. Our task therefore is to embrace the tension between patience and promise, to live with hope in the midst of despair, and to never grow weary of doing good because we trust in the God who will “rend the heavens and come down” to save us. One day. Maybe not tomorrow or the next, but someday soon. We hope. So, for the next four weeks lean into the promise of Christ with patience. To help you do so, read this prayer with your family every Sunday of Advent as we await the Christ-child… “In our secret yearnings we wait for your coming, And in our grinding despair we doubt that you will. And in this privileged place we are surrounded by witnesses who yearn more than do we and by those who despair more deeply than do we. Look upon your church and its pastors in this season of hope which runs so quickly to fatigue and in this season of yearning which becomes so easily quarrelsome. Give us the grace and the patience to wait for your coming to the bottom of our toes, To the edges of our fingertips... Come in your power and come in your weakness in any case come and make all things new. Amen.” -Walter Brueggemann

As Mary magnified the Lord through uncharted waters, let us also learn to move our focus off our self and our situations and magnify the Lord.

No one is perfect. We all know that. So why do we struggle with this need to be perfect? As Mary likes to say...Perfectionism will kill you, but STRIVING for excellence will inspire you! It's the striving part that truly matters. Listen as she talks about historical examples of the failures of perfection but the benefits that are discovered on the other side of failures journey. If you feel like your alone, you not!!! How do we get passed this feeling knowing that there is no other person on the planet exactly like you? Your uniqueness is your greatest power!

Mary and I had an amazing and lovely time with Marilyn Martin. Mary and I would love to wish Marilyn a “Happy Birthday” and pray you have a wonderfully blessed day. Listening to her life and with her walk with Jesus, her stories were an inspiring delight. As Mary had said during the interview, Marilyn had the Grace of God all over her, and how she articulated her stories to us. I will say as I did in the interview, that when I was back in the 80’s I had both of her CD’s, probably just called “Marilyn Martin - Night Moves” and “This is Serious”. What made me reach out in the first place was just thinking and reminiscing about music in my past, Marilyn Martin was one of my favorite female pop/rock artists but then I saw “Trust, Love, Pray” and was like, Marilyn Martin did a Christian CD? So I emailed her and what do you know, she emailed me back. In this interview, Marilyn teaches about her nickname “Minnie”, her life with Joe Walsh, Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac and her many adventures in that point in time with her musical life. How her grandma was pivotal in her Christian life. Her duet with Phil Collins on Separate Lives. We learned about her husband Greg Droman who not only played in bands with Marilyn but also recorded many artists from pop rock and Christian, in Nashville, he had an amazing studio. Learned how her husband lead her to “Apple Garageband” and “Apple Logic Pro X” with Apple Loops. Talked a little about Greg and Marilyn’s Raccoons :) I know one thing, she is well guided with those Apple Loops :)Marilyn has a warm happy personality, very down to earth and humble. It was a real honor to have met her and to have her on the “Worship Cafe”. We went over what inspired Marilyn to write this Christian CD and she has a new Christian CD called “Walk in the Light”. A lot of her Christian songs will be going on the radio station stream. The songs we went over on the show are listed below, and yes her albums are on my iPhone. 1. Amen2. The Arms of God3. Dear God4. Every Way and Always5. In My Father’s HouseI feel this testimonial will bless you, it’s a good account about how God can do amazing things in your life. If you have time to check this episode of the “Worship Cafe Inspirational Radio Show” please take the time investment, also share it with everyone you know, family, co-workers, friends, and pass it forward on your social media networks such as twitter, and facebook. You can contact to Marilyn Martin at the links below, and all social media connections are there also. Please go by and say hello to herMain Website:http://marilyn-martin.comAll his social media is there also. God Bless You and have a beautiful dayKen TownshendHosts: Mary Phillips & Ken TownshendShow: Worship Cafe Inspirations Radio Show

