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Contents November / December 2014 “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” — John 1:16
Features Morrison Foundation: 5 Grant helps Kenyan orphans
6
20-somethings:
Searching for truth
Columns 10 Outdoors with
Dougherty: Hunting mentors
14 The Brighter Side: Blessing others
25 Breaking Free: Never alone
Salt & Light:
12
29 Notes from Home:
Warrior Pointe:
16
32 Challenging Faith:
Mark Renick:
18 19
34 Maximum Health:
Catholic radio
Helping veterans Hope director
Howard Pollock: Prison volunteer
Cover Story — Queen Laugh-a-Lot: God’s joy in a costume
20
Katydid & Cally-Lily: 22 Partners in joy
Roamin Road:
Reaching truckers
God’s tests: Not pass/fail
Pastor’s Perspective: Trusting God
26 28
Running with gratitude Getting ready Anti-cancer
36
Marriage Toolbox: End-of-year challenges
38 Consider This:
Lessons from loss
Departments 8
Living Witness: Beating bipolar disorder
24 Christian Businesspeople: Rick Deighton
23 Creativity in the Kitchen: A sweet recipe
30 In Each Edition
Bible translations 31 All have value www.boisechristianliving.com
4
Volume 2, Number 6 Publisher Sandy Jones Editor Gaye Bunderson gayeb@sterlingmedialtd.com 208-639-8301 Sales & Marketing Melva Bade melvab@sterlingmedialtd.com 208-501-9024 • Maria Jones mjones.bcl@gmail.com 208-353-2090 • Sandy Jones boisechristianliving@gmail.com 208-703-7860 Graphic Design Denice King Contributors Dan Bobinski, Carl Boockholdt, Brad Carlson, Dan Dougherty, Dani Grigg, Leo Hellyer, Joel Lund, Rosie Main, Brian Raymond, Angela Strong, Drew Brown, Ligon Duncan and Dan Woodworth Distribution Specialists Doris Evans and Shauna Howard Cover Photo Cy Gilbert Website Design SEO Idaho Webmaster Design Liza Morgan Christian Living is committed to encouraging and instructing individuals in their daily lives by presenting stories of people in the Treasure Valley who are living on a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and who serve as uplifting examples to others. Views expressed in Christian Living do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by Christian Living to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2014 by Christian Living Magazine LLC. Christian Living is published every other month and is available in over 800 locations throughout the Treasure Valley, including most grocery stores, convenience stores, medical waiting areas, and churches. If your church would like additional copies please email us today at boisechristianliving@gmail.com Find us on Facebook Badge
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Publisher’s Corner: On gratitude and love Christian Living | November / December 2014
PUBLISHER’S Corner
A message of gratitude and love of family many who were new to me. As Christmas Day By Sandy Jones approached my excitement grew; Aunt Joyce It’s hard to believe that we are in the final was a wonderful cook, and I could hardly wait chapter of 2014. In the coming weeks we will for Christmas dinner. I was drooling over the honor our veterans, give thanks for family and thought of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and friends, celebrate the birth of Jesus, and welgreen bean casserole — the traditional dishes we come in a New Year! always had for Christmas. I could hardly wait to My husband Steve is a Vietnam Vet, my see what special touches Aunt Joyce would add. brother David, and my brother-in-law Jim are Christmas morning came, and as the hours too, my brother-in-law Tom is a Navy veteran, passed I didn’t smell turkey, I smelled something my Uncle J was a veteran of the Korean War spicier. Imagine my surprise when, after wanderand my nephew Justin is an Iraqi War veteran. ing into the kitchen, I found a huge soup pot on I have many friends who have served, and the stove — full of chili! The Midwest family several who continue to serve. To serve one’s had grown so large, and her time with them country is one of the most selfless acts, and was so precious to Aunt Joyce, that she had long I see it in the brave men and women I know since abandoned the hours of preparation it personally. I’m so proud and grateful to all who Sandy Jones, Publisher takes to put together the traditional turkey dinner, serve or have served; if you or a loved have been, Christian Living Magazine and she had replaced it with her much beloved or are currently, in any branch of our military, homemade chili. I’m not sure where I missed the communicathank you for your service! tion on this meal, as I seemed to be the only one in the house I am blessed by my family and they are so important to me; surprised, and I quickly adapted. It was a wonderful day! but it’s not always blood that makes you a relative — someEveryone stayed at Aunt Joyce’s too. People were sleeping times it’s our faith in God, or working together, neighbors who everywhere! Uncle Keith and Aunt Jerry had come down bond, or service men and women who so closely rely on one from Iowa bringing Grandma and their daughter Mary Ann another. Several years ago, after the passing of our parents, I started hosting holiday meals in our home and included others with them, while Mom’s brother Jewel and his wife Patsy had come up from Joplin with their children. I remember staying who weren’t family by blood or marriage. At first it seemed up half the night visiting with my cousin Randy and his wife odd to my siblings, as Mom had always reserved those times Kelly. These many years later the memories of that trip still for “just family,” but they soon agreed that holidays can be make me smile. about sharing joy and gratitude. Today they often invite some Today most of the senior generation has gone home to be of their friends, who are now our friends too. I remember back to my senior year in high school, Mom and with the Lord. My Aunt Jerry is the only one still with us; she and I visit occasionally by phone. I wouldn’t trade the Dad took me to Missouri and Arkansas to visit their siblings memories made on that trip for anything, or the lessons I for Christmas, and what an eye-opening experience it was for learned while there. I learned that holidays aren’t so much me. While my childhood home had always been full of famabout tradition as much as they are about what you make of ily at any holiday celebration (I’m the youngest of six, and by them. Most importantly, they are about people. Much of the that time all of my brothers and sisters were married and had family that I saw on that trip I had never met, but we bonded children — so there were LOTS of us), our holidays were full instantly. I think in some way that trip helped form who I am of tradition: the traditional holiday meal, singing around the today — it’s why I want our home full of people and love on piano, the kids playing with the Legos, lots of laughter, and the holidays. copious amounts of talking — catching up with each other. As we move on to this year’s holidays, I pray for the peace My Aunt Bertha, Dad’s sister, and her husband lived in a and joy of our Lord Jesus for you, our encouraging readers. small mobile home in Bentonville, Arkansas before anyone I praise God for this opportunity to do His work through the had ever heard of Walmart. My memory of Bentonville is an sharing of Christian Living Magazine with our community. I abandoned gas station, a blinking light at a nearby intersecthank God for the support He’s delivered to me through Gaye, tion, and a little tiny strip mall where we used a pay phone. Aunt Bertha’s sons and their families came for our visit — big, our editor, Denice, our design artist, Liza, our web support, strong young men who played differently than we played. They Melva and Maria, who find the advertisers who make this wrestled IN that little tiny trailer! More than once I thought we all possible, Doris and Shauna, who make sure the magazine gets to you, and the many contributing writers who share would tip over. The love they felt for each other was obvious, but even 35 years later I so vividly remember my heart pound- their faith and stories with us in each and every edition. While God has made it abundantly clear this is where He wants me, ing with fear and excitement as I watched this very different please know how very blessed I am to have this be my mission! interaction than I was used to. I would like to close this time with John 3:16: “For God so We left Arkansas and traveled up to Richmond, Missouri to loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Ben’s house. Aunt Joyce was Mom’s whosoever believeth in Him shall have eternal life.” sister, someone I had never personally met, but I knew from Perhaps not the traditional Christmas verse, but, in my opinthe way Mom spoke of Joyce that she was somebody special. ion, the most poignant one. I hope we don’t get so wrapped Mom came from a bit larger family, many of whom still live up in the ribbons and bows, and that we remember that Jesus in the Midwest, and they all came to Aunt Joyce’s house that is the reason! Christmas. A few of them had traveled out west to Idaho to visit our family, so I knew some of them, but there were God bless!. n
November / December 2014 | Christian Living
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The Morrison Foundation has given $100,000 to help build a school for orphans. Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope (CHHH), a Boise-based nonprofit organization that raises funds for high school tuition and fees for orphans and children from poverty-stricken families in Kenya, will use the funds to purchase a boarding school facility for girls. “The grant will save lives by providing girls with practical skills to break the circle of poverty,” Vincent Muli Kituku, founder and director of CHHH, said. Harry Morrison Foundation president, Justin Wilkerson, said that the contribution “will make the world a little bit better.” The foundation is giving $50,000 up front and the other $50,000 is a contingent grant, to be given after CHHH has raised $1.2 million. Donors have pledged $500,000 of the $1.3 million needed to purchase the eightclassroom school, a dorm that accommodates 220 students, a 52-seat 2013 school bus, completed houses for two teachers, a temporary kitchen and a dining hall, a three-acre sports field, a one-acre garden, hydro-electricity, several water tanks and a borehole. “It is a very developed and great school facility,” said Boisean Judyth Roberts, who visited the school compound last January. The high school will also offer vocational training in computer science, sewing, and Certified Nurses Aid (CNA). “It is important for each child to have a bright future,” Kituku said. “Those who don’t make it to university will have employable skills, thus making it possible for them to have a dependable livelihood.” In Kenya, 75 percent of qualified eighth grade students are unable to join high school due to poverty. The option for poor children is to work as house help, making less than $1.50 a day. “Girls are in danger of forced early marriages, prostitution and dehumanizing cultural/religious practices if they are not in school,” said Kituku. Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope needs to have 50 percent paid by December to start operating the school in January 2015. For more information, go to caringheartsandhandsofhope.org. n
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Morrison Foundation grant funds will help Kenyan orphans
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Christian Living | November / December 2014
TRUTH And 20-somethings
Reaching out to the younger set
Musicians perform during an Engage Truth event. (Courtesy photo)
By Angela Ruth Strong Though recent statistics show that 70 percent of teens involved in a church youth group leave the church within the first two years of high school graduation, many local pastors and ministry leaders have hope for this generation. They offer a variety of opportunities for 20-somethings to get involved and are eager to share stories of life-change from Eagle to Boise State. Regeneration is held at Eagle Christian on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. Led by Associate Pastor Russel Clum and Young Adult Leader Jake Wright, their mission is to “love and serve.” This ministry appeals to the younger generation by offering an industrial/coffee shop vibe during the service, with round tables and special lighting. Wright points out that a big issue with 20-somethings and religion is being judged, so leaders take the extra steps to make everyone feel welcome. For those not comfortable in the larger group, Regeneration offers small groups. “The life happens in their small groups,” according to Clum. These groups like to make a difference in the world by donating to charities or participating in events like Rake-Up Boise. “Twenty-somethings want to live out their faith, not just hear about it.” Pablo Moreno leads Engage Truth at Calvary Chapel Boise on Sundays at 7:30 p.m. This group actually started as a Bible study in a living room 20 years ago for Pastor Bob Caldwell’s daughter, which then grew to over 300 students. They still have Bible studies on the side in small groups. Besides Engage Truth, Calvary offers urban and artsy appeal with a service that meets on Sundays at 7 p.m. downtown at The District, a coffee house. Moreno has a heart for young adults since he was saved at the age of 18. God called him away from a full-ride college scholarship, and he began working with youth as well as traveling overseas. Now he’s married to the worship leader, which he claims to be one of the best things about their ministries.
November / December 2014 | Christian Living
He also prays specific prayers before each service, and is constantly in awe of how God answers. Though he knows the statistics on church fall out, he sees the other side. “The young adults of our community want real spiritual truth, not church agenda or tradition. They crave Jesus.” Closer to the Boise State campus is The Center (for Biblical Studies) run by Bill Pubels. Not only does The Center offer students free tuition for accredited Bible classes like Greek, Hebrew, and Apologetics, but it opens its doors to all kinds of Christian groups ranging from Fellowship of Christian Athletes to Intervarsity. Lunches are also free on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. so that anyone can check them out. “Students are more fed up and hungry than ever,” said Pubels about faith. “And the Christian world view makes the most sense. It has the most intellectual viability in the area of philosophy.” He recently took part in a debate with an atheist on campus, set up by an atheist group. The atheist was declared the winner, but during the debate Pubels asked his opponent what the man would say to a student considering suicide. The other man stated he’d send a suicidal student to a psychologist. Pubels responded that he would tell the student they were created in the image of God and loved and had a purpose. That night at 2 a.m. he received an email from a suicidal girl who wanted to ask more questions. Now that same girl has been known to open up a booth on the campus where she offers students a dollar to tell her their story. They connect, she pays them a dollar, then she offers them hope through the message that saved her life. Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) is also making a difference on campus. Director Billy Morgensen started out as a student, learning to share his faith and being discipled by a staff member; now he’s in his 11th year of working with the program. He thinks that one of the biggest reasons teens leave the church after high school is because first, they might not have understood their faith to begin with, and second, there are thousands of new opportunities to explore and be tempted by.
