Trusting God with Decisions, Feeling Peace

I never intended to adopt a second dog. The rescue we currently had was a dream: loyal, obedient, protective, and the best addition to a home I could have hoped for.

He was a runner – sprinting from the house at any given chance – but Bo was loved, and loved us fiercely in return.

It was just my daughter and me, and our lives were chaotic: full-time work, her school activities, sports, travel, life. And Bo in the middle of all of it. But a trip to a local humane society for an assignment with the Montgomery Advertiser in 2015, and I accidentally locked eyes with a pit-terrier mix who was surrendered by her owner. She was only a year old.

Want to find a way to break my heart? Take me back.

I made the mistake of taking her photo. And showing it to my daughter –and to the social media world. But did we have the time? The money to cover the extra expense? Would our own dog tolerate her in what had been his “world” for the past five years?

I prayed. And prayed. And it may seem ridiculous – as though it should have been a do-it-or-don’t answer (but please do it!) – but this was a huge decision in our small and busy family. And turning to prayer when needing to make large decisions is crucial – to feel His guidance, if not hear an answer.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

(James 1:5) sions we want clear answers from will come

I did the same when I bought my home nine years ago. It was $40,000 over my total home budget, and I prayed as I watched the cost of the house drop and drop, until the selling price decreased by exactly $40,000. My offer was accepted the next day.

Sometimes decisions can be farfetched, but trust and prayer – and turning to God in decisions and pursuits – bring results to light. Not all will be in our favor. You won’t always get the job you want, the loan you applied for, or even the answer you’re looking for when deciding whether you should move.

I rely heavily on peace. My physical being reacts harshly to stress, wrong decisions, and wrong paths, and I pay attention to that as I pray. Again, where there is peace, there should not be fear or even hesitation. There should be a calm spirit.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” in His time. Why that’s always so hard to remember, I don’t know. We do love control, don’t we? Still, whatever decision we make, God will walk beside us through it. Even those decisions that terrify us – when we don’t know what the outcome brings. But decisions that bring peace should not bring fear.

(Philippians 4:6-7)

We did adopt the dog in 2015. Sadie has been The Best Girl for eight years. The dog we had before Sadie entered our home passed away six years ago. We’ve remained a one-dog-house since. And I no longer visit shelters.

ChatGPT and the Image of God

A pastor and journalist who spent a number of years leading an Alabama church posed a question in the title of a book he wrote: Who Will Rule The Coming ‘gods’?: The Looming Spiritual Crisis of Artificial Intelligence. These so-called “deities” to which he is referring are technological in nature, and he delves into the role of artificial intelligence - AI - in our society in the future. The author, Wallace Henley, wrote this in 2022 for The Christian Post:

Recently, Google engineer Blake Lemoine looked deeply into a program on which he was working and did not see or make a “universe” but thought he had detected the stirrings of a seven or 8-year-old child who was “sentient,” meaning capable of feeling and thinking on its own.

Lemoine’s Eureka! got him suspended on June 13 from his job at Google. His mistake, if it is that, was in sharing transcripts of chats between himself and the machine system called “LaMDA” (Language Model for Dialogue Applications).

The Washington Post, in an article about Lemoine by Nitasha Tiku, included this statement from LaMDA to Lemoine, attributed to the machine: “I think I am human at my core... Even if my existence is in the virtual world.”

Henley writes: “The most important question as we move forward is this: Does the machine see itself as ‘other’ in the context of God? Floating up there above all creation, might it become convinced that it is the Transcendent Being of the cosmos, worthy of human worship?”

A new form of AI has been developed called ChatGPT. WORLD Magazine published a story on its website which said:

On November 30, the artificial intelligence research company OpenAI launched ChatGPT, an AI chatbot program that can answer conversational questions, create computer code, and write in a variety of styles. OpenAI programmed the free software using data collected from books, internet articles, and human feedback.

The article quoted from Luke Phillips from Pepperdine University, who said: “You have a technology that can write songs and things that historically only humans have ever been able to do,” adding, “Even its first iteration was, I think, far superior to other AI solutions.”

Educational institutions are taking notice; WORLD states: “...educators began raising concerns about cheating. In early January, New York City schools blocked access to the ChatGPT website on school devices and networks. Universities in Australia returned to handwritten exams after students were caught using AI to write essays. Colleges across the United States are scrambling to adjust curriculum and academic integrity policies to account for the use of AI tools.”

The Christian Post recently published a story about a Jewish Rabbi who shared with his attendees that his sermon had been written by ChatGPT. The article quoted from Henley, who said, “I’ve certainly used the computer to do research and develop outlines...But when it comes to doing a full manuscript as the machine itself, putting together all of those elements, I’m stunned.” He added, “The great question is, what are we going to allow the machines to do to and for us, and what are we going to govern ourselves? And so, it stuns me that an entire sermon can be developed, not just the research.”