Mary and I had an amazing and lovely time with Marilyn Martin. Mary and I would love to wish Marilyn a “Happy Birthday” and pray you have a wonderfully blessed day. Listening to her life and with her walk with Jesus, her stories were an inspiring delight. As Mary had said during the interview, Marilyn had the Grace of God all over her, and how she articulated her stories to us. I will say as I did in the interview, that when I was back in the 80’s I had both of her CD’s, probably just called “Marilyn Martin - Night Moves” and “This is Serious”. What made me reach out in the first place was just thinking and reminiscing about music in my past, Marilyn Martin was one of my favorite female pop/rock artists but then I saw “Trust, Love, Pray” and was like, Marilyn Martin did a Christian CD? So I emailed her and what do you know, she emailed me back. In this interview, Marilyn teaches about her nickname “Minnie”, her life with Joe Walsh, Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac and her many adventures in that point in time with her musical life. How her grandma was pivotal in her Christian life. Her duet with Phil Collins on Separate Lives. We learned about her husband Greg Droman who not only played in bands with Marilyn but also recorded many artists from pop rock and Christian, in Nashville, he had an amazing studio. Learned how her husband lead her to “Apple Garageband” and “Apple Logic Pro X” with Apple Loops. Talked a little about Greg and Marilyn’s Raccoons :) I know one thing, she is well guided with those Apple Loops :) Marilyn has a warm happy personality, very down to earth and humble. It was a real honor to have met her and to have her on the “Worship Cafe”. We went over what inspired Marilyn to write this Christian CD and she has a new Christian CD called “Walk in the Light”. A lot of her Christian songs will be going on the radio station stream. The songs we went over on the show are listed below, and yes her albums are on my iPhone. 1. Amen 2. The Arms of God 3. Dear God 4. Every Way and Always 5. In My Father’s House I feel this testimonial will bless you, it’s a good account about how God can do amazing things in your life. If you have time to check this episode of the “Worship Cafe Inspirational Radio Show” please take the time investment, also share it with everyone you know, family, co-workers, friends, and pass it forward on your social media networks such as twitter, and facebook. You can contact to Marilyn Martin at the links below, and all social media connections are there also. Please go by and say hello to her Main Website: http://marilyn-martin.com All his social media is there also. God Bless You and have a beautiful day Ken Townshend Hosts: Mary Phillips & Ken Townshend Show: Worship Cafe Inspirations Radio Show

