Christian living 1 2 2015

DORIAN Willes

From criminal to adaptive athlete

REMEMBERING Dilsher Memories of a boy

Elders of the family

the Bible – Dr. J. Vernon McGee •New Life Live

– Steve Arterburn • Family Talk

– James Dobson

• Insight for Living – Chuch Swindoll •

Turning Point – David Jeremiah

• Family Life Today – Dennis Rainey • Matt Slick Live –Matt Slick • Focus on the Family – Jim Daly • Truth for Life

– Alistair Begg • Destined for Victory – Paul Sheppard • Adventures in Odyssey • Concepts of Faith – Charles Capps

• Discover the Word • Enjoying Everyday Life – Joyce

Meyer • In Touch – Dr. Charles Stanley • Just Thinking – Ravi

Zacharias • Leading the Way

– Michael Youssef • Love

Worth Finding - Adrian Rogers •

Paws and Tales • Running to Win

- Erwin Lutzer •Through the Bible – Dr. J. Vernon

McGee • New Life Live – Steve Arterburn • Family Talk – James Dobson • Insight for Living – Chuch Swindoll •

Turning Point – David Jeremiah

• Family Life Today – Dennis

Rainey • Matt Slick Live – Matt Slick • Focus on the Family – Jim Daly • Truth for Life – Alistair Begg • Destined for Victory – Paul Sheppard • Adventures in Odyssey

Volume , Number 1

Publisher Sandy Jones

Editor

Gaye Bunderson

gayeb@sterlingmedialtd.com

208-639-8301

Sales & Marketing

Melva Bade

melvab@sterlingmedialtd.com

208-631-3779

• Vin Crosby vinc.bcl@gmail.com

208-989-2097

• Sandy Jones

boisechristianliving@gmail.com

208-703-7860

Graphic Design

Denice King

Contributors

Brad Carlson, Dan Dougherty, Terry Frisk, Dani Grigg, Leo Hellyer, Ron Kern, Joel Lund, Rosie Main, Lauren Phillips, Brian Raymond, Angela Ruth Strong, and Dan Woodworth

Distribution Specialists Idaho Distribution Services

Cover Photo Jason Strum

Website Design SEO Idaho

Webmaster Design

Liza Morgan

Christian Living is committed to encouraging and instructing individuals in their daily lives by presenting stories of people in the Treasure Valley who are living on a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and who serve as uplifting examples to others. Views expressed in Christian Living do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by Christian Living to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2015 by Christian Living Magazine LLC.

Christian Living is published every other month and is available in over 800 locations throughout the Treasure Valley, including most grocery stores, convenience stores, medical waiting areas, and churches. If your church would like additional copies please email us today at boisechristianliving@gmail.com

His new mercies and my resolve

By Sandy Jones

I am always amazed at how time flies by. When I was a young mother I always felt like this only happened at the holidays — you made it through Thanksgiving with your sanity intact, thinking you had everything under control, and the next thing you knew it was the weekend before Christmas and you still had cookies to bake, fudge to make and gifts to wrap. The finishing touches on the decorating were often done at midnight.

These are things to look back on and laugh, right? I always believed that with enough practice I would get it all together and sail through the holidays. Instead I’ve discovered that as we get older it feels like time speeds up. Those weeks, months, and often years seem to fly past. Many of my friends have shared this feeling with me so I know it’s not just me. No wonder every January people make resolutions to slow down, to live healthier, to lose weight, to make themselves be better — then life happens.

I gave up New Year’s resolutions a long time ago, when I realized that to be the person I really want to be it takes daily resolve. I arise each morning dedicated to be the best person I can be that day. I try to always do my best. Do I always succeed? No. Does life sometimes just happen? You bet it does, but by taking it one day at a time, it is so much easier to forgive yourself and start again, rather than taking on the next 365 days (or the rest of your life) all at once. It’s like the old saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!”

Even taking it one day at a time is impossible alone. I have to go to God and ask for an abundance of wisdom, courage and strength, asking Him to guard my mouth so that what comes out of it only brings glory and honor to Him. Do I always listen to His chiding? Again, no. Do I often fail? Yes I

do — and that’s when I remind myself that it’s been foretold: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” so I ask for His forgiveness, offer apologies, and move on.

I’ve done this for enough time that it’s just become a part of who I am, but recently I had a reminder that perhaps it had become rote, that I’d let myself become too rushed and hurried once again. Gratefully, this time the lesson was a relatively gentle, joy-filled one.

It was November 19; my sister Vicki called saying that they were taking her daughter-inlaw in for an emergency C-section. They knew this was a possibility all along through this pregnancy, but suddenly it was a scary reality. During the call, Vicki explained that her husband had a terrible cold and wasn’t able to be with her at the hospital, but her daughter-inlaw’s family was there and I should just go on to church that evening. Right! Let’s see, my sister needed me and there was about to be a birth (I should mention that I come from a long line of baby hogs).

I don’t remember much of the drive from my home in Meridian to St. Luke’s Hospital in downtown Boise, but what I do remember vividly about the evening was the relief and joy we all shared when Vicki’s son, Soren, came out of delivery to tell us everything had gone well, and to show us pictures of two beautiful, perfect babies, a boy and a girl. We knew they were having twins, but suddenly the reality of seeing them — their beautiful little heads, fingers and toes, their perfect tiny noses — was wonderful. Then we got to touch, hold and feel God’s precious miracles.

Having prayed for these babies through the entire pregnancy, and now marveling once again at God’s creations, I had to go to the bathroom and cry, thanking and praising God for hearing the many prayers lifted up to Him. Holding tiny 4-pound, 12-ounce Hope the next day, I suddenly realized that for all of my efforts to live intentionally, I’d allowed it to happen again; I’d gotten caught up in the day-to-day hustle and bustle.

I’m a self-confessed workaholic, and since I’m blessed to “do” Christian Living Magazine full-time, it’s easy to get carried away. But standing there that day, holding that sweet, precious baby, I realized that if I wasn’t careful, the next thing I would know she would be in school, then suddenly all grown up. What a beautiful reminder to remember that every day is a gift and that we need to not waste it. We need to get up, get dressed, live intentionally, and find a way to bless others every day.

As we go into this new year, I pray for us here at Christian Living Magazine, to have the wisdom to hear God’s call as we go forward showing His people acting as His hands and feet, right here in the Treasure Valley. I hope that you’ll let us know if we’ve touched your life in some way; or perhaps if you know of someone or a group doing wonderful things for His glory, that you’ll share that with us. That is, after all, where so many of our story ideas come from — people just like you who made us aware.

I love that I get to call this my “job,” but it’s really a blessing to me to get to meet so many of you, and share the passion I feel about our mission. God bless! n

Sandy Jones, Publisher Christian Living Magazine

Hope and Harper at 2½ weeks old.

Upcoming Events:

Gospel workshop planned for February 7

The 19th annual Gospel Music Workshop and Concert will be held Saturday, February 7, at Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene, 150 W. Maestra St. in Meridian. Registration takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.; the workshop (with a lunch break) will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and the concert begins at 7 p.m.

The registration fee of $30 includes a day-long workshop, packet and a “soul food” lunch. The evening concert is free, but a free-will offering will be taken. Proceeds from the offering help support the work of the Community Ministries Center at 3000 Esquire Dr. in Boise.

Featured clinicians for the workshop include gospel singers Tim and Sharon Poston, Sherral Jackson, Dion Williams and Marie Jackmon. Tim Poston performs on a Hammond B3 organ.

Pre-registration is encouraged by calling 378-7774 or 362-3528. n

Celebrating Missions set for February 28

The Ustick Baptist Church, 14301 W. McMillan Rd. in Boise, will hold a conference titled “Celebrating Missions: God’s Work Around the World” from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, February 28. The conference is free and a light breakfast and lunch will be provided with pre-registration at ustickbaptist.org.

John Boyd, president and CEO of Mission Aviation Fellowship in Nampa, will be the keynote speaker. In addition to highlighting Mission Aviation Fellowship there will be two workshop sessions with mission organizations such as Expansion International, Free Wheelchair Missions, Genesis World Missions, World Relief, Destiny Rescue, BLF (Bibles and Literature in French), and New Tribes Missions. n

RICK Monroe Bible restorer makes old Word new

By Brad Carlson

Rick Monroe’s hunt for folio-sized leather from the mid1700s wasn’t going too well, but tooling or even torching a newer piece just didn’t seem right for an 18th century Martin Luther Bible owned by someone else.

Monroe has some 400 historic Bibles and Christian texts in his Kuna home. He restores many, aiming to use period leather as much as possible instead of blending new and old.

“Mine is a restoration to allow the original beauty and patina to remain,” he said.

Ideally, the observer sees a preserved original but not much evidence a restorer worked on it, Monroe said. He started collecting historic Bibles and Christian texts four years ago, and after consulting another restoration enthusiast started working on some of them.

“We want to preserve the Word of God and its beauty,” Monroe said. “And I would love to have Christians become more acquainted with the richness of the writings of historic ministers of the Gospel.”

Monroe, 55, also is an acrylic painter and has been an archival framer of artwork. He makes a living mainly by restoring classic auto trim. He graduated from high school in Beaverton, Ore. He and his wife, Janice, moved to Idaho in July 2014 from San Antonio, Texas.

He found good news and bad news in the Martin Luther Bible he was trying to restore for a New York-based seller of Bibles and Christian texts. There wasn’t much leather left on its page boards (hardback book cover) of around 18 inches high by 10 inches across. But the text block, the most valuable part of an antiquarian book, he said, was in good shape. Margins weren’t cut to add strength for re-stitching, for example.

Finding period leather is extremely difficult for large books despite the hobby’s presence in online forums and auction marketplaces, Monroe said. The Luther volume could have been reworked with period leather on the spine blended with newer material out on the boards, but that wasn’t desired.

As it turned out, suitable board-sized leather could not be

Rick Monroe is shown in his Kuna living room/library, where he holds an open 1608 Geneva Bible and a 1790 William Young Bible. The Geneva Bible precedes the King James translation of the Bible into English by 51 years. (Photo by Brad Carlson)

found after about a month, and Monroe’s customer sold the folio. Both considered the point at which an antiquarian Bible, folio or other historic Christian book is better off staying as-is.

“It all comes down to personal preference in many cases,” Monroe said. Someone might restore an antiquarian Bible for family or sentimental reasons even though its monetary value is diminished by the lack of a general title page, for example.

“Many people just want an attractive and / or sturdy volume to read and enjoy,” he said. “I actually go back and forth myself as to if I will or will not restore some of my own, personal books.”

Most books Monroe owns are in good condition, but about a third aren’t restored because he likes them that way or hasn’t gotten to them. He generally doesn’t sell them, and he sometimes gets a desired volume in exchange for handiwork like using linen cloth to strengthen a spine for re-backing and to accommodate realigning a text block.

