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NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2016
Paige
FC A’s
Ken Lewis Service through sports
Hensel Star in the making
Skip Hall Gridiron lessons
Teen
Renovation They don’t do boring
Real Man’s
Toolbox
Humanity’s greatest Warrior
Fellowship of Christian Athletes leaders shown here, from left, are: Ryan Seals, Western Idaho/Eastern Oregon Area Representative; Ken Lewis, State Director; and Pablo Moreno, Ada/Boise County Area Director.
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Contents November / December 2016 Features Scaling Mt. Jefferson: 6 Testing limits Mom Keep Calm:
10
World’s weight:
14
Safe place for mothers Not yours to carry
Bake some cupcakes Paige Hensel:
A star will be born
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” — Psalm 118:8
Columns
8
Consider This: Faith and gratefulness
Real Man’s Toolbox: 12 The greatest Warrior 15 Notes from Home: 13 Gratitude as a tool 18
Cover Story —
Volume 4, Number 6 Publisher Sandy Jones Editor Gaye Bunderson gayeb@sterlingmedialtd.com 208-639-8301 Sales & Marketing Kimberly McMullen kim.bcliving@gmail.com 208-854-8345 • Scott McMurtrey scott.bcliving@gmail.com 208-841-4583 • Sandy Jones boisechristianliving@gmail.com 208-703-7860 Cover Photo Drew Allen Brown Graphic Design Glen Bruderer
FCA’s Ken Lewis:
20
Health: 16 Maximum Debunking
Germ Theory Challenging Faith: Patience and purpose Outdoors with Dougherty: Great time of year Heartbeat: God’s view of the heart
32 Teen Renovation: 22 A place for youth 35 KIDS FIRST!: 24 A theatrical worship experience 37 Change in life: 25 A beautiful certainty Forget lists: 26 Departments Service through sports
Go for love
Home from a mission:
28 5
Struggling with questions
Leadership lessons: Gridiron education
Getting a LIFT:
Beating voices of fear
Grace:
Its influence on hearts
Your Daily Bread: Christmas list with purpose Understanding Relationships: Keeping score?
29 30 36 In Each Edition Corner: 38 4 Publisher’s Love despite divisions
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Contributors Daniel Bobinski, Dan Dougherty, Ann Doupont, RM Drury, Terry Frisk, Dani Grigg, Doug Gross, Skip Hall, Genny Heikka, Leo Hellyer, Janet Lund, Joel Lund, Rosie Main, Gary Meuser, Gary Moore, Pam Strain and Dan Woodworth Distribution Specialists Idaho Distribution Services Website Design SEO Idaho Webmaster 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 2016 by Christian Living Magazine LLC. Christian Living is published every other month and is available in over 600 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 Annual subscriptions available for $10/year. To start your subscription or give one as a gift send your check or money order, along with complete address information, and a phone number to call in case there’s questions about your subscription to Christian Living Magazine LLC, PO Box 867, Meridian, ID 83680. Find us on Facebook Badge
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living
PUBLISHER’S Corner
Despite divisions, remember to be kind For my fellow Christians I believe we often forget that we are called to be “correct.” Correct would be to follow the call Christ Himself placed on our lives in these two commandments. He said Himself: “There is no other commandment greater than these.” There have been many sermons preached through the ages on idolatry – the act or practice of putting something or someone above God in your life. Thus recognizing and emphasizing verse 30 as stated above “and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Christ Himself said this was the greatest commandment, and I believe Sandy Jones, Publisher it’s so. Christian Living Magazine It’s the tumultuous times in which we are By Sandy Jones living that make the second of these “greatest commandments” so difficult. We believe what we believe and I closed my September/October publisher’s corner with this much of our society has become so intolerant of anyone who same scripture and while I make every effort to not be repetidoesn’t agree with them. We debate. We bicker. We condemn. tive, given the current climate in our society today I feel comWe “unfriend” on social media. Some even go so far as to pelled to repeat it. As I watch my own actions, as well as those “unfriend” in real life too – blocking phone numbers and around me, I’ve found myself challenged with the thought email addresses, eliminating any possible contact from the sothat perhaps I get so caught up in being right that I’ve lost called offender. sight of being correct. Being right is, in my mind, proving my This is where being “correct” comes in. Not politically perception to someone else as reality. This might be concerncorrect – but in Christ’s correctness. Let’s face it; sometimes ing topics such as salvation – are the Arminians right, or are finding ourselves wrong is a bitter pill to swallow. And, yes, we the Calvinists? Will there be a rapture? Politics – Republican often find ourselves dealing with those who are more difficult vs. Democrat vs. Independent. Race. Capitalism vs. Socialto love, but we can’t go to church on Sunday and profess our ism. Child rearing. Business practices. Any number of arenas undying allegiance to God the Father while condemning our where most of us have an opinion that we truly believe to be brothers and sisters at the same time. This is contrary to the right. Walk into your local coffee shop, church, post office, teaching of Jesus Himself; and it’s not just stated in the book business, grocery store line – anywhere really – and you often of Mark, but repeated in the books of Luke and Matthew as hear much discussion and debate on many different topics. well. We’re all trying to sell the idea of our view of “right.” As we head into the holidays and walk through this political season with unprecedented divisions on so many fronts in our nation, I challenge you to stop and think about this: “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” What can you do to show love to those around you – even those who are more difficult to love? On a recent Sunday our pastor gave us an assignment, encouraging our congregation to perform at least one random act of kindness for a complete stranger the following week. I love this concept and have tried to practice it daily for years; you just never know, even something as small as holding the door for someone and greeting them with a smile can change their whole day. I truly believe that good deeds, no matter how small, become contagious: as people “pay it forward” their day becomes better, and the lives of those they touch become better. The change we need to see in our society today can happen if we put the love of God in action. Will you please join me in this mission today – to BE the difference we so desperately need? May God bless each and every one of you in the days and weeks to come as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, not just on December 25, but all Introducing our crew - Kim McMullen, Sales; Gaye Bunderson, Editor; Scott year long! n McMurtrey, Sales; Sandy Jones, Publisher (photo, Drew Allen Brown)
“… ‘and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” — Mark 12:30-31 (NASB)
November / December 2016 | Christian Living
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YOUR Daily Bread
Add purpose to your Christmas shopping list By Terry Frisk Christmas is the season of giving. It is a celebration of the gift of salvation that God gave us through the birth of Jesus Christ. The first Christmas gifts were presented to Jesus from the Magi, who gave Him frankincense, gold and myrrh. Christmas is a time to rejoice with family and friends. It is also a time to share with those in need. For many, Christmas is the season of asking instead of the season of giving. Growing up, I remember that any big-ticket item I wanted had to wait until Christmas. It’s when I received my first bicycle, train set, trampoline, walkie talkies and so many other things I thought I needed. This was so aptly exemplified by Ralphie’s plight to get an “Official Red Ryder, carbide action, 200 shot, range model air rifle” in the movie A Christmas Story. Even as an adult, I would find myself exchanging wish lists with family members and mindlessly checking each item off the list as I purchased it. In the end, I found that I was stressed out over the shopping, spent way too much money, and I really did not need the items I received even though they were on my list. Then, I had
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to figure out where to store these treasures. Hmm… sounds like a familiar scripture verse. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Terry Frisk — Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) I suggest approaching Christmas giving with a purpose. Selecting presents that are true to the meaning of Christmas. Here are some shopping ideas: 1. Games that the family can play together. My family experienced many hours of fun playing Uno and Jenga. This brought the family together with a common goal: beat Dad! Continued on Page 9
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living
Ups and downs
A daring adventure on Oregon’s Mt. Jefferson on the rope manipulates the rope to pass his harness knot through The sun was coming up as the the carabiners from below to above crunch of my crampons peneeach one. Information vital to our trated the frozen snow at 10,000 safe crossing. I think God put those feet. We had never been on the guys there for us. glaciated face of any mountain Saturday morning, we moved our before. camp up to 7,200 feet. The clouds Our first real summit attempt. and fog blew in and out throughout Adventure? Oh, yes. Our guide, the day and we had doubts about Eric, got sick and bailed on us at whether the weather was going to about 8,000 feet. He instructed cooperate on Sunday morning. We us to take the kids and go on spent the day there reviewing the up without him, pointing the running belay techniques. way around the left side of the At 1 a.m. there was no wind on “Pearly Gates” route. So with the tent, and all we could see was the confidence that goes with igthe black outline of the mountain norance, adult leader Mark, four against a shower of a billion stars 13-year-old boys and I climbed stretching to the horizons. Light up a steep glacier toward our frost on my pack meant the glacial first summit, Mt. Hood, 11,239 snow would have good traction unft. der our crampons and that the snow The dry, crisp, early morning bridges waiting for us would be air, the dark blue sky surroundmore solid. By 2:30 we were roped ing the white snow summit ridge together and climbing straight up and the sight of Mt. Adams, Jefferson Park Glacier – well, nearly Rainier to the north and the straight up. It took just a little coachice-capped Oregon volcanoes in ing to get our young lead climber the distance to the south, were Derek adjusted to maneuvering all new to us. Every step of our around the smaller crevasses in climb consisted of uncertainty. the dark. As the sky lightened, just Doug Gross descends North Sister in central Oregon. In the background We had stretched ourselves, before sunrise, the glacial reflections gone for it, and snatched success is South Sister. Gross and his family have been actively involved in created virtual daylight. mountain climbing for a number of years, with both young people and from the jaws of inexperience. On the higher slopes of the adults. Said Gross: “Outdoors, you are face-to-face with God on His glacier, around 9,000 feet, there terms, without human interference.” (Courtesy photo) were three really large, horizontal The Ascent crevasses to deal with and the slope That was in 1998. I set a personal goal to climb all 10 of the Cascade Volcanoes over 10,000 angle was increasing from 40 degrees to near 50 degrees. The feet. The last summit on that list was Mt. Jefferson. In August of snow bridges on the lower two crevasses were massive. It was a straight shot up the frozen glacier to negotiate them. Crossing 2003 I made my first attempt at it. I turned around at 9,200 ft. the first snow bridge went smoothly. It was 10 feet wide and very We didn’t want to deal with two huge crevasses that were open deep – perhaps 15 feet thick. The crevasse looked black. Derek the full width of the glacier and 30 to 60 feet wide near the top was crossing the second about the time I got above the first. No of Jefferson Park Glacier. problems. In 2004 I went back a month earlier. This time with 19-yearAs Jeff was crossing the second snow bridge, I saw him old Derek Moser and 33-year-old Jeff Burckhard. On July 9 slip and fall to his belly, slamming his ice ax into the ice. He we hiked the five miles into Jefferson Park and then climbed to struggled back onto his hands and feet and scrambled up the 6,200 feet, where we set up our Friday night camp on a snowremainder of the bridge. I yelled up to him to get going, back on covered bench just below tree line. We heard voices in the trees behind us and found another trio that was headed to the summit his feet and get across. You don’t want to spend any more time than necessary on any snow bridge no matter how substantial it on Saturday. might look. Above him, Derek was moving onto a flatter shoulThese guys turned out to be very important to us for two reasons. First, they had a climbing report from a group that had der, just below the third crevasse. As I approached the second snow bridge, I saw why Jeff successfully climbed on Tuesday. The report shared detailed information about the techniques used to cross the Knife Edge had slipped – rotten snow. This bridge was massive, but there Ridge (KER) above Jefferson Park Glacier. Second, Mark demwas a 6-inch layer of this semi-frozen slush on top – a slippery onstrated to his partners and us how the “Running Belay” would slope. Even though I was on guard, I too slipped onto my belly work in the steep rocks of the KER and how the middle-man and arrested myself without more than a foot of vertical lost. By Doug Gross
November / December 2016 | Christian Living
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Nevertheless, the words “Oh crap!”, or something like that, went through my mind. I prayed. I got to my hands and feet and scrambled off that bridge in a moderate panic. With one more major crevasse crossing and a steep headwall section ahead, we traversed from left to right about 300 feet to the far right edge of the glacier, then made a 90 degree turn up the final snow bridge and began the steepest part of the climb: 50 feet of rock hard ice, very steep. We slammed the ice ax, kicked in just two steps, and repeated the procedure for 20 minutes until all three of us were safe in the col (saddle) above the headwall. We paused to take in the sunrise on the northeast side. Looking back down the glacier, there were four or five rope teams negotiating various parts of what we had just conquered. We were feeling good. Derek had done a great job of leading, Jeff was solid, and I was feeling strong. Our next challenge was waiting for us – that Knife Edge Ridge. This isn’t a steep climb, but a long, uphill traverse along the side of a steep, bouldery side hill. As you cross with your crampons on, you’re holding onto the rocks with your hands roped together, the rope anchored to rocks with webbing. We gave Derek six loops of webbing with carabiners attached. As Derek made his way up through the rocks, he would place the webbing around rocks and clip our rope in. Jeff struggled a little passing his harness knot through the carabiners as he came to each one, but he did it successfully. I draped the webbing and hardware across my shoulders as I picked up each one at the rear. When Derek ran out of slings, I caught up with Jeff in a safe place, Derek moved down below us a little and we slid the webbing slings back down the rope to him. When we finished the KER, we were glad to be done with it. It was steep and scary because every time you look over your shoulder all you can see is air for a few hundred feet below you. You can get used to it, but you always respect it. We moved on to the summit pinnacle, 400 vertical feet of loose plates of rock that slide across each other just like slabs of slate. Using the the ice ax to hold us on the mountain face, we scrambled up the steep, icy shoot leading to the top. The last 50 feet was more rock scrambling, similar to the KER, so we said thanks but no thanks and called it good. It was about 9:30 a.m. when we summited and started down – sunny blue skies, light breezes.
