january 2013 metro christian living

January Soup

Medley

FREEJANUARY 2013

COURAGE TO SPEAK

5 Transformational Habits

Thrifty Living inTough Times

Thrifty Living inTough Times

2 JANUARY 2013 ❘ Metro Christian Living

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Volume 7, Number 7

contents JANUARY 2013

features

28 Drake BassettDriven by Love

19 Special FeatureThrifty Living in Tough Times

columns10 The Way I See It

Your God Is Too Small

13 All in the Family Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Poorly

14 Education Connection Resolving to Raise Children Who Love to Read

15 HomeWorks Transformational Habits

16 This Is My Story Compassion International Offers Hope and a Future

20 Living My Call Real Girl Magazine for Real Girls

22 Chewed Petunias Courage to Speak

26 Pastor’s Perspective The Unified LIfe

33 Modern Motherhood Resolutions From a Rule Breaker

36 Single Still, Single Again Happily Ever After in the Meantime

37 Outside In The Kingdom of Me

38 Let’s Talk It Over Relationships Are a Risky Business

41 Lagniappe Women and Children Are at the Mercy of the Court

46 Salt & Light The Child Evangelism Fellowship

50 Think Tank Reaching Your Full Potential

42 Legal Advice 10 Good Reasons to Plan Your Estate

departments24 Healthy Living

Vivian Taylor, Pilates by V

32 Food For Thought January Soup Medley

34 Money MattersThings to Consider in 2013

40 Fresh Finds 44 Welcome Home

5 Keys to Declutter and Make Room for God

48 Sports VictoriesKeith Williams – Madison Central’s Own Michael Oher Story

51 What’s Going On Bible Study

52 Rave ReviewsBooks, Movies, and Music

in every issue8 Editor’s Letter

53 Event Calendar54 Quips & Quotes54 Ad Directory

1434

Publisher: MHS Publications, Inc.,Member, M.I.P.A.

Editor: Marilyn [email protected]

Administrative Assistant: Carol [email protected]

Associate Editor: Suzanne Tanner

Art Direction/Graphic Design Sandra K. Goff

SalesMarilyn Tinnin, Kimberly Stephens,

Suzanne Tanner

Contributing WritersGlen Allison, Elizabeth Bennett, Lydia Bolen,Kimberly Grace Bowman, Dr. John L. Cox,Shawn Dean, Cathy Haynie, Terri Herring,William B. Howell, Amy Ingram, John C.

Kwasney, Susan Marquez, Gary Maze, RobinO’Bryant, Susan E. Richardson, Mike Traylor,Danny Williams, Martin E. Willoughby, Jr.,

Robert Wilson, Andy Wimberly, Kim Wolinski,Beverly Yearwood

Cover PhotographyPalmer Home

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Metro Christian Living is committed toencouraging individuals in their daily lives bypresenting the faith stories of others and byproviding information that will point everyperson, at every stage of life, to a deeper,authentic, personal, and life-changingencounter with Jesus Christ. Views expressed inMetro Christian Living do not necessarilyrepresent those of the publisher. Every efforthas been made by the Metro Christian Livingstaff to insure accuracy of the publicationcontents. However, we do not guarantee theaccuracy of all information nor the absence oferrors and omissions; hence, no responsibilitycan be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved.Copyright 2012 by Metro Christian Living, Inc.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NewInternational Version, copyright 1973, 1978,1984 by International Bible Society. Used bypermission of International Bible Society.

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What’s Coming Next Month?Larry Grantham Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer Shares His Faith Story

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Best Advice for the New Year:Encourage Yourself in the Lord Our God!

editor’s letter

Marilyn H. Tinnin, Publisher and [email protected]

❝ O God, our help inages past, Our hopefor years to come,Our shelter from thestormy blast, And oureternal home. ❞

– Isaac Watts

➺

�

“…But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).

Irecently finished a 12-week study on the life of David. He is alwaysidentified as “a man after God’s own heart,” and if you have never studiedhim, that title might conjure up images of a near perfect man who rarely

strayed from the straight and narrow. Actually, the opposite is true. If ever there were asaga of the good, the bad, and the ugly laid bare before the eyes of the world, it would be David’slife story. His humanity bleeds through the intriguing tale of heroic moments as well asdisappointing failures. It is always encouraging to me that God did not gloss over or omit the timesDavid’s willful disobedience or lack of faith resulted in heartache. David’s life experience may havebeen set against the backdrop of ancient times, but his human nature was an awful lot like ours.And oh, how evident and beautiful is God’s powerful grace and redemption again and again as thestory unfolds.

Here, on the brink of a new year, as we are inundated with painful news on every front, theverse from 1 Samuel 30:6 bounces around my brain constantly. David and his army had been away,and when they returned to their village, they discovered the Amalekites had swept through,burned everything, and taken all the wives and children captive. Circumstances seemed to go frombad to worse as the angry and grieving men began to talk of stoning David. Scripture says, “Theywept until they had no more strength to weep.” And when the tears finally stopped and the dustsettled, the grief was still fresh when David “encouraged himself in the Lord.” I would think heretrieved a sense of hope and comfort by intentionally remembering God’s faithfulness, God’snature, God’s promises, God’s providence, and the fact that God was still God. And so, for us today,God is our refuge and our fortress every bit as much as He was David’s 3000 years ago.

Sometimes, in the middle of breaking news, it is good to remember that, and to encourageyourself in the Lord!

As we roll out this first issue of the New Year, we hope you find much to encourage and inspire.Drake Bassett, President of Palmer Home, left a very successful career at the top of the corporateladder, to take the reins of a relatively small ministry in Columbus, Mississippi. His story, andindeed, the Palmer Home story, will definitely encourage in the Lord because it is a true picture ofwhat can be accomplished when God takes complete hold of a Believer’s heart.

One of my favorite new columns comes from our familiar guru of books, Susan E. Richardson.“Chewed Petunias” will speak to any discouraged hearts that feel that life has literally chewedthem up and spit them out. You will love Susan’s insight and appreciate her transparency.

Even those of us who don’t make resolutions anymore still have good intentions ofreforming a bad habit or creating a good new one. While we adopt a million self-improvementstrategies for everything from diet and exercise to organizing closets to nurturing our spirituallives, we cling to optimism that this year we will succeed where in the past we failed. You willfind plenty of ideas and lots of tips, but just for good measure, read Dr. Cox’s consoling column,“All in the Family.” He will help you toss your guilt in case you don’t achieve total success withall of those good intentions.

Broadmoor’s Gary Maze wrote our “Pastor’s Perspective” this month, and I love his thoughts onthe pitfalls of compartmentalizing our lives. Imagine the ripple effect in the world around us if we,as Believers, considered every experience of our lives in the context of our life in Christ.

There is so much more here—I’m anxious for you to meet the array of amazing people featuredthis month. You cannot read very far without being energized and—yes—encouraged in the Lordbecause He is very much alive and at work no matter what the “breaking news” broadcasts!

Happy New Year, and, by all means—encourage yourself every new day in our magnificent andglorious Lord. Y


➺the way i see itby MARTIN E. WILLOUGHBY, JR.

Martin E. Willoughby, Jr,. is Chief Operating Officer of Butler Snow Advisory Services,LLC located in Ridgeland. He and his wife, Nicki, have two children, Ally and Trey, andlive in Madison.

Sometimes I find myself drifting into a view of God that is just toosmall. J.B. Phillips in his short but impactful book, Your God is TooSmall, does a great job of unpacking this issue. Phillips notes that

there are many reasons for this challenge including the fact that many people believe,“Christ and the Christian religion is a soft and sentimental thing which has nothing todo with the work day world.” He points out that Christianity is not just a religion.Instead, it is a “revelation of the true way of living, the way to know God, the way to livelife of eternal quality.” As I have been re-studying Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God,I am challenged to refocus on my love relationship with God and to reflect on how trulybig God really is.

I read in Scripture of people who encountered the bigness of God and how itchanged their lives. For example, Moses worked through his fear to lead theIsraelites out of captivity. Peter and John were regular people but became men ofboldness and courage that healed in the name of Christ (Acts 3:6). I am encouragedthat this type of life change is not just in the Bible. I have met countless people whohave shared with me their story and report of God’s grace and transformative impacton their lives. While some Christians may disagree, I have seen and heard reports oftoo many ways in which God’s supernatural powers still exist to believe that Goddoes not still work in mighty ways.

God is moving all around us in mighty and powerful ways. The question is whetherwe have our eyes open. I had the opportunity recently to visit with Tammy Brun,member of Rehobeth Baptist Church in Pelahatchie, to learn about some of themiraculous ways God is at work. She and now many others have become involved in aministry called Ever Reaching Community Outreach (ERCO) that is serving the needsof the poor in our community. They are not following a grand plan or fancymethodology. Instead, they lean into God. As Brun shared, “When we hear of a need inour community, the group comes together, pools our ideas, resources, and funds, andthen we hit the ground running.” The amazing way in which ERCO has grown andhelped so many in need is simply a work of God. We need more of this in our society.As Blackaby notes, “Our world is not seeing God because we are not attemptinganything that only God can do.”

One day (hopefully some years from now), I will lie on my deathbed. As my life onthis earth drifts away, I will cling to the eternal hope and assurance I have in my faith inChrist. The reality is that we all cross the final valley alone. As I have spent time withpeople in their final months and days, I see the intensity of the hope in the bigness ofGod to help them with that final challenge. Unfortunately, we have a hard time havingthat level of clarity about our daily lives and God’s bigness. Surely, the Creator of theuniverse who raised Christ from the dead is worthy of my worship, love and surrender.The sin of pride can creep in and delude me to think that I have it all under control.The reality is that we miss God’s real plan for our lives and the peace and comfort inknowing who we are and what our ultimate destination is if we make our God too small.As we enter the New Year, perhaps now is the time to reflect on the bigness of God,and what God-sized plans He has for our lives. Y

Your God Is Too Small

God is moving allaround us in mightyand powerful ways.The question iswhether we haveour eyes open.

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➺all in the familyby DR. JOHN L. COX

Dr John L. Cox is a clinical psychologist in practice here inJackson. He works with adults, marriages and children. You cancontact him at 601-352-7398.

It’s January, which means it’s time for you toreevaluate your life and begin swearing tochange all those bad habits that you’ve been

meaning to rid yourself of. Only, if you’re like me, you’veprobably had this conversation with yourself before on other Januarys—unsuccessfully. But by golly, you’re going to succeed this time. No morewasting time online, more regular workouts, consistent Bible reading.“Lucky 2013” will be the magic year! Or maybe not.

Don’t you hate failing? Don’t you wish you could just flip a switch andbe different? But we can’t. We still drop the ball-—and we all HATEthat! We are 21st Century Americans, who, as General Pattonsaid, “... love a Winner!” We are trained to win. We aredressed for success. We are 10 feet tall, good-lookin’,and bullet proof! And if we fail, Monday NightFootball has even given us a new Americanism toissue our complaint: “COME ON MAAAAN!”But the problem is still this: You are going to failsometimes. Let me say it again: You are goingto fail sometimes! Everyone has some area intheir lives in which they struggle and areunable to “succeed.” Even though many of usdevote our lives to never letting others down ornever messing up, failing is an inevitable part oflife, just like growing old and paying (more)taxes. So our options are to fight it forever, or tolearn how to “fail well.”

So why is it that so much of our lives aregoverned by our fear of this unavoidable thing we callfailure? We obsess, we spend hours in front of the mirror,and we blame others—all so we don’t have to face the fact that wesometimes fail. Well, the culprit is that most of us live our lives beingplagued by a constant unspoken question: Is it OK to be me? Andbecause of that nagging question, everything that we do—everysuccess or failure—gets presented to “the court” as evidence either forus or against us. Today’s failure becomes “Exhibit A” for theprosecution to further their case that we are guilty. “Ladies andgentlemen of the jury, I submit that Dr. Cox is a complete “no-goodnik” because he tried to write a good article for Metro ChristianLiving and FAAAAAILED!” Now at that point, Dr. Cox can feel awfulabout himself because he got an awful answer to his core question: It’snot OK to be him! No wonder we all fear failure! We goof up and then“throw the book at ourselves!” By the way, emotionally speaking, thisfeeling is called shame, and it governs our lives—constantly.

When Adam and Eve ate of the tree that was called “The Knowledgeof Good and Evil” they gained an ability that God never wanted us to

have: the ability to know Good and Evil. (Am I going too fast foranyone?) In other words, they developed the ability to judge and tofeel judged. Ever since then, we have been scared to fail. As Paul says,we live “under the Law.” You can see this in Adam’s first act aftersinning. God asks, “How did you know you were naked?” and Adamsays, “The woman, who you gave to me, gave me the fruit and I did

eat.” Adam blames God AND Eve in one sentence! (Prettygood for your first day as a sinner, I think. Like making a

double play in your first game as a rookie!Impressive!) But this is why we fear failing. We

think that we will not be loved if we are bad.So the options are obvious. We either need to

not be bad (which is the solution we all try), orwe need to get loved. Which one do you think ismore possible? The truth is that, if you look atyour life, there will always be areas where youare ABLE, and areas where you are UNABLE.Both exist. Both are unavoidable. And unlessyou can single-handedly overcome the Fall of

Man, and become successful at everything, youwill need safety, forgiveness, and love, to survive

the disappointment and shame in the areas in whichyou are UNABLE. Fortunately, God has a different approach to our

New Year’s Resolutions than we do. His approach is to say tohis people, “I know that you will grit your teeth and try harder—and

you want to know what else—I know that you will fail at many of thosethings. But I’m the judge in that courtroom in which you are being tried.And because of the blood of My Son, I have made it safe for you to fail.The punishment has already been paid. Case dismissed. You are afailure—and I love you.”

To the degree that we can realize that our core question (Is it OK tobe me?) has been answered already, we can stop living under thepressure to succeed at everything. To the degree that we humbly confessour failures to God and to each other, we can finally learn what it meansthat “His strength is made perfect in our weakness,” and then it reallyCAN be OK to be me. Warts and all!! Y

Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Poorly

The truth is that, ifyou look at your life,there will always beareas where you are

ABLE, and areaswhere you are

UNABLE.

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➺education connectionby JOHN C. KWASNEY

Recently, a Facebook friend with atwo-year-old daughter posed thefollowing question:“Moms or

dads—InnoPad or LeapPad?” Now Itypically don’t respond to questions in my socialmedia newsfeed not specifically directed to me,but I couldn’t resist this time. I tapped out on myiPhone, “Books. Lots of books.” Yes, I know, myLuddite response could be construed as a less-than-subtle slap on my friend’s wrist. Butthankfully, she took it in stride and retorted, “Gotit, John. But she isn’t into books as much as Iwould like her to be…she will sit longer withstuff moving than a book.” Which sums up a verymodern dilemma—how do we raise childrenwho love to read in this age of excessiveentertainment media?

