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You may have been introduced to THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME ministry through one of several entrances:

Front door—The radio broadcast is now heard on 25 radio stations and one cable television station across the United States and around the world through on-line broadcasts from some of those stations. March 2007 marks the beginning of the broadcast’s 28th year. (Check out the station log on page 15 for stations and times. The same info is found on the website: www.heartbeatofthehome.org ).

Mailbox—The print ministry includes transcripts of individual broadcasts (nearly 1500 on fi le at the moment) and at least 95 books on a wide variety of topics of relevance to people wanting to live their daily lives God’s way.

Side door—Personal appearances aff ord an opportunity for the HEARTBEAT staff to meet listeners and readers face to face at mother-daughter banquets, women’s refresher days, and retreats. (Check out the speaker information on page 13).

Window—The HEARTBEAT website—www.heartbeatofthehome.org—is the route through which many fi rst connect with this ministry. On the website you can access Jackie and Cindy through an email link, read about the min-istry’s beginnings and what it stands for, or browse through the resources off ered.

Backyard—Until now, HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME mailed a twice-yearly tri-fold newsletter to friends of the ministry. The magazine in your hands was born out of the desire to keep in contact with relevant teaching, inspi-ration, and news about what the Lord is doing through this work. If you appreciate this magazine format, please let us know. And consider securing additional copies for your friends—our gift to you. You can contact us by email: heartbeatofthehome@gmail.com or by mail:

THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME6641 County Rd B

Pittsville, WI 54466

Backyard Friends is a communication arm of THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME, Inc.

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Welcome to the premiere issue of THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME’s Backyard Friends magazine. For years we’ve sent a twice-annual newsletter to our readers and listeners. Now we’re expanding that ministry to off er more encouragement and insights in a format you can carry in your purse, briefcase, or tote bag and share with friends or family.

You may choose to leave a copy in your doctor’s waiting room, dentist’s office, or in the car repair waiting area in the hopes that someone in search of reading material to “kill time” might fi nd instead life-giving answers to their heart needs through the timeless truths of God’s Word expressed in the articles and special features of this magazine.

If you’d like multiple copies for a freebie table at your church, please feel free to ask.

We’re counting on the Lord to move through people who want to help provide the funds that will enable us to off er Backyard Friends to those who can benefi t from the magazine. HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME has always been committed to off ering its resources without obligation. Until or unless the Lord moves upon us to make changes in that regard, we will continue to pour out what He gives us without fretting about the expenses of doing so or charging a subscription fee.

As you read the articles, catch up on news about the ministry, and take note of the testimonials of those whose lives are daily fi nding hope, we pray that you will consider doing what you can to make it possible for us to continue showing the relevance of God’s Word and His plan for those who most need it.

Sit back with a cup of coff ee or tea and walk with us through this fi rst issue, our gift of love to your heart.

Grateful to Him for you,

From the desks…and hearts…of Jackie and Cindy—

Grateful to Him for you,

Never Let Goby Cynthia Ruchti What diff erence does it make when we fully grasp the truth that the Lord never lets go of us…especially in our times of deepest concern and despair?

An interview with a woman rocked by disasters reveals the stabilizing power of The Rock of our salvation.

Dreams, Hope, and a Futureby Dawn Kinzer

T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s

From the Mailbox

On the Near Horizon

Final Word of Encouragement

Station Log15

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V o l u m e 1

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Three o’clock in the morning. Worry’s witching hour.

If you could have slept past it, you might have had your first good night’s sleep in a long time. But no. Something twisted in your heart and popped your eyes open, reminding you of the wrenching con-cerns that were bad enough in the daylight hours, the ones that take on gargantuan proportions when darkness falls.

It will be too long before dawn—with the rising of the sun or the easing of your pain. Too long. But you’re awake now, and vast pas-tures full of sheep to count won’t change that.

What kind of dark thoughts dance on your heart with steel-spiked shoes at that hour?• Your son still isn’t home. He’s out there somewhere, traveling a high-

way of choices that are dangerous at best, deadly at worst.• Your physical pain defies relief, despite buckets of tear-wrought prayer and the best efforts of the medical staff .• Your relationship with your spouse/chi ld/parent/neighbor/boss/friend/church has suffered a fatal blow. Repair seems impossible and pointless.• Someone you care about deeply is shattered with unspeakable grief. You feel it in your own bones.

