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SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2016
The Shoe
Deborah
Bell
That Grows ‘Practical compassion’
Praising God through dance
Charlie
Meditating
Linville
War vet conquers Everest
on the Word Why it’s valuable
Vincent
Kituku
Fighting on for Kenya
Because International President Andrew Kroes, left, and founder Kenton Lee with a group of Haitian children wearing The Shoe That Grows
We’re Known By The Company We Keep
John McArthur
Jay Sekulow
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Contents September / October 2016 “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.” – Hebrews 4:15
Features SVDPID Re-entry:
For ‘returning citizens’
Columns 6 8
Outdoors with Dougherty: 5 senses of hunting The Brighter Side: Conquering Everest
11
Editor Gaye Bunderson gayeb@sterlingmedialtd.com 208-639-8301
Cover Photo Courtesy of Because International
from Home: 10 Notes Kindergarten memories
12
Consider This: Power and purity
14 Challenging Faith: The value of time
16 Because International’s The Shoe That Grows: ‘practical compassion’
Are They 19 Where Now?: Vincent Kituku
20 Heartbeat: Unlocking a mystery
Meditation:
18
Tough news:
22 Departments
Dealing with it
Publisher Sandy Jones
Sandy Jones boisechristianliving@gmail.com 208-703-7860
Cover Story —
Pondering God’s Word
Volume 4, Number 5
Health: 24 Maximum Kids’ recipes
Daily Bread: 28 Your The meaning of stewardship
Graphic Design Glen Bruderer Contributors Daniel Bobinski, Dan Dougherty, RM Drury, Terry Frisk, Dani Grigg, Ron Kern, Janet Lund, Joel Lund, Rosie Main, Gary Meuser and Dan Woodworth Distribution Specialists Idaho Distribution Services Website Design SEO Idaho Webmaster Liza Morgan Christian Living is committed to encouraging and instructing individuals in their daily lives by presenting stories of people in the Treasure Valley who are living on a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ and who serve as uplifting examples to others. Views expressed in Christian Living do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by Christian Living to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2016 by Christian Living Magazine LLC. Christian Living is published every other month and is available in over 600 locations throughout the Treasure Valley, including most grocery stores, convenience stores, medical waiting areas, and churches. If your church would like additional copies please email us today at boisechristianliving@gmail.com Annual subscriptions available for $10/year. To start your subscription or give one as a gift send your check or money order, along with complete address information, and a phone number to call in case there’s questions about your subscription to Christian Living Magazine LLC, PO Box 867, Meridian, ID 83680. Find us on Facebook Badge
Deborah Bell:
Praise through dance
Education:
26 30
Be a ‘student of your students’ www.boisechristianliving.com
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In Each Edition 4
Publisher’s Corner: Summer’s end September / October 2016 | Christian Living
PUBLISHER’S Corner
Take time to stop and smell the peaches was the homeless shelter. Each day as I walked to and from my meetings I passed homeless I say this every September — where did the people, sometimes many of them. summer go?! Summer has always been my faOne particular morning as I walked down vorite time of year. As a kid part of the reason for my first class, I passed a man who was was probably no school; I hated school — they sound asleep on the sidewalk. I noticed that the made me keep my shoes on — but I’ve always sidewalk there sloped as a wheelchair ramp, but loved warm, even hot, weather. Swimming, longer than normal, it was closer to 8 or 10 feet going camping, fishing, and long quiet evenings long, and barely wide enough for a wheelchair, spent in the backyard listening to the crickets but this man had his head at the top of the chirp merrily along, harmonizing with the incline. Instantly I wondered if he had a hiatal neighboring bull frogs. Waking refreshed each hernia or some other health issue that sleeping morning to the sounds of the different birds head up helped. I noticed his tangled hair, his chattering just outside our bedroom window. deep tan, and his gnarled, dirty bare feet. Please And then suddenly it’s over. The kids go back Sandy Jones, Publisher understand I did not stop and stare; I noted to school, which brings order out of the chaos these things as I kept on my way, not wanting to Christian Living Magazine that is the summer break from anything that disturb his sleep. remotely resembles a schedule, and while the As I walked away, I wondered when was the days stay warm, the leaves start to turn to harvest golds and last time he had a relaxing hot shower, a good home-cooked oranges. I recall as a young girl this was the time of year my meal and had someone look him sincerely in the eye and tell mother would be