Podcasts about both mary

Daily Dose of Hope May 19, 2025 Day 1 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 1   Prayer:  Almighty God, We come before you on this Monday, as we start a new week, with both humility and gratefulness.  You are so powerful, so holy, and so wise.  We need you.  We seek you.  We are desperate to hear a word from you today, Lord.  We also know that we have failed over and over again.  Lord, forgive us for our sins, for the ways we fall short.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...Jesus, help us stay focused on you and your Word today.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start the book of Matthew.  While the author does not identify himself, most scholars agree it was written by Matthew the tax collector.  He actually mentions himself a couple times in the Gospel.  The events in the book take place in the first 40 or so years of the first century.  It was actually written somewhere between 50 and 90AD.   Let's keep in mind that all the Gospel accounts were passed down and taught orally for about 30-40 years before they were written down.  Each Gospel author collected and arranged these accounts to highlight certain themes about Jesus.  Mark, who we just finished, emphasized Jesus' authority.  Matthew, on the other hand, very intentionally uses his Gospel to demonstrate the continuation and fulfillment of the whole Biblical story of God and the people of Israel.  Thus, he emphasizes how Jesus is the Messiah in the line of David, and he focuses on how Jesus is Immanuel (which means in Hebrew, God with us.) Matthew 1 starts with a genealogy.  Sometimes, our inclination is the brush over the genealogies, but this one is pretty unique.  First, we can see the connection between the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus. As we read through the names on the list, we get a picture of God's history of redemption for his people.  Abraham and David are highlights, as both were recipients of God's promises for the people of Israel, significant parts of redemptive history.  Another reason I love this genealogy is that five women are specifically mentioned. This was at a time when women were basically never mentioned in the history of patriarchal societies. And here we are, five very unique and interesting women–Tamar (who was quite tricky to achieve her purpose), Rahab (at one point a prostitute), Ruth (a Moabite), Uriah's wife (Bathsheba), and Mary.   The first four women were Gentiles or married to Gentiles, they were outsiders to a certain extent, and yet they had tenacious faith, the kind that would be critical for faith in Jesus.  This focus on Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba leads to the introduction of Mary.  It's like the author is saying, “Don't discount Mary!”  She may not be who you would expect to be the mother of the Savior of the world but God uses all kinds of people!  God lifts up all kinds of women, those who are proper and those who aren't. What a beautiful reminder that the Gospel is for ALL. Then, we have Joseph's story.  Joseph is probably the most underrated person in the Christmas story. He is like the father of the bride at the wedding. No one notices him yet he gets to help pay for the whole shin-dig. But Joseph is an example of faithful, unquestioning obedience in the middle of fearful, life-altering circumstances.   Scripture says that Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph.  Remember, Mary was a very young girl and was probably very poor.  Joseph would have been older than her.  We tend to think of Joseph as a carpenter but really it's more likely he was a general builder. He was from a kind of backwater, remote area of Palestine. He was probably illiterate (education was generally just for merchants and aristocrats at the time). Both Mary and Joseph were humble people from a very humble part of Israel.   Scripture continues, "before they came together, it was found that Mary was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit." Joseph, being a righteous man, faithful to the law, didn't want her to be publicly disgraced so he had decided to divorce her quietly. At the time, when one became engaged, it was much more formal than it is today. Most likely, Joseph had made an agreement with Mary's father, perhaps years earlier, to take Mary as his wife. This would have been a binding agreement. In the eyes of the law, they were as good as married already, even though the relationship had not been consummated.   Mary was found to be pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that all Joseph knows at this time is that she is pregnant. His fiancé is pregnant and he knows the baby isn't his. We don't think much about Joseph's feelings. We focus a lot on Mary (and rightfully so) but Jospeh must have had all kinds of feelings too.  The whole thing must have been crushing for him. He had hopes and dreams. My guess is that he was hurt and betrayed. Despite that, he doesn't fly into an angry rage or have a desire to hurt Mary even though this would have amounted to adultery in their culture.   Joseph had compassion. He doesn't want to bring additional shame onto Mary if he can help it. Part of this could have been that Joseph was older than Mary. He might have known that a girl of that age didn't really have much control over her sexuality in that culture. Joseph is in a predicament. He wants to be faithful to the law, so he can no longer marry her, but yet he doesn't want to humiliate her either. So he decides to quietly divorce her, not make too much of a big deal about it. Regardless, Mary would face humiliation and be ostracized. That was the nature of the situation.   But before Joseph breaks off the engagement, he goes home and goes to sleep. It's always good to sleep on big decisions. While he is sleeping, an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream and says, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” And here is the amazing thing. Scripture says that when he woke up, Joseph did what the angel told him and took Mary as his wife. If Joseph had doubts, they weren't recorded. If he made excuses, we certainly don't know about them. It appears he was simply obedient.    It's worth mentioning that the angel tells Joseph not to be afraid to marry Mary because the baby she is carrying was conceived by the Holy Spirit. We know that Mary was risking a lot, but Joseph was also taking big risks here. He also will make some pretty significant sacrifices. People are generally pretty good at counting and they would know that the baby was conceived before they got married. He also faces being ostracized and being an outcast in his community. It was scary! What would their lives look like? What would their families do? What would become of them? Joseph models for us that we can be obedient in spite of fear. He did what was commanded of him, even when it was hard.   Being obedient to God doesn't always look like we want it to look. Let's be real. We want being obedient to God to be a good job with a comfortable salary, a nice home, good schools for our kids, plenty of leisure time and fun activities, a fairly decent social standing, and occasional church attendance. For most of us, if we are honest, that's what we want obedience to God to look like the typical American dream.  But we learn from Joseph is that obedience to God might not always make sense, it might not be popular, and it might not be comfortable.   Obedience to God may also require sacrifice. In the case of Joseph, obedience may have cost him his reputation and his place in the community. We know that later it means he has to drop everything to go to Bethlehem for a census. Then, he has to go to Egypt to keep the baby safe from an evil king. This probably wasn't what Joseph envisioned for his young family.   When God calls us to something, there are often things we have to give up. Joseph gave up stability and safety. Think about what God has called you to. Maybe God has called you to minister to someone and give up your time. Maybe God has called you to share your faith with your neighbor, coworker, or that person at the gym and risk rejection. Maybe God has called you to volunteer in a specific area or give sacrificially to a mission partner. Maybe God has called you to go back to school, change jobs, reconcile with an estranged friend or family member. Maybe God has called you to full-time ministry. However God has called you (and I can guarantee he has called you in some way), it typically involves some kind of sacrifice, discomfort, and hard work. Being obedient to God doesn't always look like we want it to look.   The last thing I'll mention is that God calls us to obey even when we are fearful of the future. This is so hard but God calls us to obey through the fear. We trust that if God has called us to it, God will see us through it. What I've come to learn is that obedience and trust go hand in hand.   Have a wonderful Monday.  We will chat again tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki        

As anticipation builds for the RSAC Conference 2025, ISACA leaders Mary Carmichael and Dooshima Dabo'Adzuana join Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli to preview what the global technology and cybersecurity association has in store for attendees this year. With a focus on expanding community, AI governance, and professional development, their conversation reveals how ISACA is showing up with both timely insights and tangible resources.Mary Carmichael, President of ISACA's Vancouver Chapter and a CPA focused on cybersecurity risk and governance, highlights the session she's co-presenting with Dooshima Dabo'Adzuana: Third-Party AI: What Are You Really Buying? Their talk will explore the increasing complexity of evaluating AI solutions procured from vendors—especially those embedding large language models. Topics include due diligence during procurement, monitoring post-deployment, and assessing whether vendor practices align with internal risk and privacy requirements.Dooshima Dabo'Adzuana, a researcher at Boise State University and leader from ISACA's Abuja Chapter, shares how ISACA members across regions are grappling with similar questions: What does AI mean for my organization? What risks do third-party integrations introduce? She emphasizes the importance of frameworks and educational tools—resources that ISACA is making readily available at their booth (South Expo #2268) and through new certification tracks in AI audit and security.Alongside the AI focus, visitors to the booth can explore results from ISACA's Quantum Pulse Poll and access guidance on encryption readiness for a post-quantum future. The booth will also feature a selfie station and serve as a meeting point for the diverse ISACA community, with members from over 220 chapters worldwide.The conversation rounds out with a critical discussion on cybersecurity career development. Both Mary and Dooshima share personal stories of transitioning into the field—Mary from accounting, Dooshima from insurance—and call for broader recognition of transferable skills. They point to global tools, such as career pathway frameworks supported by ISACA and the UK Cyber Security Council, as essential for addressing the persistent workforce gap.This episode offers a preview of how ISACA is connecting global conversations on AI, quantum, and professional development—making RSAC Conference 2025 not just a tech showcase, but a community gathering rooted in learning and action.Stop by booth 2268 in the South Expo to explore how ISACA are equipping professionals with practical tools for AI governance, quantum readiness, and cybersecurity career growth—and how your organization can benefit from a stronger, more connected community.Learn more about ISACA: https://itspm.ag/isaca-96808Guests:Mary Carmichael, President of ISACA's Vancouver Chapter | https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmichaelmary/Dooshima Dabo'Adzuana, a researcher at Boise State University and leader from ISACA's Abuja Chapter | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dooshima-dabo-adzuana/ResourcesMary and Dooshima's session at RSA Conference: https://path.rsaconference.com/flow/rsac/us25/FullAgenda/page/catalog/session/1737642290064001tqyqLearn more about ISACA's AI resources: https://www.isaca.org/resources/artificial-intelligenceLearn more about ISACA's credentials: https://www.isaca.org/credentialingLearn more and catch more stories from ISACA: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/isacaLearn more and catch more stories from RSA Conference 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/rsa-conference-usa-2025-rsac-san-francisco-usa-cybersecurity-event-infosec-conference-coverage______________________Keywords: ai, quantum, cybersecurity, risk, governance, audit, certification, encryption, rsa, rsac, third-party, compliance, career, skills, education, community, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand story podcast______________________Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageWant to tell your Brand Story Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More

On this episode of Currently Reading, Mary and Roxanna are sharing their favorite reads of 2024. We are excited to give them the reins for a full episode, and they bring some awesome reads for you to add to your TBR! Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  1:24 - Mary and Roxanna's Reading Year In review 2:06 - Mary read 84 books in 2024, 59% print, 24% digital, 17% audio 2:54 - Mary read 71% adult, 16% middle grade, 7% young adult and 6% new adult 4:29 - Currently Reading Patreon 7:45 - Roxanna read 70 books in 2024, 19 were 5-star reads. 8:18 - Roxanna read 81% fiction, 19%  nonfiction 9:09 - Both Mary and Roxanna want to increase their POC/Diverse reads im 2025. 10:48 - Mary and Roxanna's Top Reads of 2024 10:57 - The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand (Roxanna #10) 12:15 - The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews 13:23 - The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon (Mary #10) 14:39 - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett 15:22 - Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah (Roxanna #9) 16:51 - How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz 17:45 - Death in the Dark Woods by Annelise Ryan  (Mary #9) 17:51 - A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan 20:33 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (Roxanna #8) 21:13 - The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar by Indra Das 23:52 - Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison (Mary #8) 26:27 - It's Easier than you Think by Sylvia Boorstein (Roxanna #7) 30:18 - A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush (Mary #7) 30:56 - @maryoliversdrunkcousin on Instagram 31:19 - Winter Hours by Mary Oliver 32:03 - Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark (Roxanna #6) 34:58 - The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (Mary #6) 35:09 - The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer 37:24 - Margot's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (Roxanna #5) 40:05 - The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman 41:52 - Heir by Sabaa Tahir (Mary #5) 43:47 - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 46:44 - Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski (Roxanna #4) 50:12 - The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Mary #4) 53:38 - In the Shadow of the Mountain by Sylvia Vasquez-Lovado (Roxanna #3) 54:02 - Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer 54:04 - Finding Me by Viola Davis 57:00 - The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night by Steven Banbury (Mary #3) 58:59 - Be Ready when the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (Roxanna #2) 1:02:08 - The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop 1:02:25 - The Baddest Bitch in the Room by Sophia Chang 1:04:36 - A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall (Mary #2) 1:08:22 - Matrix by Lauren Groff (Roxanna #1) 1:08:39 - Search by Michelle Huneven 1:11:15 - Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Mary #1) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. January's IPL is a special episode in partnership with All Things Murderful and a total mystery and thriller stack from Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

