{"id":1607,"date":"2015-03-29T18:30:25","date_gmt":"2015-03-29T18:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=1607"},"modified":"2015-03-29T18:30:25","modified_gmt":"2015-03-29T18:30:25","slug":"food-for-thought-back-to-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2015\/03\/food-for-thought-back-to-basics.html","title":{"rendered":"Food For Thought: Back to Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image<\/a>
Image courtesy of nuchylee\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A very blessed Holy Week to you!<\/p>\n

There certainly are many bible-based movies, television programs, and other works making the rounds this week. Whether another telling of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, or other stories taken from the New or Old Testament, I cannot remember another Holy Week where so many different treatments have reached the airwaves and theaters, not to mention the newspapers, internet, and bookshelves.<\/p>\n

I suppose part of this is because, simply, people will tune in; media companies produce what they believe the public will watch and sponsors will support.<\/p>\n

But, too, I think it is that today’s world is so very troubled that many people crave something better, more hopeful, and deeply spiritual. Although it is hard to watch the Passion of Our Lord because of the utter cruelty and pain he suffered, the result – the Resurrection – makes for an uplifting end and new beginning for all of us of faith.<\/p>\n

Which leads me to the point of this installment of Food for Thought. I might tune in to a couple of the programs that will air this week, but more than that, I plan to spend a lot of time in prayer, reflection, and meditatin on the basics – the actual Word. I want to cultivate that connection between the bible pages and my eyes and draw the meaning written on them into my heart and soul. It’s hard to do that when you’re interrupted by commercials or distracted by how the actors look or what other production values a particular program has.<\/p>\n

So, for me, it’s back to basics – and forward into Holy Week.<\/p>\n

Blessings to you at this blessed time!
\nMaureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A very blessed Holy Week to you! There certainly are many bible-based movies, television programs, and other works making the rounds this week. Whether another telling of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, or other stories taken from the New or Old Testament, I cannot remember another Holy Week where so many different treatments have reached…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":548,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1245,1236,95],"tags":[1617,479,1618,1619,1620,1014],"class_list":["post-1607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-positive","category-prayer-2","category-prayers","tag-bible-stories","tag-holy-week","tag-jesus-passion","tag-reading-the-bible-during-holy-week","tag-reading-the-word","tag-the-resurrection"],"yoast_head":"\nFood For Thought: Back to Basics - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2015\/03\/food-for-thought-back-to-basics.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Food For Thought: Back to Basics - Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A very blessed Holy Week to you! 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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. 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