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Christian / Re: Devotions
« Last post by Pip on October 30, 2024, 10:56:21 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/22/lord-do-you-care?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9lFJAuri_bf0CKWBidJaaPeUqbH2YMInp7RrWVFc-v5JbZzRdQgIC8Qd76vAserKL664kq7C4GJRZKYGG8yb4JPAi6VA&_hsmi=296357416&utm_content=296357416&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Lord, Do You Care?
March 22, 2024
by Jodi Harris

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)

I was grateful for the dark worship auditorium that concealed my running makeup and shame-filled soul.  Events and behaviors earlier that year had led to a broken relationship and failed attempts to repair it. I was ashamed of my inability to make things right, no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to do better. To be better.  In this moment in church, as we belted out praise, I wondered, Lord, do You care?

This was my repeated question during summer walks as the sun set behind the Rocky Mountains. The brilliant colors God painted across the sky with His finger were awe-inspiring. If He cared about that, did He care about me?

The writers of the Old Testament often spoke about God’s finger to communicate His creative power and authority over His creation. God’s finger was also known for sending destructive plagues and inscribing the Ten Commandments (Exodus 8:19; Exodus 31:18). But recently I discovered something else.  In John 8:1-11, Jesus was teaching in the temple courts when teachers of the law brought in a woman caught in adultery. As they accused and sentenced her to death, Jesus bent down and wrote in the dirt. How many times have we wondered what Jesus was writing?

And why did John even mention it in his Gospel?

John didn’t just say Jesus bent down to write in the dirt. He said, “Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger” (John 8:6b, NIV, emphasis mine).

God’s finger is the finger that created the heavens and us.  It’s the finger that inscribed the perfect law.  And now this finger wrote in the dirt.  Oh, to be face to face with Rabbi Jesus, who holds the power in His finger to put sinners to death, but instead He set the accused woman free from sin and shame (John 8:10-11).  God has all power in His finger, yet He chooses to forgive us. To bend down low and write in the dirt. Dirt He used to create us (Genesis 2:7).  He first wrote His law on stone tablets; in Christ, He now writes His love on our hearts.  “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4).

Sweet sister, what shame or sin might you carry today that keeps you stuck?

Picture yourself in the place of the woman in John 8, your accuser bringing you to Jesus to condemn you. Turn your eyes to His face as He stoops down where you are crumpled on the ground in shame. As He kneels in front of you, He says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11, MEV).
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Christian / Re: Devotions
« Last post by Pip on October 28, 2024, 07:06:29 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/21/jesus-never-loses-sight-of-us?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--NJfm9360hc3eXhlPxcl_vOqsCoEdeR1luSRgRg5N2Ia61HPoYyA7_gSgNqyxXnnsvGE6Oin2P8wQdcXMVvosUS_PAwA&_hsmi=296357021&utm_content=296357021&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Jesus Never Loses Sight of Us
March 21, 2024
by Lysa TerKeurst

"Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land." Mark 6:47 (NIV)

When life gets messy, it can feel like our Messiah has gone missing.  That's exactly the kind of situation we find Jesus' disciples in as we read Mark 6. Right after Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people, the 12 disciples got in a boat to travel to their next city. But strong winds caused the water to get very rough. The disciples were “straining at the oars” as the realities of life beat against them (Mark 6:48, NIV).  A deeper study of the Greek word basanizo (pronounced bas-an-id-zo) that is translated as “straining” in Mark 6:48 reveals just how distressing their circumstances were. Basanizo can also mean “to torment.” It’s a word we see used in the context of the torment caused by disease in Matthew 8:6 and demon possession in Mark 5:7. Mark clearly wanted to emphasize the serious turmoil and struggle these men were facing.  This storm was terrifying for them. The waves weren’t just cresting and crashing like you’ve probably seen if you’ve ever been in rough waters. These waves were exploding all around them in unpredictable ways. They couldn't brace themselves or their boat. They were completely helpless and swallowed up by fear.  I certainly can’t blame them for being afraid at that moment. Sometimes it’s hard not to be completely consumed by fear, isn’t it?