canning peaches — oh how I loved helping him they love him. her can peaches! It was really the samples I loved, but I would As we go forward, I encourage everyone to remember that do just about anything to feel that warm, sweet peach juice regardless of religious or political beliefs, the color of one’s run down my arm and to enjoy the wonderful smell that is skin, their size, or economic status that EVERYONE is a child everything peach and a taste like none other! A contented sigh of God, and we are called to love them as ourselves. escapes my lips as I write this. Why is it that we get so caught up in the race to get ahead, And you shall love the Lord your God to do one more task today, that we lose sight of this state of contentment? God created us to enjoy His planet, and when with all your heart, we’re on the hamster wheel of life that’s nearly impossible to and with all your soul, and with all your do. And this year, with all the politics and uproar over racial tensions, it seems all the harder to slow down and truly enjoy mind, and with all your strength.’ His creations. The second is this, ‘You shall love your Take those peaches for instance. I recently asked myself when was the last time I truly slowed down to savor the flavor neighbor as yourself.’ of, well, anything. Even when we have dinner together I’m There is no other commandment greater often so caught up with the conversation at the dinner table than these.” that I often find myself finished with my plate and not remembering just how I got there. I’m full, so I know I ate, but — Mark 12:30-31 (NASB) when — wait — what did I make for dinner again? Due to my husband’s work and travel schedule I often eat alone, and On a final note we are so grateful for our advertisers — withI’ve also realized that the grace I would give before I would out them there would be no Christian Living Magazine. Please eat anything had become rote — “Thank you Lord for this shop them, and share with them that you found their business, food, please bless it and nourish it to my body. In Jesus’ name, or offer, when reading Christian Living; and if you would Amen” — and I’d wolf down whatever it was I had just please, tell them we said, “Thank you!” “blessed!” Until next time God Bless! n So even when it’s a simple protein bar in lieu of a burger, I’ve started a new way of asking God’s blessing. First I look around me — at all the things I’d been looking through or past — and thanking God for them, and/or for “this” day; then I look at Correction the food before me, in this case a protein bar, and thank God In the July/August edition of Christian Living on page 18, for “this” food, and I look down at myself and ask Him to bless it and nourish it to “this” body. Making myself be conscious of Donnie Gregerson was incorrectly identified as the golf pro at just how blessed I really am. Purple Sage Golf Course. John Watson is the golf pro. Gregerson I recently attended a conference in Austin, Texas, and was is chapter coordinator at Purple Sage for the Treasure Valley blessed to stay in a fairly new Holiday Inn Express a mere Links Players Fellowship, a faith-based organization. Christian eight blocks from the Convention Center. What they didn’t divulge was that seven blocks from the Convention Center Living regrets the error. By Sandy Jones
September / October 2016 | Christian Living
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living
OUTDOORS With Dougherty
How deer hunting utilizes all five senses factor for success. “Hunting” vision requires more than just good eyesight. You Recently my wife need an experiential unand I accompanied derstanding of what you’re friends to look at looking for. I can remember some mountain as a small boy my brothers property. On visiting and I in the car with Dad, a cabin near the looking for pheasants. He Secesh River, a doe would spot them long before jumped up from us. Many times he had to the grass and ran point them out before we off. The owner of finally saw them. a nearby cabin was When my son Jakoub was there to assist in our on his first hunt, a friend, viewing. I mentioned Roland Gammill, was to her about the Dan Dougherty showing us a place to hunt. abundance of deer in the area and asked if she or husband Roland spotted a doe just below us. He told Jakoub to go ahead and shoot hunted. The response surprised me. it if he wanted to. Jakoub took aim, “We are only up here in the summer. hesitated, and took aim again as we Deer hunting is senseless. That’s what watched. The doe walked off. Roland cows are for,” she said. was impressed that as a young hunter I just let it go at that. I have to admit Jakoub had the patience to wait to shoot it did bother me. Many thoughts came a bigger deer. Later, I asked Jakoub to mind. I felt sorry for the cows. I why he didn’t shoot. His answer was, “I pictured stockyards full of cattle livnever saw that stupid deer!” ing a dreary existence, being raised for I am nearsighted and used to wear