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A recent series on Disney+ has my husband’s (and many others’) attention. The Mandalorian is a live-action television series of the Star Wars franchise. While I won’t attempt to connect any of the show’s entertaining themes to our Christian faith, one thing does repeatedly capture my attention. Mandalorians regularly say a phrase to one another that is met with great acceptance - “This is the way.” Every time I hear those words my mind shifts to “Jesus is the Way!”
What if the world came to know that truth and...
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There are times my mind is drawn to worry, World situations, family health concerns, decisions that need to be made…if I’m not careful, small concerns (and big ones) can spiral downward and cause me to doubt, second guess myself and well, ruin my day. I know in my heart that I need to pre-empt the downward spiral. I need to cast my cares on God and ask him to help me to take my thoughts captive...
"About six years ago, my sister-in-law brought me to this Power Strength Body & Soul® Fitness class. I enjoyed working out so much to great music that was always uplifting me as I was leaving. I was not a follower of Jesus at the time"...
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I have been a stay-at-home mom for 18 years and for the last 9 years I have homeschooled our three children. We launched our first bird from the nest in August of this year and she is loving college. She’s excelling in her classes and soaking up “all the things” that make the college experience fun. She got a lovely little scholarship but it didn’t pay for everything so we were attempting to make all the numbers work out and we weren’t quite sure how to do that...
"Each woman is attending for more than exercise: there is a community. It is a place where they can find friends, support, someone caring for them and praying for them. We all passed through the pandemic, by walking together twice a week...
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The Hebrew word, shalom, wishes (either coming or going) a state of wholeness, completeness, or unity on another. It may even include reconciliation. The ‘peace’ indicated by Shalom can be between us and God, one another, or both.
As we approach the holiday season, specifically Thanksgiving, many Christians also approach the end of the church year, closing the liturgical church year with ‘Christ the King Sunday’ to begin a new church year with the season of Advent. It’s a great time to think of all that shalom means and how it’s meaning can infuse our lives and gatherings this holiday season...
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When I was a child, one of my favorite fall activities was raking up the leaves into a big pile and when the pile was big enough, I would
start from far away and run and take a huge leap into the pile! I taught my own kids how to do that and we would laugh so hard with leaves in our hair! Living in the Northeast, the leaves change to colors of red, orange and yellow and can be so vibrant. Without the changing of the leaves, there would be no reason to make a pile and jump in them....
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The folks who built our house here on Edisto Island were wonderful gardeners. As a result I inherited a beautiful garden on the side of my house. I myself am not much of a gardener. Last summer as I was wandering through the garden, I noticed a pomegranate bush with hanging fruit. The fruit was large and greenish red. It looked ripe for the picking! I got excited and I picked it and hurried into the kitchen and cut it open. I was so disappointed...
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I love the cool sunny days of fall. The air is crisp and clear—gone are the heavy heat-filled days of summer. It’s time to get outside and walk, bike, hike or do a Body & Soul® Fitness class.
Recently I’ve had a chance to do some hiking while visiting family in Washington State. We wore some good gripping shoes and hiked a wonderful path starting at one of the visitor centers on Mt. Rainer—God’s glory was magnificent. We were physically refreshed by the sights as well as the walk. Waterfalls, breathtaking views, and wildflowers. It does not get more beautiful than this!
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I had one plan and God had another; my plan was to get physically fit, look better hoping it would increase my self-esteem and self-love. My plan was to do this solely for self-gratification and increased knowledge of health and wellness. Gods plan was different and as I continued following my plan, slowly everything started to change. The more I learned about health and wellness the more I realized it was more than physical fitness and nutrition. The missing link was the mind and soul aspect. That is where Gods plan started to unfold...