In early November 2014, he prepared to restore a Matthew Henry folio set of biblical commentaries from 1737 (fourth edition, unabridged). Monroe will use newer leather because he has it and because the set’s five volumes are large. Another project will be to re-back a 1704 folio of The Complete Works of the Author of The Whole Duty of Man (Richard Allestree) and reattach burgundy Morocco leather featuring gold gilt embellishments.

He owns and restored a 1790 Bible that was one of about 300 the printer William Young produced. Monroe’s 1608 Geneva Bible is an un-restored original written in quill and including an owner’s family history. He said he’ll also leave un-restored A Call to the Unconverted, written by Richard Baxter, printed in 1805 and once owned by Lewis and Clark Expedition member Ebenezer Tuttle, he said. This volume, acquired for $20 in an online auction, will be donated to the expedition’s museum.

Monroe has a Bible history and folio he says was owned by Thomas Fisher, one of six Quakers to receive the first pardon by President George Washington for maintaining a neutral position during the Revolutionary War. “It does need some restoration, but I like it the way it is,” Monroe said. The oldest book in the collection as of early November was a 1585

Rick Monroe of Kuna has a vast collection of antique Bibles and Christian books. Shown here, standing vertically, is a mid-1800s folio King James Bible, abundantly illustrated and including Alexander Fletcher (Scottish minister and author) notes. Lying flat on the table, open and with illustration showing, is a 1683 King James Version of the New Testament, published in Oxford, England and also heavily illustrated. Also on the table is a 1608 Geneva Bible. (Photo by Brad Carlson)

Thomas Bilson book with vellum binding. Bilson, along with Miles Smith, oversaw the final edit and printing of the King James Bible.

Many of Monroe’s books are displayed in his home, and he recently acquired a showcase cabinet with oak, glass and interior lighting to show some he stored in hard cases or boxes previously. n

Brad Carlson is an area freelance writer.

IDAHO Christian Speakers

In this group, public speaking is service

By Gaye Bunderson

Call it stage fright, speech anxiety or glossophobia, an estimated 75 percent of people experience some degree of nervousness when it comes to public speaking. Members of an organization called Idaho Christian Speakers are available to step up to the podium and present because, for them, public speaking is both an art and an avenue of service.

“We come from a posture of service — serving the Lord and churches, not ourselves,” member Kirsten Holmberg said.

The group was formerly known as Speakers 4 Him but changed the name to Idaho Christian Speakers during the summer of 2014. “The original name seemed too informal,” Candy Troutman, group founder, said.

Two things the six current members all have in common is professional credentials that speak for themselves and an enthusiasm for something most people prefer to avoid. Troutman said she first started speaking at her church at a women’s luncheon. “I loved it. It’s where I have the most joy,” she said.

“I love it too; it’s so fun for me,” said Holmberg, who recalls her first speaking engagement in 1999 at a church workshop in Colorado.

Troutman started Speakers 4 Him in about 2012. Originally, she learned all she could about what she calls “the speaker industry” on social media and found speaker groups through research. However, she wanted to launch a speaking-based ministry specifically with and for Christians. It was then that she found herself running across people who felt speaking was God’s call on their lives.

“It didn’t quite gel for a couple of years. Now, there’s a core group. We’re all committed to the group and to each other. We’re committed to the same goals, though not necessarily the same journey,” Troutman said.

“We want to sharpen each other,” Holmberg said, quoting Proverbs 27:17: As iron

sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Credentials for membership are stringent. Members are vetted and must provide a professional head shot, a video clip of a speech, biographical information, and references. They must have a website that has at least one page dedicated to a speaking ministry and an active presence on at least one social media platform. They undergo a personal interview with the board of Idaho Christian Speakers and must agree with the organization’s statement of faith.

The vetting process addresses the group’s intent to maintain high standards. Troutman said she has sometimes been acutely aware of the lack of quality in anything labeled “Christian,” as though quality were an afterthought and just “doing it for Jesus” was all that mattered. By contrast, many secular programs seemed polished and of higher quality. She wanted to promote the same standard of excellence in Christian events.

“What appealed to me about the group was it put me in contact with like-minded people who care about speaking about God’s Word accurately,” said Holmberg, who has been in the group for two years. “Our chief aim is to please God.”

It is, after all, the quality of their message, she said, that opens the doors to people’s hearts and allows Him to work.

The strict vetting process is to guarantee all members are reputable, as the reputation of the group as a whole is on the line, according to Troutman.

“We want to make it worth investing in a speaker, with a presentation that is wellcrafted and well-delivered,” Holman said.

Speaking fees are negotiated by the individual members; there are no membership dues to belong to Idaho Christian Speakers, and no percentage of fees goes to the group. Membership is only open at certain times of the year. Interested people are welcome to visit the group’s website at

Candy Troutman

Kirsten Holmberg

Carly Bartlett

Raini Bowles

Cindy Penner

Sheli Gartman

idahochristianspeakers.com for more details, as membership opens again in January.

Some brief biographical information about current members includes the following. More information is available on the website, along with each member’s mostrequested topics:

• Carly Bartlett — Bartlett serves on the youth and young adult pastoral team at Eagle Nazarene Church and holds an MBA from Northwest Nazarene University. She is currently pursuing her master of divinity degree at Nazarene Theological Seminary.

• Cindy Penner — Penner is a regular speaker and volunteer victim advocate for Mother’s Against Drunk Driving. She is also a life, health, grief and relationship coach, as well as a founding board member of Thomas Jefferson Charter School in Caldwell.

• Sheli Gartman — Gartman travels throughout the world, and for more than 20 years has worked with churches, large corporations, small businesses, nonprofits and individuals who are seeking to maximize their effectiveness and influence.

• Raini Bowles — Bowles is a Christian life coach, professional speaker and freelance writer who began speaking to church groups 25 years ago. She uses God’s Word as the foundation of her talks and weaves in stories that bring them to life in a relevant and real way.

Troutman’s past experiences include childhood poverty, abuse and neglect but also a firm footing in Jesus Christ, whom she says put her on a path toward joy. A passionate speaker and member of Toastmasters, she has been described as a “truthful encourager.”

Holmberg has written and taught Bible studies for more than a decade, and also wrote a book titled “Advent with the Word” in 2010. Her ministry style has been defined as both instructive and inspirational.

Though the current membership is all female, interested men are invited to join as well. The group seeks to have speakers for every event need.

Troutman admits she used to feel that public speakers were generally seen as self-promoting, with their own agenda to sell, or that maybe they were people with big egos and lacking in humility. She has since become comfortable with the idea that speakers are merely using their God-given gifts, and that the women of Idaho Christian Speakers are particularly strong women and that’s OK.

“God wants to use your gifts to change lives,” she said. n

What if you got that wrong? Burn the memes!

By Joel Lund

If you spend any time on social media you’ve seen them. In fact, they’re impossible to avoid. Memes, memes, memes. Everywhere there are memes.

On the off-chance you don’t know what a meme is, the word comes from the Greek. According to Wikipedia, a meme (pronounced “meem”), is “an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.” In short, a meme represents a cultural idea, often delivered in a symbolic way. You’ll see a picture, sometimes with a famous person, with a caption describing what that person is thinking. Many memes will communicate a concept meant to be accepted as a truth.

Why do I bring them up here? Because so many are wrong.

Recently a friend shared a meme on his Facebook page. It said something like this:

Fools take a fork and stab a person in the back.

A wise person takes the fork, cuts the cord, and frees themselves of fools.

Joel Lund is an executive coach, specializing in helping people powerfully use their entrepreneurial DNA to make an impact on those they lead in private, public and church sectors. He is an award-winning author in non-fiction and fiction (under his pen-name Brandon King). Starting in his teens, Lund has been an engaging speaker, and has presented all over North America. In a former life, he earned two degrees in Christian studies and served full-time for 8 years in youth ministry. Want to know more? Visit PrepareForRain.com.

So what’s the problem? Kinda makes sense, right? We all know fools. We all want to be rid of them in our lives. There are hundreds of memes that mean to communicate this kind of truth. So it must be right.

The problem is that we accept these things as truth. You’ll see loads of people pile on and comment about how insightful memes like this are. What troubles me most is when I see friends who are believers pile on with just the same enthusiasm. If there is a negative person in your life, you just need to move on! they’ll say.

Why does this matter? Because we’ve all been that negative person at some point. We’ve all been the fool, probably at many points. So gleefully arguing that we should all walk away from a person that we have been… and will be again… is just silly.

And it is arrogant. We all want to be wise, don’t we? But are we wise enough to notice the unspoken arrogance in that meme quote above? Wouldn’t it be better to be so wise that we cut the cord and free ourselves of fools?

I would argue it simply makes us pretentious, not wise. The more we lean into this way of thinking — and acting — the more mean-spirited we can become, all the while feeling smug about how “wise” we are. Hmm. Not quite the type of person that we would want to become.

What’s more, how do we square this impulse to be rid of negative people in our lives — those fools that getting rid of makes us “wise” — with our faith? That doesn’t sound like something Jesus would do. Nowhere in the Bible do I find versus to support such behavior. But you don’t have to look far to find loads of passages that actually counter such mean-spiritedness.

Most saddening to me in all this is that fellow believers have thoroughly embraced this prideful point of view, that has them agreeing with being rid of fools.

What if they got that wrong?

A man’s wisdom gives him patience; It is his glory to overlook an offense.

Oops!

— Proverbs 19:11

A quick review of Romans 9 reminds us that had God chosen our worldview of what is actually “wise,” we’d all be doomed, rather than redeemed. And yet believers are the quickest to adopt this impulse to cut off relationships with fellow believers, in my experience. More times than I care to count, I have been the “fool” in their perspective, and I’ve been cut off. Just like that. Because it is wise. It must be, because the meme said so! Believers would do well to remember that two Apostles, Peter and Paul, had a huge and very public disagreement with each other. Visualize how that would work in our day: Paul stands up in a crowded church and condemns Peter for hypocrisy. Very public. No room to wiggle. Peter stares at Paul, slack jawed by this stinging rebuke, as he scrambles with how to respond.

Peter didn’t respond with a meme.

He did what we are all called to do as believers. He sought out true wisdom. He sought out Truth. And he owned his error, repented of it and sought reconciliation with his brother in Christ. Rather than immediately break away from that trouble-making, negative guy named Paul, he sought to make things right with him and those around him, within their fellowship, as well as those outside of it.

If we as believers gleefully congratulate ourselves for being wise when we dump others, how will those outside of the faith ever be drawn into the church? Simple answer. They won’t.