Now don’t get me wrong; I absolutely lovetechnology. From my very first Atari (yes, I’mdating myself) to my iPad, I have been and stillam quite the techno-geek. In my home, youwould find more than one family’s fair share ofmedia devices. Even my two-year-old son isremarkably talented with a touchscreen. Yet Ihave also always been a voracious reader, andthankfully so are my children. So I understandthe struggle to train children to love readingbooks in an age that has too much “stuff moving.”

My guess is that most parents want theirchildren to read well and even to love reading. Ifthat describes you, why not make a resolutiontowards that end this year? Better yet, let mesuggest a complex of resolutions that will helpyour family move towards the high goal ofliterate, book-loving children.

Resolution 1 EXAMPLEAs with much of our parenting, resolving to

raise children with a love for reading begins byexample. Do they see you reading? Are youreading to them? Do you read books as a family?Your affections will often be embraced by yourchildren. A love for reading—whether for storiesor study—must be put on display by parents.

Resolution 2 INTERACTIONBoth the research and common sense is clear:

Reading to children increases the real possibilityof a lifelong love for reading. It’s essential to startyoung, when children want to read the samebook hundreds of times. Do it, even if you haveto employ the time-tested trick of turning twopages at a time! Handing them a tablet that

reads to them is not the same. They need yourvoice, your laughter, your questions, and maybeeven your tears. Resolve to interact with yourchildren about what they learned from the storyand/or a study book.

Resolution 3 TIMEStepping up your resolve a notch requires

making time available for your children toread. Many families have chosen much toobusy lives, often from fears of their childreneither being bored or left out. Reading takestime. You may have to make that time for yourchild. It certainly is easier when they’re young,but make sure to persist through theelementary and teen years too. Hopefully, thelove of reading will compel your children tomake the time for their self!

Resolution 4 SPACEModern homes tend to design spaces for

everything except reading. We have hugekitchens and bathrooms. Entertainment andrecreation rooms dominate most floor plans.The living room has the flat screen television asits focal point. It may sound radical, but readersneed quiet spaces to read. With our family often, my wife has taken great pains to develop asmany reading nooks as possible. If you wantchildren to enjoy reading, they could use placesthat are pleasant and quiet, so they can focus.

Resolution 5 – BooksYes, you actually must have books on hand to

develop children who love to read. Even e-books are acceptable, as long as you follow allthe rest of the above resolutions! Book loversrequire a large quantity of tomes, as well asgood, quality material. And, our children shouldbe exposed to a wide range of literary genres,even if they later settle into just a few.

In days past, only the wealthy with abundantluxury time read books. The poor were too busytrying to survive to even learn to read. So whatdoes it say about a society that doesn’t readprimarily because there is too much useless andtrivial “stuff moving” around us? And, mostimportant of all, how do we expect our childrento have a love for the greatest BOOK of all ifthey don’t have a general love for reading? Ifyou think about it, that’s really the bestmotivation to resolve to develop children wholove to read. Loving books should lead ourchildren to love the knowledge, the wisdom,and the stories of Scripture! Y

John C. Kwasny, Ph.D. is a BiblicalCounselor, Director of ChristianEducation and Children’s Ministries atPear Orchard Presbyterian Church, andthe Director of One Story Ministries(www.onestoryministries.org). He andhis wife, Martie, have eight children.

Resolving to Raise Children Who Love to Read

Cathy Haynie and her husband Jack have three teenagers and make their home inMadison. Cathy is the Headmaster of Christ Covenant School and occasionallyspeaks to groups on Honoring God in the Home and Balancing Work and Home.Contact her at [email protected]


homeworksby CATHY HAYNIE

➺

Transformational HabitsA new year, a new you? Everywhere you look you will find

opportunities to improve your life, and finding such advice in overload may keep youset in your ways. Before you dismiss the idea or the opportunity, take a step back.Haggai 1:5 says, “Give careful thought to your ways.” God’s Word is full ofopportunity regarding renewal, transformation, and a changed heart through JesusChrist. Where in your life would God call you to change or to renew?

In 2013, we will begin a series on Transformational Habits. Taking a look ateveryday things, from your pantry to your quiet time, there are a few habits thatcan change the way you approach something even as insignificant as a stockedpantry. I hope you will join us as we consider what those habits might be. We willlook at a list of at least five habits for each topic, so that you can pick out one ortwo difference-makers to try in your own life. To get us started, consider what isrequired of you to change.

Transformational Habits on the Art of Change

I hope you will join us in 2013 as we look at Transformational Habits. Maybe there issomething to the “new year, new you” after all. Y

1.Recognize the need. Ihave found that when I live

a more orderly life, I am freed up forother things. For example, if you knowwhat your family is having for dinnertonight, it is easier to have someone joinyou at the last minute or take somethingto one who will be blessed by it. I need tostay on top of meal management in orderto practice hospitality. With each of ourtransformational habit topics, consideryour own needs and how change will beof great benefit.

2.Consider your options. I’vesaid it often: the best way to get a

good idea is to get a lot of ideas. Youdon’t have to do everything an articlesuggests to eat healthier, for example, butone or two new habits can truly be lifechanging. Find as many options as youcan in order to find something that willwork for you.

3.Stick it out. If you find yourselfparticularly habit-resistant, quit

thinking it is a fast fix. Oliver Burkeman’s

article in Psychology Today—“How LongDoes It Really Take to Change aHabit?”—resists the 21-day notion andsays that difficult habits really are hard todie. He encourages you to give yourselfmore like 60 days before you call it quits.

4.If at first you don’t succeed—try something else. I have found

over the years that it really did only takeone or two new habits to change an area offrustration, or a target area, as I like to callit. But finding that key habit or two can bethe challenge. If something isn’t working, trysomething else, but don’t give up altogether.

5.Make it a matter of the heart.Without over-spiritualizing something

like a stocked pantry, most of our badhabits do come down to heart issues.Whether we are over-spending, over-eating, or cramming way too much stuff inour closets, we can usually find where ourheart has gone astray. Get to know yourselfand your sin better and discover how thisnew habit will bring honor to the Lord andgrow you in Christlikeness.

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➺this is my storyby BEVERLY YEARWOOD

Ibecame a born again Christian in 1978during a devastating African Famine.The images on the television of sick,

crying, starving, fly-infested children wereforever branded into my heart. I rememberas if it was yesterday throwing my tear-coveredface down into our shag carpet and beggingGod to take their suffering away. That day Imade a vow to God that one day I would makea difference for children suffering because ofextreme poverty.

In 2011, I sponsored Daniel from Ugandathrough Compassion International. I learned alot about being a good sponsor throughCompassion’s online community(ourcompassion.org). I fell in love with thisministry during my training to become avolunteer child advocate. It amazed me howJesus is the focus of every aspect in this

ministry. Compassion International exists toglorify God. They are giving the eternal hope ofJesus to these children. There is no greater toolfor releasing a child from poverty than havingchild-like faith in Jesus.

As a blogger for Compassion, I decided tointerview formerly sponsored child LaurentHategekimana. This interview became thebeginning of a partnership in which Godwould perform countless miracles in just a fewshort weeks.

Laurent proudly told me how God providedfor him through Compassion’s ministry, throughan encouraging sponsor, and by helping him toachieve a full academic scholarship to KigaliHealth Institute where he graduated withHonors receiving his Bachelor of DentalTherapy Degree. He told me of his struggles tofind employment in his third world community.Instead of becoming discouraged, he refuses tosit at home with knowledge and skills, so hevolunteers his services to the people in hiscommunity where the average wage is $15 USDper month. He enjoys giving back to hiscommunity and chose this field of study due tobeing treated and healed from oral diseasewhile enrolled in the Compassion program.

Laurent is now assisting me with myadvocacy ministry. I find sponsors for thechildren at this center, and Laurent spends hisSaturdays at the center telling the childrenabout their new sponsors, taking pictures, andbeing a mentor.

Laurent’s grandmother is paralyzed, forcingher to spend her entire life in bed. Laurentoften carries her outside to enjoy the sunshine,but she is unable to go to church because shelacks a wheelchair. Finding out that there wereothers like her in the community, Laurent and Ihave developed an outreach ministry in hisCompassion-assisted church to providewheelchairs so that the church can go into thecommunity and bring these immobile citizens tochurch. This will allow the church to meet theneeds in the community and spread the gospelto un-churched people. This ministry not onlymakes life better here on earth, it gives them achance at having an eternal life.

CompassionInternationalOffers Hopeand a Future

caption for photo


He told me that he hopes to be anencouragement to young people to show themthat your circumstances don’t dictate yourfuture. He wants others to hear his story so thatthey will put their faith in God.

The Rwandan genocide did catastrophicdamage to the country’s infrastructure, butLaurent believes that through hard work andfaith in God it can be restored. Laurent wishesto pursue his education in the USA since there isno opportunity for higher learning in his field inRwanda.

I knew that God wanted me to be an advocatefor this young man’s education. I knew thisburden I felt for Laurent was placed upon me forGod’s purpose to be fulfilled. I am completelyinadequate for this difficult challenge, but I knowthat God is working through my weaknesses forhis power to be revealed.

I committed to help Laurent figure out a wayto study in America. After researching hisoptions, I told him that it would be impossible.He reminded me that with God all things arepossible. I thought that he was being unrealisticin trying to achieve such an impossible dream.He reminded me of how unrealistic Noah,David, and Moses were in everyone else’s eyes;but faith brought them victory. He honestly feelsthat becoming a surgeon is God’s will and that itwill be done, so giving up is not an option. Thiswill not be easily accomplished, but Laurent hasnever had it easy, so adversity simply motivateshim.

We have been busy preparing documents,submitting applications, making phone calls,

sending emails, setting up appointments, andtelling his story to all who will listen. Some saywe are wasting our time, but we are doing allthat we can so that we will be ready when Goddoes what we can’t! We believe that God isalready preparing the hearts of others toprovide him with a way to finish his education.

It amazes me how God has brought anetwork of people around the worldtogether all because of God’s love for oneyoung man in Africa. God provides throughthe hearts of others.

Laurent needed support; God sentCompassion. Laurent needed encouragement;God sent a sponsor. Losing his father at two,Laurent needed a father figure, and God sentBob Becker, who Laurent proudly refers to as“Dad”. Laurent needed a voice so that his storycould be heard, so he sent me. God did notneed me to complete this mission, but I am sothankful that he allowed me to be part of it.

Although Laurent lives in extreme povertywith no running water, no electricity, and noincome, he is rich in faith. As for his education,where there is a will there’s a way and wherethere is God’s will, Jesus will make a way.

I am so thankful that God put Laurent inmy life to teach me to never put a limit on whatGod can do. Y

Beverly Yearwood is a Vicksburg resident and amember of Bowmar Baptist Church. Learn moreabout Compassion International throughwww.ourcompassion.org.


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➺special featureby SUSAN MARQUEZ

The extravagance and excess of theholidays is over and many aremaking resolutions to slim down—

both their bodies and their budgets. Butthat doesn’t have to mean giving up the thingsyou love. It’s time to get creative and look forthrifty alternatives that will add up to some extrajingle in your bank account. There are myriadways to save money in all aspects of your life thatcan actually make stretching a dollar a fun andrewarding challenge.

After food and shelter, clothing is often thelargest budget item for most people. What’s afashion maven to do if trying to look, well,fashionable while saving money? Jacqui Katool ofMadison regularly shops area consignment storesand has found some great finds over the years.The stores she shops are spacious and clean, andthe clothes are carefully chosen for quality andcurrent style. “I’ve found some incredible dealson name-brand apparel. Often, someonepurchases an item and they get it home and itdoesn’t fit right or they decide it’s not right forthem. They may have good intentions ofreturning the item, but for whatever reason, theynever do and it eventually ends up at aconsignment store. Much of what I’ve purchasedstill has the original tags on it.”

One of the consignment stores Katoolfrequents is Repeat Street in Ridgeland.Michelle Austin started the store in a smallspace on Highway 51 several years ago, thenmoved it to Ridgewood Road Extension as itgrew. Today the sprawling store is located in aformer outdoors store on Highway 51 inRidgeland. In addition to clothing andaccessories for both men and women, the storecarries furniture and home decor.

Katool once bought four skirts and two pairof slacks for $32. “The skirts were frompremium stores like Harold’s, BananaRepublic, and Chico’s, and the pants wereIzod—and most were brand new!” None of theclothes had to be altered, but Katool said thatif something doesn’t fit just right, it’s worth theeffort to take it to a good alterations person.“You still come out ahead.”

The items in the consignment stores comeprimarily from local residents who clean outclosets, drawers, and rooms in their homes. Theycan clear the clutter and make a few bucks at thesame time. In most cases, if an item hasn’t soldwithin a specific period of time, the owner can

come back and reclaim it. They can also chooseto allow the consignment stores to donate theunsold items to charity. It’s best to call ahead tofind out what days/hours the stores acceptmerchandise, the type of merchandise they willtake (most won’t take clothes out of season), andwhat their payment policy is.

Nicole Davis’ Private Collection opened in1990. Women’s clothing, including shoes, purses,jewelry, and other accessories are never morethan two years old, and her policy of keepingitems for no more than 60 days means theinventory is constantly fresh. The customer getsa substantial discount, and the original ownerpockets 40% of the selling price. Located inMadison on Highway 51, Private Collectiondefinitely offers upscale quality at a great value.

There’s a new breed of housewives who arenot only very Internet savvy, but thrifty as well.They share their ideas for homemade items suchas laundry detergent and repurposing items onsites and blogs like pinterest.com,thriftyfun.com, and ourthriftyideas.com.

Thethriftycouple.com features the parents of fivechildren who found themselves with over $100thousand in consumer debt, not counting theirhouse. Together, they tackled the debt, paid itoff, and now share their ideas for thrifty living ontheir website.

Being thrifty can extend into all areas of yourlife. Such simple things like using leftover pastawater for houseplants and turning off the waterwhen brushing your teeth can add up to savingson your water bill. Filling 2-liter bottles withwater and putting them into the freezer helpsthe freezer to work more efficiently. The frozenwater bottles can then be used to keep items inan ice chest cool.