 Audio recordingSermon manuscript:Our Gospel reading is appropriate as we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Our Gospel reading describes something that happened not long before Jesus was born. Mary, Jesus's mother, visited her relative, Elizabeth. Both Mary and Elizabeth were pregnant with very special babies. Mary had been visited by the angel Gabriel who told her that she would conceive and bear a son. She was to name him Jesus because he would be the Savior. Elizabeth's pregnancy was also unusual. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah were old and had not been given any children. Zechariah had also been visited by Gabriel who told him that he and his wife would conceive in their old age. The child was to be named John. Zechariah and Elizabeth did conceive about six months before Gabriel went to Mary. So in our reading today Mary was pregnant with Jesus and Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist. Luke says that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She is filled with joy, and she speaks several blessings. She blesses Mary:  “Blessed are you among women.” She blesses Jesus: “Blessed is the fruit of Mary's womb.” She blesses herself. She rhetorically asks: “Why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Her thoughts turn to her son. She comments on how her baby leaped for joy at Mary's greeting. Finally, Elizabeth blesses Mary for her faith. Perhaps Elizabeth's thoughts turned to what it might have been like when Mary heard Gabriel's message. Elizabeth said, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Not every woman would believe that she could conceive while remaining a virgin simply because the Lord said so. Mary did. She said to God: “Let it be done to me according to your Word.” Elizabeth moves from one blessing to the next. Everyone is blessed. All are exceedingly happy. What I'd like to consider today is why they are so happy. I'd also like to pay attention to our own happiness. Happiness is important to us. We all would like to be happy. So, in fact, before we consider what makes these women happy, I think it would be beneficial first to consider what makes us happy. We can then be on the lookout for what might be different with these women. There are a lot of things that can make us happy. Hunger being satisfied with food makes us happy; thirst, with drink. We have many desires and needs. We want and need affection, comfort, entertainment. We like to be right. We like to be the best. We like making progress. Getting richer is better than getting poorer. Getting stronger is better than getting weaker. There are so many ways to be happy, and we like them all. The more, the better; the more, the happier. Now let's consider these women's happiness. What makes them happy doesn't exactly fit the pattern we've sketched out. They aren't getting stronger, richer, better. Elizabeth's life didn't get easier with her pregnancy in old age. Mary's life was thrown into turmoil to a much greater degree. Mary became pregnant when she wasn't married. Everyone would have assumed that the pregnancy was the result of fornication. Joseph, her fiancé, had no other choice but to assume that she had been unfaithful. An angel had to intervene to tell him otherwise. Mary would have had a hard time of it because most would not believe what sounds like a far-fetched story—that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. Consider, additionally, the several clues about Mary and Joseph's poverty and powerlessness. When they came to Bethlehem they couldn't get a room. If they had more money, they could have compelled someone to provide for them. Later, when the sacrifices were made in the Temple, the cheaper option of two pigeons was offered instead of the more expensive lamb. These clues indicate that Mary and Joseph were poor. The baby was born into poverty: “No crib for a bed” to lay down his sweet head. If we place ourselves into Mary's shoes, we can see how she lacked things that we regard as essential for happiness. So how can she be happy? How can Elizabeth be happy for her when trouble is on every side? She even makes the audacious claim that Mary is blessed over and above all others. The only explanation is that they were focused on things that aren't often looked to for happiness. We might sum up all that they were feeling by saying: They were happy because the kingdom of God was coming upon the earth. What is the kingdom of God, and why is it a good thing? We can't hardly talk about a kingdom without talking about the king. Something you might keep an ear open for the next couple days is how often Christmas carols will sing about Jesus being the king, or the Lord: “Joy to the world, the Lord has come.” Or: “Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn king.” The good news of great joy that is for all people is, as the angel declared on Christmas night, that unto us a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord. The work of Christ the King in his kingdom is made plain in the Gospels. Jesus did several things. He taught the Word of God that has always been calling people away from evil, away from the devil, towards that which is good and true—life giving and life protecting. Jesus taught people to believe in the only true God instead of the various false gods. Jesus acted with power, performing miracles. His many cleansings, healings, and restorations to life were a foreshadowing of the greater work he will do when he resurrects the dead. Over and above all these things, but also at the very root of them, Jesus suffered and died. As our epistle reading mentions, he offered his body once for all. My favorite line of all the Christmas carols is the one where it says: “Nails, spear shall piece him through. The cross be borne for me, for you. Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the babe, the Son of Mary.” The king sacrificed himself. The result is forgiveness, righteousness, and life for everyone. So if we return to the happiness and joy of Elizabeth and Mary, we can see that it is outside of them. The kingdom of God is coming. Happiness depends on the king, not on themselves. So long as their faith in this king doesn't fail, nothing can take their happiness away. Whatever sadnesses might come, they cannot undo the march of progress the kingdom of God will make. You can see this in both their lives. Both Elizabeth's and Mary's unborn baby boys would eventually be killed at the hands of evil men. Simeon prophesied to Mary in the temple: “A sword will pass through your heart.” Mary mourned at the death of her Son, but God will turn all mourning into gladness. Jesus died, but then he rose. Then his kingdom only entered a new phase, the song swelled to an even higher pitch. Joy will grow, even if, in the meantime, we pass through the valley of the shadow of death. This joy is available to each and every one of you. All that is needed is to be like Elizabeth and Mary: Believe in Jesus's kingdom. To believe is not some great challenge or a puzzle you have to figure out. It is only a matter of believing the testimony that is given about Jesus, and testimonies abound! Elizabeth gave her testimony in our reading. The angel gave his testimony on Christmas night. The apostles, evangelists, prophets, prophetesses, deacons, and deaconesses all gave their testimony, and they all say the same thing: Jesus Christ is Lord. He does all things well. He sets all things right. This is good news, which comes to us from the outside. It does not place any demands upon us. It does not require any preparation. Think of all those people in the Gospels whom Jesus helped. Did the blind man have to start improving himself before Jesus would give him sight? No. The blind man remained as blind as a bat. The deaf man remained as deaf as a stone, until Jesus made them otherwise. The only thing that happened to them prior to their healings was that they were given hope in Jesus the king by the good news that was told them. The same thing is true for us today. We have problems. We might have a bad reputation. We might be poor. We might be blind, deaf, lame, demon possessed. Believe in Jesus. And let's apply this to sin. One of the most frustrating parts about being a Christian is that we end up falling into sin, even though we really don't want to—or at least a part of us doesn't want to. What do we do with that? We almost can't help thinking that we must clean ourselves up in order to become acceptable before God. That seems right. To do otherwise can make it seem as though sin doesn't matter. We have to take our sin very seriously. These are not altogether bad thoughts, but they can make us lose sight of the one thing that makes all the difference—the one thing that makes us happy with a happiness that no one can take away: Jesus is the king. He saves sinners. He baptizes you, you don't baptize yourself. He forgives you, you don't forgive yourself. The kingdom of God is on a roll with the preaching of the Word that Jesus is the Savior. What is asked of us is not a great burden: Stick with the king. Listen to his Word. Jesus will do everything he has promised. Jesus is going to win. So you, like Elizabeth and Mary, may fully embrace the goodness of the kingdom of God that made them so happy that blessings were flying all over the place. The kingdom of God is the best, because Jesus is the best. No matter what is going on, no matter how disappointed you might be in yourself or in others, Jesus Christ is Lord. “Come Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free.” Amen.

Both Mary and Joseph are confronted with life-altering decisions that forced them to relinquish control and step into the unknown, and yet they demonstrate unwavering faith in God's plan for their lives. This can deeply resonate with us, as we often find ourselves at crossroads where the right decision may not always align with our personal desires or comfort. ————— For Mary, the angel's message is a reminder that God's call often comes with both awe and fear. It requires us to step into the unknown, just as Mary did, even when the path ahead seems unclear and full of challenges. Mary's response, “Let it be to me according to your word,” exemplifies the kind of surrender and trust we are called to embody. ---------- Joseph's decision to take Mary as his wife, despite the potential social and personal consequences, also teaches us about obedience and trust in God's timing. When life presents difficult or confusing situations, we might be tempted to retreat into what feels safe or logical, just as Joseph initially considered divorcing Mary quietly. However, his willingness to act on God's revelation, without hesitation, shows us the importance of responding to God's guidance, even when it challenges our assumptions or comfort.

Mary McGee and Malcolm Smith were racing pioneers and legends, and they both died a day apart last week, so we are dedicating this episode to them. You may have heard of Malcolm Smith due to him being featured in the greatest motorcycle film of all time, On Any Given Sunday, but chances are you hadn't heard of Mary until her recent death. Mary was a car racer, motorcycle road racer and off road motorcycle racer. She was the first woman to race in the AFM and FIM, and the first PERSON to ride solo in the grueling Baja 500. She was an amazing talent who was often discriminated as a women in a man's sport just because she was too good. Fortunately her story is being told in a new documentary called Motorcycle Mary, and we have filmmaker Haley Watson join us to share her experiences getting to know Mary, and some of the stories that didn't make the film. Check out Motorcycle Mary on Youtube and other streaming platforms. Malcolm Smith is the greatest motorcycle to have ever lived according to Liza, and she's willing to fight you over this. Smith won eight gold medals between 1966 and 1976 in the International Six Day Trial. The International Six Day Trials, a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics, is the oldest annual competition sanctioned by the FIM dating back to 1913. He was a five-time overall winner of the Baja 1000 (two on motorcycles and three on cars); a four-time winner of the Baja 500 (one in motorcycles and three in cars); has twice won the Mint 400 in Nevada and the Roof of Africa Rallye; finished fourth in the 1988 Paris–Dakar Rally on cars; and was the overall winner of the 1987 Atlas Rallye in Morocco. Both Mary and Malcolm were in the AMA Hall of Fame, and will be remembered for their infectious joy of riding, and inspiring people around the world. With Liza, Stumpy John, Sophia, Scottie, Naked Jim and Bagel. breakingawayadventures.com/misfits-rally-vol-3 Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com motorcyclesandmisfits@gmail.com www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew

This conversation explores the role of the Institute for Quality Education (IQE) and its Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) in providing educational opportunities for families in Indiana. The discussion highlights the importance of Giving Tuesday, the impact of SGOs on school choice, and personal stories that illustrate the program's significance. Both Mary and Lori share insights on how families can access scholarships and how donors can contribute to support education. Key Takeaways SGOs help families afford the school of their choice. Giving Tuesday has been a successful fundraising initiative for IQE. SGOs cover various educational costs beyond tuition. The SGO program can help cover pre-k education funding. The SGO creates opportunities for families with financial needs. Did you find this episode informative? Help us out! Leave a review Share it with your friends Give us a 5 Star rating on your podcatcher of choice Learn more about IQE and MySchoolOptions: https://www.i4qed.org

In this episode of "Crafting a Meaningful Life," host Mary Crafts speaks with clinical psychologist Brandon Condie about mental health awareness, focusing on suicide prevention. Brandon discusses his journey into psychology, his private practice, and the development of a mobile app designed to connect individuals with trusted contacts during mental health crises. The episode emphasizes the interconnectedness of mental and physical health, with practical techniques like diaphragmatic breathing to manage stress. Both Mary and Brandon highlight the importance of self-trust, simplicity in solutions, and a balanced approach to mental and emotional well-being.   Key Takeaways from Our Conversation: Proactive Mental Health Support**: Brandon introduced his innovative mobile app, "One You," designed to connect individuals with trusted contacts during mental health crises. This proactive approach aims to provide support before reaching a crisis point. Interconnectedness of Mental and Physical Health**: We delved into how mental and physical health are deeply intertwined. Addressing one can significantly impact the other, leading to overall well-being. Practical Stress Management Techniques**: Brandon shared the power of diaphragmatic breathing to manage stress and emotional responses. This simple yet effective technique can activate the body's relaxation response, helping to calm the mind. The Role of Emotions and Logical Thinking**: We discussed the importance of balancing emotional responses with logical thinking, utilizing the prefrontal cortex to regulate emotions and make thoughtful decisions. Natural Healing Methods**: Brandon and I explored the benefits of naturalistic approaches to mental health, emphasizing the importance of listening to our bodies and trusting our instincts. Aligning Heart and Mind**: We touched on the fascinating research suggesting that the heart has its own set of memories and communicates with the brain. Aligning the heart and mind can lead to profound clarity and confidence in our decisions. I'm confident that this episode will resonate with you and provide valuable tools to navigate your mental health journey. Don't miss out on this enriching conversation! Listen to the full episode now and start crafting your meaningful life today! Get Mary's Book Today! https://marycraftsinc.com/ iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crafting-a-meaningful-life-with-mary-crafts/id1336191892 Follow Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marycrafts Follow Mary On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mary.crafts4  #crafting a meaningful life, #gratitude practices

In this episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Nicole Trick Steinbach, a global executive & career coach, about the importance of personal accountability, highlighting how being true to yourself fosters growth and self-awareness. Nicole stresses that learning to say "no" is just as vital as saying "yes," while also keeping an open mind to new opportunities. Both Mary and Nicole also explore the value of mentorship, highlighting how a mentor can offer essential guidance, inspiration, and fresh perspectives to help navigate personal and professional challenges. Nicole is an organizational change management consultant and career coach for women in tech. As a former global senior director for companies like SAP, Nicole innately understands and lives the skill of bravery and the joy of failure. Her podcast, “Build Your Brave Career,” is a top 10% global podcast. If you found this episode inspiring, please subscribe, like, and leave a comment.   MORE ABOUT NICOLE TRICK STEINBACH Website: Nicole Trick Steinbach LinkedIn: Nicole Trick Steinbach Podcast: Build Your Brave Career ABOUT SWEET BUT FEARLESS: Website - Sweet but Fearless LinkedIn - Sweet but Fearless

Again, we can't forget that the theme of the Gospel of Luke is joy and rejoicing as we will see throughout the book. Everything changes when God shows up! The great need for America and the world in these fearful days of war, chaos, violence, hatred and division, is for God to show up! Luke records how God first showed up to Zacharias with a message that he and his barren wife Elizabeth would have a son that they would name John. God then showed up to Mary with a message that she miraculously would conceive and have a Son, and she would call Him Jesus!   When Mary visits her relative Elizabeth and greets her, John leaps for joy. Both Mary and Elizabeth are rejoicing as they share with each other what God is doing in and through their lives for the people of Israel. Finally, nine months after Zacharias hears the message from the angel, their son is born (v. 57). God always keeps His promises!   Now, the joy of Zacharias and Elizabeth is expressed with praise! Divine joy can't be restrained! It must be expressed externally! And that is what takes place through the end of this first long chapter of Luke! Divine joy has a wonderful way of spreading to others! “When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her” (v. 58).   God's blessing was resting abundantly on Zacharias and Elizabeth. He sent them a baby boy, just as He promised; and they named him "John" just as God had instructed. The Jews looked on children as a gift from God and a "heritage from the Lord" (Pss. 127:3-5; 128:1-3), and rightly so, for they are. Israel would not follow the practices of their pagan neighbors by aborting or abandoning their children. When you consider that almost a million babies are aborted each year in the United States alone, you can see how far we have drifted from the laws of God. It is especially sad and appalling that just this month the Democratic National Convention celebrated abortion by promoting it with speeches and testimonies.   Traditionally, a baby boy would be named after his father or someone else in the family; so the relatives and neighbors were shocked when Elizabeth insisted on the name John. Zacharias was not only mute but he must have also been deaf, so they made signs to ask what the baby should be named. And he wrote "His name is John" on a tablet, and that settled it! Immediately God opened the old priest's mouth, and he sang a hymn of praise.   Zacharias first words are so interesting! In verse 67, the people asked, “What kind of child will this be?” You would have thought that Zacharias would have talked about what the angel had told him in the temple about his son John. But instead, he talked about Jesus. Read verses 67 through 75. Amazing!!! Divine joy and praise always glorify Jesus.   When we truly experience the divine presence of Jesus in our lives, our joy will overflow with praise giving glory to Him! And this is what happens when God shows up! God bless!

This week, Chris drew attention to one of the stained-glass windows titled "Mary and Martha." Both Mary and Martha serve as profound examples of Christian life, embodying the balance between listening and action. Holding the tension between listening and doing can be challenging, yet both Mary's attentive listening and Martha's active service stemmed from a deep reverence for Jesus. Each Sunday, light shines through our beautiful stained glass windows, telling the timeless stories of Jesus' life. These windows are 130 years old, but the stories they tell are the foundation of a movement that began more than 2,000 years ago and continues to thrive today. Join us as we explore the stained glass windows, each story coming together to build a holistic view of who Jesus is and reminding us that we are part of a Church and a story much greater than ourselves.