Oh, how thankful I am that even when our storms cause us to lose sight of hope, Jesus never loses sight of us.  While the disciples were in the boat straining, Jesus was on the mountainside praying. From where He was, Jesus saw the disciples in the middle of the lake. “Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them” (Mark 6:47-48a, NIV).

I want us to notice Jesus’ response to the disciples, who cried out in fear, not faith, when He walked toward them on the water. The Scripture says “immediately” He spoke to them and said, “Don't be afraid” (Mark 6:50, NIV).

He didn’t criticize them for being afraid. He climbed into the boat with them.  He’s saying the same thing to you and me. He’s not running from us in our fears. He’s climbing in to be right there with us.  And with His presence comes peace. The same God who willingly revealed Himself to people in the Bible wants to reveal the fullness of His peace and the power of His presence to us as well.  In the midst of whatever hurts and heartbreaks you’re facing today, I pray you will see Him. Friend, the Lord is near. We are safe. We are loved. We are seen.
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Christian / Re: Devotions
« Last post by Pip on October 27, 2024, 08:22:28 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/20/the-miracle-of-forgiveness?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9FjXIepKg6x8UkzIt9q3UvfstN2ekKkcwE2i_RzywDbYatQXm9tu1K65seCdFoBik-_0ZzS75bEeYz1X4PQhgRolmu6A&_hsmi=296356796&utm_content=296356796&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

The Miracle of Forgiveness
March 20, 2024
by Charaia Rush

“Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” Luke 17:4 (NIV)

Growing up, I didn’t spend much time with my grandmother so I nervously stumbled over my words when asking her if my kids and I could stay with her while we moved back to Colorado.  I had believed my husband and I were in a season of reconciliation, only to discover it was all an illusion.  So when my grandmother offered me a matter-of-fact “yes,” as if my question held a foregone conclusion, I let out a sigh of relief.

That was just my grandmother. But what she lacked in warmth she possessed in wisdom.  While I wasn’t at my grandmother’s house for long, it was long enough to understand that I was living in the legacy of her faith. She could be heard humming hymns as she scooted around the kitchen in her wheelchair.  It didn’t come as a shock to me, then, when her only advice to me in the middle of my sea of suffering was to forgive the father of my children. “It’s the only way to be free,” she said, with her eyes glued to her crossword puzzle.

My grandma never brought it up again. There was no need because what she said was what she meant. Forgiveness was simple it was that simple.  I struggled with how she called me to the same resolve. To me, forgiveness felt anything but simple.  In Luke 17, Jesus taught His disciples about forgiveness, and He said the truth openly: The hurt is bound to happen. In this life, we will always experience something that needs to be forgiven. And to follow Jesus requires that we place our feet on the path of forgiveness again and again.  Jesus said, “Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Luke 17:4).

It’s clear from this verse and from many others where God speaks of forgiveness — that forgiving is not optional. To forgive is to obey what God has asked of us. Yet try as we may, we cannot manufacture the miracle of walking in forgiveness on our own.  The disciples’ honest reaction when they heard Jesus’ radical call to forgiveness was that they couldn’t do it. They cried out, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5, NIV).

Jesus quickly assured them that all they needed was the smallest measure of faith imaginable, “faith as small as a mustard seed,” for the miracle of forgiveness to take place in their hearts (Luke 17:6, NIV).

God gives us a hard command paired with tremendous grace. The type of grace that gives us the bravery not just to hear what Jesus said but to believe it’s what He meant and respond accordingly.
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Depression Central / MIND Diet and Patient Empowerment
« Last post by Pip on October 27, 2024, 08:16:47 PM »
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/mind-diet-and-patient-empowerment?ekey=RUtJRDpFOTIxNUQyMy03MkY0LTREOEUtQjRBRi1GNEI1RjcyQ0M4ODM%3D&utm_campaign=emailname&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Q4C3bq0uSuLkYCAiYjYK-fzjBaPpCihzic9oNGdB8eBSLrjEB6suiCfgIYyyJ3xYFLjB-kl-vI_WpJ11NMmXFAsdjCQ&_hsmi=327194754&utm_source=hs

September 26, 2024
MIND Diet and Patient Empowerment

Author(s):
Mena Mirhom, MD, FAPA

Mental health clinicians can help empower patients via tools like diet, including the MIND Diet.

