Faith

As the decades passed, the coach got used to hearing people call him a hero, an icon and even a saint -- even though he reminded them that only God knows the truth about any man. It was common to see the former English teacher reading the classics. But he also read his Bible daily and rarely missed church, so some friends called him "Reverend. " That was probably for the best, since he disliked his other nickname -- "the Wizard of Westwood. " John Wooden's own list of heroes was short and symbolic.

All of my life I have grown up in the church. I was practically born in the church. Both of my parents have always been extremely active in the church. My mother has taught many children in her Sunday school classes and has planned beautiful banquets for the church. My musically inclined father has led singing in the church for as long as I can remember. Faith in God has always been evident in my parents' lives, so I think that led me to have a false understanding of faith.

BOONSBORO -- Marilyn Blank's demeanor is calm and content, and she admits she's in a good place right now. The scars on her face, neck, torso and leg, though, are an outward sign that there's more to her story. "At 50, I find myself starting over, but I have the most important things," Blank said. Blank, who has lived in Boonsboro for 23 years, details her personal journey in a book called "Have Faith: Live It, Speak It, Believe It & Survive. " She will share her inspirational story Thursday at the Sharpsburg Public Library at 7 p.m. Blank has two children from her first marriage and is remarried with two more children.

Isn't the Bible a myth? How can you say there is only one way to God? Why does God allow suffering? Why are Christians such hypocrites?   These and other questions about faith and life form the basis of a six-week series sponsored by St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Lappans.  The series begins Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the St. Mark's fellowship center, 18313 Lappans Road in Boonsboro. The church is off Sharpsburg Pike.  Participants are invited to a simple meal followed by a 20-minute DVD presentation by the Rev. Timothy Keller, senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, N.Y.   Small-group discussions follow with a group session at the end of the evening.

Fields of Faith was to held be held Wednesday on the football field at South Hagerstown High School but was moved inside due to Wednesday's inclement weather. Fields of Faith is "a peer-to-peer ministry event. Students invite their own classmates and teammates to hear fellow students share their testimonies, be challenged to read the Word of God and follow Jesus Christ. An athletic field provides a neutral, interdenominational rally point where a community can come together," according to its Web site .

The Rev. Anne O. Weatherholt is one of about 40 writers featured in the collection "Wisdom Found: Stories of Women Transfigured by Faith," published this year by Forward Movement Publications.   Written from the inside of faith, these stories, poems and prayers show the role of faith in daily life. Weatherholt's essays include "Folding Clothes," a meditation on a mundane chore, "He Knows Who His Mother Is," a memory of a working mother, and "Stains on My Alb," a commentary on the life of a priest.

Winter Street Elementary School could use clothes for students. Food Resources needs personal-care items such as soap, shampoo and toothpaste. And Flanders and his buddies could use some hard chew toys and treats. Flanders, a black Labrador, was representing Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Catoctin Region, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown’s biannual Faith in Action Fair. About 11 organizations were represented at the fair, which the church sponsors to give local residents ideas about how they can help their community through volunteering and donations.

Faith in Action is seeking to expand its services to meet the growing demand of the local senior citizen and disabled population. The group is searching for volunteers with new ideas to help revitalize this program. The volunteers help senior citizens remain in the homes they have lived in for years and help them with simple activities, such as shopping. Meetings are monthly on the fourth Monday evening of each month. The group will meet Monday at 5:15 p.m. at the REACH Center, 140 W. Franklin St., Suite 300, Hagerstown (enter at the rear of the building, next door to the WIC Office.

From where most casual fans stand, athletes have become full of greed and individuality. From where Bobby Richardson stands, athletes - like those playing baseball - have become full of something which is ultimately important. That is an acceptance of God and what he brings to a life and a career. [cont. from sports page ] That grace isn't always prevalent during the competition or under the glare of television cameras, but the fellowship movement is strengthening with every passing day. "I think religion and sports is growing," said Richardson, whose 12-year career as a second baseman with the New York Yankees included a Most Valuable Player honor in the 1960 World Series.

