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Here are a few of my humble attempts to create some Lenten themed facebook covers. They are, of course, free for you to use, especially if you are taking my new Social Media Pledge for Lent!
They are very simple attempts, as I am just an amateur dabbling in some basic free online photo editing and even just some basic creations done in Publisher! Many blessings to you as we approach this most Holy time of Lent. Peace and Love, Cyndi P.S. these image work great to share on other social media as well! Not limited to Facebook. by Cyndi Marlow 
This one can be used anytime. I was inspired by the early AT&T commercials with Beck Bennett and the children.
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Catholic tradition holds us to three Lenten observances: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. For most people, though, it’s all about the fasting and the sacrifice. “What will I be giving up this lent.”
A new trend that is gaining popularity is to give up Social Media, such as Facebook, for Lent. This can seem like a worthwhile sacrifice, if we were to approach social media as if it were just technology and devices. But the truth is social media is relationships. I would no more give up my relationships for 40 days than I would give up family or church. I do recognize that the problem for some is that they have gone to the extreme and thus neglect their face-to-face relationships. For those folks it would be time to implement a Lenten Fast or a scaling back. Just like our rules of fasting for Ash Wednesday or Good Friday We cut back to one main meal and the rest light meals. I would like to take a new approach. First, let’s stop for a moment and take a look at what it is we are called to do during Lent. “We can begin to embrace this call by fasting from or "giving up" material things, including foods, that are superfluous to our basic needs; "taking up" habits that are directed to helping and caring for others; and "lifting up" our brothers and sisters who are in need through prayer and devotional practices.” – From the USCCB.org - Lent: Give up, Take-up, Lift-up! When I read those words, I see an opportunity for us focus on the ways that we can take these three disciplines of giving up, taking up and lifting up, and integrate them as part of our Lenten social media plan.
In Pope Francis' message for Lent, our Holy Father writes
“The Lord asks us to be joyous heralds of this message of mercy and hope! It is thrilling to experience the joy of spreading this good news, sharing the treasure entrusted to us, consoling broken hearts and offering hope to our brothers and sisters experiencing darkness.” With our intentional, deliberate and focused usage of our Social Media this Lent, we have at our disposal a powerful medium to spread the Good News, to share the riches we have been entrusted, to console the broken hearted and to offer hope to those in darkness. Don't give up your social media this Lent. Instead, let's make a Lenten pledge to use our Social Media privileges in positive, evangelizing and loving ways. It’s time for a new SOCIAL MEdia pledge this Lent. Does anyone want to join me? Cyndi by Cyndi Marlow 
Use this image as your Facebook Profile Picture!
Are you looking for a simple way to evangelize and share your faith? Are you on Facebook? If you answered yes to both of these, then how about uploading a faith-based photo quote as your facebook cover.
Here are some to get your started. As indicated by each image, most are based on Sunday Readings, however they are not limited to use on only those dates. They could very easily be used any season or time that you wish. Just right-click on an image and chose "save as" which will allow you to download that image. By clicking on the headers above each image you will be taken to the full text of the readings for that date. Feel free to share on any social media platforms (twitter, google+, etc), that you wish. I hope you enjoy. Cyndi P.S. There are many, many more Facebook Covers now available on this site. Just visit the menu bar and click on Facebook Covers or click facebook covers in the categories. I hope you enjoy! by Cyndi Marlow 
General Facebook Cover
Images used were from Microsoft Images and Pixabay.com.
The "Haiku" version is a slightly modified/condensed version of this quote:
The proclamation of the Gospel is destined for the poor first of all, for all those all who all too often lack what they need to live a dignified life. To them first are proclaimed the glad tidings that God loves them with a preferential love and comes to visit them through the charitable works that disciples of Christ do in his name. Go to the poor first of all: this is the priority. At the moment of the Last Judgement, as we can read in Matthew 25, we shall all be judged on this. . . . I therefore like using the expression "to go toward the outskirts", the outskirts of existence. All all the outskirts?, from physical and real poverty to intellectual poverty, which is also real. All the peripheries, all the crossroads on the way: go there. And sow there the seed of the Gospel with your words and your witness. ( Pope Francis 6/17/13)
This (and every) Valentines Day make it part of your social media plan to share the love of Christ in both word, image and deed! I am happy to help with the first two.