Both Mary and Chris are experienced martial artists and have an interest in women's self-protection-specific training. Both have extensive experience in this field and are great teachers with teaching qualifications. Our violence prevention and management training is tailored to women's needs. The following are a few examples of the type of material we will cover: Victim selection and how to make yourself a hard target. Good personal security habits. The role of ego. Boundary setting. Reading body language and recognising danger. Differences between predatory and social violence. Local crime statistics. UK self-defence law. Edged weapon awareness. Simple physical skills if the worst happens. https://vpamuk.com If you got some value from this episode or simply liked it, please share via social media and with your friends. If you did not enjoy it please impose it on your enemies and make them suffer! If you would like to support the show at no cost to you and you shop with Amazon, please feel free to use my affiliate link, for which I get a small commission when you purchase something - note that it is completely free for you! Please find the link below. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3qqfuhy ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you would like to support the Karate For Mental Health Programme, you can buy our merchandise (links below) or donate via ☕ Buy me a coffee

Field Ramble is back  with award winning Irish novelist Mary Costello to hear about her latest short story collection Barcelona. It follows firmly in the footsteps of her debut novel Academy Street ( Novel of the Year 2014, The Irish Book Awards) and her first collection The China Factory in its fearlessness. Never afraid to shine a light on our darker side, Barcelona is unsparing in its exploration of cruelty and, in Mary's own words, our straining for consciousness. In this bumper episode we also meet up with film maker, activist and novelist Feryal Ali Gauhar to discuss her latest novel An Abundance of Wild Roses. The book is set within a remote community in Pakistan's Karakoram mountains and centres around the discovery of a dying man and  the repercussions that ensue. Both Mary and Feryal are writing into spaces about connection, growing violence and the possibility of wider consciousness.Barcelona is published on 07/03/24An Abundance of Wild Roses is also published on 07/03/24@fieldzine /www.fieldzine.com

Sometimes God calls us to do difficult, even seemingly impossible things, but what could've been more overwhelming than an unmarried teenage girl being tasked with raising the Savior of the World?  Just as God's grace enabled her to receive, raise and release her first born son, His grace will carry us through life's most formidable challenges. **** Welcome to Celebrating God's Grace, a Women World Leaders podcast. I'm your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God's grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world. I love every aspect of Christmas. But what I love most is to contemplate the mysterious, wonderous way God chose to send His Son into the world and the woman He chose to be His mother. The Messiah that God's people had been longing for over the centuries  finally arrived in a way no one would have ever predicted. There were only two witnesses to the moment when God set aside His divinity to put on human flesh as a completely helpless newborn baby. A frightened, inexperienced girl with her equally frightened and inexperienced new husband were the only humans aware that God had come to earth to rectify everything that had gone wrong. What probably seemed to Mary and Joseph, the worst possible timing was in fact, carefully planned. Had they not had to go to Bethlehem at exactly this time, Jesus would've been born in the ordinary way…in a bed, in a house with midwives and mothers reassuring Mary and taking charge.  There would have been no stable or manger, no shepherds hurrying to witness the miracle and no need for a star to light their way. It would've been just another birth in the city of Nazareth.  In her moments of fear and pain, Mary probably longed to have her mother, or any kind-hearted woman there to tell her what to do, reminding her of the joy that would soon be hers. But God very deliberately only allowed her two sources of comfort and direction, the very ones she would continue to depend on in the years to come…God Himself and her husband, Joseph. Luke 2 :18 tells us that Mary, “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  I have to believe that some of what she was pondering was how God orchestrated the time and place of His birth.  Mary seemed to have a better than average understanding of how highly God values humility. When her cousin, Elizabeth, blessed her for believing in the promise she was given, she immediately turned the praise to God. In what is known as “Mary's Song,” in Luke 1:47-52 she tells Elizabeth, “How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and from now on, all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear Him. 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.”  I wonder if those words came back to her as she surveyed her very humble surroundings while her labor pains intensified. No doubt she would have preferred a cleaner, less smelly, and more comfortable place to deliver the Son of God, but she seems like the sort of girl who would realize that the location was exactly what God intended. Mary's natural humility may have also caused her to ponder the question, “Why me?” While she was clearly honored to have been chosen and recognized the importance of the role she was about to play, she would never have sought it for herself.  After all, it hadn't been easy.  Joseph had found it impossible to believe her story about her encounter with the angel Gabriel – until he experienced a similar visit himself.  He had been prepared to divorce her quietly and send her away, believing that was the kindest and only option available to him. As a man of his day, he probably experienced the same snubs, whispers and social ostracization that Mary did. Both Mary and Joseph had already paid a costly price for their assignment when they prepared to deliver the King of Kings in a dusty, drafty stable.  Anyone who's given birth to a child can tell you that the realization of the journey you're about to begin is a cause for lots of pondering. What will this child be?  Do you have what it takes to give him everything he needs to become a well-adjusted human being?  Will she forgive the mistakes you make along the way? Would this child have been better off with someone stronger, smarter, more resourceful…better? Surely Mary had all of those thoughts as she held her newborn son, but there was a whole added dimension to consider.  How could it be that this baby, created in her and carried by her for the last nine months, had existed since before time began and had witnessed and carefully planned not only her creation, but every moment of her life? At the conclusion of the Christmas story in Luke 2, there's an account of Joseph and Mary taking baby Jesus to the temple for His dedication as the law of Moses required. Here they encountered an old man named Simeon who had spent his lifetime watching for the coming Messiah. In a rare instance of the Holy Spirit speaking to men before Christ's coming, he was assured that he would not see death before laying his eyes on the Promised One. When he encountered the new parents and their divine baby, he instantly knew that he had laid eyes on the Messiah and he began to prophesy. “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word,” he said.  Luke 2 doesn't say this, but I imagine after a lifetime of waiting, he had tears in his eyes and that his voice faltered as he said,” For my eyes have seen Your salvation, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.” Verse 33 says that Joseph and Mary were amazed at the things being said about Jesus.  Simeon blessed them and spoke directly to Mary, saying, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed. And a sword will pierce even your own soul.” How much more did Mary have to ponder after their encounter with Simeon? “A sign to be opposed?”  What could that mean?  It certainly didn't sound good.  “And a sword would pierce her soul?”  Mary was told that her Son would save His people from their sins, but she wasn't told how. Was her woman's intuition filled with foreboding, knowing that somehow this child's future would cause her soul to be pierced? She must have struggled with dark thoughts about this throughout His 33 years.  When the angel Gabriel told her that she was to give birth to the Messiah, her response was, “I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”  To say that when faced with the prospect of such an overwhelming assignment reveals a heart that trusts God…no matter what.  Undoubtedly, she had to remind herself that she could trust Him, again and again when the dark thoughts assaulted her. The only story of Jesus as a child in the bible occurs when He was 12-years-old. Scripture tells us that the entire family made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.  Apparently they travelled as part of a large group, including other family members, friends and neighbors because Mary and Joseph had been on the road for a full day before they realized Jesus was nowhere to be found. They had assumed that He was walking with some of the other boys His age or a favorite relative or family friend. When they realized He was missing, they did the only thing they knew to do …return to where they had last seen Him… in Jerusalem.  If you've never experienced the unmatched panic of temporarily losing a child, I can tell you from personal experience, it is terrifying. We once lost our 4-year-old son on the very crowded lido deck of a cruise ship for about 3 minutes.  He was at the end of the line of our four children and then he was gone. I can't even describe the relief I felt when the cruise director announced that a little boy was looking for his family within minutes of us realizing he had disappeared. Poor Mary and Joseph had to go for days, rather than minutes, not knowing if they would ever find their son. With each step, I wonder if Mary questioned if God could still think so highly of her now that she'd lost the long-awaited Messiah He had entrusted to her care? Her desperate panic gave way to incredible relief when she spotted Him in the temple, listening to the teachers, asking questions and discussing the scriptures. Like any mother, her first words to Him could be expressed in modern language as, “how could you do this to me?”  She said, “Your father and I have been looking for You, and the literal translation is , “in pain.” His response gave her still more to ponder. “Why were you searching for me,” He asked in genuine curiosity. “Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?” The next verse repeats the phrase we saw earlier in Luke 2.  Once again, Mary ponders these things in her heart. Did she note that Jesus referred to his Father's house as the temple in Jerusalem, not their simple home in Nazareth? Was this an indication that her son knew exactly Who He was and what He must prepare to do? Perhaps when they had resumed living in Nazareth she had chosen to set aside thoughts of the future and simply enjoy the gift of a beloved son.  Did this newly evident maturity in her boy cause the dark thoughts to creep back into her mind? What did she think the day her 30-year-old son gave her a farewell embrace and headed away from Nazareth to begin His ministry? Did she wonder if she would ever see Him again? Did it cross her mind that His leaving could mean that the moment that would pierce her soul might be coming soon?  When she heard about His miracles and all the people who traveled so many miles to hear Him speak, she must've been filled with pride and wonder, but also questions of where it would lead.  She had a front row seat, the day He read from the Torah in their own temple, telling His former neighbors that the scripture predicting the coming Messiah had been fulfilled in their midst. The idea that the young man they'd known since He was a child could be their long-awaited Messiah, was incomprehensible to them and provoked what they considered holy outrage. Terror must have gripped her as they gathered around Him with stones in their hands, ready to carry out the sentence for blasphemy.  When He simply disappeared from view, no doubt she was simultaneously relieved and awe-struck. We can't begin to imagine what she felt three years later as she sat at the foot of the cross with the image of His bloodied, lifeless body blurred by more tears than she thought she could contain. At last, she knew the meaning of Simeon's prophecy that a sword would pierce her soul, even as it now pierced His side. Mary was called to do the impossible. She had to bear the shame of being considered an immoral woman, when in fact, it was evidence that she was favored by God. She bore the responsibility of protecting and preparing a child Who came to do the most extraordinary, necessary thing in the history of the world. And most impossible of all, she had to let go of her preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would do and trust her heavenly Father, Who was also her earthly Son, to bring about His intended purposes in spite of the utterly hopeless situation she saw before her. When she thought back to the many things she had heard Him say, was one of them, “With man, this is impossible.  But with God, all things are possible.” You may be facing your own impossible task right now. You, or a loved one may have just received a life-threatening diagnosis. You may be raising a child with special needs and you find that it takes far more energy than you have. Perhaps you're facing financial or marital difficulties…or both. Maybe God has called you to start a business or ministry and you have no idea where or how to begin. You may have a wayward child that is lost with no desire to be found or your children may be thriving as they take their places in the world, but it's left you feeling lost and without purpose. You may be questioning if you can survive this Christmas because it's the first one you've had to endure without a loved one who was an integral part of every celebration.  Whatever impossible situation you are facing, God's grace will sustain you, lead you, comfort you and enable you.  The most basic definition of grace is unmerited favor.  There's that word favor again, which takes us back to Mary. Why was she chosen?  Because she found favor with God. Her trust in Him brought His favor, or better understood, His grace upon her enabling her to carry out the impossible tasks He set before her.  As you think back on that first Christmas, let her story remind you of all God can accomplish through you by His grace. Thanks for listening to Women World Leaders podcast!  Join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as we explore together God's extravagant love and your courageous purpose.  Visit our website at www.womenworldleaders.com to submit a prayer request, register for an upcoming event, and support the ministry.  From His heart to yours, we are Women World Leaders .  All content is copyrighted by Women World Leaders and cannot be used without express written consent.  

Both Mary and Asher received healing in their necks, tension and pain. Both were healed! Mary also received healing in her knees as well! We look to Jesus as our healer! Isaiah 53:4-5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. www.houseofglorychurch.org www.cathycoppola.org #healing #God #Jesus #miracle #ChristianTV #healingtestimony #church #deliverance #HouseofGloryChurch #Christian #prayer #signs #power #endtimes #faith #miracleservice #kneepain #painhealed

Both Mary and Asher received healing in their necks, tension and pain. Both were healed! Mary also received healing in her knees as well! We look to Jesus as our healer! Isaiah 53:4-5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. www.houseofglorychurch.org www.cathycoppola.org #healing #God #Jesus #miracle #ChristianTV #healingtestimony #church #deliverance #HouseofGloryChurch #Christian #prayer #signs #power #endtimes #faith #miracleservice #kneepain #painhealed