Entergy has a “Save Money on Your Bill” tabon their website (www.entergy-mississippi.com)that allows customers to tour a virtual house tosave money. The first of three no-cost ways tosave money on your power bill, according to theEntergy site, are to set your thermostat torecommended winter and summer settings (68degrees in the winter, 78 degrees in thesummer). This simple solution can save you upto 15% on your monthly energy bill. Next is toadjust the water heater thermostat to produce asmuch as a 10% savings on your bill each month.And managing window shades and drapes makesa big difference. Just the simple act of closingshades or drapes on a window in directsunlight in the summer will reduce radiantheating of your home by as much as 45%. Inthe winter, opening window shades or drapeswill help heat a room. There are plenty ofother money-saving ideas on the site on topicssuch as lighting, appliances, electronics, andhome maintenance.

One of the easiest ways to save money is byusing coupons. With television shows such asExtreme Couponing, the awareness of howmuch money can be saved has grown. There arewebsites dedicated to couponing, but beforegetting started, it’s best to read the “CouponEtiquette” article on the couponing.com site.Locally, Hope Staples teaches a “Couponing101” class. Staples, a Madison resident, now getsmany of the things she and her family needs forfree or at drastically reduced prices. “I hadcertain things I bought each month, such aslaundry detergent and shampoo. I figured it wasabout $60 each month, and now I get those sameitems for about $7. That’s not generic, either—allthe items I buy are name brand!” Y

Thrifty Living in Tough TimesDo-It-Yourself Laundry Detergent

Cleans 576 loads of laundry for $6Equipment needed

• large pot• cheese grater• funnel• long spoon• 2 plastic jugs (1-gallon each)

Ingredients• 1 bar of soap (any kind)• 1 cup Borax• 1 cup washing soda• 2 gallons of water

Grate the entire bar of soap and put intothe pot. Add 1 gallon of water and cook overmedium heat until the soap dissolves. Addthe Borax and washing soda and mix well.Bring to a boil. Mixture will coagulatesomewhat. Turn off the heat and add thesecond gallon of water. Mix well. Then, usingthe funnel, divide the mixture between thetwo separate gallon jugs.

Use 1-2 tablespoons for each load oflaundry. The detergent will not make sudslike commercial detergent, but there will alsobe less soap residue on clothing afterwashing. This mixture works equally well inhot, warm, and cold water.


➺living my callby ELIZABETH BENNETT

Real Girl Magazine for Real Girls

Fifteen years ago, God gave me adream to create a magazine forteen girls that focuses more on

inner beauty instead of outer beauty.That dream became a reality inSeptember 2011, when Real GirlMagazine was born.

I have always loved reading and writing. Mydad was a professor and my mom was alibrarian so I had a natural inclination and lovefor books and the written word. Growing up inNorthport, Alabama, I loved to read TheTuscaloosa News everyday when it wasdelivered to our house. Since elementaryschool, I knew I wanted to be a writer. All ofthese things led me to major in printjournalism. I began college in August 2002 andafter transferring college three times, changingmy major, going through my dad’s death andmuch more; I finally graduated from theUniversity of South Alabama in December2007. This was a glorious day for me and onethat I worked very hard to complete.

I first moved to Mississippi in September2008 to be a news reporter for a smallnewspaper. In August 2011, my husband and Iwere driving back from the beach when wemade a stop in Mobile to have lunch with afriend from college. She asked me how themagazine was going. I had started and stoppedthe magazine a few times and was at the timeworking on writing a book. I told her I had putit off again, but that was what I was reallypassionate about. She said, “Why don’t youstart it again?” And, she agreed to work withme and be my business partner. From that

point on, things moved forward very rapidly. It was definitely God that opened the doors

for Real Girl Magazine to begin because it wasa long journey getting to that point and startinga magazine is such a big job—you cannot do iton your own. Although I have been the onlyfull-time staff member since the beginning,God has provided people and resources everytime I needed them. We have had an excellentteam of writers, photographers and graphicdesigners as well as interns from MississippiCollege and Belhaven University.

When you go to the grocery store or Wal-Mart and see magazines with scandalouswomen on the cover and pages filled primarilywith a focus on outward appearance, it onlyexemplifies the need for Real Girl Magazine.The media has had such a negative impact onyoung women from influencing them to focuson things that do not ultimately matter toproviding fuel for eating disorders andunhealthy self-image issues. Real GirlMagazine is a quarterly magazine for teen girlsthat is positive and promotes Biblical valuessuch as purity and modesty. The magazine isalso a platform for the arts and it featuresoriginal artwork and poetry from readers inevery issue.

Youth Solutions is presenting the Real GirlMagazine One Year Birthday Celebration. It ison January 26, 2013 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. in the

Jackson Medical Mall Community MeetingRoom. There will be entertainment fromcollege and high school choirs, dancers, andlocal artists’ artwork will be displayed. Thiswill be an opportunity to join in thecelebration and find out about how you canget involved with the magazine. Please comeout to the Birthday Celebration and celebratewith us! For more information, visitwww.realgirlmag.com or like us on Facebookand follow us on Twitter.

I know this is what God has called me to doand He has so graciously given me talents to

use and the opportunity to use them. I want tomake a positive difference in the lives ofyoung women and provide resources for themthat are encouraging and uplifting. I amgrateful to be able to be the editor andpublisher of Real Girl Magazine and hope itcan continue for the glory of God! Y

Elizabeth Bennett is the founder andpublisher of Real Girl Magazine.Contact her [email protected]

Come Celebrate Real Girl Magazine’s First Birthday!

Saturday January 26, 20133:00-5:00 p.m.

Jackson Medical Mall Community Meeting Room

Sponsored by:

www.realgirlmag.com

Enjoy LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, win door prizes & more!

I want to make a positivedifference in the lives ofyoung women and provideresources for them that areencouraging and uplifting.


BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA®

✓ This year, 17 Jackson Prep Varsity Football Players (20% of the team) are Eagle Scouts.

✓ They are champions both on and off the field!

✓ Who says scouting isn’t cool? Tell that to these guys!

FIND US ON FACEBOOK @ Hood Scout Reservation, BSA or Andrew Jackson Council, BSA • www.bsa-jackson.org

FRONT (L to R): Peyton Parker, Carl Upton, Wesley Kerce, John Gathings, Ryan Buchanan, Harrison Putt,Harrison Moore and Cossar Morgan. BACK (L to R): Andrew Davidson, Will Keeler, Richard Baird,Campbell Vise, Charles McEuen, Hollis Burrow, Burney Threadgill, William Townsend and Wilkes Skelton

Jackson Prep 2012 Championship Football Team Boasts 17 Eagle Scouts.Did you know that less than 5% of Boy Scouts earn EAGLE SCOUT rank?

“Preparing Young People For Life”

“On behalf of the Andrew JacksonCouncil, we are amazed and veryproud of not only these 17 EagleScouts and their championshipteam, but also of Jackson Prep andSusan Lindsay for promoting thislevel of excellence. America needsmore leaders like this!”

– Andy Wimberly, Council President

Leaving the hospital doesn’t mean you have to leave expert medical care behind.

Sta-Home works hand-in-hand with your doctor to provide professionalcare in your home. Sta-Home’s nurses and therapists offer the expert medical care you need, in the place that truly makes you feel better. Ask your doctor if home healthcare is right for you. And then, ask your doctor to call Sta-Home.

Checking Out of the Hospital?

It’s Time to Sta-Home.

The right care. The right place. The right choice.www.sta-home.com | .. | A Mississippi Home Health and Hospice Provider.

Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance may cover home healthcare services.


➺chewed petuniasby SUSAN E. RICHARDSON

“Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak outin the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in thebitterness of my soul” (Job 7:11).

In 2008 I wrote an article called “And Sometimes I FeelLike a Chewed Petunia” for Metro Christian Living aboutthe ways life can yank us up and chew us down. I told mystory of peer abuse, comparing my life to a petunia my dog, Libby, hadpulled out of its pot and chewed to the roots. The petunia survived tobloom, and I did, too, after God led me through a period of healingand growth.*

My journey began in a place I didn’t choose, with pain I didn’t want.We don’t choose how people or circumstances rip up our lives andleave jagged holes in our sense of self. The pain that follows is not ourchoice, but something we must learn to live through and around.Whether we’ve suffered abuse, betrayal, or some other trauma,something turns our world upside down.

When something or someone first rips us up, the shock and painoften prevents us from seeing anything around us. Intense pain pullsthe focus inward. Just bearing the pain requires all our resources. Wemay live for years coping as best we can.

School was like that for me. I never knew from the time I got on thebus in the morning until I returned home in the afternoon when mypeers might verbally attack me. I tried developing different ways todeal with the pain and uncertainty. Sometimes I overachieved. Often Iunderachieved so my grades wouldn’t make me a target. I triedbecoming invisible and staying out of the way. Occasionally I tried tostand up and retaliate, but that didn’t work, either.

My attempts reflected the stages of grief, where shock and denialcome first. Shock numbs us to the damage and denial leads us to try tofix things on our own, because, after all, nothing is really wrong.Eventually anger moves in, as it did for me. I lived many years angrywith God and estranged from Him even though I went through themotions of living a Christian life. Since we may grieve several things atonce, the stages don’t stay neatly arranged in order. Over the years Ibounced around through a range of painful emotions.

Anger leads to depression, and often that brings us to a placewhere we recognize we need help. The Scripture above from Jobshows us the way forward. He says, “I will speak out in the anguish ofmy spirit.” We each must choose to speak of what caused our pain.Doing so puts whatever situation we’re facing out into the open. Wecan see issues better ourselves, but someone else may be able to helpus see them, too.

When I knew I needed to talk about my pain, I chose to work witha Christian counselor. She gave me direction and insight I couldn’tfind on my own. Choosing counseling can be a good decision. Weneed someone who has been through these areas before, who knowsthat, though we may not follow the exact path others have used, a wayto healing does exist.

Something powerful happens when we put events into specificwords. What method might work for you? You can journal, as I’veoften done, using the computer because I can type more quickly thanI can write. Others prefer the slower, more contemplative process ofhandwriting thoughts.

Do you have a friend you can trust with your story? Not everyonecan handle hearing another’s pain, so choose carefully. If you’re notsure, share small pieces and be sure the person is safe. Or simplyspend time alone with God verbalizing your story. Speak to Him aloudor use a prayer journal.

In the mess of what fallen humans choose to do in this world,God can heal what has been broken. When the evil in this worldyanks a human petunia out of his or her pot, God is there. He is herenow, listening.

Father, give us the strength and courage to speak ourpain, whether to You or another person. Draw uscloser to You and bring us healing. We put ourselvesinto Your hands. Y

(*To get started with the full chewed petunias story, please visitwww.chewedpetunias.com. You’ll find the story plus other material thatmay help you along the way.)

Courage to Speak

Susan E. Richardson has a passion for meeting people’s needs through the writtenword. You can reach her by email at [email protected] or check either ofher two websites: www.chewedpetunias.com or www.nextlevelcritiques.com


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➺healthy livingby MARILYN TINNIN

MCL: What makes the Pilates method unique?VIVIAN: Developed by Joseph Pilates, the Pilates method is unique in

that it is ageless and emphasizes the mind and body as correlates totransforming the total body. Anyone at any age can do Pilates, whilegaining greater awareness of the body and its integrated parts in relationto holistic development.

MCL: What are the major benefits of a regular Pilates class?VIVIAN: Pilates enhances core strength, torso stability, posture,

balance, flexibility, agility, and range of motion among clients. It is alsoassociated with back pain reduction, improvements in the ability to sleep,as well as stress reduction. The method additionally helps clients tobecome stronger, leaner, more confident, and graceful—while alsohelping to improve energy. The more they move, the more energy theyhave; and the more energy they have, the more they move. The resultscan lead to flat abs, strong abs and backs, and toned bodies. And equallyimportant, our clients have lots of fun engaging in the Pilates method.Some of them actually take two classes per day. (Hi Susan, Christine, andKate!)

MCL: How does the Reformer machine work?VIVIAN: The Pilates reformer is a flat, bed-like platform with a

movable carriage, which rolls back and forward within the frame.Progressive springs, with various levels of resistance, are attached to thecarriage—allowing it to be pushed and pulled along the frame of thereformer. Body weight, coupled with the springs, facilitates movement onthe carriage, while lying down, sitting, or standing on the machine. The

movement results in eccentric muscle contractions, which lengthenmuscles as they resist the tension of the springs. An adjustable headrest,shoulder blocks, foot bar, handles, and straps are also attached to thereformer, allowing clients to be comfortable, supported, and safe in theexecution of movements on the machine.

At first glance, the Pilates reformer can appear intimidating to some,but once they are orientated to its use, they can’t wait to climb aboard inthe context of private sessions or small group classes.

MCL: What kind of training did you undergo to be a Pilates instructor?

VIVIAN: During my initial college experience, I was a health andphysical education (PE) major where I was first introduced to Pilates inmy curriculum. When I moved to Kentucky, I served as assistant managerfor She Physical Fitness Spa and was trained and taught Mat Pilates.Summarily, my training has involved integrated coursework, trainingworkshops, observation hours, studio hours taking classes, and taking acertification examination. I am currently certified in the Pilates Methodthrough the Leslee Bender Training Academy—one of the leadingtraining centers in the industry—and through the American Sports andFitness Association.

MCL: How young and how old should someone be to take Pilates?

VIVIAN: One of the great advantages of Pilates is that any agegroup—children, teens, adults, and senior citizens—and both males andfemales, can do it. Baby Boomers are especially attracted to Pilates

Pilates V StudioQ&A with Vivian Taylor

Vivian (far right) at thestudio’s grand opening.

metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2013 25metrochristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2013 25

GAMEROOM GALLERY

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because it places less stress on joints and muscles and is basically lowimpact. It is important to note, however, that as with any form of exercise,clients should consult their doctors before beginning an exerciseprogram.

MCL: Can Pilates help weight loss?VIVIAN: That is a good question! Pilates in combination with proper

nutrition does support weigh loss, yielding the appearance of a trimmer,more toned body. Although Pilates is generally done somewhat slowly, itcan be done in acceleration, at the intermediate and advanced levels, toexpend greater energy needed to burn calories. Using the Pilatesjumpboard accessory, which can be attached to the reformer, also allowsfor a high level of cardio workout. Weight loss results from a balance ofgood food, nutrition, and lifestyle choices, combined with exercise.

MCL: Tell us about yourself and why you chose to open up aPilates studio?

VIVIAN: I am an educator, professional consultant, and communityadvocate for children. I am very concerned about the alarming statisticsrelated to obesity and its impact on health and wellness, particularly inMississippi. I believe that education, awareness, and exercise are key tohelping to improve the outlook on this issue.

Fitness has always been an integral part of my family’s life. As an onlychild growing up in Kentucky during snow months, my husband’s bench

press was our son’s best friend. My husband ensures that exerciseequipment is a mainstay in our home décor—a point that does not alwaysthrill me!