*Hymns may not match audio.  All material is used for Spiritual/Educational Purposes.   SATURDAY Evening Prayer God, come to my assistance.- Lord, make haste to help meGlory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spiritas it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.  Amen. HYMN Praise to Mary, Heaven's Gate,Guiding Star of Christians' way,Mother of our Lord and King,Light and hope to souls astray. When you heard the call of GodChoosing to fulfill his plan,By your perfect act of loveHope was born in fallen man. Help us to amend our ways,Halt the devil's strong attack,Walk with us the narrow path,Beg for us the grace we lack. Mary, show your motherhood,Bring your children's prayers to Christ,Christ, your son, who ransomed man,Who, for us, was sacrificed. Virgin chosen, singly blest,Ever faithful to God's call,Guide us in this earthy life,Guard us lest, deceived, we fall. Mary, help us live our faithSo that we may see your son;Join our humble prayers to yours,Till life's ceaseless war is won. Praise the Father, praise the Son,Praise the holy Paraclete;Offer all through Mary's hands,Let her make our prayers complete. Melody: Gott sei dank 77.77Music: Freylinghausen's , 1670-1739Text: V.S.S. Coles, 1845-1929     Or: My Lady, my refuge,life and help,my armor and my boast,my hope and my strength,grant that I may enjoythe ineffable, inconceivable gifts of your Son,your God and our God,in the heavenly kingdom.For I know surelythat you have power to do as you will,since you are Mother of the Most High.Therefore, Lady Most Pure,I beg youthat I may not be disappointed in my expectationsbut may obtain them, O spouse of God,who bore him who is the expectation of all:Our Lord Jesus Christ,true God and Master of all things,visible and invisible,to whom belongs all glory, honor, and respect,now and always and through endless ages. Amen. Saint Germanius of Constantinople (c. 634-730)   PSALMODYAnt 1: Mary has been taken up to heaven; the angels rejoice. They bless the Lord and sing his praises.   Or: Christ ascended into heaven and prepared an everlasting place for his immaculate Mother. Psalm 122Holy city JerusalemYou have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22) I rejoiced when I heard them say:Let us go to God's house.And now our feet are standingwithin your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a citystrongly compact.It is there that the tribes go up,the tribes of the Lord. For Israel's law it is,there to praise the Lord's name.There were set the thrones of judgmentof the house of David. For the peace of Jerusalem pray:Peace be to your homes! For love of my brethren and friendsI say: Peace upon you.For love of the house of the LordI will ask for your good. Ant. 2 The Virgin Mary was taken up to the heavenly bridal chamber where the King of kings is seated on a heavenly throne. Or: Through Eve the gates of heaven were closed to all mankind: through the Virgin Mother they were opened wide again. Psalm 130A cry from the depthsHe himself will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,Lord, hear my voice!O let your ears be attentiveto the voice of my pleading. If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,Lord, who would survive?But with you is found forgiveness:for this we revere you. My soul is waiting for the Lord.I count on his word.My soul is longing for the Lordmore than watchman for daybreak.(Let the watchman count on daybreakand Israel on the Lord.) Because with the Lord there is mercyand fullness of redemption,Israel indeed he will redeemfrom all its iniquity. Ant 3: We share the fruit of life through you, O daughter blessed by the Lord. Or: The Virgin Mary has been exalted above all the heavens; come, let all men glorify Christ the King, whose kingdom will endure for ever. Canticle                                                      Philippians 2:6-11Christ, God's holy servant Though he was in the form of God,Jesus did not deem equality with Godsomething to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himselfand took the form of a slave,being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estateand it was thus that he humbled himself,obediently accepting even death,death on a cross! Because of this,God highly exalted himand bestowed on him the nameabove every other name,   So that at Jesus' nameevery knee must bendin the heavens, on the earth,and under the earth,and every tongue proclaimto the glory of God the Father:  JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!   FIRST READING                                                       1 Cor 15:22-23 Just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. OR                                                      Judith 13:17b, 18a Blessed are you, our God, who today have brought to nought the enemies of your people. Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth. OR                                                      Revelation 12:1 A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. OR                                                      Romans 5:12-21 Just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned - for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person's transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one person's sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.  In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all.  For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.  The law entered in so that transgression might increase but, where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. SECOND READING From a homily on the falling asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Saint Germanus of Constantinople, bishop(In Dormitionem B. Mariae I: PG 98, 345-348) The Assumption of Mary   Truly, yes truly, and again I shall say in thanksgiving: even though you have left us, you have not deserted the Christian race. You who are like incorruptible life have not abandoned our mortal world, but on the contrary you draw near to those who call upon your name. You are found by those who faithfully seek you. And these visions indicate a living and continually active spirit and an everlasting body. For how could dissolution of the body return you to dust and ashes, you who delivered the human race from the destruction of death through the incarnation of your Son? Indeed you left our earth to prove that the mystery of the awe-inspiring incarnation was really fulfilled. The fact that you waited for the natural end of human life would convince the world that the God who was born of you came into being also as perfect man, the Son of a true Mother, who was subject to the laws and constraints of nature, by divine decree and the requirement of an earthly lifetime. As one who possessed a human body you could not escape death, the common fate of humanity. Thus even your Son, though God of all things, even he, through sharing, so to speak, the mortality of all our race, "tasted" a similar bodily "death." It was clearly in the same way as he made his own life-giving tomb that he made your sepulcher wonderful also, as the tomb of your falling asleep, a tomb which received life; therefore both tombs really received your bodies, but could in no way affect them with corruption. For nor could you, as the vessel which contained God, waste away to dust in the destruction of death. For since he who humbled himself in you was God from beginning and eternal life, so the Mother of Life was to share the dwelling of Life, to accept her death like a sleep and consent to her translation like a waking, as the Mother of Life. For just as a child seeks and longs for its own mother, and the mother loves to spend her time with her child, so it was right that you, with your maternal love for your Son and God, should return to him. And it was right too that God, preserving a Son's love for you, should make his companionship with you into a perpetual association. In this way, then, you suffered the death of finite beings and the translation to the immortal way of life of eternal beings where God dwells; and because you are his companion, Mother of God, you do not abandon your life with him. OR From the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus by Pope Pius XII(AAS 42 [1950], 760-762,767-769) Your body is holy and excelling in splendor   The august Mother of God was mysteriously united from all eternity with Jesus Christ in one and the same decree of predestination, immaculate in her conception, a virgin inviolate in her divine motherhood, the whole hearted companion of the divine Redeemer who won complete victory over sin and its consequences. Thus, she gained at last the supreme crown of her privileges--to be preserved immune from the corruption of the tomb, and like her Son, when death had been conquered, to be carried up body and soul to the exalted glory of heaven, there to sit in splendor at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the ages. RESPONSORYThe Virgin Mary is exalted above the choirs of angels.- The Virgin Mary is exalted above the choirs of angels.Blessed is the Lord who has raised her up.- Above the choirs of the angels.Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit- The Virgin Mary is exalted above the choirs of angels. Or: As Mary is taken up to heaven,the angels of God rejoice. - As Mary is taken up to heaven,the angels of God rejoice.They worship the Lord and sing his praises; - The angels of God rejoice.Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. - As Mary is taken up to heaven,the angels of God rejoice.   CANTICLE OF MARY                                                      Luke 1:46-55Ant: Today the Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven; rejoice, for she reigns with Christ for ever. Or: All generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me.   My soul rejoices in the Lord.   My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear himin every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm,he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel,for he has remembered his promise of mercy,The promise he made to our fathers,to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. INTERCESSIONS Let us praise God, our almighty Father, who wished that Mary, his Son's mother, be celebrated by each generation.  Now in need we ask: Mary, full of grace, intercede for us. O God, worker of miracles, you made the immaculate Virgin Mary share, body and soul, in your Son's glory in heaven,- direct the hearts of your children to that same glory. You made Mary our mother.  Through her intercession grant strength to the weak, comfort to the sorrowing, pardon to sinners,- Salvation and peace to all. You made Mary full of grace,- grant all men the joyful abundance of your grace. Make your Church of one mind and one heart in love,- and help all those who believe to be one in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus. You crowned Mary queen of heaven,- may all the dead rejoice in your kingdom with the saints for ever. Our Father…   CONCLUDING PRAYER All-powerful and everliving God,you raised the sinless Virgin Mary,mother of your Son,body and soul to the glory of heaven.May we see heaven as our final goaland come to share her glory. May the Lord bless us,protect us from eviland bring us to everlasting life. -  Amen.

