I just scanned that and didn't bother to read a single sentence. But I did notice TN mentioned and I read something that mentioned Tennessee today: Here it is:
‘Christianity Is Not What I Thought It Was’—Danica McKellar Shares More About Her Newfound Faith
By
Janna Firestone
November 27, 2023
 Screenshot from Instagram / @danicamckellar
Danica McKellar loves a great story. The actor and author has starred in the sitcom “The Wonder Years” and countless romcom favorites on the Hallmark Channel and Great American Family. For years, McKellar rejected the idea of Christianity and faith. But a visit to a friend’s church introduced McKellar to God’s beautiful story—and how she belonged.
“In my life, starting in childhood, I had been made aware of all the hypocrisy in the various religions of Christianity, it being used for evil, power & control throughout history, and that had definitely biased me. But that’s just people, that doesn’t represent God’s actual love for us,” McKellar said in a 2022 Instagram post.
‘It’s About a Relationship With God’—Danica McKellar Continues Her Faith Journey At one point in time, Danica McKellar wasn’t interested in anything having to do with faith. She had always struggled with how Christianity had been used to abuse and exert power throughout history. She told Christian Headlines, “That was really my kind of awareness of Christianity before.”
But visiting a local church with a friend gave her a new perspective on faith. It’s no secret that actor and Great American Family executive Candace Cameron Bure and McKellar are close friends. Bure invited McKellar to a Passion Play at her church on Palm Sunday in 2022.
“It just hit me like a wave. It was immediate,” McKellar told Christian Headlines. “It was, like, the Holy Spirit just flooded me.”
McKellar shared more about her friend, Bure. “Candace has been wonderful. After we watched the play, I was like, ‘This is what I’ve been looking for my whole life and didn’t realize it’…And it’s been wonderful. It’s been a wonderful gift.”
Since that first visit, McKellar has been exploring her new faith. She said, “I’ve been discovering the pure part of it, that part that’s actually the core of it.”
McKellar explained, “It’s about your relationship with God, you get to have a personal relationship with God. And that was like such a revelation.”
Along her faith journey, she has come to grips with how Christianity has been misused in history. “Those aren’t authentic Christians. And so just realizing that—it just opened the whole thing up.”
McKellar is continuing to learn and grow in her faith. “I’ve been reading the Bible all the way through this year. And I will be done by the end of the year. I’m on track,” she said.
“This is the first time I’ve read the Bible,” the actress continued. “And I had read the gospels before, but never the Old Testament, and I’m starting from the beginning.” McKellar continued to reflect on Leviticus, which is “a little dry, but that’s ok…It’s actually kind of fascinating when you feel like you’re in that world, and you know what the materials look like, and what the food was. Anyway, it’s pretty amazing.”
As she learns more about Christianity, McKellar isn’t afraid to admit she has quite a bit to learn. McKellar plans to reread the Bible next year as well. She recognizes “it’s a lot of information” and wants to “soak in more.”
Danica McKellar Joined the ‘Wave of Gratitude
’Thanksgiving is a great time to focus on gratitude and intentionally practice being thankful. Challenged by Candace Cameron Bure, McKellar joined her friend’s “wave of gratitude.”
Earlier this fall, Bure challenged her friends, family, and fans to join her in posting three things for which they were thankful. To create an ongoing “wave of gratitude,” she asked each one to also challenge three friends to do the same.
McKellar was happy to join in the fun and post her own list of blessings. “Gratitude challenge accepted!!” she posted on Instagram. “Thank you to @candacecbure for nominating me to keep the gratitude wave going. ” Three areas McKellar said she was grateful for are:
1. The seasons! I love watching the landscape change all around as the seasons evolve. this is new for me since I lived in California most of my life.
2. Dance! I find it to be such a fun challenge, and also it keeps me healthy and happy.
3. My strong marriage! We just celebrated 9 years of marriage this month.
McKellar didn’t stop there but tagged specific friends to keep the “wave of gratitude” going.
“And… please tell me three things you’re feeling grateful for today!! Can be as simple as your morning cup of tea. ,” the romcom star said.
At Home in Tennessee
Danica McKellar moved to Tennessee in 2022 and has embraced her new surroundings with her husband, Scott Sveslosky, and her son from a previous marriage.
“You can’t go a block without hitting a church,” she said. “It’s such a faith-based community here…Christianity is not what I thought it was.”
McKellar recognizes God’s design for the Christian life—being in relationship with him and with others. The Christian community has become vital to McKellar and her family.
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