In planning for my second career, I wanted to do somethingmeaningful, enjoyable, and beneficial to others and myself—and I knewthat opening a Pilates studio would be the answer. The studio will servenot only as a place to exercise, but will also serve as a communityoutreach engine helping to enhance public awareness regarding theimportance of incorporating fitness in our lives. With my knowledge,training, experience, and teaching skills, I hope to be a small part of thecatalyst for change in the fitness arena—whether I am in the Pilatesstudio, in school settings, in the faith-based community, or in workplaces.After all, what good is it to create a “bucket list,” and not be physically fitto enjoy it?

MCL: Anything else you want to add? VIVIAN: I’m glad you asked! Our studio specializes in reformer-based

classes that infuse the use of top-of-the-line reformers, towers, magicrings/circles, stability balls, bender balls, kettle bells, hand weights,gondola poles, dowels, Pilates boxes, and gliders, to enhance fitness inboth small group and private class sessions. We have been blessed towork with a diverse clientele of beautiful people, inside and out, and welook forward to seeing them each day! Y

A


➺pastor’s perspectiveby GARY MAZE

The Unified LifeTHE SHEMA

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love theLORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and withall your strength. These commandments that I give you today are tobe on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about themwhen you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when youlie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your handsand bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes ofyour houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

As each year passes, it seems that life speeds up with anexponential increase in the number of opportunities,demands, and distractions. Like most of the people I know, Ioften find myself evaluating and assigning priority levels tomost aspects of my daily life. Each task can be given a rankingbased on time, urgency, and my ability to address its needs with efficiency.While each season has specific challenges, some logically demand greaterincrements of time and energy than others. Some stages of life—becoming a newlywed, living the joys and stresses of parenthood, realizingan empty nest, and dealing with the shifting responsibilities of caring foraging parents—stick out in my mind. In light of our busy world, it hasbeen my observation that nearly everyone has a tendency tocompartmentalize competing demands for attention. As I’ve strived toconsider my life in the context of a Biblical worldview, I’ve gainedperspective with age and I’ve come to see compartmentalization as a planfor life management that left unchecked can have a dark side.

The first step toward avoiding a problem is often to define and analyzeit in order to avoid its pitfalls. A simple definition of compartmentalizationis to place two or more values, demands, beliefs, or responsibilities inseparate mental compartments for the sake of control or management.Psychological compartmentalization has been defined as a defensemechanism to avoid cognitive dissonance—the discomfort caused byconflicting ideas, beliefs, values, or demands.

Clearly, disciplined focus to meet important or urgent needs can beaccomplished by compartmentalizing. For instance, dropping less urgenttasks to care for a medical emergency, or mentally deciding to think aboutsome troublesome issue at a later time can be helpful. However,separating our life into isolated compartments without the benefit of anapplied Christian worldview can be disastrous.

Unhealthy compartmentalization is easy to spot in high profile cases of“hypocritical” behavior. For instance, when a Christian leader is caught inadultery, or when a secret sin is made known to others, many of us say toourselves, “What were they thinking?” However, there is a more subtle,spiritually debilitating compartmentalization that is less obvious. Thismight be evidenced by the business person who sees a clear demarcationbetween their “religious” or “church” life and their “business” life. Maybeit’s the sports fan separating “church” language from “game day” language,or the parent who says, “Do as I say, and not as I do.” Why are we somisaligned in our beliefs and behaviors? How do we align our lifestylesBiblically? What does the Bible say?

The starting point for living a life from a Biblical worldview is toexamine the scripture with the intent of not only understanding God’s

character, but with a yielded heart committed to applying the truth to ourlives. It is a process not suddenly realized, but rather one that we, asChristians, constantly seek to gain through prayer, the study ofscripture, and fellowship in Christian community. Threadedthroughout scripture are countless passages both describing God’scharacter and mandating our behavior.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, known as the Shema, is one of the most quotedpassages in the Old Testament. For three millennia, Jews have quoted thispassage, or portions of it, in daily prayers. Christians often point to thesetouchstone statements as a sweeping command from God to transmit ourfaith to our children. Certainly, the passage demands we use everyexperience in life for the sake of teaching that we are to love the Lord ourGod with all of heart, our soul, and our strength. Yet, central to thispassage is the call to seek God as the Lord over every area of one’s life.The fact that the Shema begins with an acknowledgement of God beingone cannot be overstated. This understanding that God is One stood instark contrast to a world which had assigned false deities to virtually everyknown celestial body, environmental condition, and life experience.

The danger of compartmentalizing without a Biblical worldview is thatwhile we maintain control over some parts of our life, we can easilyrationalize our failure to apply godly principles to other parts—out ofsight, out of mind. The simple truth is many of us will be faithful to ourspouse, but not faithful financially. We’ll teach a Sunday School class, buttreat colleagues and employees poorly. We’ll have a quiet time, but fail toyield to the transforming power of the Spirit that brings His patience todifficult circumstances. I, for one, want to begin the year with a freshsurrender to the one God and His transforming power in every area of mylife, not just in self-serving categories of my own choosing. Y

Gary Maze is the Associate Pastor at Broadmoor Baptist Church inMadison, Mississippi. Gary has been in the Jackson area for over 35years. During that time, he has served as a church planter,Executive Director for Youth for Christ, and has been an adjunctfaculty member at Belhaven University. He and his wife, Kathy,have two children: Josh, a worship pastor at Highpoint Church inMemphis, Tennessee; and Karleigh, a sophomore at Mississippi College.


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The leadership of Drake Bassett,new president of Palmer Home,was forged in the corporatecanyons of New York—and

nurtured by God’s grace.I am frowning.My tires spin in the Connecticut snow as I

make my way up the hill to the house with thered door. Behind that door awaits the man andhis family who will be moving to Mississippi tolead Palmer Home for Children.

Snowflakes float, the wheels gain traction. UpI go to meet the future.

Each doily of ice might as well be one of themyriad questions in my mind. Will this man beright for Palmer Home? Does he know what he’sgetting into? Will he love these kids as much asthey deserve? I answer them quickly, theunspoken queries inside my head, withassurances of God’s sovereignty that He hasguided the process to His satisfaction.

Still, the honest questions swirl. Here we go.“Funny thing, it was a snow like this one,

except worse, back in October (2011). ThePalmer magazine had just come in the mail,” saysDrake Bassett.

We are standing inside the relatively modesthome. I’ve stomped the snow off my boots andnow we are warming by the fireplace. “Thepower was out,” Drake continues, “and we werereading by the fire right here to stay warm. Thesearch company had sent a packet of informationon Palmer, so the magazine was passed around to


by GLEN ALLISON


my family and they read it by firelight. Theylooked at me and said, ‘This is you,’ and thatwas the start of it all.”

Of course, that wasn’t really the start of it all,in God’s providence. But it seems like a niceconfirmation. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

We have a few moments before eating ahome-cooked meal so I get a chance to justhang out with Drake for a while. We snap a fewphotos of him for the magazine. We make smalltalk about the weather. I keep observing him,not just visually but emotionally. Who is thisman and what makes him tick? What has madehim decide to give up being CEO of a bigcompany with headquarters in New York Cityto become president of a relatively smallministry for children in Mississippi?

Drake, of course, keeps turning the tables onme, wanting to know about me, about mybackground, about my involvement with Palmer Home.

Outside the snow still flutters. Inside thewarmth of the home, I’m beginning to thawout now.

Other family members stroll through theden to meet me. Kelley is Drake’s wife of 24years, a woman of quiet strength with a quick,gentle wit that appears long enough to makeyou want to see more of her humor; Hope, a12-year-old with the well-curbed intelligence ofsomeone twice her age at least; and Claire, ahigh-school senior with a calm spirit and thelook of a volleyball star. The other two Bassettoffspring—Evan, 21, and Grace, 20—are off at

college in Kentucky and Florida.More small talk ensues as I walk with Drake

throughout the first floor of the house. Thehouse isn’t overly decorated, a positive thing inmy opinion. In fact, I realize that it has the feelof a comfortable lodge—an exceedingly pleasantimpression. The more I ponder it, the more Isee that the house reflects this family: accessiblebut not effusive, warm but not intrusive,attractive without ostentation. After a while, Istop analyzing how they come across. I justenjoy their presence.

Besides, lunch is calling.The kitchen and dining room share an open

space surrounded by windows overlooking asmall deck and the bare branches of hardwoodtrees glazed with snow. Tiny dark birds flit abouta feeder outside the window above the sink,their playfulness backlit by the brightness.

Homemade chicken hot pockets, broccolicasserole, and fresh fruit appear on the tabletop.Somehow I’ve failed to mention my low-carbeating regimen. By the time the chocolate piearrives, I’ve become resolute in my determinationto set aside this day in my conscience.

The conversation roams undirected. Theyraised chickens for a while living in upper NewYork at a property that actually included aworking stable. “Yes, we loved having fresh eggsand the chickens were like pets,” says Kelley.(Kelley’s uncle raises a few chickens at hissuburban Tampa home. One of the hens willactually come and sit in his lap) “Yes, we learnedabout horses and horse owners, a special breed

unto themselves,” says Drake. And back to foodtalk. “One of the challenges of moving back tothe South is the wonderful food. Everythingbegins and ends with a biscuit,” says Kelley.

Young Hope sits at the table quietly knittinga small square of fabric. It’s part of a projectthat her home-school association has designed.The squares knitted by children in the groupwill be sewn together into a quilt to be donatedto a woman’s shelter in nearby Danbury,Connecticut. I’m impressed both by this girl’swillingness to join in the project and her casualknitting, surrounded by so-called adults, whileinterjecting a point or two into the conversation.

The pie has been served with coffee. It’s thefirst dessert I’ve had in months. I only eat onepiece. I promise. Ask them.

The table talk circles back to Palmer Homewithout my urging. Drake has visited bothcampuses and the horse farm, spending timewith board members and houseparents and staff.Kelley and Hope came down last December andcame away with friendships already taking root.Hope plays Words with Friends on Facebookalmost daily with Deborah, wife of Columbusdirector Steven Scott.

“When we touched down back here afterthat visit and were driving back home on theinterstate, it struck me: We would have time torest and plan our next week in relative calm butthose houseparents at Palmer Home were rightthere in the middle of it all the time. That sortof commitment is uncommon. And it isvaluable,” says Kelley.

Kelley, Drake, Claire and Hope

30 JANUARY 2013 ❘ Metro Christian Living30 JANUARY 2013 ❘ Metro Christian Living

Drake agrees. “When I read the centennialissue of The Southern Charity Ledger, I sawwhat a fantastic background the Lord has laidfor His work through Palmer Home. It ishumbling to me, to see what Dr. Waldron hasdone; those are big shoes to fill but I’m excitedto get started. I’m appreciative of thefoundation that has been built, down to thedaily work of the houseparents, and I’m readyto go at it full speed.”

Again, I’m getting ahead of myself. We arejust talking around the table. Finally, I get allwriterly and ask the question: “How did you getto this point where you are leaving your job inthe corporate world to lead a ministry?”

And he tells me.“I grew up as a preacher’s kid, I lived in a lot

of different places and saw a lot of things frommany angles, many opportunities for service. Isaw how people approached that service invarious ways. I saw it as a privilege, that chanceto serve. And you don’t always know how it’sgoing to play out for you.” Though his fatherled a church, Drake was never pushed toconsider that being a “professional” ministerwas the only avenue of Christian service.

Drake worked his way through college atThe University of South Florida and ended upwith a Bachelor of Arts degree in History andRussian Language. He relates that his careerbegan with a big “No!” from God. “I was fullyengaged in a student co-op program with IBMwhile at college. But I had set my mind tobecome a military officer with an emphasis onMilitary Intelligence. So I took RussianLanguage and joined the U.S. Army’s OfficerCorps. I loved the leadership training, bootcamp, and for two years prepared to be anIntelligence Officer. In the final stretch, I was

exited on a medical release due to a loss of highfrequency hearing. It was a small item togenerate a discharge, but it was a big deal to meat the time. Over the years, I’ve come to seethat the Lord had other things in mind, and asour family began to grow, so did my career.”

He entered the work world at IBM, a placethat taught him a lot about managing peopleand team work. With his career firmly lockedinto the business world, he put his relationshipwith God first, a commitment shared by his wifeKelley. Various ministry commitments beckonedthe young couple from the early days ofmarriage. “We’ve had the privilege of workingwith children through the years—little kids,grade school, high school—so I’ve also gained acomfort level with them and have had theopportunity to see them in differentcircumstances.”

He also actually taught Sunday school classesat churches they attended and even served as aminister part time in churches that weretransitioning between pastors. All the while,Drake and his growing family were beingrelocated to different parts of the United Statesas his career grew.

His position with IBM as a Junior AccountExecutive in Tampa, Fla. was a blessing fromthe Lord in many ways. “It was my first fulltimeposition in a business environment. I was proudto work for such a great company but thegreatest satisfaction came from learning that theessence of business providing a service orproduct that solved a problem for clients. I alsolearned that I was good at building relationshipsand I took pleasure in delighting customers.”

After five years in that job, he was selectedas a Senior Account Executive for StrategicMapping, Inc., in San Jose, California. SMI wasa software development company specializing ingeo-demographic applications. Drake waschosen to open an Atlanta office for thecompany and, when SMI was acquired byanother company, Claritas, in 1996, Drakebecame Director of Sales & Client Service.While at that position, he was recruited by theformer CEO of Strategic Mapping to becomeRegional Manager for another new softwarecompany, Prism Solutions, also in Atlanta. AtPrism, Drake helped launch a new productinitiative, but the fit was better for him back atClaritas, where he returned as Vice President ofBusiness Development.

It was at Claritas he received recognition in aseries of positions with increasingly expansiveresponsibilities. He and his family moved toIthaca, New York to become General Managerand Senior Vice President. While at thatposition, he was requested by the president ofthe company to assume all human resourcefunctions as the chief HR Resources Officer.From there he was promoted to ChiefOperating Officer and, then, the top job—Chief

Executive Officer, overseeing 250 employeesand more than $90 million in annual revenue.Claritas, a division of Nielson, is the leadingprovider of consumer segmentation and localmarket insights for a wide range of industries. Itserves more than 1,800 clients, from Fortune100 leaders to small businesses.

Around the dinner table, the coffee issavored as whiteness piles up on the deckoutside the French doors. It’s something Imight not see again for a while, maybe neveragain in this New England setting. I drink it in,the soft sprinkling of white that blurs all hardlines outside.