slaughter. Open range cattle have it glasses to drive and hunt. Hunting on much better, but the final outcome is the same. Don’t get me wrong. I under- a wooded hillside above the South Fork of the Clearwater, an unseen branch stand the necessity of cattle to our way removed my hat and sent my glasses of life. I love a good steak, roast, and flying. I spent over an hour hunting for brisket. Conversely, I thought about deer free- that expensive pair of bifocals to no avail. My father-in-law and wife came ranging in God’s beautiful outdoors. to find me. Hearing my lament, my wife Except for an occasional accident, predation, or disease, most live a full life. In told me to forget my glasses and just get Lasik eye surgery like her. So I did! No Genesis 1:26 God gave man dominion more glasses fogging up, and perfect over the animals — dominion in the vision for hunting. It also was a big form of being a caretaker. Hunting is a improvement for watching Boise State process to help maintain healthy herds. football games. The word “senseless” deer hunting Smell — I was putting up some trail kept ringing in my head. God gave us cams with my friend Pete this summer. a brain with five important senses to As I took him to an area I knew would make us successful. Deer hunting is not be productive, he stopped and said “sense-less”; it requires you to put your he smelled elk. Nearby were several senses to use. Sight — Good vision is an important bedding areas in the grass. A couple of By Dan Dougherty
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weeks later in the same area my friend Josh said the same thing. I have almost no sense of smell. I had my olfactory nerve damaged when I was five. (Guess who always got stuck changing the diapers when my wife and I had kids?) I always hear from others about the wonderful smell of the mountains and trees or the clean, fresh smell after a thunderstorm. A poor sense of smell does have its advantages. My son David’s friend, Darren Trumbull, had shot a deer. I was showing him how to clean it.
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feet. From my own personal experience last year, try keeping away from having to field dress a deer in a wild blackberry patch. Taste — Perks of the hunt. I always marvel at how good food tastes when you’re hunting. Starting the day with a nice tasty breakfast Ladies’ Study of for that morning energy rush for the hunt. A John Baker’s large, delicious, filling dinner to revitalize the “Life’s Healing Choices” weary body after a day’s hunt. I usually carry When: Sundays, starting deer jerky or pepperoni with me during the September 11th at 4 p.m. day to keep me going. To top it all off — the Where: Boise New Hope Church reason to hunt — is the future tasteful meals 8585 W. Overland Rd provided by the harvested meat. Boise, ID 83709 For me the best reward of the hunt is the For more information: time spent with family and friends. I am a Please contact Judy H. blessed man to have a compatible wife who Email: Refocus4Freedom@gmail.com is an active hunter. Watching my sons and their friends get their first deer are unforgettable memories. I am proud of my granddaughter Emma getting her first deer as a 13-year-old last fall. Deer hunting is “senseless”? You got to be kidding! This time of the year I Personalize Your Schedule • No Selling am looking and preparing with No Inventory • No Party Plan • No Risk great anticipation for another Earn Full or Part-time Income fall of physical and sensory Call today: 208.794.8931 enhancement activity: deer hunting. n jenn@makingahealthyliving.com hostility addiction alcohol b hostility addiction alcohol b hostility addiction alcohol b hostility addiction alcohol b hostility addi hostility addi hostility addi hostility addi hostility addi hostility addi
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When I cut it open he started to dry heave, loudly. I asked why? He said, “The smell!” At hearing the noise, David was able to locate us and help with the pack out. Hearing — It is one of the most used senses. In whitetail hunting you find the area where the deer are, mask your scent, and wait. You listen carefully. Don’t let those chattering black squirrels know you are around or they will send out the alarm. If they don’t know you are there and you start to hear them, be looking for some type of critter, hopefully a deer. My hearing is very good. Maybe a compensation for a poor sense of smell. It has been a big asset in hunting. Once I was watching a large doe below me and just as I decided to take her, I heard a faint crack from above. A large 4x5 buck was quietly approaching her. Took him instead! Like many hunters I also, at times, use a set of electronic “Big Ears.” Touch — The sense of touch or feel is part of each hunt. The most important sense of touch has to do with the actual taking of the animal. After much practice and experience at holding an unwavering gun, that gentle muscle-trained squeeze of the trigger provides another successful hunt. Make sure as you hunt that your footwear feels good. Nothing worse than to end a hunt with blistered, aching