In a middle-of-the-night moment for me several years ago, I sat upright in bed, clutching my pillow to my grieving heart, rocking back and forth in my pain. I cried out to God for some small touch, some tan-gible reminder that He was there, present, caring.

When I opened my Bible in what

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might be called a desperation move, my eyes fell on II Chronicles 6:1 (NLT). “O Lord, You have said that You would live in thick darkness.”

Twelve little words that restored hope. continued  on  next  page

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,Your perfect love is casting out fear.

And even when I´m caught in the middle of the storms of this life,I won´t turn back, I know You are near.

And I will fear no evil,For my God is with me.

And if my God is with me,Whom then shall I fear?Whom then shall I fear?

O no, You never let go,Through the calm and through the storm

O no, You never let go,In every high and every low

O no, You never let go -Lord You never let go of me.

And I can see a light is coming for the heart that holds on -A glorious light beyond all compare.

And there will be an end to these troubles,But until that day comes,

We´ll live to know You here on the earth.

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on,And there will be an end to these troubles, but until that day comes,

Still I will praise You, still I will praise You.

Matt and Beth Redman ©2005 Thankyou Music

He promised His presence for a sleepless three o’clock in the morn-ing. The sweet, healing, comforting, strengthening assurance of His pres-ence. Enough.

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 continued  from  previous  page

Friends of ours have been rocked with indescribable heartache these last several months. Their 30-year-old son Jason was crushed under a bridge that collapsed while he was working on it. Would he survive? We didn’t know the answer to that ques-tion for many days. Would he ever wake from the coma? Would he suffer permanent brain damage? Would he ever walk again, work again? Would he recognize his family, his young wife? Would his pain ever let up?

His parents, wife, and brothers rarely left his side, sacrificing all else in life in order to be there for him, to help care for his pummeled body and speak their love to his pummeled brain.

When the young man was moved from the Intensive Care Unit to a brain trauma rehabilitation center hours away for further evaluation and months of therapy and training, the family followed. Sleeping on cots, eating cafeteria food, driving long distances despite exhaustion, field-ing phone calls and well-wishes and keeping an army of prayer warriors informed of the latest progress or lack of it. Inch by inch, task by task, assignment by assignment, Jason’s skills and cognitive function began to return.

The day before he was scheduled to

“graduate” to a less intensive rehab center a couple of hours closer to home, Jason’s father Joe suffered a stroke. He was hospitalized in one part of the state many miles from Jason. The family had only begun to experience some much-needed relief from their intense concern for Jason and now were at the bedside of Joe, too.

Both men are recovering. God granted Jason remarkable progress that astounds onlookers and leaves the doctors to shake their heads and wonder. Joe is home, recovering, gaining strength, preparing to return to work.

But through the storm, in the middle of the fiercest of pains, only

one truth could be heard above the ruckus of the crashing waves. O no, You never let go. Lord, You never let go of me.

Much is said today about “core values.” Both politicians and preach-ers tackle the subject. This one core value or core truth changes everything for those who embrace it. God promised, He promised, He who cannot break a promise prom-ised that He would never leave us or forsake us. He would be with us to the very end. He will never let go (Hebrews 6:18, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 13:5, Joshua 1:5, Matthew 28:20).

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What difference does it make when we grasp the truth that the Lord never lets go of us… especially in our times of deepest concern and despair?

Psychologists tell us that often the single most important thing neces-sary for someone to survive a time of deep despair is the knowledge that someone cares.

Someone—a friend, a family member, a teacher, roommate, or counselor.

But the true survival power comes from knowing that Someone with a capital S cares. God cares. The God who knows all about the situa-tion with more clarity and depth of understanding than any human could, including ourselves. The God who can multitask running the Uni-verse and meeting our heart needs at the same time. The God who has the resources to make a diff erence in our situation…an eternal diff erence. The God who knows our limits, empa-thizes with our pain, understands our unique reactions, and knows the end from the beginning while we’re still stuck in the middle of the muddle.

Knowing Someone cares, Someone will never let go, no matter how strong the howling winds, is the great stabilizer of our souls.

When Peter stepped out of the boat, out onto the threatening waves, he walked above the storm…for a while. Then he looked down, looked around him, and remembered how ludicrous it was to think he could survive such a thing. He began to sink. We know that feeling well. Peter cried out to

Jesus. We know that one well, too.What happened when Jesus

reached out to Peter? Did Peter’s fear and anxieties drag Jesus under the waves?