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With the motto of “win, build, send,” Morgensen not only stays on the campus, but he takes students to retreats, regional conferences, and on mission trips to help out after disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. The group grows primarily through word of mouth and through events like dodgeball tournaments and worship nights. Morgensen meets monthly with leaders of other campus ministries and doesn’t shy away from sharing his faith with anyone. There’s even one Muslim who loves to discuss religion and will kiss the Bible respectfully but refuse to believe that John 3:16 is scripture. He physically starts shaking if asked to read the verse, but because of his connection with Morgensen, the student still attends monthly Cru meetings. There are many more ministries throughout the valley, meeting needs of the next generation — from the service oriented to the artistic to the intellectual. And while the statistics may be grim, every young adult leader agreed that the desire for authenticity is great. The desire for truth is great. n Angela Strong lives in the Treasure Valley with her husband and three kids. They helped inspire her recently published middle-grade novel “The Water Fight Professional.” She is currently working on “The Snowball Fight Professional,” a sequel set for release this November. Find out more about her and her books at angelaruthstrong.com.
A speaker at an Engage Truth program addresses the 20-something crowd with a message geared specifically toward them. (Courtesy photo)
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Christian Living | November / December 2014
LIVING Witness
A struggle with bipolar disorder By Ann Doupont I am a writer. I love to write. It wasn’t always like this for me, but somewhere along the line, it changed and is now my passion — one of them, that is. My number one passion is to please the Father. That’s what Jesus always did, and with Him living in me and never changing, that’s what I also want to do. I started writing, putting words on paper, some time shortly after I was saved. That was in 1989. November 30, to be exact. At that time, I was desperate for help. I didn’t know where to turn or who could really help me. You see, I had been diagnosed with having the medically incurable ailment that is now called bipolar disorder. Back then, they had another name for it. The diagnosis at that time was manic-depression. The first time I was hospitalized for it, it was diagnosed as schizophrenia. I didn’t know that until years later when I was about to publish my book, “God Can Heal Anything!,” and had requested my records from Napa State Hospital in California where I’d been hospitalized on two separate occasions for about two weeks each time. I had tried various drugs in an effort to self-treat the mood swings I had had, taking uppers when feeling low and downers when becoming too high. That went on for many years until my mind finally went tilt, like a pinball machine, no longer being able to handle the many pressures of life. Being raised as a Roman Catholic from birth, I had only heard about Jesus. I had never come to know Him as my Lord and Savior until many years later. I was in my 30s and my former live-in boyfriend had died of an overdose of heroin, and I found him dead early one Sunday morning on the bathroom floor.
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Working on my sobriety through the 12-step programs, I found some help for myself. There were a few people who attended the meetings who were born-again Christians and they shared their faith with others both around the tables and at other times. The one they called “Preacher Larry” seemed rather odd, but also intriguing. I’d never seen anyone like him before.
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Ann Doupont is the author of more than 40 eBooks and four print books, all of which can be found on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/anndoupont. She has lived in Boise for 12 years and is a member of a local church. In addition to writing, she is also an evangelist who has preached at rescue missions, in churches, and wherever else the Holy Spirit has sent her.
November / December 2014 | Christian Living
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(This story is about one woman’s experience. Anyone who is struggling with bipolar disorder and is on medication should not stop taking the medication without a doctor’s permission.) www.boisechristianliving.com
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He was so bold in talking about Jesus that I wanted Him. One night following one of the meetings, I followed Larry in a prayer to ask Jesus to come into my heart, and I was reborn. Larry checked with me in a couple of days to see how serious I had been in my commitment to Christ and he took me to some church services, discipling me for a season. He asked if I had any questions and I said that I had just one. I wanted to know what to do next. He asked if I had a Bible, and I did have one. He simply said to “read it.” At first, I didn’t understand anything I was reading. It was like learning a foreign language. I was on heavy medication for the mental illness and my mind was foggy. Still, I kept on reading. I began to understand some of what I read. A lady minister sent me some verses on faith and on healing, telling me to speak them out loud each day in a personalized way. She had been healed from this same disorder and this was how she had done it. With the help of a Christian psychiatrist, I was weaned off of all psychotropic medication and have never again taken it. I began writing “Dear God” letters as therapy. I wrote to Him as though He was right there with me, telling Him everything, wanting to pour it all out of me. Suddenly, He began speaking to me as I was writing, giving me the answers I needed for the many questions I had had. It was through this practice, and through my studies in the Scriptures, that I began writing many articles and, later, books. I have found that the answers to everything come to us through seeking the Lord. God can do in an instant what man can’t do in a lifetime. In addition to my studies in the Bible, I also radically amended my diet. I studied nutrition and found much help for my health through it. It has taken years for my thoughts to change, to be in accordance with what is written in God’s Word. This renewal of mind happened as I continued to put His Word first-place in my life each day and learned how to apply it to my life. There is no greater life we can live while here on earth than sharing Jesus with others and seeing them accept Him. Understanding 1 Timothy 4:16 helps with this: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” n
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Christian Living | November / December 2014
OUTDOORS With Dougherty
Hunting joke makes mentoring point The lane leading to the house was beautiBy Dan Dougherty ful. Green grass hay fields backdropped by Our life is defined to a certain degree by an evergreen forest stretched before them. the influence others have upon us. It can be Some fenced fields contained the whitish for our betterment or detriment. Fortunately, shapes of Charolais cattle. Wild blackberries God has given us a mind to discern that grew in abundance down the fence rows and which is advantageous from that which may a high fenced area of apple trees and bluebe disastrous. Being imperfect beings, even berry bushes bordered a well kept, picturin seeking God’s guidance, we still mess up. esque barn. As they approached the circle As we experience life and its unpredictability drive of the old farmhouse, several corrals of we need to be aware how others perceive various farm animals lined the road. us. In the 8th chapter of 1st Corinthians, Stopping near the front porch, the pastor Paul warns us about becoming a “stumbling proceeded to the front door as the student block.” remained in the car. The student had a view In reflection I can remember an experiDan Dougherty enjoys almost of the pastor’s back and a complete frontal ence that helps illustrate this point. I was everything related to the outdoors, view of the farmer. He was not close enough visiting my oldest brother, David, shortly including a good joke. to hear with any detail their conversation, but after he left his pastorate in Edmonds, Wash., was quite alarmed at the farmer’s disgruntled appearance. and became the pastor of Hoodview Church of God in At the door the pastor was surprised to learn the farmer Woodburn, Ore. David was an older brother who had a was expecting his visit. After giving quick permission for huge positive influence on this younger brother, especially the pastor’s hunt, the farmer went on to explain he was in athletics, humor, and his love of people. I was the one having a sad day. His dear mule was old, with physical son who followed my father’s love for hunting and fishing. problems, and needed to be “put down.” He could not Knowing this, David retold me a story he had just heard bring himself to pull the trigger. If the pastor would be at a local citywide minister’s meeting representing many kind enough to dispatch his old friend on the way out, he denominations. It goes something like this: There was a young pastor who could do the rest. It would be greatly appreciated. The mule was in a corral by itself along the road. had just recently moved to the area of western Oregon As the pastor approached the car, he could see the look of from the South. He was a hunter and was looking forward concern on the student’s face. He thought, with a conto hunting the large, Roosevelt elk that were numerous in this area. He was a veteran whitetail hunter and was excit- cealed smile, he would have some fun with his friend. With a worried look the student asked how it went. Mustering up ed about the opportunity to hunt the much larger animal. his best acting ability, the pastor responded, “Terrible!” Shortly after becoming the new pastor, a young man In a performance worthy of an Oscar, the pastor constarted to attend his church. He had come to the town to tinued, “That old coot, I’ve never seen such a contrary attend the large state university. Seeing he was alone in a person. I know I shouldn’t be this way but he makes me new area with no friends, the pastor befriended the young mad!” In front of a corral he slammed on his brakes and man. He was especially happy to hear the young student announced, “I can’t take it. I’ve got to do something!” had a gun and liked to hunt. Enjoying the pastor’s friendWith that, he took his gun out of the car, put it on a corship, the student spent many hours each week with him. ral post, and with a perfectly placed bullet, dropped the The opening of the hunting season was quickly approaching. The church members, becoming aware of their lonely old mule dead in its tracks. (Just as the farmer had requested.) pastor’s wish to hunt, started providing him with sugAs he turned, expecting to relish in the look of anguish gestions of possible hunting sites. Mrs. Jones, an elderly, faithful member, had her place mentioned many times. On and confusion on the student’s face, he heard another shot. He saw the young man running, gun in hand, for the car approaching her, she seemed quite agreeable but told the yelling, “You got the mule, I got a horse! Let’s get out of pastor he would have to talk to her husband. She said that here!” her husband seldom came to church because of his farm There are times in our lives we are greatly surprised at work, and despite his gruff appearance, he had a soft and the things others may do just to maintain our friendship or caring heart. acceptance. We need to pray that we will always present A couple of days before they could hunt, the pastor a positive role model. Idaho has started the new Hunting decided it was time to seek permission for his planned Passport program where anyone 12 and older can hunt big hunt and make sure the guns were “sighted in.” The next game for a year without taking the Hunter Education promorning with their guns and ammunition the pastor and gram. You must hunt with a mentor with an active license. his student friend proceeded first to the Jones’s farm to ask permission for the upcoming hunt. They planned to visit a If you take on the role of a mentor, do your best to introduce hunting in a positive, safe, and legal manner. n nearby gravel pit afterward to get their guns ready. 10 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
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SALT & Light
Radio station seeks to dispel myths
Brian Howell is an on-air personality at Salt & Light Catholic Radio, as well as the station’s operations manager. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)
By Gaye Bunderson The people involved in launching and growing Salt & Light Catholic Radio in Idaho said one of the things they hope to accomplish with their stations’ broadcasts is dispelling the myths others may have about the Catholic faith. For instance? “That we worship Mary,” Bill Teske, vice president of Salt & Light, said. “We revere her as the mother of Jesus. She’s an intercessor, not a God.” Brian Howell, station operations manager, and Jim Warburton, development director, agreed. “It’s like when you ask others to pray for you,” Warburton said. “That’s what we do with Mary.” “What Son doesn’t listen to His mother?” Howell asked. Salt & Light has been broadcasting the Catholic message in Idaho for five years. Teske said he was motivated to help launch a Catholic station after hearing a program called “Catholic Answers” on Christian broadcasting station KSPD, owned by the Schafer family in Boise. “We were amazed at the information being conveyed,” Teske said. He and his wife were driving in their car when the program came on the air. “Lee Schafer (founder of KSPD and KBXL) was interested in being ecumenical.” The Teskes helped support the program for many years, but the idea of a station completely devoted to Catholicism set in Teske’s mind. “In Idaho, there are no Catholic scholars, no Catholic universities. The station was something that needed to be done...and we were also discouraged about the culture in
general,” Teske said, alluding to the desire to spread messages of faith, hope and virtue. Starting the station proved to be slow. Two offers were made on two existing radio stations and both were rejected. Now, during a tour of the 50-year-old building that houses Salt & Light at 5601 W. Cassia in Boise, Teske shows visitors the chapel that is as much a part of the station as its broadcast booths, conference room, and office spaces. Teske expresses his belief that Salt & Light was inspired by, and progressed through the help of, the Holy Spirit. As Teske and co-founder Keith Pettyjohn, now CEO of Salt & Light, continued to search for a space to accommodate a radio station, they learned Journal Broadcasting was letting go of its AM radio properties and signals because they stopped being lucrative. Teske and Pettyjohn struck a deal with the company. Salt & Light stations now include 1140AM KGEM, Boise, and 1340AM KTFI, Wendell. There are two Spanish-languages stations that are part of Salt & Light, operating under the banner Sal y Luz (Salt & Light in Spanish). Those stations include 1490AM KCID, Caldwell, and 1450AM KEZJ in Twin Falls. All the stations are a talk radio format. All stations also operate in good fiscal health. “We have no financial issues,” Teske said. “We’re in the black,” said Howell. That doesn’t mean Salt & Light has no debt, just that it is able to pay its debts monthly. It is a nonprofit that survives on a donor base, corporate underwriters, and
12 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
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fundraising events. The nonprofit gets no funding from the church. The chapel is frequently used during Salt & Light’s bi-annual pledge drives, when supporters gather in the quiet holy room for prayer. Teske said that when Salt & Light, with startup funding from Pettyjohn, opened the station on Cassia, “people started walking through the door” — and by that he means the company’s small, mostly volunteer staff, including Carol Brown, who helped with the first pledge drive and all subsequent pledge drives. KGEM alone has a donor base of 1,750 people, helping fund an annual operating budget of $200,000. “The corporation ensures the solvency of all the stations is never in doubt,” Brown said. “The stations help each other as they develop. “Salt & Light Radio is not possible without the prayers, time, talent and treasure of our listeners and donors. There is so much work to do in the mission of spreading the Gospel of Christ and His Church to the world. We cannot do it alone, and thanks to our supporters, we are able to proclaim, promote and build up Christ’s body in Idaho, God willing, for many more years to come.” Programming comes through a satellite feed from a Catholic radio network, EWTN, based in Irondale, Alabama. Spanish programming comes via the Internet from Guadalajara, Mexico. There is local programming for both Salt & Light and Sal y Luz. According to Howell, local programs on Salt & Light’s KGEM station run for a half hour beginning at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. A sampling includes Wednesdays’ “Faith with Father,” featuring two priests who discuss the Gospel, and Thursdays’ “Saintscapades,” a show about saints put on completely by area youth.