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living
The Brighter Side
Charlie Linville on top of the world on Everest year, he married his high school sweetheart, Mandi, and was moving up the Charlie Linville, a ranks in the military. Starting Boise resident, recently off as an Assault man, he made international became a section leader; and news by becoming the then in September Sergeant first combat wounded Linville became a father to a veteran amputee to little baby girl, Taylor. reach the summit of Two weeks later, Charlie Mt. Everest. I first deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, met Charlie when he a very dangerous location. attended the LIMBitIn April of 2008, he came less Challenge – Table home after a long six-month Rock Ascent, and deployment. he gave participants Ronald Kern After returning home, he (adaptive people and felt that a change of duty was wounded veterans) needed. Getting shot at in a country 6,000 medals at the finish line. It was such an miles away apparently wasn’t quite enough honor for them, as you can imagine. I for him, so after a lot of hard work, knew then that this man was full of integCharlie became an Explosive Ordnance rity, character, and compassion. Disposal Technician. In short, he would Charlie is a father, husband, a former search for an IED (improvised explosive marine, and one who made history by device), locate, and diffuse it, all while still touching the highest spot on earth, and being shot at daily. From 2006 to 2011, doing it with just one leg. He’s also brave, over 1,000 U.S. military personnel were courageous, inspirational, and a remarkkilled or wounded by IEDs in Iraq. able man. As you will see, he’s very lucky Two months before being stationed in to even be alive. Japan, Charlie became a father again to After graduating from Boise High another daughter, Dyllan. In October of School, Charlie completed boot camp in 2010, he was deployed to Afghanistan, San Diego in January 2006. The same
this time with his new title and job duties: locate and remove IEDs. On January 20, 2011, Charlie and his team responded to an IED detonation. As he walked, metal detector and other tools in hand, it happened — Charlie stepped on what they were all trying to locate, an IED, and he was blown upward toward the sky 10 or more feet. He recalls, “I remember the shock, the violence…it felt like something just smacked my body the hardest possible without causing death.” He landed in the massive crater that the explosion left in its destruction. Charlie first noticed his fingers were just dangling, and he thought, “Uh, that’s not good.” Clearly in shock, he tried to move and realized his foot was really hurting too. “I mustered up enough energy to look down, and although my foot was still attached to my body, I knew something was very wrong,” he said. After several surgeries and over a year of recovery, he lost fingers on his hand and his leg was amputated just below his knee. Throughout speaking with Charlie and his wife, it was obvious he hasn’t lost his sense of humor. When speaking about the leg amputation he smiled and said, “I had to divorce my leg. I told it, ‘I’m not sure who you are going to see next, but I’m going to see other people.’” It’s possible that his humor is part of his recovery, but either way, he’s very funny. Those were the obvious and physical injuries, but as with many veterans, serious issues and wounds aren’t always visible. Charlie suffered spinal cord injuries, TBI (traumatic brain injury), and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). He has made very large strides in both physical and mental injuries, but it’s an ongoing battle, he said. After experiencing war, explosions, stepping on an IED and changing his life, body, and mind forever, one would think it might just be time to relax and chill out a bit, right? This is where the Heroes Project comes in. The Heroes Project is an organization that works with veterans, soldiers, marines, and military communities on all levels. The Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, Charlie Linville of Boise, scaled the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest, with a founder approached Charlie and prosthetic leg. In doing so, he became the first combat-wounded veteran amputee to accomplish the feat. (Photo courtesy asked if he wanted to participate in of Charlie Linville) a climb. By Ronald Kern
September / October 2016 | Christian Living
