April 2014

Issue 40

Jesus Is Alive!

On Sunday morning, three days after the death of Jesus, Mary and other women went to the tomb to finish preparing the body of Jesus, for they could not complete the process on Friday evening, the Sabbath beginning on Friday at 6:00 p.m. When they arrived, they found an empty tomb and ran off to inform Peter and the other disciples. When Peter got to the tomb, he also found an empty tomb and the linens in which Jesus was wrapped, still lying there as if the body of Jesus had vanished out of it.

At first they thought the body had been stolen and could not believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead, though they had heard Jesus telling them on several occasions that he would die and rise on the third day. On the other hand, the Jewish authorities went to Pilate on Saturday, the day after Jesus died, to make a request: "Sir, we remember that, while he was still alive, the deceiver said, 'after three days, I will rise again.' Give orders, therefore, that the tomb should be kept secure until the three days are ended, in case his disciples come and steal him, and say to the people, 'He has been raised from among the dead.'"

Not only did the Jewish authorities remember, but they wanted to make sure they had gotten rid of Jesus once and for all. They remembered and were willing to break the law by going to Pilate on a Saturday, to make sure they did a good job. The disciples, on the other hand, saw an empty tomb and had forgotten all that Jesus had told them when he was alive.

When there is evil in our minds, we are willing to work through every detail to make sure we accomplish perfectly our scheme, but when it comes to doing a task for God, many times we do it just to get it over with. What motivated the Jewish authorities was the fact that they were fighting to keep their power. For the disciples, once Jesus was dead they had nothing to fight for. They had given up all hopes and were ready to go back to their previous activities before accepting the call of Jesus; they really had no motivation.

But something happened that motivated the disciples: they all believed. They took the risk of going out to the world rather than hiding in a room, to share the story that Jesus was alive. We continue to rejoice in the Good News that Jesus is alive and present in and amongst us.

Not even Pilate, who told the Jewish authorities, "Make it as secure as you can," could have kept Jesus in the tomb. Through our faith we are empowered to remember and to share with words and action that Jesus is alive. It is our great commission: "Go therefore and make all nations my disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to keep all the commandments I have given you. And, look, I am with you throughout all the days until the end of the world."

Bishop Sylvestre Romero

National Chaplain

In This Issue

Junior Directress Retreat

Be an Evangelist

From the Provinces

National Day of Prayer

Cross+Links Editor

Susan O'Brien

Assistant Editor

Lynn Kimbrell

Quick Links

What's New on the Website

Forms on the Website

Order Form

Transition Form

Pay DOK Dues Online

Make a Donation

Join Our Newsletter List

Province Presidents

Province I

Donna Abramov

Province II
Janet Papa

Province III
Laura Richard

Province IV
Lindy Kirk

Province V
Pam Sebura

Province VI
Lyn Zolman

Province VII
Brenda Amos

Province VIII
Sara MacDonald

National Office

770-517-8552

Call For Nominations

It is time to be thinking about nominees for National Council. The deadline for nominations will be January 15, 2015. Each Diocesan Assembly may nominate one member of the Order for election to National Council, having obtained her consent. Eligibility for election requires a Daughter to be current in her payment of dues, to have held some office in a Chapter, Diocesan Assembly, or Provincial Assembly, and to have been a member of the Order for at least three (3) years. The National Council Nominee Form can be found on the Triennial Page of the web site and will be published in the Triennial Issue of The Royal Cross in the summer of 2014.

Attention Chapter Leaders!

The National Office is preparing to send out Dues Packets that include Chapter Lists identifying your current members. Please ensure that you have submitted all changes/updates to chapter officers by the end of April. If you have any questions, please contact the National Office at (770) 517-8552 or dok1885@doknational.org.

Lynn Kimbrell,

Membership Coordinator

Spirited Walking

Imagine a fresh spring day with plenty of bright blue sky and sunshine. The trees are budding and the air is slightly cool and refreshing to breathe. There's no better time for a walk.

This winter, the Order's Triennial Programs Committee has been busy coordinating a walking program for Daughters in preparation for Triennial 2015. The program is designed to help people gradually increase their activity levels as the planning for our Triennial in Utah continues. We started tracking the progress of our Virtual Daughters on our Facebook and Walking pages and welcome comments from participants on both sites. Our goal is to also help walkers stay spiritually fit and motivated by including a designated meditation for each month walked. Beginning in May be sure to look for the monthly "Spirited Walking" meditations posted on our Walking in the Light page on the website.