As believers, we’re not given the option to just dump people because we don’t agree with them or they don’t agree with us. We dare not cut them off because they called us on a hurtful behavior. Doing this doesn’t make us wise. It just makes us like the rest of the world, unwilling to face our own actions.

But that’s not what our Savior calls us to be.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… — 2 Cor. 5:18

Will we always reach reconciliation with others? No. But are we called to try? Yes, without a doubt. And wouldn’t you want to be wrong on that side of the ledger?

Next time we’ll take a look at those times when it is appropriate — even necessary — to part ways with someone, even a fellow believer. But know this: it is a much rarer circumstance than some believers regularly want to believe. n

OUTDOORS With Dougherty An avid fisherman’s best catch ever

By Dan Dougherty

At a seminar I once heard a presentation on the three basic stages of life and how they mold us into who we are. Without wasting time and space to elaborate, they include: 1 – Dreams and Expectations, 2 – Growth and Living, and 3 – Experience and Memories.

All three stages are always with us, but the passing of time dictates in which one we primarily reside. It is definitely stage three for me. Part of the seminar’s focus was the opportunity stage three presents to help us guide others through their progression. I pray God can use my experience and memories in a positive manner.

I recently had my memory jogged by my friend Pete. My wife and I were on a trip with him and his wife to St. George. He filled us in on the details of his recent Elk City hunt where he killed his first elk, a nice 6 x 6 bull. He was with his brother and several old friends. His brother is from Spirit Lake, Idaho. In the conversation about the location of Spirit Lake, Newman Lake came up. It is in Washington about 25 miles from Spirit Lake. Its mention brought back fond memories from many years ago. (Many, many!)

It was the middle of the summer of 1958. I was 9½. (Halves are really important when you’re young!) Our churches in the Inland Empire conference held a joint one-week youth camp at Newman Lake. It was beautiful. A large, two-story lodge with a dining hall and guest rooms was the central point. The grounds had many small cabins and a couple of large dormitory-type buildings. Onsite, a picturesque chapel with sawdust floor was used for evening services.

The property bordered the lake on the west. There was an area for softball and volleyball, several fire pits, and a row of box hockey games. A sandy beach at a swimming area defined by floating logs and a long wooden dock was the main attraction. A diving board, positioned over deep water, was at the end of the dock. A shorter dock with rowboats tied down each side was also quite popular.

The youth and their counselors were housed in the dormitories and cabins based on age and gender. The camp consisted of youth from ages 12 to 18. The pastors, cooks, and other non-counselor helpers, along with younger children, were housed in the lodge. That included me. My parents’ room was just behind the large moose head hanging from the second story balcony railing.

The room next to ours was occupied by a close family friend and her two youngest daughters. Her other four girls were campers. Patty, the older of the two with her, was about a year younger than me.

I never really thought of her as a girl. She was just a good friend and my camp buddy. As I think back I am surprised we were never teased. It may be because she was such a tomboy or they were afraid she would punch them out. (She would have!)

As the week passed, the short dock became our hangout and fishing our favorite pastime. I had been fishing with Dad many times and considered myself an accomplished fisherman. Patty was quite impressed with my fishing knowledge and abilities.

Bluegill were our targeted fish. At first she just watched me catch them. She would put her foot lightly on my catch as I removed the hook and then with a gentle kick return them unharmed to the water. She was a fast learner and soon I had her fishing beside me. She became obsessed and I had a buddy that shared my passion. We were using 4-pound test with size 12 hooks and one small sinker on an 8-foot hand line. We kept our line wrapped around an old half gallon milk carton. Patty was competitive and each outing became a contest on who could catch the most fish. I humored her and let her get close several times. On one of our last trips I had to use my superior skills to assure the victory.

Dough balls made from bread from the kitchen was our bait of choice. The bread came off easily as the fish swarmed around it. Re-baiting was a constant necessity. Unknown to her I introduced an artificial lure into the fray. Using toenail clippers, I clipped several small strands of rope from ends of the tied boat cleats. I wrapped them around the hook in a whitish/gray lump imitating the dough. I now could catch several fish before having to readjust my bait. Being a true mentor, when our fishing was done I showed and explained to her my fishing setup. I saw a look of admiration followed by one I couldn’t quite place, making me feel somewhat uneasy. A look, after all these years, I understand far too well!

On Saturday, the day before camp ended, the camp cook told us to keep a few of the bigger fish. If we brought them to her she would prepare them for our Sunday breakfast. I figured Patty would resist because she probably did not want to hurt the fish. I was greatly surprised at her quick agreement and outward demonstration of excitement.

We couldn’t wait to fish. I asked my father about how big the fish we chose to keep should be. He said, “About the size of the length of palm of your hand.” On quick observation of my small hand he changed it to the width of a dock board. That afternoon Patty and I presented the cook with a dozen fish, all about the same size. The cook seemed impressed with our catch.

Sunday we had a very special breakfast. We had a nice basket of deep-fried, filleted fish. Enough for ourselves and family sitting with us. Eating them with catsup, I thought they were the best fish I ever ate. The others were all telling us how good they were. I could see on Patty’s face she shared the same pride I was feeling. With her southern accent the cook asked, “How’s the Bream?” We said, “Great!” I thought to myself, “What the heck is a Bream?” Later, my dad explained it to me.

I never fished with Patty again. We moved the next year. Several years later her mother was killed in a tragic accident. Her dad retired and with the insurance money bought an old dude ranch on the upper Umatilla River, where he raised his daughters. In my junior year of high school we stayed there one evening. Patty and I reminisced about our old fishing days. She was a cheerleader for her high school. I certainly was aware now that she was a girl! She joked that if we were there longer she would take me to the river and show me how to fish. I suppose I would have had to humor her again.

Dan Dougherty enjoys almost everything related to the outdoors, including a good joke.

Over the years I have asked several friends and colleagues why they didn’t hunt and fish with their wives. Answers ranged from “The wife didn’t like it, “I need my space/time,” to “I want to be with my friends.” One of the worst was, “I want to go with the guys, hunt, and get plastered.” The concept of drinking and hunting as a combined activity gives me much concern.

I feel God’s favor has truly blessed me. I never saw Patty again, but God gave me a wonderful wife, Peggy, who not only loves all sports but also fishes and hunts with me. She is very competitive and I must admit even out-fishes me, occasionally. (I would put “rarely,” but she would protest.) Hunting with her does not exclude the rest of my friends. We all have a good time together. In the “Experience and Memories” stage of my life how could it be any better than to share it with my best friend — my wife. n

CELEBRATE Recovery Program guided by the Beatitudes

By Sandy Jones

Most everyone is familiar with 12-step programs and their intended purpose: helping addicts overcome their addiction through meetings and by following the plan. Although many groups acknowledge a “higher power,” the majority of these groups are just not specific about what that higher power might be.

Celebrate Recovery is a volunteer-run, Christ-centered 12-step program using eight recovery principles found in the Beatitudes. It doesn’t just focus on drug and alcohol addiction but also recovery from issues such as pornography, low self-esteem, need to control, depression, anger, co-dependency, fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, perfectionism, broken relationships and abuse. By applying biblical principles, it seeks to help members find peace, serenity, joy and a stronger personal relationship with God.

Celebrate Recovery, or CR as it is often called, provides a safe, non-judgmental place where participants can openly share their issues, strengths and hopes with each other through caring fellowship. What is said in a CR meeting is confidential. They have a saying that is to be repeated in every Large Group meeting: “WHO you see here. WHAT you hear here. WHEN you leave here. STAYS HERE.” Through this principle it becomes easier to accept God’s grace and experience freedom from one’s behaviors.

Ten area churches host Celebrate Recovery meetings on various evenings throughout the week. There are also CRrelated programs for teens and kids available at Nampa First Church of the Nazarene and at Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Boise. (See locations, dates and times on the next page.)

The teen program is called The Landing and is an ongoing 52-week program, also based on the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, for teenagers who are struggling. They may come from a dysfunctional home or have

faced crises in their life. Maybe they simply need help developing patterns of wise choices, or they wrestle with an addiction of some kind. Whatever their life story, they may need something more than a typical Sunday school class or youth group meeting. The Landing is a safe, healing place where teenagers can learn to live a freer, healthier, and more God-centered life.

Celebration Place is a 52-week program for children to complement Celebrate Recovery. While the adults conduct their meetings, kids can discover the same truths in ageappropriate ways. According to the Celebrate Recovery website:

”Celebration Place gives kids…

• Hope for all the amazing things God has in store for them

• Truths that help them overcome life’s challenges by learning to lean on Jesus

• Joy as they embark on a wonderful, year-long journey of songs, games, videos, impactful experiences and great conversation

• Friendships with other children

“It has everything you need to lead kids as they make Jesus the enduring, rock-solid foundation of their lives. Celebration Place is designed to inspire kids with hope, joy and happiness while they learn to rely on God.”

For anyone looking to heal, while being encouraged to grow closer in his or her walk with the Lord, Celebrate Recovery may be just the answer, so instead of being The End – it’s really just The Beginning! n

Celebrate Recovery Treasure Valley Locations

Ten Mile Christian Church

3500 W. Franklin Road, Meridian, ID

Meridian - 83642

Contact Person: Pastor Steve Moore

Contact Number: 208-888-3101

Day Group Meets: Friday

Time Group Starts: 6:00pm

Celebration Place: n/a

The Landing: n/a

Email: Steve@tenmilecc.com

Nampa First Church of the Nazarene

601 16th Ave. South, Nampa, ID

Nampa - 83686

Contact Person: Barry Lucas

Contact Number: (208) 466-3549

Day Group Meets: Tuesday

Time Group Starts: 7:00pm

Celebration Place: Yes

The Landing: Yes

Email: blucas@nfcnaz.org

Vineyard Christian Fellowship

4950 N. Bradley Street, Boise, ID

Boise - 83714

Contact Person: Joseph Ingrao

Contact Number: (208) 377-1477

ext. 115

Day Group Meets: Friday

Time Group Starts: 6:00pm

Celebration Place: Yes

The Landing: Yes

Email: joe.ingrao@vineyardboise.org

Bethel Church of the Nazarene

3001 12th Ave. Rd., Nampa, ID

Nampa - 83686

Contact Person: Pastor Jim Franklin

Contact Number: 208-466-6344

Day Group Meets: Thursday

Time Group Starts: 6:00pm

Celebration Place: n/a

The Landing: n/a

Email: Pastorjim@bethelnazarene.org

River Valley Community Church

1115 N. Garden St., Boise, ID

Boise - 83706

Contact Person: Alonzo Tyler

Contact Number: 208-342-1751

Day Group Meets: Sunday

Time Group Starts: 7:00pm

Celebration Place: n/a

The Landing: n/a

Email: rivervalley@cableone.net

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

811 S. Latah, Boise, ID

Boise - 83705

Contact Person: Randy Williams

Contact Number: 208-602-5667

Day Group Meets: Thursday

Time Group Starts: 6:00pm

Celebration Place: n/a

The Landing: n/a

Email: lisieux4u@clearwire.net

Boise First Baptist Church

607 N. 13th Street, Boise, ID

Boise - 83702

Contact Person: Brad Miller

Contact Number: 208-344-7809

Day Group Meets: Monday

Time Group Starts: 7:00

Celebration Place: n/a

The Landing: n/a

Email: bradmiller1029@gmail.com

Fill My Cup Church of the Nazarene

3 W. Concord St., Middleton, ID

Middleton - 83644

Contact Person: Ken Cross

Contact Number: 208-550-2202

Day Group Meets: Sunday

Time Group Starts: 6:00pm

Celebration Place: N/A

The Landing: N/A

Email: kencross@fill-my-cup.org

Deer Flat Free Methodist

17703 Beet Road, Caldwell, ID

Caldwell - 83607

Contact Person: Earnie Lewis

Contact Number: 208-454-3353

Day Group Meets: Wednesday

Time Group Starts: 6:00

Celebration Place: n/a

The Landing: n/a

Community Bible Church

120 E. 3rd St., Emmett, ID

Emmett - 83617

Contact Person: Ron Wood

Contact Number: 208-365-3712

Day Group Meets: Tuesday

Time Group Starts: 7:00 p.m.