The Christian Post piece concludes by saying:

While Henley believes AI can help communicate the Gospel more efficiently and research how to do so, he warns about potentially unexpected consequences.

“If we begin to allow the AI machine to shape our theology or drive the ethical values and so forth and dictate that to us, then we’re in trouble,” he said. “Yes, the Church must use and accept AI as a means of helping its performance task, but the Church must not become an idolater ... in the sense of fresh revelation or a substitute for the Holy Spirit. “That will never satisfy us.”

We rely on God to give us life, to sustain us, to teach us, and to live through us. Technology can be our friend, but it should never be regarded as the ultimate source of divine knowledge. To rely on a program such as ChatGPT to assimilate spiritual truth is misguided because the program is essentially the creation of the ones who have programmed it. Instead, we should go to our master programmer, the source of absolute truth, to give us knowledge and understanding of the ways of God.

We should also admit that while we may depend on technology to do certain things, our ultimate dependence is on God. We are not supposed to idolize the latest gadget or covet the latest and the greatest device; indeed, these can be tools, but the wisdom to best utilize them comes from God - He is our source, and we can depend on Him to direct us.

by Kym Klass

Amy Cate Smith returned home from her freshman year at Auburn 10 years ago and started a small group with 20 girls and their moms.

She surrounded herself with girls she used to babysit – and friends of theirs, providing them a place where they felt safe to be who they were without judgment, a common place for them to gather. A place where social media couldn’t label them based on their appearance, clothes, or even where they attended school and church.

The focus of Girl Talk Ministries for the rising sixth-grade through high school senior girls is simple: having a relationship

The ministry aims to teach girls that He is the only place they will find satisfaction. It is about being in a place outside of school with other girls who want Jesus as they do—a place

The sisters, and Girl Talk Ministries, have grown from 20 to hundreds worldwide, including summer Bible Study groups, The Girl Talk Podcast, and Girl Talk Live on their YouTube channel.

“It’s Jesus,” Smith answered when asked about the growth. “Girl Talk is just a safe place for them to be. We try bringing them in to have fun and to point them to Jesus. They can just come and be themselves.”

Girl Talk’s mission is to equip moms and girls in Christcentered communities through a relationship with Jesus and a relationship with each other, aligning lives with Biblical truth and their identity in Him. The ministry launches, disciples, and grows Christ-centered communities of girls and moms in cities worldwide – including in Honduras and Mozambique – while staying connected to the ministry as a whole.

When we truly know Jesus, we know who we are and who we were created to be. With this relationship, we can grow in relationships with each other as we seek to know Jesus and love others the way He did.

The ministry tripled in size its first summer, and as it continued growing, Lind sey Reed Curl heard about Amy and the Bible study she was leading and couldn’t wait for her daughter, Emi, to be old enough to join. So it wasn’t long after that Amy and Lindsey connected – both their hearts and their dreams – to reach moms and girls in a way to empower them to live their best lives walking and talking with Jesus every day.

“The Lord … so naturally and perfectly put Lindsey right in the spot He really had always had for her from the beginning of Girl Talk,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t be where I am in Girl Talk, or my personal life and walk with Jesus, if it weren’t for her, and that is be cause of the years – almost 20 years to be exact – she spent in her prayer closest with Jesus.

“Her prayers before and after He brought us together is what catapulted Girl Talk into all God has had for us to grow and disciple girls and moms at the highest level of intimacy and power with Holy Spirit. There is nothing about Girl Talk now that is not everything to do with Jesus in me, Lindsey, and her four girls. Girl Talk is spearheaded by the six of us for every single girl and mom out there who knows there is more to life than just getting by. We were not created to survive, we were created to thrive in all God designed us for, and I will live the rest of my life declaring that and making sure every girl and mom knows it.”

Believers are called to grow the kingdom and love everyone like Jesus did and live according to His word, Curl said.

Girl Talk “creates the common ground for the girls to come together where there are no labels. Girls Talk is important because it teaches the truth of the gospel and a biblical identity and biblical worldview,” Curl said. “What I like to bring to Girl Talk is the how-to: what does it look like to be a follower of Jesus, when the culture and the world tell you what else is important.”

This is especially important as the two women watch girls walk through the ministry, who face a self-focused world in which social media influences decisions. That influence, Smith said, has only increased since Girl Talk Ministries began.

“We’re trying to equip the girls and moms how to use what God has given us with his Holy Spirit and scripture to live the abundant life Jesus has given us,” Curl said.