"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread." - Bl. Mother Teresa "share the love forward." Cyndi by Cyndi Marlow
As promised in my last post, "God is a User" I want to share with you the rest of the story.
RCIA (the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for anyone not familiar with the acronym) was an eye-opening experience for me. Because I had little or no background in Christianity, much of what I learned was difficult for me to comprehend. There still were many practical things I needed to learn to fully live out this Christian calling. Almost all of my past sense of spirituality and religious formation were based on my understanding of the "New Age Movement." I found it difficult at times to accept all that the Catholic Church taught. I had lots of questions. I had lots of doubts. There were times I would walk away from a class feeling 100% certain this was what God wanted for me. There were times when I would walk away and wonder what I had gotten myself into. It was at those times I would try to rationalize and adapt what I was being told to fit into something that I could accept. A bad habit that I would have to break, but that story is for another day. Part of the journey for each person in RCIA are the rituals and periods of discernment. These moments are when the person in RCIA makes the decision to move forward on the journey. Amazingly, at each step of discernment I felt the call to move forward. The culmination of the RCIA process is the experience of Holy Week and then to become a fully initiated Catholic on Easter Vigil. I had never attended a Mass during Holy Week before. I had no idea what to expect. I watched with great reverence as Holy Thursday Mass took place and the feet of a great many parishioners were washed. It was a beautiful and moving Mass, and I was happy to be just a spectator at that point. Ah, But Good Friday was another story. It was explained that we would be offered an opportunity to venerate the cross. Thus the conversation with someone from RCIA that went something like this: "Well how do people do that?" I asked They answered "Some people genuflect or bow at the cross, some people kiss the cross." My doubts started to kick in. I thought to myself. Kiss the cross?...um... I don't think so! That seems just plain weird. What other weird things do Catholics do that I don't know about? What am I getting myself into? So I asked the RCIA person, "Do we have to do kiss the cross? They answered "No you don't have to, but...." and they proceeded to elaborate on why we venerate the cross and why I would want to do this as well. All I really heard was, I don't have to kiss it if I don't want. I could handle that. I went to the Good Friday service and I sat alone toward the back. The cross was brought forth in the ritual manner that is reserved for Good Friday. It was placed in front of the altar and the people in the rows in front of me began to go forward to adore and to venerate the cross. I watched intently as everyone in the entire first row genuflected and kissed the cross. Then the next row did the same. And then the next... I began to panic for some reason. My thoughts raced. That's it. No way. I can't do this. Maybe I'm not meant to be Catholic. I thought back to the Mass I went to as I child, when I was asked to bring up the gifts. Maybe I am just a fake. Someone else please just bow or something, Or better yet, someone else stay in your seat, then I won't feel like the odd person out if I stay in my seat. It was almost time for my row to go, and so far every single person in that church had kissed the cross. And, you guessed it, not a single person stayed behind in their seat. It was my row's turn. My need to blend in and not stand out were very strong. So, I got up with the rest of the people in my row. I approached the cross. As I walked forward inching ever nearer, I told myself "I will just bow or something I guess, because I am not going to kiss it." And then It was my turn. I was at the foot of the cross. I knelt down. And then something else took control over me and I did what I said I wasn't going to do. I kissed the cross. I felt nothing. I turned and went back to my seat. I sat down and I started to tremble. And then I started to cry. I don't mean that I just teared up. I mean I started to sob. I did not care at that point if anyone saw me. Because in that moment, in that most extraordinary moment, the spirit of God come upon me to let me know that everything was as it should be. That I was doing the right thing. I belonged there. The next day at the Easter Vigil, with my husband, mother and father in attendance (my parents drove 100 miles to be there) I was received into the church. I felt like I was floating on a cloud the entire night. My sponsor would tell me later that I looked so peaceful. and that I just seemed to glow. You know what? I think I probably did. Cyndi by Cyndi Marlow 'For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. -Jeremiah 29: 11-13
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Evangelizing the digital continent!
We each may be only one person, but together we are
all part of one body. What is Embedded Faith? Simply put, this is a "gralog" (graphics + blog) providing images and thoughts to evangelize the digital continent.
Click to find out more. FAQ How do I download an image? To download any image, just right click and choose "file save as". Can I use your image on my website or publication? Yes! All images are creative commons and are free to use. Credit or a link to this site is appreciated. Images may not be sold. 
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