No! Jesus’ grip on Peter held them both up.

Think about that for your own life! Jesus’ grip on you is enough to carry you both over the waves of your cir-cumstances. And His grip is in no danger of weakening.

• Recount times from the past when the Lord has rescued you from what seemed a hopeless situation

• Rehearse the attributes of God you most need to cling to at a time like this:

Jehovah Jireh—My ProviderJehovah Shalom—My PeaceJehovah Rapha—My Healer

• Remind yourself that God’s promises are true, then count them instead of sheep.

• Return to the core truth of God’s Word: He loves you. Nothing can change that.

• Rejoice over the smallest victory, the faintest sign of hope. Your rejoic-ing frustrates and defeats the enemy of your soul and paves the way for more victories.

cumstances. And His grip is in no

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A woman we’ll call Rachel grew up in a small Midwestern town,

and like many little girls, dreamed of marrying her Prince Charming. In her wildest dreams, she never imag-ined what lay in her future. She tells her story to the HEARTBEAT staff in this interview.

H: Rachel, you seem to have a won-derful and loving relationship with your husband and grown children now. But, your life hasn’t always been the fairy tale you dreamed it would be.

Rachel: No, it hasn’t. My fi rst mar-riage ended in divorce after twenty years.

H: How did you handle the end of something you thought would always be a part of your life?

Rachel: I wanted to stay strong for my children and drew upon God for courage. I clung to the Bible verse in Jeremiah (29:11) that says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

H: You were convinced, in the midst of turmoil, that God still had a plan for your future?

Rachel: I believed in God’s Word and He didn’t let me down. He was always there, holding me up. God provided Christian friends who loved and cared for me without judgment. The wounds in my heart

began to heal.H: Life started to get better.Rachel: It did, and our heavenly

Father continued to bless my life. I met David, a Christian man who had daughters about the same age as my own. We were engaged after only six months.

H: You were ready to jump into another marriage after knowing him only six months?

Rachel: I’d often prayed about our relationship and asked God for direction. When David asked me to marry him, I knew beyond a doubt that God had chosen him for me.

H: Did you think you’d fi nally found your true Prince Charming?

Rachel: Sure, but our happy life took a sudden turn. Less than two months after we married, David’s nineteen year old daughter—my new stepdaughter—was killed in a tragic car accident. Our world was turned upside down as my husband, out of deep grief, became angry at the world and God.

H: That wasn’t all that happened that fi rst year of marriage, was it?

Rachel: No. Within that year my husband was laid off from his job. He wasn’t called back for nine-teen months. During that time he couldn’t find work anywhere. When he did get that all important call back to work—the day before Christmas Eve—we considered it the best Christmas present we could have received.

H: Life took another turn after your husband went back to work. Please share what happened next.

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Rachel: During the time David was laid off , he exhibited dramatic mood swings and would sleep for many hours. I would come home after a long day at work to fi nd him asleep on the couch. It was frustrating and hurtful. But I attributed his behav-ior to depression and dealing with his grief over the loss of his daugh-ter and the pain of losing his job and his identity. His self-esteem suff ered every day as I left for my job while he had nowhere to go. One morn-ing David called me at work. Crying and upset, he confessed to being a closet alcoholic.

H: What devastating news!Rachel: With his confession, the

puzzle pieces started to fi t together and his behavior began to make sense. There had been plenty of opportunity to drink in secret with all the time he’d spent home alone during the extended lay off. Not aware of the signs of alcoholism, but also not wanting to deal with one more crisis, I’d been in denial as to the trouble he was in.

H: What brought him to the point of knowing he needed help?

Rachel: David had been pray-ing and seeking God for the ability to be a better husband and father. That morning, as he played hooky from work, he reached for a drink. David says it was as if a force moved in front of his face, as if God put His hand there, telling David he had to stop.

H: God answered his prayer in a way that sent David a clear message.

Rachel: The Lord wasn’t fi nished.

During our appointment with a counselor, a bed opened up in a thirty-day in-house treatment facil-ity. David was admitted that very day. The Lord knew David desired, needed, and was fi nally ready for help.

H: Your life hasn’t been close to how you’d envisioned it as a little girl, has it?

