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This site has come about as a result of my active participation in the Church of Fools (CoF), the first online, interactive, 3-D church... and also the free webspace I get on Yahoo. Might as well use it. ;-) Feel free to email me if you have any comments about the site.
About Me
Not much to see here. My name is Mary, I live in Florida, and I work in IT. I have many hobbies - too many to list, really. Mostly, I love to do crafts (crochet in particular; I always have several projects in progress) and I love to play music (piano or violin, mostly), which I find very relaxing. I also garden when I have time, and I love to bike to nearby ponds to feed the ducks. I've been a great fan of ducks for years. On a regular basis, I feed mallards, muscovies, and pekin's (and ibises, too). Ducks are some of the most beautiful birds in the world, if you ask me (hence the photo on the front page). And because I liked ducks, I gradually got into birdwatching (as in, smaller birds), and ended up with a few feeders around the house, where I can watch the birds that visit daily. On a regular basis, there are cardinals, mockingbirds, blue jays, woodpeckers, titmice, brown thrashers, carolina wrens, doves, and an occasional chickadee (not to mention a plethora of squirrels).
What's a Sandhill Crane?
Sandhill cranes are magnificent birds that live in this area. Mates for life, they have 2 chicks each year, and always stick together as a family. They can be approached easily and aren't afraid of humans at all. In fact, most young sandhill crane chicks in this area were born among urban sprawl, so they're quite used to the noise of construction, cars, and daily life. As young birds, they are brown, but as they grow into mature adults, they become beautiful grey birds with a red patch on the head. Often seen in groups of a few families, you can usually find them in residential neighborhoods and around shopping malls across the area.
The Church of Fools
Church of Fools was created as part of the Ship of Fools, an online community of Christians 'on the edge'. It is non-denominational, and open to everyone. Although catholic, I currently don't have a real, brick and mortar 'home church'. It's been some time since I went to 'real' church, yet I have never lost faith in Christ. I have trusted Him all these years, and He has never abandoned me. I guess you could say that my current church is the Church of Fools.
 The designers of this church have achieved something that's very special indeed; they have, in essence, created a sacred place online, a sanctuary where believers can come to worship and pray, where those who are searching can get some answers to their questions without making a lifelong commitment, and where those who don't believe can be touched by the Holy Spirit. CoF allows people, including myself, to attend services and chat with other Christians without leaving home, without having to commit to or pay anything, while remaining anonymous. It also allows those who can't get to a real church because of disability or fear of persecution to attend services and meet other Christians. The anonymity factor is very important, I think. You can tell other people as much as you feel comfortable. This has allowed me, and countless others, to be more outspoken about our faith. I have found the fellowship of Christians in the CoF to be invaluable, and the worlwide community that developed from the pilot project has become tight-knit. We all care about each other (as clich� as that sounds), and pray for each other. I've made close friends there, something I didn't expect (after all, this is the internet).
The 3D church officially closed in September of 2004 and is currently undergoing major renovation. In the meantime, I invite anyone who is reading this to visit the CoF community which is still active, consisting of a discussion board and a chat room called the Cafe. Prayer services and Bible studies are conducted in the Cafe on a regular basis, and there are many topics to choose from on the boards. The boards and Cafe are available here. Since the closing of the 3D environment, the church has been brought back on a limited basis, and can be visited individually. You won't see anyone else there, but you'll be able to move using your avatar, and to use the church for personal meditation/prayer. To visit the church, click on the link above.
Trust & Divine Mercy
The image below, called "Divine Mercy", represents how Jesus appeared to St. Faustina, a Polish nun in the early 1930's. Usually, the image includes the words "Jesus, I trust in You" at the bottom. I included similar words on the side. I'm including this picture for two reasons. First, because I like this representation of Christ, as He really does look merciful and welcoming, and this is a great relief in times of crisis. And second, because the words "Jesus, I trust in You", to me, sum up everything in one sentence.
Brief Statement of Faith
(this is not meant to be exhaustive)
- � I believe in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
- � I believe in Jesus Christ, God made Man, who died on the Cross for our sins
- � I believe Christ rose on the third day and ascended into Heaven
- � I believe that we are all sinners and must ask for forgiveness
- � I believe in eternal life as the kingdom of God, accessible through Christ
- � I believe Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life"
- � I believe the Virgin Mary rose to Heaven and intercedes for us
- � I believe God is merciful, and will forgive us if we repent from sin
- � I believe God is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfect
- � I believe God alone can judge how we have lived our lives
A few good links...
Credits...
The divider lines are used courtesy of Designed to a T. The duck picture came from this site. The votive below comes from the Church of Fools forum. Everything else was created by yours truly using Notepad and Paint Shop Pro.
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Thank you for reading.
May God be with you all. |
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