Descent to the Tent
Each of us rappelled down the top 80 feet from the summit. We climbed down the remainder of the gulley backwards, to the bottom of the pinnacle, whacking the ice ax in for protection, then stepping down, until we reached the lower angled terrain below.
From there we followed Derek down snow slopes heading back toward our high camp – or so we thought. We were tired as usual, just like everyone else on the descent. I was watching Derek and focusing on the safety of the route rather than the direction. After a couple of hours of descending, we realized we’d missed the turn that would have taken us down Russell Glacier and directly toward our camp. We used map, compass and altimeter to roughly locate ourselves, another “oh crap” moment. We were seriously off route – about 2 or 3 miles south off route. We watched the altimeter closely. The one thing we weren’t about to do was drop down below 7,200 feet, our high camp elevation. Cell phones notified our families. We had fun. We did some fantastic glissading (sliding on our butts). Unfortunately, it took us west instead of northwest. We started the long traverse around the mountain. This was a very slow process because there was so little good footing. Around 5 p.m., we stopped to melt snow for water and eat. Around 8 p.m., we came to a steep, avalanche-prone slope. We climbed up about 150 feet and, looking north, found ourselves faced with two glaciers separated by a low ridge, our little yellow tent visible about a mile away. We rappelled over a steep lip. Cautiously, we made our way across the Russell Glacier without incident and scrambled over the low ridge to where we could see the remaining approach to our camp. But now, we couldn’t see the tent. The sun went down; headlamps on, we crossed Jefferson Park Glacier, the last one, aiming at 7,200 feet/tent elevation. We searched up and down, over and across in the dark. We knew we were close, but we couldn’t find our tent. “Oh crap.” I prayed! It was 11:30 p.m. We’d been going for 23½ hours. We decided to bivouac and look for the tent in the morning. We cleared a flat spot in some rocks. Jeff took the emergency sleeping bag. Derek and I used our down jackets and emergency bivy bags. At 5 a.m. we woke up and I found the tent a mere 40 yards from us, nestled in a bit of a hollow, out of view. Inside our tent, our sleeping pads felt like the best bed in the world. We slept for an hour, made a hot breakfast, broke camp in the wind and came home a little tired but no worse for wear. I like what Helen Keller said: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” Life is always going to have its “opportunities.” It’s how you deal with them that counts. Yep, we make a few errors, and we pray our way through those “oh crap” moments. Life is an adventure waiting to be lived. Get going! Even God can’t steer a parked car. n Doug and Cam Gross are nutritional advisers with Advocare. You may reach them at www.meetdougandcam.com or call (208) 890-9495.
Exp. Dec. 31, 2016
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living
CONSIDER This
Feeling grateful is grounded in faith life to the dead and calls into being the things that do not exist. Our Living Loving Lord did not only hope and wish light would appear, He spoke those words of During this Thanksgiving and Christmas Spirit and Life in Genesis 1:3: Let there be light and there season I want to share my story about feeling was light. grateful in every moment of every day all year What we say in the context of our culture many long. That’s right. All day every day. times is: “I really don’t like this darkness. I wish light Please don’t misunderstand me. I am grateful would come.” And then we wonder why we feel for this time of year, but I believe our Living frustrated and upset. Loving Lord deeply desires for us to feel grateUnless we speak words “out loud” that produce ful all the time. Spirit and Life, nothing will happen. “When” we Let me explain my story. I believe it will speak words of Spirit and Life, those words will beencourage and strengthen you and transform come reality just like light became reality “when” our you to be all you were created to be. A few Gracious God spoke those words. years ago as I was praying, I began to intensely We are created in the image of our Gracious Givseek our Living Loving Lord about the power Dan Woodworth ing God. He deeply desires for us to live the way of our words that we speak. I discovered that He created us. He created us to speak and then feel our subconscious minds believe everything our rather than speaking what we feel. mouths speak. The culture of our country has crept into much of the Church The Living Word of God reveals the power of our words in in America. I remember Demos Shakarian, the founder of Full Proverbs 18:21 in the Hebrew text: Death and life are in the power of Gospel Businessmen, always saying that Christians should be the the tongue and those who have affection for it will eat its fruit. happiest people on earth! Dr. Christine Leif has validated that this verse is true in her Many believers are distressed and depressed because of the research of the human brain. She has proven that healing words words of death that they speak. I often hear, “I am really burned will heal our brains by creating new brain cells and new healing out with all these trials. I wish I had a different life. I hate my job. I pathways. She also discovered that hurting words will hurt our wish I could have this or that. Then I would be happy.” brains. If we repeat healing words over and over, those words will Think of Abraham. He could have said, “I will never have a actually become flesh. A few years ago, I decided to try an experiment. I thought that if child. Every day and every year that goes by reduces my chances said, “I feel grateful!” every time someone asked how I was doing, I of having a child. I am so discouraged. I’m too old. It will never would be transformed and feel grateful all the time. When I started happen.” Instead: Hoping against hope, Abraham believed that he would become saying these words, many times I felt awkward and hypocritical the father of many nations according to what had been spoken “So will your because I did not feel grateful. descendents be.” Not being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead I kept saying these transforming words for about three months every time someone asked me how I was doing. Notice I responded (since he was about a hundred years old), and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver in unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthwith the word “feeling” instead of “doing.” We are feeling beings ened in faith, giving glory to God, fully convinced that what God had promised, who do, not doing beings who feel. He was also able to do. (Romans 4:18-21 – Greek) Then one day I realized I felt grateful every time someone asked Many times a day I can hear Abraham speaking, “I will be the fahow I was doing. I was amazed at the miracle transformation that ther of many nations.” Over and over and over for 25 years. It looked had happened in my life. impossible. It looked hopeless. He could have easily given up. But I You see, before that time, I felt ungrateful most of the time. can hear him speaking, “I feel grateful all the time!” Because of many traumas I had experienced, I had developed a How was he strengthened in faith? By speaking, “I feel grateful!” “stinkin thinkin” attitude. My typical response was “I feel down or How do I know? Because our Living Loving Lord is not a discouraged or sick or….” In other words, I was speaking words of respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). If He fulfilled His promise to death because most of time I felt that way. Abraham, He will fulfill His promises to us. Through this transformation, our Living Loving Lord revealed What is His promise? this truth to me. Our culture in our country, and in most of our Rejoice at all times! Pray without ceasing! Give thanks in everything! For this churches, believes and practices that we say what we feel based is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus! upon circumstances and not on Christ. For example, if we experiHAPPY THANKSGIVING AND MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL DAY ence a negative feeling of a circumstance, we speak what we feel. Our perception may be, “I don’t feel grateful and I can hardly wait EVERY DAY ALL YEAR LONG! n to get off work so I can feel grateful.” That is not true gratefulness. Dr. Dan Woodworth earned his Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree In other words, I will feel grateful “when” or “if.” I have heard from the King’s University in Los Angeles in 2009. His passion is to checkers at stores respond to my response of “I feel grateful” with encourage and empower people with the transforming power of hope and their “I’ll feel grateful in 15 minutes when I can go home.” healing to become all they are created to be. He and his beautiful bride, Truly feeling grateful does not depend and cannot depend on Irene, have planted three churches. They are in the process of creating a circumstances. It is dependent on faith in Christ! Listen to His healing words of Spirit and Life in Romans 4:17 in cross/cultural, cross/generational healing community solving pressing problems in Boise and beyond. He may be reached at dan@danwoodthe Greek: As it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations.” He is our father, in the presence of God in whom he believed, the God who gives worth.org. By Dan Woodworth
November / December 2016 | Christian Living
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Frisk
Continued from page 5
debt in order to celebrate Christmas. It is better to give items that are close to the recipient’s heart, not the hottest gadget that is being pushed by retailers. In addition to gifts for friends and family, give to those less fortunate. Allocate a portion of your Christmas budget toward filling a need. Your church will support a number of charities with your donations of cash, food, clothing or other items of need. Also, consider giving your time to participate in a charity’s activities. You are not only helping others, but you share in the fellowship of other volunteers and those receiving the charity’s benefits. It is a very uplifting experience. Build your heavenly treasures this Christmas by giving from your heart. Share your love for your friends and family with meaningful gifts that express your feelings for them. Also, remember it is a time to share with those in need. You will be blessed with the joy of experiencing a spiritually rewarding Christmas. Have a joyous Christmas and pray for peace. 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.
11/12-16
2. Supplies for the recipient’s favorite creative outlet. People at all ages have an interest or hobby and always need the necessary components, such as paint brushes for the artist, model car kits, Legos, or fly tying materials for the fisherman. I find that nurturing my creative side brings me closer to God. 3. Donate to the recipient’s favorite charity. Many charities have online auctions to raise funds. Buy something through the auction and present it to him or her. This provides the double impact of receiving a gift, but also the individual’s charity benefits from the gift. 4. Make something. Your recipient will appreciate your effort. Several years ago, my mother made denim quilts for the family. This is one of my most cherished gifts that I use to this day. 5. An activity to spend time together. One year, I gave each family member a ticket to an upcoming sporting event. It was an opportunity to come together again and share a fun experience. Several years later, we still talk about the event. Note that these items do not cost a lot of money, but can have a big impact on the recipient. You do not have to spend large amounts of money and go into
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living
God’s slow-cooker surprise
And I thought childbirth was difficult By Janet Lund Tears would not stop running down my face. When they finally did, all I could do was stare at the wall. The pain in my heart was unbearable. I was a mama bear missing her cub. She had just moved out of the house to start her freshman year in college. Thinking about anything but her was difficult. My life the past 19 years had been dedicated to being her mom. Who was I without her? But this wasn’t the first time. No, no. I remember the first big change was when she started preschool. Oh, the tears. Janet Lund Then, I got teary when she started kindergarten because of what it represented. Now we were on the cusp of her going to school all day, every day of the work week. Well, I even survived the big change of her going to school ALL day 5 days a week. That’s when I started volunteering a lot and occasionally eating lunch with her and her friends at school. And I did start working myself, only part time, so I would be available for my daughter after school. Entering the teenage zone of middle school and high school were very scary steps. I knew there would be many internal changes for her. Hormones and a whole new variety of emotions she had never experienced before, these were certain. Oh, yes, and then all the new external more-lifechanging challenges like peer pressure, drugs and sex, to name a few. We made it through it all. Not an easy journey for many reasons, but we had made it. But that was then. Now, having her gone 7 days a week, for weeks at a time, away at college? It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. Our only child was gone. My husband and I, in the midst of missing our daughter, did our best to comfort each other while we carried our own pain of missing her. We did, and continue to do pretty well at striving to, make each other smile every day. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve talked. We also managed to watch 5 seasons of “Downton Abbey” by the time she moved back in for the summer. But I digress. When Christmas break came, we were overjoyed! We had her home for almost a month.