We almost have a great story in the Nativity. All we needed was for sweet baby Jesus to defeat the empire. Instead of fleeing to Egypt as a refugee, we needed sweet baby Jesus to raise an angelic army, wielding Luke’s lost light saber, defeating the empire, releasing Israel from the rod of their oppressor. As Mary and Jospeh are being counted to calculate the tax to be handed down by Emperor Augustus we need Jesus to say, “Stand back Mom and Dad. I’ve got this.

We almost have a great story in the Nativity. All we needed was for sweet baby Jesus to defeat the empire. Instead of fleeing to Egypt as a refugee, we needed sweet baby Jesus to raise an angelic army, wielding Luke’s lost light saber, defeating the empire, releasing Israel from the rod of their oppressor. As Mary and Jospeh are being counted to calculate the tax to be handed down by Emperor Augustus we need Jesus to say, “Stand back Mom and Dad. I’ve got this.

As Mary catches some sleep, lying on the ground near the manger, Joseph ponders many things. He wonders about the strange report he heard from some shepherds earlier this evening and the meaning of the birth of his son and of the name that both he and Mary have chosen to give to him.

Luke 1:52 NLT 'He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.' As a child I developed a strange obsession when going shopping with Mum. I first remember it when we were seeking to buy a plastic sword and shield so I could become a knight of the Round Table. As we walked to the toy shop, I repeated over and over in my head, “Let them have a sword and shield.” To my great disappointment they didn’t; my approach had failed. Positive thinking is no way to guarantee anything. While optimism probably leads to a richer life than its opposite, pessimism, it cannot reverse life’s ups and downs. It merely informs my attitude. As Mary visits with Elizabeth, as expectations rise with the stirring of the Spirit between them, Mary bursts into a prophetic poem; one that was possibly treasonable if proclaimed on any street corner under Roman occupation. However, it wasn’t provoking a political uprising to destabilise the status quo. It was, in fact, far more radical, for it presented the unseen reality of God’s kingdom. This kingdom, always the sphere of God’s rule, was now breaking into this world through the incarnate Messiah. Hence, Mary informs the principalities and powers that have exercised their authority across the earth that their day of reckoning is fast approaching. This is an epic moment; it’s the hinge of history, the first sign of spring in Narnia, the anticipation of Aslan’s return and the end of the White Witch’s reign. God does not forget but God’s timeframe is not governed by earth-bound events. Somehow, wandering the malls surrounded by Christmas stuff, driven by a need to buy gifts and indulge in fine food and drink, means the very reality of Christmas is buried ever deeper. Christmas informs us that the immaterial is, in fact, so much more solid. God’s kingdom, while it may only break in in part until the end of the ages, breaks in each time we choose to live by kingdom values. QUESTION: How might you make a fresh commitment this Christmas to demonstrating the kingdom all year? PRAYER: Sovereign Lord, lift up the humble, humble the proud and bring in your kingdom.