We have sanitized the Christmas story and made it clean and cute but think for a moment of what the Christmas story includes. The Christmas story is not only the announcement to Mary and Joseph of Jesus miraculous conception in Marys womb while remaining a virgin, it is not only the pronouncement to lowly shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, nor is it simply the visit of the magi. The Christmas story is far more than a nativity scene! Think about Jesus resurrection and all the details that surround it. In a culture that did not have much regard for women, it was a woman who first witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. If the gospel writers made up the story of Jesus resurrection, they would not have chosen women to be the first to witness the greatest event in history. In Matthews gospel account, to whom Jews were the primary audience, it is the magi who are included at the beginning of his story in connection to proving the point that the infant Jesus was indeed qualified as the rightful heir of King David. The irony in this is that if you are going to tell a story about Jesus and the motive in doing so is to prove to every Jewish reader that He is the Messiah and greater than David, why in the world would you insert magi into your story?Who were the magi you ask? The magi were royal counselors who used astrology for guidance. Do you know what the Old Testament says about astrology? The Bible forbids the practice of astrology (Deut. 4:9) and uses strong language against it (Isa. 47:13-15). So, why would Matthew include the magi in his story about the life of Jesus? Because God summoned gentile pagans to the Savior of the nations by speaking a language that they could understand. Do you not find it to be both ironic and encouraging that the story of the pagan magi and a woman with a shady past serve as book ends of the four gospels included in the Bible to show us that Jesus is not just the King of the Jews, but also the Savior of the world. Jesus is Gods Yes! to all of His promises of which the one made to Abraham is no exception: And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:2-3). Through Jesus, a son of Abraham and David, the nations are blessed the invitation of the magi and Mary Magdalene to witness the two most extraordinary events in human history is testament to Jesus as the hope of the nations. God Wields Time and Space for His Own Sovereign Designs We are not told how many magi saw the star and we are not given the exact longitude and latitude from where their journey began. All that we are told is that magi were from the East. Now, as I mentioned last week, there are two principals at work that made the first Christmas possible; those principles are: 1) the incarnational principle, and 2) the grace principle. The promise, birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was never plan B but always plan A in the mind of God, because His intention was always to dwell with His people. The principle of the incarnation is seen in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eves sin, Israels experience with God in the wilderness, and in the promise of Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. Matthew is quick to point out that Immanuel means God with us. Connected to the incarnation principle is the principle of Gods unconditional grace in that when it came to the virgin birth, there was nothing anyone could have done to make it happen or to prevent it from happening; Christmas happened all because of Gods unconditional and unmerited grace. It was the apostle Paul who wrote: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters (Gal. 4:4-5). In Matthew and Luke we are provided two separate genealogies that demonstrate this. In Luke 3:23-38 we receive what many scholars believe to be Marys genealogy since the point of Lukes gospel is to show Jesus humanity. In Matthew 1:1-17, we are given Josephs genealogy showing Jesus legal standing as a member of the tribe of Judah as the rightful heir to Davids throne, but before we look at Josephs decision to follow through with his marriage to Mary, I want you to see why the magi are so important to Matthews gospel. For now, what you need to know is that God moved history, empires, and kings so that Joseph and Mary would meet, fall in love, and get engaged with a plan to start a family together. Sandwiched in between the time Mary and Josephs genealogies represent, is the 70 years much of the tribe of Judah was carried off into exile into Babylon (see Jer. 29:10). Babylons method of exile was to ingraft their culture into the culture of the Hebrews. What was threatened by the Babylonian exile was the preservation of the tribe of Judah. One of the Hebrews exiled into Babylon was a young man by the name of Daniel. God had gifted Daniel as a prophet and used him to speak into the life of one of the kings of Babylon known as Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel spent all of his long life as an exile, but for purposes related to this sermon, I want to turn your attention to the time Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a huge statue made of four distinct types of material with a head of gold, a chest and arms made of silver, a belly and thighs made of bronze, legs of iron, and feet made of both iron and clay. The Chaldeans were summoned by the king to interpret his dream without being told what dream Nebuchadnezzar had. The Chaldeans were also known as Babylons wise men, and because they told the king that to interpret a dream without being told about the dream was impossible, Nebuchadnezzar threatened death upon all the wise men who could not interpret his dream (Dan. 2:1-18). Because the God Daniel worshiped is the God who can do the impossible he revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel. Before Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzars dream, he praised God with these words: May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and periods; He removes king and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to people of understanding (Dan. 2:20-21). Daniel told the king what he dreamed and then interpreted it for him. The kingdoms represented in the different materials of the statute included Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. There was a fifth kingdom represented in Nebuchadnezzars dream that was separate from the statute which was in the form of a stone not cut out by human hands that struck the statues feet which resulted in the crushing of the entire statue. Here is Daniels interpretation of the stone that destroyed the earthly kingdoms: And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever (Dan. 2:44). Guess what the king did next after Daniel finished interpreting his dream? He promoted Daniel as ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief over, all the wise men of Babylon (vv. 46-49). I dont think the magi worshiped the same God of Daniel, but I do think they could trace their roots all the way back to Babylon, and I am convinced that their interest in finding the King of the Jews was related to the stone that was in Nebuchadnezzars dream. I think they included in their studies of the stars any sacred document related to Daniels people in an effort to find and discover the King of the Kingdom that Daniels God would set up that will have no end. If the magi were familiar with Micah 5:2 and its connection they made with Numbers 24:17, which states: A star shall appear from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel (see Matt. 2:1-6), dont you think they were also familiar with Isaiah 9:6-7? I think that the magi connected the dots in the Old Testament and believed that Micah 5:2; Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 were about the One a powerful pagan Babylonian king dreamed about 500 years before Jesus was born: For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. The way that God spoke to the magi was through a language they could understand as they looked to the stars the God of Daniel created. We are not told how God did it, but He was able to lead the magi with a star because He is the One, who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20)! God Shatters the Assumptions of Man Through His Redemptive Plans Now back to Joseph and Marys genealogies and personal lives. Following Gods promise to Abraham that He would bless him by making him a great nation and a blessing to the nations were 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile. There were some good years in-between those hard years of slavery, wilderness wandering, and exilic discipline, but during those seasons, I am pretty sure that it was difficult for the Hebrew people to see any silver lining or hope that God would, or could, turn the ugly around into something beautiful, but what Joseph and Marys genealogy shows us is that is exactly what God was doing with the 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile! Gods plan for Israel and the nations always included a king, but not any old king. The king God intended was a King both human and divine. The plan was never for Israel only to have a human king just like David, nor was His plan of Israel to be only divine. Jesus was always plan A and never plan B. Let me briefly show what I mean by reminding you what we have looked at in the Bible during this series so far. In Exodus 19:6, God said of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt and as a people large enough to be their own nation: and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What would set Israel apart from all the other nations, is that Yahweh would be their King. In Isaiah 44:6 we are told what kind of King to Israel Yahweh is: This is what the Lord says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of armies: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. In other words, Yahweh is King, Redeemer, the Almighty One, eternal, and unlike any other god of the nations in that He is utterly unique! Just as we see in the first two chapters in Genesis before Adam and Eves fall, Yahweh would be King over His people. Yet, in Genesis 49:10, God spoke through Jacob to Judah long before Israel was ever a nation and promised: The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Then when we come to 2 Samuel 7:13, we discover God planned for Israel that not only would the obedience of the nations belong to a human king from the tribe of Judah, but a King who, shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Furthermore, we are told in Psalm 2 that this King will rule the nations with a rod of iron but will also be One in Whom all who find refuge in Him will be blessed (vv. 8-12). In Psalm 110, David says of his descendant who will be King over the nations: Yahweh says to my Lord: Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet (v. 1). So, what kind of human King can be a physical descendant of David, have the obedience of the nations, and not be subject to the limitations of death because His reign will be eternal? The kind of King the magi sought, Mary would carry while a virgin, and Joseph would become the legal but nonbiological father of. Both Mary and Josephs bloodline could be traced back to David, Abraham, and Adam. The problem with sin is that it is passed down from the father to his child, for we are told in the Bible: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam (Rom. 5:12, 14). Sin is a genetically transmitted curse passed down from a mans sperm cell to a womans embryonic egg. For Jesus to be the rightful and legal heir of Davids throne, he needed to be a legal son of a man who was from the tribe of JudahJoseph qualified to be that man. For Jesus to be conceived without the curse and plague of sin being passed down to him while remaining a descendant of David, Abraham, and Adam, He had to be conceived and born of woman without biological requirement of a human sperm cell from Joseph. This is why the angel explained to Mary how she could be pregnant: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Conclusion The stakes for Joseph and Mary were very high. If Joseph followed through with ending his relationship with Mary because of a refusal to believe that her pregnancy was a miraculous act of Almighty God through His Holy Spirit, then Jesus would not have been qualified legally to be King of the Jews. Regarding Marys pregnancy, there was no turning back; she could not walk away from her pregnancy like Joseph could have. However, both Mary and Joseph chose to trust the God who sovereignly wields time and space for his redemptive plans even though it blew to ashes any assumptions they had for what was impossible or possible. Together, Mary and Joseph would raise the One the magi sought to find, the one read and studied about from the prophet Micah: But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. When the magi found Jesus, they appropriately worshiped Him and brought to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh fit for the kind of King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about 500 years earlier. The treasure for the magi, Joseph, and Mary was Jesus, and having Him in their lives was truly a source of great joy. There are two important lessons from Matthew 1:18-2:12 that I want to briefly mention and think more deeply upon next week: In the same way that God wielded time and space to make the virgin birth a reality and the visit of the magi a possibility, God has done, is doing, and will do to accomplish his redemptive purposes in and through your life. Your circumstances and sins are swallowed up by an infinitely greater God who bears the title: Redeemer. If God is able to move time and space to accomplish His redemptive purposes for mankind even in the 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile, dont you think he can do the same in the midst of the circumstances of your life caused by your own sin? Do you really think that your problems are greater than Gods ability to turn your life around? In order to experience the great joy that Jesus brought to Mary, Joseph, and the magi they had to let go of their assumptions, dreams, future, and safety for the purpose of embracing Jesus as the One promised in Isaiah 9:6-7, For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. In order for you to embrace Jesus as Savior, it will require you to trust Him as Lord over and in your life. To find Jesus the Savior will require that you let go of your idols to experience Him as Redeemer. To say yes to Jesus will mean that you will have to say no to the idols of your heart. Christmas is about Jesus as the type of King we need!

We have sanitized the Christmas story and made it clean and cute but think for a moment of what the Christmas story includes. The Christmas story is not only the announcement to Mary and Joseph of Jesus miraculous conception in Marys womb while remaining a virgin, it is not only the pronouncement to lowly shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, nor is it simply the visit of the magi. The Christmas story is far more than a nativity scene! Think about Jesus resurrection and all the details that surround it. In a culture that did not have much regard for women, it was a woman who first witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. If the gospel writers made up the story of Jesus resurrection, they would not have chosen women to be the first to witness the greatest event in history. In Matthews gospel account, to whom Jews were the primary audience, it is the magi who are included at the beginning of his story in connection to proving the point that the infant Jesus was indeed qualified as the rightful heir of King David. The irony in this is that if you are going to tell a story about Jesus and the motive in doing so is to prove to every Jewish reader that He is the Messiah and greater than David, why in the world would you insert magi into your story?Who were the magi you ask? The magi were royal counselors who used astrology for guidance. Do you know what the Old Testament says about astrology? The Bible forbids the practice of astrology (Deut. 4:9) and uses strong language against it (Isa. 47:13-15). So, why would Matthew include the magi in his story about the life of Jesus? Because God summoned gentile pagans to the Savior of the nations by speaking a language that they could understand. Do you not find it to be both ironic and encouraging that the story of the pagan magi and a woman with a shady past serve as book ends of the four gospels included in the Bible to show us that Jesus is not just the King of the Jews, but also the Savior of the world. Jesus is Gods Yes! to all of His promises of which the one made to Abraham is no exception: And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:2-3). Through Jesus, a son of Abraham and David, the nations are blessed the invitation of the magi and Mary Magdalene to witness the two most extraordinary events in human history is testament to Jesus as the hope of the nations. God Wields Time and Space for His Own Sovereign Designs We are not told how many magi saw the star and we are not given the exact longitude and latitude from where their journey began. All that we are told is that magi were from the East. Now, as I mentioned last week, there are two principals at work that made the first Christmas possible; those principles are: 1) the incarnational principle, and 2) the grace principle. The promise, birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was never plan B but always plan A in the mind of God, because His intention was always to dwell with His people. The principle of the incarnation is seen in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eves sin, Israels experience with God in the wilderness, and in the promise of Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. Matthew is quick to point out that Immanuel means God with us. Connected to the incarnation principle is the principle of Gods unconditional grace in that when it came to the virgin birth, there was nothing anyone could have done to make it happen or to prevent it from happening; Christmas happened all because of Gods unconditional and unmerited grace. It was the apostle Paul who wrote: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters (Gal. 4:4-5). In Matthew and Luke we are provided two separate genealogies that demonstrate this. In Luke 3:23-38 we receive what many scholars believe to be Marys genealogy since the point of Lukes gospel is to show Jesus humanity. In Matthew 1:1-17, we are given Josephs genealogy showing Jesus legal standing as a member of the tribe of Judah as the rightful heir to Davids throne, but before we look at Josephs decision to follow through with his marriage to Mary, I want you to see why the magi are so important to Matthews gospel. For now, what you need to know is that God moved history, empires, and kings so that Joseph and Mary would meet, fall in love, and get engaged with a plan to start a family together. Sandwiched in between the time Mary and Josephs genealogies represent, is the 70 years much of the tribe of Judah was carried off into exile into Babylon (see Jer. 29:10). Babylons method of exile was to ingraft their culture into the culture of the Hebrews. What was threatened by the Babylonian exile was the preservation of the tribe of Judah. One of the Hebrews exiled into Babylon was a young man by the name of Daniel. God had gifted Daniel as a prophet and used him to speak into the life of one of the kings of Babylon known as Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel spent all of his long life as an exile, but for purposes related to this sermon, I want to turn your attention to the time Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a huge statue made of four distinct types of material with a head of gold, a chest and arms made of silver, a belly and thighs made of bronze, legs of iron, and feet made of both iron and clay. The Chaldeans were summoned by the king to interpret his dream without being told what dream Nebuchadnezzar had. The Chaldeans were also known as Babylons wise men, and because they told the king that to interpret a dream without being told about the dream was impossible, Nebuchadnezzar threatened death upon all the wise men who could not interpret his dream (Dan. 2:1-18). Because the God Daniel worshiped is the God who can do the impossible he revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel. Before Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzars dream, he praised God with these words: May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and periods; He removes king and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to people of understanding (Dan. 2:20-21). Daniel told the king what he dreamed and then interpreted it for him. The kingdoms represented in the different materials of the statute included Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. There was a fifth kingdom represented in Nebuchadnezzars dream that was separate from the statute which was in the form of a stone not cut out by human hands that struck the statues feet which resulted in the crushing of the entire statue. Here is Daniels interpretation of the stone that destroyed the earthly kingdoms: And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever (Dan. 2:44). Guess what the king did next after Daniel finished interpreting his dream? He promoted Daniel as ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief over, all the wise men of Babylon (vv. 46-49). I dont think the magi worshiped the same God of Daniel, but I do think they could trace their roots all the way back to Babylon, and I am convinced that their interest in finding the King of the Jews was related to the stone that was in Nebuchadnezzars dream. I think they included in their studies of the stars any sacred document related to Daniels people in an effort to find and discover the King of the Kingdom that Daniels God would set up that will have no end. If the magi were familiar with Micah 5:2 and its connection they made with Numbers 24:17, which states: A star shall appear from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel (see Matt. 2:1-6), dont you think they were also familiar with Isaiah 9:6-7? I think that the magi connected the dots in the Old Testament and believed that Micah 5:2; Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 were about the One a powerful pagan Babylonian king dreamed about 500 years before Jesus was born: For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. The way that God spoke to the magi was through a language they could understand as they looked to the stars the God of Daniel created. We are not told how God did it, but He was able to lead the magi with a star because He is the One, who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Eph. 3:20)! God Shatters the Assumptions of Man Through His Redemptive Plans Now back to Joseph and Marys genealogies and personal lives. Following Gods promise to Abraham that He would bless him by making him a great nation and a blessing to the nations were 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile. There were some good years in-between those hard years of slavery, wilderness wandering, and exilic discipline, but during those seasons, I am pretty sure that it was difficult for the Hebrew people to see any silver lining or hope that God would, or could, turn the ugly around into something beautiful, but what Joseph and Marys genealogy shows us is that is exactly what God was doing with the 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile! Gods plan for Israel and the nations always included a king, but not any old king. The king God intended was a King both human and divine. The plan was never for Israel only to have a human king just like David, nor was His plan of Israel to be only divine. Jesus was always plan A and never plan B. Let me briefly show what I mean by reminding you what we have looked at in the Bible during this series so far. In Exodus 19:6, God said of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt and as a people large enough to be their own nation: and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What would set Israel apart from all the other nations, is that Yahweh would be their King. In Isaiah 44:6 we are told what kind of King to Israel Yahweh is: This is what the Lord says, He who is the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of armies: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. In other words, Yahweh is King, Redeemer, the Almighty One, eternal, and unlike any other god of the nations in that He is utterly unique! Just as we see in the first two chapters in Genesis before Adam and Eves fall, Yahweh would be King over His people. Yet, in Genesis 49:10, God spoke through Jacob to Judah long before Israel was ever a nation and promised: The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Then when we come to 2 Samuel 7:13, we discover God planned for Israel that not only would the obedience of the nations belong to a human king from the tribe of Judah, but a King who, shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Furthermore, we are told in Psalm 2 that this King will rule the nations with a rod of iron but will also be One in Whom all who find refuge in Him will be blessed (vv. 8-12). In Psalm 110, David says of his descendant who will be King over the nations: Yahweh says to my Lord: Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet (v. 1). So, what kind of human King can be a physical descendant of David, have the obedience of the nations, and not be subject to the limitations of death because His reign will be eternal? The kind of King the magi sought, Mary would carry while a virgin, and Joseph would become the legal but nonbiological father of. Both Mary and Josephs bloodline could be traced back to David, Abraham, and Adam. The problem with sin is that it is passed down from the father to his child, for we are told in the Bible: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the violation committed by Adam (Rom. 5:12, 14). Sin is a genetically transmitted curse passed down from a mans sperm cell to a womans embryonic egg. For Jesus to be the rightful and legal heir of Davids throne, he needed to be a legal son of a man who was from the tribe of JudahJoseph qualified to be that man. For Jesus to be conceived without the curse and plague of sin being passed down to him while remaining a descendant of David, Abraham, and Adam, He had to be conceived and born of woman without biological requirement of a human sperm cell from Joseph. This is why the angel explained to Mary how she could be pregnant: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Conclusion The stakes for Joseph and Mary were very high. If Joseph followed through with ending his relationship with Mary because of a refusal to believe that her pregnancy was a miraculous act of Almighty God through His Holy Spirit, then Jesus would not have been qualified legally to be King of the Jews. Regarding Marys pregnancy, there was no turning back; she could not walk away from her pregnancy like Joseph could have. However, both Mary and Joseph chose to trust the God who sovereignly wields time and space for his redemptive plans even though it blew to ashes any assumptions they had for what was impossible or possible. Together, Mary and Joseph would raise the One the magi sought to find, the one read and studied about from the prophet Micah: But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. When the magi found Jesus, they appropriately worshiped Him and brought to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh fit for the kind of King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about 500 years earlier. The treasure for the magi, Joseph, and Mary was Jesus, and having Him in their lives was truly a source of great joy. There are two important lessons from Matthew 1:18-2:12 that I want to briefly mention and think more deeply upon next week: In the same way that God wielded time and space to make the virgin birth a reality and the visit of the magi a possibility, God has done, is doing, and will do to accomplish his redemptive purposes in and through your life. Your circumstances and sins are swallowed up by an infinitely greater God who bears the title: Redeemer. If God is able to move time and space to accomplish His redemptive purposes for mankind even in the 430 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years in the wilderness, and 70 years in exile, dont you think he can do the same in the midst of the circumstances of your life caused by your own sin? Do you really think that your problems are greater than Gods ability to turn your life around? In order to experience the great joy that Jesus brought to Mary, Joseph, and the magi they had to let go of their assumptions, dreams, future, and safety for the purpose of embracing Jesus as the One promised in Isaiah 9:6-7, For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. In order for you to embrace Jesus as Savior, it will require you to trust Him as Lord over and in your life. To find Jesus the Savior will require that you let go of your idols to experience Him as Redeemer. To say yes to Jesus will mean that you will have to say no to the idols of your heart. Christmas is about Jesus as the type of King we need!

