Local Changes Needed Re: Housing & Homelessness

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Maryann

Just passing on my vision for how to improve the situation locally, in view of global cooperation.

What Needs to Change (begun May 30, 2018) – updated February 2023

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Counseling Theory & Basic Listening Sequence

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Maryann

Just passing on some of the knowledge I gleaned from obtaining my Psychology/Philosophy B.A. through Stanislaus State:

Longer, but missing the below: My Integrated Counseling Theory

Shorter, but missing the above: Basic Listening Sequence & 5 Stages of a Counseling Sesh

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Good News of the Kingdom

Posted on September 26, 2022 by Maryann

Good News of the Kingdom:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vt45yxiSdRn3Y4ODjrYDbhUQ5ZDKGVjS7oaiVKUI4G0/edit

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Harmonic Triads

Posted on September 26, 2022 by Maryann
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Modesto Mural Map

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Maryann

I took liberties to add another mural to the MODESTO MURAL MAP (below) put out by Murals in Motown and Fasm Creative. The latest mural is The Burnt End by Vincent Cabrera, owner of Painted Ape Gallery and Tattoos. Watch him in action at the mural this past Monday here.

If you like watching LIVE art, put this on your calendar: Fasm Creative Battle 6 – Seven Artists from Around the World.

Posted in News, Positive Modesto News | 2 Comments

Why do bad/good things happen to good/bad people?

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Maryann

Why-Do-Bad-Things-Happen-to-Good-People1-930x300Thesis: Bad things happen to bad people, good things happen to good people (according to Job’s friends, Pharisees, & prosperity preachers…& those who believe in ‪karma‬).

Antithesis: Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people (according to Job, Jonah, and King Solomon) (the problem of evil & suffering).

Synthesis: God loves both the same, so bad/good things happen to good/bad people (according to Jesus, Paul, and just all throughout Scripture…this is the Gospel…love despite circumstances…).

Unfortunately, that answer doesn’t satisfy everyone. See the discussion that followed in this Facebook thread.

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#Good: Still thinking about QoW #379

Posted on January 9, 2016 by Maryann

b4472-16678638-abstract-word-cloud-for-anti-realism-with-related-tags-and-termsHi Dr. Craig. Still chewing on QoW #379. I keep coming back to this video, especially Q & A, especially 01:01:07 & context … do you address Aquinas & divine simplicity (as relates to the rest of my question below) in your current lectures?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVoXs4qQIl8&feature=youtu.be&t=1h1m1s

Also, does this correctly represent your view?… Continue reading →

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‘Tis the Season to Study the Virgin Birth with Your Kids

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Maryann

JesusInFocus_VirginBirth-300x300My high school aged sons and I were recently offered a free review of the first lesson in a new youth apologetics video curriculum by Mikel Del Rosario, the Apologetics Guy. Knowing that Mikel is *already* accessible, we had to see what this new curriculum specifically targeted to youth is all about. The curriculum is called Jesus in Focus, and this first lesson is called Is the Virgin Birth a True Story?. Could the timing be better, with Christmas right around the corner?

While everyone else was out in the craziness on Black Friday, we saved ourselves an hour of madness and geared up for Christmas studying the virgin birth. What better way to kick off the holidays? You know it’s going to come up soon at school, in the media, and basically everywhere. Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Apologetics Toolbox, Youth Apologetics | 11 Comments

Why does God allow sin? A bit of a different take.

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Maryann

This question was submitted by a woman via email in preparation for an apologetics discussion my sister and I held this past weekend at a women’s retreat hosted by Redeemer Modesto, our church home.

why-did-god-allow-the-possibility-of-evil-and-suffering_t51I want to share my answer here, because it is a bit different from the usual answer you encounter when you study apologetics. It does not require taking the Fall narrative in Genesis literally, and allows for (but does not require) theistic evolution. We all agree that things are messed up, even if we don’t take the Fall narrative literally. Unlike what you normally encounter, the answer below doesn’t blame all negative junk on the Fall, nor promise that Heaven will be pain-free. Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Golden Rule, Problem of Evil & Hell | 2 Comments

Kindly tilling out obstacles is the work of gospel-rooted apologetics

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Maryann

Apologetics is Kindly Tilling the Ground
Apologetics kindly tills out obstacles against a firmly rooted faith.

The sunset with which God greeted our journey home after the retreat.


My sister (Laura) and I had the privilege of holding an apologetics discussion this weekend with a group of women from Redeemer Modesto (our home church) who were on retreat in Twain Harte. She and I had three prep sessions together leading up to the retreat. I enjoyed those sessions with my sis as much as I enjoyed the actual discussion. Laura is the life of the party, and I could not have done it without her. It is much more interesting to provoke laughter with “The ‘sheep’ need to follow His voice, not just the sheep butt in front of them,” (Laura) than focus solely on the dry reality that it is okay to ask (seek… knock…), even if no one else is asking the important questions. Continue reading →

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