Inside, the conversation flows easily. Draketalks with enthusiasm about his businessexperience. He obviously has enjoyed it, all thechallenges, all the clients served, all the peoplehe has helped motivate and manage to becomebetter at what they do.

So, when did he decide to abandon all thatand go in another direction?

“In the past two or three years, we were in achurch that became increasingly involved in thecommunity, and in mission work with the poorin Jamaica, among other places,” Drake shares.“We found ourselves becoming students ofhands-on ministry. I thought to myself, ‘Someday, why can’t I take these business skills anduse them in a different context, where my 12-or-14-hour days aren’t spent in dealing withproducts and services, but actually doingsomething we are passionate about, somethingwith eternal value.”

That question circulated through hisconsciousness for months until finally, in thespring of 2011, he did a preliminary search onthe Internet to find out “what was out there” inthe way of ministry leadership opportunities.“At that time, I was thinking the next three-to-five years I might make a change. I didn’t knowwhat the direction would be.” In the samelogical step-by-step fashion that typified hissuccess in the business world, Drake wasformulating a schedule of possibilities.

As He is wont to do, however, God hadarranged his own timetable in this situation.

“I had talked to a guy in my church, PhilSmith. He had left the corporate world andwent to work with World Relief in Rwanda asdirector of the ministry for that region. He toldme that this was a journey, that I wouldn’t justbe able to ‘make things happen,’ but that I’dpray about it and keep my eyes open and whenthe Lord brought the right opportunity, I’dknow it.”

Drake and Kelley began talking about thepossibilities, about the things their familyneeded to work through to make a transition.He still, however, had the mind-set that it was aprocess of years in the future. He continued hisInternet searches to research the types ofpositions available.


ABOUT PALMER HOME FOR CHILDREN

In the fall of 2011, Drake had progressed tothe point of discovering organizations thatactually specialized in helping people transitionfrom the corporate world to ministry. One ofthem was called SIMA International. On theirwebsite they listed leadership positions thatwere open. One of them was for the presidencyof Palmer Home.

“I thought it might be an exercise in futility,but I took a step, of sorts,” remembers Drake.This was last October.

In addition to his attraction to Palmer’smission, there was another contributing factorthat made the position intriguing: Drake’sparents had moved to the Memphis,Tennessee, area. Still he proceeded with hispreconceived notion of a comfortabletimetable. He called SIMA.

“You may have already found someone,”said Drake.

No, they haven’t found the right person yet,SIMA responded.

“Well, we are probably in two differentgalaxies,” said Drake.

Doesn’t it sound like he was giving the Lordevery opportunity to close that door?

The discussions continued on and off,without pressure. Drake kept noticing otherpossible directions for him. But he kept driftingback to Palmer Home’s opening, looking at it,noticing it. Even while wondering if the timewas right, he agreed to come visit the campuses.

Kelley piped up. “Oh I know what’s going tohappen, you’re going to go down there and youare going to come back and this is what you’regoing to want to do.” “She knows most of thetime what is going to happen before it does,”says Drake. “As soon as he called, I said, ‘Okay,let’s start packing. I told a friend that our life wasabout to turn upside down,” remembers Kelley.

Drake chuckles. “It was one thing to readabout a place up here in snowy Connecticutand another to actually meet them, to see itface to face.”

History: Founded in 1895 by Presbyterians and otherconcerned friends, Palmer Home remains committed to helpingchildren achieve their full God-given potential, however scarredor shattered their family background. Palmer Home for Childrenis a ministry to children in need; children who are growing up associal orphans without the nurture and support of a loving family.It is a home for children who need a place to be and to become.

Goal: Palmer Home continues to be a leader as a privatelyfunded organization with a Christ-centered mission to providelong-term care for children who lack adequate family structure.

How We Do It: Palmer Home is governed by a board ofdirectors and does not accept government funding.We rely solelyon private gifts generously donated.There are over two-dozen

house parents caring for anywhere from 75 to 95 children at agiven time. A staff of nearly 50 manages and maintains theorganization, oversee the well-being of the children and managetwo 100+ acre campuses.

What Is Provided: Palmer Home is structured to provide long-and short-term residential care and foster care as well ascounseling and educational services for as long as necessaryincluding higher education opportunity.

What Makes us Different: Palmer Home is faith-based andprovides its services free of charge to needy children and familieswithout regard to race or creed.They are able to serve largesibling groups who would otherwise be split up in state fostercare. Y

Within an hour of his first meetings with the Palmer search committee, Drake hadconnected with the heart of the organization.“You can tell pretty quickly how people arewired, how they are grounded, what their faithis, what their passion is. I felt privileged to be intheir presence. I remember thinking, ‘I don’tknow where this is going, but I do know I haveconnected with some great people in a greatorganization and, in some way, I was going to beinvolved with them.”

And the Palmer search committee sharedDrake’s feeling. “When we met Drake, weimmediately had a good feeling about him,about his experience and his abilities, but mostof all about how he had sought the Lord in hisquest to find His will,” says Charles Guest,interim president of Palmer Home. “We werethankful for how God had brought someone likeDrake Bassett to help lead Palmer Home forChildren.”

We say our goodbyes and swap embraces asI gather my camera goodies and pack them inthe backpack. Outside the snow has stopped.The sun glitters on gilded branches.

The house is warm and, I’ve learned, thatwarmth lives inside this brave, blessed family.They are our family now, all of us who callourselves lovers of the children of PalmerHome for Children, who have received theimmeasurable treasure of seeing a smile wherenone had crossed before. It is a time like this Ithank God for my job even more than usual.

I trudge through the snow with the carefulsteps of a Southern boy in a realminfrequently experienced. The car starts upjust fine and the wheels make their tentativeway back down the hill.

And I am smiling. Y

Glen Allison ([email protected]) is the author of theForte suspense novels (http://torturedhero.com).


HAM AND LENTIL SOUP1 ham bone (if you don’t have one,

they can be purchased at Logan’s Farm or Honey-Baked Ham stores, and are very inexpensive)

6 cups water1 1/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

3 carrots, sliced2 to 3 celery ribs, sliced

1/4 cup green onions, chopped1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/8 teaspoon black pepper12 ounces pork sausage, cooked and

drained2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

In a Dutch oven, bring ham bone and waterto a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer forone and one-half hours.

Remove ham bone. To broth, add thelentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions, andseasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat;cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or untillentils and vegetables are tender. Removeham from bone; coarsely chop. Add the ham,sausage, and parsley to soup. Heat and eat.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

➺food for thoughtby LYDIA BOLEN

January Soup Medley

CHEESE SOUP

3 tablespoons butter6 green onions, finely chopped 1 rib celery, finely chopped2 cans chicken broth1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 teaspoon white pepper1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)

1 pound Velveeta cheese3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated2 cups half-and-half cream

(can use fat-free)

Sauté onions and celery in butter until soft.Add chicken broth and soup; stir untilsmooth. Add seasonings and simmer onlow for 20 minutes, covered. Add cheeses,then cream. Cook all on LOW heat for 20minutes. Do NOT boil! Serve with crackersor cornbread. Makes 2 quarts. Y

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Himthat sent me, and to finish His work.” – John 4:34

Remember to make memoriesthrough the kitchen— “theheartbeat of the home.” E-mail me at [email protected] any questions.

Happy New Year! Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet?Whether you are on a diet, or resolving to eat healthier, a one-pot meal of soup with variety is a

good start. I love to make soup when it is cold outside. Soup makes a substantial, well-balanced meal. A

bonus is that a pot of soup can feed the entire family—twice over. If you are one of those who prefernot to eat the same thing two days in a row, then freeze the remaining soup for a later date.

Get outside and enjoy this brisk cooler weather. When family members come in from the day,then “soup’s on”!

BAKED POTATO SOUP4 large baking potatoes

2/3 cup butter2/3 cup flour

6 cups milk Salt (to taste)freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

4 green onions, chopped12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 1/4 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded1 cup sour cream (may use light)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Wash the potatoes and pierce several

times with a fork. Bake for 1 hour, or untilsoft. Cool. Cut the potatoes into halves andscoop the pulp into a bowl; discard the skins.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan overlow heat. Stir in the flour. Cook for 1minute, stirring constantly. Add the milkgradually, stirring well after each addition.Cook over medium heat until thickened andbubbly. Continue stirring. Season with saltand pepper.

Add the potato pulp, 2 tablespoons of thegreen onions, 1/2 cup of the bacon and 1 cupof the cheese. Cook until heated well. Stir insour cream. Add additional milk if needed forthe desired consistency.

Sprinkle each serving with the remaininggreen onions, bacon and cheese, as desired.

Serves 6 to 8. Can be doubled andfreezes well.


➺modern motherhoodby ROBIN O’BRYANT

Resolutions From a Rule Breaker

Iam vehemently against New Year’s Resolutions—formyself, anyway. By nature, I’m a rule breaker. If I sayI’m giving up carbs for a week, I can think of nothing

but pasta and bread constantly until I indulge. It’s notsomething I like about myself but it’s who I am. Whateverthe rules are, I’m going to try to push the limit to see howmuch I can get away with.

The only resolution I’ve ever successfully kept was in 2010when I resolved to stop buying clothes at Wal-Mart. My childrenwere moving out of the “spit-up-wipe-my-nose-on-mommy” stageand it was time to stop dressing in the equivalent of a hazmat suit.I needed motivation to exercise and not to “let myself go.” Mysolution was to bribe myself with clothes from exotic andexpensive designers like Target and JC Penney. It worked, and forthe first time in my life I successfully kept my resolution.

I’m not a fan of rules and resolutions, but I am a fan ofreflection—without it, we continue to make the same mistakes.Socrates said on Pinterest, “The unexamined life is not worthliving.” (That was a joke. I know Socrates is still on MySpace.)

There’s no better time of year to pause and reflect on how youwant to live your life than at the end of a year, as a new yearstretches out in front of us. I’ve said it before, the gift that Godhas given us in the monotony of motherhood is that we have onemillion chances to get it right. As the New Year rolls in, I amtaking time to pray, to look critically at how I spent my time andmy resources last year and asking, “What can I do better? Whatcan I give up? How can I give my kids and my husband the bestversion of me possible?”

I’m pretty sure of the answers I’m going to come up with: lessonline time, more Jesus time, more face time with my kids andhusband, and continuing to wear my exotic, designer clothes. Y

Robin O’Bryant is mother to three daughters, wife to one husband,and debut author of Ketchup Is A Vegetable And Other Lies MomsTell Themselves. She shares the drama and hilarity of motherhoodin her syndicated family humor column, “Robin’s Chicks” and onher blog by the same name (www.robinschicks.com).


➺money mattersby DANNY WILLIAMS

Things to Consider in 2013

We have recently had theprivilege of voting to electour country’s 57th President.Of course, we know who won at this point,but there was uncertainty until the resultswere tabulated on election night. The raceseemed to become closer, according to thepolls, as Election Day approached. It wasanyone’s guess as to who would serve for thenext four years. Some polls were showing avirtual tie and many thought that thedifference would come down to key battleground states like Ohio and Florida.

One of the most popular questions I wasasked over the past few months was, “Whatwill be the effect on the market if PresidentObama wins another term versus GovernorRomney winning the election?”

Many investors are looking for an edgeon how to go forward with theirinvestments. This is very understandable.According to Fox Business, history showsthat the U.S. economy, stock prices, andcorporate profits have generated strongergrowth under Democratic administrationsthan Republican ones.

According to McGraw-Hill, the S&P 500has rallied an average of 12.1% per yearsince 1901 when Democrats occupied theWhite House, compared to 5.1% forRepublicans. One thing that should bepointed out is that there is a relatively smallsample size over the time period thisinformation has been calculated.

I think back on the past several years ofcurrent events. The financial crisis of 2007-

2008 was devastating to many. Our ownbanking system and many other large,corporate businesses took significant losses,and many went out of business or mergedinto others. This housing bubble createdthis situation.

The recent uncertainty of a Presidentialelection and the worst housing bubble inour nation’s history has probably made youthink a little more about your financial well-being. These are only two of the issues thathave driven our market’s direction over thepast number of months and years. To agreat degree, there are many opportunitiesfor us to allow our emotions to come intoplay when making our important investmentdecisions. Now, it seems like the impending“fiscal cliff” has captured the attention of

Our beliefs do not try to paint a picture ofthe future. Think about it for just a minute.If we looked back just a year ago, we wouldnot have been able to say for certain whomthe Republican nominee would be, muchless who would be the next President of theUnited States.

What strategy will you adopt to helpnavigate the future markets? It seems thatmany investors have selected an approachthat requires them to treat all markets thesame. We think there are times that weneed to take advantage of a great long-termbull market or nice uptrend, but we alsoknow that we need to make adjustments ifwe enter a period of stormy conditions. Webelieve it is imperative for us to keep ouremotions out of the process, and torecognize changes that will take placealong the way. We have to be willing tolook for the signals that are given to us andact accordingly.

I encourage you to think about your pastinvestment experiences and commit to askthoughtful questions about how your moneyis being managed today, as well as plans forthe next downturn.

Happy New Year! Y

Danny Williams, CFP®, is a partnerwith Woodridge Capital, a registeredinvestment advisory company locatedat 800 Woodlands Parkway, Suite 201,Ridgeland, MS. For more information,call 601-957-6006 [email protected].

value of their account go through a majordecline. Many of these professionalmanagers have a disciplined approach and doa great job when the markets are favorable,but they still stay fully invested in the marketduring good and bad markets. Many timesthis leads to disappointing results. Someone

needs to be in a position to manage themanager, if hiring professional managers—and this person needs to have a predefinedrule that is used to manage risk in adeclining market.

When we are investing in the market,volatility will be a part of the process. Simplysaid, in order for you to benefit, you must bewilling to accept negative returns duringcertain time periods. We wish that we couldsay otherwise but it’s one of the “givens.”


the political and business world. Our politicalleaders are once again making decisions (ornot) that can have an impact on our economyand the markets. This is another currentevent that make most investors even moreconcerned. It also makes them wonder howto be successful in this type ofenvironment—and my experience has beenthat if we let emotions enter into our decisionmaking process, we will usually be wrong.

There are many investment strategies inthe market place. Many investment advisorsand investors who will say, “I am just going totake what the market gives me and let assetallocation take care of my investments.” Thisis an especially easy decision after we havejust enjoyed a 10% up year. The choice is notso easy when you have a 25-50% down year.The market statistics point towards this typeof experience occurring again—and thelonger you stay in the market, the more likelyyou will experience one or more of thesedown periods. The decline is difficultenough, but living through the decline andrecovery may take a decade. Unfortunately,this experience may occur when you areretiring or have limited earning capacity.