Christian Bible Drama Series, Christmas Edition (Revised Edition): Two Musicals: Same Story, Same Message, Same Jesus, Different Stories by Rev. Dr. Errol E. LeslieIn the gospel of John, the writer ends the story by stating the purpose of writing the Gospel. This purpose is recorded in verses 30 and 31 of chapter 20.Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.Based on this ending, it stands to reason that for even the other Bible stories which are included in scripture, many details have been left out because the respective writers can say so much and no more. Have you ever wondered what details might have been left out of the Christmas narrative as we know them? It is that kind of curiosity which sparked the imaginative thoughts that brought these two Christmas musicals together.The characters were normal human beings with emotions. If you think of it, Joseph would have been jealous and angry when he thought that Mary was unfaithful to him. That kind of emotion might have led to a verbal showdown between the two until the angel appeared to Joseph directly. In turn, Mary must have been pretty distraught that Joseph kept accusing her wrongly and that he continued to question her integrity. Why was he going to break off the engagement? Did he not trust and have confidence in the innocent virgin? Both Mary and Joseph would have had parents too, so how did they come into the picture? What were their immediate thoughts when news of the miracle pregnancy unfolded? There might have been uncertainty and confusion, even among the people of God. One may even assume that there may have been gossips in that society who, like some persons in this day and age, just enjoyed embellishing stories which sounded juicy.Rev. Dr. Errol E. Leslie, founder of Grace and Mercy Ministries Inc. in Palm Bay, FL, is an immigrant from Jamaica. With a background as a Methodist minister, he has served in multiple United Methodist Church congregations across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Florida. Reverend Leslie prioritizes evangelism, Bible study, youth work, missions, and Christian outreach. His ministry includes establishing or improving food-sharing ministries and actively engaging with parishioners through visits and prayer. A talented musician and playwright, he has written Christian plays and skits, composed music, and released multiple gospel music albums. Reverend Leslie holds a BA in theology from the University of the West Indies and a D. Min from Columbia Theological Seminary.https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Bible-Drama-Christmas-Revised/dp/1778831729/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1696514788&refinements=p_27%3AREV+Errol+E+Leslie&s=books&sr=1-2&text=REV+Errol+E+Leslie  https://reverrolleslie.com/http://www.KingPagesPress.comhttp://www.bluefunkbroadcasting.com/root/twia/101923kpp3.mp3   

Monday after Pentecost: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church Memorial; Liturgical Color: White One Mother, two motherhoods Mary mothered Jesus, Jesus then gave life to the Church with water and blood from His side, and the Church then mothers us into existence through baptism. Devotion to Mary goes hand in hand with devotion to the Church because both are mothers. Mother Mary gives the world Christ. Mother Church gives the world Christians. The metaphorical parallels between Mother Mary and Mother Church are spiritually rich and deeply biblical. Mary was understood by many early theologians as both the mother of the Head of the Church, Jesus, and also the symbol of the Church par excellence. Mother Mary is a virgin who conceived the physical body of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit at the Annunciation. In a parallel way, Mother Church is the Mystical Body of Christ who gives every Christian rebirth through the power of the Holy Spirit received at Pentecost. Both Mary and the Church conceived through the same Spirit, without the aid of human seed. Mother Mary makes Christ's body physically present in Palestine in the first century. Mother Church, in turn, makes Christ's body mystically present through baptism and sacramentally present in the Eucharist, in every time and place. It was common for a baptismal font in early Christianity to be described as a sacred womb in which Mother Church gave her children life. The theological cross-pollination between Mother Mary and Mother Church has produced a field ripe for spiritual and theological cultivation. Christ is from Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Galilee. But He is most deeply from the Father. He is one Son but lives two sonships. Similarly, all Christians are born from one Mother expressed in two motherhoods: Mary's and the Church's. Mary and the Church, understood most profoundly, form one mother.  Both are the mother of Christ, but each mutually assists the other to bring Christ physically, sacramentally, and mystically into the world in all His fullness. Neither Mary nor the Church can exercise their motherhoods alone. Today's feast, formally integrated into the Church's calendar by the authority of Pope Francis in 2018, specifically commemorates Mary's motherhood of the Church rather than her motherhood of God, a feast celebrated on January 1. Mary likely showed as much tender concern for Christ's mystical body as it slowly matured in its native Palestine as she did for His physical body in Nazareth. Pope Pius XII perceptively noted Mary's dual maternity in his encyclical on the Church: “It was she who was there to tend the mystical body of Christ, born of the Savior's pierced heart, with the same motherly care that she spent on the child Jesus in the crib.” It is possible the Apostles held their first Council in about 49 A.D. in Jerusalem precisely because Mary still dwelled in the holy city. She was likely the young religion's greatest living witness and pillar of unity. We can imagine her presiding over early Christian gatherings with reserved solemnity, nursing primitive Christianity just as she had Christ. Ancient pagans spoke of imperial Rome as a Domina, a divine female master. Rome was praised as a conquering mother who brought vanquished peoples close to her own heart, incorporating them as citizens into her vast, multicultural, polyglot realm. Other empires executed prisoners of war, exiled peoples, imposed a foreign culture, or displaced populations. Not Rome. Rome absorbed them all. The early fathers understood Mother Church as the successor to this Domina. In baptism this Mother does not release her children from her body but absorbs them, making them fully her own unto death. Since the early Middle Ages, feast days and devotions to the Virgin Mary have proliferated in Catholicism. Now Pope Francis has given the Church a feast to compliment that of January 1. The two motherhoods of Mary reflect one profound truth, that Christ approaches us in time and in space, in history and in sacrament, in mysterious and beautiful ways. In the words of Saint Augustine: “What (God) has bestowed on Mary in the flesh, He has bestowed on the Church in the spirit; Mary gave birth to the One, and the Church gives birth to the many, who through the One become one.” This is all cause for deep reflection. Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, God prepared you to be the sacred vessel to replace Mother Synagogue with Mother Church. Eve approaches you like mother to daughter, old Eve to New Eve, two mothers of the living. Help all Chritians to see both the Church and you Mary, as their mother.

The year Mary Miller turned 30, she experienced bankruptcy, unemployment, and divorce. Today, the janitorial services company Mary founded with her husband, Tony, has 85% of the market share in Cincinnati. Both Mary and Tony have been Strategic Coach® members for over 30 years, and Mary has been an associate coach for 20 years. In this episode, Mary shares how The Strategic Coach® Program has strengthenedboth her marriage and her business.Here's some of what you'll learn in this episode:How prioritizing their marriage over their business allowed Mary and Tony's business to become more successful.Why you should learn in a way that lets you teach others.How Mary and Tony have passed their company along to the next generation of their family.What Mary describes as “jet fuel” for what she's trying to accomplish.How Mary's company overcame a serious problem with turnover.Show Notes:Pausing to reflect on the previous 90 days and plan the next 90 days can cause shifts in your thinking.If you want to make more money, you need to take more time off.Listening to other entrepreneurs talk can prompt you to have different conversations about the future.When you're among like-minded people, no one will tell you you're crazy.Being an entrepreneur means you can do business with the people you want to do business with.Entrepreneurs can make their lives as big or as small as they choose.You can have fun no matter how difficult life is.Ideas can come through conversations. Conversations change lives.To be able to do things that really make a difference, you have to filter through ideas.Resources:Learn more about Mary Miller and Dream Engineer.The Entrepreneur's Guide To Time Management The Strategy Circle®: Why Obstacles Are Actually A Good Thing The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” In this Sunday's Gospel, both Martha and Mary say this to Jesus as he approaches their brother Lazarus's tomb. Jesus makes clear to the disciples that he will raise Lazarus from the dead, saying, “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” Martha, one of the two sisters who in another Gospel passage busies herself in the kitchen while Mary sits at Jesus' feet, says to Jesus: “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” She believes that Jesus is the Messiah, saying, “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” Jesus then asks Martha to send for Mary, who was inside mourning. Using the same words as Martha, Mary says to Jesus: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw Mary's weeping and the weeping of friends who had come with her, John tells us that Jesus became perturbed and deeply troubled. Jesus asked where Lazarus was, and he wept before going to the tomb that kept Lazarus bound by death. God, I want to see today's Gospel with a fresh set of eyes. At its core is a stark reality: Jesus, your son, raised Lazarus from the dead. Help me see also Martha's and Mary's responses to their brother's death and the faith and trust they had in your mercy. Martha is stouthearted in her faith, and expresses it in certain terms: “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Overcome with grief, Mary sheds tears that brings Jesus himself to weep. Both Mary and Martha reach out to your son in faith, and he responds to them with mercy by raising Lazarus from the dead. I believe, Lord; help my unbelief. God, thank you for your mercy, your loving-kindness toward those in pain. Strengthen my faith in your son, who says to you before raising Lazarus from the dead: “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me.”  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Readings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lectiodiv/videos Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/lectio-divina-daily-reflections/id1637258440 Web: https://lectiodiv.wordpress.com Support this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85589341 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lectio-divina-daily/support

The lion is supposed to be the king of beasts. If there was a king of birds, I think it would have to be the eagle. I remember one point in our Native American ministry when we had arrived on this reservation. And as we were praying and preparing for our outreach there, someone pointed up toward the sky and said, "Look!" It was an eagle, soaring above our heads. We all felt as if God had sent that majestic bird to virtually affirm His care for us. It's hard not to be inspired watching an eagle soar. But if it were up to baby eagles, they probably never would. They love the softness of the eagle nest - until one day, when they're out walking around the nest, and Mother Eagle starts pulling the fur and the foliage out of the nest, leaving a bed of exposed sticks and stones. Suddenly, that comfy little nest isn't so comfy anymore. At that point, Mamma Eagle manages to get that eaglet out of the nest, onto her back, and into the sky. I'm sure that eaglet can't imagine just hanging out there in the sky all by himself, but that's what he was born for. He wasn't made for staying in a cozy nest, and neither are you. He was made to touch the sky, and so are you. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Christmas and Your Comfort Zone." There never would have been that first Christmas if some of the key players hadn't had their nest stirred up; if they hadn't left the comfy for the risky. The eagle thing happened to Mary in our word for today from the Word of God, Luke 1:30. "The angel said to her ... 'You have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.' ... 'How will this be?' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you." Now, slip into Mary's skin for a minute. She's engaged to be married to a wonderful guy, Joseph. She has the reputation in town for being a good girl - a virgin. Suddenly, in the eyes of her fiancée, her family, her church, she will be pregnant without explanation. In one amazing moment, Mary's nest is suddenly very uncomfortable. In essence, God is asking her to move out of her comfort zone, climb on His back, and go out and touch the sky. He wants to do amazing things through her, but she'll have to leave the safety of the status quo for it to happen. Just like that baby eagle, you can never learn to fly if you stay in the nest. Mary's response in verse 38, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Personal security, personal comfort will not decide this. She will fly wherever her Lord is ready to take her whatever the cost. And that flight will give her life a significance, an altitude, she could never have dreamed of just staying where she was. Joseph was asked to do the same thing - to risk his reputation, his own plans for the future, to go ahead and marry his mysteriously pregnant fiancée. Both Mary and Joseph were blasted out of their comfort zones to be the ones through whom Christ would come to the world. It's still that way today. This Christmas season, God's been stirring up your nest; asking you to do something in obedience to Him that is not comfortable, that doesn't look safe. He's leading you to move beyond what's comfortable financially, geographically, relationally, maybe to release something you've been disobediently holding onto for a long time, or to finally drop a sinful part of you that you've never surrendered to Him. Christmas is when God's Son left the most comfortable place in the universe to come to the pain and the danger of this planet; to leave heaven, to go to a cross, to ultimately soar where no one has ever soared. Christmas would be a wonderful time for you to follow your Leader, wouldn't it? To finally abandon the safety and the predictability of the nest you've been in and let Him take you into bold new territory. Just like that baby eagle - just like the human father and mother of Jesus - you have to leave the comfortable spot to be what you were born to be.