Celebration Place: N/A

The Landing: YES

Email: communitybiblechurch@hotmail.com

This list is from the Celebrate Recovery NationalWebsite. www.celebraterecovery.com

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Forestar y offers a unique ser vice to people who select cremation. By letting Forestar y take the cremains and place them in the ground within the roots of a tree, your remains will be absorbed into the living tree and you will be renewed as a living object as long as the tree is with us.

The leadership role of Christian parents

By Dan Bobinski

When my wife and I started a ministry for families last year, one catalyst was a fervent belief that families are the core unit of society. In our effort to be effective stewards, we studied many different admonitions to leaders, one of which was the instructions given in 1 Peter 5. Although the passage is written to elders in a church, we perceived that the verses could just as easily be applied to parents — because parents serve as the elders of their families.

For example, think about the instructions in 1 Peter 5:8-9 from a parent’s point of view. We’re told to be alert and have a sober mind, to resist the Devil who is looking for people to devour, and to stand firm, knowing that the entire family of believers is enduring the same kind of trials as us.

It should go without saying, but I believe Christian parents seeking to be strong and alert should strive to follow the example of Christ every day through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This doesn’t mean we aren’t going to sin — we will. But when we fall, we’re to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, identify what we could do better or different next time, and then proceed with our lives, striving to apply what we’ve learned.

I also believe that the above is best accomplished while having an ongoing conversation with God, and not trying to do it in our own strength. The instruction to “pray without ceasing” does not mean we must spend all of our waking moments in intercessory prayer. Early in my Christian walk I learned that “prayer” is simply a fancy word for talking with God. With that, I take the instruction to “pray without ceasing” to mean we should have an ongoing conversation with God throughout the day.

Think of it this way: Since we become like the people we hang around, the more we hang around (i.e., talk) with God, the more likely it is that we’ll become like Him. Conversely, if we’re not making a conscious choice to follow after Him, then by default we easily start adapting to the ways of the world, setting ourselves up to be led astray and devoured.

Madison Avenue advertisers have done their job well. Sin is marketed to us with well-polished shine, accompa nied by a list of benefits we will re ceive if we just do as they suggest.

Therefore, allow me to ask a question that was once asked of me: If these happen to be the end times, and believing what Jesus said about the end times being like the days of Noah, do you want to be counted among those God left behind to drown, or do you want to be like Noah, and be found righ teous in your generation?

As a Christian, the answer

seems fairly obvious, but the draw of worldly ways surrounding us is strong. With input from God, we need to decide what our boundaries are going to be, and then set the tone for our families. This doesn’t mean we need to Bible-thump our kids. A firm-butgentle spirit is better for representing Christ. As a Christian dad, I like the analogy of a steel hand in a velvet glove, because a gentle spirit goes a long way.

Finally, we need to remember that the entire family of God experiences trials just like we do. For that reason, I am a strong believer that Christian parents establish fellowship with other Christian parents. Note that the word “establish” is a proactive verb, one that requires initiative. So many people I know confide that they wish they had deeper relationships with other Christians, but simultaneously admit they aren’t doing much about it.

Sometimes what’s holding us back from fellowship with others is fear of rejection — a fear of not measuring up to somebody else’s definition of what it means to be a Christian. Another reason could be a lack of time in one’s busy schedule. Any number of obstacles could be getting in the way. Allow me to encourage you to make fellowship with other Christians a higher priority. This could be as simple as inviting a fellow churchgoer to meet you for coffee. If you’re a Christian dad, you could invite other Christian dads to meet once a month just to talk about what it means to be a Christian dad. The same could go for Christian moms.

However you do it, just be sure to keep God in all of these conversations. It’s not a time to see who’s more Christian or who can put on a better face. Quite the opposite. It’s about becoming transparent and real, to be supported and to offer support. I think you’ll be surprised at the number of “golden nuggets” you find whenever you meet with other believers and talk about the Lord.

Just keep in mind that the meetings you initiate don’t have to be part of a church-sanctioned program! These meetings I’m suggesting are simply in keeping with Hebrews 10:25, which reminds us to gather together so we can encourage one another.

The bottom line here is that for us parents to serve as the elders for our families, we need to be alert, we must stand firm to avoid being devoured, and we must offer support to and be supported by other Christian parents. After all, the stronger our individual families are, the stronger the entire Body of Christ will be. n

Daniel Bobinski is the main teacher at Family Experience Church (fxchurch.net), and also the owner of Workplace-Excellence.com, an international training and consulting firm based in the Treasure Valley.

BREAKING Free Pay it forward, make someone’s day

By Brian Raymond

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” — Diana, Princess of Wales

In the year 2000, the movie “Pay It Forward” chronicled the life of a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who attempted to make the world a better place through random acts of kindness. Since then many other movies, YouTube videos, movements and people have demonstrated untold random acts of kindness throughout the United States and beyond. This phenomenon, however, is anything but new. The Bible tells us, in fact, that there is “nothing new under the sun” — Ecclesiastes 1:9

Jesus demonstrated the ultimate act of kindness to the world through sacrificing His life for us so that we may have everlasting life. During His time on Earth, Jesus gave us instruction through His various teachings as to how we could be more like Him. In Luke chapter 6:27-31, He stated:

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”

We are instructed, therefore, to be selfless, sacrificial, and to give freely without expecting anything in return.

In a world that emphasizes self, God calls us to be set apart and to stand out in contrast from those who do not have a relationship with Christ.

It has been concluded through various research studies over the last few decades that those who give to others will experience less depression and less anxiety, will be sick less often, and will report an overall improved quality of life as opposed to those who tend to be stingy and selfish. Altruism and happiness appear to be synonymous.

A couple of months ago I had driven to Jack-In-TheBox for lunch. I ordered at the drive-thru and as I approached the window I gathered my dollars and my change to give to the cashier. To my surprise I was told by the cashier that the elderly lady in the car in front of me had already paid for my lunch. I drove away with a smile on my face and newfound warmth in my soul. Little did the lady who bought my lunch that day realize how difficult my day had been up to that point. Her random act of kindness demonstrated Christ’s love to me that day in an extremely tangible way.

In 2015 and beyond, my challenge is to remain focused on the needs of others. I challenge those of you who are inspired by this article to do the same. Together we will be Jesus to a world that often cannot see past the end of its nose. n

Brian Raymond is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in Nouthetic/Biblical counseling. In January 2010 he was the co-founder of Christian Clinical Concepts, LLC in Nampa. He is currently in private practice at Christian Clinical Concepts. He may be contacted at 475-1875 Monday through Friday.

Taking care of his personal temple

By Gaye Bunderson

Louis Sheppard took on a big project in 2013: himself.

Sheppard weighed 350 pounds at roughly 5 feet, 11 inches. One of the primary turning points toward a healthier lifestyle came when he saw his childhood best friend, Dennis “Tis” Chang, at Chang’s funeral. Tis had been struck down by a heart attack at 37.

“It affected me deeply, seeing him in the casket,” Sheppard said. “Then I saw myself. If I kept going in the same direction, I would be dead by 43. You can’t be that big and think you’re going to live long.”

Sheppard not only resolved to lose weight and get fit for his own well-being, he did it for his family too. The father of two young children, a son and a daughter, he worked to help pay the mortgage and put food on the table; he knew that was his responsibility. But what would it all amount to if he died of a heart attack and left his wife and children behind?

“My family looks to me for support and guidance on so many levels,” Sheppard said.

Many things happened to him during the course of his journey to wellness, and because he is a man of faith, he doesn’t attribute any of it to coincidence.

For example: he went to an expo at a local fitness center one weekend and met a trainer named Dax. As a financial expert with Wells Fargo Advisors, Sheppard goes door to door introducing himself to potential clients. He chose a random neighborhood in the Warm Springs area on a Monday morning and quite unexpectedly knocked on Dax’s door. The two men were surprised to see one another and later, as Sheppard was leaving, Dax said, “I’ll see you at the gym tonight.”

“Excuses could have popped into my head for not going to the gym,” Sheppard said. But the chance encounter with Dax helped set his commitment to working out.

“I’m a man of God; I know when faith happens,” he said.

A gregarious and voluble man, Sheppard opens up about the common experience of being young and single and taking good care of yourself because you’re in search of a mate. “You dress up, you look good. Once you’re married, you go from wearing nice clothes to wearing sweats,” he said.

Eating habits take a turn for the worse along with the downturn in grooming.

His wife of nine years, Jamie, joined him in the gym, and the couple took along their children, putting them close by in the gym’s daycare. Jamie has been successful in her own weight loss program, dropping 45 pounds.

Louis Sheppard weighed 350 pounds when the photo at left was taken. He realized his responsibilities to his family included more than making money. They also included taking better care of himself. The photo at right shows him trimmed down to 230 pounds. The Sheppard family includes Louis, wife Jamie, daughter Brooklyn, and son JaMarcus.

Sheppard said it was intimidating working out at first, but he learned to take it step by step, to break it down into small increments, one day at a time, one pound at a time. Also intimidating was working out among a gym clientele of mostly younger, fitter people — but they found him inspirational, to his surprise.

“They would come up to me and my wife and tell us we were doing really well. I didn’t even know they were watching me,” he said. “They’d say, ‘You’re inspiring me,’ and I thought I was just inspired by them.”

Now down to 230 pounds, Sheppard feels he’s on a life track to help others become fit.