There are alternatives to adopting a buyand hold strategy or counting on assetallocation to take care of you. Some strategieshave predefined rules that are put in place toreduce risk or volatility in the portfolio.When I mention alternatives, I don’tnecessarily mean investing in a mutual fundor separate account. There are many peoplewho have turned their money over to a“professional money manager” just to see the

Many investors are looking for anedge on how to go forward with

their investments.

��

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I’d wager to say that most single folkslonging for earthly companionship have somesense of mind wandering when it comes to theright person entering their lives. And sometimesI blame that on princess movies we watchedwhen we were younger. You know, thatbeautiful perfect princess found by the perfect,most gorgeous man, and they live happily everafter in a beautiful castle. For girls, you grow upbelieving marriage is just that. And I wouldwager to think men probably dream theirwoman will be perfect just like the princesses.

But let’s be honest, that’s not reality.I don’t want to sound like Debbie Downer,

and I certainly believe we can have our ownbeautiful story written by our God above, sohear me out.

It all starts with our longings. Do you thinklongings are wrong? Listen to what David hadto say in Psalm 38.

“All my longings lie open before you,Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you…”(Psalm 38:8).

“I will wait for you; you will answer, Lord myGod” (Psalm 38:15)

Longings are not wrong; however, longingscan become our idols if we don’t offer themback to Jesus. I find myself dreaming so muchabout the future and having that longingfulfilled, that I lose sight of the present. Andwhen I live outside the present, I can’t glorifyGod in my daily life.

I had a very sweet friend recently tell meabout a conversation she was having with a girlwho didn’t understand why this season ofsingleness had to be so long, and had such astrong desire to see the end in sight. My friend,in a brief word, spoke all over me. She said,“Stop longing. Sit and rest. Enjoy his presence.”Is it really that simple? Yes.

“Be still and know that I am God”(Psalm 46:10).

I’d be the first to tell you this is something Ireally have to wrestle through. Figuring out howto glorify God right now, in the present, and

Happily Ever After in the Meantime

seek Him as I wait. I have no concept of howmuch longer that wait will be, but I have to trustthe Almighty God has his hand on it, and I longto soak up as much of this quiet time as I wait.

That does not mean that I don’t imaginethe day my strong, handsome prince willcome. I do believe it will be the perfect waythat God intends and I will rest in that. In themeantime, as I fight through those dreams,and taking it to a place that doesn’t bring gloryto God, I call on this verse from 2 Corinthians10:5, “we take captive every thought to makeit obedient to Christ.”

So if you are anything like me and findyourself making up great love stories in yourhead, stop. It can quickly become an idol. Speakthat verse over your thoughts.

This starts a new year—full of resolutionsand a time to reevaluate where/who we are.One thing I’ve learned over my years is thatGod is the only one who can change us. So mycharge to you this 2013 is to wake daily and askJesus two things:

(1) “to satisfy you, fully, with his unfailinglove, that you may sing for joy and be gladeveryday” (Psalm 90:14).

(2) “to search you and know your heart, andknow your anxious thoughts. To see if there isany hurtful way in you, and lead you in the wayeverlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

Rest in this. He will answer, for he cannotdeny His word:

“…so is my word that goes out from mymouth: it will not return to me empty, but willaccomplish what I desire and achieve thepurpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

Happy 2013! Y

Amy Ingram is a Senior AccountExecutive at a local advertisingagency. She lives in Madison withher little boo, Mabel. Feel free tocontact her [email protected] and/orfollow her on twitter @ingramjackson.

Iwas lying in bed earlier this week thinking about how often Idream about my knight in shining armor. How our story will bewritten, how he will propose, and how many kids we will have in

our cute house with a red door and a white picket fence.

Longings are notwrong; however,longings canbecome our idols ifwe don’t offer themback to Jesus.

When will it be my turn?Everyone else has someone.

➺single still, single againby AMY INGRAM


The Kingdom of Me“You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but

in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuadedand turned away a considerable number of

people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods atall. Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute,but also that the temple of the great Artemis be regarded as worthlessand that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even bedethroned from her magnificence” (Acts 19:26-27).

My grandfather, Charles Dean, was an architect. If you’re from hereand in the construction industry, the nameDean and Dean/Associates should soundfamiliar. Although there was no interest inme—or skill set—to follow that trade, thefamily history adds to my appreciation of it.

In great architecture, the details areexhausting, the vision is big and bold andthe work it takes to convert the vision to atangible expression is enormous. It canhave a significant effect on a community’seconomy and notoriety. So before the workbegins, the question that needs to beanswered is why. Why build it? When I read the above passage fromActs 19, the question raised in my mind was, “Why would someonego through the trouble of building an extravagant temple to a man-made idol?”

Artemis was arguably the most exalted of the Greek deities, the twinsister of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was the goddessof the hunt, virginity, childbirth, protector of young girls, andresponsible for the bringing and relieving of sickness in women.

How someone could go so far as to believe such a thing isincomprehensible, but what’s even more ridiculous is that they built amonstrosity of a temple to worship this female goddess. It’s listed as oneof the seven wonders of the ancient world; it was rebuilt seven times—and some say that the first construction took 160 years to complete andthe second took 83 years.

I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road forchariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanginggardens, and the colossus of the Sun, and the huge labor of the highpyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house ofArtemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their

brilliancy, and I said, “Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked onaught so grand.”- Antipater of Sidon (Ancient Greek poet and writerwho lived in the 2nd century B.C., he is credited with creating the list ofthe “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”.)

Today, it’s rubble under the earth. The Architect, the stone masons, the carpenters, the stone salesmen,

the artists, the weavers, the sheetrock hangers, curtain designers, thetemple priests, the guy at the gate punching the tickets, etc, are all dead.Their memory is as gone as the pillars that held it upright.

Demetrius, the silversmith andentrepreneur, he’s dead. All the Paulhaters in Ephesus that were in a ragebecause he slandered her, their bones havedecayed by now. But Artemis, the greatArtemis, she lives on. She just doesn’t goby that name anymore.

She changed it to The Goddess of Self;she lives in the Kingdom of Me. Artemiswas just another bad excuse to disobey Godand justify what satisfies the flesh. In thereal world, it’s all about the glorification of

me and how to build my kingdom. I refuse with a stiff neck to makepainful sacrifices to the Kingdom of God until the Kingdom of Me issatisfied—whenever that is.

Every company I’ve worked for makes the Kingdom of Me itsgreatest priority. It’s where the money goes—stackin’ it up. It’s where theenergy goes. It’s why we hold meetings and offer incentives. The rewardis now. In 30 years in the work force, never, ever, ever-—and not evenonce—have we discussed how the company plans to build the Kingdomof God.

Nothing has changed since the 7th century B.C. Their efforts weremisdirected and served a purpose altogether perishable. Their lives awash and their talents squandered and history repeats itself for aGoddess with a new name. All the while, the great Architect searches foremployees who will build things eternal—and whose reward waits. Y

Shawn Dean is Regional Sales Manager for Airflo Sales, Inc.,located in Ridgeland, MS. He and his wife, Laura Beth, havethree children, Isabelle, Ann Mabry, and Mary Frances. Theylive in Madison.

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➺outside inby SHAWN DEAN


➺

One behavior I have noticed, in others and myself, is that many ofus avoid painful relationships at all costs. Nobody likes to get hurt.That being said, how many risk-free relationships do you have? To myknowledge, I am not aware of any risk-free relationships that exist. Allrelationships involve some risk—and risk means the possibility of lossor injury.

Should we avoid loss or injury in our relationships? I believe this isa tricky question. Over the years, I have seen people in unhealthyrelationships where it was evident they should have avoided them.These were relationships where there was abuse or addiction involved,or they were one-sided relationships where one person was the giverand the other always the taker. On the flip side, I have seen peoplewho do not want to take any risk relationally. Some want to know forcertain how life is going to turn out for them. Others, once hurt, willno longer take any risk at all.

So how do you determine whether to take a relational risk or toavoid it? I know I have asked more questions to this point rather thanproviding any helpful information, but I think we all struggle with oneor more of these questions at some point in our lives.

Here’s another question: In looking at the life of Jesus in the Bible,did He take many relational risks with people? I believe He did. Instudying the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), we can findmany occasions where Jesus took relational risks with people. We canalso read stories of Jesus asking His followers to take relational risks.

How many of us would choose 12 men, teach them for three years,and then leave them responsible for the future eternal fate of thehuman race? This is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus took a risk byentrusting the message of His life—God’s message of salvation—to 12guys. And what was the result? One of them (Judas) betrayed Him,others fled before His crucifixion, and one of His three closest

disciples (Peter) denied three times even knowing Jesus! Again andagain, we see that Jesus took risk after risk after risk relationally withHis 12 disciples. Yet He never stopped believing in them, He neverstopped loving them, and He never tried to protect Himself frombeing hurt, disappointed, betrayed, or even killed. It appears to methat Jesus was the ultimate risk-taker when it comes to relationships.

It’s interesting that the people closest to Jesus also took the mostrelational risks. Peter took a big risk in trusting Jesus about getting outof the boat and walking on water (Matthew 14:28-32). Eleven of thedisciples died a martyr’s death for their commitment to the messageabout Jesus.

Often in the Christian life we are taught about the importance ofbeing obedient to God’s commands. But how often are we challengedto take risks in our relationships so that we are obedient to the faith?Acts 6:7 says, “Then the word of God spread, and then the number ofdisciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of priestswere obedient to the faith.” Becoming obedient to the faith means Imust take some risks relationally with people. In reflecting on the ideaof relational risk, it appears that the power of Jesus is made known andis seen most often where people have taken the most risk. NeitherJesus nor His followers appeared to play it safe at all whererelationships were concerned.

So, what kind of life are we called to live as Christ followers?Should we choose to play it safe and protect ourselves from being hurtor rejected? Or should we be willing to lay down our lives for othersand take some risks with them? My hope for you in 2013 is that youwill be given the opportunity to take some risks relationally withothers. Maybe that means forgiving someone who hurt or betrayedyou. It could mean mending a broken relationship or befriendingsomeone who appears to be different from you. Or it might meanopening up and revealing something about yourself that does not paintyou in a positive light—with the hopes of bringing healing andacceptance with another person. Taking these kinds of risks won’tguarantee relational success, but assuredly your faith will grow in 2013.Y

Mike Traylor is a Marriage and Family Therapist at SummitCounseling and can be reached at 601-949-1949 [email protected]

Have you ever had a relationship withsomeone that seemed to be risky?

What I mean by risky is a relationship where you were hurt, betrayed, frustrated,or disappointed in the relationship with thatperson.Was that relationship painful to you?How did that relationship make you feel?

Relationships Are a Risky Business

let’s talk it overby MIKE TRAYLOR, LMFT


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T his January 22, 2013, will mark the40th Anniversary of Roe vs.Wade,the Supreme Court decision that

legalized abortion right up until birth.Over 55 million babies have died fromabortion—more than all of our nation’s warfatalities combined. The so-called “War onWomen” is actually a war on the unborn.Women are the second victims of abortion.Please let me make myself clear. We are nottrying to make women feel worse about theirdecision to abort. We are striving to encouragewomen to choose life. Those of us who areendeavoring to end abortion want to make itunthinkable. For many, what is legal makes itis right, but abortion is the wrong solution forboth mother and child.

Once again we find ourselves defendingMississippi’s new abortion regulations in thecourt. The new law HB1390 requires theabortion clinic doctors to obtain admittingprivileges at a local hospital. The abortionindustry has operated below the standards ofthe rest of the medical community for far toolong. Outpatient facilities across the staterequire all physicians to have hospitaladmitting privileges. This requirementprovides the best medical care possible forthe patient if an emergency occurs. Doctorscan follow their patients to the hospital toprovide necessary care in normalcircumstances. Hospitals also check thedoctor’s medical background to be sure theydo not have an unusually high number ofinjuries, ensure that they have malpracticeinsurance, and are qualified for theprocedures they are performing. There are

currently at least seven other states withsimilar laws that have been upheld. This isthe last abortion clinic in Mississippi.

District Judge Jordan, a President Bushappointee, will have a hearing to determinewhether the new law is Constitutional underRoe. The clinic will claim these are impossiblestandards to meet and that those whoproposed the law were not concerned aboutwomen’s health, but are simply interested inclosing the clinic. This simply is not true. Welobbied the legislature with pictures of womeninjured at an abortion clinic in Birmingham.This clinic has the same abortion doctor andowner. After three women went to theemergency room in one day, the AlabamaDepartment of Public Health closed theBirmingham clinic due to numerousviolations. Mississippi has no obligation tokeep an unsafe clinic open.

Elected officials must have the right tofree speech and certainly have the right to bepro-life. Those who want this clinic open areopenly opposing the law to remain openbecause they are pro-abortion. Women andunborn children are at the mercy of the courtonce again. The clinic must either meet thesame standards as the rest of the medicalfacilities, or it will have to close unless theJudge issues a Permanent Injunctionpreventing the law from going into effect. Weare reminded again of the importance of howa presidential appointee to any federal courtis for life and determines the fate of allpreborn children.

This abortion clinic aborts babies up tofour months gestation. These second trimester

abortions are made possible because Dr. CarlReddix is the “medical director” for the clinic;and while he supposedly does not perform anyabortions, he provides the clinic withcompliance to previous abortion laws. Justthink—in 5 more months over one millionfamilies who are waiting for a newborn to calltheir own could adopt these babies.

If the last abortion clinic in Mississippicloses, it will be because it is unable to provideadequate care for women. It is a lie to say thatabortion is simple, good healthcare for women.Those of us who are involved in pro-lifeministry see firsthand the physical andemotional wounds women suffer from abortion.

Our elected officials are outspoken aboutbeing pro-life. Suddenly we find ourselvesdefending our right to free speech to preventit from being used against us in court. Theintent of this law is to protect the health andsafety of women. If it results in closing the lastabortion clinic, then Mississippi will be abetter place!

We will have a Memorial Service in theState Capitol Rotunda, Tuesday, January 22, atNoon to remember the lives that have beenlost in this war on the unborn and discuss ourPLAN for a future of equal protection underthe law. Please help us bring Mississippi backto LIFE. Y

Terri Herring, PLAN, (Pro LifeAmerican Network)[email protected]

Women and Children Are at the Mercy of the Court

➺lagniappeby TERRI HERRING


➺legal adviceby WILLIAM B. HOWELL

1.Protect your spouse and children.Only by putting into place thenecessary and legally sufficient

documents can a person appoint the chosenguardian for their minor children should bothparents pass away before the children reachtheir majority. Assuring financial resources foryour spouse and your children is only one ofthe benefits you will have.

