Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

• 8 • The Pinecone | May 2026 Congratulations to our CHAMPION of the Month MARY STOKES Personal Care Assistant Mary is always attentive and looking for ways to help our department. She is dependable beyond measure and an asset to Caring In Place. She leads by example by building genuine connections with colleagues and residents. Mary worked with one of our residents for years until they took their last breath. Leading up to the transition, the resident was in hopes that Mary would be there with them. - Brandy Pitman, Director, Caring In Place Describe Your Family: I have 2 sons, 1 daughter, 9 grandchildren and 4 great grands. Describe yourself in five words: Kind, honest, dependable, passionate and reliable. Your favorite thing about your job: Spending time with the residents and helping them. Do you have any hobbies: Going to the park and watching TV. What do you do for fun: Spending time with family. Pets: A shih tzu named Shelby. Favorite food: Fish. Favorite song: Running for My Life by Lee Williams. What is something you are proud of: My accomplishments and my family. What would you like people to know about you: I’m devoted to God and a strong church supporter. Clement of Alexandria, one of the early church fathers, said all Christians should “practice being God.” When I first read that, it shocked me. Me…practice being God? But the more I thought about it, the more gripping the idea became. Practice being God. Don’t close your mind, thinking this is irreverent. Paul was talking about this in his word about reconciliation? “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18) Do you see it? Paul said first, God reconciled us to himself…that’s what God does. Then…what are we to do? He has called us to do the same. Isn’t He talking about practicing being God? Come at it in a slightly different way. When are we most like God? We are most like God when we are most like Christ. And when are PRACTICE BEING GOD Reflections Maxie Dunnam By we most like Christ? We find our answer again in Paul. Preceding what he said about reconciliation, he wrote: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore, all have died. And He died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.”(2 Cor. 5:14-15) What an encompassing state- ment: convinced that (Christ) has died for all.” That means that since He has died for all He has died for each, and that is the great solvent by which the love of God melts our hearts. If Christ loves like that, and we are to love as he loved, to not forgive is never an option. Practice being God. Whether we like the language or not, at the core of the Christian faith is forgiveness. Who is a person you need to forgive whether they have requested it or not? Begin with that person as you practice being God. May Vesper Services 6:30pm | Performing Arts Center May 7: Kevin Presley Minister of Music and Worship, Emmanuel UMC May 14: Philip Slate Former Missionary and University Professor May 21: Eddie Bromley Pastor of First Methodist, Collierville, TN May 28: Les Helton Pastor of Senior Adults, Collierville First Baptist “...to not forgive is never an option”.