Love & Charity

in , , , ,

Marian Hope Academy’s scripture focus this year has been Mark 12:30-31: Love the Lord your God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.

Of all the commands God gives us in His word, the greatest is LOVE. The Bible does not say Love the Lord with a “little” or “some” or even the “majority” of your heart…we are commanded to LOVE Him with ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength. And then we are to LOVE others (not judge nor gossip about others; we are to LOVE). That may be easy to say, but are we doing it and are we teaching our children to do it?

In Bible Study at MHA, the students have learned to think about and analyze “love” as a verb. We have gone to scripture to help us put “love” into action. The students have spent the past two months solidifying “charity” in their hearts…as Charity is definitely an act of LOVE. As a school, we chose to bless New Day Foster Home which is an amazing organization in China that takes care of children with significant special needs; some of which are life-threatening. Each classroom planned and executed their fundraising ideas. The students researched, created timelines, developed a cost/profit margin, delegated out responsibilities, worked together as a team, created beautiful posters, wrote quotes and scriptures about charity and so much more. The students in one class decided on the slogan, KIDS FOR CHANGE; BUILDING HOPE, as the name for the event. The event was a huge success and the students bought in close to $1,000 for New Day.

change drive

To kick off the event that week, the students had a change drive which totaled close to $700 just in pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters…and it was an amazing math lesson filled with predicting, estimating, calculating, graphing and much more. Hands-on, functional learning…and all for a good cause and to Glorify God!

Over the past few months, we have tied in the scripture verse from Philippians 2:4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Wow, hard stuff to conquer especially in our era of competition and pride.

Through this event I truly saw LOVE and CHARITY move from the mind to the heart. Humble giving!

-Angie Knight, Founder of Marian Hope

Feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen? We can help!

in , , ,

In my almost 10 years as a dietitian I can say one thing with absolute certainty: those who have support are more successful.

Making changes to the way our families eat is difficult. It takes time, energy and resources that you may feel like you simply don’t have. It is because change is hard that I believe it should be done with a balance of support and challenge.

ID-100195085

Image courtesy of marin/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

Marian Hope believes so wholeheartedly in the necessity of good nutrition for the developing child that we offer a monthly support group for our families. We offer a fabulous place for you to start making the changes you need, one step at a time, in a supportive environment of other moms and dads in the trenches just like you. Our Nutritional Management Support Group meets monthly as a place to help families make and maintain the changes to the way their family eats.

 

As a nutrition professional, I attend these meetings to offer support and guidance, but the real value and power is in the support one mom gives to another when simply getting dinner on the table seems like a monumental task. The Nutrition Management Support Group that Marian Hope offers is invaluable. It is the place for support in our challenging food environment. There will always be a mom there who will assure you that you can do it and that it is worth it. If you’re considering going gluten free/dairy free, or desire to decrease processed foods we want you to know:

 

You CAN do it and it IS worth it.

 

But, take my advice, you can’t do it alone, and the glorious part is, you don’t have to! We are here ready to help you in the journey of your family’s “nutrition makeover” at whatever place that begins. The amazing journey to health that many of our Marian Hope families have embarked on has literally changed the lives of their children. Several of our families have stories that exemplify the positive influences the nutrition support group can have on a whole family. Read below to learn what one mom has gained from the monthly meetings at Marian Hope Center. Christi is evidence that as moms doing our best to feed our families, we are better together than we are apart.

~ Blakely Page, Registered Dietitian

 

My name is Christi and my family has been involved with Marian Hope Center for the past seven years. For the past three years I have been attending the Nutritional Management Support Group. Our journey to understanding nutrition was a slow one. Our family was happy with our doctor’s advice that all calories are the same, and that Pediasure would take care of my malnourished daughter. After dragging my feet for a while, I finally decided to try the meetings out and see what they were like.

 It was such a wonderful experience; Angie and Theresa were there to provide a guiding hand. All of the moms that attended had walked down the exact same path that I was starting down. I found a wonderfully encouraging group of moms – all with their own challenges at home, but always there and available to share their stories, their tricks, and their advice.

 

I have been attending the Nutritional Management Support Group meetings ever since. This group has given me incredible insight and taught me so much on this road to better health. I now have a network of people that help me feel like I am not the only one. We share recipes, tips on where to get the best deal on products, and even the day-to-day stuff like packing healthy lunches and snacks to bring to school.

 

If you are interested in replacing processed foods with whole foods in your diet, wanting to try going gluten- free, or just interested in nutrition and feeding your family well, this group is for you! I encourage you to give it a try. We meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 pm at Marian Hope Center.

 

Nutrition Management Support Group

Who:          Anyone!

What:        Support for making nutrition changes

When:       The 1st Wednesday of every month; 6:30 PM

Where:      Marian Hope Center (14820 E. 42nd St, Independence, MO)

 

Especially Grateful

in

Especially Jewelry donation

Especially Jewelry (1233 Ne Douglas St, Lees Summit) has been a huge blessing to Marian Hope. They raised $1125 for us over the Valentine’s Holiday. For every $50 donation to Marian Hope, the customer received 50% off an item. It was an incredible deal!  Not only did they raise funds for us, they raised awareness of our mission and cause.

The owners, Julie and Del, are true servants of the Lord. The give joyfully from their hearts without expecting anything in return. They have allowed the Lord to lead their business and they give of their time and resources for God’s glory. Every time I visit their store, I leave inspired with wisdom and uplifted in spirit. Thank you, Especially Jewelry!

~ Angie Knight, CEO of Marian Hope