Both Mary and Scott had some extremely awkward encounters this week. Like cringe worthy. Chris had a brush with death and Uber. Ryan brings us Jersey man/ FL Man and much more. Please connect with us www.nonewfriendspodcast@yahoo.com. Check out our sweet merch and join our Club House. Check us out on www.newsly.me promo code N0NEWFR1ENDS.#awkwardencounters #adulting #adultingfails

Both Mary and Nicole were slapped by the last line of Jonas's novel. In this final discussion of Vladimir, they unpack the significance of that final line, and why it packs such a punch. What can we learn about how to end our own stories? Catch up on the next book: Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz!

In this episode of Commitment Matters, Mary speaks with Cynthia Blair: COO, owner and founding member of Blair Cato Pickren Casterline, LLC. During their conversation, Cynthia or Mary mentioned: Both Mary and Cynthia recommend getting involved with ALTA, via its robust slate of committees, to impact career growth. Cynthia specifically speaks fondly of the Educational committee and Title council.Cynthia and Mary share about their first experiences at the ALTA Advocacy Summit and encourage listeners to attend the spring event in 2023!Cynthia tells of the profound impact her ALTA board service had on her life. Here's a link to our current ALTA Board of Governors.The proposed revisions to ALTA Best Practices Framework – which was posted for public comment through September 1, 2022 – is reviewed, from its history to its use as a business tool.The Digital Closings Workgroup started in 2017 as RON platforms were being created and continues to expand as technology evolves. Cynthia currently serves on this ALTA committee and unpacks some of their latest work. Here's a link to ALTA's many Digital Closing resources.Mary asks about Cynthia's experience at the regional level of the Mortgage Bankers Association – and its significant legislative work.In discussing the current market, Cynthia mentions the tremendous volume of the past few years but notes the beginning of a slowdown – and how the increase of mortgage rates factors into this.Cynthia and Mary hope to see you at this year's ALTA ONE!Got a topic or guest idea you want featured? Leave a voice message at 214.377.1807 or email podcasts@ramquest.com. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, or visit RamQuest.com/podcast to download the latest episode. Lastly, we love to see when and how you're listening. Share our posts, or create your own and tag them: #CommitmentMattersPodcast

God can do all things. There are countless passages in the Bible about amazing things God has done. The Exodus is a good example. God rescued the Israelites, along with many other people, from the ruthless rulers who had enslaved them in Egypt. God sent plagues until Pharaoh let the people go, and then God went ahead of His people in a pillar of fire and cloud to guide and protect them. When Pharaoh's army came after them, God made a path through the Red Sea by piling up the water so His people could walk through...on dry ground! It's just crazy to think about. Think about the sea; have you ever made piles of water while at the beach? Of course not! Only God can. God can do all things. In Joshua 6, the Israelites faced off with Jericho. The people of Jericho were already scared of the Israelites. They were really scared of God, because they had heard about how God parted the Red Sea for His people. Neither the Israelites nor anybody are anything without God. He told Joshua to lead the Israelite army around the city of Jericho once each day for six days. On the seventh day, God told Joshua to march around seven times. Joshua and the people listened, and the walls fell! God can do all things. In John 11, when Jesus arrived at His friends' home, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Both Mary and Martha told Jesus that their brother Lazarus would have gotten better from his sickness if Jesus had been there. Jesus replied, “Your brother will rise again” (verse 23). Martha thought Jesus meant Lazarus would rise on Resurrection Day—which is the day of Jesus's second coming when everyone will rise from the dead and those who believe in Jesus will live with Him forever. Later in the passage, Jesus was with Martha at Lazarus's grave. Jesus told her to roll the stone away. She had no idea what Jesus was doing, but she obeyed. Then Jesus prayed out loud to God, and Lazarus walked out of the grave when Jesus commanded! God can do all things. • Josh Wager • Do you have a favorite story about something amazing God has done, either from the Bible or from your own life? • If you want to dig deeper, read Exodus 1:8-22, 12:37-38, 13:17–14:31, 15:8; and Joshua 2:1-24, 6:1-20. Jesus looked at them and said, “...with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

Jesus receives word from Mary and Martha that their brother, Lazarus, has become ill. In a verse that doesn't always get noticed, John simply writes, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (v. 5).  Even so, Jesus doesn't go to their house immediately. By the time he does arrive, Lazarus has died. Both Mary and Martha say the same thing to Jesus: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Upon hearing this, we're told that Jesus was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” This leads to the shortest – and one of the most powerful - verses in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” (v. 35). Even though Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, he is still moved emotionally by the sisters' pain. The same is still true today in our own lives.Passage: John 11:1-44

Events are important to communities. From 5K runs to farmers markets and festivals, events provide many benefits. The shock of the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the industry. In this episode, two leaders in the events industry share their perspectives: Mary Anderson is President of Anderson Race Management. Her 25-year-old business, based in the Twin Cities, is involved in 200 running events a year throughout the country. Holly Masek is Executive Director of the Rochester Downtown Alliance in Rochester, MN. Among her many duties is to program and activate the downtown for the benefit of the businesses, residents and visitors. Both Mary and Holly shifted to virtual events in the early days of the pandemic, and they both agree that nothing beats live, in-person events. Growing Destinations PodcastExperience Rochester, MNAnderson Race ManagementRochester Downtown Alliance

“I am the Resurrection and the Life”We have been talking about the Higher Christian Life for quite some time. And today, we will discover Jesus pointing to this manner of life, the “abundant life” as He called it in John 10:10, while He was trying to encourage Martha at the tomb of her brother, Lazarus. Do you remember the story? If so, we will see Jesus offering us a life truly worth living and not one of mere existence, of just being alive. It's the difference between experiencing an exhilarating life of wonder and joy or an artificially sustained life, like a comatose patient on life support. One is truly living, the other is just being alive— barely. Let me elaborate. When Jesus received word of Lazarus' illness, He waited two more days before heading to Bethany (John 11:6). But by that time, it was too late, four days too late (John 11:17). Lazarus had died and was already buried. For Lazarus' sisters, all hope of a healing was gone, buried just like their brother. For them, Jesus arrived late, the curtain had closed, and their hope was as lifeless as their brother. Both Mary and Martha were in mourning. When Martha heard Jesus had finally arrived, she ran to meet Him and uttered the pain she held in her heart. She said, almost like an accusation, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Jesus, trying to encourage her, said, “Your brother will rise again.” But unable to see the big picture, Martha responded, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last days” (John 11:23-24). It was almost like she was saying, “But what help is that to me now? I know I will see him in heaven, but I need to see him now. And if You would have been here, this would not have happened.” It was at this point Jesus spoke these life-changing words. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believe in Me, thought he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26. Great question for each of us as well. Do we believe His words? And if so, what does He mean by live? Does it mean a longevity of years, like “eternal life” (John 3:15) or “everlasting life” (John 3:16)? Or could it also mean something else? Let's look at the three times in His statement that Jesus uses the words life, live, and lives, and see if we can discover something wonderful about the resurrected life He offers. But What Kind of Life Does Jesus Offer?In Jesus' words to Martha, He purposely used two different Greek words for life and live. They are zōḗ and záō and they each reveal a different dimension of the life He offers each of us. Let's look at the definition of these two words: First, zōḗ.  The word zōḗ refers to “physical life and existence as opposed to death and nonexistence.” It is the most common word for life and conveys what we assume today when we think of eternal life— life that does not end. Yet, it says little about the quality of that life, only that life exists. Next, the word záō means “to live, to pass one's life, to live in a certain way or manner.” This word reveals more about the type of life one leads than the fact they will live forever or have life. But it also means “to live unto God and be devoted to Him, to live a life characteristic of a resurrected life.” And, by implication, to “live and prosper, to be blessed, and to live satisfied in Him.” Or, as we would call it, to live the Higher Christian Life or the “abundant life” Jesus promised (John 10:10). With this background, let's look at the words of Jesus one more time. “I am the resurrection and the life (zōē). He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live (záō). And whoever lives (záō) and believes in Me shall never die. Do you...

On the 8th day of his birth, according to the Law, Jesus was circumcised and also given given his name. Both Mary and Joseph were told by divine messengers to call him -Jesus.- We learn that this is the Greek equivalent of -Joshua- in the Old Testament which means -Yahweh is salvation.- So the name -Jesus- given to the infant of Mary is saying that this is Yahweh who has come in the flesh to bring salvation to his people. Jesus' name thus encapsulates the divine greatness of his person and work.

This podcast was originally to be released December 21, 2021 -Both Mary and Elizabeth's relationship and Mary's Song can be found in Luke 1 https://bit.ly/3pYdsXa  – The origin of the teach a man to fish proverb: https://bit.ly/3yvoiHV  – Looking toward the end of your life, check out Falling Upward by Richard Rohr https://amzn.to/3yuY2h0 and The […]

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”  Luke 1:45As we enter into the fourth week of Advent, we are given our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph to reflect upon. Though our Blessed Mother was perfect, and St. Joseph was a deeply virtuous man, they were both still fully human and would have walked through Mary's pregnancy and Jesus' birth with every human emotion and experience.St. Joseph was faced with an extraordinary mystery as he discovered his wife was pregnant. He knew her to be a woman of exceptional virtue and holiness and had to reconcile that with her surprising pregnancy. Even after the angel appeared to him in a dream he would have had questions arise in his mind as he faced this situation.Our Blessed Mother was also invited by God to face her pregnancy in faith. Her response was perfect, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” She could not explain nor understand what was happening but, nonetheless, she knew deep in her soul that God was in charge leading all to His glory.Both Mary and Joseph are wonderful models of faith and obedience. They were obedient to the will of God despite the fact that the will of God drew them into an incredible and unfathomable mystery. They were first-hand witnesses to the salvation of the world and to the greatest act ever known. And they both embraced this mystery and accepted it in faith.Reflect, today, upon your own invitations from God to embrace the mysteries of life. God's ways are often more than we can comprehend and figure out. Mary and Joseph give us the witness of how we are to handle every mystery God invites us to participate in. Say “Yes” to the will of God just as this holy couple did.Dearest Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, pray for me that I may have the faith you both lived. When questions arise in my heart, help me to respond generously to God as you did.  May I trust in all that God has spoken in imitation of each one of you. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It's beginning to look a a lot like Christmas! In this sermon we begin our new series on The Characters of Christmas. Graham Jones is kicking off this series by looking at Mary and Joseph, and the role they play in the the birth of Jesus. Both Mary and Joseph show faith, courage and obedience in following the path set out for them by God. In this sermon Graham explores these three qualities, and what Mary and Joseph's lives can teach us about God. If you enjoyed this sermon please consider subscribing. CONNECT WITH US Instagram: www.instagram.com/humeridgechurch Facebook: www.facebook.com/humeridgechurch YouTube: www.youtube.com/humeridgechurch If you would like prayer, want to share a good report/praise point, or give to the ministries at HR head to: humeridge.church/sunday If you have made a decision to follow Jesus, we would love to follow up with you. Please let us know by texting 0417 201 215. For more information about HumeRidge Church visit: www.humeridge.church

Good morning, Five Minute Families. Have you ever taken a moment to evaluate the depth and commitment of your friendships? What about the people you are around each week? Examining your relationships to those around you and ultimately how you relate to Jesus is what we encourage at Clear View Retreat as we minister to families going through the norms and storms of life. As we step into week 2 of our love series, please realize that we are not encouraging folks to collect more friends on social media. We need community and we need friends, but we need quality over quantity any day. Last week we discussed God's unconditional love called agape, and this week we are chatting about a second Greek word for love used in the Bible in a variety of word forms - phileo. Phileo is generally characterized as friendship love or brotherly love. Now, with brotherly love, we are not talking about the typical ways brothers are known to interact, such as two teenage brothers fighting it out and calling their disagreement settled at the end of the physical fight, nor are we talking about brotherly challenges of random competition. We are not even talking about misplaced brotherly protection when you know your brother was wrong and needs to be called out but you won't let someone outside the family do the calling out. In brotherly love, we are talking about the fondness and enjoyment of having a close relationship. A deep, abiding love is not only found in families. When two people who are not in each other's family delight in each other but not in a romantic, attraction-sort of way, then that love is best described with the Greek word for love which is phileo, sometimes written or described with the words philia or philadelphia. Philadelphia's exact translation is brotherly love. And, here at CVR, Phileo is the action that we are referring to when we talk about building biblical community and one-anothering. Think about Jesus's relationship with Lazarus. Both Mary and Martha as well as the Jews who saw Jesus weep upon hearing of Lazarus's death refer to His love for His friend as phileo - brotherly, friendship love. To cultivate a healthy brotherly, friendship love, let's turn to Romans 12. Verses 9 through 16 are sometimes labeled the “Christian Ethics” list. The Matthew Henry Bible Commentary classifies those verses as seven loves that Christians owe to one another. Here are our five suggestions for expressing phileo in a biblical manner: 1. Be respectful - Verse 10 says honor one another, verse 11 admonishes us to not be lazy, and verse 16 reminds us to consider others before ourselves. Each of those embody an element of respect. 2. Be generous - Verse 13 expresses how we must share with those in need as well as to pursue hospitality. Think for a moment about the feeling you get when you are in the presence of someone who has taken the time to think of your comforts, needs, and desires. Hospitality does not require the generosity of money; it requires the generosity of a heart's attitude that gives time, thought, and passion to another person. 3. Be sympathetic - Verse 14 encourages us to walk together and feel what others are feeling. We mustn't dismiss if someone is rejoicing or weeping; we must rejoice or weep with them, not just say, “oh, I'll be praying for you” and then going about our business, never thinking of them again in that season. 4. Be united - Verse 11 tells us to stay in the Spirit, serving the Lord. And, verse 16 continues that idea by specifically stating that we are to live in harmony. Without unity in the Spirit, harmony is impossible. 5. Be peaceful and kind - Verse 14 prompts us to remember that even when someone wrongs us, we are to show brotherly, friendship love by blessing them. To phileo our brothers and sisters in Christ, a five-minute family must be willing to go outside their house walls and work on the biblical community God has brought them to. If you don't have a biblical community, we strongly

It's National All or Nothing Day, and Joe from Store 581 in Marshalltown, Iowa, gave his all as our Associate Caller of the Day. Joe is a vendor for General Mills and gave a shoutout to his wife, Selena. Lee from Store 1015 in El Paso, Texas, gave a shoutout to Store Manager Johnny while Sheila from Store 632 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and Josiah from Store 3287 in Lewisville, Texas, each gave shoutouts to their whole stores. In Milestone Minute, we celebrated some big numbers, including 30 years for Teresa from Store 4286 in Montgomery, Illinois. Both Mary from Store 1351 in Beckley, West Virginia, and Krissa from Store 605 in Savannah, Georgia, celebrated 20 years. Bo also introduced the new Latin song, “Don't Go Yet” by Camila Cabello. Now, don't go missing tomorrow's show.