2.Avoid delay in getting yourproperty to your beneficiaries.Property (including money) passing

through probate is held in your probate estateuntil an order of the probate court releases theproperty. If you plan to pass your property atyour death by a Will, probate is the requiredprocess for distributing your property, and itwill take time, sometimes years. Probate can beavoided. A Living Trust is a solution for mostpeople, for lifetime protection as well ashandling your estate at your passing. No courtis involved and no order is needed.

3.Are any extended family membersdependent on you? Do you have adisabled adult child? Without special

planning, your death may end the essentialsupport you have been providing for an elderlyrelative and/or a disabled adult child. Evenworse, if that disabled adult child is receivinggovernmental benefits, and then receives aninheritance from you, that child may lose thosebenefits. Instead, you can put into place aspecial needs trust which designates such afinancially dependent adult as beneficiary, andthe trust will continue to provide for thesespecial family members after your death.

4.What protection can you provideyourself and your family in theevent of your own incapacity? No

one plans to have dementia, stroke, or adisabling auto accident. Those planning aheadput into place proper documents naming theperson or persons of their own choice to

manage their financial and medical needs whenthey cannot manage for themself. And theproper authority must also be given. Powers ofattorney are often not honored. A Living Trustis ideal for disability planning.

The wise person also executes an AdvanceHealth-Care Directive specifying whom theywant to make health-care decisions for them ifthey are not able to do so and what end-of-lifedecisions they want to be made. The AdvanceHealth-Care Directive also allows you to directthat you be kept pain-free in your last illness.But this document does not always work if youcannot speak up for yourself. In order to allowyour family to communicate with your healthcare providers (your doctors and others) youwill also need a HIPAA authorization to waive your federally imposed medical privacy restrictions.

5.Preserve the value of your estateby minimizing expenses ofdistribution. Good planning can

significantly reduce the expenses necessary totransfer your assets to your intendedbeneficiaries. Being prepared is a must to keepunnecessary expenses from reducing the valueof your estate, both during your lifetime and atyour death.

6.Appoint your personalrepresentative of your estate. Atyour death, someone must act for you.

Hopefully, it will be someone you have chosen.

A further benefit gained with a Living Trust isthat your chosen successor trustee can act foryou during your lifetime if you should beunable to act for yourself, not just after yourdeath, all without court.

7.Provide a legacy of thoughtfulnessto your family. Good planning easesthe burden for your surviving family.

Times of grief are stressful and not conduciveto good decisions about important financialmatters. Take that burden off of them byhaving your wishes spelled out, so that all issimple, not complicated. Also consider pre-planning for your funeral arrangements.

8.Protect a family business. Planningallows you to put into place legalarrangements for the smooth

transition of ownership and management of afamily business. Not only will good estateplanning help assure the continued goodhealth of the business, but can protect thosevery important family relationships.

9.Eliminate or minimize death taxes.Only advance planning by marriedcouples can save the death tax

exemption of the first spouse to die. If you aresingle, good estate planning can helpminimize, or in some cases, completelyeliminate death tax liability.

10.Support a favorite charity oryour church. Estate planningcan carry out your chosen gifting

program. It doesn’t have to be complicated.Many people leave something to their church,to Blair Batson Children’s Hospital, or otherworthwhile entities. The charity benefits andyou may well benefit in tax savings, too. Y

William B. Howell is a member of the NationalAcademy of Elder Law Attorneys and practices lawin Ridgeland.

10 Good Reasons to Plan Your Estate


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• What about protecting your assets from the nursing home? Medicare pays only a tiny part, if any. And you pay the rest.Or not. Mr. Howell coauthored the Mississippi edition of How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating NursingHome Costs. These issues will be discussed in depth at the Seminar.

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➺welcome homeby KIM WOLINSKI

It’s easy to feel embarrassed, angry,frustrated, and even afraid when you can’t findsomething, lose items or waste time, energy,and money running out to buy the same thingsthat you already own, but can’t find. This kindof mental and physical activity limits ourconnection to God, making no room for HisSpirit to work through us easily.

Getting organized doesn’t have to be hard,but it is a consistent and mindful activity tokeep a home—your sacred space—declutteredand streamlined. Here’s a simple way to think

to Declutter and Make Room for GodDo you have clutter and disorganization that takes yourenergy away from living a peaceful, Spirit-centered life?Does dealing with clutter leave little room for God?

about it: being organized means “being able tofind what you need when you need it.” And, nomatter how perfect a home may look, if youcan’t find items, you’re still not organized.

In my 12 years of organizing in homes andoffices across the country and teachingworkshops on organizing, I find that there arejust a few clear steps to set up, prep, and thendo to get—and stay—organized for good.Follow these 5 keys and remind yourself whiledecluttering that this IS your spiritual practice!God is in the details and all space is sacred.

5 KEYS

income from all the work it takes to puton a garage sale. Otherwise, put in thenext box.

• Re-purpose/Donate: Unless an item iscompletely worn out or ripped, etc., giveit to thrift and let them decide. Theyhave very big trash bins to dump it thereif they can’t use it.

• Gift and Re-Gift: Ahh, the fun box!You’ve received those gifts that aregreat, but—you’ll never use them,right? Put a note on the item of whogave it to you (so that you don’t re-giftit to them!) and then put in the box,ready to re-gift to someone in thefuture who might like it!

5. Dive in! I call this sorting activity “Chunkand Chip.” Take one “chunk” at a time,whether clothes from a closet, shoes, toys,paper piles, etc. and then “chip” away at ituntil you’re done. Don’t move onto thenext chunk until you’re finished with thepile. This is very important because if youstart zig-zagging around, grabbing fromother areas and piles, you’ll easily feeloverwhelmed and quit.

How much room for God do you want inyour home, your sacred space? Even Jesuswarns us about mistaking our material goods forour value and having too much in Luke 12:15,“a man’s life does not consist in the abundanceof his possessions.” Realistically, you only use20% of what you have, 80% you will never useor see again. You are not your stuff. Cull backcloser to the 20% and really enjoy what youhave, enjoy your home and life more, invitingothers in to play and pray more often. Y

Kim Wolinski, MSW “Dr. DeClutter” isa stress, change and organizationalskills expert, international speaker,professional organizer, lifestyle coachand the author of several books,including Letting Go With All YourMight, A guide to life transitions, changes, choicesand effective redecisions; Burn Your House Down!And 99 Other Ways to Create an Organized Life;How to Organize Important Documents and othersto help you let go of clutter on every level. Kim livesin Longmont, CO. www.DrDeClutter.com


1. Choose one room and then narrow it downto just a corner or small, doable space inthat room.

2. Schedule uninterrupted, exclusive time.If you don’t make this serious andschedule in the time, it won’t happen.Plan 30-90 minutes and more in someareas when you can. Shut off the phoneand computer; tell everyone what you’redoing so that you are not interrupted.You might however stay focused and on-task by asking for assistance.

3. Set a timer. In order to not getoverwhelmed, set a timer for increments ofthe allotted time so that you don’t feelanxious and quit early.

4. Collect your “prep” tools. Specificcontainers as listed below will keep you inthe room and from zig-zagging aroundgetting little done.

• Have basic cleaning supplies available.

• Sorting boxes/containers. Label themwhen necessary to simply remember what they are for.

• Trash Can: For real trash, i.e., ifsomething can be used or donated don’tput it into the trash which goes directly to the landfill.

• Shredder: For paper that hasimportant data that could be usedagainst you if stolen.

• Recycle: For glass/paper/plastics.

• Reroute: When you find something inthe room you’re working in that belongsin another room or to someone else, sortit into the reroute box. Then, when you’reall finished, or your time is up, take thisbox around and drop off the items wherethey belong. This box will really keep youin the room, otherwise, you know whathappens; you take that little sticky noteyou found out to the kitchen and nevercome back!

• Repair

• Garage Sale: Use only if you really havea lot of items and could make some good


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➺salt & lightby KIMBERLY GRACE BOWMAN

The ChildEvangelismFellowship “…He said to them,‘Let the childrencome to me. Don’t stop them! For theKingdom of God belongs to thosewho are like these children. I tell youthe truth, anyone who doesn’t receivethe Kingdom of God like a child willnever enter it.’Then He took thechildren in his arms and placed hishands on their heads and blessedthem” (Mark 10:14-16).

Over the past century, ourchildren have become moreand more vulnerable to the

garbage of this world. They have easily become unguarded victimsof what this world tries to offer them. And some have even been leftwithout knowledge of the salvation and saving love of Jesus who came togive us life and joy. Whether it be because they have never heard amessage from within church walls or have simply neverbeen told of the amazing love Jesus has offered to each andevery one of them, the Child Evangelism Fellowship is oneof many ministries who work consistently to bring Jesus tothis younger generation inside—and especially outside—church walls.

In 1937, God placed within Jesse Irvin Overholtzerthe desire to reach out to young children who, unlikemany adults, could understand the message of thesalvation of Jesus if they were to be taught in a mannerthey could comprehend. As a child, Mr. Overholtzer wastold he was too young to understand salvation. JesseOverholtzer would not receive Jesus as his Savior untilhis college years as result of these comments. Later in hislife as a pastor, Overholtzer was inspired by one ofCharles Spurgeon’s sermons and the statement within, “A child of five,if properly instructed can as truly believe and be regenerated as anadult.” Therefore, Pastor Overholtzer at age 60 founded the ChildEvangelism Fellowship. Since its founding, the CEF has grown intostate divisions, overseas missions, and a resulting 12 million childrenwho have been impacted through the tireless efforts of the CEF tofulfill the Great Commission.

In recent years, the public school system has become a frequenttarget of the enemy to introduce un-Godly teaching and ideas into thehearts and minds of young children, while the truth that comes from God

is usually left outside of the school building.The CEF is one method that God is using togreatly impact the children within the publicschool systems for the glory of Christ.

Among the many avenues within the ChildEvangelism Fellowship, the CEF utilizes aprogram called Good News Clubs to reachout to children within public settings such as

the public school system. Although the CEF has been in operationsince 1937, a Supreme Court ruling passed in 2001 allows religiousorganizations such as the Child Evangelism Fellowship to meet inpublic schools.

These Good News Clubs, which serve as the flagshipprogram of the Child Evangelism Fellowship, are primarilyweekly half-hour classes which are led by trained teacherswho minister the gospel to young children. A typical GoodNews Club is usually started by a church, which chooses toadopt a school under the name and supervision of theChild Evangelism Fellowship.

In Mississippi, Director Andrew Ward leads the ChildEvangelism Fellowship. He can be reached [email protected] or by telephone at (601) 573-2850.Within the CEF, there are many opportunities to reach outto boys and girls by way of Good News Clubs through thecommitment of a church to adopt a school. If you or yourchurch might be interested in spreading the gospel tochildren by being part of starting a Good News Club

within a school, contact Andrew. Visit their website atwww.cefofmississippi.com. And for more information about the ChildEvangelism Fellowship and to learn more about the ministryopportunities within the CEF, visit their main websitewww.cefonline.com or call the US Ministries and Ministry Opportunitiesat (800) 300-4033. Y

Kimberly Grace Bowman resides in Florence, Mississippi, and is ajunior in high school through A Beka Academy homeschooling.Contact her at [email protected].

Keith Williams gave high school football fans plenty ofexcitement on Friday nights this fall when he became asa key player on Madison Central’s football team. The

senior wide receiver set a school record for receiving yards and helpedthe Jaguars to the Class 6A semifinals. He is recognized as one of bestreceivers in Mississippi.

But more importantly, Williams is making an eternal difference bytelling students about Jesus Christ on Friday mornings in his role asthe president of Madison Central’s chapter of the Fellowship ofChristian Athletes.

“I take my role very seriously because I am in position to change livesthrough FCA,” Williams said. “We started off the year without manystudents coming to FCA, but I am proud to say that we have more than100 coming now. It’s great. We have guest speakers, divide into smallgroups, give devotions, and hopefully give encouragement to the oneswho come and show them that Christ loves them all the time. I havestudents who come to our meetings who will stop me in the hall and talkabout their problems with me and get advice. It’s a great honor to holdthis position.”

Williams’ journey is definitely an interesting one. Similar to the bookand movie The Blind Side—about Michael Oher being adopted by afamily and his success story at Ole Miss and now the NFL—Williams wasadopted by Michelle and Tim Ellison six years ago when Williams was inmiddle school.

Williams grew up in West Jackson and became involved in CalvaryBaptist Church through Minister of Missions Linda Smith.

“I met Keith when he was about four,” Smith said. “You can imagineKeith’s smile on a four year old. He was this beautiful kid with this greatpersonality that made it easy to fall in love with him. As a kid, he loved todo front and back flips. He could do them one after another all the waydown the street. He was so athletic even as a kid. The area that he grew

up in was just rough.”The Ellisons became close to Williams when Tim

coached him in the Metro Jackson church basketballleague when Williams was in elementary school.Williams accepted Christ, was baptized and joinedCalvary when he was 12 years old.

“We fell in love with him,” Michelle said. “And helatched onto us. Tim believed it was crucial to gethim out of the situation he was in or he would be apossible dropout at some point. We saw a lot ofpotential in Keith even at a young age. We asked Godto show us a way if He wanted us to take Keith out ofthe situation he was in.”

God did. Keith’s mother (Barbara Bailey) agreedto allow the Ellisons to adopt him. Williams still has aclose relationship with his mother.

“Keith wanted to live with Ellisons and by God’sgrace and some friend’s legal help, the Ellisons and

Keith became a family,” Smith said. “It took courage on both of their


KEITH WILLIAMSMadison Central’s Own Michael Oher Story

➺sports victoriesby ROBERT WILSON

parts. Keith left everything he had ever known. The Ellisons becameparents of a teenager. They are an amazing family. They have a deep loveand respect for each other. And they have a lot of fun. They are gifts toeach other. I am so proud of the man that Keith has become. He is kind,thoughtful, respectful, and happy. He has accomplished many greatthings on the football field. However, his great accomplishment is hispassion to live out his faith in Jesus in the classroom, on the football field,and with his friends.”

Michelle and Smith’s relationship spans more than three decades.Smith was Michelle’s youth minister when she was a senior in high schoolat First Baptist Church in Summit. They’ve been close ever since.Michelle became involved in Calvary’s community missions programcalled HIS Heart in 1998. Michelle met Tim in 2004 and Smith marriedthem in 2005. Michelle didn’t have any children and Tim’s were adults.Williams was legally adopted by the Ellisons in the fall of his seventhgrade year, near his 13th birthday. The Ellisons and Williams moved to

Madison after his eighth grade year and he attended Rosa Scott and nowMadison Central. Tim coaches cross country and track and field atMadison Central and teaches eighth grade English at Madison MiddleSchool. The Ellisons and Williams are now members of BroadmoorBaptist Church in Madison.