“This is my mission now. When God wants you, He’ll give you every opportunity to come to Him. But people are hardheaded. He gets your attention the hard way if He has to. He got my attention through my friend’s death. It hurt... but I then thought, ‘Let me get my body, my temple in order,’” he said.

At age 40, he entered his first bodybuilding competition this past November at Big Jon Fitness in Nampa. He was the only entrant in the super heavyweight category, but he was less concerned about winning a competitive trophy than about serving as an example to others. He also did it for his late friend Tis.

“Making a transformation like Louis did has nothing to do with going to the gym. Overweight people go to the gym all the time and never change their body. The difference was

that for 18 months, Louis made a commitment to changing the way he ate,” Jon Buettner, owner of Big Jon Fitness, said. “There are many programs out there, but the key is to stick with something and that is what he did and that is the message he can get across to others is how he stuck with it for 18 months.

“Going to the gym is the easy part; actually controlling your cravings and telling yourself no is the hard part. But he did it.”

Sheppard’s daughter hasn’t even been exposed to bad food, and his son is shifting toward better choices. “My son asks, ‘Is this healthy?’ It’s a family thing,” Sheppard said.

He and his wife prepare meals in advance, generally on Sundays, so there’s always something ready. That helps eliminate the need to grab fast food on the go or make afterwork excuses about being too tired to cook a healthful meal.

Excuses are something Sheppard is very familiar with. “I was the king of excuses,” said the former Queens, N.Y. resident. “The biggest excuse is always ‘I don’t have time.’ But it’s not the time; it’s the priority — making health your No. 1 priority.”

He exhorts others to join him on the journey. “Let’s get healthy,” he said. n

For more information, contact Louis Sheppard at ljshep@hotmail.com, follow him on Twitter @LouisJSheppard or “Like” him on Facebook at The Tis Effect.

The Brighter Side

Three months to

By Ronald Kern

Just a number of weeks ago, Dorian Willes stared headfirst down a 1,475-meter track with less than eight inches and a thin steel sled separating his body from the track and the 100 mileper-hour ride that would take him to the finish line. This took place after nine minutes of training under his belt. He earned second place in the North America Cup competition in Calgary. Now, this January, Dorian is hoping to qualify for the United States’ first-ever Olympic adaptive skeleton team during qualifying rounds in Austria.

If that wasn’t enough, he recently competed in his first fitness competition, where he earned fifth place in his division and took home “The Most Inspirational Athlete” award. Although he was a heavily recruited soccer player during high school and college, sports at this intense level is new to him.

At first glance it’s obvious he is in outstanding shape. He’s tall, muscles clearly visible under his clothes, and possesses a commanding presence. He is so happily married that when I sat down with him and his wife Billy, I thought I was back in high school or on hidden camera, they were so giddy, giggly, and in love.

There is one visible difference: he has a prosthetic right leg. However, if he removed his shirt you would be able to see small scars all over his body, literally from head to toe. The scars tell the story of a difficult past, one that most people would never imagine nor live through, and the scars are more than physical.

Experimenting with marijuana and alcohol at the age of 12, his drug use escalated over the next decade and included cocaine, meth, and everything in-between. At the age of 26 he was a very successful business owner, had all of the “toys,” and lived in a very nice home. He felt he was a very “functional” drug addict, even though substances, and abusing them, had been prevalent from the start.

“Within six months I lost everything due to drugs. I went from having it all: PTA, soccer coach, and successful, to living out of my truck. I started stealing, then dealing, and then became an enforcer,” Dorian said.

On the streets it’s called a collector, which means he took whatever means necessary to get what was owed. He was very good at it too, in a place where violence, strength, and brutality reign.

This eventually led to a life-changing event that took place on June 5, 2008, in Boise. This is a very lengthy story, but I’m only going to give you a surface overview of it. His story, complete and detailed from beginning to end, will be available in his upcoming book, slated for release late 2015.

On that June day, Dorian found himself in an apartment with police in all directions trying to capture him. He hid under a floorboard in the basement. Two officers finally located him, and as Dorian stood up and surrendered, the first gunshot sounded. Then another, another, and another. In total, Dorian was shot 21 times, bullets riddling his chest, back, arm, and leg.

Left: Dorian Willes lost part of his leg in a gun battle with police. Other injuries included limited use of his left arm and hand, and blindness in one eye. Above: Dorian participates in an adaptive skeleton sledding competition. (Courtesy photos)

live or die

You might see him running half-marathons, speaking at schools about the dangers of drugs, being a volunteer for The Idaho Meth Project, or making his family his number one priority. He is also president of Lim359, an organization that provides opportunities for people with limb loss and limb difference.

Dorian could complain, quit, give up, use his physical issues as an excuse, and just be angry with the world. Instead, he fights every day, fights for and strives daily to help others. He is a wonderful father, an attentive husband, and an incredible athlete. He has achieved many goals, one of which is “being a force to be reckoned with, but in a positive way,” he said.

Dorian said he was then dragged up the concrete stairs by his feet, as his head crashed into each step.

Dorian said he had picked up a soldering gun during the chaos, but he never had a weapon and never claimed to have one.

He remained in a coma for three months and in the hospital a total of nine months. He had to relearn how to do many basic things, but the most difficult part for him, he said, was “…going in at 225 pounds and coming out at 130 pounds soaking wet.” I found this a bit comical considering all the traumatic injuries he suffered: loss of his right leg below the knee, limited use of his left arm and hand, and being blinded in one eye.

The physical scars will always remain, but the more poignant story is yet to come. Let’s take a look on The Brighter Side, and what he’s doing now.

“Whatever your past has been, just remember that your future is spotless.”

Dorian has not only turned his life around; he’s completely reshaped it and is now inspiring others. He is clean, sober, madly in love, a college graduate, helping other amputees, qualifying for the Olympics, and doing many other things that most just dream about. He is making a difference. He is leading by example. He is someone that allows his actions to speak for him. He is generous with his time and gives back to the community. With everything that has happened, Dorian said, “The biggest thing that happened to me over the last three years is my wife. She’s my everything and I wouldn’t be here without her.”

In speaking with him I sensed a deep connection, the kind that only comes when I speak with someone of character, integrity, determination, passion and, most importantly, genuineness. I do understand he was not the nicest guy while on drugs, and his past includes great darkness. However, I feel now he is a beaming light of positive energy, motivating others. What he has accomplished is incredible, all things considered.

Dorian expressed that through it all, God clearly had a plan for him. In my research, I couldn’t find anyone, or another article, where someone had received more than 21 gunshots and lived to tell about it. Dorian and Billy clearly know that God has a hand in all that has transpired, a reason he lived, a reason he is doing all good and positive things now, and both are living testimonies of what He can do. In speaking about their relationship Billy said, “God aligned the stars at the right place at the right time, perfectly.”

I feel so lucky to have met him and consider him a close friend. He is a perfect example of not letting your circumstances dictate your happiness and proof that no matter what your past, you do have full control over your future. The choice is yours to make.

Dorian’s immediate goal is to raise funds for his trip to Austria for the Paralympic World Cup. If you can help him with travel costs, please visit giveforward.com and search his name to help. If you are interested in sponsoring him, please contact him personally at his email address, dorianwilles1@gmail.com. Dorian’s website, coming soon, will be dorianwilles.com. n

A former business owner in Meridian for more than 20 years, Ronald Kern and his wife, Lisa, are now retired. They are founders of Kern Ministry Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit Christian organization that provides life’s essentials, medical supplies and educational resources for children, families and communities worldwide. Kern is an entrepreneur, business and life consultant, author, motivational speaker and philanthropist. Contact him anytime at www.RonaldAKern.com or TheBrighterSide@icloud.com.

Helping to shape body and soul

By Angela Ruth Strong

With the new year comes New Year’s resolutions and an influx of new gym members determined to becoming healthier. But if paying a chunk of money to compete for equipment in an intimidating environment is not for you, there is another option. Group fitness instructor Christa Starn offers free classes incorporating faith and fitness at her church.

Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a group of women meet at The Journey on Overland Road to combine pilates and yoga with Christian music and prayer for an experience that not only strengthens the body but the spirit and mind as well. Child care is also provided to make the ministry available to moms.

Christa began teaching fitness classes four years ago in order to quit her full-time job and stay home with her own children. She said, “I knew God had great plans for me as I was so nervous stepping out in faith and quitting my office job of 10 years, but I could feel Him leading me that direction. It was a time of a lot of prayer and stress until I finally let go and let Him lead. And so many doors have been opened since.”

She started out teaching Zumba and Holy Yoga at Freedom Fitness in Kuna, a faith-based gym. Then, two years ago, she decided to offer classes for free at her church on top of her gym class schedule. She now teaches PiYo, which she considers to be a perfect mix of Zumba rhythms and yoga movements. “I offer a workout that is challenging for anyone, but doable for anyone, as well, with lots of modifications. I want anyone to come and feel welcome.”

Jennifer Mann raves about the benefits. “PiYo is such a fun program,” she said. “I love it because I have foot and ankle issues that don’t allow me to do high impact sports anymore. It’s a low impact workout that’s easy on my joints yet challenges my body. I feel so strong and centered after a workout. And Christa is such a wonderful instructor. She’s so positive and motivating, which helps encourage me to get my workouts in.”

Participant Carolyn Muhlenkamp agrees. “I am a stay at home mom of two toddlers and I love having a place I can go twice a week to get in a great workout with other women while being able to bring the kids to an environment that I know is safe and fun for everyone. I have been going to the Faith and Fitness classes since September, and after just a few weeks I could feel a difference in my strength, energy, and attitude. I recommend this class to anyone looking for a fun, friendly, encouraging, and uplifting place to go for a great workout.”

Christa’s coaching includes a few health tips that can be used by anyone, whether they attend her class or not:

1) Find something you love that is healthy physically. Maybe it’s a fitness class, DVD, or playing a sport. It has to be something you enjoy or you will burn out and return to old habits.

2) Commit to a “challenge group” on Facebook or find a group that will support you and hold you accountable. This could even be one or two friends willing to check in with you regularly. Support and accountability will help make the change permanent.

3) Watch nutrition because food plays a very important role in your health as well, and you cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Being aware of what you’re putting into your body and not overeating will make all the difference.

4) Remember Jesus died for you and you are worth saving. Living a healthy lifestyle and modeling that to our loved ones enables us to do God’s will. This is the main issue most people forget to address. It reminds me of band-aiding the issue by looking at the symptoms instead of addressing the actual problem. Take the time to look within and know you’re worth taking care of.

No matter your fitness goals and no matter your personal beliefs, you are welcome to try out the class. Even Pastor Mike Boswell extends the invitation. “Christa has a passion for fitness,” he said. “She does a fantastic job, and we’re excited to open up the church building for it. We love to have people from the community come in.” n

For more information, contact Christa at christastarn@yahoo.com or call her at 353-8312.