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The office building of Salt & Light Catholic Radio on Cassia Street in Boise has a chapel on the premises. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)
The national broadcasts from EWTN include “The Son Rise Morning Show,” “The Doctor Is In,” and “Catholic Answers Live.” (A complete format is available at the Cassia Street offices, on saltandlightradio.com, or on salyluzradio.com.) Teske said there is always an exchange of ideas on callin shows where, for instance, the host-moderator invites only atheists to call in, or only pro-choice advocates. The moderators listen to others’ points of view and then tactfully offer their own biblical take on the same issues. KGEM broadcasts Bishop Kelly High School football in the fall. The men estimate the number of Catholics in Salt & Light’s southwest Idaho listening area that stretches from Ontario to Glenns Ferry includes roughly 80,000 Anglos and Hispanics. n
Christian Living | November / December 2014 13
THE Brighter Side
Bless yourself by blessing others first prayed to God: “Heavenly Father, I By Ron Kern thank You for all You have done. HowI felt compelled to write this, hopever, I ask that You use me or take me. ing others can learn this “key to life” Should You take me, I’ll be with my long before I did. The sooner you truly mother and others, but more imporunderstand it, and most importantly tantly be at Your feet worshiping and implement it, the happier you will be. enjoying the glory of God.” There was a time in my life when I continued out loud and alone in my I felt the world — no, the universe car. “If You choose to use me, I am all —revolved around me, what I said, in with all the chips on the table; use me and what I did. Long before any social when and where You want, no limitamedia, I had my own network of tions, no restrictions. I will obey and do people that spread the news quickly, if Your will as You direct me, with Your I wanted. I did well in high school, was help.” voted class vice president, excelled in In reading this prayer, I cannot stress tennis, and was “one of the guys.” the importance and seriousness of it. It was a time for me to do what I This isn’t something you pray lightly or wanted, when I wanted, and people casually, and if your heart and meaning followed. It was the Ron Kern Show, behind it isn’t truth, don’t pray it. My I thought. My mother had raised me A former business owner in Meridian for more than 20 prayer was said with vigor, truth, and with this gem of advice: “Be kind to years, Ronald Kern and his wife, Lisa, are now retired. sincerity; I meant every single word. In others, no matter who they are; you surrendering, truly surrendering to God, haven’t walked in their shoes.” And in They are founders of Kern Ministry Foundation, Inc., nonprofit Christian organization that provides life’s I put myself second and Him first. I those glory days, there were glimmers aessentials, medical supplies and educational resources for of me remembering this wisdom; how- children, families and communities worldwide. Kern is an gave up my attempt at control. I made ever, it wasn’t consistent. entrepreneur, business and life consultant, author, motiva- myself vulnerable, open, and available As I continued into the business tional speaker and philanthropist. Contact him anytime at to Him, even more than I already was. world, I did well with one of my first www.RonaldAKern.com or TheBrighterSide@icloud.com. This is a critical step to truly finding the real you, your passion, being blessed, jobs and climbed the ladder quickly. and blessing others.s After a year of winning many awards, After my prayer, I arrived home and honestly felt like my even breaking company records, my office became a Ron Kern mind, spirit, and soul had gone through a car wash. I felt shrine, complete with plaques, magazine articles, and photoclean, alive, rejuvenated, and the darkness was gone. Trust me, graphs with top executives, all screaming, “Look at me, I’m so it wasn’t mind over matter, faking it, or positive thinking. It was important!” Looking back, it’s embarrassing, but at the time those awards God blessing me, and He knew I had become a 100 percent servant. God has now used me in ways that I never could have provided me with self-validation every time I walked in my office. How smart my mom was. I wish my actions would have imagined. God’s grace is not only hard to comprehend, but even harder to put into words. If you have experienced it, you matched her words and teaching earlier in my life. know what I am talking about. In 2013, my very successful business came to a point where I have experienced exponential growth personally since I had lost my passion for it, and we had the opportunity of a I have taken the focus away from myself and now focus on buyer who was interested. My wife and I agreed it was time to helping and lifting up others. I finally discovered that true move on. However, I was unsure of what I would do with the joy comes when you can abandon a life of self-centeredness. label of “retired” at the ripe old age of 44. This should have When you surrender your life to God, and been a time for celebration — we had ask Him for direction and favor — and finally made it! But Satan worked on you are sincere — be prepared for someme in his usual ways and enveloped thing incredible. me in darkness. The Bible makes many references to Uncertainty echoed repeatedly in the importance of helping others, and my head: “What are you going to do some of these I want to share. now? What importance do you have? “And he sat down and called the You know you have lost your identity, Twelve. And he said to them, ‘If anyone don’t you? You have lost your power, would be first, he must be last of all and you know. You aren’t CEO and don’t servant of all.’” (Mark 9:35) even hold any position or title.” “For you were called to freedom, brothI didn’t have answers to these quesers. Only do not use your freedom as an tions, which fueled my doubts, fears, opportunity for the flesh, but through and anxieties. I was not in a good love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13) place. “For even the Son of Man came not to After several weeks of this, I be served but to serve, and to give his life reached a breaking point. One day as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) while driving home from work, I
14 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
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My life now
It has been a year since we sold our business, and here is what my life looks like now. I am traveling around the country to forge partnerships with communities and schools to impact youth and adult leadership for positive growth. My wife and I have formed a 501(c)3 nonprofit ministry to assist families and especially children in less fortunate countries with educational resources and life’s essentials. My first book will be released in November and is aimed at helping people pursue a career in what they have a passion for; I enjoy working with people in business and personal development. God has blessed me so abundantly and has enhanced my ability to help, lift up, encourage and teach others, and I feel that more has been accomplished in the last eight months than in 20 years of being “in business.” I want to make it exceptionally clear that I give Him all of the praise and credit. I am imperfect, have many flaws, and will slip and fall as I move forward, just as I have in the past. But I also know and live by the principle, “If you are being blessed, it’s so you can be a blessing for others.” We have been abundantly blessed, and it is our joy to share that with others. Do you want to experience life, as you may have never had it before? Do you want to feel more alive? Would you like to have more joy? Do you want to see the world through the lens of God rather than your own blind eyes? I pray that you consider starting by being a blessing to others, without expecting anything in return, and give God the credit. The small blessings are just as important as the large ones. Let someone go first, even though you arrived at the four-way stop first. Smile at someone instead of ignoring them. Take time to actively listen to your family, friends and co-workers. Help a neighbor, donate an old coat, volunteer, don’t gossip, lift others up. There are endless ways to be a blessing that do not even involve financial commitment. You see, life isn’t about me, it’s about others. Life isn’t about material things, accolades, fame or fortune. It’s about sharing your blessings. He will provide you with the resources, the right people, and the right time to bless others. Jesus instructs us to live this way: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NLT) God smiles when you help His children. God smiles when you are kind, loving, patient and helpful. God continues to bless His faithful servants, so stay the course. What are you going to do today, this week, or the rest of 2014 to be a blessing to others? If you would love to start this incredible journey after prayer, or you are ready now but not sure where to start, or feel you can’t do it alone, here’s a thought. How wonderful would it be if all readers of this article got together and brainstormed on how, as a group, we could collectively be a blessing? If you are interested in doing this, please visit thebrightersideworldwide.com to join the “Christian Living Magazine – Reader’s Blessing Others Campaign.” I felt God’s prompting of this campaign, so I am hopeful others will take the time to come forward, engage, bless others, and then receive your blessing. n
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Christian Living | November / December 2014 15
WARRIOR Pointe Inc
Veterans help other veterans with re-entry
Mark Holman works the Warrior Pointe table at the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall during its stop in Boise in September.
