The Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene, July 22, honors this remarkable woman. This podcast is a updated version of the most recent information about this singular disciple of Christ and the illuminating path she forged forward for the rest of us. 

Additional reading: 

The Saturdays of our lives are sometimes our darkest hours, as we wait, like disciples of old, for the new life promised in Christ. In this episode, Mandy speaks to this darkness as we wait and hope. 

artwork: The Grey Havens, by Matt Stewart, as seen in the Middle-earth Collectible Card Game

INTO THE WEST, Lyrics by Annie Lennox, Produced by Howard Shore

Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
The night is falling
You have come to journey's end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across the distant shore

Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping

What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home

And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
All Souls pass

Hope fades
Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time
Don't say
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again
And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping

And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the West

READING: For Holy Saturday: Pg. 174-175

From: Have a Beautiful Terrible Day by Kate Bowler.

(SO MANY GEMS IN THIS BOOK! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!)

To purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TX23pE

or on Target: https://www.target.com/p/have-a-beautiful-terrible-day-by-kate-bowler-hardcover/-/A-89186641#lnk=sametab

HEBREWS 12:5-12

“My son, do not despise the c]"> [c]chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 Ifd]">[d] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened usas seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no e]"> [e]chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

epiph·​a·​ny i-ˈpi-fə-nē 

1 capitalized : January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ

2: an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being

3a(1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something

(2): an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking

(3): an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

b: a revealing scene or moment

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epiphany

By T.S. Elliot

A cold coming we had of it,

Just the worst time of the year

For a journey, and such a long journey:

The ways deep and the weather sharp,

The very dead of winter.'

And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory,

Lying down in the melting snow.

There were times we regretted

The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,

And the silken girls bringing sherbet.

Then the camel men cursing and grumbling

and running away, and wanting their liquor and women,

And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,

And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly

And the villages dirty and charging high prices:

A hard time we had of it.

At the end we preferred to travel all night,

Sleeping in snatches,

With the voices singing in our ears, saying

That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,

Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;

With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,

And three trees on the low sky,

And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.

Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,

Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,

And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.

But there was no information, and so we continued

And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon

Finding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,

And I would do it again, but set down

This set down

This: were we led all that way for

Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly

We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,

But had thought they were different; this Birth was

Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.

We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,

But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,

With an alien people clutching their gods.

I should be glad of another death.

"Every hero needs to venture into the Belly of the Beast. It’s essential to be devoured at least once by the monster. The hero never begins as a hero. He becomes a hero, and that entails the annihilation of his own, unheroic, former self. The hero always undergoes a metamorphosis, from ordinary to extraordinary. The hero, like the snake, sheds its old skin and takes on a new form. To change, you must enter a sacred space, a transformational space. Nothing ever changes in the ordinary space. The familiar world keeps you the same. It has no alchemical power. If you are confined in the same old world, you remain the same old person. You must cross the threshold into the New World."--David Sinclair

(Taken from the instagram account: @robertedwardgrant on 1-3-2024

1 And now it came to pass that Samuel, the Lamanite, did prophesy a great many more things which cannot be written.

2 And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.

3 And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.

4 Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.

5 And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.

6 And behold this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven.

7 And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the earth.

8 And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life.

4 And it came to pass that in the commencement of the ninety and second year, behold, the prophecies of the prophets began to be fulfilled more fully; for there began to be greater signs and greater miracles wrought among the people.

5 But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite.

6 And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.

7 And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land; and the people who believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had been spoken might not come to pass.

8 But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had not been vain.

9 Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet.

10 Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful.

11 And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers.

12 And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord aall that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

13 Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.

14 Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.

15 And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.

16 And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.

17 And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth.

18 For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand; and they began to fear because of their iniquity and their unbelief.

19 And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.

20 And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.

21 And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.

22 And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen; but notwithstanding these lyings and deceivings the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord.

Welcome to our third Sunday of Advent. In this episode, Mandy invites us to consider how each of us may show up for the advent of Christ, as our truest selves.