As Mary and Joseph walk down the long road towards Bethlehem, their conversation reveals a number of surprising things about the purpose that they see in this dangerous journey.

Mary's penultimate "yes" leads to the ultimate of "yes" of Jesus in Gethsemane. As Mary was prepared to give her "yes," let us ask to be prepared for the will of God to be done in our lives.

Great Escape Radio Episode 79: Start where you are “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” – Ellen Parr For more information about getting started with travel writing, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. Great Escape Radio host, Jody Maberry, and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, introduce us to Mary Charlebois. For Mary, getting started with travel writing was a solution for avoiding a boring retirement. She has always loved traveling, ever since she was a child, earning her the nickname “Mary Go” from her mother. So after retiring as a technical writer, she decided to combine her two loves—writing and traveling. But an injury prevented her from getting started as fast as she would have liked. “I retired early—before the usual retirement age—with the plan to travel. But in less than a year, I broke my neck. That took my time and money,” Mary shares. She regained her health but she was broke and bored, with no money to travel. Her friends kept pushing though and in September 2015, she borrowed the money to attend the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in Denver. There she saw all kinds of people from all walks of life and that set her on fire. “I believe all things come to be in their own time, we have to believe in ourselves in our own time. I really thought that you had to be somebody who is a world traveler. I believed I wasn’t a good enough writer. I didn’t really think I had the ability to write about the exotic destinations I thought I had to go to.” But all she really had to do was walk out of her front door and start writing about her hometown. As Mary says, you should, “Grow where you’re planted. Start where you are.” Since that Denver event, she’s now had over 100 stories published, and each new byline is as exciting as the first. Listen in as Mary shares her experiences and adventures that have taken her retirement years from boring to fun! For more information about getting started with travel writing, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting.

Everyone should know they're special, especially when it's their birthday. Mary Davis started Worthy of Love, a nonprofit that celebrates the birthdays of the children impacted by homelessness and sheltered by Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row, in downtown Los Angeles. Each month, Mary and her husband Ari, and their team of volunteers, create an amazing roof top party, where every child has a fun and memorable night. Mary's hope is to create positive memories for these kids, and to remind them that they’re important and matter. And these parties are not just cake and streamers. They include gifts for every child, a lovable character named Skiddy Cat, a DJ, dancing, face painting, and more. Sometimes, even a Hollywood celebrity like Jaden Smith will stop by and help to spread the joy. I met Mary, or better known as Sista Mary to many, at her home on the westside of LA. We talked about her organization and how it helps, how the idea started from a very personal experience, learning more about homelessness, and even about her time with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. As Mary shared with me, if we all do just a little bit, together we can make a much bigger difference. And just think, a simple birthday celebration can mean so much to these kids. I’m so thankful to help share Mary’s story, and to spread this message of love. Also, Mary and Ari are some of the nicest and most giving people I’ve met. See more about this episode and the show at: MyBigStory.show JOIN CHRISTOPHER’S ADVENTURE & SEE BEHIND-THE-SCENES PICS, FUN AND MORE Instagram Twitter Facebook ChristopherSwan.info GET MORE STORIES, INSPIRATION, IDEAS, AND MY BIG STORY UPDATES Subscribe to Christopher’s newsletter: Be Inspired LOVE THE SHOW? Tell a friend (literally, go text them right now!), and then give me an awesome rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. This helps others find the show too!