KEARNEYSVILLE, W.Va. - The ground breaking for a faith-based school for troubled girls is expected to happen this spring, although organizers still need to raise $1 million. Despite the large fund-raising goal, Jeannie Hellem is not discouraged because she has faith the community - businesses and individuals - will help. One million dollars may sound like a lot of money, but it's not when you think that the institution it will provide is expected to last at least 100 years and of the impact it will make, said Hellem, executive director of Eagles' Wings Educational Girls Home.

Mildred Hays never set out to make it to 100 years old. But then, as a mother of 10 children and widowed in her mid-30s, she didn't have much time to think about it. “I was just doing everyday living,” she said. “But I'm thankful to be 100.” Hays hit that milestone April 28, and on Saturday, about 160 family members gathered at Virginia Avenue Church of God to celebrate with her. Many were locals, while others traveled from Montana, Massachusetts, Michigan and Florida.

Emmanuel Chapel , Smithsburg, The Down Home Gospel Singers, By Faith and The Bluegrass Travelers will perform from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

A panel of speakers discussed different approaches to optimal health during a program sponsored by the Interfaith Coalition of Washington County at Hagerstown Church of the Brethren on East Washington Street on Wednesday night. One of the three speakers was Chris Holland, pastor at the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Robinwood Drive, who spoke about the benefits of plant-based diets. Holland said people who follow vegetarian diets are less likely to suffer from health complications such as heart disease and stroke.

A great affirmation will be heard in many churches this Sunday around the world with the saying, “He is risen!” with congregants responding, “He is risen indeed!” Christians will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from his tomb outside the city of Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago.  Many churches will be crowded. Some leaders joke privately about “CE” (Christmas and Easter) Christians that show up twice a year. Others in declining congregations can at least expect to see some friends they have not seen for a while.

Robert E. Faith. 79, of Mercersburg, Pa., and formerly of Clear Spring, Md., died Monday, March 11, 2013, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Martinsburg, W.Va. Born Sept. 22, 1933, in Clear Spring, he was the son of the late Earl James and Mable Isabel (nee Newkirk) Faith. Robert is survived by his daughters, Jacqueline Ann Donnelly and her husband, Leonard, of Mercersburg, and Patricia Yost of Hagerstown; grandchildren, Tracy Frederickson of Jacksonville, Fla., Dwayne Fazenbaker of Williamsport, Md., and Taunya Fazenbaker of Hagerstown; and great-grandchildren, Erica and C.J. Frederickson and Clayton Fazenbaker.

Faith Christian Academy in Martinsburg will hold an open house today from 9 a.m. to 7 p. m. The public is invited to view books, curriculum guides, meet the faculty and administration, and tour the classrooms. Applications for the 2013-14 school year will be accepted beginning March 1. For more information, call 304-283-0011 or go to www.faithchristianacademy.net .

Isn't the Bible a myth? How can you say there is only one way to God? Why does God allow suffering? Why are Christians such hypocrites?   These and other questions about faith and life form the basis of a six-week series sponsored by St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Lappans.  The series begins Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the St. Mark's fellowship center, 18313 Lappans Road in Boonsboro. The church is off Sharpsburg Pike.  Participants are invited to a simple meal followed by a 20-minute DVD presentation by the Rev. Timothy Keller, senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, N.Y.   Small-group discussions follow with a group session at the end of the evening.

Monday, January 14, 2013 BOYS BASKETBALL MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Jordan Tosten had a game-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead Hancock to a 45-42 victory over Faith Christian Academy on Monday. Hunter McKinley had 10 points, five rebounds and six steals, Noah Teeter had 10 rebounds and six steals, Logan Manning had eight rebounds, Chad Sipe had seven rebounds and Tosten added four steals for the Panthers (4-6). Stephen Johnson had a team-high 16 points and six rebounds and Will Peifer had 11 rebounds and four steals for the Falcons (4-9)

When he was a kid, just 12 or 13 years old, Thomas C. Newcomer spent time working in the orchards of his hometown of Smithsburg. A few years before that, Newcomer, now 51, caught the giving bug. While working with his grandfather on the family farm, Newcomer had a conversation with his grandfather that still resonates in his life, and the lives of others. “What do you want to do when you grow up?” his grandfather asked. “I want to travel. I want to see the world,” Newcomer recalled replying.