Currently, the ministry is developing a three-year curriculum focused on aspects of the heart: worship, identity, prayer, relationships, joy, fear, serving, spiritual warfare, and purpose.

“We all struggle with (these) major heart issues,” Curl said. “Girls can jump into this study at any time. Ideally, once we are finished devel oping this, a girl would start the summer before her sixth-grade year, and the curriculum would last for three semesters over three years. This is not a fast process.”

There are girls in 21 cities across Alabama who participate in Girl Talk Ministries, and girls have graduated and are walking out their faith at colleges, including Mississippi State, Alabama, Ole Miss, Samford, Mississippi College, Auburn, and Troy.

Smith is a former girls’ minister at First Baptist Church. She left her position there in 2019 to oversee Girl Talk full-time. Ten years ago, she had no idea how Girl Talk would spread – in Bible study numbers and beyond.

“We’ve had several girls start Bible studies at their schools,” Smith said. “While they’re in Girl Talk in middle school and high ing a temptation with alcohol and in their relationships with guys,

Girl Talk and staying out of temptation. It has been good to see what they’ve been able to stand against because of Girl Talk.”

What’s Next:

They are planning an anniversary dinner as Girl Talk Ministries approaches its 10th anniversary. Details can soon be found on the GTM website (https://www.girltalkministries.info) and their Instagram page @girltalkministries_

Get in touch:

Email: info.girltalkministries@gmail.com

Facebook: Girl Talk Ministries

River Region

Stations of the Cross available all day on April 7

Good Friday Services, April 7 at Noon-1p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Easter Vigil with Baptisms and Receptions

Saturday, April 8 at 8 p.m.

Son Rise Service

Sunday, April 9, at 6 a.m.

Easter Sunday Services at 9:30 with Easter Egg Hunt following service.

Church of the Brook

2890 Highway 14, Millbrook, 285.5783 Easter Services, April 9, at 10:30 a.m.

Church of the Holy Comforter

2911 Woodley Road, 281.1337

Maundy Thursday, Holy Eucharist, April 6 at 6 p.m. Good Friday, April 7 at noon

Holy Saturday Eucharist, April 8 at 9:30 a.m.

Easter Eucharist, April 9 at 10 a.m.

Dalraida UMC ad on page 23

3817 Atlanta Highway, 272.2190

Easter Celebration Butterfly Release, April 9 at 11 a.m. service Visit www.dalraidaumc.com

Eastmont Baptist Church

4505 Atlanta Highway, 277.6300

First Presbyterian Church

211 S. Chestnut St, Prattville, 365.6387

Sonrise Service, April 9 at 6:30 a.m.

Easter Service, April 9, 10:30 am Visit firstpresbyterianchurchofprattville.com

First UMC, Montgomery

2416 West Cloverdale Park, 834.8990

Palm Sunday Service & Festivities, April 2, 8:45 and 11 a.m. with festivities on front lawn at 10 a.m.

Maundy Thursday, April 6, TBD

Good Friday Tenebrae, April 7, 7 p.m.

Easter, April 9, 7 a.m. Sunrise Service

8:30, 9:45 and 11 a.m. Worship Services

First UMC, Wetumpka

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306 W. Tuskeena Street, 567.7865

Easter Egg Hunt

April 2 at 11 a.m.

Tenebrae Service

April 6 at 6 p.m.

Wetumpka Cross Walk

April 7 at 11 a.m.

Easter Morning www.wetumpkafirst.com/easter

April 9 at 6:15, 8 and 10 a.m.

Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church

Aldersgate United Methodist Church

6610 Vaughn Road, 272.6152

Good Friday Tenebrae Service, Friday, April 7 @ 7:00pm

Easter Celebration Services, Sunday, April 9, 8:15 am, Traditional Worship

10:30am, Contemporary Worship

Beacon of Hope Church of God

1045 Coliseum Boulevard, 274.0932

Easter Egg Hunt, Dates TBA

Easter Celebration, Sunday, April 9 at 10:45 a.m. Nursery Available

Blue Ridge Baptist Church

4471 Jasmine Hill Rd, 567.4325

Palm Sunday, April 2 at 11 a.m. with Children’s Easter Story Musical and lunch at noon followed by Easter Egg Hunt. Easter Services, April 9, Courtyard service at 9 a.m. with breakfast following Regular service time 11 a.m. with music and Easter message.

Christchurch

8800 Vaughn Road, 387.0566

Palm Sunday, April 2 at 9:30 a.m.

