"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9

A team of nine people journeyed to the Holy Land for ten days, October 14-24, 2015. Seeking to serve as ministers of reconciliation by simply sharing their passions and professions with our neighbors in the West Bank, the team quickly learned among the greatest benefits of laying down your life in service of others, is self-discovery.

"This year’s trip could not have come at a more inopportune time for me with so much going on at home with family, work, and school—all competing for top priority in my life," remarked 2015 Glocal Team Member, Elevator Engineer and Seminary Student Paul Talley. "But when we arrived, my problems became so insignificant and my life became so small; yet I have never felt more a part of God’s plan."

Another member of the team, currently writing his doctoral dissertation on reconciliation, added "One thing about the trip that left an impression on me was how thoughtful everyone was about the trip—both during our travels and also in reflecting on it after the fact. It was clearly meant to be more than something to check off a bucket list of places to visit.  From the engagements to the conversations to the travel from place to place, the trip really felt like an open-ended learning experience. Open-ended in the sense of being able to engage each person on the trip in a way that connected with their lives and made the trip relevant beyond our stay there"

The Glocal Team served in a variety of capacities, from pruning and harvesting olive trees, to conducting workshops for university students and emerging entrepreneurs, and enjoyed the privilege of attending Sunday service at Baraka Presbyterian Church, the oldest, Christian Evangelical church in Bethlehem, where Pastor Kevin served as the guest speaker, encouraging those in attendance to continue in their pursuit of peace just as Jesus did, by turning the other cheek, giving away our cloaks and going the other mile.

To read more about their journey, check out their blog entries here.

A Woman's Business hosted Game Day: Obstacles -vs- Opportunities on Sunday, October 25, 2015 to mark the release of "Resilience: Living Life By Design," a new book co-authored by Angela M. Brown. In it, Angela chronicles lessons she’s learned turning obstacles into opportunities throughout her journey from a 17 year-old college drop-out to the founder of the international women’s outreach.

In addition to remarks by Angela, guests enjoyed "sideline chats" with panelists who shared their insight on the power of resilience including Resilience: Living Life By Design Publisher Dr. Deanna Murphy; Winslow Township Mayor Barry Wright; The Perfecting Church Pastor Kevin C. Brown; Weight Loss D.I.V.A. Author LeeAnn Sims; USMAPS Graduate and Former D1 Basketball Player KJ Brown; and College Student and Brand Marketer Olivia Brown; followed by the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned by competing in an indoor obstacle course.

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and its dedication to advocate against all forms of violence and prejudice against women and girls, A Woman’s Business donated a portion of the event proceeds to SERV, a program of its partner, Center For Family Services, which provides counseling, housing and support to women overcoming the effects of domestic and sexual violence. 100% of the proceeds from sales made by A Woman’s Business of "Resilience: Living Life By Design," go towards Loving Our Cities. To obtain a copy of the book or request a "Resilience Boot Camp" with your organization, email [email protected].

Click here to read additional highlights from the event as featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Special thanks to Scanzano Sports Center and The Chef’s Publicist for sponsoring this event!

PerfectingKids, hosted its annual Harvest Party at Garden State Discovery Museum on Saturday, October 31, 2015 from 6-8 pm. More than 150 kids ages three through ten years-old, and the adults who accompanied them, enjoyed exclusive access to the museum, a variety of games and craft activities, and all the candy they could "reap," thanks to the abundance of donations.

Click here for photo highlights to see if you can tell who had more fun—the adults or the kids!

Eleven simple words packed with profound truth. The heart is the essence of who we are. It is the seat of our thinking, reasoning, desires, emotions and passions. Jesus says, Blessed are the pure in heart, they will see God. This statement has future implications but it has present ones too. To be pure is to be single, sincere and undivided. When our hearts are pure they desire just one thing — bringing glory to God. It is then that we begin to see God.

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