Walking seems to be the perfect exercise for body and spirit. All too often when we walk, however, we think about all the things we need to do, or worry about our problems. Even Henry David Thoreau, living in retreat at Walden Pond in the 1800s, recognized these hazards. "I am alarmed when it happens that I have walked a mile into the woods bodily without getting there in spirit," he wrote. "The thought of some work will run in my head, and I am not where my body is. I am out of my senses. In my walks, I would fain return to my senses."

A joyous connection occurs when body, mind and spirit fall in step together. It transforms our walk into a mini-retreat of renewal and realignment. We are guided past the distractions that detour us from a path of wholistic well being.

Millions of people already walk for fitness and health. But without focus, exercise-only walking loses much of its potency. By aligning the energies of muscle, mind and spirit, exercise is more fun, more efficient and more meaningful.

You can begin to transform your walks into a spirited workout right now by:

Making a move: Spirited walking begins with the recognition that walking has many parallels to life. Those who walk move forward, take steps and move toward something.
Taking a chance: Join a walking club or try a different route.
Venture outside of your comfort zone and step out of your rut.
Getting an attitude: Be aware of your self-talk; promote positive feelings about yourself. Avoid letting your thoughts wander "willy nilly" while walking. Attitude translates into action. As Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're probably right."
Going for more: Add an inspirational theme to your walk, repeating a prayer, poem, meditation or affirmation.

** The Order of the Daughters of the King is working in conjunction with National Episcopal Health Ministries (NEHM) to present this health-related program. Information presented in this article was adapted from "Walk to Wherever, Whenever!", 2006. Check out the NEHM website for more information on health programs. **

Annemarie Delgado

National Treasurer

Triennial Torch on the Move

Long Island Daughters passing the torch.

The Diocese of Long Island held a Leadership Training Workshop during the week that the Triennial Torch was moving through the State of New York. The morning program was on building community in chapters. Each chapter made a candle out of a cardboard roll from quilt batting. The candle was covered in white paper and had an orange flame at the top. A white taper candle was carried at the front of the procession, followed by the chapter candles. We had a great time walking with our candles to the Eucharist service. Chapters participating were Emily Morgan Chapter, St. Boniface Church, Lindenhurst; St. John the Apostle Chapter, St. Ann's Church, Sayville; and a visitor from St. Mary's Church, Amityville. Other activities included leadership in chapters, Diocese of Long Island, and Province II DOK. We included prayer, music and lots of fun.

Marjorie Rogers

Self-Denial Fund Chair

We are Interested in Finding Daughters . . .

Who served in Iraq and worshiped with Canon Andrew White either at the Embassy or elsewhere. We are planning a small reunion with Canon White at Triennial in Utah where he will be a guest speaker. Please send an email to Annemarie Delgado at Adelgado@doknational.org if you belong to this group of Daughters who served.

Annemarie Delgado

National Treasurer

Junior Directresses Retreat - Update

Junior Directresses being "Mary" at a previous retreat.

When - Thursday, August 7 through Sunday, August 10, 2014

Where - Camp Allen, Texas (Fly into Bush Intercontinental Airport)

Cost - $100 plus transportation (We are trying to cover ground transportation for everyone flying. More on this as the details are worked out.)

Who - all Junior Directresses at all levels, including new Directresses who are just getting a junior chapter started.

What - we will spend time in retreat, being "Mary" for a change. We will work on the Triennial quilt and plan the Triennial retreat. We will attempt to answer your questions about Junior Daughters and we will share ideas. We will share the challenges and rewards of being a Junior Daughter.

How - To register and for more information click here. Deadline to register is June 30, 2014.

Susan Keith

National Junior Directress

There are Many Ways to Be an Evangelist. Here is One.

Lyn Zolman and granddaughter

Would your scrapbooks indicate to future generations that you are a Christian?

This question was put to those of us in a Scrapbooking Workshop at the 2003 Daughters' Triennial in Minnesota. At that time, mine did not. Today, I have a roomful of family pictures that have been passed down to me from family members who have died. This provides a great opportunity to share some ways God has acted in the lives of our family. Some of the pictures will go into my Legacy Genealogy along with historical comments; some will be saved for my daughters, perhaps on a flash drive, but lately I've been thinking about that long ago workshop and how scrapbooks can reflect our faith in God. In May our oldest grandchild graduates from college, and one of her gifts will be a scrapbook of special times when her life and ours intersected with God in unique ways. There is a picture of her with me as I told her the story of the Good Shepherd on the second anniversary of her baptism; there is one of us dancing in the leaves on a beautiful fall day; one with her grandfather holding her as they rode on a camel, and one of her sitting on the lap of her great-grandfather. They show her as she grew and was confirmed, and they show her surrounded by family. The pictures and the scrapbook are in a pile on my dining room table waiting for God's creative influence, which I know He will provide in the right time.