And Then… We Had To Let Her Go Again I had moments in January when I thought that I just couldn’t take the pain of having her come back, just to leave again. It felt like someone had pulled the emotional rug right out from under us again. After a while, with the help of my hubby, I discovered the reason my daughter moving out of the house was so intensely painful. It was because we were so close. Joel and I
10 November / December 2016 | Christian Living
both have a wonderfully close relationship with our daughter. Even as a teen she still actually liked us. Even more surprising was she still liked me… her MOM! As you may know, the relationship between mothers and daughters can be one of the most volatile relationships in a family. A teen daughter pushes away from her mother as she tries to find her own identity. It’s natural. In some cases, it can become terribly painful and extreme. So the fact that we had a close relationship was really something! I found some comfort in that. Now, our relationship during her teen years wasn’t fancy free, by any means. I learned from many mistakes along the way. Note to self, do not clean schmutz off her face in public… and not really in private either. There were many circumstances where I did a less-than-glorious job. There were two that especially created friction. Asking too many questions right when I picked her up after school. And trying to calm her down when she just needed to let her feelings out, before she could step back and take a look at them. But I learned from my mistakes and changed how I interacted with her. In doing so, we not only survived her teen years (she just turned 20) but we are closer than ever.
Mama On A Mission
Sadly, though, from my years as a youth minister, I knew that not every mom could say that. I wanted to help change that. So, instead of crying all the time missing my sweet girl, I chose to redirect my energy into something more purposeful. This past year, I took my then 19 years of experience raising a daughter and combined it with my 11 years doing youth ministry and created a program just for moms. This program’s purpose is to empower moms, by giving them the tools needed to nurture a close, healthy, loving relationship with their teen daughter. To gain even more insight into the present lives of moms and their teens, I created a survey. I sent it out to gather feedback from moms right in the middle of raising teen girls. The results of the survey brought me to tears. Some moms were counting the days until their teen moved out because life was unbearable. It was so sad to realize that moms were crying when their children moved out, not because they would miss them, but because they would be relieved. Their relationships were that volatile. This information magnified the importance of making an amazing program to help moms and their daughters reconnect in love and harmony. So, I spent the rest of my daughter’s freshman year of college creating a program that would empower moms of teen daughters to nurture their relationship into one that
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bloomed into something beautiful. A relationship where they would have a happier, healthier journey together, communicating clearly with each other in love. I call this program The Neutral Zone. No mom should have to feel alone in the journey of raising her daughter. As a result, I created an organization called Mom Keep Calm. We have a Facebook page at facebook. com/momkeepcalm/ and website momkeepcalm. com. Both provide relational tools, daily words of support, and possibly a chuckle or two to help moms raising both sons and daughters to get through the day. They will also have access to soul-nurturing songs I have written about being a mom, the wackiness of family, and the value of Mothers and daughters can have strained relationships, very loving ones, or both. Janet Lund launched a program called Mom friendship (with bonus songs Keep Calm to help moms work through the issues involved in motherhood. (Pixaby photo) about coffee). All important things to moms! cheering them on. I’m sure God had a lot of Mom Keep Calm and Listen On. n fun slow-cooking this program throughout my life. After years of writing a variety of songs, I now know at least part Janet Lund is a relationship coach specializing in nurturing amazing of what God’s plan has been for me. My music, my journey bonds between moms and their pre-teen daughters. She is a singer-songwith my daughter, and my experience working with moms writer who has spoken and performed in Canada, the United States and and daughters over the years are coming together. Mom Norway. Follow her on Facebook/Janet Lund Music, and preview her Keep Calm is a safe place for moms (and aunts, grandmas, music. guardians) to find respite, nurturing, and fellow moms NEW 2016 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 LT
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 11
REAL Man’s Toolbox
Fighting alongside ‘humanity’s greatest Warrior’ By Leo Hellyer As men we spend much of our lives searching. We search for significance, meaning, love, satisfaction, companionship, and a close relationship with God, and hopefully not in that order. As we enter the final stages of a very divisive election year, we are searching for answers from God concerning the future of our great nation. As Christian men, every day we should be striving to become more and more Christlike. For this column I want to address a different area of Real Man’s Toolbox. Leo Hellyer We are going to look at Christian men needing to step up to the plate and come to the realization that each of us is in the middle of a time of spiritual warfare. Many of us served our nation in the armed forces, and did so valiantly. The battle that we are in right now is a much different type of battle, a battle for the spiritual well-being of our nation as a whole, and our families in particular. Please don’t freak out, keep reading — I am not going into a political discussion of who you should vote (or have voted) for or against. You need to make that decision on your own, after seeking God’s guidance. John McDougall is a U.S. Army chaplain who served this nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. He wasn’t just your average Army soldier; he served in Army Airborne and Ranger units. He knows what combat is like. John wrote a fantastic book that sheds a completely different and significant light on our Lord, and in turn what we should be doing to be more Christlike every day. John wrote a book titled, “Jesus was an Airborne Ranger.” In the beginning of his book he says, “You may not realize this, but someone fights in front of you and beside you — humanity’s greatest Warrior — and He is calling you to join Him in fulfilling history’s greatest mission.” No matter what fight, what spiritual warfare you are facing, the Warrior Christ is right there with you. In this election year, both of the candidates are trying to tell us how they are the most qualified to be our Commander in Chief. Let me clarify something, for the spiritual warfare that we are facing, Jesus Christ needs to be our Commander in Chief. He is the only one that I can confidently say will be with us in every battle that we face. Chaplain McDougall also says that,
“Following Jesus is about so much more than a choice we’ve made, or a way of life we aspire to. Jesus has passed his authority to you and me for a specific mission — to finish the work He began.” Men of God, we have a mission to accomplish. Wherever you are in this world, whatever your circle of influence, we have been recruited into God’s Army. We are to spread the
12 November / December 2016 | Christian Living
Good News, we are to be the light in a world of darkness, and we are to carry the banner of Christ into the battle. We cannot sit by quietly and meekly while other influences turn our society into what they want. We need to be seen, heard, and respected. We must realize that we do not accomplish any of this in our own strength. If we are to succeed in our mission, we must receive our direction, focus, motivation and strength from God Almighty. Jesus Christ is with us in every battle we face. Chaplain McDougall shares a couple of Christ’s promises to us: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20 “Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy.” — Ephesians 6:13 Men, we have a great responsibility right now that will greatly impact our nation and our loved ones, as well as generations to come. If you are concerned about things you are seeing happen around you, or if you are concerned about the rhetoric you hear every day, you have a duty to step up and be seen, heard, and felt. Now is not the time to sit back in your secure “man cave” and think that someone else will do it. Now is the time to remember the old hymn, “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Pick up the cross of Christ and continue the fight. Near the end of his book, John McDougall states, “I am eager for the day when Christ the Conqueror achieves the final victory and soldiers everywhere hear His order to ‘Stand Down’ forever. All conflict will cease at last and we will finally have that long-awaited peace.” I challenge each person who reads this column to be seen, heard, and felt. When you hear people discussing the state of affairs in our nation, participate in the discussion. Ask God to give you the words, thoughts and actions that He wants you to express. One battle that each of us needs to be willing to fight the good fight in is the ballot box. Whenever you are given the opportunity, make sure you show up for the battle. Make sure that you are heard and felt by voting as God leads you. In 1 Timothy 2:2 we read that we are to pray for “Kings and all who are in authority.” We must pray for our leaders: national, state and local. We must pray for them whether we voted for them or not. Whoever is in a position of authority is there only because God allowed that person to be in that position for this season of time. PRAY, PARTICIPATE, FIGHT! I pray that God will bless you and the United States of America. n Leo Hellyer is a non-staff pastor with a local church and has been married to his wife, Norma, for 43 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 Real Man’s Toolbox, or need other assistance, Leo may be reached at (208) 344-1357.
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NOTES from Home
Looking at gratitude as a useful tool know how to feel it. You cast your mind around for things to be grateful for, say a little thank you in your heart, and there it is: You feel grateful. It’s the Thanksgiving season! If you catch a glimpse of a friend’s super sparLast year around this time, I wrote kly diamond ring and feel jealousy tapping on about how to fit more food in your your shoulder, you can say no to jealousy. Think belly. That was valuable information, of things in your life that bring you comfort I know, but this year I’ve moved on to — your bed? Netflix? your sticker collection? thinking about something predictable — and say thank you for them. yet profound: Gratitude. If you mess up at work and feel humiliation How much more can be written set in, you can toss out that uninvited feeling. about gratitude than what has already Think of people you love — your kids? your been written? Especially in November? babysitter? your therapist? — and say thank you Probably nothing, but I’m going to for them. write something anyway. Hold onto If you look in the mirror and feel disgust risyour hats. ing, remember gratitude. Thank God for your Maybe you don’t think of gratitude eyes that can see, your ears that can hear, your as a tool, but I’ve started to characterlegs that can walk, your arms that can hug and ize it that way: I’m finding it to be your hands that can mix together all the ingreone of the most useful tools I have for dients for cookies. Thank Him for the sights you building a happy heart. have to see, the sounds you have to hear, the The cool thing about gratitude is it’s earth you have to walk, the people you have to an emotion you can choose to feel. Dani Grigg is a Boise freelance writer, wife and hug and the little scoop of heaven we call the So often our emotions come to us happy mother of two young sons, including Jonah chocolate chip cookie. without our O.K.: fear, self pity, doubt, (in the striped shirt) and Andy. (Courtesy photo) I love hearing my children express gratitude anger, frustration, grief, disgust, jealousy and so many other negative emotions, not to mention excite- in their prayers: “Thank you for everyone in the whole world,” my son says frequently. Or, “Thank you for this wonderful earth.” ment, hope, pleasure, gratification and other positive emotions. “Thank you for all the animals.” “Thank you for our bodies.” Something happens, and the emotion surges. Even, “Thank you for my Legos” or “Thank you for the park.” Gratitude comes in handy when one of those negative emoIt’s all good. It’s all gratitude. It all shoos away the negative tions rears its ugly head. The best way to get rid of it, I think, is emotions, replacing them with an infinitely positive one. to replace it with something better, and gratitude is the perfect So even if you’re on a diet this holiday season, remember to fill candidate. You can’t usually say to yourself, “Nah, that’s enough self-loath- up on gratitude. It’s pretty sweet. n ing. I want to feel joy,” and then feel joy. Same for peace and hope Dani Grigg is a Boise freelance writer, wife and happy mother of two and other good things. young sons, including Jonah (in the striped shirt) and Andy. You can, however, always say, “I want to feel gratitude.” You Dani Grigg
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 13
WEIGHT of the world
Feeling for others without becoming weary By RM Drury
11/12-16
Did you ever have one of those days where you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders? Nothing seems right in your home, in your family, in the world and there is simply nothing you can do about it. It’s hard to power through those kinds of days when all you really want to do is climb back in bed and sleep...thinking maybe when you wake up things will be different. I had one of those days recently. I learned that a dear friend lost her husband to a massive heart attack. I knew her husband, RM Drury and I know that my friend is hurting and I am not there to love, comfort and support her. But God is. If I am honest, even though God is with her, I am still sad. A little later on the same day, I spoke with my son who has been job hunting for a really long time. He finally had a good job locked in, he had a start date, things were good to go and then there was a hiccup in his paperwork and with his cell phone — he missed an important call and the company terminated the hiring process and hired someone else.
Heartbreaking news. When he and I spoke on the phone, we decided God is in this and there is a reason. Acknowledging that God is in control of this situation doesn’t make it any less painful. I am still sad for my son and his family because this didn’t work out for them. Does this mean that I don’t trust God? Does it mean that I have no faith? No. It means I have a heart. A heart that hurts for the people I care about. A heart that feels what they are feeling. I like that! So I did what I always do with my sad heart, I took it to the Savior. I told Him what I was feeling and you know what He said? He said, “I know. I understand. Be still, child, and know that I am God. I am in control and
I have a plan.” In other words: “Rest in Me. I am with you (and your friend and your son). I have you (and your friend and your son) securely in the palm of My hand. Climb on My lap and feel My embrace.” And so, I did. I climbed up onto His lap, and taking a deep breath and releasing it with a sigh, I laid the weight of my world at His feet. Today is a new day. I woke up with the same leftover sadness, but today I was granted a new perspective. I laid in bed looking out the window to see the leaves on the colorful trees blowing gently in the wind. I saw the glorious sun and felt such gratitude it was overwhelming. I wondered, can sadness and gratitude fill a heart at the same time? I suppose it depends on the capacity of the heart. I believe God has given me much heart capacity because I feel so many different things — sometimes all at the same time — so deeply and so passionately, though probably people would never know that. I know many people with this same huge heart capacity, and I love that I am surrounded by them. They are a gift to me, as I hope I am a gift to them. The weight of the world is not mine to bear. Yes, I will be affected by it — I will feel sadness, I will get disgusted, I will feel pain and sorrow — but I have a Savior who knows, who understands, who cares. The weight of the world is not yours to bear either. Do you know my Savior? Let me introduce you...His name is Jesus. He knows. He understands. He cares. Rest in Him. Climb into His lap and feel His embrace. Pour yourself out to Him. Lay the weight of your world at His feet. He invites you to do just that! “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’” — Matthew 11:28 n Roxanne Drury is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired Christian preschool teacher with a Certificate of Achievement in Early Childhood Education from Moorpark College. She is a former insurance executive and trainer. She has served the Lord for over 40 years in a church setting in many capacities, with most of her time spent in children’s ministry. Her heart is sharing God’s Word and its life application through her blog at thatslifemissroxanne.blogspot.com.
