About MaryO
Cushing's and kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) patient, founder, owner and webmaster of Cushing's Help and Support, web designer, piano teacher and mom.
I am a Cushing's patient who has dealt with Cushing's symptoms since 1983 (or earlier) and the aftereffects of pituitary surgery since 1987.
Because I had very little support for my symptoms, diagnosis and surgery, I decided to try to make things a little better for other patients and started a support site called Cushing's Help and Support in 2000. The site has grown to astronomical numbers. This disease isn't as rare as doctors have told us!
In 2006, I was also diagnosed with kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma). My left kidney and adrenal gland were removed. Having an adrenal gland removed complicates my post-Cushing's symptoms.
I am not planning to have any more rare and unusual diseases.
My entire bio to date can be found here: http://www.cushings-help.com/maryos_story.htm
But, enough of that - it's not always about Cushing's, or even Cancer. This one is about Life!
Wear RED this Sunday, May 15th! It’s Pentecost Sunday, one of the principal days of the Christian year, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. The Greek word pentecoste means “fiftieth day.”
Pentecost is the day on which the Christian church commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and others assembled in Jerusalem.
It marks the beginning of the Christian church and the proclamation of its message throughout the world and is often referred to as the birthday of the church.
Pastor Kenny will be preaching on “Fire!” (Acts 2:1-4) at the 8:15 & 11am Services and Pastor Dan will be preaching on “The Spirit Awakens!” (Acts 2:1-13)
Listen to 284 past sermons by Pastors Kenny Newsome, Dan Elmore and others in the Pender Podcast.
What to expect at Pender UMC
Directions to Pender
Sunday Childcare
Wondering where to take your children on Sunday mornings? Below is a summary. More detailed information is available at the Welcome desk located in the main lobby and here.
- NURSERY CARE ~ Birth through 2 years, 9:30 am – 12:15 pm
- SUNDAY SCHOOL 1 ~ 2 yrs. – Adults, 9:30 am – 10:40 am
- SUNDAY SCHOOL 2 ~ Grades 4 – Adults, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
- CHERUB CHURCH ~ 3 yrs.- Kindergarten, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
- JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP ~ Grades 1-3, 10:45 am – 11:30 am
- JUNIOR CHURCH ~ Grades 1 – 5, 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
Calendar of Events
Also Today:
Tags: Acts 2:1-13, Acts 2:1-4, Bible, Celebration Ringers, childcare, Christian Church, Christianity, common ground, Dan Elmore, disciples, egg noodles, Hamburger Helper, Jesus, Last Supper, message, message series, Music Camp, New Directions Class, Nursery, Pender Podcast, Pender UMC, Pender Youth Orchestra, Pentecost, personal care products, Peter, Philippi Mission Trip, Rev. Dan Elmore, sermon, sermon series, Sunday School, traditional service, Trinity, Vacation Bible School, VBS, Western Fairfax Christian Ministries, WFCM, worship, Youth Choir, Youth Handbell Ensemble, Youth Handbells
Every Sunday Night!
All youth in grades 7th-12th are invited to bring your friends and join our Turning Point Youth Group every Sunday night from 6:30-8:30 pm. Come hungry and share a fabulous dinner provided by our amazing youth parents at 6:30 pm in the fellowship hall.
Enjoy the rest of the evening with your Pender friends in the youth room for music, activities, laughter & a time of sharing together about how God is working in your lives. If you have any questions or would like more information about Pender’s Turning Point Youth Group, Tim Lyberger, our Youth Director, would love to talk to you! Please contact him at the Church Office or by clicking on this link.
Theme for the month of May: What Offends You?
Every Tuesday Night!
All 7th-12th graders who are looking to grow deeper in their walk with Christ are invited to join us every Tuesday night in the Youth Room for our Youth Bible Study led by Carrie Cahoon & Beth Petty. Current study: God’s Not Dead! For more information, contact either
Carrie or
Beth.
— Youth Confirmation Sunday, May 15th
This Sunday is a special day in the life of our youth where our confirmation students will publicly accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior at the altar during our 11am service and become official members of Pender. All family members and members of our Church family are invited to come and celebrate this important spiritual milestone in their lives!
— Senior Sunday, June 12th
Help us honor our graduates during our 11am service on June 12th (both college & high school). Our high school graduates are invited to attend a special dinner and program hosted in their honor in the Fellowship Hall the same evening at 6:30pm. Invite your families!
— Philippi, WV, Youth Mission Trip, July 22 – 30th
Each year, our youth and adults are invited to participate in our annual mission trip to Philippi, West Virginia. Our youth & adults have been transforming homes & lives in Philippi for many years. Our youth & adults come back transformed themselves through serving God’s people. For more information about this trip and to register, click on
this link to our website, or contact our Youth Director,
Tim Lyberger.
Tags: confirmation, Philippi Mission Trip, Senior Sunday, Sunday, Tuesday, Turning Point Youth Ministry, Youth, Youth Bible Study
— Bingo Night Fundraiser
Join us on Saturday, May 14th from 6-9pm at Pender for a night of great fun, prizes & fellowship. We will have pizza, hot dogs, sodas, chips & an assortment of desserts for purchase, so come hungry!
