Kathy Crist believes she is on a mission from God. Of course, the tenets of her faith tell her she is not alone in the assignment to help those in need.

“It’s our job as Christians to help these folks,” the Conway woman said.

For a small church, Union United Methodist gets big results.

The South Conway church regularly sees about 150 worshippers on any given Sunday. Despite that, the congregation has brought in close to $120,000 to fund water wells in Africa as well as improve its own facilities for effective ministry environments.

I want to save the world. But I don’t want to do it one person at a time. I want to create new programs, write new books, teach new lessons - that somehow can reach the masses. 

Then I am reminded...the fight is personal.

I am a cynic. I can be quite negative, condemning, and judgmental. Now that I really think about it, cynic isn’t the right word. Critical. Yes, that’s better.

Ten-year-old Isaiah Clardy prayed three years ago for a garden. He remembers it was for “people that didn’t have food,” but doesn’t recall what led him to make the same prayer request continually each night before going to sleep.

It was a Sunday morning. I was praying for my family. I was crying out to God for ways I could help my husband. I did that for a while. Actually, I did that for a long while. I love words, and sometimes, I tend to use a lot of them. After letting me go on and on, God answered me.

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I frequently mix up the two. I catch myself calling this Friday, Black Friday. Then, I realize my mistake.

You have to admit. It fits in many ways. The day Jesus died has a lot to do with darkness, despair, and mourning. 

God was calling Mary Long.

At first, the idea of going to Africa was a little frightening. Mary was concerned about her family’s safety once she got there as well as the Conway home she was leaving behind for two weeks.

We called him Methuselah. He called my husband Jesus. Even with his long hair and beard, Keith is not as much like Jesus as Billy was like Methuselah.

My husband has always said I should take karate. Maybe it’s because he wants me to be able to defend myself against a potential attack. Maybe he knows how much I need and enjoy physical fitness. Maybe he understands the mental and spiritual connection to the sport.

Art can speak volumes. Its message is often more profound and penetrating than mere words alone. As I continue to press on in my fascination with fighting and films, I find myself grateful for those movies with a redeeming message I can hold on to.

I had become fascinated by fighting. This curiosity surfaced nearly two years ago when I realized every movie I was interested in had fighting as its backdrop. I noticed I was drawn to action films, where characters displayed courage, fought for freedom, and stood their ground in honor of the right thing. They didn’t back down, despite having all odds against them.