14 November / December 2016 | Christian Living
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RECIPES cupcakes Chocolate Peanut Butter Overload Cupcakes By Randy Haylett
1 pk Devils Food cake mix 1 pk peanut butter chips 3/4 c pecans – chopped (opt.) 1 pk chocolate instant pudding (3.9 oz) 1 c sour cream 1/2 c oil 1/4 c water 4 eggs 1 t vanilla frosting Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners. Place 2T of cake mix, chocolate chips and pecans in small bowl. Stir and set aside. Place remaining cake mix, chocolate pudding, sour cream, oil, water, eggs and vanilla in mixing bowl. Mix on low for
Peanut Butter Frosting By Randy Haylett
3-4 T milk 2 t vanilla Cream peanut butter and butter in large mixing bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar, 3T milk, vanilla. Mix on low until well combined; increase speed and mix until fluffy. Add 1T additional milk if needed.
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1 minute, scrape down sides. Increase mixer to medium for 2-3 minutes. Batter should be thick and well blended. Fold in chocolate chips and pecan mixture. Pour batter into cupcake pan. Place in oven. Bake 18-20 minutes. Prepare chocolate frosting and frost. Store cake: Cover for up to 1 week at room temp. or freeze wrapped in foil for up to 6 mos.
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 15
Maximum Health
Are germs the real cause behind sickness? By Rosie Main Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. — Romans 12:2 When it comes to our health, there’s a common belief that we always get sick because of germs. This idea all started in the 1800’s with Louis Pasteur and his Germ Theory, which states that the microbes (e.g., bacteria, virus, fungus, parasite) are the ones directly responsible for causing disease, wherein a specific germ is responsible for each disease. Pas- Rosie Main teur also elaborates the idea that the human body is sterile and free of any germs [1]. With these two ideas in mind, we could conclude that we should never allow microbes to enter the body and we should always eliminate them to keep our system clean and healthy. Otherwise, if we don’t do these things we are doomed to get sick. Being human we fear anything that threatens our life — the list of course includes disease. When germs were first presented in public, it became easier for people to believe that a live, outside invader causes disease, rather than some unknown, mysterious miasma. As more people feared the idea of ‘germ exposure leading to disease,’ the more people accepted the theory as a fact, even though it was full of holes. This resulted in the manipulated and misdirected minds of today’s generation, who are now mostly germ-phobics desperately obsessed to eliminate germs.
It is not actually the germs
Contrary to popular belief, the Germ Theory’s claim that
‘germ exposure equals disease’ is far from truth. Just think about it: if it is the case, why is it that some will get sick and some won’t when exposed to the same virus? And why were there many people who survived the Black Plague? The survivors were actually members of the same families whose other members also got afflicted with the disease. They shared a home, shared meals and were clearly exposed to the same virus; but then that begs the question: why were they immune? The answer to that is Antoine Béchamp’s Terrain Theory, which tells us that it is actually not germs that make us sick, but it is a weak and vulnerable body ecology (or internal environment) that causes us to “get sick.” When our body tissues become weak due to poor health management, that’s when the harmful germs get attracted. Germs seek their natural habitat, which are unhealthy and/or dying tissues and cells. If germs sense that your cellular terrain has been weakened or compromised, they would naturally attack and invade your system to scavenge your unhealthy cells. On the other hand, if your tissues are healthy then there would be no breeding ground for these germs to cause an infection [2]. When germ invasion happens, common symptoms such as fever, headache or rash appear, giving you the misconception that you are “sick” because of the germs. However, this idea is far from the truth. These symptoms are actually just the result of your body’s attempt to heal — an effort made by your immune system to naturally eliminate the infection from the body. As for fever, we get it because the body detoxes itself more efficiently at higher temperatures. It is usually a good sign as it means that the body is responding to fight the infection. Hippocrates once said 2,400 years ago, “Give me fever and I can cure every disease.” He understood that what we call ‘disease’ today in modern medicine, is really the body’s attempt to recover and heal [3].
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Let’s take a look at the “Rats in a Dump” analogy from late chiropractic icon, Dr. Fred Barge. According to him, “If you have a dump, you’ve got rats.” Like rats, germs are attracted to an unhealthy, garbagefilled environment where they can set up camp and multiply in great numbers. When germs make us ill, it is a sign that our body has become a dump due to unhealthy, toxic habits. Little to no physical activity, poor nutritional choices, excess body toxins, stressful emotional states, and poor nervous system coordination are just some of the things that allow our cells to weaken and malfunction, making us more vulnerable to sickness. Unfortunately, the problem of today is that people tend to focus on killing the “rats” (germs) rather than cleaning the “dump” (our internal terrain or bodily environment). ‘Cleanliness’ was taken too far as various strategies were developed to get rid of germs, while we do nothing to correct Kent L Owings Financial Associate 2450 E Gala St., Ste. 120 Meridian, ID 83642 208-559-3049
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[1] Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. Why Louis Pasteur’s Germ Theory Is A Curse. [2] Jeanne Ohm, DC. Shifting The Paradigm: Insight Into The Germ Theory. Pathways to Family Wellness, Issue #36. [3] Tony Isaacs. Louis Pasteur vs. Antoine Bechamp: Know the True Causes of Dis-
Rosie Main owns Main Health Solutions at 2300 W. Everest Lane, Suite 175, in Meridian. She is also the host of Maximized Living Radio on 94.1 The Voice and KIDO 580 AM. She may be reached at (208) 859-6170 or rjmaindc@yahoo.com. For more information, visit MaximizedLivingDrMain.com.
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Is it really the germs?
ease. Natural News Website, 2010.
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Now with the statements above, we can conclude that germs actually do not cause sickness, but the poor terrain that is caused by having a poor lifestyle does. Before we play the blame game, we need to understand that we get constant exposure to thousands of foreign organisms everywhere, all the time. Germs are always found on solid surfaces, on food, and even in the air. If we get sick from this level of exposure (which is really a normal level by the way), it is a sign that we are doing something wrong to our body.
those toxic habits that impair our immune system. A good example would be antibiotics, which we use to kill germs temporarily — but it doesn’t address the issue of your body still being a dump. When the effect of antibiotics wears off, there’s a chance that germs will still be back and you will get recurrent infection. To get rid of germs permanently, all we have to do is remove the thing that is attracting them — get rid of the garbage in your terrain. Maintaining a healthy terrain can only be achievable by practicing a healthy lifestyle. Ronald Glasser, former assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, writes, “It is the body that is the hero, not science, not antibiotics…not machines or new devices.” I always tell my patients, “The Power that made the body, heals the body.” Remember that your state of health is far more important than the germs you encounter, and there is also a big difference between being scared of germs and living a clean life. Remember God did not make junk. He put an amazing ability for the body to heal from the inside out. With His power, adequate sleep, high-quality nutrition, stress management, and a healthy nervous system, we can build our natural defense from germ exposure that is unpreventable. n
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 17
A star will be born
Young singer Paige Hensel has Broadway dreams By Gaye Bunderson Eleven-year-old Paige Hensel of Nampa busted out her first song at age 2: a toddler’s rendition of “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” She’s come a long way since singing about spindly legged bugs climbing water spouts. “She was born with a gift from God,” Chantele Hensel, Paige’s mother, said. “She hummed before she talked.” Paige’s ultimate goal is to perform on Broadway, and at the age of 7 she played the young Cosette in a Music Theatre of Idaho production of “Les Miserables.” “They created a monster,” Chantele said. Her daughter is now hooked on singing and performing. Twice, Paige performed the national anthem at the God and Country Festival held during the summer at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. Among other public appearances, she entertained Simplot family members at a project appreciation dinner and open house for JUMP, or Jack’s Urban Meeting Place, in downtown Boise. One of the songs she performed was “I Hope You Dance” by Christian artist Lee Ann Womack. She enjoys singing songs that glorify God whenever she gets an opportunity. “I just like to sing my love for the Lord,” she said. “Paige has such a strong faith,”said her mother. “I think Christ is using Paige to touch people’s lives and draw them to Him, and that’s what He wants more than anything.” In September of this year, Paige was briefly a girl without a last name. She was in the process of being adopted by her then-stepfather, Michael Hensel. The legal process is now complete and the paperwork signed, making it official — Michael and Paige are father and daughter. After Paige won the 2016 Valley’s Got Talent competition held at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, father and daughter traveled to Portland to make use of Paige’s first-prize win in the junior division: an all-expense-paid trip to BartPro Studios to do a profes-
Paige Hensel, 11, sings Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” with lyrics re-written by Christian artist Kelley Mooney to celebrate Easter, at the 2016 Valley’s Got Talent competition. (Courtesy photo)
18 November / December 2016 | Christian Living
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sional recording. Unbeknownst to Michael, Paige had written a special song just for him and recorded it as he listened. He was moved to tears, said his wife. The first and last verses of the song, titled “Sending Daddy My Way,” are: He was not at my first birthday He did not see my first steps Did not hold me as a baby Cuz God hadn’t found him yet So each night when I kneel And I fold my hands to pray I thank God for the extra time he spent on me Sending Daddy my way. Michael has been battling cancer. Diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2013, he underwent two years of scans that eventually showed the cancer had moved to his pancreas. Doctors removed his pancreas and spleen. “It turned our world upside down financially and emotionally,” said Chantele, who explained the family’s church, Deer Flat Church on Beet Road in Caldwell, was a lifeline to them. Throughout the challenges, Paige continued to sing. She’s in the adult choir at church and sings with the Opera Idaho Children’s Choruses program. The only people who don’t seem interested in her talents, she said, are her three (typical) brothers, Audie, Garrett and Zach. Otherwise, Paige gets
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plenty of attention for her singing, as well for her skills on three instruments — saxophone, guitar and piano. When asked if she’s getting a big ego from the limelight, it’s her mom who speaks up. “We’ve talked about that and prayed. We tell her to use her gifts and talents for God because they came from Him; they’re to be used for Him. I want her to always be humble. She came from a broken place {her mother’s first marriage to Paige’s biological father}. First and foremost, I want my kids to draw near to Christ, both in their successes and their struggles.” Paige could go even further with her musical aspirations, as she has gotten the attention of talent scouts with connections to big-name entertainment companies like Disney. “We wanted her to be a normal little girl,” Chantele said. “We prayed about it, and we realized Paige isn’t a normal 11year-old girl. We spent a lot of time on our knees about it.” She said the talent agents are likely to get the go-ahead to pursue exciting opportunities for Paige, which would mesh with her ultimate dream to perform on Broadway. She’s committed to continue even then to be God’s singer, albeit on a much grander stage. “As parents you are so afraid for your kids, and so want to protect them,” Chantele said. “I don’t know what I did that God blessed me with this child. She’s pretty special.” n “Sending Daddy My Way” was still in the fine-tuning stages with the producer at the time of this interview. When the song becomes available, there will be a link on Paige’s website at paigehensel.com.