MIND Diet

“I feel like no matter what I do, nothing really changes. How are you going to fix me?”

A patient told me this recently and it was a powerful reminder that our patients often feel powerless in the distress of a mental health journey. In their perceived loss of agency and control, they often turn to professionals to be “fixed.” Part of our role is to restore the balance of power to the patient themselves and remind them that they, in fact, have a great deal of control over their own health. We can empower them with the right tools to make that impact.

One of those tools is the food we all eat. In a recent study, the MIND Diet, which is a combination of the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet, looked at the impact of these dietary changes over time in preventing cognitive decline. The study looked at over 14,000 patients over 10 years and concluded that close adherence to this diet which consists of green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and fish showed a clinically significant difference in reducing the risk of cognitive decline.

This year, the American Psychiatric Association President, Ramaswamy Viswanathan, MD, DrMedSc, has outlined a theme for lifestyle and mental health. Perhaps the single most refreshing element of this theme to patients is the empowerment. I am not a passive spectator of my health and not simply a product of the genetic lottery that produced me. Rather, my choices have impact on my own health and the health of others.

During the incredibly difficult experience of COVID-19 pandemic, we developed an awareness of our collective public health. With the food we eat and the choices we make with our friends and family, a study like one on the MIND Diet reminds us that we are able to make collective choices to impact the health of those around us. Dietary changes often have a greater likelihood of being sustained with encouragement.

Part of this power balance restoration involves a less paternalistic approach from those who typically hold it in a patient-doctor dynamic. The more we can “step down” to the level of a patient and align ourselves with them on their journey, the more they will feel empowered to make their own choices. As we guide them along that journey, we likely discover what we instantly knew all along: that we really never had the power to change them to begin with.

Dr Mirhom is the immediate past president of the New York County Psychiatric Society, an assistant professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, codirector of the PPF Express Program, and the Chief Wellbeing Officer at Athletes for Hope.

Reference

Sawyer RP, Blair J, Shatz R, et al. Association of adherence to a MIND-style diet with the risk of cognitive impairment and decline in the REGARDS cohort. Neurology. 2024;103(8):e209817.
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The Lounge / Re: Members birthdays
« Last post by Pip on October 25, 2024, 05:16:06 PM »
 :happybday: natythingycolbery
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The Lounge / Re: Members birthdays
« Last post by Amanda_George on October 24, 2024, 09:09:58 AM »
Happy birthday,  natythingycolbery!
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The Lounge / Re: Members birthdays
« Last post by Pip on October 21, 2024, 03:52:33 PM »
Belated Happy Birthday Ally
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Christian / Re: Devotions
« Last post by Pip on October 21, 2024, 03:47:34 PM »
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/03/11/that-the-works-of-god-might-be-displayed?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9R8-rfSQbsdYVro2iMFo-Vh3PcKlHAXf7n8n0-zUdxTOuylSRImi-NmQbiVaV_LiFxg3nCrDGzrimKaGRCTbc4DFAziA&_hsmi=295274163&utm_content=295274163&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

That the Works of God Might Be Displayed
March 11, 2024
by Alice Matagora

"'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.'" John 9:3 (NIV)

Maybe it’s because I put my career first for so long that’s why I can’t get pregnant.  Maybe it’s because I wanted the promotion too much that’s why the door was shut.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been too eager for a relationship that’s why I’m still single.  Throughout my life, I’ve gone through several seasons of wondering. Wondering why things haven’t turned out the way I wanted them to. Wondering why my life seemed stuck while everyone else’s seemed to be moving along just fine. Wondering why others seemed to have it so much easier than me. This wondering can quickly turn into looking for someone to blame. For me, that “someone” is usually myself  Is there something wrong with me? Did I do something wrong?