— Let’s Eat Out Together!
Join the Poland Short-Term Mission Team for a fundraiser at the Chick-Fil-A at Fair Oaks Mall on Thursday, May 19th from 5-8pm. Tell them you are there for the Poland Short-term Mission Team and they will donate 15% of your check! Come hungry and bring a friend!
–Craft Donations Needed
– small coins, pennies, nickels & dimes
– all sizes of flat silver hardware store washers
– duck tape — all colors & patterns
– nail polish — new & used, all colors & clear
– yarn — all types & colors, “fun fur” preferred
All donations may be placed in the collection box located in the church lobby.
Tags: Bingo Night, Chick-Fil-A, crafts, Let's Eat Together!, Poland Mission Trip
From a historical perspective, Christianity didn’t start with Jesus’ birth, his death or even his storied ascension to heaven. It started with Pentecost — the day the “Holy Spirit” entered a room holding Jesus’ apostles and entered each of them, an event which — as my minister uncle tells me — “makes the church the church.”
Although Pentecost is chock full of religious significance, it is a holiday not widely celebrated. Sort of the opposite of Hanukkah, which is widely celebrated but not religiously important. My uncle says Pentecost is a bigger deal in liturgical churches, which follow a formal, standardized order of events (like Catholics). “Non-liturgical” refers to churches whose services are unscripted (like Baptists).
Back Story: At his Last Supper, Jesus legendarily instructed his 12 disciples to go out into the world to minister and heal the sick on their own. It was at that point that they became “apostles.” Fifty days after Jesus’ death, as the story goes, the Holy Spirit (part of the Holy Trinitity — God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ) descended onto the apostles, making them speak in foreign tongues. This “Pentecostal” experience allowed the apostles direct communication with God, which signaled a major shift in the religious landscape and laid the foundation for what would become Christianity. You’ll notice that the disciples are always depicted in artwork as regular-looking men while the apostles are depicted with halos around their heads. (Several other apostles came later — namely the famous Paul who is credited with writing much of the New Testament.)
Although all the original 12 apostles are important, some get top billing. Here’s why:
- Peter (also called Simon Peter) established the first church in Antioch and is regarded as the founding pope of the Catholic church. Instrumental in the spread of early Christianity, Peter was said to have walked on water, witnessed the “Transfiguration of Jesus” and denied Jesus (for which he repented and was forgiven.) The Gospel of Mark is ascribed to Peter, as Mark was Peter’s disciple and interpreter.
- John also is said to have witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus and went on to pen the Gospel of John, the Epistles of John and Book of Revelation. He died at age 94, having outlived the other apostles — all of whom, according to legend/history/whatever, were martyred. John is often described as “Jesus’ favorite” and depicted as the disciple sitting to Jesus’ right at the Last Supper.
- Thomas (“Doubting Thomas”) is best known for questioning Jesus’ resurrection when first told of it. According to the Bible, Thomas saw Jesus himself several days later and proclaimed “My Lord and my God,” to which Jesus famously responded: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:28.)
via Pentecost is this Sunday. What the heck is Pentecost?.
Tags: Bible, Christian Church, Christianity, disciples, Hanukkah, Jesus, John 20:28, Last Supper, Pentecost, Peter, Thomas, Trinity
This Sunday, May 8th, is Mother’s Day — Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers!
Please join us at our 8:15, 9:30, & 11:00 Services as Pastor Kenny and Pastor Dan preach on their final sermon in the “Heaven is for Real” sermon series: “Heaven is For Real…So What?” (Philippians 1:20-27)
So much of all the talk about heaven is focused on what happens after we die. But we believe the promise of heaven has impact in how we live today! Is it possible to bring a little bit of heaven to earth?
Bring some more friends for the conclusion of “Heaven is For Real!”
Listen to 278 past sermons by Pastors Kenny Newsome, Dan Elmore and others in the Pender Podcast.
What to expect at Pender UMC
Directions to Pender
Sunday Childcare
Wondering where to take your children on Sunday mornings? Below is a summary. More detailed information is available at the Welcome desk located in the main lobby and here.
- NURSERY CARE ~ Birth through 2 years, 9:30 am – 12:15 pm
- SUNDAY SCHOOL 1 ~ 2 yrs. – Adults, 9:30 am – 10:40 am
- SUNDAY SCHOOL 2 ~ Grades 4 – Adults, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
- CHERUB CHURCH ~ 3 yrs.- Kindergarten, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
- JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP ~ Grades 1-3, 10:45 am – 11:30 am
- JUNIOR CHURCH ~ Grades 1 – 5, 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
Calendar of Events
Also Today:
Upcoming Events! Watch for more information:
Tags: Celebration Ringers, childcare, common ground, Dan Elmore, Heaven is For Real, Jesus Loves You, message, message series, Music Camp, New Directions Class, Nursery, Pender Podcast, Pender UMC, Pender Youth Orchestra, personal care products, Philippi Mission Trip, Philippians 1:20-27, Rev. Dan Elmore, sermon, sermon series, Sunday School, The Battle for Heaven, traditional service, Vacation Bible School, VBS, Western Fairfax Christian Ministries, WFCM, worship, Youth Choir, Youth Handbell Ensemble, Youth Handbells
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