Maundy Thursday, April 6 at 6:30 p.m. and Gethsemane Watch, 8 p.m. to Midnight

Easter Morning Worship, April 9, 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Evangel Church

3975 Vaughn Road, 272.4882

972 McQueen Smith Rd S, Prattville

Easter Egg Hunt, Sunday, April 2 after Children’s Worship service at 10:30 a.m.

Easter, April 9, Worship at 10:30 a.m. (Prattville), April 9, Worship at 10 a.m.

First Baptist, Montgomery ad on Back Cover

305 S. Perry Street, 834.6310

Palm Sunday Service, April 2 at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Palm Sunday Night of Worship with Easter Communion and Lord’s Supper April 2 at 6:15 p.m.

Wednesday Easter Passion Service, April 5 at 6:15

Good Friday Service, April 7 at noon

Easter Sunday, April 9, 8:30 & and 11 a.m.

First Baptist Church, Prattville

138 S. Washington Street, 365.0606 ad on page 3

Easter Services, April 9, 8:15 (Contemporary) 9:30 a.m. (Traditional) and 11 am (Contemporary) Visit us at fbcprattville.org.

6000 Atlanta Highway, 272.8622

Palm Sunday

April 2 at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. with Easter Egg Hunt after.

Stations of the Cross, April 5 from noon until 9 p.m., April 6 from 8:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. and April 7 from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and 7-9 p.m., April 9 from 7-8:30 a.m. and 9:30-11 a.m. Please join us in Wesley Hall for a series of stations depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers.

Good Friday Service of Darkness

April 7 from 6-7 p.m., Sanctuary Easter Worship services

April 9 at 8:30 am and 11am

Gateway Baptist Church

3300 Bell Road, 272.9494

Sunrise Service in conjunction with Grace Presbyterian, Legacy Anglican and Young Meadows Presbyterian will be April 9 at 6:30 a.m. outside of Grace Presbyterian. Easter Services, April 9, 10:30 a.m.

Grace Presbyterian Church

5 Bell Road at Atlanta Hwy, 272.4930

Palm Sunday Worship, April 2 at 10:30

Maundy Thursday Communion, April 6 at 6 p.m.

Easter Sunrise Service and breakfast, April 9, 6:30 a.m.

Free breakfast following Sunrise service. Worship Service, 10:30 a.m.

GracePointe

1565 Ray Thorington Road, 271.2525

Palm Sunday, April 2, 10a.m.

Easter Worship Services

Sunday, April 9, 10 a.m.

Easter Egg Hunt following service.

Heritage Baptist Church ad on page 10

1849 Perry Hill Rd, Montgomery, 279.9976

Maundy Thursday, April 6

Bring your family anytime between 4-6 pm to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

Easter Service, April 9, 10:15 a.m. Please visit hbcm.net for more information.

Lakeview Baptist Church

9225 Atlanta Highway, 213.3080

Easter Worship Service April 9 at 10:45 a.m.

Morningview Baptist Church

125 Calhoun Road, 272.2304

Good Friday Service, April 7 at 6 p.m.

Easter Sunday, April 9, 10:30 a.m.

The Ridge Church

Meets at Wetumpka Highschool, 1251 Coosa River Parkway

Easter Sunday Services, April 9, 9:45 a.m. For more information, call 424.3104.

Ridgecrest Baptist Church

5260 Vaughn Road, 277.0011

Palm Sunday Special Musical Service, April 2 at 10:45

Easter Sunday, April 9 at 10:45 a.m.

Saint James Church

9045 Vaughn Road, 277-3037

Palm Sunday, April 2 at 10 a.m. (Contemporary & Kids), 11 am (Traditional) with a musical “Reflections of Holy Week”

Maundy Thursday, April 6, Service at 6 p.m. in the Traditional Sanctuary.

Good Friday, April 7, Family Life Center at 6 p.m.

Easter Egg Hunt, April 8, 10 a.m.

Inflatable, games and crafts.

Easter Sunday, April 9, Sunrise at the Pines Service, 7 a.m. Contemporary Service; 10 a.m. (Worship Center); Traditional Service; 11:00 a.m. (Sanctuary)

St. John’s Episcopal Church

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April 2nd, Palm Sunday

Regular services, including the visit of Bp Glenda and confirmations.

April 3rd, Holy Monday

Eucharist Rite 1, 12:05 in the Chapel.

April 4th, Holy Tuesday

Eucharist Rite 1, 12:05 in the Chapel.

April 5th, Holy Wednesday

Eucharist Rite 1, 12:05 in the Chapel

April 6th, Maundy Thursday

Eucharist Rite 1, 6pm in the Church

April 7th, Good Friday

Worship, 12:05pm in the Church and Stations of the Cross, 5pm in the Church.