By Sandy Jones This past September, Boise was blessed with having the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall visit our area. Several suggested that there might be a story if I would only go visit the wall myself. My husband, Steve, is a Vietnam veteran and has wanted to visit the wall for a long time, so there was no question as to whether or not we would go — but a story? I didn’t want to cheapen the legacy of our veterans, nor did I really want to report on what already happened, but I went with an open mind and a prayer that if there was a story there that it be made abundantly clear to me. As I wandered along the wall and among the booths there, I visited with several veterans, thanking them for their service, and listening to whatever was on their minds that day. It wasn’t until I came to the booth for Warrior Pointe Inc (not a typo) that I realized what my role was that day. It was here that I met this extremely polite young man, Mark Holman. His pride in his service to our country was evident, but so was his pride in his service to his fellow veterans. He often had to check his emotions as he answered my queries with “Yes ma’am” and “Thank you ma’am.” That day, Mark shared with me that 23 veterans commit suicide every day in the United States, over 800 here in Idaho since 2001. He went on to explain that the national number isn’t even accurate since only a few states report veteran suicide, and those numbers don’t include car wrecks or anything else that might be construed as an accident. I followed up the next week with Mark, who is the State XO and Boise Commander, and Josh Petersen, who is the State Commander for Warrior Pointe. They explained many things I never knew or understood about our veterans, or the services in place to assist them, and why Warrior Pointe was founded. 16 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
Reed Pacheco founded Warrior Pointe Inc in December 2012 to promote veterans helping other veterans through the trials of re-entry once discharged. Pacheco, now the CEO of Warrior Pointe Inc, states in a YouTube video that “Warrior Pointe’s an organization dedicated to unifying and connecting war fighters with other war fighters regardless of the area you served, whether in combat or not. Everybody wants to focus on veteran suicide, but the important thing to remember is suicide is not the issue; it’s the bi-product of the issue. The issue is navigating the resources that are already there and dedicated to helping our war fighters. And so my mission is to find these resources and connect our war fighters with these resources.” In the same YouTube video Josh Petersen, United States Army, Retired, states: “Warrior Pointe is a way of connecting the community to our veterans and letting our veterans reconnect to the community. We are not isolated. We are not alone. Together we can conquer anything.” Warrior Pointe doesn’t just focus on the issue of suicide, they assist with events like the V.A.’s Stand Down, which helps homeless veterans with food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling and referrals to other services such as health care, housing, employment, and substance abuse treatment. Warrior Pointe volunteers are also available to accompany veterans to their appointments at the V.A. to help champion the veteran’s diagnosis and treatment plan. Holly Petersen, Mark’s wife, heads the family support unit of Warrior Pointe to help with secondary PTSD in veterans’ families. Mark and Josh were quick to point out that PTSD is often misinterpreted, explaining that it’s not a mental condition but rather a physiological disorder. If you do the same thing over and over again, eventually your body sees that as normal, and incorporates it into www.boisechristianliving.com
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your makeup. Our veterans do things every day in the combat field that are never needed once they re-enter civilian life, and without the proper treatment, PTSD often leads to health problems and shortened life spans. They went on to explain that Warrior Pointe Inc helps veterans with reintegration into society, helping them get through the struggles of coming home, telling me, “…it’s a journey to come home.” Warrior Pointe is all about healing, and the volunteers are dedicated to their fellow veterans “no matter what it takes.” The morning we met, both of these brave young men had been up all night with a suicidal veteran — saving his life! There is no cost to join Warrior Pointe Inc. It is their philosophy that veterans’ dues were paid when they enlisted. While this organization was founded in Nampa, there are now chapters in almost every state, and even some overseas. They currently meet at the Christian Faith Center at 31 S. Midland Blvd. in Nampa every Monday evening at 1800 hours. A list of their chapter locations is available on their website at www.warriorpointe. org. Mark is currently setting up a Boise chapter, and the organization is looking for volunteers, including veterans who are willing to serve, and a chaplain to help with spiritual guidance. If you think you need help, call the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK. Veterans can also call the VA to find out how to enroll for services at 1-208-422-1000. n
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Christian Living | November / December 2014 17
EVERYONE Is Salvageable
Hope from a helping community
Mark Renick, second from left, dedicates his life to helping former prisoners through a nonprofit called IMSI Hope Community Phase II. Here, he is shown with some of his friends, from left to right, Freddy Real, Billy James, and Pastor Jim Atkins of Common Ground Biker Church in Meridian. Real and James are original Hope Community members along with Renick. (Courtesy photo)
By Gaye Bunderson
To anyone who thinks convicts are irredeemable, there are people in the Treasure Valley who would argue otherwise. Some of those people are former prisoners themselves who’ve changed their lives and now live to help others. Some are ministers or lay volunteers who visit the incarcerated or come to the aid of the formerly imprisoned who’ve served their time and are now set free. They are living out Christ’s words from Matthew 25: “I was in prison, and you came to visit me. … Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” In this passage, Christ not only exhorts people to care about prisoners, He calls those behind bars His “brothers and sisters.” Thesaurus.com offers the following disparaging synonyms for the word “prisoner”: con, culprit, jailbird and loser. The State of Idaho officially calls people in prison “offenders.” Mark Renick once was one. He served seven years for walking into a dry cleaner and demanding money. Now, the Northwest Nazarene University graduate student is director of a nonprofit called IMSI Hope Community Phase II. “It’s hard for offenders to survive when they’re released,” Renick said. The nonprofit serves as a resource for former inmates, helping them find everything from clothing and furniture to medical and mental health services. It has the backing of a number of churches and organizations. Its mission statement reads, in part: “Our strongest supporters at this point have been Common Ground Biker Church, Provenance House, The Way R-12-2 and its Recovery Reformation Program, Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, Northwest Nazarene University School of Social Work, and Ten Mile Christian Church, who stands behind us consistently.” 18 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
While in prison, Renick was part of a trial program started by the state in 2005 at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution (IMSI) in Kuna. The Department of Corrections brought 36 men together to live as a faith-based group in an area called G-Block and known as Hope Community. It was intended as a “therapeutic learning environment” with help from volunteers from area churches, and it functioned well that way for about four years. According to Renick, the program was discontinued in 2009 when the state became concerned about litigation over separation of church and state. Now, the fledgling nonprofit is a continuation of the program but is no longer under the auspices of the DOC, hence the name IMSI Hope Community Phase II. There are many advantages to having a former inmate actively involved in such a program, according to Renick. He stated frankly that he has a sharply honed “BS detector” when it comes to prisoners. “I know the language. I’ve been where they’ve been,” he said. He also serves as an example of what can come from a reformed life — and a transformed life. Renick said he once made promises to God he failed to keep. After living as a functioning alcoholic for many years, hitting bottom and then turning to a life of crime, he feels God used his time in prison to open his eyes. “I see God’s hand in all of it. My life is not easy, but I’m blessed. If you change your life, doors open for you,” he said. “(Ex-inmates) look at me and think, ‘He’s driving a 20-year-old car, but he seems happy.’” He said he’s “totally living on faith,” and the year-old nonprofit is growing and evolving. Every Sunday, Renick and other volunteers meet with former inmates from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Connection Point at Ten Mile Christian Church, 3500 W. Franklin Rd. in Meridian. All interested people are welcome to drop by. “For prisoners, they need a second chance,” Steve Moore, senior pastor at Ten Mile, said. “I’m a Christian, and the whole Christian system is based on a belief that everybody needs a second chance. There’s really no way to get rid of guilt; you have to be forgiven. If nobody will let you off the hook, how do you move on in life? “To me that’s huge; and practically speaking, people that have been to prison, generally by the time they get out they don’t have anything left and they’re going to need all kinds of practical help, so where’s that going to come from? It’s not magic; somebody has got to intervene. Christ calls us to intervene. It’s just what He did on the cross and, really, we’re just extending that.” n IMSI Hope Community Phase II has a frequently updated Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IMSIHopeCommunity and a website at www.imsihopecommunityphase2.com.
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fill that need with transitional housing, including 3 Oaks Ministries, Provenance Transitional Housing, Bethel Ministries, and others. Pollock said some of the offenders he reaches during his classes were believers before they entered prison. “They kept making stupid mistakes — but we all keep making stupid mistakes,” he said. Others become believers through his and other volunteers’ classes and Bible studies. “It’s amazing. The inmates say how much they enjoy the classes. If you’re not just walking through the motions, they’re not just walking through the motions. They know we’re there to support them, not just make fun of them or judge them,” he said. Pollock seeks to dispel anyone’s concerns about volunteering at the prison. He said he was scared at first, not knowing what to expect, but after just one day his concerns were put to rest. “The worst thing I’ve had happen is somebody started talking in class,” he said. Catholic nuns work in the same environment, he said, and some male volunteers are accompanied by their wives. “If your church doesn’t have a prison ministry and you want to get involved, I can tell you how to get started; or I can tell you how to start a ministry at your church,” he said. Pollock also stated he can get people through the volunteer process faster, as it can sometimes take as long as a year. He invites interested people to get in touch with him at (208) 830-9760 or pollockboise@msn.com. “It doesn’t take any special teaching, just willingness to come,” he said. n
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Howard Pollock started out corresponding with prisoners; but, wanting more, he soon began volunteering at prisons and working hands-on with the inmates. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)
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By Gaye Bunderson Howard Pollock started helping prisoners in a kind of “pen pal” project where he and other volunteers wrote to offenders serving time for a variety of crimes. He wanted to do more for the incarcerated, though, than send them an occasional correspondence from a distance. “I wanted it to be more than just letters,” Pollock said. His wish became reality when the pastor at his church, Tom Dougherty of Cloverdale Church of God in Boise, asked him to lead the church’s prison ministry. He found help in launching the ministry through Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship program. He was given training, materials and support free of charge. Now, each week he spends time at the Idaho State Correctional Institution and the Idaho State Correctional Center, interacting with prisoners, teaching and befriending them. He starts with teaching Prison Fellowship-based classes geared toward changing the criminal mindset, he said. The classes address selfishness and learning to take responsibility for one’s actions. “They’ll pass the blame onto others,” Pollock said of the prisoners. “It’s part of their criminal thinking.” All the men who attend his classes come voluntarily, but they are required by the prison system to attend programming sessions aimed at modifying their cognitive and behavioral traits. They are similar to the classes Pollock teaches, with the exception his classes are Christ-centered while the prisons’ are approached from a world view. “We’re planting seeds, watering, seeing it grow and seeing the fruit,” said Pollock, who has been a volunteer for eight years. Though he and others in his program work with prisoners from repeat drunk drivers to sex offenders, he said: “We don’t ask what they’re in for. There’s no differentiation.” Pollock also helps prepare inmates to leave the prison system and reintegrate into society. Bureau of Justice Statistics at bjs.gov indicate a high percentage of released prisoners will re-offend and return to prison within five years. Pollock said, however, data also shows that if prisoners are given support from the community, their recidivism rates decline. He particularly praised the role of his and other churches in helping close prisons’ revolving doors. “The church gives them support: financial, transportation, positive reinforcement, and information,” he said. Helping find a place to stay post-prison is also essential, and many valley ministries
Christian Living | November / December 2014 19
COVER STORY
A clown ministry Just one way By Gaye Bunderson
A hairdresser for 35 years in Boise and San Jose, Diana Finnigan was approached in 2005 by the owner of Clown Connection — a comic character who went by the name of Bubbles. Bubbles wanted to retire and turn the company over to someone else. The other clowns in the company, Nuts & Bolts and Petunia, were also looking to leave the business. “Bubbles told me that every time she prayed about it, the Lord would bring me to mind. I told her she was nuts,” Finnigan said. A very busy woman trying to raise five children while running her own in-home salon, Finnigan did accept an offer from Bubbles to help with face painting at children’s parties and to do some theatrical makeup. She has a flair for that sort of thing, she said, describing herself as “dramatic.” It wasn’t until God used some trouble in her life that she U-turned her thoughts on clowning. “I was going through a trial with one of my kids when God called me to be Queen Laugh-a-Lot,” Finnigan said. “God changed my life through clowning. He pulled me out of my current circumstance. He said, ‘It’s not about you, and you just need to get over yourself.’” She was drawn to the concept of being a royal character because “the queen is the highest woman.” “God grew Queen Laugh-a-Lot,” she said. “He gave her a face, her clothes, her personality. She’s very silly; most of the time she’s 5. She’s flamboyant — you can be flamboyant when you’re the daughter of a Most High King.” Finnigan said she becomes a different person when she puts on the paraphernalia and persona of a clown. She gave Queen Laugh-a-Lot a backstory as well. “I developed her. She has to have a story, and she does,” Finnigan said. “She was Princess Pout-a-Lot, and she lived in a palace with a chocolate swimming pool. She had a toy store, a candy store and a pet store — everything she could ever want. … But she was bad. She pouted because the other children were using all The crew of Clown Connection includes, top to her stuff. Then her mom said she couldn’t bottom, Queen Laugh-a-Lot, Katydid and Callyenjoy all the things of the Kingdom until Lily. The clowns entertain throughout the valley wherever they’re asked and use their comic skills to she learned to share all the things of the bring joy and amusement. (Courtesy photos) Kingdom.” 20 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
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God spreads His joy After the princess learned to give freely of everything she had, her countenance changed from a pout to a smile. She began to laugh and have joy, and so did others. “I was called to tell the story at a birthday party, and I had candy in my pocket, and at the end I threw it in the air,” Finnigan said. She bought into Clown Connection, which has been in the valley for 30 years, in 2006. She has two partners in the business: Katydid (Kathee Purdham) and Cally-Lily (Lisa Byce). They perform wherever they’re asked — “to anybody and everybody,” Finnigan said. They entertain in any church, private home, business or anywhere they’re called. They offer face painting, balloon sculpting, clown comedy, clown magic and games. Finnigan has a great connection with children. During one-on-one times, she said, she has had some amazing conversations, initiated by the children themselves, that have remained with her and are imprinted on her mind. One little girl told her, “My daddy gets out of jail today, but I don’t think I’ll get to see him.” Still in clown character, Finnigan was able to reach out to the child and comfort her. Sometimes the kids are Christians, and they tell her their names are from the Bible or that they go to church. That opens the door for her to tell them, “God has a call and plan for your life.” “It depends on the circumstances,” she said. “Whatever I say, I feel led by the Spirit to say. It’s my own way of planting a seed. We pray before every job and thank Him for the privilege, of being welcomed, of being able to go where we’d never be able to go. They see a light in us, something different, and we bring joy and laughter.” n Finnigan and her business partners entertain at all kinds of events. For more information, contact Clown Connection through its website at clownconnectionllp.com or call 378-9474. Queen Laugh-a-Lot, left, and Katydid, right, met on an airplane and now combine their talents as a comic trio with Cally-Lily, not shown. (Courtesy photo)
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Christian Living | November / December 2014 21
KATYDID & Cally-Lily
Partners team with Queen Laugh-a-Lot By Gaye Bunderson
Katydid
Kathee Purdham recently got an answered prayer on an airliner. During a flight from California to Boise, a stranger started helping Purdham’s daughter Daneva by massaging her sore neck. The stranger, too, was about to receive an answered prayer. Purdham hates to fly. She put earphones on to keep herself calm and was somewhat tuned out when the stranger, Diana Finnigan, started rubbing Daneva’s neck. Finnigan works as a hairdresser and has massaging skills. At one point, she felt moved by the Holy Spirit to lean between Kathee’s and Daneva’s seats and announce, “I’m a clown.” In most circumstances, that might be an unusual way to begin an acquaintance, but for Finnigan and Purdham it was seemingly foreordained. “I had been praying for a job as a clown, and Diana had been praying for a clown to join her business,” Purdham said. “When she said that she was a clown, I got tears in my eyes.” Purdham now works as a clown for Finnigan’s company, Clown Connection, performing under the name Katydid. “My mother called me that — unless she was mad, then I was Katherine,” Purdham jokes. She started working as a clown on the Monterey Peninsula, where she was born and raised. The high-end cities of Monterey, Carmel and Pacific Grove comprise the peninsula, and it was both marriage and the lower-cost lifestyle of Idaho that prompted Purdham to move here this past June. But she needed work. She gained balloon sculpting experience at Balloons on the Horizon in California. As an artist, she learned face painting. Clowning was something she felt called by the Lord to do. After the mid-air revelation by Finnigan, Purdham began to lose some of the tension about both her future and about flying in an aluminum, gravity-defying aircraft miles above solid ground. “I knew God wasn’t going to take the plane down if He had plans for me in Boise, so I took off the earphones and relaxed,” she said. Since joining Clown Connection, Purdham has performed at a church daycare picnic, entertained a group of kids with special needs on one occasion and kids whose parents are incarcerated on another, took her act to an event at Boise State, and worked some business gatherings, including a company picnic for an electric firm. She entertains both children and adults with clown comedy, but so far mainly has done face painting and some balloon sculptures for children. Asked if any of the youngsters have made any memorable comments to her, she said: “‘I love to kill flies.’ … That’s what one little girl said!” But the kids have moved her in many ways. Some of them seem sad, and the clowns cheer them up. One 12-year-old boy wanted a California Mexican gang symbol drawn on his hand. Purdham, as Katydid, declined to draw it and eventually helped him see that a gang symbol was not the most positive body decoration. “Kids tell us stuff. They look at the clowns and just feel we’re safe,” Purdham said.