Mary followed a similar path that we articulated last Wednesday: God’s call, confusion, obedience, persistent seeking that involved movement, and giving God glory. Mary’s life was reformed. When the Holy Spirit plants (conceives) in us the seed of faith to trust Jesus, he is born into us and we become blessed even as Mary was blessed. As Mary is now called the Blessed Virgin Mary, so now we are we called Blessed. We then travel a similar path.     After hearing this sermon, we hope you will rest in the assurance that, through Christ, God has chosen you and God’s call is “irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). Consider how you could “sing” this truth this week.    Lessons: Luke 1:26-56

Join Greg Carlwood of The Higherside Chats podcast as he hosts Mary Joyce. A long time journalist and author who has written several books including, "Cherokee Little People Were Real" and"Underground Military Bases Hidden in the North Carolina Mountains", Mary is also editor of the website Skyships Over Cashiers, which among other things, details UFO activity in the area. Many of us who have waded deep into the weird forest have inevitably come across stories of aliens, UFOs, and secret military bases in the southwestern United States. Whether it be crashed saucers in Roswell, secret underground other worldly battles at Dulce, or a doomsday safe haven for the elite underneath the Denver airport, the western frontier is ripe with weirdness. Digging into the archives of early America, there is plenty of evidence giants once walked these lands, and confirmation found throughout dozens and dozens of newspaper reports and Native American legends that state the same. While many people have their spotlight shining on the New Mexico Desert, they're missing all the sweet, similarly secretive stuff going on in the polar opposite of the country, the mountains of North Carolina. And while giants dominate the narrative of other ancient humanoids, the lesser discussed legends of the little people living throughout the Carolina hills continues to persist. Listen as Greg and Mary take a complete 180 to discuss the legends and lore that are prominent throughout this region. 2:20 Listen as Greg and Mary begin by giving some geographical context to the particular area under discussion. Mary details her initiation into the weird world of underground military bases, UFO, and giants and how this led to the creation of her website Skyships Over Cashiers.   3:25 Opening Pandora's box, Greg and Mary begin by discussing the existence of underground military bases discretely scattered throughout the mountains of North Carolina. As Mary explains, of the 5 facilities studied in her book, The Smokey Mountain National Park is the most prominent and easily identifiable one. She also details the site within Mount Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi and the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, a facility remaining from the days of the Cold War. 6:15 As one of the largest underground facilities, Mount Mitchell is said to be it's own self- sustaining habitat containing access to water and electricity and running up to 20 stories subterranean. With such an elaborate infrastructure in place, Mary elaborates on how this may give credence to the concept that Mount Mitchell is home to numerous UN troops. Listen as Mary explains that in 1972 under President Nixon, the US entered into the World Heritage Treaty, granting access of American lands to the UN and opening the floodgates for UN troop occupation. 13:30 Armed with a wealth of knowledge from former military associates, Mary catalogs the transportation of military equipment to these areas through aerial drops. Listen as Mary then details the extreme measures taken to discourage any type of investigation into the events in these areas, including but not limited to a "people repellent". 16:20 After photographing several anomalous UFOs above the mountain range near PARI, Mary was compelled to document her findings, bringing about the birth of her site Skyships Over Cashiers. Listen as Mary identifies the numerous craft types she's witnessed including the typical saucer, diamond shaped crafts, and oddly enough hovering boulders resembling volcanic rock. As the conversation continues, Mary and Greg discuss potential interactions with the pilots of these crafts, and whether their appearance in national parks in conjunction with growing list of disappearing people are related or simply just coincidence. 20:00 Greg and Mary continue down the path of weird by discussing her visit to the rolling mountains of Tennessee. Contacted by a man whose family lineage can be linked to...