For show notes see: www.mandybgreen.com/podcast

Matt 5:48: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/5-48.htm

Patience doesn't mean making a pact with the devil of denial, ignoring our emotions and aspirations. It means being wholeheartedly engaged in the process that's unfolding, rather than ripping open a budding flower or demanding a caterpillar hurry up and get that chrysalis stage over with.

Sharon Salzberg

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond

E. E. Cummings

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond

any experience, your eyes have their silence:

in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,

or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me

though i have closed myself as fingers,

you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens

(touching skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and

my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,

as when the heart of this flower imagines

the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals

the power of your intense fragility: whose texture

compels me with the colour of its countries,

rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes

and opens; only something in me understands

the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)

nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands

From Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage

https://poets.org/poem/somewhere-i-have-never-travelledgladly-beyond

Artwork by Tshikamba:

Samuel Wells, A NAZARETH MANIFESTO!
https://chapel-archives.oit.duke.edu/documents/sermons/July11WhatMustIDotoInheritEternalLife.pdf

IF YOU ARE ABLE, the COLUMBUS LEARNING CENTER is in desparate need of volunteers and supplies! columbusaec.org

Welcome to the beginning of Advent as we explore the condescension of God through the lens of Isaiah, in "The Ascension of Isaiah."* 

1 Nephi 11:16 "And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?"

Art: Prophet Isaiah, Marc Chagall Le prophète Isaïe, 1968; Saint-paul-de-vence, France  

Music compliments of: https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ 

*As an Amazon Associate, the podcast receives earnings from your purchases that funds further episodes. Thank you!

Recognizing is different than seeing. Perhaps a shift in perspective can help us recognize heaven in our lives. Happy thanksgiving! Blessed are my listeners. Thank you for your support!

Show notes at: Mandybgreen.com/podcast

Today's podcast offers a little breather from life. "Come Away" from Unfoldinglight.net

Welcome to SEASON FOUR OF REFLECTING LIGHT!  Mandy starts off the newest season by asking us to ponder this question found in Matthew 16:13-15.  Join us!

For Show notes, please visit: mandybrookegreen.com

For Tour information, please visit: www.forbiddenadventure.com

For information about classes or the weekly COME FOLLOW ME video cast, please visit: 
www.projectillumination.thinkific.com

SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE!

Heres a short and sweet last thought for summer, "What Things?"  Invite the divine into your life.  Song for this episode: "The Scientist" by Coldplay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm-Y9idMMQ4
For those interested in enrolling in classes each Wednesday with Jon Ewer and Dena Hall, please email: itsgreektome@hotmail.com. This is a rare opportunity.  Take it!

Photo: Gang nach Emmaus, Robert Zünd, 1877

Today's podcast features guests, Adelaide Roberts, Miss Wyoming For America Strong and Tyler Schwab, President and CEO of Libertas International, an organization committed to the rescue and after care of girls imprisoned in human trafficking. It's a tough and tender conversation--and an necessary one. To beat an evil of this magnitude, it's going to take all of us! Please listen to the end if possible.

For more information about how you can help or to sponsor a girl, please visit: Libertas International.  If donating, please enter: REFLECTING LIGHT PODCAST into the memo space.

Join Mandy as she interviews Dr. Marie Shelton about the roots of alchemy in Ancient Britain and the various ways people can learn truth through the newest tour offered by Forbidden Adventure, "Grail Legend, The Knights Templar and Alchemical Traditions.  Www.forbiddenadventure.com

Join us for a reading of the book "The Hymn of the Pearl" written by Lori Driggs, illustrated by Tshikamba with essay by Mandy Green.  Mandy explains why this hymn is so important and relevant to each of of us, here and earth, and how it can help us remember who we truly are, and what our purpose, or pearl, is here to recover.  

Continuing on with the celebration of Mandikah, Mandy finished out her list of the 50 Most Important Things she's learned in her first half century.  Join us!

To celebrate Mandy's golden birthday this week, she shares with us 50 Things She's Learned from her first fifty years of life, complete with an epic playlist. "L' haim!"

Still basking in the joy of the marriage of her oldest child, Mandy looks at what marriage can teach us and some of the ways it shows up on in ancient mythology, the scriptures and in the Saviors life.  Tune in!