“Keith is a wonderful child,” Madison Central football coach BobbyHall said. “He played a great year for us, but the story isn’t about KeithWilliams the football player, it is about Keith Williams the person. He is atremendous person and a devout Christian. He doesn’t force his faith onyou, but he isn’t ashamed of it either. I have met very few people in mylife who never have a bad day. Keith is of them. He always has a smile onhis face.”

Williams isn’t sure about his college choice yet, but he knows onething. “I want to be involved in the FCA wherever I go,” Williams said. “Iwant to tell people about Christ and what He has done for me.

“Keith wants to play college football and become a policeman,” Smithsaid. “I am prayerful those dreams can come true. I am confident thatwhatever path God lays down before Keith that God will use him in agreat way to impact the Kingdom. It has been a great joy to witness hislife unfold into a godly young man that will impact the world.”Y

Robert Wilson is Business Developer for BFAC . He is a freelancewriter, author, and the publisher of Victories in Metro Jacksonmagazine. He is a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church. Contacthim at [email protected].


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➺think tankby ANDY WIMBERLY

John Maxwell says, “Identify your mountain, yourpurpose in life, so that the work (or play) you do ismeaningful. I meet people every day who are

basically climbing the wrong mountain. People have spent 20years of their life doing something that has no deep purpose for them andthey suddenly look back and say, ‘What have I been doing?’ They’ve beenworking on something that has no deep purpose for them and somethingthey are not passionate about.” Sound familiar?

I was introduced, by my friend and Butler Snow Advisory associateMartin Willoughby, to a new word last month: Arête, an ancient Greekword that means the fulfillment of one’s purpose or the act of living up toone’s full potential.

This got my thinker thinking. What is our full potential? And once weknow what our full potential is, how do we go about moving towards itand reaching it? Why don’t more people even attempt this journey? Aword of caution about my thinker—it doesn’t think like most folks do, andkeep in mind that I was in the half of my class in school that made thetop half possible.

A persons full potential always starts by working in their Sweet Spot,their Unique Ability, their Zone. I’ve found that when a person performsin their sweet spot for even a brief period of time, the followingbreakthroughs often appear:

1. They know they have superior skills in this area; 2. Their work is rejuvenating, creates energy, and is not tiring; 3. They are always improving;4. They are passionate;5. Soon it attracts others just to watch them do what they do.

Test the jobs, projects, positions you are currently in against thesefive measurements.

Whether you are a doctor, farmer, entertainer, truck driver, preacher,bookkeeper, housewife, or schoolteacher. If you’ve been in the workforcefor 30 years or 30 days, test yourself against these breakthroughs. Stopreading this article and DO IT NOW! Do it honestly and openly (no onewill know how you did but you). How did you do? Are you close to yourSweet Spot?

Once you find your Sweet Spot, you are about to begin a mostdelightful journey—the road to your FULL POTENTIAL (Arête). Thetrip will be exciting, eventful and sometimes a bit challenging, but wellworth the effort and time. It won’t happen overnight and remember, “this

journey to your full potential is about progress, not perfection.”Obviously reaching your full potential sounds wonderful. Then why

don’t more people try to reach their potential? I think there are fourmain reasons:

1. They’ve never thought about reaching their potential—theyare too busy;

2. They think they don’t have the time—they are too busy;3. They have no clarity, vision, or direction on how to even

start—they are too busy;4. They don’t know their sweet spot—they are too busy

climbing the wrong mountain.

We are all too busy, don’t you think? What can we do to refocus, getsome direction, clarity, and vision for our life that will at the very leasthead us toward the path of reaching our full potential.

Here’s your homework until the next article:Set the alarm clock just 30 minutes earlier, grab your coffee, get in a

room by yourself, and just RELAX. Take a few deep breaths and thinkabout what gives you energy, pleasure, and passion. Focus on jobs,projects, and activities that you just love to do. Then think how thatpassion could help other people. Focus on usefulness. Think about howyou can help people and really bring value to the world!

Good luck on identifying your mountain and starting on your path ofreaching your full potential (Arête). Call or email me if you get stuck in arut and we’ll get unstuck together. Y

Wimberly & Associates are executive coaches and financial advisorsthat use THE DISCOVERY PROCESS™ to help individuals andbusinesses reach their full potential. [email protected]

Reaching Your FULL Potential


W hile you are mulling over all the ways you resolve to cleanup, simplify, and vastly improve yourself in 2013, putspiritual nurture at the top of your list. Join a Bible study.

It is a great place to deepen your relationship with others and withGod, and an amazing way to live with joy in the middle of theseuncertain times. We did a little research and thought we wouldmention a few we know about.

■ Explorers Bible Study is an in-depth curriculum that meetsfor lecture and group discussion. A group made up of men andwomen meet on Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. at Riverwood BibleChurch at 5228 Old Canton Road in Jackson. The group is studyingthe book of Romans. Contact Kathy Hays at 601.362.2693 fordetails. This is a great choice for couples!

■ MOMS is a ministry of Jackson’s First Presbyterian Church andis open to moms of children, sixth grade and under. BeginningJanuary 16, their topic will be “Treasuring God’s Word.” What’s thebig story of the Bible? How do all the pieces fit together? The studywill focus on how God reveals himself, his plan for the world, andhis will for his people in the Bible. They will also look at principles ofBible interpretation and how to use the whole story of the Bible toshare the gospel with others. MOMS meets from 9-11 a.m. onWednesday mornings. There is a $10 registration fee. To register,please call Laura at 601.366.3073 beginning January 1. There islimited nursery care available.

■ Explorer’s Day Group began meeting in 1978. They meeton Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. at Christ United MethodistChurch at 6000 Old Canton Road in Jackson. They will begin a newseries called “Making Sure of the Truth” on January 23—studyingthe Minor Prophets and Philemon, Jude, Colossians, 1 and 2 Peterand the three letters of John. The format is lecture and small groupdiscussion. Contact Martha Holt at 601.956.1052.

■ Riverwood Bible Church at 5228 Old Canton Road hostsa weekly Wednesday morning bible study led by Grace BibleChurch pastor, John Ward. The study resumes January 9 and thestudy is Romans. The time is 10-11 a.m.

■ Riverwood also hosts a Thursday evening study led by GraceBible Church pastor, John Ward. The new study begins January 10,6-7 p.m. and will be an Old Testament survey course.

■ The Ridgeland Recreational Center is located at OldTrace Park right off Post Road in Ridgeland, and Mr. Bob Shirley, aseasoned student of scripture, leads a weekly men’s bible study onTuesday’s from 9-10:30 a.m. The group resumes on January 8 andwill be in the 11th chapter of John’s gospel. Mr. Shirley can bereached at 601.856.6761.

■ Ladies Thursday Group is a multi-denominational groupthat meets at Christ United Methodist church on Thursdayafternoons from 1-3 p.m. Beginning January 10, they will beginBeth Moore’s Beloved Disciple, The Life and Ministry of John. Theformat is small-group discussion and DVD lecture. [email protected] for more information.

■ Gulf Coast Blessings is now a non-profit organization andministry that began with a small ladies Bible Study around a kitchentable in 2007. They now meet in their own Blessing Place onIntraplex Parkway in Gulfport with a morning group from 9 a.m. to11 a.m. on Monday’s and a night group on Monday’s from 6 p.m. to8 p.m. Many ages and stages of life are represented and regularscome from the entire South Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisianaregion. Currently working through an original study on the Letters ofJohn, you can find more information on their website atwww.gulfcoastblessings.org.

■ Broadmoor Baptist Church offers several unique andexciting opportunities for women of all ages to plug-in andexperience real spiritual growth. Broadmoor is located at 1531Highland Colony Pkwy in Madison. Offering classes on Wednesdayevenings from 6-7 p.m. and Thursday mornings from 9-11 a.m.Upcoming studies include James: Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moorestarting January 16 and Nehemiah by Kelly Minter beginningJanuary 24. For a complete listing of classes and times for women,men, and couples, visit www.broadmoor.org or call 601.898.2345.Y

➺what’s going on

“For what shall it profit a man, ifhe shall gain the whole world, andlose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).


When a newyear begins, manypeople look for anew devotionalbook to guidetheir daily quiettime. Publishersanticipate thisneed by releasingnew titles alongwith old favorites.Among this year’sreleases is FixingMy Eyes on Jesus, a year longdevotional from Anne Graham Lotz.

Anyone who has heard Lotz speakor read one of her books knows thatshe is passionate about callingChristians into a deeper relationshipwith God through His word. In FixingMy Eyes on Jesus, she has designedeach reading to combine withScripture to help the reader focus onJesus before the busyness of everyday life gets in the way.

Readings are deceptively short.These carefully chosen pieces from thebest of Lotz’s previous work pack anamazing amount of thought into a briefspace. You will want to give yourselftime to ponder and allow God’s Spiritto speak to you after each entry.

Anyone struggling to combine atime-challenged schedule with materialthat offers depth of meaning willappreciate this book. Get your focusset, take the point from your reading,and begin your day refreshed. Yet areader with plenty of time will find itequally valuable, and may want tofollow up with journaling. Whetherreadings encourage, challenge, orinspire, Fixing My Eyes on Jesusprovides rich food for daily reflection.Y

Susan E. Richardson is a writer,critique reader, and formerChristian retailer with a passionfor meeting people’s needsthrough the written word. You can reachher through her websitewww.nextlevelcritiques.com.

Fixing My Eyes on JesusReviewed by Susan E. Richardson

BOOK MUSIC

Unfazed by the weight of his owntalent and influence, singer/songwriterBen Ford is about as down-to-earth asthey come. Mississippi born andraised, his heart and music are freefrom pretense and hypocrisy, andgrounded in the truth of the Gospeland the wonder of grace. Ford’sversatile, soulful voice rises and fallswith emotion, telling stories ofcelebration and longing, ringing outwith tenderness and strength, seemingto carry years of history hiddenbeneath every breath. His insightfulsongwriting evokes an almost visceralresponse from the listener, asillustrated in “I Am Redeemed,” asong that addresses the paradox ofChrist’s servant leadership with thelyrics “Still You’re the King, and Youwash my feet.” As an artist, Ben Fordholds greatness in his hands—handsthat craft beauty and coax music fromthe strings of a guitar. But following inthe footsteps of Christ, he leads byexample, not seeking greatness orglory for himself, but desiring to servethe Lord and others through music,hoping that his songs can be used byGod to encourage, to uplift, and inessence, to wash someone’s feet.

You can also see more of Ben Fordat North Ridge Church in Ridgelandevery Sunday. Listen to Ben’s new EP/Abide on iTunes. Y

Abide by Ben FordWritten by Kate Boudreaux of The Collective

-

MID-SOUTHMen’s RALLYFirst Presbyterian Church, Jackson

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013The REVEREND DR. W. Wilson Benton, JR.

Schedule

No advance registration is necessary, and there is no charge for the rally or dinner.

A freewill offering will be taken during the service.

1390 North State StreetJackson, Mississippi 39202

(601) 353-8316

[email protected]

➺rave reviews

JAN

UA

RY

2013


JACKSONJanuary 5Mississippi Blues Marathon and HalfMarathon, a USA Track and Fieldcertified event, is coming to Jacksonand welcoming runners throughout theregion. Put on your running shoes orcheer for the runners as they windthroughout Downtown Jackson. Foradditional information, visitwww.msbluesmarathon.com.

January 18Mississippi’s own B.B. King is coming toThalia Mara Hall with show timebeginning at 7:30 p.m. Jam out to theBlues from one of the top Blues artists inthe nation. Tickets start at $35 and canbe purchased throughTicketmaster.com

January 18-19Belhaven University’s Arts Ablaze will bepresenting Little Opera for Children:The Pied Piperof Hamelin bySeymour Barabat their ConcertHall on RiversideDrive. Bring theentire family tothis clever one-act classic.Complimentaryadmission, with doors opening 30minutes prior to show time. Call 601-965-7026 for show times.

BRANDONJanuary 1-31The Brandon Public Library and theFriends of the Brandon Library will behosting The World of Walter AndersonArt Exhibit during regular library hours.The exhibit includes watercolors and

pencil drawings from this extraordinaryartist. For additional information, call thelibrary at 601-825-2672.

FLOWOODJanuary 18Praise 18, a non-profit organization toraise community awareness about organand tissue donation, will host a charityevent at Crossgates Baptist Churchbeginning at 7:00 p.m. Enjoyperformances by Finding Favour andShelly E. Johnson while supporting agreat cause. Tickets are $10, andchildren 10 and under are free. Ticketsmay be purchased online atwww.crossgates.org or at the door thenight of the event.

RIDGELANDEvery FridayHave fun learning to Paint with Pastelswith instructor Cecilia Baker every Fridaymorning from 9:30 a.m. - noon. Thisclass is open to all levels from beginnerto advanced and will be located at OldTrace Park. Cost is $65 per month. Foradditional information, call Linda at 601-856-6876.

events calendar ➺


NORTH STATE ANIMAL& BIRD HOSPITAL

5208 North State Street • Jackson, MS 39206

601-982-8261Dr. Adrian Whittington

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➺quips & quotesADVERTISER PAGEAnjou Restaurant ......................................................23

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ADVERTISING INDEX

Cut out the scriptures and quotes and place them around your home for daily encouragement!{ }

“People nowadays taketime far more seriouslythan eternity.”

– Thomas Kelly

✂“Many people look forwardto the New Year for a newstart on old habits.”

– Anonymous

“Lost wealth may be replaced by industry,lost knowledge by study, lost health bytemperance, but lost time is gone forever.”

– Samuel Smiles

“Then Godblessed theseventh day andmade it holy,because on it herested from allthe work ofcreating that hehad done.”

- Genesis 2:3

“The Lord has promised good to me...His word my hope secures.He will my shield and portion beas long as life endures.”

– Hymn: “Amazing Grace” by John Newton

“The LORD is righteous in all his waysand faithful in all he does.

The LORD is near to all who call on him,to all who call on him in truth.”

– Psalms 146:17-18

He who testifies to thesethings says,“Yes, I amcoming soon.” Amen.Come, Lord Jesus.

– Revelation 22:20

“People are so worried about what theyeat between Christmas and the NewYear, but they really should be worriedabout what they eat between the NewYear and Christmas.”

– Anonymous

“I love the Lord, because hehath heard my voice andmy supplications.”

– Psalm 116:1


Best Wishes for a Blessed and Prosperous New Year!

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