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 19
FCA Idaho Director Ken Lewis serves through athletics By Gaye Bunderson
S
ome people are called by God to be ministers, while others are called to be missionaries. Fellowship of Christian Athletes Idaho Director Ken Lewis felt he was called to coach. For 15 years, he worked as a wrestling coach and biology teacher at Kuna High School; it was, at the time, the sweet spot of service for him. “I felt called to make a difference for Him in that world,” Lewis said. Lewis was brought up in a Christian home and had wrestled at Meridian High School and later at Northwest Nazarene University. When his college team visited Panama and Peru, he caught a vision of how sports could be used for the Kingdom. “I had an incredible time. I saw that you can use sports to influence people for Christ. I was using something I loved to
do — wrestling — and combining it with my love for Christ. It was a big adventure,” Lewis said. He got his job at Kuna High in the mid 1990s. “A couple years in, I wanted to be part of something intentional in terms of discipling athletes and showing them the love of Christ. I started looking into the FCA, and we started a Bible study at Kuna High in the fall of 1997. We would meet before school or during
Members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes of North Junior High in Boise gather together following a huddle. Huddles are what the FCA calls its Bible and fellowship programs for young athletes and their coaches. (Courtesy photo)
20 November / December 2016 | Christian Living
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Called to coach lunch,” Lewis said. He became the adviser for Kuna High School’s FCA huddle, as the organization’s Bible studies are called. “We started to grow the Bible study. ... Then I went to FCA Sport Camp in Wyoming in 2001. It’s incredibly impactful as a coach to get encouraged and grow with other coaches. God had called us to be coaches, and we were getting equipped to go back and make a difference on campus,” Lewis said. “For me it was refreshing. The Holy Spirit was validating, ‘This is what I made you to be.’” He faced challenges in bringing his faith into a public school setting. “It was tough being a Christian coach and teacher. You had to find ways to be creative on how you love people. There were divine appointments and opportunities to creatively use biblical truths,” he said. When a crisis happens — 9/11, for instance — everybody wants to pray, he said; but when things are going well, nobody seems interested in praying, or hearing or seeing anyone pray. As a wrestling coach, when an athlete would get hurt, Lewis would use that as an opportunity to pray for and with the athlete. “I could hear His voice telling me to love on people and love on kids and speak life and vision to them. Even in the intensity of competition you can speak life into them,” he said. It was frequently just a matter of encouragement rather than criticism. “God had to teach me how to do this,” he said. “It was a process. Part of that was treating all the athletes the same, whether they were star athletes or were never going to be on varsity or go to state. You need to communicate their value to them, because it’s about them. They’re not a means to a better season. See them the way God sees them. Their identity — and your identity as a coach — is not in the win-loss record.” He admits it was a fine line to walk because the thrill of sports, and the reason for training hard, is victory. Finding a way to participate in athletics and to work toward winning but not be defined at the end of the day by stats and scores required effort. “This was something I had to learn as an athlete and then re-learn as a coach,” Lewis said. For him the answer was integrating his faith with his profession. “Like everything else, sports is about glorifying God,” he said. “I would tell the athletes to give their absolute best. It freed them up. I would say, ‘Don’t worry about the score, just give it your absolute best.’ When you do that, you’re free. It brings back the joy. Jesus gave His absolute best for the Father when He went to the cross.” Throughout the early 2000s, the FCA experienced a revolving door of directors; and for a while after that, it was completely without a director. In 2005, Lewis was approached to serve on the FCA staff. He credits his wife Judy, a teacher at Greenleaf Friends Academy, with encouraging him to accept the position. “She felt the leading to work with the FCA before I did,” said Lewis.
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Fellowship of Christian Athletes Idaho Director Ken Lewis, center, is shown here with FCA Western Idaho Area Representative Ryan Seals, left, and FCA Ada County Director Pablo Moreno. (Courtesy photo)
After serving as Treasure Valley director, he eventually became state director. There are now 55 huddles (or chapters) throughout Idaho. Lewis helps coaches and athletes get their ministries up and running and helps plan all FCA-related events. The 4Cs of the FCA ministry, according to Lewis, include: coaches, campuses, camps and community. FCA membership is open to all athletes in junior high, high school and college and includes Bible studies for coaches at each level of campus-based sports. “Since most of our involvement is on campuses, the community outreach (the fourth C) includes things not tied to a campus,” Lewis said. That encompasses FCAhosted events such as a golf scramble, a couples getaway, and a Famous Idaho Potato Bowl FCA Breakfast*. If there were a D in the 4C ministry, it would stand for donors; Lewis acknowledged that without donor assistance, the FCA would be severely limited in its ability to reach athletes. Though Lewis has taken on administrative tasks and other necessary responsibilities to keep the FCA functioning, he’s never forgotten his first calling. “I spur people on to a personal relationship with Jesus,” he said. n *The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl FCA Breakfast is set for 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 21, at Boise Centre in downtown Boise. Keynote speaker will be Coach Tom Osborne of the University of Nebraska. Players and coaches in the 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will share their testimonies and an “Up Close” reception with Coach Osborne will follow. For more information about this or any other aspect of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, go to www.fcaidaho.org or call (208) 697-1051.
November / December 2016 | Christian Living 21
Teen Renovation
Youth-centered events seek to transform lives By Gaye Bunderson Greg and Sharon Prosch studied hard to learn their ministries. They enrolled in the Vineyard Leadership Institute in Boise and really hit the books. “It’s the hardest thing I ever accomplished,” Sharon said. At the time, she was also caring for a child with health problems that required multiple surgeries; on top of that, the two-year VIL program is intensive. “It’s almost at a graduate level,” Greg said. But both of them made it through. Greg served as marriage ministry pastor at Vineyard Boise, and Sharon served in Vineyard’s youth ministry. The couple met and began dating in high school and have now been married for 31 years; Sharon said she’s been involved with youth for 30 of those years. “I’ve had a passion
for youth ministry since I was 17,” she said. “I made a lifelong commitment to invest in the lives of teens, and I have followed through on that commitment and have never looked back.” Sharon and Greg participated in a program for adults that was geared, among other things, toward helping participants live lives of purpose. The couple was given the go-ahead to write a similar curriculum for youth. “We were given blessing and full rights to use the curriculum however we wanted,” Sharon said. “Over the years, I added and created things, and it looks totally different now. It morphed into what God’s given us — a different vision.” An inaugural program called Teen Renovation was held in 2011; in 2014, the Prosches created Renovation Ministries LLC and began doing their own ongoing Teen Renovation programs, according to Sharon, who said that as of August of
Greg and Sharon Prosch (seated, second and fourth from the left) work with other adult staff members during a five-day training for teens. The idea is help teens understand who they are spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. (Courtesy photo)
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physical and spiritual aspects. “We’re doing everything for God’s glory,” Sharon said. “It’s all from God’s point of view; we explore that there’s a God, and we visit spirituality.” Greg said the low-key, soft sell approach to spirituality is sometimes questioned by pastors or other people in the faith community who want to know if the program is God-centered. “There’s a huge tension for us to navigate, to be evangelistic, to have the kids gain something, while at the same time saying, ‘We’re not shoving it down your throat.’ God’s truth is behind everything we do,” said Greg, explaining that while the youngsters are not being preached at, the adult staff is solidly faith-centered throughout the five-day experience. “The staff is praying and worshipping behind the scenes,” he said. “We call the training room the ‘room of grace.’ We create community as God intended it: with love, acceptance, forgiveness and authenticity. That creates an immense hunger (in the teens) to have that community in their lives, for the rest of their lives.” When the training is over and the teens head home, they are not forgotten. An integral part of the program is called SIT, or Stay In Touch. “We regroup and recap to see how everyone is doing,” said Sharon. They hold 6-8 SIT events a year and four staff trainings.
After praying about it for two years, the couple felt “passionate and at peace” to broaden their outreach and launch Renovation Group Ministries Inc., which was made an official 501(c)3 nonprofit this past February. The ministry will now include Marriage Renovation and Young Adult Renovation. Beginning in 2017, they will hold one Marriage Renovation a year, as well as one Young Adult Renovation for people ages 19-25. (The inaugural Marriage Renovation was held this past October.) “We’re in a season of a sweet spot in our lives,” Sharon said. “A term we use is ‘us-ness’. Over the years, God has laid down a foundation for us to serve out of our ‘us-ness’. I could to it alone, but it’s better with both of us.” n There is a fee to attend each Renovation program. For more information or to register, go to www.renovationgroupministries.org. Contact information is Sharon Prosch at (208) 6315841, info@renovationgroupministries.org or sharon.prosch@teenrenovation.org.
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this year, six Teen Renovation programs had been held, with more than 100 teens participating. Greg works full-time in software development, while Sharon devotes herself unpaid to Renovation. But they have both been actively involved in the fiveday training programs held for young people ages 15-19. So what happens at a Teen Renovation event? “It’s like a sports camp for life skills,” said Greg. “Teen Renovation is for any teens who want to grow in their character,” Sharon said. A Teen Renovation brochure reads in part: “Teen Renovation is a faith-based program, and trainees will be invited to address and explore their thoughts on God and spiritual matters; however, they will not be pressured to conform to any particular view.” The motto of Teen Renovation is, “We Don’t Do Boring.” Through a variety of activities, small and large group breakout sessions, stories, and illustrations, the program seeks to help teens: • Realize their leadership potential • Develop skills to increase confidence and form meaningful relationships • Identify and overcome self-defeating behaviors • Live an “extraordinary and joyfilled” life Greg said the program is comprehensive and covers mental, emotional,
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 23
KIDS FIRST!
Film a live worship experience on camera By Ranny Levy
Introduction
Hillsong: Let Hope Rise captures the on-stage energy and off-stage hearts of the Australiabased band Hillsong United. This film presents an entirely a new motion picture genre: the theatrical worship experience. The film explores Hillsong’s humble beginnings and astonishing rise to prominence as an international church whose songs are sung every Sunday by more than 50 million people worldwide.