Have you ever felt "cumbered about" with much serving?  Or overwhelemed by the tasks you feel you need to do?  Or left to do all the work alone while someone else is able to just sit back and enjoy the moment?  Then this episode is for YOU!  Join Mandy as she discusses Luke 10 and the change of heart and attitude we can experience when we feel troubled about many things.  

 Easter, Through the Eyes of Matthew.  Matt 21-28

This is the first installment of the new Come Follow Me video cast.  But I found I wanted to share it with the podcast as well, so I doubled down.  And when I say that, I mean to say that I perhaps quadrupled down!  This is by far the LONGEST PODCAST KNOWN to Reflecting LIght. So FAIR WARNING.  It's LOOOONG.  

Break it up, take it in chapters, or not at all.  Just let me know if you learned something new or if this was a complete bust.  It's an experiment.  

Above all Happy Easter to each one of you!!!  May you be blessed with heavenly love and light!

Our discussion of "Treasures in the Heavens" by Hugh Nibley continues with the talk of creation of world and souls.  Show artwork: Jehovah Creates the Earth (Jesus Christ Creates the Earth and the Heavens) by Walter Rane

Mandy continues her reading and commentary of the essay, "Treasures in the Heavens" by Hugh Nibley.  Creation is actually organization and is overseen by the Great Sent One, Jesus Christ.  Show artwork is: "God creating the universe, using the compass to measure its dimensions, manuscript illumination from an Old French Bible moralisée "(c. 1208-15), Codex Vindobonensis 2554, fol. lv, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna.

This week, Mandy continues her discussion of "Treasures in the Heavens" an essay by Hugh Nibley, and introduces a discussion of the Hymn of the Pearl from the Gospel of Thomas.  Show artwork is from The Hymn of the Pearl by Lori Driggs, Illustrated by Tshikamba!  For information on how to access these writings, and to pre-order this beautiful book, please visit: https://www.mandybgreen.com/show-notes.  Happy Studying.

Better late than never! Mandy returns with Easter Greetings and a look at the beauty of the mayhem the first Easter, as recorded in the Book of Mark. Wishing you all some beautiful Easter mayhem. xoxo

art by He Qi: Women Arriving at the Tomb He Qi Copyright 2021. Limited use.

To Purchase Kate Bowlers book:  https://amzn.to/4anG81J

The Sermon on the Mount is an invitation for the students of Christ to follow him to higher ground.  In an effort to examine that, join Mandy as she begins disucssion of Hugh Nibley's essay, "Treasures in the Heavens."  

According to a Hopi Prophecy, we are living in the time of the third great awakening--a time we must learn to be inclusvie and loving with people of all races and backgrounds.  Join Mandy as she discusses how expressing LOVE for others, or ourselves is made so much better when we are able to extend it as grace and space for others.  

Sitting within your soul and spirit is this magnificent power of choice!  Join Mandy as she discusses "The Grand Inquisitor" a chapter from one of the world's most renouned novels, "The Brothers Karamatzov" and your magnificent ability to choose to follow Jesus the Christ.  Time after time.  Day by day.  Hour by hour.  The gift is in your ability to choose Him--over all else. 

Have you ever experienced grief fatigue?  Have you bottomed from feeling overload and retreated?  I sure have.  Join me as I talk about the importance of feeling all of our feelings and beauty these darker, richer hues offer to develop us spiritually and teach us compassion.

If, like Ignatius of Antioch said, "Faith the beginning and love the end," how to go from faith to love?  The answer is Hope.  In Hebrew, the word for hope is "tikvah" and means a cord.  Join Mandy as she uses the wisdom of the past to explore how we can hold on to hope to make it through the storms and tests of life.  

Join Mandy as she takes discusses the challenges of translation and illustrates them by taking a deeper look into the first few verses of the Gospel of John.  
If you would like to enroll in her live course about the Gospel of John, beginning at the end of March, please visit: Projectillumination.thinkific.com

Happy New Year from Reflecting Light!  Rather than rushing into the new year with resolutions, Mandy discusses greeting the new year with a sense of shabbat, rest, or a pause. Join us as she explores clues from the Gospel of Mark that exemplify how the Lord found rest and solace.