I feel small, like a child who is confused and afraid.  In John 9, Jesus and His disciples met a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples responded in a way many of us do when we encounter some misfortune: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2, NIV).

In other words, Who is to blame?

We may be surprised by the response of the Son of God, the only One who sees and knows the sins of all humankind: “‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him’” (John 9:3, emphasis added).

There was more to the story than the disciples could see. The Son of God had yet to fully reveal His works in the man’s life.  Perhaps there is more to your story than what you can see right now, more that God has yet to reveal.  Sin does have consequences, and sometimes our own choices can create or worsen hard situations in our lives. Even then, Jesus always gives us grace (James 4:6). It’s equally important to realize that not all suffering is caused by our personal sin. Sometimes we may suffer for reasons we can’t explain yet “the works of God might be displayed” (John 9:3).

So when we are quick to jump to conclusions and blame ourselves when things don’t go as planned, and when we feel like that confused, scared child, Jesus gently and compassionately releases us from our self-condemnation.  No, daughter. There’s nothing wrong with you. You may feel confused right now, but I will show up here.  Although it may not happen when or how we expect, Jesus reassures us that His works will be displayed in our lives and that He can do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). We only need to trust in Him and wait.
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The Lounge / Diana's stepmother died eight years ago today: How Raine Spencer's ....
« Last post by Pip on October 21, 2024, 03:35:22 PM »
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/article-13889327/Raine-Spencer-died-Diana-Harrods-Mohamed-Al-Fayed.html

Diana's stepmother died eight years ago today: How Raine Spencer's relationship with the Princess led to her working for the now-disgraced Harrods tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed in her final years

By Alesia Fiddler

Published: 07:21, 21 October 2024 | Updated: 08:36, 21 October 2024

Known as a vivacious figure who married Princess Diana's father, Raine, Countess Spencer ended up becoming a trusted confidante to the late royal.  Their complicated relationship helped Countess Spencer, who died eight years ago today, secure a job as a board director for Harrods International, working for the now-disgraced Mohamed Al Fayed in 1996.  Diana said to the tycoon at a party with Raine in early 1996, 'Mohamed, this is the woman you should employ she can organise anything.'

She was was soon offered a job, even occasionally working behind the tills, and the countess worked for the luxury store until she became ill with cancer in 2014.  Last month a BBC documentary revealed that Al Fayed, who died aged 94 last year, has been accused of sexual assault and rape by former workers.  Harrods, which is now owned by Qatar, said they are 'utterly appalled' by the allegations and have 'sincerely' apologised to his victims.  When Raine started working for Harrods, The Daily Mail reported how Al Fayed said: 'I am delighted Raine has accepted my invitation to join the board of Harrods International.  She has a wealth of experience in fields which are very important to the development of my company and her record of success is very impressive.'

Her first shift with the company at 67 years old consisted of working eight hours at Harrods International in Heathrow Airport.  Raine said at the time: 'I could not be more pleased to be embarking upon a job which is so exciting.   I have known Harrods throughout my life and I am fascinated by the international aspect of the business.  I have no doubt that Britain can benefit enormously by bringing the quality of Harrods' merchandise and levels of service to a worldwide audience.'

She stepped down from the role in 2014, and died at her home in London on October 21, 2016.  Previously described as a 'complete perfectionist' by her family, Raine even arranged a farewell dinner party with 35 of her closest friends.  Before she died, she wrote two pages on her life to give to her friend, journalist Michael Cole, after she asked him to read her eulogy at her funeral.   None of her stepchildren from her second marriage to 8th Earl Spencer Princess Diana's father attended the funeral service.  The countess was born on September 9, 1929 to romantic novelist Barbara Cartland and printing heir Alexander McCorquodale.  Raine had four children with her first husband, Gerald Legge, the 9th Earl of Dartmouth and the couple were together for 25 years.  She began an affair with Earl Spencer in 1973, when the aristocrat was a colleague of hers on an architectural heritage committee.  Three years later, Raine and her husband divorced and she married Earl Spencer, whose wife Frances had left him for wallpaper tycoon Peter Shand Kydd in 1969.   However, Raine's presence was not welcomed by her new stepchildren Lady Diana, then 14, and her younger siblings, Charles, Sarah and Jane.  Missing their mother, Frances Shand Kydd, after a bitter divorce and custody battle, the children turned to saying 'Raine, Raine go away'.