Review by Shelby, age 17
Watching Hillsong: Let Hope Rise is one of the most surreal movie-going experiences you will ever have. It’s not a film. It’s not a documentary. It’s a live worship experience being captured on camera. Hillsong United originated in the late 1990s in Hillsong United is a Christian rock band from Australia. The band is featured in a film that is a Sydney, Australia. The band itself is made up of “theatrical worship experience.” (Photo by Hillsong United) faithful members of the Hillsong Church. This for U.S. Christian album sales. Joel says, “This Christian band creates music that not only worfilm isn’t for us. The band isn’t for us. It’s for ships God but also instills hope to their listeners. God.” The band members emphasize that And now, they tour many countries and conthe songs are carefully crafted to express their tinents singing songs of worship targeting the deep feeling of admiration for God. Day in younger generation. and day out, the band devotes all of their time Unlike popular concert films like One Directo finding the perfect sound and lyrics. One tion: This is Us and Katy Perry: Part of Me, it is not song could take months or even longer to be filled with costume changes and performances. completely finished. That also means months The purpose is to discuss the process of creating and months away from their loved ones. music that is truly meaningful. Many of their Music is one of the most powerful creations popular songs are featured in the film and have known to man. It is beautiful to observe these lyrics at the bottom of the screen to encourage concert-goers really receiving music and allowthe audience to sing along. ing it to affect them. I found myself shedding a You may recognize Michael John Warren few tears because it is so moving. This film is so (director) from his other films like Shrek the Musi- Shelby personal and I felt like I was among the 30,000 cal, Rent: Filmed On Broadway, Drake: Better Than people at their annual conference. Good Enough and Nicki Minaj: My Time Now. Warren digs deeper The most important lesson you can take away from this film by interviewing band members, Senior Pastor Brian Houston is to stay true to who you are and what you believe. I recomand Bobbie Houston. Together, they share how the church has mend this to ages 12 to 18 as well as adults. Although this is transformed their lives and why they value their music so much. a Christian band, I believe that people who are looking for healing, have different beliefs or are music lovers will appreci“We are the biggest band that you don’t know,” Joel Housate the real life stories and how this band’s music is changing ton, band leader and son of Brian Houston, explains. For almost a decade, Hillsong United has been number one and two the world. n HELPING HANDS FIREARMS TRAINING LLC LEO HELLYER - Chief Firearms Instructor
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A beautiful certainty
What to remember when you’re facing change and I marvel at how they’ve flourished through all of this. They’ve learned about being open to new paths and making the most of what life brings. A friend asked me recently how we did (And so have Mike and I.) I listen to them talk it — how we moved our two teenagers about the fun they had at kickball at youth group across states like that, with one going and I think about how our church feels like home. into 8th grade and one going into 10th. I remember the lonely days when we first got here “How did you make it look so easy?” she and how I clung closer to God than I ever have wondered. before, and how I came to know Him in new and It wasn’t easy, I promised her. There deeper ways. I look at the Idaho sunset in our were tears and unknowns and excruciatbackyard and am struck by the colors. And I ing goodbyes. But in all of that, there realize... was God. So there was peace. That’s If we had said no, we would have missed all of not to say I didn’t have any fears; I did. this. How I felt is still fresh in my mind — the Sometimes, in order to see the next thing in our what-ifs looming as we left our friends Genny Heikka lives — and discover more of who we are supposed and family in California to move to to be — we need to pass through waters, or even Idaho. But I was excited too, anticipating whatever was ahead. I remember feeling that us moving was walk through fire. Sometimes change is just God opening a door to an opportunity we don’t see yet. And if we raise all part of a bigger plan. our eyes for a minute and embrace the change in front of There’s peace in knowing that whatever you face, wherever you us — the beautiful certainty that it is — fear fades, peace go, whatever you lose or leave, God is there. comes, and we can take that next step knowing we won’t be Change has a way of pushing us out of our comfort overwhelmed... zone and reminding us how little control we actually have. Change is humbling. But it’s also a beautiful certainty. Nobody Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; goes through life in one straight line, the path perfectly preI have called you by name and you are mine. dictable. Seasons shift and change comes. It can actually be When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; expected, like a birthday or holiday or new pair of shoes for and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; your growing son. when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, It can be embraced too because sometimes change is the and the flame shall not consume you. very thing that helps us grow into who we were meant to beFor I am the Lord your God, come. And that’s where the beauty is. Sometimes, life’s paths the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…– Isaiah 43: 1-3 — especially the ones that seem rugged and unpaved — lead you exactly where you’re supposed to go. Genny Heikka is a Treasure Valley freelance writer, as well as a mom, What if we had said no? author, speaker and coffee lover. Check out her blog at gennyheikka.com or I sometimes wonder that. What if we hadn’t moved?... I connect with her on Twitter at @GennyHeikka. watch my kids laughing with their friends around the fire pit By Genny Heikka
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 25
Being transformed
Living by rule of love, not do-don’t lists to help people know and follow Jesus (Matthew 28). When the rich young ruler asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, it came down to giving up If you’re like most Christians, you’ve been everything and following Christ. That’s it. told a list of do’s and don’ts. The list varies in Getting rid of one’s list of do’s and don’ts can be a different geographic locations and even among difficult thing to do, so I’d like to suggest an alternadifferent denominations, but lists of what it tive behavior to substitute in its place: agape love. takes to be a good Christian are quite comJesus told us that all the law and all the prophets hang mon. Yet consider the idea that making such on the commands of loving the Lord our God with lists puts us in the same boat as the Pharisees all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neigh— or even on par with the ways of the world? bors as ourselves. So if we’re going to have a do’s and Instead, what if we act on the idea that it’s don’ts list, why not make it 1 Corinthians 13:4-7? God’s job to change people’s hearts and acHere’s a simple example of how it can play out. tions, not ours? Not long ago I was talking with an acquaintance of I know this topic may shake strongly held, mine who was telling me about the many burdens he long-standing perspectives. It did mine. But had and all the stress he was experiencing. His stress let’s find a starting point. Let’s assume that you Daniel Bobinski was steadily chipping away at his ability to feel like he believe in salvation through faith in the blood could keep up. of Jesus — that nothing you can do will earn your way to heaven. After listening intently and sympathizing for quite a while, I Can we agree? After all, this is the perspective that separates inquired, “Is it okay if I ask you a personal question?” He said Christianity from all other religions. Every other religion that yes, so I then asked, “How is your relationship with Christ?” He believes in an afterlife requires that a person do something to get replied that he was not a Christian, and that his beliefs aligned there. Christianity is the only religion in which somebody else did more with Buddhism. He told me how church-going people were all the work, and all we have to do is believe. a bit too demanding on how to live his life. I responded by saying So when I witness to someone about Christ and the person dethat Jesus never told us to follow people in the church, but to follow cides to follow Christ, my next thought is simply, “Awesome!” I’m not going to tell them they need to start wearing certain clothes or Him. I knew that Jesus could free him from much of the mental start (or stop) eating certain foods or any other specific behaviors. and emotional burden he was carrying, but it became apparent That’s not my job. That’s the job of the Holy Spirit. Even Jesus he didn’t want to go there. So I applied 1 Corinthians 13. I was trusted the Holy Spirit to convict us. In John 8 he tells the woman patient, kind, and I continued to listen to him. About half an hour accused of adultery to “go and sin no more.” And in John 4 Jesus tells the woman at the well about how to worship the Father — he later I offered to meet up with him for lunch to talk more in the near future. In other words, I tried pointing him to Jesus, but after doesn’t give her a list of things to stop doing even though she’s he declined, I acted in keeping with the definition of love found in living with a man who’s not her husband. The result? The Holy 1 Corinthians. Spirit did the changing and many Samaritans came to follow I realize that some might find it ironic that I’m pointing out Christ. things the Bible tells us to do while advocating that we stop As followers of Christ, we have a basic, fundamental instruckeeping lists of what to do/not do. Yes, I hear you. My point is tion: We are to make disciples. In other words, our instruction is
11/12-16
By Daniel Bobinski
26 November / December 2016 | Christian Living
www.boisechristianliving.com
simply that traditional lists of what to wear/not wear, eat/not eat, read/not read, watch/not watch tend to be manmade. Loving on people according to the list given in 1 Corinthians is actually a direct command from Christ. Perhaps a simple way to categorize all this is with three P’s: Precepts, Principles, and Preferences. Precepts are the bottom line Bible truths that are required according to God’s word. Are you saved by the blood of the Lamb? Yes or no? Being washed by faith in the blood of Jesus is a precept. Principles are not required for salvation, but we are blessed by God for following them. Tithing is one such example.
Finally, Preferences are individual choices made by people. Some prefer dressing up to attend church, others prefer a church that is comfortable with people wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Bottom line, our job is not to turn preferences and principles into precepts. It’s to make disciples, to love God, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. n Daniel Bobinski is the director of Family Experience Ministries (familyexperience.net), and is a popular speaker and trainer at conferences and retreats. Reach him at familyexperience@outlook.com or 208) 375-5048.
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 27
Questions raised by a mission trip to India By Lauren Phillips Editor’s note: From time to time in Christian Living, Lauren Phillips has written about her own and others’ work in the missionary field. In this article, Phillips confronts some of the difficult questions of missions work. I have trouble reconciling things I’ve seen after returning from a mission trip. Even now, months later, I’m wondering what God would have me do with all of it. The things I’ve seen, people I’ve met, and the questions that arise along the way — such as, “How do I live in these seemingly incongruous worlds?” — baffle me. Last fall, after half a world of air travel, and a long, hot drive through village after village in India, my friends and I arrived in the holy city of Varanasi — holy to Hindus — where 1.5 million people, nearly the population of the entire state of Idaho, live. The medical team from Calvary Chapel Boise, with members from northern Idaho, southern California, Oregon, and New York too, arrived at a hospital that agreed to let us treat families and children devastated by AIDS in a secluded wing of their facility. Not many hospitals are willing to do this, but because of the stellar relationship the ministry workers in India have established, we were welcomed. To keep this article short and to the point, I’ve taken excerpts from my journal where I write about the things I see in a day on a mission — like a photograph, a snapshot that helps me remember. “Outside, so many broken people and sick children languishing in the shade of a tree in the heat of an Indian morning, waiting.” “Hundreds of smiles greet us — white teeth flash bright against beautiful brown skin. After a year’s work, we’re finally here.” “A child runs away from a nurse with a needle — one full of life-protecting serum. I laugh; and I want to cry.”
“A doctor’s thoughtful glance with a ‘knowing’ in his eyes — the depth and gravity of what he sees in a child as he smiles into a mother’s anxious face.” “Tears in the eyes of a triage nurse as she takes the history of a young girl — jet lag getting the best of her. ‘I lost my mom and dad a month ago,’ the girl says; her dupatta (traditional Indian scarf) wipes away her tears. They hug.” “The young men I’ve known since they were boys; so many letters have passed between us. Now they’re all grown. I’m proud of their accomplishments; they’re proud to call me Auntie.” “Two sick ministry workers, who need a doctor themselves but refuse to slow because the children they love are much sicker than they.” “A leprous hand, numb feet, attached to empty eyes — hand extended — full of hope.” “‘Holy men’ covered in the dead’s ashes.” “Immense idols stand stone still in the ocean, extending hands that cannot heal, eyes that cannot see, and lips that cannot speak. People bow before them in worship hoping they will be heard.” A day in the life of an American girl in India. Just hours later: “High-heeled shoes on cobblestone streets; Prada behind lit glass; 12th century monuments to God; statues of men pointing heavenward; tourists worship the work of an ancient craftsmen’s hands. Men on horseback poised for war; pictures of women, bronze, gold, blue. Expressions of self adorn an old train station, now famous; revered paintings reveal a confused mind, an eye for island beauty, and the female form both beautiful and grotesque.” “Shoppers shop while travelers gawk in corner cafes. Lovers kiss on the metro, in the museum, on the street, over dinner.” “Against an ancient wall sits a middle-eastern mamma and her three young ones bundled against the cold, hands held out in hope and I’m overwhelmed.” Continued on Page 31
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Leadership lessons
What I learned as a quarterback and coach This truth is often overlooked in business. Many dysfunctional leaders will make the mistake of focusing only on their own responsibilities and treat other team members and their functions as separate. Yet a true leader thinks about all the moving parts of the team, and in doing so is aware of the diverse skill sets needed to get the job done. Individuals with separate skill sets who retain a similar focus are more successful.
By Skip Hall Before becoming a speaker and leadership adviser, I coached college football for 30 years and played quarterback in both high school and college for eight years. That’s 38 years’ worth of sports lessons, which has proved to be a rich repository for lessons in both life and business as well. I often have people ask me what is the most valuable lesson I learned in football. It’s a tough question, and in many ways it’s difficult to answer, but there are three core lessons that stand out. During a portion of my career at the Skip Hall University of Washington, our quarterback was a player named Tom Flick. He lead us to the Rose Bowl in 1981. When he started his professional speaking career, we reconnected and talked through many of these leadership lessons together. I’d like to share them with you.
The importance of inspiration
Nobody can be pushed into success no matter how hard you try. People have to learn to push themselves in order to be truly successful. The will to win comes from within. Success is an inside job. We’ve all heard the old adage about teaching a person to fish versus just giving him a fish. The same applies here. Pushing someone to accomplish a task achieves a short-term goal, but inspiration creates long-term success. Inspiration is a way for leaders to help others win; it is not a leadership goal.
Diverse skills build strong teams
Diversity is a team strength and is important to the success of the team. You wouldn’t want a team full of quarterbacks. You can’t depend on any one player or position to win the game. None of us is as good as all of us. Together we win!