Thank you, Lord, for wonderful memories and loving times.

Lyn Zolman

Service and Evangelism Chair

From the Provinces - - Sharing My Story

I am just a plain gal from upstate New York,but God has always been a part of my life and has chosen me to be a Daughter of the King.

It has been a blessing for me to come on National Council as Province II President. Every stage of life has its challenges, joys, sorrows, highs and lows. I have remained faithful. Our National Council members and families have had many challenges during the last couple of years. At our first Council meeting, our President Pam, gave us the book God Calling to help us through our journey. I remember how it spoke to me at my first Council meeting and throughout the months, it continues to speak to me through the readings empowered by the Holy Spirit. I have persevered in serving the Lord even through difficult times.

Over the last year, my family has been dealing with many different health issues. The issues involved my husband, my son, and my sister-in-law. My husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer and underwent a few surgeries before realizing that his bladder and prostrate would have to be removed. I immediately put my husband on the prayer list and also asked the Daughters on National Council to pray for us. His final surgery has occurred, and he is now in the healing process, adjusting to his new way of life that God has set before him. I also added my son, Mark, to the prayer list. He has an eye disease and may need a cornea transplant. We have been praying that a contact can be made that will not irritate his eye and that he will be able to see fully once again. My sister-in-law, Monna from South Dakota, had a ruptured brain tumor. Since she lives so far away, I prayed as to how I could help. Within three weeks she was up and returned back home. God is awesome. Calling a Daughter of the King in that area put me in contact with my family so far away and that gave comfort to my family and to me. Knowing we have Daughters all over the world is a great gift from God. Remember to call on others because prayer is powerful.

The readings from God Calling have lifted me up each day, and I have been reminded that I am not to rush but to learn in the little daily things of life, to delay action until I receive God's guidance. I was reminded that God is with me at all times, to trust in Him and to pray. In other scripture readings, I learned that God says, "Once I have set on you my stamp and seal of ownership, all my hosts throng to serve and protect you. I complete every task committed to me so trust and do not be afraid. Rely on this and go forward. You have now entered upon the stage of success and you must not doubt this, so go forward now and conquer. Seek safety in my secret place. You cannot be touched or harmed there. You are passing through a storm. Walk humbly with your God. Follow in my guidance as marvels beyond your imagination are unfolding. Carry out my command and leave the results to me".God is in control of our days, present and future. He is good, trust in him. God is good. Trust and do not be afraid. This keeps me going through the difficult times in life, knowing that God is there by my side, walking with me.

Our National President, Pam Runyon, has chosen as the next Triennial theme, "Shining the Light of Christ." Our Province II May Spring Assembly meeting will be focusing on that theme We will also reflect on scripture pertaining to "The Joy of Serving God" , "Christ in You, the Hope of Glory", "Nature Walk", "Worship", "Candlelight Service", and "Keeping the Flame Alive". Province II will gather together May 16, 17 and 18, 2014, at the CTK Spiritual Life Center in Greenwich for a wonderful weekend with each other. It is a great gathering and a wonderful time to be with other Daughters.

Jesus is inviting us all into a life dedicated to Him. As Daughters, we have taken a lifetime vow to pray and serve and bring others to Christ. As a Daughter I feel blessed by God, free from anxiety and am able to be here by His grace to enjoy His goodness and to be a Daughter of the King, serving as a Province II President and enabling me to be at the National Council meetings, looking forward to Triennial where we will be shining the light of Christ. God is in control and I feel the peace from God.

I have received many blessings from the prayers, my daily readings, and daily walk with Christ and just being with other Daughters. He is right here beside me and I will take each day in its time, rejoicing and trusting and giving thanks to God. I know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful and tells us all that when we call upon the Lord, He will hear us. We are loved for today, for all times and forever. God alone is enough and so are my sisters in the Daughters of the King! I am an ambassador of Christ and He is counting on me.

Father, help us to walk in the light that is Christ Jesus. May His light shine out from us more and more. Amen.

Janet Papa

Province II President

National Day of Prayer: May 1, 2014

We pray daily. Consider joining other pray-ers in your local community in a day of ecumenical prayer on May 1, 2014. Check out the National Day of Prayer website to locate gatherings in or near your community which you could support. This website has an event search function to locate events by city or zip code. "So that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:6.)

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