22 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
Kathee Purdham, aka Katydid, brings great spirit and enthusiasm to her clowning. Even a visit to a coffee shop becomes a source of entertainment. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)
Cally-Lily
The third member of Clown Connection is Lisa Byce, who goes by the name Cally-Lily when she’s all made up in a clown outfit. Byce, a longtime friend of Finnigan’s, admits she never had much of an affinity for clowns prior to becoming one herself. “I thought they were scary. They had white faces, overdone features — they looked like a nightmare. But I want little kids to come up and hug me,” Byce said. When she first set out to create her own costume, she resembled a bag lady more than a clown, she said. Finnigan helped her re-make the look and appear more like a comic, fun-loving character. Byce said she did frighten one small preschool child during a performance. A little boy took one look at her, screamed and ran from the room. The teacher brought him back, but he ran out again. Eventually, Byce engaged him through songs and stories until, at the end, he came up and — just as she wanted — hugged her. Byce originally worked with teenage girls in juvenile detention in Ada County, holding Bible studies for them. “They’d come in all tatted up, hair dyed all kinds of colors, or shaved,” Byce said. They also frequently showed up coming off a drug high. “I loved them instantly,” she said, “because God helped me love them as He loves them.” Byce practiced face painting and balloon sculpting at home prior to going out to entertain. She has so far worked at the Basque Center and at a party for Boise State MBA program graduates but claims Finnigan and Purdham bring the real skills and talent to Clown Connection. Asked, then, what she feels she brings to the business and to the ministry, she replied: “I want to look kids in the eye and send them a little love, shoot up a prayer for them, and make them happy.” n
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CREATIVITY In The Kitchen
A sweet recipe just in time for Christmas 7 Layer Cookie Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1 cup crushed graham crackers 1 (8oz) pkg coconut 1 (8oz) pkg chocolate chips 1 (8oz) pkg butterscotch chips 1 cup chopped nuts 1 can sweetened milk Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Melt the butter in a 9×13 pan. Spread one layer of ingredients on top of another as they are listed. (Spread graham crackers in pan, then put coconut on top, then chocolate chips, etc.) 3. Pour milk over top then with a spoon or one deft hand, pat the mixture down. 4. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool before cutting.
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Christian Living | November / December 2014 23
CHRISTIAN Businesspeople
Rick Deighton stays busy and loves it
Rick Deighton, both a business owner and missionary, said he doesn’t comprehend how any Christian could be bored. (Photo by Brad Carlson)
By Brad Carlson Life is purposeful and very busy for Rick Deighton, a “bi-vocational” missionary who operates a lighting business largely to enable Christian outreach work at home and abroad. “I love to keep involved,” he said. “It’s always a struggle to juggle everything. Much of my life is like living in a whirlwind. I thank God he wired me that way, to stay involved.” Deighton is “wired” to not only keep busy, but also to stay organized and focused. “It’s hard for me to comprehend how a Christian could ever be bored,” he said. For one thing, the Great Commission — Jesus’ instruction to disciples to spread the Gospel — is yet to be fulfilled, he said. And “it is a privilege to walk with the King of the Universe” who has “uniquely gifted each one of us. That is the most exciting part, discovering and fulfilling that purpose.” Combining business with evangelical Christianity means Deighton must field the occasional question or objection, which he welcomes. Whether he’s talking to a businessperson who expresses discomfort with faith shared in the workplace or someone who wants to find out more about his creationist stance, he takes it in stride. “I realize I’m very open about who I am in my Christian faith,” he said. “Once in a while, that costs me an account. Just as often, it gains me a new account.” As Deighton sees it, the person he’s talking to is more important than Nampa-based Rick Deighton Lighting Inc., and treating others as you wish to be treated is not just a Biblical principle but an accepted approach to successful business as well. “I grew up in that kind of skeptical background,” he said. “That’s part of the reason I have this passion to share the truth.” He was born in November 1943 in Longmont, Colo., where he was raised. 24 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
Among those skeptical about Deighton’s born-again Christianity was his dad, who nevertheless provided inspiration by being a very hard worker. His primary goal has changed since he earned a bachelor’s degree from Boise Bible College in the mid 1960s and went on to do graduate work at Ozark Bible College. At first it was encouraging people to come to Christ. Now it’s helping established Christians strengthen their resolve. “Most professing believers in Christ are not actively sharing their faith,” Deighton said. This is a theme in each of his three books. The latest is More Than Conquerors in Cultural Clashes (Search for the Truth Ministries, Midland, Mich., March 2014). Deighton takes inspiration from the Apostle Paul’s later work to make sure younger colleagues had the tools and support they needed to spread the Gospel. Sharing the faith and acting on it could help fix a variety of moral and societal ills, Deighton said. There are many Christians, and “if only a fraction of those lived like who we are in Christ, we would see this nation transformed in a year’s time,” he said. He has key leadership roles in an established ministry working in former Soviet Union countries, and a drive to build a creation-centered museum of science and nature in Boise. He speaks and assists at churches in southwest Idaho. Overseas Outreach is a long-operating ministry focused on outreach through creation-based evangelism. It has reached former non-believers and supported new Christians in Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia and Germany. It is a branch of the White Fields Overseas Evangelism, which Reggie Thomas founded nearly 50 years ago. Northwest Science Museum is a separate entity. For the ministries, challenges include Deighton being pressed for time, as usual, and raising money. Fundraising improved recently for Northwest Science Museum but is “still a constant struggle” for Overseas Outreach’s ongoing operations, he said. Overseas Outreach faces issues ranging from war in Ukraine to inflation and currency devaluation. “And the financial needs are far greater than when we started going there 13 years ago,” he said. Deighton’s wife, Della, and their daughter, Sandy, play key roles in the lighting business and mission work. Deighton, ordained as a missionary and minister of the Gospel, says his approach is interdenominational and non-denominational. His ability to keep it all together also is helped by rising early each morning to read, pray and “connect with God,” he said. “Direct answer to specific prayers is first of all what led me to Christ and my conversion, but also the reason behind each of the ministries we are involved in.” Rick and Della Deighton also have done missionary work based in western Oregon, and later southern Germany, where they co-founded Alpine Christian Mission. n Brad Carlson is an area freelance writer. www.boisechristianliving.com
BREAKING Free
Loosening the icy grip of loneliness By Brian Raymond Loneliness…all of us face the feeling at one point in time or another. No one escapes it. Loneliness often wraps its icy cold fingers around us and it seems as though the life is being choked out of us during those times. Webster’s Dictionary defines loneliness as, “A feeling of depression resulting from being alone.” Webster therefore additionally defines ‘alone’ as, “Quite by one’s self; apart from, or exclusive of others; single.” Loneliness seems to be a form of isolation either by choice or by the choice of others. But is it exclusive to being single? It seems possible and plausible that Webster may have missed something...feeling lonely can also occur when in the presence of someone else if we are not connected emotionally, mentally, and/or spiritually. We can be in the same home, office, car, or community with another yet feel completely alone. As Christians we need to look to God’s Word to see what the Creator of our feelings and emotions has to say about loneliness. There are a minimum of 52 verses in the Bible regarding loneliness. If God addresses something one time then it is important. If God addresses something at least 52 times then we surely need to listen to what He has to say about the matter. In Genesis, from the beginning God knew that it was not good for man to be alone; Genesis 2:18 states that, “the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” God made us to be relational. God gives us people that we can connect with and spend our time on Earth with. We like to connect ourselves to others. In order to have a healthy connection it is vital that we let others get to know us intimately and honestly but that we also risk seeking out others to get to know as well. When we feel like we are lacking in connection with others or when we are feeling lonely, we can be assured that we are not alone. Many times throughout God’s Word He states that He will, “never leave us or forsake us.” When God makes a covenant He keeps it. When God says that He will NEVER
do something then we can trust that He will keep His word. God will always be with us… in times of trouble, in times of sorrow, in times of joy, in times of peace… from our day of birth to our day of death, God is ALWAYS next to us. We can be assured of that. He is always a prayer away. Psalm 145:18: The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. ESV A song by Joni Eareckson-Tada that encapsulates God’s ever presence in our lives can be found at the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWVyVMbSzM4. n
Alone Yet Not Alone lyrics (abbreviated) I’m alone, yet not alone. God’s the light that will guide me home. With His love and tenderness, Leading through the wilderness, And wherever I may roam, I’m alone, yet not alone. When my steps are lost. And desperate for a guide, I can feel his touch, A soothing presence by my side. Brian Raymond is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in Nouthetic/Biblical counseling. In January 2010 he was the co-founder of Christian Clinical Concepts, LLC in Nampa. He is currently in private practice at Christian Clinical Concepts. He may be contacted at 475-1875 Monday through Friday.