Christa Starn teaches PiYo classes (combined Zumba rhythms and yoga movements) at The Journey in Boise. (Courtesy photo)

NOTES From Home Sleeping the road away (I wish)

By Dani Grigg

My four-year-old and I were looking at our globe recently, and I was excited to point out a new place to him. California. We’d just returned from a food-and-family-filled holiday visit there.

First I pointed to a Boise-ish area on the globe (state lines aren’t drawn out, so who knows what I was actually pointing at), and then I jumped my finger over to San Francisco (which is hard to miss, with its signature bay). I reminded him about what we’d seen and done there, then went on to (vaguely) point out some other states he’d visited or heard about.

But he was stuck on California. “Why are California and Idaho so close together?” he wanted to know.

He asks me questions with no answers every day — “Why are people real? “ was a stumper recently — but this one made sense to me after a second.

The two places I’d pointed to were just a couple inches apart on the globe. It had taken us 11 HOURS to drive to California. It does NOT take 11 hours to drive two inches.

It was a good question. I tried to explain about scale, but my explanation was no good. (It probably would have been at least as productive to just say “UHHHHHHH” until he lost interest — maybe next time). But the point is, I feel his pain. It was by no means a two-inch drive.

The good news is that Jonah proved he is an expert movie watcher on the road. We downloaded five movies onto my iPad, and he watched all of them. Some more than once. We heard very little from him, except when he freaked out because his brother’s foot was blocking the screen or when he announced it was time for a side-of-the-road potty break.

If he’d been our only rider, it would have been a blissful drive. I could have listened to podcasts or done some reading or slept while my husband drove.

Instead, we had good old number two on board: Andy. He’s two years old. He doesn’t “do” movies. His screen time of choice is “watching garbage trucks” on my phone. That means pulling up video after video of garbage trucks in action on YouTube. (Side note: Did you know that GROWN UP HUMANS make videos of themselves pushing around toy garbage trucks collecting toy trash from toy garbage cans? If you were looking for a new hobby, go ahead and take that one. No charge.)

YouTube is not available in the desert, so Andy was stuck with very few entertainment options: coloring printed-out pictures on a clipboard, squeezing the stress ball I’d made him out of a balloon and playdough, eating snacks, rolling a matchbox car around on his leg, playing toddler games on my phone, flashing around a glow stick (because I’m a super cool mom and bring glow sticks on road trips) or sleeping.

Why could he not choose sleeping? For 11 hours, why did he not choose sleeping?

I just can’t relate to that kind of wakefulness. Once I braved the two-hour drive from Boise to McCall alone and had to pull over for a nap halfway through — on the way up AND the way back. I’m practically narcoleptic in the car. The humming road, the soft seat, the pillow I bring when I’m in the passenger’s seat… it all adds up to naptime.

But not for Andy. Instead, he chose grumpy wakefulness. The stress ball bought us a minute, the glow sticks maybe two. Most of the rest of the minutes were filled with requests to get out of his carseat.

So fun.

The drive was worth it to see cousins — there are three little boys in California who we love to pieces — but next time, as long as the globe is going to tell us lies about how far away San Francisco is, let’s just all pass the time the way road trip time is intended to be passed. ASLEEP. n

Dani Grigg is a Boise freelance writer, wife and happy mother of two young sons.

BUSINESS Spotlight Damsel in Defense a platform of God

By Gaye Bunderson

The Damsel in Defense website proclaims the company is “waiting on Him to show us the rest,” taking its cue from Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Damsel in Defense defines itself as a non-lethal defense company selling products such as stun guns and pepper spray that help women protect themselves.

“The world’s scary, but we’re taking it back,” Hannah Yancey, a local representative and sister of the company cofounder, said.

In 2011, Yancey’s sister Bethany Hughes and Mindy Lin launched the Idaho-based protection and empowerment company, which has grown into a nationwide enterprise. As of last October, the company had reached nearly a million dollars in sales. But this story is much bigger than business. It’s about faith, safety, and what a family can do when husbands, wives, a mother, and sisters come together.

According to statistics cited by Yancey, 1 in 4 women will be victims of assault during their lifetime. Bethany Hughes was herself an assault victim. The company has been a faith experience for her and other founding members. “It’s a platform of God,” Yancey said. “We give praise to God for moving and shaping the company.”

Along with sales of defense products, Damsel in Defense works to help victims heal and to reclaim the sense of security they lost. “We’re not just a product. … We don’t love you and leave you,” Yancey said.

She moved to the Boise area from Sacramento, Calif. a year ago. “I love it. There’s a sense of family here that California lacks,” she said.

However, she also wants to caution area women that, though the Treasure Valley is a wonderful and largely safe place to live, no woman anywhere should ever be cavalier about her personal security. “Our company doesn’t scare women; we want to teach you to be prepared. We’re trying to take down that ‘it could never happen to me’ attitude,” she said. “We want to make it a normal thing to carry pepper spray.”

Continued on page 33

71-year-old senior on a mission

By Gaye Bunderson

Sharon Doty of Nampa refers to herself as a senior on a mission. At 71, she has found a number of ways to serve the Lord through her innate ingenuity.

“I’m overly creative,” she said, without a trace of pretentiousness. In fact, when it comes to her many projects, she prefers to fly under the radar. Visit her house, however, and it’s easy to realize it’s inhabited by a woman who likes to work with her hands. The walls of the home and its shelves — even its garage — are all tastefully filled with her handicrafts. She has taken those crafts and turned them into a funding source for ministry. She gives her profits to an organization called Faith Comes By Hearing.

She first heard about Faith Comes By Hearing at Lakeview Bible Church on West Greenhurst Road in Nampa. As she explains it, the organization “creates machines like tape recorders that are sun-powered or have a hand crank and present the New Testament in a dramatized way to people who have never heard the Gospel and cannot read in their own language.”

The organization is based in Albuquerque, N.M. and is an interdenominational, nonsectarian nonprofit, according to its website at faithcomesbyhearing.com. Its core emphasis centers on Romans 10:17: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Its mission is to fulfill the Great Commission to spread Christ’s teachings to all the nations of the world. Currently, Faith Comes By Hearing offers audio Bibles — which it also calls Proclaimers — in 853 languages

to people in more than 190 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East.

“There are still language groups that need an audio Bible in their mother tongue. There are people who wait to hear God’s Word because they cannot read it,” according to the website.

Doty believes her donations help fund that goal in a way that other missions donations might not.

“I am a bit of a numbers person and understand that for every dollar or two given to this organization, it is very likely someone will accept Christ. The ‘Proclaimers’ are often played to whole villages of people at a time; and after people come to Christ, they are used as a basis for church services. It is just exciting to be a part of such a means of fulfilling the Great Commission,” she said.

One of Doty’s fundraising endeavors is an online business called brideonabudgetshop.com, which grew out of another online business called floralrentall.com. Having worked during the course of her life in various careers from realtor to floral designer, when she reconnected with flower arranging for fun, she asked herself, “Why did I leave this? I love it.”

While she can do live bouquets, she also creates flowers from all sorts of materials, including silk.

She started collecting wedding dresses at yard sales. Since brides generally only wear bridal gowns one time, the dresses are in top shape, and with just a bit of cleaning, look like new. Fourteen dresses are on display at brideonabudgetshop.com, with waist sizes and prices — most of them under $100. Veils are available too for under $15.

Sharon Doty of Nampa displays one of the handmade floral creations she sells from her online, in-home business. She donates her profits to an organization called Faith Comes By Hearing. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)

Doty can also provide decorations, reception table rental items, pew bows, two arches, unity candles, and candelabra equipment. Most of the items are handmade, and all are available at affordable prices.

Though only having begun the business in middle to late 2014, she had sold dresses for three weddings as of November.

“I’m a tightwad from way back,” she said, explaining the way she is able to find dresses and merchandise at yard sales and turn them into pretty gowns and beautiful objects. She feels God has been behind some of her “finds.”

“Every time I turn around, God gives me something for almost nothing,” she said. “You expect to get bargains at yard sales, but not this good.”

Another project of Doty’s is mosaic mirrors that she sells at craft shows and the annual Art in the Park event in Boise. She said this also helps her fulfill her mission. Along with her contributions to Faith Comes By Hearing, she and her husband Jerry care for four clients — including her mother — in their house, which for years has been designated a Certified Family Home.

According to information from healthandwelfare.idaho.gov, these homes “provide a safe, family-style living environment for adults who need some assistance with the activities of daily living, but do not require a more restrictive institutional setting.”

Doty said she and her husband are still in good health despite their ages because early on she started learning about good nutrition, and both have maintained active lifestyles as well. She believes chronological years are irrelevant when it comes to ministry.

“I just feel that anyone, no matter what age, can find ways to serve the Lord if they seek to do so,” Doty said. “I thought I would be a foreign missionary, but if one can’t go, he or she can give and pray.” n

Doty is in need of an occasional seamstress for some of her wedding gowns, as well as donations of wedding dresses. Contact her at thepilgrims@cableone.net or call 467-1976.

Along with selling gently used bridal gowns, Sharon Doty creates and sells inexpensive arches and other wedding décor through brideonabudgetshop.com. (Courtesy photo)

Try these two marriage resolutions

By Leo Hellyer

2015 is a new year, with new challenges, new opportunities, and new blessings. How do you plan to start this new year? Many people make resolutions — changes they plan to make from the previous year to make the coming year “better.”

According to USA.gov, five of the popular resolutions every year include:

• Volunteer to help others

• Quit smoking

• Get a better education

• Get a better job

• Save money

Were any of these your resolution for 2014? How well did you do on meeting your resolution? Many times people are not successful with their resolutions because they try to do it on their own, and they don’t believe it is going to work anyway so they don’t put a lot of effort into it. In your Marriage Toolbox for this month we will take a journey, and at the end we will come up with two New Year’s resolutions that are achievable, worthwhile, and God honoring.

Since early in 2014 we have been discussing different things that we can put into our Marriage Toolbox to help us have a marriage that is biblically based, God honoring, and lasts a lifetime. We have talked about conferences, getaways, seminars, small group Bible studies, books, magazines, websites, etc. All of the tools are great. Some of the tools will work better for specific individuals and couples than others. The key to any of them is that we must pick them up and use them.

First responders (police, fire, paramedics), and members of the military all have many tools to accomplish what they do. Their tools do them no good if they do not pick them up. Our marriages are the same. If we want our marriages to be the best that they can possibly be, and if we want our marriages to glorify God, we need to pick up our tools and use them.