Brad Sullivan 5 Lent, Year C March 13, 2016 Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, Bay City, TX Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8 No Price Tag on a Community of Grace As Mary was anointing Jesus with costly perfume, Judas was complaining that she was wasting the perfume, that instead it should have been sold, and the money given to the poor. Ok, he’s got a fair point, one which would have been better taken if he hadn’t been lying and stealing money from the common purse. The perfume cost 300 denarii, that’s almost a year’s worth of wages. In modern terms, let’s call it $50,000 worth of perfume that Mary poured onto Jesus’ feet. That certainly does seem extravagant. $50,000 could have gone a long way to helping out those in need. In the three other Gospels, Jesus even teaches to do just that. In Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 18, there was a young man who asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life, and as the man had many possessions, Jesus said, “Go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, then come, and follow me.” Here, Judas is saying that Mary should have done exactly what Jesus taught this young man in the other three gospels, and Jesus says – “No, leave her alone. You will always have the poor with you; you will not always have me. Mary has done right, being with me here now, using this perfume for my burial.” Savor this time you’ve got with me, Jesus was saying, because I’m going to be crucified pretty soon. “Slow down little sheep,” Jesus was saying. You should indeed serve those in need. Of course you should. If you’re not serving those in need, you’re missing out on a big part of what it is to be the church, but don’t become so consumed with serving others that you neglect the love of those with whom you are serving.” The need and the desire to serve those in need has been something I’ve talked about a lot at St. Mark’s. I’ve focused a lot of my thought, study, and prayer to ways we can serve. So, as I hear today’s Gospel, I hear Jesus speaking to me saying, “Slow down little sheep. You should indeed serve those in need, but don’t become so consumed with serving others that you neglect the love of those with whom you are serving.” Look around you. I know you know who is there, but take a look again anyway. We’ve got a great church here, a church of wonderful people. We do indeed have a mission to serve others. We also have a mission to love each other deeply. We have a mission to appreciate one another. We always have people whom we can and should serve, and we should serve them. Our service is made greater, however, when it comes not just from ourselves, not only from a compassionate desire to serve others, but when our service also comes from people who love each other and love spending time together. In the Gospel story today, Jesus and his friends were having a meal together. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, a family who loved Jesus, invited him over for dinner. They took them time to spend time with those they loved. As the church, at St. Mark’s, we’re called to give each other our time as well, to spend time together with those whom we love, and those whom we have a hard time loving, because both are part of our beloved family. We always have people whom we can serve. We don’t always have each other. Right now, our vestry is working on maintenance and restoration of our church building. Last Wednesday, we met with Bob Schorr, the diocesan Manager of Church Plants and Strategic Development. We walked through our campus seeing what needed to be done, and dreaming about what could be done to restore and improve our church campus for us and for the next many generations. Our vestry is going to be working hard over the coming months to develop a plan for this work, and I encourage us all to pray for our vestry and the work they have been given for this church and for our campus. During this same time, in these next two weeks of Lent and in the Easter season that follows, I invite us also to work on restoration and improvement of our relationships. I’ve heard it said over and over that St. Mark’s is a place where the people obviously love each other. That’s true. There are of course conflicts and strained relationships. We’re a family, that’s going to happen. We are above all, though, a family that loves each other and that cares for each other. We’re a family who really understands what Mary did in our Gospel passage. We may not wipe each others’ feet with our hair, but we understand the time and the cost that Mary took to care for Jesus. We get that because we’re a family that cares for each other. So I encourage us to keep nurturing that love we have for each other, because here, and in our relationships here, we find more than service. We find Jesus, and having this community where we can love each other and encounter Jesus in each other is far more precious than $50,000 of costly perfume. This week, I got to remember how precious this community is. This week, we all get to remember. This week, we hear Jesus saying to us, “Slow down little sheep. You should indeed serve those in need, but don’t become so consumed with serving others, that you neglect the love of those with whom you are serving.” Spend your money and your time with each other and on each other. When we are here and with each other, we encounter Jesus. When we are here and with each other, we experience grace. We love each other imperfectly and letting each other down sometimes too, but then, that’s what grace is all about, isn’t it. $50,000 worth of perfume? That’s a lot of money that could have been spend on those in need. A community of grace, where we love one another imperfectly and encounter Jesus with and among each other? You can’t put a price tag on that. Amen.