When the Earl died in 1992, his children forced Raine to move out of the family home.  She would go on to marry French aristocrat Count Jean-François de Chambrun within a year, but their union lasted less than two years.  Later in life, she became closer to Princess Diana in particular and the pair would communicate regularly.  Though Raine lived a glamorous life, she did not have a headstone until five years after her death.  In 2019, three years after her death, a wooden cross was all that stood on her grave.  She was buried in North Sheen Cemetery, London and a visitor at the time said: 'There is just a small, weather-beaten wooden cross.'

When asked about the delay, her children said organising a headstone was taking longer than they expected.  Raine's youngest son, Henry, said: 'My sister Charlotte is dealing with commissioning a special gravestone for my mother as she did for my father when he died. This is taking much longer than we anticipated.'

Her daughter Charlotte di Carcaci added: 'Raine was always a complete perfectionist and for that reason we have been taking the greatest care to find the best way to remember her.  We were advised that it takes a year for the earth where she was actually buried to fully settle and we are in the process of commissioning the right stone to make us all proud of a life well lived and well remembered by all who knew and loved her.'

In 2021 a headstone was erected, engraved with a gold coronet, it was described as 'simple and elegant' by her daughter.  It reads, 'Countess Raine Spencer 1929-2016' and has no mention of her four children or grandchildren.  Charlotte said: 'She was elegant and unforgettable, but also very much a person who loved family.  We are so pleased to have her gravestone in place: simple, elegant and a memorial to the love and affection in which she was so widely held.'
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Fun Stuff / CHURCH BULLETIN BLOOPERS
« Last post by Pip on October 21, 2024, 03:16:13 PM »
CHURCH BULLETIN BLOOPERS

~ We have a food program in the church for those in need which we call The Pastor's Pantry. Well, in the magazine, I (church secretary) wrote "THE PANTY FUND so that no one will have to go without!" Oops.

~ A visiting pastor came to our church and before the sermon said, "My wife and I are very happy to be here. Honey, get up so the brothers can see you."

~ We have received word of sudden passing of Rev. Smith this morning during the worship service. Now let's sing "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow."

~ This Sunday morning following services we will have our monthly feelowship.

~ Sinspiration this Sunday night at church. Ya'll Come!

~ This blooper showed up on the main page of the Internet web site for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada: "In a show of near anonymity, the convention approved full communion with the Anglican Church of Canada."

~ Lift up our Messianic brothers and sisters in Israel who are suffering during our prayer time.

~ Couples Retreat: All couples interested in a fun time, meet John in the Courtyard Kiosk after church.

~ Glory of God to all and peas to his people on earth

~ Join us for a skirt presented by the Drama Team.

~ We will have a Super Bowel party this Sunday night.  We will also have our regular service

~ Summer Festival: Menu for Wednesday night:  1/2 baked chicken, baked potato, and corn.

~ Applications are now being accepted for 2 year-old nursery workers.

~ Brother Lamar has gone on to be the Lord.

~ The pastor will light his candle from the altar candles. The ushers will light their candle from the pastor's candle. The ushers will turn and light each worshipper in the first pew.

~ Song Lyrics: What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and briefs to bear.

~ Church sign: Jesus Saves! Safeway sign across the street: Safeway saves you more!

~ For the group of ladies called Moms Who Care and pray for the children in school). When their meeting was cancelled one week: There will be no Moms who care this week.
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