As husbands and wives, we live together, in a complex union designed by God Himself. Our union has many facets or challenges, if you will. We have looked particularly at parenting,

marital intimacy, and communication. There are many other areas of this relationship to examine as well, such as, finances, conflict resolution, esteeming your spouse, leaving a legacy, honoring your parents, blending families, and more.

As you can see there is a lot included in this thing we call marriage. I would like to propose to you two New Year’s resolutions which can greatly improve every area of your marriage relationship. I feel that these marriage relationship techniques are the most valuable things that I have learned after serving for 20 years with FamilyLife. I have heard about these actions directly from Dennis Rainey in private conversations between the two of us, as well as in larger groups and in video and print form.

Dennis and Barbara Rainey have weathered many storms in their marriage, but these two guiding principles have been instrumental in keeping their marriage intact, dynamic, and God honoring. Dennis is the president, chief executive officer, and co-founder of FamilyLife; he is one of the most authentic men that I have had the privilege of knowing personally. He and Barbara were married in 1972, the same year my wife and I were married. Dennis and Barbara live what they talk about. They walk the talk.

Both of these marriage New Year’s resolutions are at the same time simple and difficult. If we go into them seeking God’s presence, blessing, and strength, they are easy. If we try to do these resolutions on our own, they are extremely difficult, if not impossible.

For these marriage New Year’s resolutions to truly be effective we need to make the resolutions both as individuals and as couples.

Our first resolution is: “I/We resolve to remove the word ‘divorce’ from my/our vocabulary.”

As long as divorce is in our vocabulary, it is a powerfully destructive tool of separation and hurt, and can be thrown into difficult situations that happen in marriage relationships. As long as divorce is in our vocabulary, we can use it to give up, stop working on resolving our differences, and end a relation-

ship that could be healed with time, hard work, prayer, and God’s blessing.

The second resolution is: “I/We resolve to pray with my spouse on a daily basis.”

There is nothing more powerful than coming into the presence of God Almighty. When we, as a couple, as a husband and wife, come into the presence of God, united in lifting up our blessings, challenges, concerns, goals, questions, etc., we are more powerful than we can imagine. Let me make something very clear. Praying for your spouse is not the same as praying with your spouse. Praying with your spouse is both of you audibly praying in the same place, in each other’s presence, for each other. If you cannot be with each other due to work issues, military deployment, etc., pray together on the phone, text, Skype, instant message, or use any other way you determine — just do it. God will reward your efforts.

Please join me in making these two marriage New Year’s resolutions. If you will do this, I believe that this year will be the best year of your marriage, to date.

“Thank you, God, for this thing You invented called marriage. May You always be the glue that holds our marriage together.” n

Leo Hellyer is a non-staff pastor with a local church and has been married to his wife, Norma, for 41 years. The couple volunteered with FamilyLife on its Boise ministry team for 20 years. They are both employed by Boise Rescue Mission Ministries, Norma at City Light Home for Women & Children and Leo at River of Life Rescue Mission. They may be reached at silverplate426@ msn.com. If you have questions about Marriage Toolbox, or need other assistance, Leo may be reached at 344-1357, ext. 4.

This

Don’t hesitate to call on God

By Dan Woodworth

Most of us have received gifts from our Gracious and Giving God and our Living Lord that we don’t see or are unwilling to unwrap. With Christmas just past, why don’t we ask and thank our Lord to reveal His gifts to us in this new year?

If we will not ask we cannot receive. Let’s compare an illustration of calling a friend on the phone to calling on the Lord. If we don’t pick up the phone and call our friend, how can they answer us? If we don’t ask our Lord, how can we receive anything from Him?

When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church at Colossae he was not writing to preachers. He was writing to the saints.

Are you a saint? If Christ is living in you, you are a saint.

Hear the words of the Holy Spirit through Paul as he writes to us in Colossians 1:9-12 from the original Greek language: For this reason, since the day we heard of you, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be “filled” with “full” knowledge of His will in “all” wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, “fully” pleasing Him, being fruitful in “every” good work and increasing in the “full” knowledge of God, being strengthened with “all” power according to His glorious might unto “all” endurance and patience; while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Dan Woodworth, Ph.D., is an adviser, author and inspirational speaker. He is well known for his uplifting messages, and in his own life has overcome illness to become what he calls “a healthy and happy man.” He has worked as a fisheries research biologist, consultant, teacher, counselor, real estate property manager, ordained pastor and chaplain. He may be reached at dan@danwoodworth.org. For more information visit www.danwoodworth.org.

them out loud slowly and stop and let the Holy Spirit make these words so real to you that you would be transformed more and more into the image of Christ in ever increasing splendor (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Read them three times a day and ask the Lord to help you memorize them. Keep reading them out loud until these words become flesh.

Did you know that our Living Lord created your subconscious mind to believe everything your mouth speaks? Secular scientific research has proven that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).

Watch your words! Ask and receive everything our Loving Lord has for you with thanksgiving and boldness. For most of us, this will take a few months because our culture has programmed us to doubt and fear. Believe and ask and thank our Living Lord to strengthen your faith in Christ and in His Living Word.

Keep fighting the good fight of faith. When doubt and fear assault you, speak Colossians 1:9-12 out loud over and over.

I asked and thanked our Loving Lord to give me a poem about the Christmas just passed. I had never written a poem before, but look what our Living Lord revealed to me for you — and remember it is relevant for all of us, all year long. n

Did you notice the words “all,” full,” “fully,” and “worthy”? Anything and everything you need to know about our Living Loving Lord and His gifts are yours as you ask and thank Him.

Ask and thank Him with full confidence. Throw off all doubt, shame, fear and any other negative destructive tactic of the devil and allow the Lord to reveal all of His gifts, blessings and plans that He has for you.

Colossians 1:9-12 is for you! Boldly claim these verses and put your name in the place of “you” in these verses. Read

God Became Man with His Perfect Plan

I stand amazed at how heaven gazed

As God became man with His perfect plan.

He was willing to be born in a manger

So He would always love the stranger.

He is the instrument through whom all of creation was made.

He even created the green, growing blade.

He not only created the tree that we all see,

But He hung on that tree for you and me.

He took all of our sin and shame,

That is why He came.

The curse of the law had to cease

As He gave us His Perfect Peace.

He was raised from the dead just like He said.

He arose to conquer His foes

And turn our sadness into gladness.

He loves to give for us to forever live!

He is the Christ in Christmas we see.

He is the reason for this season for you and me.

We must live free from strife.

He came that we may have and enjoy overflowing LIFE!

YOUR Daily Bread Freedom from the burden of debt

By Terry Frisk

Are the bills of Christmas past haunting you like the ghost in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? Is this the year to follow through on your New Year’s resolution to get out of debt but you don’t know where to start? The key to successfully eliminating your debt is to develop a plan that provides for your basic living expenses and devoting the remaining funds toward paying off your debts. Developing a plan and committing to live within the plan can be a huge relief in itself.

The first step in eliminating your debt is pledging to yourself and God that you will pay off all debt and live within your income level. Initially, this means not incurring any additional debt. Put your credit cards away and do not be enticed by offers to buy now with no payments until some later date in the future. While these offers may seem like you have no debt during the grace period, it is still an obligation that you will have to satisfy in the future.

Next, create a schedule of all amounts you owe including mortgage, auto loans, student loans, lines of credit, credit cards, family members, or any other indebtedness. The schedule should show the creditor name, balance due, interest rate and minimum payment amount. A computer spreadsheet program, like Excel, is good for this so you can easily update it as your plan progresses.

Now, develop a budget. If you have never prepared a budget, it is not as difficult as it may seem. Start by listing your household income. Then, determine the amount you need for necessities. What are necessities? You will need to take a critical look at what you define as necessities. Obviously, this would include housing, utilities, food and clothing. What about such items as Internet connection, cell phone, or satellite television? You will need to determine whether these items are truly necessities in your life.

You will also need to consider giving to your church while you are trying to get your finances in order. While giving may not be a necessity to sustain your life, I believe it is necessary to sustain your soul. I have counseled a number of people on their finances through a budget counseling ministry at my church. Some people choose to suspend their giving during the process while others continue to give as part of their budget. A few even insist on budgeting a full 10 percent tithe before any additional spending. My experience is those who continue to give while working on a debt elimination plan are more successful in executing their plan. Their faith guides them through the process.

Now that you have developed a budget, the amount remaining after scheduling income and spending on necessities is the amount you have to pay down your debts. The next item is prioritizing your debt. The most common recommendation is to pay the debt with the highest interest rate first. However, you may wish to pay off debts with a smaller balance to get them out of the way quicker. Or, maybe you choose to pay a debt that is emotional baggage, such as money owed to a family member or a debt that represents a burden on your soul. Budget the minimum payments of your lower priority debts and devote the remaining available cash to your highest priority debt until it is paid off. Then focus on paying your next highest priority debt by adding the amount you were paying on the debt you just paid off to the minimum payment you have been paying on this debt. Keep this up until all debts are paid off. Any extra cash you receive, such as sale of household items, tax refunds, bonuses, etc., should be paid to the highest priority debts.

Sticking to your plan is hard work. It takes a lot of discipline and prayer to follow a debt reduction plan. If you experience a setback, revise your plan to accommodate an unexpected expense and stay on track. To avoid becoming discouraged, I recommend rewarding yourself each time an item is paid off. These rewards may include treating yourself to an espresso, going to a movie, lunch at a bistro, or any other activity you enjoy that does not cost a lot of money (remember, you are still on a budget). As you emerge from indebtedness, you will be rewarded with the freedom from the burden debt inflicts on your soul. n

Terry Frisk is a partner in the firm B2B CFO, providing financial advisory services to small businesses. He also counsels individuals on personal financial matters through the Cathedral of the Rockies Budget Counseling ministry. He may be contacted through e-mail at terry_frisk@msn.com.

Damsel Pros, as the firm’s representatives are called, generally make in-house presentations to groups of women; they refer to those events as Empower Hours. Yancey’s mother was one of the company’s first Damsel Pros.

“She set the example of what a Damsel Pro is — she molded the Damsel Pro in a way. She exhibited so much passion, faith, compassion, love. She helped by being a people person, not a salesman. She always said, ‘Everybody has something above their heads that says, Make me feel important!’ She really left a huge imprint.”

She died of cancer in January a year ago, and an award called The Traits of Trish Award was created in her honor. Yancey had previously worked on the sidelines of the company, helping her mother. When her mother passed away, she stepped in to become a top player in the firm and currently has 1,200 sales reps working under her. Taking her cue from her mom, she seeks to represent the company less as a salesperson and more as a caring individual.

“We show people, ‘You’re important enough to protect,’” she said.

Also part of the corporation are Hughes’s and Lin’s spouses. Bethany Hughes is chief services officer; her husband Chris is chief procurement officer. Mindy Lin is chief marketing officer; her husband Jimmy is chief financial officer. A non-family member, Bob Hipple, is chief executive officer. Hipple was vice president of sales for local corporation Scentsy in its early years.