Merry Christmas from Reflecting LIght!  Join Mandy as she walks you through the Judean Hillside to take in the events of the Saviors birth.  Happy Holidays!

Holiday Greetings from Reflecting Light!  Join Mandy as she discusses the best idea of how to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas this Year.  Hint: The answer is in the title.  Episode artwork found from an article: https://www.templeton.org/news/can-forgiveness-bring-healing-to-the-world. Illustration by Rachel Aparicio.

Join Mandy in this weeks podcast to learn about the prophecies of Isaiah related to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Are we willing to ride out our storms knowing the Lord is in the boat with us? Matt 8, Luke 5.

Image Credit: Yongsong Kim, "The Hand of God.' 

https://yongsungkimart.com/products/the-hand-of-god-by-yongsung-kim?variant=40700331393189

Sometimes, we are healed of our infirmities.  Other times, we must bear them.  Either way, we can find heavenly peace in Christ.  Join us as Mandy kicks of the season with the "Peace that was prepared before ever your war was."  

We all have garbage in our lives.  What makes the difference is how we view it.  Join Mandy as she shares some of the lesson she learned from her recent visit to Garbage City in Cairo.  There is just something beautiful about Heaven's alchemy--even when it shows up as "garbage."  Love and Light and Happy Holidays my freinds!

Anciently, when you invited someone to break bread with you, it signified admitting someone into your family and life.  Join Mandy as she shares a store of her Shabbat in Jerusalem and a little bit of wisdom about how we can be open up and share our commonalities with others.  

This is one of my very favorite episodes, but I recorded it VERY early on in the podcast.  So while I am out of town, I wanted to re-share it for all of our new listeners and as a reminder for all of those who have already heard it, but could use the reminder.  Love and light!

Have you ever wondered if your life is off course?  Did you somehow miss your chance at redemption?  Is all of this part of the plan?  As it turns out, it IS.  Tune in as Mandy discusses this model that emcompasses every one of our mortal journeys.  As it turns out, we are ALL on the path--just at different stages.

Today is a love story from the Bible that asks us to look at love through a different lens.  Join Mandy as she looks as the story of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, the Song of Songs, and some of the beautiful ways that love expands our souls, and teaches us about the Elohim and the Lord's great love for us.

Welcome to Season 3!  We kick things off by learning what the pattern of nature can teach as the seasons change.  By following this pattenr, fall can be a time of harvest, cleansing and letting go.  It can also be a time to sit still and learn from the darkness.  Tune in!

Or more appropriately, Summer Heart-work.  Join us as Mandy bids a fond farewell on the final episode of Season 2 of Reflecting Light.  

Who can find an "Eshet Hayil" or a woman of strength and valor, as recited in Proverbs 31?  Perhaps she is not so far as we think or even WHO we traditionally thought her to be.  Join Mandy as she dives a little deeper into what true, righteous womanhood looks like and the ways we can find HER in the scriptures, in our lives, and in OURSELVES.  Happy Mothers Day! 

With all of the focus on love the past month, it's important to remember to love ourselves. Join Mandy as she discusses how we are each "wonderfully and fearfully made," (Ps. 139:13-18).

Our family has a motto.  It comes from "The Secret LIfe of Walter Mitty as is as follows: 
"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life."  Listen as Indiana shared what this meant to him as he traveled the world and served others.

EASTER!  That glorious time of year when we take notice of the path of Christ traveled in the last week of his mortal ministry.  Theres so much to say--too much.  So here are just a few nuggets to savor and think further on.  I'm so grateful for the Lord and for all of the players who helped him accomplish his great mortal work.  HALLELUJIA indeed!

This podcast contains excerpts of a lecture Mandy presents around Eastertime about the trememdous example and power of Saint Mary Magdalene. If you ever wanted to hear a more accurate translation of the Greek texts that inform us of her, this is the podcast to listen to!  Easter Greetings my friends!