Brad Sullivan 5 Lent, Year C March 13, 2016 Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, Bay City, TX Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8 No Price Tag on a Community of Grace As Mary was anointing Jesus with costly perfume, Judas was complaining that she was wasting the perfume, that instead it should have been sold, and the money given to the poor. Ok, he’s got a fair point, one which would have been better taken if he hadn’t been lying and stealing money from the common purse. The perfume cost 300 denarii, that’s almost a year’s worth of wages. In modern terms, let’s call it $50,000 worth of perfume that Mary poured onto Jesus’ feet. That certainly does seem extravagant. $50,000 could have gone a long way to helping out those in need. In the three other Gospels, Jesus even teaches to do just that. In Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 18, there was a young man who asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life, and as the man had many possessions, Jesus said, “Go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, then come, and follow me.” Here, Judas is saying that Mary should have done exactly what Jesus taught this young man in the other three gospels, and Jesus says – “No, leave her alone. You will always have the poor with you; you will not always have me. Mary has done right, being with me here now, using this perfume for my burial.” Savor this time you’ve got with me, Jesus was saying, because I’m going to be crucified pretty soon. “Slow down little sheep,” Jesus was saying. You should indeed serve those in need. Of course you should. If you’re not serving those in need, you’re missing out on a big part of what it is to be the church, but don’t become so consumed with serving others that you neglect the love of those with whom you are serving.” The need and the desire to serve those in need has been something I’ve talked about a lot at St. Mark’s. I’ve focused a lot of my thought, study, and prayer to ways we can serve. So, as I hear today’s Gospel, I hear Jesus speaking to me saying, “Slow down little sheep. You should indeed serve those in need, but don’t become so consumed with serving others that you neglect the love of those with whom you are serving.” Look around you. I know you know who is there, but take a look again anyway. We’ve got a great church here, a church of wonderful people. We do indeed have a mission to serve others. We also have a mission to love each other deeply. We have a mission to appreciate one another. We always have people whom we can and should serve, and we should serve them. Our service is made greater, however, when it comes not just from ourselves, not only from a compassionate desire to serve others, but when our service also comes from people who love each other and love spending time together. In the Gospel story today, Jesus and his friends were having a meal together. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, a family who loved Jesus, invited him over for dinner. They took them time to spend time with those they loved. As the church, at St. Mark’s, we’re called to give each other our time as well, to spend time together with those whom we love, and those whom we have a hard time loving, because both are part of our beloved family. We always have people whom we can serve. We don’t always have each other. Right now, our vestry is working on maintenance and restoration of our church building. Last Wednesday, we met with Bob Schorr, the diocesan Manager of Church Plants and Strategic Development. We walked through our campus seeing what needed to be done, and dreaming about what could be done to restore and improve our church campus for us and for the next many generations. Our vestry is going to be working hard over the coming months to develop a plan for this work, and I encourage us all to pray for our vestry and the work they have been given for this church and for our campus. During this same time, in these next two weeks of Lent and in the Easter season that follows, I invite us also to work on restoration and improvement of our relationships. I’ve heard it said over and over that St. Mark’s is a place where the people obviously love each other. That’s true. There are of course conflicts and strained relationships. We’re a family, that’s going to happen. We are above all, though, a family that loves each other and that cares for each other. We’re a family who really understands what Mary did in our Gospel passage. We may not wipe each others’ feet with our hair, but we understand the time and the cost that Mary took to care for Jesus. We get that because we’re a family that cares for each other. So I encourage us to keep nurturing that love we have for each other, because here, and in our relationships here, we find more than service. We find Jesus, and having this community where we can love each other and encounter Jesus in each other is far more precious than $50,000 of costly perfume. This week, I got to remember how precious this community is. This week, we all get to remember. This week, we hear Jesus saying to us, “Slow down little sheep. You should indeed serve those in need, but don’t become so consumed with serving others, that you neglect the love of those with whom you are serving.” Spend your money and your time with each other and on each other. When we are here and with each other, we encounter Jesus. When we are here and with each other, we experience grace. We love each other imperfectly and letting each other down sometimes too, but then, that’s what grace is all about, isn’t it. $50,000 worth of perfume? That’s a lot of money that could have been spend on those in need. A community of grace, where we love one another imperfectly and encounter Jesus with and among each other? You can’t put a price tag on that. Amen.

In life, even when we have set a goal to guide us, many things can take us off course. As Mary shows us, gratitude serves to orient us back to God, back to the purpose for our following Christ on the journey of discipleship

As Mary and Joseph encounter Simeon and Anna, we see that through Jesus, a future that is secure, and a present filled with purpose.

As Mary and Joseph encounter Simeon and Anna, we see that through Jesus, a future that is secure, and a present filled with purpose.

As Mary did, we should treasure the Word.

Big things were happening in Mary's life: she was engaged to a good, godly man named Joseph; love was in the air; wedding plans were being formed; two lives were becoming one. The future was exciting and bright. Then, suddenly, God brought a major change in plans. As Mary and Joseph followed God in faith, they discovered that even when our best laid plans fall apart, peace and joy are found in the middle of God's plan. Join us this Sunday as Lash begins our Christmas series Gone for Christmas with part 1 "A Change in Plans."

This homily focuses on the thoughts of the Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she contemplates the danger Jesus faces as he heads toward Jerusalem. As Mary leaves her son's fate in the hands of God, we hear the story of the crucifixion.