The spouses possess complementary skills that have greatly benefitted Damsel in Defense. Chris Hughes brings experience in purchasing, knowledge of personal protection products, and strong relationships with manufacturers. Jimmy Lin has been the business’s revenue management guru, with education and longtime experience in accounting, including working for a local CPA firm.

“We’re a debt-free company,” Yancey said. “Jimmy orchestrated that.”

Mindy Lin is a close of friend of Bethany’s with a gift for entrepreneurialism.

Some of the Damsel Pros are survivors of sexual or domestic assault themselves. Also, there are eight men on Yancey’s sales team, or what she calls her downline, who sell the products as a way to help keep their daughters and other women safe.

Some men use the products themselves, Yancey said, including gay men who may be victims of hate crimes. There are also safety devices for children. Anyone under the age of 18 may not legally carry a stun gun or pepper spray but may arm themselves with alarms and self-defense keychains known as kubotans.

All the products can also be used in instances of burglary or other crimes.

“These products are meant for all people everywhere,” Yancey said. “We love all people.”

She builds upon that theme by stressing the company’s preference for products that don’t kill an attacker. The company isn’t taking an anti-gun stand but prefers to merely deter an assailant, hopefully ultimately allowing God to work in his life. “We have a very gracious Heavenly Father, and when we take a life, we’re playing God’s role,” Yancey said. n

For more information, go to damselindefense.net or contact Yancey at hannah@damseldiamond.com, 891-9700 or girlsbehavingsafely.net.

Hannah Yancey (courtesy photo)

In light of the recent activities becoming public in Idaho and the Treasure Valley local anti-human trafficking organizations are coming together to bring awareness and help to our community. Be a part of keeping children and communities safe. Join us on this day!

In The Kitchen

Post Christmas Dinner Recipes

Ultimate Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 (6-oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt and black pepper

½ tsp. paprika

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 lg. Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced

1 C. sliced celery

⅓ C. sliced shallots or red onions

8 oz. clean baby spinach leaves

¼ C. toasted pine nuts

¾ C. blue cheese salad dressing

Apple Berry Cobbler

Ingredients:

4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin pieces

1 cup blueberries

½ cup cherries, pitted and cut into pieces

¼ cup unsalted nuts, chopped

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 Granola bars, softened for 10-15 seconds in the microwave and crumbled into small pieces

Cooking spray

Directions:

Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear both sides of chicken. Continue to cook on medium heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. In same skillet, heat remaining olive oil and sauté apples, celery and shallots until tender. Gently heat blue cheese dressing in a saucepan. Do not bring to a boil. Arrange spinach on plates, top with hot vegetables, apples and chicken. Spoon warm blue cheese dressing over all and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Directions:

1. Spray a pie dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine fruit, nuts, brown sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and cornstarch.

3. Place fruit mixture into pie dish.

4. Top fruit mixture evenly with crumbled granola bars.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbly.

THE MISSIONARY Life

Small boy with eternity in his heart

By Lauren Phillips

Having just returned from India, I was lying awake, safe in my warm bed next to my snoring husband, staring into the dark and thinking of a boy. At my desk in my office a year or so before, I’d seen his picture as he was admitted into our care. The data sheet said he was 13 but my eyes told me something different. He couldn’t be more than 8 or 9; he was so tiny and looked so very sick. It was a miracle that this boy was even alive. In India, among children born with HIV, the chance of survival is nil. He’d been left on the streets after his parents died of AIDS. With the deadly virus coursing through his veins, it’s no wonder he was not able to grow and mature normally. I spent just a few days in India, upside down in time, dehydrated from the heat and humidity, bowels gurgling from spices or a nasty little bug that finds its way into my gut, and I have a hard time putting two sentences together. How had he survived 13 years before coming to us?

Our team from the U.S. was spending the day with the boys from Asha Sadan, (Hindi for House of Hope) in Varanasi. While I was watching a very raucous game of hot potato, I heard Henry, the wonderful man in charge of the ministry, say, “I’m afraid that that boy won’t be with us much longer.”

My head snapped up and I began searching this child out. He didn’t stand out because everyone was having such fun. When I finally saw him he was sitting, smiling with his friends, and enjoying the game with his American aunties and uncles. My heart began to break. What is it about death or even the thought of losing someone that causes so much pain? I’m sure it’s a deep primal thing that I’m unable to fully understand; yet, I do know that we were never created to suffer death, but live eternally with God.

As I watched the boys playing, he got up — slowly and painfully. I could see that he was tired. I walked over to him and started a broken conversation learning his name, Dilsher. I stayed with him the rest of the day, my tears swallowed up by the joy of just being with him. He remembered me from last year and motioned with his hands to remind me of an amusing little trick I’d done. He was asking me to do it again. At that point I’d have done anything to make him smile, never mind that I hadn’t washed my hands in hours.

So, I took up my first imaginary needle and began to thread it. Then I picked up my top lip and pretended to poke the needle through the underside pulling it until it reached the imaginary end where the string yanked my lip up. He smiled. I repeated this with my lower

At the very center of this photo is a young boy from India named Dilsher, at the time an orphan at Asha Sadan in Varanasi. The child in the background is another orphan. At left is Marty Williams, a physician’s assistant from Coeur d’Alene, and at right is Lauren Phillips. (Courtesy photo)

lip. When I finished sewing I picked up both invisible strings attached to my lips and tugged; my lips yanked in opposite directions. My little brother and the crowd that had gathered were delighted, then they started trying it themselves. “Auntie, Auntie! Do it again!” My new friend smiled at me and my heart swelled with love. This life passes so quickly and moments like these just don’t linger long enough. My memory of that day spent with my little brothers brings new tears and an earnest prayer that each precious son of the living God will not die alone or in vain. I have to remember that this cursed disease that sucks the life from their little bodies does not win in the end. They have eternity in their hearts now; God’s love has snatched them from the claws of death and their lives have been made new. This promise of eternity never seemed so sweet. We said goodbye that day and when I turned to leave I thought, “I’ll see you again soon and we’ll have lifetime upon lifetime to spend playing games, happy before our King — no more tears, sorrow, or pain — together forever.”

Lauren Phillips lives in Boise with her husband, six children and three grandchildren. She loves serving Jesus and His people and administrates Calvary Chapel Boise’s international outreaches.

God’s medicine is best for you

By Rosie Main

Every winter as the weather changes, the skies darken and the temperature drops people begin to get sick. The doctors’ offices are packed and the line at the pharmacy is backed up. Much of our society has been convinced that they are genetically deficient and prone to illness and their only true solution is in man-made drugs and other synthetically derived products. This flies in the face of natural creation and thousands of years of human survival adaptations.

We were born into this world with everything we need to live strong, healthy, and vibrant lives. God created powerful remedies for stressful seasons in natural foods and herbs that destroy dangerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Old Chinese philosophy suggests looking over your shoulder for what ails you. For instance, you find artemisinin, which is a cure for malaria, in plants where malaria is common. In the same context, we will find support for our common health crises within our body itself and the herbs and plants around us.

“Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” — Hippocrates

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, always turned first to general nutrition and care of the human frame before reverting to handcrafted remedies. However, in times of duress he went after natural “superfoods” to bring balance back to the body. Three of Hippocrates’ favorite tools to use in times of acute infections, colds, fevers, and flu are garlic, vinegar, and oregano oil. Used for thousands of years, these and many other naturally produced products have worked wonders on even the most devastating forms of infection and disease.

Garlic is a super herb

Garlic is one of nature’s most powerful immune boosting secrets. Garlic contains over 100 biologically active components including allinin, allicin, allinase and other unique sulfur-based compounds. When garlic is crushed or chewed, it forces the allinin and allinase enzymes together, creating a potent chemical reaction that produces allicin and gives garlic its characteristic odor. Allicin and many other sulfur-based compounds act as powerful antibiotic, anti-viral, and anti-fungal agents that have an incredible

immune stimulating effect. Additionally, garlic is also used to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and help prevent/reverse cancer.

Apple cider vinegar

ACV is a fantastic natural antibiotic. ACV contains acetic and malic acid, which destroy bacteria and fungus on contact. The acetic acid also forms acetate compounds in the body that help detoxify the system. Additionally, ACV contains a rich array of alkaline buffering minerals potassium and magnesium. Pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and fungi secrete highly acidic and inflammatory waste products. ACV provides a good source of these critical minerals to help neutralize such waste products and limit their damage inside the body.

Oregano oil

This is an extraordinarily powerful natural antibiotic. In fact, oregano has been found in a recent study to be significantly better than all of the 18 currently used antibiotics in the treatment of MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) staph infections. This super herb is very rich in anti-oxidant phytochemical flavonoids and phenolic acids. It is the third highest herb in oxygen radical absorbency capacity (ORAC). Oregano is one of the world’s greatest sources of the powerful antibiotic phenol component thymol.

Oregano oil has been classically used as a disinfectant, an aid for ear, nose, and throat/respiratory infections, candida, and any sort of bacterial or viral conditions. Additionally, it works to suppress inflammatory mediators and cancer cell production. Oregano oil is more potent than the dried herb; however, the dried version still contains many powerful health benefits.

Healthy lifestyle is key

Many people misuse natural health solutions and think of them as medicinals that help to cover up the damage done by a poor lifestyle full of stress and bad living habits. But all the herbs in the world will not make up for the damage caused by poor lifestyle. They are merely meant to help the body adapt to the increased stresses that certain seasons provide. Better living through a healthy lifestyle is the best solution. Below are some tips to help you

Rosie Main is a chiropractor, USA team doctor and a Maximized Living doctor. She owns Main Health Solutions at 2300 W. Everest Lane, Suite 175, in Meridian. She may be reached at 859-6170 or rjmaindc@yahoo.com. For more information, visit MaximizedLivingDrMain.com.

Health tips

1) Use freshly crushed garlic in meat products, salads, soups, etc. If you tend to have lower blood pressure, do not use excessive amounts of garlic.

2) Put a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink throughout the day. Fresh squeezed lemon and lime work great as well.

3) Use dried oregano on meats, salads, steamed veggies, and grain dishes.

4) Put a dash of oil of oregano on the tip of your nose and ear during times of infection. Additionally, you can take two small drops in water and drink throughout the day. n

Sources for this article include: http://www.bodiempowerment.com/boost-your-immune-system/ https://drjockers.com/2012/04/the-immune-boosting-power-of-garlic/ http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2012/07/alkalizing-health-benefits-of-oregano.html http://www.flaviliciousfitness.com/blog/2014/01/03/benefit-of-apple-cider-vinegar/ http://rawnut.wordpress.com/blog/