Both Mary, and Mary connect to the meaning of being an empath - however have very different perspectives, and experiences. Mary shares her experience and really sends her heart out to those along their discovery journey. They discuss the piece meditation has had on both of their journeys - and dive into different styles of meditation they've  both experienced . We hope that sharing experiences can bring connection and awareness to all of you beautiful souls! XO

Today we explore Serenbe, located in the hill country of South Fulton County, Georgia. It has been called a wellness sanctuary, an environmental prototype, an agrihood, even a utopia.  In Episode 87, Susan Ryan talked with Steve Nygren, founder, and CEO of Serenbe, a community created as a model to demonstrate that preserving 70 percent of green space interlaced with agriculture, housing, and retail is not only economically viable but is the future of community wellbeing.  In this recap, Marla highlights the many aspects of Serenbe, including the origin of the name. Mary explores the Biophilic Institute at the community and why the non-profit was established eight years ago. Both Mary and Marla share what they call “Steve-isms”—interesting perspectives that Steve has on life. Marla takes a closer look at his thoughts on fear, eldercare, purpose, and vitality. We have often talked about meaningful life on this podcast and during this episode Marla discusses “Ikigai” and how it connects to the insights Steve shared during the podcast.   Thank you, VANCARE, our sponsor for the month of May. As a family-owned business for more than 30 years, VANCARE is the leading manufacturer of American-made ceiling and mobile floor lifts. You can find them at www.vancare.com.    Read about the Biophilic Institute here:  https://www.biophilicinstitute.com/ The Philosophy of Ikigai: https://positivepsychology.com/ikigai/?utm_campaign=enormail&utm_source=enormail&utm_medium=email Information on the Green House Dementia Symposium here:  https://files.constantcontact.com/e3eea0f5101/40485654-7e2c-4c75-8197-cd3b59f3dfec.pdf

In this recap of episode 77, Susan Ryan sat down with Larry Minnix, a consultant and author, and perhaps most known for his previous role as CEO of LeadingAge, a national association of nonprofit long-term and post-acute care providers. When he retired in 2015, LeadingAge named its Leadership Academy after him. In this episode of “Let Me Say This About That,” Marla and Mary take a closer look at succession planning—a topic Minnix said kept CEOs up at night. They explore the importance of a succession plan and the steps needed to create one. Mary takes a closer look at the book Minnix wrote and what he says are the secrets to successful aging. Both Mary and Marla discuss how five women from his church had such an impact on his career. In response to Minnix’s suggested that society needs to “unfreeze” the way people are thinking about nursing home care, Marla reflects on how this term is connected to a theory of change.   Find information on succession planning here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesinsights/2017/05/24/succession-planning-needs-to-be-your-number-1-priority/?sh=9c33d9b62aa0  https://www.peoplefluent.com/blog/succession/6-foundations-effective-succession-planning/  https://dune.une.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1246&context=theses  Find more about the 12 Secrets to Successful Aging here: https://www.larryminnix.com/the-twelve-secrets/  Read the article on 7 Characteristics of Highly Resilient People here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2118935 

Both Mary and Katie alike have had their fair share of difficult people in their life. From Ken to old coworkers, and even challenging moments with friends, the Albrecht Duo, like most others out there, have learned some tactics of how to manage exhausting people. In this episode, the Albrecht gals discuss with each other a few of the different types of difficult people in the world and some ways they or others have handled these situations. Follow us on YouTube!We want to hear from you! If you would like to be a guest on No More Secrets, please fill out the form here and we will be in touch.Mary & Katie's Book: Broken NekFollow us on IG: @thealbrechtauthorsFB: /thealbrechtauthorsTwitter: @albrechtauthors www.thealbrechtauthors.comSupport the show

Innovation is a big part of the conversation this week on “Let Me Say This About That.” In Episode 69, Susan Ryan sat down with Alice Bonner, who has been a geriatric nurse practitioner caring for older adults and their families for over 30 years. She is currently adjunct faculty and director of strategic partnerships for the CAPABLE program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and senior advisor for aging at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Marla and Mary discuss Project ECHO and the role it has played in healthcare. Bonner’s work with IHI involved Project ECHO and she is a big fan of the model, as is The Green House Project. Mary shares the number of initiatives Green House has launched using Project ECHO and the impact it has had on those learning through that model. Bonner also speaks about the barriers to innovation and Marla explores a report from Canada on effective innovation for long-term care. Both Mary and Marla discuss the benefits of the report and utilizing the perspective from another country. They examine Bonner’s greatest hope, fear, and her call to action. Plus, Marla adds an Irish proverb in the mix. Hear what it is and how it applies to our discussion today!   Find out more about Project Echo here: https://hsc.unm.edu/echo/  Read more about the Element of an Effective Innovation Strategy for LTC in Ontario here: https://neltoolkit.rnao.ca/sites/default/files/Elements%20of%20an%20Effective%20Innovation%20Strategy%20for%20Long%20Term%20Care%20in%20Ontario%202011.pdf 

Episode 48Teacher: Mary HardimanTopic: The Power of Gods Word in our lives.Mary touches on a wonderful question regarding our life of faith. What happens when we feel that the things in our lives, in which we found some satisfaction, no longer satisfy.Both Mary, with a good job, and remember Edwina Gately, when the Charity she began was up and running, and she was being seen as a very successful person felt- like Mary a call to leave these things behind and start something new with God. Echos of Abraham?What does that look like, how do we move from security in our outer life to a place of security in our inner life? This is where we are so blessed as disciples of Jesus. Jesus is the Way, to the Truth, about the wonderful security of faith within our inner Life. Our conviction that we are the beloved of the Creator of the Universe. And living in a way that sees all humanity as sisters and brothers, because we all have the same Father.Stay safe Healthy and Happy Archie and Cathy Agape Ministries.

Lazarus was sick to the point where he was going to die. Jesus knew this and he tarried several days. By the time He got to Bethany, he had been dead for 4 days. The greatest miracle that Jesus ever did, and there are many, is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Simply for the reason that he had been dead for 4 days. This is because the Jewish people believed that the spirit doesn't leave the body for 3 days. The other people that Jesus had raised from the dead they had just died, so it's not as big of a miracle to folks who believe that the spirit was still in the body. Both Mary and Martha said to Jesus at separate times, had Jesus been there, their brother would not have died. They believed that he would live again at the resurrection. But Jesus went down to the grave and commanded Lazarus to come forth. He was bound hand and foot. He commanded them to loose him. That was the greatest miracle that Jesus ever did. The Bible said it was appointed unto men once to die. When Jesus died, the graves of the saints were open and were walking around Jerusalem. They had died, like Lazarus, and when Jesus ascended into Heaven, they all went with Him. Lazarus has a lot of great pictures for us. We are always encouraged that those who were in Christ who have left this world, we'll someday meet them again. There is coming a day when the dead are going to live. God is going to turn the Earth into Paradise, where we will live forever and ever. I John 5:12 will find everyone's eternal destiny. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

On Episode 201 of the Enormocast, I sit down at the Monkey House climbing gym in Carbondale, CO with repeat guest Mary Harlan and Rock and Ice’s Francis Sanzaro to answer listener mail. Both Mary and Francis have decades of climbing experience, and Mary happens to also be an experienced guide. On this long awaited … Continue reading "Episode 201: Listener Mail Volume 4 – The Almost No PAS Edition."

UAlbany School of Social Welfare faculty members, Dr. Mary McCarthy and Dr. Catherine Lawrence, discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the child welfare workforce and the child welfare system itself, with a particular focus on tribal communities. Both Mary and Kate are involved with the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, a collaborative organization that promotes organizational interventions focused on developing and retaining a diverse and effective workforce. Bios:Mary L. McCarthy, Ph.D., LMSW is a faculty member at the University at Albany School of Social Welfare. She is the Co-PI for the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, Funded by the Children's Bureau and Director of the Social Work Education Consortium, a partnership between the NYS Association of Deans of Schools of Social Work, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, and Commissioners of local Departments of Social Services in NYS. Dr. McCarthy worked in the child welfare field for 11 years both before and after receiving her MSW from the University at Albany in 1982. She was invited to work at Padjadjaran University in Bandung Indonesia in the fall of 2019 through the Fulbright Specialist Program.   Catherine K. Lawrence is an Associate Professor at the University of Albany School of Social Welfare.  Her scholarship focuses on public human services, particularly in the areas of child welfare and income support.  Her most recent research targets two key issues in child welfare organizations that prevent effective, just, services for children and families: workforce capacity and racial disparity. Dr. Lawrence is working with the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute to advance this research agenda.  She also teaches introductory and advanced policy courses at the School of Social Welfare.

Season 1 Episode 2The holidays, a magical time filled with joy, laughter andtradition. Something Judy Anderson and her husband, Wayne, were looking forwardto celebrating with three generations of their tight knit family. Little didthey know that for more than half of their clan, this Christmas would be theirlast.It was Christmas Eve 2007 and, like clockwork, the Andersonfamily gathered for an annual celebration at their Carnation home. A heavilywooded property, a large metal gate ran the length of a private driveway. Itwas closed and secured with not only a chain, but several padlocks. Keepingfamily in… and strangers out.A steep dirt road led up to the Anderson property, thatlooked more like a homestead. The main house, a modest rambler surrounded bytowering evergreens, flanked by gigantic sword ferns. A quarter mile from themain house, around the bend of the dirt road, was the single wide mobile homeJudy and Wayne's 29 year old daughter, Michelle, had been living in for thepast six months with her boyfriend, Joe.Everything was prepared for their annual gathering. Judy,she was ecstatic. All would be in attendance. Judy and Wayne's three adultchildren, Mary Scott and Michelle, along with their partners and thegrandchildren. Both Mary and Scott were bringing their little ones, the applesof Judy's eyes. Never could she have imagined that six people would lose theirlives that evening in what would become one of the most horrendous familymassacres in Washington State history.But some wonder if the outcome could have been different. Ifonly the Sheriff's deputies who responded to the first 911 call had scaled thepadlocked metal gate and made that long trek up that steep private road on foot…instead of driving away.

2019-12-22 - Year A - Advent 4 - The Rev. Carrie Klukas Isaiah 7:10-17; Psalm 24; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph and Mary’s story at first is messy, difficult, and oh so similar to life as we know it. How many people have gotten married under difficult circumstances? How many people continue to live in difficult marriages and circumstances? How many people remain in difficult relationships in general? Both Mary and Joseph give us a deeper understanding of what it means to be a godly woman or a godly man in this world. They give us a pathway to the Father and a way to follow in this life. Today I want to look at how their lives, choices, and attitudes can shape our lives. For sermon notes and more information about Good Samaritan Anglican Church, please visit our website: https://www.goodsamaritananglican.org/sermons/risk-sacrifice-and-trust/

A sermon by Pastor Heather Wigdahl, reflecting on the gospel text from Matthew 1:18-25. The Season of Advent (Advent, which means arrival) calls us to watch and wait for the coming of the Lord in all the ways that God shows up in our lives and in our faith. In our gospel for this day, we hear Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus. Both Mary and Joseph leaned in to God's promises and calling, and they helped bear Jesus: the love of God in and for our world. We are called too, to lean in to God's promises and callings; to lean in to who God has created us to be; to lean in to our own uniqueness and to use our gifts to bear love in our world.

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.  For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.”  Matthew 1:20b (Year A)“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38a (Year B)“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”  Luke 1:45 (Year C) As we enter into the fourth week of Advent, we are given our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph to reflect upon.  Though our Blessed Mother was perfect, and St. Joseph was a deeply virtuous man, they were both still fully human and would have walked through Mary’s pregnancy and Jesus’ birth with every human emotion and experience.St. Joseph was faced with an extraordinary mystery as he discovered his wife was pregnant.  He knew her to be a woman of exceptional virtue and holiness and had to reconcile that with her surprising pregnancy.  Even after the angel appeared to him in a dream he would have had questions arise in his mind as he faced this situation.Our Blessed Mother was also invited by God to face her pregnancy in faith.  Her response was perfect, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”  She could not explain nor understand what was happening but, nonetheless, she knew deep in her soul that God was in charge leading all to His glory.Both Mary and Joseph are wonderful models of faith and obedience.  They were obedient to the will of God despite the fact that the will of God drew them into an incredible and unfathomable mystery.  They were first-hand witnesses to the salvation of the world and to the greatest act ever known.  And they both embraced this mystery and accepted it in faith.Reflect, today, upon your own invitations from God to embrace the mysteries of life.  God’s ways are often more than we can comprehend and figure out.  Mary and Joseph give us the witness of how we are to handle every mystery God invites us to participate in.  Say “Yes” to the will of God just as this holy couple did.Dearest Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, pray for me that I may have the faith you both lived.  When questions arise in my heart, help me to respond generously to God as you did.  May I trust in all that God has spoken in imitation of each one of you.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Today is the second Sunday in Advent, and the theme is peace.Last week, the theme was hope, and I think it is important to know the order,Of the Advent themes, because I think they lead into one another.Hope leads into peace; peace leads into joy; joy from peace and hope,Leads us to recognize the Love that initiated the hope, peace and joy.So, today we talk about peace.I want to start this week by looking at turmoil, an antonym of peace.And to do that, I want us to look at Joseph.Now, if you remember from last week, Mary received her calling, and was in 100%.Don’t you know that’s how it is?When its our calling, we want to jump in with both feet;When we know it is what we are supposed to do,We can’t wait to get started, and we might not understand,Why everyone around us isn’t as ‘on-board’ with it as we are.So, Mary has been called by God to be Christ’s mother,And all that entails.And Mary was all in.In fact Mary told the angel “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”Mary is 100% in it.But what about Jospeh?He has been told by his fiancé that she is going to become pregnant,Even though she is a virgin,And give birth to the Messiah…the one Israel has been waiting for.Picture this scene.I would imagine there is a bit of disbelief on Joseph’s part.Jospeh wasn’t believing this…Right?I believe Joseph is having a hard time with this.In fact, he decides he is going to quietly break the engagement.Joseph was a good man, and didn’t want to disgrace Mary,So he planned to just quietly break off the engagement.You see, Mary could have been stoned to death if Joseph would have gone public with this.Both Mary and Joseph knew this.So, Joseph is not having a peaceful time.He has to decide, do i have her killed; do I publicize this?Well, Joseph decides that was not the way to go.,But he could no longer marry her…So a quiet breakup it is then.But then what happens?Listen to Matthew 1 starting in verse 20.Joseph is visited in a dream and told that Mary is pregnant with Christ!And that Joseph is to name the child Jesus.And when Joseph awakes, he does as the angel of the Lord commanded him.So in this turmoil, the Lord knows that Joseph will need some convincing,And sent an angel to do that.Can you imagine how clear this dream had to be?So Joseph marries her and does not consummate the marriage until after the child is born.Why is this important?Well, by Joseph marrying Mary, she is legitimized, and so is the child.And if Joseph had consummated the marriage while Mary was pregnant with Christ,That would have only proven to have been an act of pride, and,Pride is an abomination to God,And this miracle could not have any of that associated with it.Joseph’s sin of pride would have been intermixed with the birth of Christ, and that could not happen.And Joseph and Mary knew this and were honorable.And through all of this, Joseph found peace.And what is ‘all of this’ that brought Jospeh peace?It is the hope of C

What values do you hold dear as an archivist and why? In this episode, Christine Weideman, director of manuscripts and archives at Yale University Library, and Mary Caldera, head of arrangement and description at Yale University Library, talk about their new book, Archival Values: Essays in Honor of Mark A. Greene. Both Mary and Chris reflect … Continue reading Season 2, Episode 3: Christine Weideman and Mary Caldera

Both Mary and Chris practice reiki amongst other modalities and discuss how they incorporate it into their grooming.