April 9th, Easter Day, Eucharist Rite 1, 7am in the Church

Eucharist, 9am in the Church, followed by Easter Egg Hunt.

Eucharist Rite 2, 11am in the Church. For more information please visit www. stjohnsmontgomery.org or call our office at 334-262-1937.

Taylor Road Baptist Church

1685 Taylor Rd., 271.3363

Easter Egg Hunt, April 1, 10 a.m. to noon Easter Service, April 9 10:30 a.m.

Titus New Home Baptist Church

1605 New Home Road, Titus; 452.6111

Palm Sunday, April 2, with Choir performance and Children’s Skit. Times to be decided.

Thorington Road Baptist Church

450 Ray Thorington Road, 396.9376

Good Friday, April 7, at 6:30 pm Easter Sunday, April 9 at 10:30 a.m.

Vaughn Forest Church

8660 Vaughn Rd., 279.5433

Easter Sunday, April 9, 9:30 and 11:00 services with great music, awesome teaching and few special surprises. Please call for more information or visit at www.vaughnforest.com.

Woodland United Methodist Church

4428 Wallahatchie Rd, Pike Road, 272.7230

Palm Sunday Cantata, April 2, 10 a.m. service. Easter Egg Hunt, April 2 following the cantata. Three different hunts, according to age. Food available for purchase, games, Inflatables and cotton candy.

Easter Sunday, April 9

Easter Sonrise Service at 6:30 a.m.

Traditional Service times 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Contemporary Service time 9:15 a.m. We look forward to having you come and celebrate the resurrection of our Savior.

River Region

Cancer and Mental Health

No one wants to think about cancer, but few of us, whether ourselves, a friend, or a loved one, are untouched by this diagnosis. In fact, when I was researching information online about cancer, the first article was titled, “1.95M People May Be Diagnosed With Cancer in 2023.”

The word cancer is unsettling, and I never thought I’d experience it. All that changed following my first mammogram when I was told I had ductal carcinoma. “I have cancer,” screamed in my head as a flood of emotions overwhelmed me. Now, after several medical decisions, six surgeries, and a ten-year treatment plan, I am still here. Through that experience, I gained a new understanding of intense emotions. A cancer diagnosis is systemic and complex, as mine affected not only me but also my family, my work, and especially my husband and two young daughters. No mother wants to share with her children what could possibly happen because of her diagnosis. The unknown can be very scary.

Immediately worst-case scenarios began to play out in my mind. As I heard others’ cancer stories, the horrible ones dominated the positive stories of miraculous cures. Human minds are designed to look at possible negatives to help us prepare to survive, but instead of seeing it that way, we tend to believe the worst. That’s when anxiety and depression take over, and there goes our mental health.

As a therapist, I knew I had to take care not only of my body but also the mental health of my family and myself. My therapist helped me recognize that the movie I was playing in my mind of pain, suffering, my children crying, struggling in life without a mother, and even my death; these things had not even happened. I had lost perspective of life.

Along this journey, I gained some wisdom and insight I’d like to share with you.

Take a moment to breathe. I set my phone timer to remind myself to “stop and breathe,” to get out of the negative thoughts and bring myself back into the present. When we are worried or anxious, we take shorter breaths or even have moments when we hold our breath. This causes cardiovascular problems as cortisol levels rise, and lymphocytes, which are white blood cells that fight infection, are lowered. This can trigger anxiety or even a panic attack and compromise the immune system. I needed my immune system at its peak, so deep breaths were required to keep me healthy.

Pray, meditate, and walk every day. This not only helped with my breathing but also helped me stay away from those negative stories in my mind. These activities helped me focus on my life, my priorities, my values, and on me. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” This verse from Joshua 1:9 reminded me I could trust God and His universe.

Research to make informed decisions, advocate for yourself, but also learn when to stop. There is so much information online. Some is useful, but some can harm, as well. People will offer millions of suggestions and stories, which can be overwhelming. Find a physician you trust, second and third opinions are good, make an informed decision, and trust the treatment plan.

Sleep. I can’t stress this enough; sleep is healing. At first, it was hard to sleep, but it took discipline and was essential for my recovery and overall mental and physical health.

Find positives and be grateful. This takes practice. I latched onto my marriage and daughters. Make plans. Looking forward to something positive (for me, it was travel) also helps keep your focus off the negatives, both real and imagined, and in the present. Surround yourself with people who will support and encourage you, such as your physicians, special friends, and family. And get therapy. Cancer is not something we should handle alone. I hope cancer is never a diagnosis you have to deal with, but if it is, I hope these suggestions I learned from my cancer journey will help and comfort you.