Rachel: My fairy tale dreams didn’t tell me I’d be married to an alco-holic. But, I know beyond a doubt that God brought us together. It’s made my commitment to my hus-band grow even stronger through the tough times.

H: How have your experiences strengthened your relationship with God?

Rachel: I know—from firsthand experience—that I can trust Him not to abandon us when things get tough, whether by our own failures or the circumstances pressed upon us. And because we’ve watched the Lord work out the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 in our lives, our desire is that our story can be a living example of hope for others.

Editors’ note: We’re pleased to report that “Rachel” and her husband who now live in the Pacifi c Northwest are growing in their commitment to one another and to living in victory over alcoholism’s riptide.

Dawn Kinzer lives outside of Seattle, Washington. She writes freelance for Heartbeat of the Home radio ministry and is pursuing publication of sev-eral Christian fi ction novels. To learn more, check out her website at www.dawnkinzer.com, or read her blog at www.dawnkinzer.blogspot.com

our story can be a living example of

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Celebrating the power of God to turn simple words into messages of Hope that penetrate hearts and draw them closer to Him…

Dear Jackie and Cindy,

I know it’s been a long time coming, but I want to thank you for the lifeline you provided for me through the radio broadcast. Years ago I went through a devastating divorce. But I knew that every day I could count on 15 minutes of encouragement through your program. It helped me survive that diffi cult time as you helped me refocus on the God who loved me.

Dear HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME,

I’ve struggled with suicidal thoughts until…well, until today. Thank you for reconnecting me with the truth of who I am and what’s important in life.

Dear Jackie and Cindy,

When I received the “Finding Your Way Through Private Pain” book in the mail today, I thought I’d just read one chapter. But my heart was so thirsty for what I found on the pages that I fi nished the whole thing in one sitting. God is restoring my hope. Thank you.

Dear friends in Christ,

You made me cry again today. Things have looked so bleak lately, but today on your broadcast I was reminded that God’s Plan B for me is not inferior to His Plan A. Just diff erent. I needed to hear that. Please keep broadcasting the truth in the stories you tell and the love you show.

Listeners and readers, please know how much it means to us and to those who help support this ministry when you take the time to write to us or email how the Lord is using the various arms of THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME in your lives.

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That’s the phrase we hope to hear soon in regard to the filming of the pilot episodes of HEART-BEAT’s DVD project—“Grounds to Believe,” two- or three-minute video versions of HEARTBEAT-style slice-of-life dramas for churches and small gather-ings. Details are being attended to, a company of actors and technicians gathered, and plans made to prepare a sampling of the short sermon start-ers/Scripture illustrations that will launch this new arm of the ministry.

We appreciate your prayer support as the details come together. As we build our mailing list of potential interest for the video snippets, we’d like to add your church, small group, Bible study, or parachurch ministry. You can use the envelope tucked into this magazine to contact us with the name of your organization/ministry, a contact person, and a mailing address.

There’s still room to participate fi nancially, too, if you are moved to partner with us on this project.

And…cut! That’s a wrap.

Radio waves penetrate prison walls and spiritually jaded hearts. They reach into truck and tractor cabs and kitchens and basements and hospital rooms. But the one thing that radio cannot off er us is face-to-face connections with our readers and listeners.

We’re hoping to remedy that in the near future through what we’re light-heartedly calling “The World Tour.”

Jackie’s physical limitations won’t allow her to travel far these days, but as a representative of the ministry, Cindy is open to an itinerary of speaking engagements, open houses, or “An Evening with THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME” events in areas where the radio program is broadcast across the country.

It will take some time to develop a workable schedule and coordinate events to maximize travel time. If you serve in leader-ship with an organization that might be interested in scheduling an event like this in your area, please contact us via email: heartbeatofthehome@gmail.com or by tucking a note into the mail. If the envelope sent with this magazine is gone, you can fi nd our mailing address on the back of the magazine or through the website: www.heartbeatofthehome.org

On  the  Near  HorizonOn  the  Near  Horizon

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ARIZONA

FLORIDA

                 

GEORGIA

IOWA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

MINNESOTA

WEST  VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

If the HEARTBEAT broadcasts are not carried on your local Christian radio station, you can direct the station manager to our website, or contact us with the name and address of the station and contact person and we’ll prepare an audition package.

STATION  LOG