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Christian Living | November / December 2014 25
ROAMIN Road
Couple takes heaven to the highway
Truck driver Curt “Bubba” Hammons, along with his wife Carla, launched a ministry called Roamin Road, meant originally for truckers but now enjoyed by many others. (Photo by Carl Boockholdt)
By Carl Boockholdt Take a look around you. There is a good chance that something in your line of sight was delivered to market by a commercial truck. In the United States each year about $671 billion worth of goods are moved by 13.5 million commercial trucks and another 2 million tractor trailers. At the wheel of those mammoth rigs are 3.5 million drivers. Two of those drivers are Curt (aka Bubba) and Carla Hammons. Bubba and Carla have a passion for the Lord that is foundational to their outlook on everything, including their truck driving careers. These two Christian road warriors are a driving team, meaning they take turns at the wheel of their rig, covering distances approaching 20,000 miles a month. To log those kinds of miles keeps the couple on the road 4 to 6 weeks at a time. Truck stops become home, and with 3.5 million truckers crisscrossing the United States, there are plenty of opportunities for Bubba and Carla to interact with other drivers. Four years ago when Bubba and Carla decided to trade out jobs in the electronics industry for life on the road, they also dedicated their new enterprise to the Lord. At the time they weren’t sure where that would lead. However, as they listened to the stories and learned of the challenges and temptations this lifestyle and occupation imposes, not only on the drivers themselves but also on their families, they saw a great need within this unique community and an opportunity to spread God’s love and Word through sharing the gospel. And while they have always been quick to talk to fellow drivers and others about God’s compassion and love, they wanted a broader reach than they had in the occasional one-on-one conversation. Thus was born the Roamin Road Ministry. With the help of their uncle, Wally Terry, and son Joshua, they now are videotaping and broadcasting Sunday sermons and worship services on YouTube.
26 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
Although this ministry was begun with truck drivers in mind, it was soon evident that there were a lot of others who were benefitting. With the sermons available at any time, it has become an opportunity for families to share worship time together, even though they are separated by thousands of miles. But the ministry really is a blessing to anyone who is unable to attend a regular church service. As Bubba puts it, “We are sharing God’s Word with anyone who needs it. We want people to know they aren’t alone.” Bubba recommends that those interested download the sermons so it isn’t necessary to have an Internet connection to listen. This is especially handy for the truckers who want to listen while driving. Having conquered the many challenges of Internet broadcasting, the Roamin Road Ministry team is striving to broaden its net. While the distinctive Roamin Road Ministry logo continues to spark many conversations about the Lord on the road, the team is keen to come up with new ways to reach out. An active Facebook page keeps followers up with the couple’s ever-changing vistas, as well as their uplifting commentary. A website is in the works and should be launched by the time this article is published. The goal is for the roaminroadministry.org site to feature sermons, worship services, Christ-centered classes, Bible studies and other inspirational information. The life of an over-the-road trucker can be a difficult and lonely one. It is often fraught with temptations and opportunities to stumble. The Roamin Road Ministry is spreading the gospel and providing a comforting point of light that is changing lives. When Bubba and Carla’s truck is rolling, they are not only delivering products to the market but also God’s good news to the community of commercial drivers and beyond. n
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NO PASS/fail
Is God testing us or letting us practice? (that is, it’s easy and it saves time), but By Dan Bobinski it’s rarely healthy. Similarly, I cringe As homeschooling parents, my wife when I hear spouses making demeaning and I are involved in many homeschoolor derogatory comments toward each ing activities. One of our activities is other. running a speech and debate club for The Bible does not say that we homeschooled Christian teens. At the shouldn’t be angry. It says “in your beginning of each school year we conanger, do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). duct a “speech boot camp,” in which In other words, it’s OK for me to feel students learn impromptu speaking; angry, but how I deal with that anger that is, how to give a 3- to 5-minute makes all the difference. speech on a randomly drawn topic with Here’s my take on it. People get angry only two minutes of preparation. for one of two reasons: We practice impromptu speaking a lot a) Something is happening that we in the first few weeks of the boot camp, Daniel Bobinski is the main teacher at don’t want to have happen. and kids are also encouraged to practice Family Experience Church (fxchurch.net), b) Something is not happening that we at home. By practice I mean kids asking and also the owner of Workplace-Excelwant to have happen. their parents or friends to give them ran- lence.com, an international training and dom topics, and then the student taking consulting firm based in the Treasure Valley. Think about any time you’ve been angry, and one of those two reasons will only two minutes to prepare an outline probably apply. for a speech. I also believe that anger is a God-given emotion that One of our students last year practiced so much she infants use to communicate because they’ve not yet was able to create an outline and deliver a well-constructed 5-minute speech with only 30 seconds of prepa- learned how to talk. If they don’t want to eat those strained peas or wear that long-sleeved pullover, they get ration. And this past month, a 12-year-old student who downright angry. They also get angry when they can’t is new to our club took it to heart when I said practice have the toys they want at the moment. Being young, at home. For her boot camp “graduation speech” she stood up and knocked our socks off with a very dynamic they’ve not yet learned how to communicate verbally with logic, so in many cases, anger is a built-in survival 5-minute impromptu presentation on a topic that was given her just two minutes before. After only four weeks mechanism. But in 1 Corinthians 13:11 Paul tells us, “When I was a — but with lots of practice to hone her skills — it’s clear she has excellent potential to compete at a national level. child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways As with most things, it’s fairly easy to tell which stuof childhood behind me.” From my perspective, one dents put in the practice and which do not. Now let me shift gears to my professional life. Recently aspect of this verse is learning to drop angry outbursts from our communications. I was meeting with a client who is struggling with how That said, it’s hard to drop something without putto handle his anger when his employees make costly misting something in its place. Nature abhors a vacuum. takes. Many of his frustrations come when his employThe best way to stop acting inappropriately when we’re ees know what to do but simply forget to do it. angry is to first identify an alternative behavior and then We examined anger from many different angles, choose that behavior when we get angry. including the motivations behind anger and how God Sounds easy, doesn’t it? I wish. views anger. As we were wrapping up our meeting, my Like any new skill, we must practice it. And unfortuclient said, “Well, I’m sure God will be testing me more nately, the habit of acting inappropriately when we’re on this.” As he said that, the speech and debate club angry or frustrated is usually a long-held habit, and examples popped up like a 1,000-watt bulb in the front therefore hard to break. of my mind. It was like an epiphany that God is not So practice we must with our new choices. And prac“testing” us (as in pass/fail), but rather He’s giving us an tice. And practice. opportunity to practice. No doubt we will continue to find ourselves in situaAs someone who grew up on the receiving end of angry outbursts and rage in the home, it was no wonder tions that frustrate or anger us, but it’s not God ‘testing’ I had a lot of anger problems earlier in my life. Anyone us … it’s God allowing us to practice our newly identified alternative behavior so we can be more like Him. who’s experienced similar things knows the damaging And just like my 12-year-old shining star student, the impact anger outbursts can have. With that, it disheartmore we practice what we want to be doing, the easier ens me like crazy when I see parents choosing anger and intimidation to discipline their children. It’s efficient it becomes. n 28 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
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NOTES From Home
Becoming a (kind of slow) runner Fast forward a couple years and there By Dani the Grigg I was at the gym, a few weeks into my I have an announcement to make: I am new athleticism and unencumbered by a person who runs. I don’t exactly run pregnancy, faced with a row of treadmills. fast, but I RUN. I was considering running on one. My running career began six months I’d been thinking of my body a bit, ago when a super cheap gym in my and how God made it for me, and how neighborhood announced it would start it could do so many things. I’d taught offering super cheap child care, so my my 3-year-old lessons along those lines. best excuse lost its legs. I thought of those We’d talked about how we could run and long winter days when my children would jump and swim and dance, all because want to play with any toys besides their God had given us bodies. And one way to own and hurried on over before the gym show gratitude for that was to take care people could change their minds. Dani Grigg is a Boise freelance writer, wife and of our bodies. While my little boys hoarded all the happy mother of two young sons. I knew from experience that if we don’t trucks in the play area, I thought it would use our gifts, we lose them. I decided to be expedient for me to engage with the fight for the gift of running — one I’d lost as I’d moved beyond gym equipment. I think I biked that first day. Sitting on my joyful, exuberant childhood. rear watching TV on my phone. So awesome. I felt like an So now I run. I try to take joy in it. Part of the joy is that I ATHLETE. am pretty sure I’m going to beat my husband in a 5k we’re I’d dabbled in gym attendance at various points in my life signed up to run in a few weeks. Sometimes the mantra “beat before, so it’s not like I didn’t know what I was doing. I can Seth, beat Seth, beat Seth” rolls through my head in rhythm ride the elliptical with the best of them. (Though my use of with my footfalls as I pound out 3.11 miles on the treadmill. the word “ride” might belie that assertion, I guess. “Do” the Other times I try to focus on the other reason I’m running. I elliptical? Whatever.) focus on my muscles at work and look up through the window But running had never been my thing. And by “not my at the sky and pointedly think, “Look at what my body can do! thing” I mean I HATED it. It HURT. I refused to run for It can run! What a wonderful thing!” the same reason I’m still refusing to do sessions with personal I’ve got to admit, it’s usually not pure joy when I run at the trainers. I don’t want to work that hard. The only time I had ever felt the need to run was when I was gym, or even when I occasionally run through my neighborhood. I spend too much time looking at my mileage and mar8-9 months pregnant with my second son. Rolling over in bed was a chore. Every step I took reminded me how stretched my veling that I’m still not done. But one beautiful fall day recently, my family and I were out skin was and how heavy I felt. I just wanted to be free, and in for a walk and I challenged my two boys to a race. We ran and those moments running was the embodiment of that enviran with smiles on our faces and laughter when we slapped our sioned freedom. hands on some concrete benches at the end of the path. And That desire quickly faded a few months later after I tried it a few times with a double jogging stroller. the running didn’t hurt. And I loved it. And I was grateful. n
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PASTOR’S Perspective
Trusting God in troubled times Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in an edition of Metro Christian Living, a magazine based in Ridgeland, Miss., and now called Mississippi Christian Living. It is reprinted here by permission of the publisher, Marilyn Tinnin. By Ligon Duncan Christians are often called to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) in the trials, traumas and tragedies of life. But just how do you “trust in God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) when your heart is breaking? How do you interpret hard circumstances (what the Puritans called “dark providences”) when troubling questions well up from within: “Why?” “Why Lord?” “Why this? Why now?” Or how do you begin to respond to the queries of the disillusioned, “How does a good God let something like that happen?” Thankfully, the Lord has not left us without direction and help in grappling with the heartaches of life. So much of what the Bible teaches is designed to help believers in precisely these kinds of situations. This past Friday afternoon, I received word that the wife of a friend and colleague had been involved in a bicycle accident, receiving moderate to severe head injuries and a precarious prognosis (from full recovery to severe disabilities to death). As her son wrestled and reflected on this he said: “When the news hit me like a splash of cold water, my mind started running in all sorts of directions. I raced down every trail until the details and implications became too unbearable. Then I would come back to reality for a brief couple of minutes, before another psychological workout began. As these emotions were swirling, and the blur of encouraging messages, phone calls, and visits continued throughout the day, there was the real sense of the Lord’s goodness despite the circumstances.” What was it that helped this worried son gain some assurance of the Lord’s good purposes in spite of the situation? It was essentially his recalling and believing the truth that God had spoken to him in the Word, and then bringing that truth to bear on the traumatic circumstances he was facing. In 1981, Sandy Ford, son of Leighton Ford (well-known Canadian evangelist and associate of Billy Graham) died during heart surgery. Leighton said that experience completely changed his life. And as he sought to come to grips with the loss of his 21-year-old firstborn son, Leighton tells us, “I was wrestling to bring my faith and my emotions together.” He knew what he believed. He trusted in the Bible, he trusted in the Word of God, but he had lost his oldest son. And what did he do? He brought God’s Word to bear on his experience. Instead of saying, “This awful experience shows that God doesn’t care or isn’t good or isn’t in control,” he moved from Scripture to experience. He saw his loss and heartbreak through the lens provided by a gracious and loving and sovereign God in Scripture. And he found peace. 30 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
Here’s the principle: we interpret our experience in light of Scripture. God’s Word provides us with reading glasses through which we view the world and understand our experience. The Bible is God’s Word to us, designed by Him to reveal who He is and what He is like, and how we are to think about all of life and experience. Jesus and His apostles emphasize this all the time in the New Testament. Think of Jesus’ words to the disciples in the Upper Room (on the night He was betrayed, the night before His crucifixion). The disciples were understandably upset. They could find no comfort in their circumstance or situation. Every time Jesus mentioned to them His impending betrayal and death their hearts sank. Where could comfort be found? Not by looking at their circumstances, to be sure. Indeed, things were going to get worse at and after the crucifixion. So what did Jesus tell them to do? “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). Jesus told them that their troubled hearts could find comfort by believing and trusting in God. So, their comfort would come from the truth He had taught them about Himself and His Father, and from their trusting in the Father and Him. In other words, their comfort came from truth about God and Christ, not from positive circumstances. Indeed, their circumstances could hardly have been worse, but Jesus explained that by believing the truth and trusting God, they could find peace. That is precisely what He tells them in John 16:33 — “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” The world can’t give us lasting peace, because this world is filled with tribulation. But Jesus can give us peace, even in the midst of tribulation. And the source of that peace is the truth about Jesus — who He is and what He has done for us. And that truth is revealed in the Word of God, the Bible. What did Jesus pray to our Father in Heaven later that night? “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Friends, when trials come, look to the Word of God, and read your trial in light of the Bible, and “let not your hearts be troubled.” n Ligon Duncan was formerly the senior minister of the historic First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Miss. He is a native of Greenville, S.C., a graduate of Furman University (BA History), Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, (MDiv; MA Historical Theology), and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland (PhD). www.boisechristianliving.com
Bible translations: They all have their value By Drew Brown Biblical study is one of the most important things we can do with our time. The Bible is God’s word to the world. Combining good biblical study with a fervent prayer life will help you submit to how the Holy Spirit is changing you to be more like Christ Jesus. To do a good and accurate study of the Bible, we first must take careful steps in how we study it. There are different ways to study different parts of the Bible, but they all start with the same basic rules and principles. In a nutshell: know the history, know the original words used, know the theology, know the genre (there are different forms of writing throughout the scriptures including history, poetry, gospel, epistles, and so on), and application. There are tools out there that help us study the Bible. Some of them are things that every Christian (with the means) should acquire. The most helpful, and arguably the most important resource, would simply be a study Bible. There are multiple different translations of the Bible out there, and I’m asked quite often “which is the best one to use.” To be quite frank, the best Bible translation to have is the one that you will actually read. There are mainly two different types of translations out there; however, I break that down a little further, producing three classifications:
1. Literal (word for word) 2. Thought (idea for idea) 3. Concept (modern concept for idea) There are pro’s and con’s for each of these types of biblical translations. Keep in mind that Jesus is Lord in all of them, and use the one you will read.