Amanda talks to Ian expand on his opinion of Bell Let’s Talk. Both Mary and Ian weigh in on how well we’re treating youth that suffer with Mental Health.

Today we sit down and chat with two powerhouse ladies from Chicago – Mary Derman and Brynn McNicholas. These ladies are realtors and investors and are making huge things happen in the Chicago area. Both Mary and Brynn were teachers prior to joining forces and both decided to take the plunge and transition into the real estate world. Although they teamed up only last year, they are growing exponentially both on the investor side and brokerage side. In their two short years as partners, they have completed over 15 fix and flips, worked on close to 100 real estate transactions, and have a growing rental portfolio (which includes experience with AirBnB rentals). They have experienced a lot of success in a short time frame, so we discuss a ton about partnerships and what makes their partnership work (and how you can do the same!) How to build a powerful partnership How the “emotional bank” account can help you become a better investor How you should consider “not owning” your AirBnB rentals Qualities to avoid in partnerships The #1 key to sustaining a lasting partnership Resources/Books mentioned in the show: Emyth by Michael Gerber AirDnA Online Resource (for AirBnB rentals)   Brynn and Mary's contact information: https://www.maryandbrynnrealestate.com/ https://www.facebook.com/maryandbrynnrealestate/   InvestHER Community Join us on our mission to support and empower as many women as we can to live a financially free and balanced life. We invite you to join the InvestHER Community Facebook group along with other new and experienced women real estate investors! https://www.facebook.com/groups/Investhercommunity Follow us on: Facebook: @therealestateinvesther Instagram: @therealestateinvesther   Please leave a comment below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we sit down and chat with two powerhouse ladies from Chicago – Mary Derman and Brynn McNicholas. These ladies are realtors and investors and are making huge things happen in the Chicago area. Both Mary and Brynn were teachers prior to joining forces and both decided to take the plunge and transition into the real estate world. Although they teamed up only last year, they are growing exponentially both on the investor side and brokerage side. In their two short years as partners, they have completed over 15 fix and flips, worked on close to 100 real estate transactions, and have a growing rental portfolio (which includes experience with AirBnB rentals). They have experienced a lot of success in a short time frame, so we discuss a ton about partnerships and what makes their partnership work (and how you can do the same!) How to build a powerful partnership How the “emotional bank” account can help you become a better investor How you should consider “not owning” your AirBnB rentals Qualities to avoid in partnerships The #1 key to sustaining a lasting partnership Resources/Books mentioned in the show: Emyth by Michael Gerber AirDnA Online Resource (for AirBnB rentals)   Brynn and Mary's contact information: https://www.maryandbrynnrealestate.com/ https://www.facebook.com/maryandbrynnrealestate/   InvestHER Community Join us on our mission to support and empower as many women as we can to live a financially free and balanced life. We invite you to join the InvestHER Community Facebook group along with other new and experienced women real estate investors! https://www.facebook.com/groups/Investhercommunity Follow us on: Facebook: @therealestateinvesther Instagram: @therealestateinvesther   Please leave a comment below!

Welcome back to the Just One Small Thing Podcast, my friends! Today we are going to continue to dig into the virtues assigned to each decade of the Rosary. Last week we talked about Joy for the first Joyful mystery. Today we are going to talk about SERVICE for the second joyful mystery, the Visitation. Once again, you can find all of these virtues as well as scripture, reflections and prayers in my Rosary Booklet, if you would like! I also created a FREE set of 20 coloring pages to help you reflect on the Virtues of the Rosary which you can find right here: https://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/virtue On the topic of Service, most of what I talk about in this episode come from 2 great books for Catholic Women. The first is A Mother's Rule of Life. This Catholic Classic is working to change my life right now. I finally forced myself to read it after it gathered dust on my shelf for two years--and I am so glad I did! The basic idea behind A Mother's Rule of Life is that just as those in Religious Communities have a "rule of life", or a mission-based daily schedule to help them live our their vocation, so should mothers. And that having a rule of life is the only way to actually "fit everything in" and do everything well. With a rule of life Prayer is placed in the schedule first, and all other things fall in place around prayer. This way I am no longer trying to cram in a little prayer. It is the hinge on which all other thins swing. With the help of this book I have finally found a way to pray (without stressing about praying) and therefore I am able to serve my children and my family better. The other book that plays a big roll in today's discussion is One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler. This is a brand new book and perfect reading for any mother feeling restless at home. Jennifer reminds us that we are called to a LIFE of service, not just a season. Therefore we simply CAN NOT ignore ourselves (our dreams and our health) so that we can serve our family, because we will always be serving. And, in order to serve them well we NEED to be healthy and happy! Therefore we need to find a way to fulfill our passions and dreams while serving, because we really can do both! She offers so much more in her book, and it is a delightful read and calls for some serious reflection. Finally, this episode discusses our call to be BOTH Mary and Martha--both sitting at the feet of Jesus in adoration AND fulfilling the duties we are called to do. We do this by making sure our spirit is fed first, and then heading out into the world and serving Christ as we find Him in other people. Finally, here is a coloring pageI created a while ago based on the Gospel passage where Jesus heals Simon Peter's Mother-in-law. It is a wonderful reminder of what we are called to do once Christ has poured His grace out upon us. Our Lady of the Rosary, PRAY FOR US! Your sister in Christ, Nancy

Luke 2:6 NLT 'And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.' Living in a kingdom as we do, there is considerable media attention both before and after a royal birth. This is not a private occasion, with series of cute photos appearing in special supplements and glossy magazines. The entry of Jesus into the world was very different, albeit the King of all creation was a target from the moment news of his birth became known. I remember Jayne at the end of her pregnancy exhilarated and exhausted in equal measure as she waited to give birth. It was summer and the heat became a challenge; she yearned for the baby to step into the world. This yearning sets the tone for Christmas week, for we too long for the arrival of our King. I spend time with older people; many become restless as their physical strength declines and their place in society becomes increasingly invisible. They struggle to find a sense of purpose and meaning for themselves. I’ve spoken to some who are very old who make the claim they have not died because they cannot have fulfilled their purpose yet. Ask them what that purpose is, and they can’t put it into words. But our purpose is never a mystery; God makes it clear. It is for each one of us to accept and live out that purpose, found only in him. Both Mary and Zechariah had heard the purpose of their child at the time of conception. As parents they were entrusted to communicate that purpose. As Christmas approaches, it invites us to revisit our purpose. God’s great gift to each one of us is to offer meaning to our individual existence. This meaning enables us to make peace with ourselves and our circumstances. Such peace births hope. Hope enables us to live and die well. QUESTION: How do you view your life? Have you clarity over your purpose? PRAYER: Heavenly Lord, help me to glorify you and enjoy you with my whole heart.  

A daily devotional walking through God's word together using The Bible Reading Plan at http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.html. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com. Welcome back to our study of “The Story,” God story of His plan to bring us back to Him. Last week we talked about the Garden of Eden, why we are no longer in it, the curse of evil we all inherited because of Adam and Eve's decision to disobey, and God's working to redeem us - to bring us back into fellowship with Him. The story of the Garden is the first of five major movements in God's word, His story. Today we begin the second movement, the birth of the nation of Israel. Bible Reading Plan - www.Bible-Reading.com - or Genesis chapters 12-35 When I was a kid, I'll have to admit I wasn't the most athletic person in my community. I was always the geek. Loved reading and science and math. I enjoyed learning more than running around outside getting all hot and sweaty. So one of the things I remember about that time of my life are the games we had to play in school in which someone was made the captain of each side and those captains began to choose their team from all the kids around them. If I wasn't the last person picked, I was next to last just about every time. I just wasn't very good at sports and so I never got picked early. I could write well, debate, take tests of all kinds and perform at the top of the class in those areas. But sports? Not so much. A strange thing happened on one of those fields one day, though. One of the best players on the field was a friend. On this particular day, he was chosen as the captain of one of the teams. I was at the back of the crowd of kids trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.Trying not to be as embarrassed as usual. I wasn't paying much attention to what was going on at the front of the crowd because I knew I'd be one of the last one's whose name was called. But my friend, the captain that day, made the first pick and he called my name. He had to call it twice, though, because I was in shock. No one picked me first. The other captain called a name and then my friend called the name of the second least likely to be asked to play. Then when he called the third name for his team, it was another geek, least likely to play any kind of sport. And that's how it went until everyone was picked. I don't even remember what the score was at the end of the softball game that day, but I remember being called first when teams were formed. I also remember we didn't win the game, but all of us on that team played our hearts out for our captain. He broke the cultural traditions and put together the worst team you could imagine. God's story, beginning at Genesis 12, tells of the selection of two unlikely people. If we were trying to build a nation, we wouldn't pick Abram and Sarai. We would probably find the son of some wealthy king and spark a new nation from him. We would probably look at the pedigree of those who applied and like the majority of the world, we would peruse all those resumes to pick the very best couple we could to form this new nation. But God's story is a little different. He chooses some of the most unlikely people to carry out His plan so there is no question about His intervention in the story. Abraham and Sarah (God changed their names along the way) were old. She was barren. They had no children. How was a great nation to start from an old couple with no children. He was already well past retirement age when his son Isaac was born. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90. Then about fifteen years later, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son. The heir to his property. The one who was promised as the means of building a new nation that would bless all the other nations of the world. These 20 plus chapters in Genesis tell the story of how God chooses the way my friend did that day on the field. There is one really important difference, though. On the softball field, that broken team didn't play very well. We played hard, but we lost. But when God chooses someone to carry out His work, when we do what He asks, the plan never fails. The plan doesn't fail because God doesn't fail. He intends to use men and women like Abraham and Sarah to bless others. Was Abraham perfect after God chose him? Not by a long shot. That's one of the things that's different about His Story. He tells us the good and the bad about the heroes in scripture. God's story doesn't hide the disappointment, the disobedience, the sin in the lives of those upon whom His kingdom is built. It's one of those “tell all” kinds of stories. We see behind the curtain and see all the warts and wrongs and brokenness of those God chooses to do His work. What that tells me, when I read stories of Abraham and his deceit with Pharaoh or the story of Jacob lying to his father and stealing his brother's birthright or the story of Judah sleeping with his daughter-in-law, is that God can use all the people the world would never pick. He looks at the back of the crowd at those who are least likely to succeed. He finds those who the world would snub their nose and question why God would think to use “that person.” God knows what He is doing, though. God works through some of the least likely for two reasons, I think. First, when those least likely carry out His plan and others around see the success of God's work through the efforts of the least likely to succeed, there can be no question that God is part of the plan. There is just no other way to explain how things work because we cannot see around the bend in the road. We can't see how everything will work because we live in the lower story of God's word while He operates in the upper story. God not only sees what's ahead, but intervenes to make sure His plans happen as He intends. Second, when we read about people like Judah and Jacob and Abraham and the mistakes they made yet were honored by God when they returned and followed Him, we can understand that God can use you and me too. He can take us with all our warts, all our brokenness, all our failures and turn us into instruments of His love and part of His great plan. The question is whether we will be part of His plan or fighting against His plan. The choice is ours to make. God won't force us to follow Him or accept Him as our redeemer. He won't push us to do something we refuse to do. He will let us choose our own path. But we also suffer the consequences of taking the wrong path. He tells us how best to live. His word gives us instruction on how to get along with others, how to succeed in life. How to treat our children and our spouse. How to find Him and His redemptive power in our lives. But still, God lets us choose. He knows the best path for us and if we will look up and follow Him, He will show us which path to take. But we still get to choose whether we will take it or not. So here we are at the beginning of the nation of Israel. God made it possible for Abraham to bless the world through his offspring. Abraham decided to accept God's offer and to follow Him. You can look at the first chapter of the New Testament and discover just how blessed the world is because of Abraham's faithfulness. Jesus is his descendant. Both Mary and Joseph trace their heritage back to this man who decided to trust God and follow the path He laid out. So what can you do? Can you change the world for God? No. Neither could Abraham. But God can change the world through you just as He changed the world through Abraham. An unlikely candidate for greatness, but God change that in Abraham. You might think you are an unlikely candidate for greatness. But God can use you to carry out His plans and make all things good as you carry out His purpose in your part of His creation. So what will it be? You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more about The Story and our part in it. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn't, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

Scripture Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122715.cfm Summary: Today we celebrate the feast day of "The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph". Just as Jesus is the son of God and of Mary, so we through our baptism are made adopted sons and daughters of God. Both Mary and Joseph said "yes" to God, to His mission and purpose for their lives. With our "yes", we also place God at the focal point of our lives.