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Cindy Strickland Ralston

@ralstoncindy

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"We love Him, because He first loved us."
~ I John 4:19 ☦️

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Many thanks to Father Andria Saria for the time he spent with our parish at Saint Stephen. God be with him as he journeys to the next parish... where they'll be blessed by his teaching and Christ-like spirit. by @ralstoncindy

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7 days ago

Do I "love my enemy"? If you truly "love your enemy" you cannot judge. - from Father Andria Saria 's homily on on Luke 6:31-36 (his last homily at Saint Stephen Orthodox Church, October 4, 2026) God grant this humble and loving servant many years. We sure will miss him. by @ralstoncindy

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12 days ago

A small family get-together at Seth's yesterday... not everyone could be there (and not at the same time) but seeing my children and grandchildren sure filled up the reservoir of my heart. by @ralstoncindy

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12 days ago

This day 44 years ago our Lukey Boy was born! 🩵 by @ralstoncindy

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13 days ago

Another fun September memory... picnic with my "cuzzins" at Sweetwater Creek State Park. by @ralstoncindy

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15 days ago

This past Saturday was so fun! There was a church picnic and a "multi-class" high school reunion... ironically at the very same day, same time, and same location (beautiful Red Top Mountain), so we were able to have fun with our Saint Stephen church family and then cross the street to catch up with our Pebblebrook school mates.. by @ralstoncindy

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17 days ago

A few weeks ago, while on our way to Bryson City, i saw a sign that set my heart pumping: "Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest"... with an arrow pointing left. "I can't believe that forest is somewhere over there," I kinda hollered.

Welp, my Ray took note. During the past 20 years he'd been hearing me talk about the ancient, giant tulip poplar trees in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and how much I really, really wanted to see them.

So on the way home he surprised me with a detour and made one of my wildest dreams come true. I'm sure a lot of the old giants had already fallen, but some of the 400 year old trees were still there.... and even their offspring were giants. It was surreal. And that is the love of the man I've been married to since 48 years ago, today. ❤️ by @ralstoncindy

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a month ago

September 8 -THE NATIVITY OF THE MOST-HOLY THEOTOKOS
The Holy Virgin Mary was born of aged parents, Joachim and Anna. Her father was of the lineage of David, and her mother of the lineage of Aaron. Thus, she was of royal birth by her father, and of priestly birth by her mother. In this, she foreshadowed Him Who would be born of her as King and High Priest. Her parents were quite old and had no children. Because of this they were ashamed before men and humble before God. In their humility they prayed to God with tears, to bring them joy in their old age by giving them a child, as He had once given joy to the aged Abraham and his wife Sarah by giving them Isaac. The Almighty and All-seeing God rewarded them with a joy that surpassed all their expectations and all their most beautiful dreams. For He gave them not just a daughter, but the Mother of God. He illumined them not only with temporal joy, but with eternal joy as well. God gave them just one daughter, and she would later give them just one grandson—but what a daughter and what a Grandson! Mary, Full of grace, Blessed among women, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Altar of the Living God, the Table of the Heavenly Bread, the Ark of God’s Holiness, the Tree of the Sweetest Fruit, the Glory of the race of man, the Praise of womanhood, the Fount of virginity and purity—this was the daughter given by God to Joachim and Anna. She was born in Nazareth, and at the age of three, was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In her young womanhood she returned again to Nazareth, and shortly thereafter heard the Annunciation of the Holy Archangel Gabriel concerning the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, from her most-pure virgin body. by @ralstoncindy

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a month ago

Precious granddaughter, who just turned 18 🩷 @zoelovecowart by @ralstoncindy

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2 months ago

Sharing a special place with our grandgirls... Top photo : Cherokee, NC with granddaughters Piper & Zoe, June 2013
Bottom photo: Cherokee NC with granddaughters Isla & Lucy, August 2026 by @ralstoncindy

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2 months ago

,A fitting verse for my sweet young friend, Kylie, who spreads joy with her colorful facepainting and window-painting... Painted Joy by Kylie. We both like to wear flower gardens (flower-dy dresses 😊). by @ralstoncindy

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2 months ago

My sweet young friend, Cecilia ⚘️ by @ralstoncindy

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2 months ago