Continued on page 33
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Christian Living | November / December 2014 31
CHALLENGING Faith
Tired of getting ready to get ready? By Joel Lund Game on “Ah, man! It’s already that time of We make resolutions because we year?” want to change a certain behavior. Or we want a different result in our In less than 10 weeks, we will hear a life. We want to be a better version of chorus of voices declaring we should us. Which is great! Resolve to make make resolutions for what we want from it happen. And then make it happen. those fresh, new 365 days to come. Here’s how: From the media to the gurus, a fire hose 1. Get specific: Write down what set at maximum will shoot advice at us you resolve to make happen in your on “how to make resolutions you can life. Be specific. How much weight? keep!” Until we rinse and repeat, next And by when? Do you need the entire year. year to achieve it? Or only 6 months? Well, most people have a trail of still2. Be daring! This is your life, after waiting resolutions stretching off into all. Whatever you resolve to change their past. Why? Is there a better way must be powerful enough, exciting of engaging in your life — of living enough, and serious enough to keep your life? Yes. you focused and motivated. Dream Stop getting ready to get ready. There big. Dream really big! Get audacious. Joel Lund is an award-winning author and are four problems with making resolu3. Embrace accountability. Let’s speaker. He is also a certified executive coach tions, but they provide clues to a better go back to the goal of having better through both CCF (certifiedcoachesfederation. approach. relationships. With who? Have you com) and BOSI (BOSIDNA.com). CCF Resolutions are basically just a list of asked them how they would measure provides high-level executive coaching tools for what we’re unhappy with and, as a reassisting top leaders and individuals; BOSI your improvement? If that’s not an sult, what we plan on doing differently: provides deep insight into entrepreneurial DNA option or just doesn’t fit, decide how — a window into why we do what we do that • I want to lose weight. you will measure what “better” looks gets in the way, and how to play to our business like. Monitor your progress, at least • I want to make more money. strengths. His long experience in the financial • I’ll do better in my relationships this every week. Get feedback. services industry brings real world smarts to his 4. Be you. There’s no one else like year. coaching. For more information, contact him at you. Chances are good that the very • Less TV, more books! joel@prepareforrain.com. things you resolve to change — to • I’m going to start _____________. make better in your life — might also • I’m going to finish ____________. make life better for everyone else. • This is the year that I’m finally going to__________. Dump resolutions, because they’re nothing more than fancy-sounding wishes. Stop getting ready. Throw yourGetting ready self completely into action. Embrace your life, every day. Observing how we state our resolutions, how we build Only you can be all you can be. n them in our minds, helps us see why they fail: They are too simple. With no details, how will you know when you have achieved your weight goal? How much “more” money will make you happy? When are you “going to finish” the whatever? Without details — actually deciding on something specific — you’re just getting ready to get ready. Without a decision, you have no motivation. Besides some vague feeling that prompted the resolution, what will drive you towards making the changes? More vague feelings? Getting ready to get ready means there’s no measurement. How do you measure doing “better” in your relationships? There’s nothing unique. This year you want to be healthier, wealthier, nicer… whatever-er? And that’s different than what everyone else wants… how? 32 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
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Translations Continued from page 31 Literal (word for word)
The literal translations, in my opinion, are the best for more in-depth biblical study. They make it easier to see directly what the original author was saying, instead of what someone else interpreted what was being said. The con is that they are not always the easiest to read in large groups. While they are in modern language, it’s still not how we would normally say things today. The two most common examples of literal translation are the English Standard Version (ESV) and the New King James Version (NKJV).
Thought (idea for idea)
The thought for thought translations are what most Christians in America carry with them to church. They are also what many churches read from the pulpit, as it is easier to understand the concept of what the author was getting across. They are still quite accurate and are easy to understand. The main con with the thought for thought translations are that they focus on the thought of a certain segment and not the single word. This can sometimes cause difficulty in studying full sections. These Bibles are great for reading but not ideal for a full in-depth study. Two main translations that are thought for thought are the New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT).
Concept (modern concept for idea)
There is one main concept translation that really comes to mind: the Message Bible. I rarely recommend this Bible to people. However, I do have times when I’m approached by people who are having a hard time wrapping their heads around God’s Word while reading either a literal translation or a thought translation. When this happens I do recommend the Message. Like I said, the best Bible to get is the one you’ll read. This translation takes the thought translation ideas to the extreme and reads completely different than any other biblical translation. It’s in modern language and vernacular. This produces a fully modern style and concept Bible. The cons on this are obvious: it’s only meant to get the potential concept one portion at a time. This is not meant for study; it’s meant to get the point across in a modern way. I have read from all of these types of biblical translations, and let me assure you, Jesus is Christ in all of them. They may be written a little differently than the rest, but they are all useful for the Glory of God. So the first step in studying the Bible is to get a study Bible that you will open and read. n Drew Brown pastors at Second Chance Church in Nampa, Idaho where he lives with his wife and two children. You can reach him at info@secondchancechurch.org.
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Change Your Station, Change Your Life Christian Living | November / December 2014 33
MAXIMUM Health
Eliminate what provokes cancer By Rosie Main • Plastics — Compounds in plastic conThere are some protocols that one may tainers, the lining of metal cans and paperfollow to help eliminate what provokes getboard containers and plastic wrap all leach ting cancer. compounds that disrupt the neuroendocrine Step 1: Accept Christ as your Savior and system. learn to forgive. • Processed and refined foods — Our Step 2: Turn on your power by getting bodies make best use of food in its natural adjusted and removing nerve interference state. The more processes and alterations to your God-given life flow. that a food goes through, the more unnatural Other ideas include the following. and harmful it becomes. Refined sugar and Reduce or eliminate the following to halt flour, boxed pastas and frozen dinners, powtoxin accumulation and cellular damage in dered cheese and heat-treated oils — these the body: are at the heart of a whole host of diseases • Animal products with hormones and disorders. and antibiotics — Don’t be fooled by • Subsidized agricultural products Rosie Main is a chiropractor, USA team “natural” or “free-range” labels; buy pas— Wheat, soy and corn products are highly ture-fed, locally raised animal products that doctor and a Maximized Living doctor. She subsidized by the U.S. government and highly owns Main Health Solutions at 2300 W. are hormone- and antibiotic-free. processed and refined. Food allergies to these Everest Lane, Suite 175, in Meridian. • Artificial sweeteners — Artificial substances are subsequently on the rise and sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharine and She may be reached at 859-6170 or sucralose generate damaging free radicals in rjmaindc@yahoo.com. For more informa- can contribute to leaky gut syndrome and imthe body. High fructose corn syrup, although tion, visit MaximizedLivingDrMain.com. proper nutrient absorption. These foods are often loaded with pesticides, herbicides and manufacturers refer to it as a “natural” heavy metals. More and more, the seeds from sweetener, is so highly processed that it can be said to be artifiwhich they are grown are genetically engineered. Buy organic, cial and contributes to yeast growth in the body, among other sprouted whole grains and avoid processed soy products. negative health effects. • Water — Our water contains hundreds of unregulated • Electromagnetic waves — Cell phones, TVs, computer screens, microwave — even the wiring in our homes and basic substances from pesticides and heavy metals to hormones and other pollutants. Bottled water is even less regulated. Buy a appliances — emit constant electromagnetic frequencies or EMFs that disturb the bio-electrical functioning of our bodies. filter to remove chlorine, fluoride and other pollutants from the water you drink and cook with. Cell phone use has been linked to a host of cancer-promoting processes. Limit your exposure by getting rid of your microCleansing and detoxification wave, as it is your largest source for EMFs, and making use of Even if you eat healthy foods regularly, environmental toxins headphones with your cell phone. bombard you at all turns. The organs of detoxification and • Food additives — Nitrates, sulfites, food dyes and colorelimination — the skin, respiratory system, kidney, liver and ing and MSG have all been linked to free radical damage in digestive tract — often get overburdened and re-circulate the body. Avoid consuming products that contain unknown toxins in the bloodstream. and unpronounceable ingredients. • Health and beauty products — The things we put in Practicing a cleanse or detox every few months can help our mouths and use on our skin are often loaded with pothese organs “catch up” and dispose of toxins stored in cells tent carcinogens. Visit the Environmental Working Group’s and tissue. SkinDeep product list to determine the toxins in your favorite Colon and liver cleanses can be accomplished with a variety products. of herbs, green drinks and easily digested whole foods such as • Household cleaners — Indoor environments are often juiced vegetables or those that are lightly steamed. concentrated sources of pollution. Lower your toxin load by switching to natural cleaners or making your own. Healthy food choices • Medications — All medications pass through and burden Many cancer diets advise the use of supplements. Although the liver. Acetaminophen is rapidly overtaking alcohol as the certain supplements can be very helpful, in general, the best number one cause of liver disease. Work with your physician source of nutrients and antioxidants is through whole foods. to lessen the amount of medications you are taking. When ingredients are isolated from their natural complexes, • Pasteurized products — It’s not just milk. Yogurts, fruit we lose many mysterious benefits and concentrate ingredients juices, and many of the foods in our grocery stores have been in unnatural ways. treated with a high heat process that destroys nutrients and Two popular cancer diets are those of Dr. Robert Young generates free radicals in the body. Pasteurization is used as a and Dr. Johanna Budwig. substitute for proper sanitation and to unnaturally prolong the Young’s research concerns our pH: the acid/alkaline balshelf life of foods. ance in our bodies. Our Western diet and lifestyle, along with • Pesticides and herbicides — Industrial farming the many pollutants and toxins that we encounter every day, practices have loaded our produce, air, water, soil and animals disturb our pH levels, contributing to acidosis and the develat the bottom of the food chain with noxious chemicals. Buy opment of disease. organic and locally to reduce your intake of these poisons.