True leadership is about authenticity
What does it mean to be an authentic leader? Authenticity in general can be a tough thing to pin down, even more so in a leadership position. Leading others doesn’t come down to any tricks or tips; it comes down to being real and addressing the task at hand. Just like inspiration doesn’t occur within a vacuum, neither does authenticity. Adopting authenticity is powerful when there are realworld tasks at hand. Authenticity builds trust. One of my favorite quips is the old southern preacher who once said, “If you is who you ain’t, you ain’t who you is. Be who you is, not who you ain’t.” Ultimately, these three lessons — inspiration, diversity and authenticity — have been the most pivotal in my own career and with those I have mentored. I’ve seen these same lessons play out consistently over the years. When you set yourself and your team up for success, that’s when you win the game. The question becomes, will you crumble or will you shine when the pressure is on? As I learned from Tom Landry, the legendary coach of the Dallas Cowboys, how you handle adversity is more important than the adversity itself. n Skill Hall is a former head football coach at Boise State. After a successful, 30-year coaching career with BSU and other college football teams, he transferred his coaching skills to the business arena, serving in multiple leadership roles for more than 15 years with other businesses before launching his own company, Hall & Associates, a financial services firm. He is now an executive coach, senior strategist and professional speaker. He may be reached at www.skipperhall@msn.com or (208) 871-8448
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Keeping score in a relationship? Really? Naw…we don’t do that — do we? The long answer is “yes.” Even though we may not realize it, our “default setting” is to keep score. The problem is that our default way of keeping score causes us issues in our relaGary Moore tionship. One is that it creates a win/lose environment. It’s hard to build understanding and trust when one person feels like a loser in the relationship. Another issue is that our default methods can very easily lead to one spouse developing a sense of entitlement, as in “I’ve done so much, my spouse owes me...” Another is that it ends up having us emphasize the negatives rather than the positives. And then, to compound things, husbands and wives keep score differently. If the relational scores get out of balance — where one spouse feels he or she is giving way more in the relationship than the other — this usually leads to resentment. If this is not recognized and dealt with at this level, unresolved resentment leads to bitterness. When it gets to the bitterness level, it is very difficult to resolve. As men, we tend to think in terms of doing a few big things a year to show our wives that we love and care for them. And, we tend to shun or overlook the “little things” because, to us, they’re just little. In our minds, little things don’t score as many points as big things. However, our wives keep score differently. They tend to score everything the same. To them a candlelight dinner and emptying the dishwasher are scored the same. If we don’t understand that we do actually keep score and that we score differently, we’re going to have issues in our relationship
30 November / December 2016 | Christian Living
that we really don’t need to have. Remember guys, it’s the little acts of kindness done more frequently that will score the points you need, not the infrequent big things. Maybe there’s a whole new way to look at keeping score. Shaunti Feldhahn found, in the research she did for her book, “The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages,” those partners in highly happy marriages do keep score — they just do it differently. Instead of keeping score of what they are giving into the relationship, they keep score of what they “owe” their spouses. Shaunti found that happy spouses keep track of what their mate is giving and what they need as a result, and deliberately try to give back. She found that if you will focus on what you can do to serve your spouse during their busy times, without worrying if they do the same, you’re not only likely to be happier, but you’re also likely to see your spouse’s pattern change over time. Shaunti’s research showed that this approach leads to fostering the virtue of generosity. This goes against our culture that says for you to be happy, you need to watch out for yourself — even in marriage — lest you get taken advantage of. By keeping track of what they “owed” their spouses and giving back, the highly happy couples in her study discovered that the greatest happiness came when they didn’t worry about getting taken advantage of. Dr. Brad Wilcox at the University of Virginia conducted a survey (Survey of Marital Generosity, 2010-2011), which showed that marital generosity is one of the greatest contributing factors to a happy marriage. He defined generosity as being when one partner will simply do nice things for the other, getting nothing in return. Continued on Page 31
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Moore
Continued from page 30 In a survey of 2,230 married men and women with children, Dr. Wilcox found that when he asked people what they did for their spouses (not what their spouses did for them) in four simple areas of “daily generosity” — such as performing small acts of kindness, expressing admiration, expressing respect, and forgiving their spouses for something — the results were overwhelming. The vast majority of those who had high daily generosity were very happy in their marriages, whereas the vast majority of those who weren’t as generous were struggling. Reflect on your relationship. How are you keeping score — negatively or positively? n Gary Moore is currently a part-time staff member at Cloverdale Church of God in charge of Adult Education. He’s served as associate pastor there for the past 11 years. He’s principal of .003 Coaching, providing life coaching, couples’ coaching and business coaching locally and around the country.
Phillips
Continued from page 28 A day in the life of an American girl in Europe. So many things I’ve seen in so short a time and I have no way to reconcile them — and I’m only halfway home! People everywhere seem to be searching and not finding, whether bathing in the Ganges, crossing themselves in the narthex of Notre Dame, or drinking beer at Alive After Five in Downtown Boise, and I’m left to wonder, “God, what do I do with all that you’ve allowed me to see? I live in these worlds, but what do I do, God? Where do I file this away? What am I supposed to say when I get home? How am I to reconcile these things? How can I simply go home and pick up where I left off ? What’s the purpose? I am troubled and saddened by the plight of the people I’ve left behind. There must be more that I can do. I strain in prayer but only hear, ‘Go where I lead you, do what I ask you, and keep loving.’” “There’s no place I’d rather be; I want more of you, God,” I sing. I want to love the unlovable, wrap my arms around the diseased, hold the hand of the mindless, clean up after the sick, lend a hand to build — even if it’s next door or across my street. A pastor often says that as believers, we are to live ‘on mission’ every day, not just across a foreign border. Each day away from the places I’ve been seems to take me farther from their reality, but I don’t want to forget or turn my back on the things and people I’ve seen. I don’t want to remain silent while people grope for God when He’s just a breath away, so I guess that’s why I’ve written this little piece. I suppose, if I look at the threshold of my home as a foreign border, then perhaps, as I step outside, I’ll be one step closer to being less baffled by mission trips. I truly desire to live on mission wherever He leads and continue to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and for all who are destitute, defending the rights of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:8-9), because I believe that is what Jesus would have me do no matter where I find myself. “There’s no place I’d rather be…” n
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CHALLENGING Faith
Why patience and purpose need each other Here in this fragmented world, I still believe In learning how to give love, and how to receive it And I would not be among those who abuse this privilege Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge
By Joel Lund The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Prepare For Rain; The Ten Essential Steps For Creating The Life You Want.
Living Out Your Purpose…
For many of us, life really is good. But we forget that. Our simple daily struggles cloud our vision. Our expectations for more…for easier…for faster…for whatever…get in the way of celebratJoel Lund ing what we already have. There are exceptions, of course. Sometimes those who struggle with major health issues, financial strains, and relational ruin seem to have greater access to genuine thanksgiving for the things they do have. It’s as if the severe pressures they face deepen their appreciation for the good in their lives. Still, the reason we are so often reminded to live with an “attitude of gratitude” is because too often we don’t. Which is why when you finally get so fed up and “tired of… living these unexamined lives” (a line from Don Henley’s “My Thanksgiving”), you must face down the reasons you avoided doing so until that moment. Because there were reasons. And they didn’t just vanish with your decision to start living an examined life. The reasons behind your avoidance come from the expectations you’ve had. Let’s see more of “My Thanksgiving.” Have you noticed that an angry man Can only get so far Until he reconciles the way he thinks things ought to be With the way things are
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Each of us must, at some point, reconcile ourselves to the way things are. The premise of this book is that for far too many people, they allowed their passion to be set aside in favor of something that seemed more acceptable, or compelling, or easy. They chose a path more traveled by. But that path came with a cost. They paid for it with lost time. This is a large group of people, usually well past their thirties. This group includes me. And it likely includes you. Recognizing this reality is simply being honest with ourselves. In that honesty, we may need to stare down some unexamined beliefs about ourselves, about others, even about the world. Most of us live for years with limiting beliefs we maintained without question. Many of those inaccurate beliefs were planted in us when we were very young, extremely impressionable, and naïve enough to believe they were true. Sometimes a person we trusted, without reservation, said something. They pronounced a judgment. They declared a criticism. And in our limited, kid-view-understanding of the world, we absorbed the hurt that came with their declaration. Then we came up with a false belief. However we came to believe it, not enough people ever challenge those beliefs later in their life.
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Taking an active role in changing your beliefs is central to taming your unexamined expectations. Doing so with grace and humility speeds you along the road less traveled. It may even provide the best light for you, as you burn bridges along
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your journey. The bridges you burn might be relational. There may be some people who it would be better for you to distance yourself from. It’s not a cosmic requirement that you suffer the negativity of family and friends who are not supportive of your vision. Creating some distance between you and them doesn’t mean you cast them away. It just means you intentionally stop giving their opinion so much horsepower. The most important bridges you should burn are relational, but they’re not with people. Your relationship with self-doubt, with over-thinking, with seeking approval from others, with limiting beliefs…all of these are absolutely worthy of your setting them on fire. The sooner, the better. The light that radiates in front of you from these burning bridges is brilliant and clear. For every moment of joy Every hour of fear For every winding road that brought me here For every breath, for every day of living This is my Thanksgiving Allow yourself to see that even the fears of your past have brought you down winding roads to where you are today. Yesterday is past. Tomorrow is promise. Today is opportunity. All of your experiences, all of those side paths, all of your joys and fears, all of it now gets poured into your purpose. You are worthy. You are capable. There is a flame inside of you that needs to be put into the world to be seen. Get to work setting aside your limiting beliefs. Let go the fears that have bound you up in the past. Forgive yourself for
allowing these things to hold you back as long as they have. And forgive those whose negative voices impacted you so much when you were young. The best path for you to take is this: believe they meant well. At least, believe they were doing the best they could with what they knew and believed. Humbly accept that there is a chance you didn’t understand them correctly. Even if they were hurtful and you know that was exactly their intention, you do not need to continue to empower their point of view. You can set it aside like a worn-out pair of hiking boots that do nothing but give you blisters. Come to terms with that period in your life. Then move forward. Proverbs tell us that “a man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Pr. 19:11). There are many others seeking the path you’re now on. Lead them. Help them. Patiently. It really is the road less traveled on. But that doesn’t mean you have to travel it alone. Having traveling companions is a fine thing. There will be days when they support you after a misstep or tumble. Other days, you will do the same for them (Rom. 6:6). We are called to live a life of purpose. We are not called to go it alone. Let your light shine as a beacon that others might follow. Let this be your Thanksgiving. n Joel Lund is a certified master coach and business marketing expert. Are you a business owner? Check out his newest enterprise, PurposeDrivenAcademy.com, an online business accelerator. Owners and entrepreneurs using the academy quickly break through to higher revenues, with less work and more fun. Download his (free) simple 10-step guide for living with more purpose and joy: www.prepareforrain.com/ebook.
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CHURCH DIRECTORY NAMPA
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OUTDOORS With Dougherty
A great time of year for life outdoors By Dan Dougherty It’s that time of year again. The harvest moon and autumnal equinox have passed. As I write this, the days are mild and the nights are getting cooler. The leaves are changing into their beautiful fall colors. By the time you read this, the first frost likely will have come already, but right now it is perfect weather for being outdoors, watching Boise State Football, and, of course, new hunting seasons. I love this time of year! As a youth I was a bird hunter. The start of school signaled the first season: hunting doves. It was soon followed by ducks, geese, pheasants, quail, and occasionally chuckars. My dad was my hunting partner. We kept the freezer stocked. Most of our hunts consisted of Dad talking and me listening. I was the quiet one of his four boys. (Hard for my wife to believe!) His words were full of love, guidance, and lessons of life. I can’t remember the topic but coming back from a chukar hunt in the Owyhees I was uncustomarily chatty. Dad did a lot of smiling. Once home, while watching a football game in the living room I overheard my father talking to my mother in the kitchen. He was laughing and telling her of the onesided conversation on the way home. Mom came out of the kitchen and gave me a big hug. Parents can be weird! As a parent myself, I know that’s a fact. The most important value a parent can instill in their children is love. My brother, Pastor Tom, and I have talked about this many times. Sometimes it takes years to understand all the values your parents were trying to teach you. We were not perfect but what kept us out of trouble was that value of love. It kept us from doing things that might cause our parents grief. Every fall before our hunts we had to prepare. We made sure the guns were cleaned, shells acquired, clothes ready, decoys packed, and duck stamps signed. During my last couple years of high school, Dad stopped hunting. I hunted with my friends. Opening day of duck season was like waiting for Christmas. We would get everything ready and go out the night before to secure our special hunting spot. In college, deer hunting became the new passion. Fall hunting in the beautiful mountain outdoors with friends and family was hard to beat. Campfires, tents, good food and company set with a scenic backdrop provided special memories. The planning and preparation were more intense than bird hunting. Every once in a while something would
be forgotten. It was never anything drastically important like clothes or guns. The thought of “bare” hunting without a gun has to make one chuckle. Years ago I hunted several times with a friend, Doug Dodson. Nothing was ever missing. I believe he made lists. Everything was packed, in its place, and ready. That is something as I have gotten older that I found necessary to emulate. I make a boxed check list and mark it off as I go. Sometimes I have to write a special note to remind myself where I put the check list! As I write this, it is time to start preparing that list. The new season starts in a couple of weeks. I have been preparing all summer. With the help of modern technology I have been checking possible hunting sites with trail cams. I have gotten some great pictures. The only problem is once I think I have found a perfect spot, free ranging cattle come and displace the deer and elk. I have one spot still unmolested. My fingers are crossed. If you’re a hunter, I hope you prepared. By the time this is read it will be several weeks into the season. If you are not a hunter, try it. The new season is here. n
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Facing self-doubt
LIFT member learns to keep trekking By Pam Strain What if your greatest fear came true? Mine did while on a 5-night/6-day backpack adventure with my son as the guide. I anticipated this trip for 6 months with heightened exhilaration and fear…fear that out of our group of 13, I would be the weak one, the one who would hold up the group. I feared I’d be “voted off ” the team and left behind on the mountain to die and decay. The trek to the summit was steep and challenging. I was surprised I was able to handle it. I loved how my heavy backpack fit; it barely bothered me. I came to trust the Vibrom soles on my boots; they gripped the granite like Spider-man. I even scaled the “razor” of the summit where there was a steep drop off on either side of me with nothing to break my fall if I were to slip. After I made it to the top, I was tired, scraped and bruised but feeling pretty good about myself.