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He recommends drinking alkaline water which you can create by adding lemon or lime juice and/or a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Young also promotes a diet consisting of 80 percent raw foods, especially green vegetables. Although fiber is an important part of digestion, elimination, detoxification and a source of probiotic support, too much fiber can stress a weakened or hyper-reactive immune system. Juicing, steaming and lightly cooking raw foods, using green powders and cutting back on or eliminating whole grains can ease digestion and make many nutrients more readily available. Budwig created her anti-cancer diet in 1951. A German biochemist, she found that cancer patients were deficient in phosphatides and lipoproteins. She discovered that replenishing these compounds reduced tumor growth, anemia and many other symptoms of the disease. The Budwig diet promotes the use of linoleic acid. The combination of cottage cheese and unrefined, cold-pressed oils such as flax seed oil, linseed, sunflower and walnut oils interact to release each others’ beneficial compounds. Budwig’s diet also promotes the use of carbohydrates containing natural sugars such as dates, figs, apples, pears and grapes. The carotenoids in orange and red fruits and vegetables contain valuable antioxidants and support immune function. Budwig recommends the use of freshly squeezed juices, teas and steamed whole grains. During this treatment, the doctor prohibits the use of other animal fats, meats, butter and margarine. Our “Advanced Eating Plan” makes use of concepts from each of these doctors’ diets. If you are recovering from cancer or any other disease, be sure to print off a copy to hang on your refrigerator and/or take to the store with you. Your best bet, to combat cancer and a host of other conditions, is to eat real food and eat low on the food chain. Other foods and supplements that have proven useful in combating cancer include: • Alpha-linolenic acid (Omega-3 fatty acid) — Omega-3 fatty acids are getting so much attention because the Western diet is so unbalanced with an overabundance of Omega-6’s. Omega-3’s have a host of health benefits, and research is still under way to validate their benefits in combating cancer. • Beta-carotene — The orange-red plant compounds found in fruits and vegetables are the precursors to Vitamin A, a potent antioxidant that is proving helpful to those with breast and ovarian cancer. • Cruciferous vegetables — Broccoli sprouts, cabbage and kale are all members of the Brassica or Cruciferous family. Research has found that these vegetables are a potent source of antioxidants, and studies find them to be powerful weapons against bladder, breast, colon, prostrate, stomach and rectal cancers. • Calcium — Calcium, particularly in natural Vitamin D3 form, reduces the incidence of cancer by 60 percent. Sunlight and marine oils such as cod liver oil or krill oil are great sources. • Chlorella, blue-green algae and spirulina — These single-celled animals are a source of Vitamin B12 and bind with heavy metals, eliminating them from the body. • CLA — Conjugated linoleic acid boosts the immune system and reduces colon and rectal cancers. • Coriolus mushrooms — These mushrooms have specific polysaccharides that boost the immune system, reduce tumor growth and combat cancer. • Folic acid — Folic acid is crucial to DNA production and has been found to be effective against breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. • Garlic — Allium vegetables such as garlic, onions and chives have antibacterial properties, DNA-defense and cancer-halting processes that seem to work against breast, colon, esophageal, rectal and stomach cancers. Continued on page 39
Christian Living | November / December 2014 35
MARRIAGE Toolbox
Face end-of-year challenges lovingly
By Leo Hellyer One of the areas of our lives that affects our relationship as a loving, godly man and woman united in marriage is how we feel and express ourselves to our spouses this time of year. In November and December we experience a full range of emotions, with Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is the time of year where we apply many of the tools that we have in our Marriage Toolbox. This is the time of year where if we are not very careful, the relationship we have that is the most cherished to us can easily suffer if we get distracted with the hustle, bustle and confusion of the world around us. As we enter into the last two months of the year, the first challenge we face is Veterans Day. This day, and the time leading up to it and shortly following it, brings up all kinds of emotions, memories, and experiences. If you are a veteran, or have a veteran in your family or your circle of friends, you may experience loss, fear, pride, embarrassment, excitement, dread, love, hate, closeness, distance, honor, and many other emotions. There is one emotion that can put all of these other emotions, positive or negative in their place, and that is LOVE. The best thing we can do around Veterans Day is to love. In 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 we read, “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, 36 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails...” Love never fails. If we can keep those three simple words in the front of our thoughts, all of our relationships and particularly our marriages will be much stronger, more enjoyable, and more productive. Thanksgiving is in the middle of our three key challenges this time of the year, but it can be the glue that keeps the others in proper perspective. Many times, as we live our lives we forget the things that we have to be thankful for. We need to be thankful for our veterans and the sacrifices that all of them have made for us. We also need to be thankful for the sacrifices that their families gave so we can enjoy our families and our freedoms as we experience them in our great nation. We need to be thankful for a loving Heavenly Father, who loves us unconditionally, to the point that He gave His only Son, had Him come to this earth and be born as a baby to a virgin, and become our Savior, so we, if we accept His Son, can live with Him in perfect joy, for eternity. When is the last time you really sat down and took some time to think about what you have to be thankful for? Why don’t you take that time today? Right now, ask God to clear your mind of the distractions that may be going on in your life. Ask Him to speak to you, to bring into focus all of the things that you have to be thankful for. Write down on a piece of paper all of the things that God brings into your memory, then rejoice with Him for all those things. www.boisechristianliving.com
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Christmas is the final part of this trilogy of challenges that we face at the end of each year. December 25 is the time of year that Christians have set aside to remember and worship the birth of Baby Jesus as He came to us as a precious gift, a gift of salvation, from our Heavenly Father. The society that we live in unfortunately has a completely different perspective on this time of year. We see a lot of commercialism, greed, crowding, anger, frustration, Leo Hellyer is a non-staff pastor with a loand a large amount of trying to cover up cal church and has been married to his wife, the fact that Christmas has anything to do Norma, for 41 years. The couple volunteered with FamilyLife on its Boise ministry team with Jesus Christ. Once again, we need to go back to 1 Cor- for 20 years. They are both employed by Rescue Mission Ministries, Norma at inthians 13. As we approach Christmas we Boise City Light Home for Women & Children need to remember what “The Love Chap- and Leo at River of Life Rescue Mission. ter” of the Bible says that love never fails, They may be reached at silverplate426@ and that the greatest of all of the emotions msn.com. If you have questions about Marriage Toolbox, or need other assistance, Leo that we have is love. As we remember the may be reached at 344-1357, ext. 4. expression of God’s unconditional love, let’s share some of that love with those around us. The most important tool in your Marriage Toolbox is God’s Word, the Bible. Keep building your Marriage Toolbox, and remember that your tools are useless if you do not use them. God bless you on your journey of marriage and life in Christ. Be thankful for what God has given you, love those around you, and show others that you do love them. Let God’s love flow from Him to you, and from you to those whom He brings into your life. n
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Christian Living | November / December 2014 37
CONSIDER This
Loss of pet leads to new lessons By Dan Woodworth On March 2 we experienced a trauma with our dog, Tiny Transforming Taylor (see September/October edition of Christian Living with my article “Big lessons from a tiny dog.”) Our beloved TTT! He was killed instantly as he ran in front of a car on a busy street in Phoenix, Arizona. We were staying with my wife Irene’s Uncle Mico following the death of my “father-in-love,” Fred Archuleta, on February 28. Irene’s cousin Becky took us on a trip to see her family’s new home in North Phoenix. We got a call about 2:30 on that Sunday afternoon that traumatized us. Our TTT had gotten out of Uncle Mico’s house through the front door and ran looking for us. Irene’s nephew tried to catch him, but the dog had bolted too fast. They saw him run into the road and get hit. When Irene got the news, she went back to Uncle Mico’s house with her cousin before I did. I rode back in another vehicle, and it was a very long trip. When I arrived, Irene was sobbing uncontrollably. They thought of taking her to the emergency room. I was stunned and shocked and called my sister back in Boise and could not stop sobbing myself. Finally I was able to tell her and she fell apart. Taylor was the only other dog that her dog enjoyed playing with peacefully. Taylor touched many family members. Our little puppy was so precious and priceless. We cried and prayed and buried him in Uncle Mico’s backyard. Trauma. All of us have been traumatized many times. How many of us stay traumatized? Unless we ask our Lord to heal us, we will stay traumatized and tormented. Only He can heal us as we process our pain with Him. About midnight that Sunday, my inspiring Irene (she is very sensitive to the Lord’s voice) got up and looked on the Internet and saw a picture of a female version of TTT at the animal shelter in Phoenix. She went back to sleep and called the shelter when it first opened at 9 a.m. Our cousin Veronica drove us to the shelter and Irene saw “Chloe,” a Jack Russell terrier mix, and “Jack,” a Bichon/ party poodle designer dog. The dogs were in a cage together, and we were told we could not adopt one without the other. They had grown up together and had severe anxiety issues if they got separated. If we adopted Chloe, we had to adopt Jack. So we did. What an astonishing answer to prayer. My wife always wanted twins — we just didn’t know we would get the “furry and fourlegged” kind. We changed Chloe’s name to Jill. The Lord was transforming our “trauma” into “tranquility.” He knows how to do the miracle that is far greater than we could even imagine or guess or request in our wildest dreams (Ephesians 3:20). Our two little precious “puppies” Tiny Transforming are actually about 6 years old, but Taylor (Courtesy photo) they have grown to love us and we love
38 November / December 2014 | Christian Living
After the loss of a beloved pet, Dan Woodworth, above, and his wife Irene were doubly blessed when they adopted not one but two new dogs. (Courtesy photo)
them. They are a gift of tranquility from our loving Lord. They are different than TTT. I call them our “special needs” dogs. They were traumatized and now we are bringing tranquility to them day by day. We were traumatized and now they are bringing tranquility to us by the gracious gift of healing from our Lord. What about your trauma? Have you asked the Lord to heal you? Philippians 4:6-7 says this: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Allow our Lord to feel and speak through you to put you with the right people at the right time in the right place to experience the healing process of transforming trauma into tranquility. n Dan Woodworth, Ph.D., is an adviser, author and inspirational speaker. He is well known for his uplifting messages, and in his own life has overcome illness to become what he calls “a healthy and happy man.” He has worked as a fisheries research biologist, consultant, teacher, counselor, real estate property manager, ordained pastor and chaplain. He may be reached at dan@danwoodworth.org. For more information visit www.danwoodworth.org.
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Cancer
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11-2014
• Green tea — The polyphenols in green tea are powerful antioxidants that have been found to destroy leukemic cells in lab cultures. They seem to recognize and halt the proliferation of abnormal cells. • Melatonin — Melatonin is a hormone that helps to regulate our sleep and waking cycles. This hormone’s levels are closely linked to immune system function. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep and reducing stress will boost your melatonin levels. • Olive oil — Olive oil contains phytonutrients that seem to reduce inflammation in the body. It may reduce the risk of breast and colorectal cancers. • Oolong tea — Oolong contains theophyllines and theobromines (also in green tea) that reduce the risk of many cancers. • Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) — This vitamin has been found to reduce the incidence of lung cancer and boost immune system function. • Vitamin A — Vitamin A is necessary for many bodily functions, especially the immune system. It has proven to be effective in battling breast cancer and head and neck tumors. Vitamin A may prove useful in battling cervical, colorectal, esophageal, ovarian, pancreatic and stomach cancers. • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) — Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that aids the immune system. It has proven effective (in whole food form — not supplements) against bladder, breast and mouth cancers. n
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Christian Living | November / December 2014 39