On our descent, circumstances dramatically shifted. My right knee started hurting. It became so painful that each step down required a calculated mental effort. I forced myself to take every next step, knowing it was going to hurt and wondering if I could possibly damage it further. To find a pace that kept the group together, the guides tried placing different people up front, right behind the lead guide. I found myself in that spot and interpreted it to mean they were “putting the weak, slow one up front.” As we walked down the mountain, I descended into my fear. On our second and final day of descent, my knee pain grew even worse. I kept my eyes fixed on the ground, carefully checking my steps, knowing each one would hurt. These were BIG steps over logs, roots and boulders. While looking carefully down at the trail, and wearing a baseball cap which further impeded my vision, I walked into a low-hanging, overhead log. I hit my head and was knocked flat, my 30plus-pound backpack pulling me down. It didn’t really hurt physically. But what did hurt was my pride. My worst fear was coming to fruition. In my humiliation, I started sobbing.
“I am the weak one. I can’t hack it. I’m holding up the group. No one is as bad at this as me.” So screamed the voices in my head. In this moment — facing my worst fear — I had to choose how I would respond. An onlooker could rationally surmise the “voices” were not true, that I wasn’t truly “weak and incapable.” But fear isn’t rational and I felt it deeply at the time. I had to draw on tools to get me through those moments and miles, to bring me back to mental reality when I’d lost my way. A key part of that was having others come alongside me to encourage me on the journey. Lauren, one of the guides, reminded me of important truths about who I really am, not who my “voices” were telling me I was. And Christina, my daughter-in-law, shared that she was feeling the same fear as I was…I wasn’t alone. They gave me courage to get back up and keep trekking. We all need that kind of encouragement and community. That’s the heart of LIFT. I want you to know who you really are and what you’re truly capable of, too. I want you to hear the truth instead of listening to the negative voices that tell you that you can’t make it through this mountain trek called life. I invite you to walk with me; come to LIFT on January 25 and we’ll journey together. n
More about LIFT
Cutline for Pam Strain & Sign: Pam Strain went on a six-day backpacking trip that included ascending and descending a steep mountain. The adventure caused her to face her nagging self-doubt and the fear she’d be perceived as weak by others in the group. (Courtesy photo)
36 November / December 2016 | Christian Living
Join speakers Pam Strain, Genny Heikka and Kirsten Holmberg on January 25, 2017 from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Ambrose School, 6100 N. Locust Grove Rd. in Meridian. Tickets are $15 for one or $25 for two. Space is limited; register at liftedhigh.org. Bring a friend and make it a girls’ night out. Come for the encouragement and fun. LIFT is suitable for adult women; no childcare will be available. The organization is sponsored by SEARCH, a faith-based organization that provides a safe place for women to come together and explore questions about life and God. Women from all faiths and perspectives are welcome. For more information, email Pam at liveinspiredfearlessthriving@gmail.com.
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Heartbeat
What the Bible reveals about the heart God, our heart thinks and these thoughts at some point mature to a place of willful action. The heart makes a decision to follow through “For the word of God is living and with its own “intentions.” powerful, and sharper than any The human heart has the capacity for undertwo-edged sword, piercing even to standing, knowledge, and wisdom. “I comthe division of soul and spirit, and muned with my heart saying…my heart has of joints and marrow, and is a disunderstood great wisdom and knowledge. And I set cerner of the thoughts and intents my heart to know wisdom and to know madof the heart.” — Hebrews 4:12 ness and folly” (Ecclesiastes 1:16, 17). In this Scripture, as in hundreds of others, the heart is When I first learned that the heart is referenced as being the primary source for wisintelligent, functioning cognitively like the dom and knowledge. King Solomon is the aubrain, and that it even trumps the brain as thor of the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the leading organ in our body, I had to know the Song of Solomon. A study of Solomon’s what the Bible revealed on this subject. I am Gary Meuser writings and life clearly reveal that his heart was convinced that the powerful word of God, key to his great wisdom and understanding. taught to us by the Holy Spirit, will give us the understanding Many great prophets found in the Bible are subjects of necessary to appreciate and understand fully the miracle of a wise heart, and often refer to an understanding and wise the human heart. heart. Daniel has the amazing honor of not having a single In studying the Scriptures we find that God places a high negative thing said concerning him in Scripture. He was a priority on the heart. In our day-to-day life it is one of the chosen vessel of God being mightily used to influence several most referenced terms. It is an amazing fact that the word kings during the captivity of the Israel nation in the land of “heart” is used nearly 1,000 times in the Bible. In the book Babylon. Daniel had a great gift of interpreting dreams, even of Proverbs, which was written to make the young man wise, dreams that others had not shared with him previous to his “heart” is used 93 times, an average of over three times per interpretation. Daniel 10:12 makes one of many references to chapter. Nearly without exception, when the word “heart” heart intelligence. “Do not fear, for from the first day that you is used in the Old Testament, it is the same original Hebrew set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before word. This is also true of its Greek counterpart in the New your God, your words were heard…” Testament. The book of Isaiah also has a great deal to say about the In studying the Bible it is difficult to distinguish between the human heart. This book contains more prophesies about the physical heart and the spiritual heart. This is true because it Messiah than any other Old Testament book. Many scholars is difficult to divide our being into segments and categories. have called it the “Bible in miniature.” This powerful book That is exactly what Hebrews 4:12 is teaching us. In fact, refers to the intelligence of the heart several times. Isaiah there are places in the Old Testament that use the same root word “lehv” 44:18-19 is a great example. “…He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot for the physical and spiritual understand. And no one considers in his heart, nor is there heart. One example is found knowledge or understanding…” in the life of King David’s son Absalom. Joab thrust Christ confirms this by quoting Isaiah Himself. “The three spears into Absalom’s hearts of this people have grown dull…lest they should heart while he was suspend- understand with their hearts and return” (Matthew 13:15). ed from a tree during battle. If God shuts up the heart, there is no hope of gaining apThe Hebrew word used in propriate understanding. A closed heart negates any possible this passage for the physical attainment of knowledge or understanding, most specifically heart is the same term used that of the saving knowledge of Christ. I am aware that this throughout the Old Testament is very strong language, but a thorough study of the Bible to describe a spiritual, emoconfirms its validity. A proper understanding of our heart is tional, or intellectual heart. critical in securing victory in our Christian life. n According to Hebrews 4:12, our spirit and soul are so closely Gary Meuser received his BA degree in Christian education from bound together that only the power Northwest Christian University and MA in clinical psychology from of His word can divide between the Pepperdine University. He and his wife, Carolyn, have five adult children two. Our joints (body) and their lifeand 10 grandchildren. He has served as a pastor, counselor, high school nourishing marrow likewise can only and college teacher and business owner. His current ministry, A Smarter be separated by God’s invincible word. Heart, is the title of his recently published book available at Amazon.com And only God can discern between the and book stores. He is available to speak at church, business and private “thoughts” and “intents” of the heart. gatherings of any size. You may follow his daily devotions on the heart at facebook.com/asmarterheart or email him at garymeuser@gmail.com. Yes, you read it correctly. According to By Gary Meuser
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 37
Grace for the race
God’s imprint on the hearts of believers you, or “grace, mercy and peace” be to you. They Most of us have heard always start with grace as the story of the apostle well as ending with grace. Paul when he asked As you look at each of the Lord three times to these epistles, these letters remove his thorn in the he wrote, you will see this. flesh, and the Lord told It’s interesting to note him that His grace is that the book of Hebrews sufficient for him. How even ends this way. In the could that be, that God’s book of 2 Thessalonians, grace was sufficient for written by Paul, he menPaul? How is it possible tions that this is how he that God’s grace would ends each of his letters. also be sufficient for us in (See 2 Thessalonians Ann Doupont our times of trouble? 3:17-18.) We’ve heard it said that My former counselor, grace is God’s unmerited favor. Some who helped me understand some things people also teach that grace is “God’s in the Bible, told me that everything is Riches at Christ’s Expense.” Although received by grace because Paul always these things might be true, they don’t mentioned it first. As we consider this, clearly define what grace really means. we can see that it is by grace that we are The definition in Strong’s concordance even saved (Ephesians 2:8). makes it clear. It defines grace as being So then, grace is not something we “especially the divine influence on the receive so that we’re able to continue heart, and its reflection in the life, includ- on the same path as we were before we ing gratitude.” This is found in Strong’s are saved. It’s actually the exact oppo#G5485 and is the Greek word “charis” site. Grace, God’s empowerment in our from which we derive the word “charishearts and lives, is what will lead us out matic.” of sin. God’s grace is the divine influence In James 4:6, we can see that the Lord on the heart, the innermost being of a will give us more grace, that He resists person and its reflection in his or her life. the proud but grace is given to the truly First, it will influence our hearts and then humble. That seems to be the need of also be expressed outwardly. Our entire the hour, that of humbling ourselves in lives will change by this influence from God’s sight and receiving more grace, God on our hearts. more of His empowerment to do what’s This is understandably referring to right in His sight. our spiritual heart, not our natural heart Man looks on the outward appearance that pumps blood through our bodies. of things, but God looks on the heart. As God’s grace influences our hearts, (See 1 Samuel 16:7.) He knows our every our entire internal beings, we are then thought and word before we even think empowered to do right. it or speak it. He knows why we do, or Near the beginning of each of Paul’s don’t do, what we do or don’t do. To epistles (except for Hebrews, if he was its whom much is given, much is required author), he says “grace and peace” be to (Luke 12:48). Each of us has been uniquely created to do some specific things. We were born for Miss an issue? a purpose. The first step, understandably, Want to re-read a past article? is to be born again by the Spirit of Jesus Our Past Editions can all be found at: entering into our hearts. But that’s just the beginning of the total soul transforBoiseChristianLiving.com mation that needs to take place. As we take one step at a time, each and “Like” Us on every day, we are changed into His image. It’s no longer playtime on the planet, seeing who can accumulate the most toys www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-Living-Magazine/1406942826234350 and have the most fun. It’s about pleasing By Ann Doupont
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the Father in Heaven like Jesus always did (John 8:29). As we come to the Lord daily, He will show us what to do. As we read the Bible and study it, praying for understanding so that we can apply it to our lives, we are then on the right course for our lives and we are never alone. Jesus said that He would be with us always and that He would never leave us nor forsake us. This can be found in Matthew 28:20 and Hebrews 13:5. He understands the many temptations that come our way. Even Jesus was tempted to sin, but He never did. He was tempted in all points as we are, yet He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). Because of this, we are able to find a way to overcome the temptations that come to us to do evil (1 Corinthians 10:13). God will provide more grace to us if we ask Him for it. He will lead us out of temptation if we will seek Him for it and then follow Him there. All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Yet, we need not continue on that path of constant sinning. As we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Daily, we can come boldly to the throne of grace to find grace and mercy to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). As we confess our sins, and forsake them, we shall have mercy (Proverbs 28:13). His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) but must be appropriated by coming to Him in prayer. He will provide all that we need as we do these things. Yes, His grace surely is sufficient for us as it was also for Paul, but only the humble are able to receive it. As we humble ourselves in His sight, repenting of our pride, all that we need shall be provided by Him (Matthew 6:33). n Ann Doupont is an evangelist and the author of four print books and more than 50 ebooks, all of which are nonfiction inspiration and can be purchased through Amazon. See her Amazon page at amazon.com/author/anndoupont. Ann has known the Lord for 36 years and lives in Boise. Her desire is to share her experience, strength and hope with others that they too might find the freedom she has found through a diligent study of God’s Word coupled with prayer.
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November / December 2016 | Christian Living 39
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