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knowing that he was looking down from the tallest point on the planet. A few moments of silence, a couple minutes for photos, and that was it. At this altitude, 5.5 miles high, your body is physically starting to die, and now one of the most difficult parts of the trip started: the descent. One would think that going up would be slower than coming down, but not so with a prosthetic leg. In fact, Charlie’s trek down was two to three times slower than the climb up. Charlie is a very tall and thin man, but during the Everest climb he had lost 30 pounds, which made his prosthetic leg become very loose where it fit on his limb. This not only made it much more difficult to walk, but it was terribly painful. Charlie, looking at his leg, said, “The climb down for me was more painful than the amputation itself.” Due to the intense pain and having a prosthetic, the descent took two days to complete. He would make his way down a certain distance, then set up camp and sleep, rest, and try to ease the pain. Continued on page 10
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Everest, you can climb the north side or the south side. The south side has icefalls, but overall the north side is the most difficult. As you can guess already, Charlie chose the north side. “I knew that Everest would push me mentally and physically to my limits, and that is what I wanted to do,” he said. 29,029 feet later, Charlie touched the highest point on earth and became the first combat-wounded veteran amputee to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. There are so many incredible side-stories that took place on the climb and afterwards, but one of my favorites was what he did once he reached the top. “I took a couple of things with me. One for my daughters and one for my military brothers,” he said. He had taken paint footprints of his daughters and put them on a cloth. At the top he laid the cloth down so “…my daughters could be standing with me at the top of the world.” He also took some mementos from his friends and military brothers who were killed in action. These mementos were put on a string, along with prayer flags, and he took a moment of silence to thank all who paid the ultimate sacrifice. “We would not have this great nation without the lives lost to protect it,” he said. The top of Everest is roughly 30 x 40 feet, it’s semi-flat, and you (and by “you” I mean Charlie) can lean over the edge and see other climbers coming up from the south side, which he did. It must have been a very interesting moment
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The mountain of choice was one that was super challenging, but not the first choice for Charlie. At a fundraiser, Charlie was approached about this climb, and Charlie said, “Yes, it will be good, but Mt. Everest would be better.” If you haven’t seen the 2015 movie “Everest,” I recommend you do. Charlie said the conditions, dangers, obstacles, and most everything was as accurate as you can get. This will provide you with some insight, details, and just how dangerous it is to attempt this climb. Avalanche, altitude sickness, falling into a crevice, exhaustion, cardiac arrest, and stroke are just some of the documented reasons for death while climbing the tallest mountain on earth. By August, already six people had died in 2016; and total deaths, since documenting started in 1922, have reached almost 300. With approximately 0.0004 percent of the population actually reaching the summit, it’s hard to truly explain and express how difficult it is. Now, imagine all of the risks, danger, and difficulty — and then picture doing it with one leg. In 2014, Charlie’s first attempt on Everest was stopped due to an avalanche, in which 16 Sherpas lost their lives. In 2015, a devastating earthquake shook Nepal. Although they could have continued their climb, Charlie and his team partnered with Team Rubicon to provide disaster relief, supplies, etc. In May of 2016, Charlie arrived in Nepal and wondered if the third time would be the charm. When climbing
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living
Notes from Home
Son starts kindergarten, mom looks back By Dani Grigg It’s nearly fall, and the smell of fruit-scented markers is in the air. At least it is at my house, because I saw them while buying my son school supplies and could not resist the nostalgic purchase. (Why are there other marker options besides fruit-scented? The world may never know.) I say “buying my son school supplies” like it’s no big deal, but it really is. It was our first time. He is about to enter kindergarten, and Dani Grigg I am about to become a school mom — someone who has to get her kid out the door by 8:30 every morning. Preferably with him wearing clothes that are different from the ones he wore the day before. Preferably with me wearing clothes that are not pajamas. I’m still trying to come to terms with this new responsibility. Thinking about my boy starting school takes me back about 26 years to my kindergarten days. The memory that sticks out the strongest is of me waiting in line to ride the two-person bike with my friend Gloria. Then Alana came along, and Gloria jumped ship to ride with her instead. They said I had to ride the bike with DYLAN. Can you believe it? DYLAN. He was a boy. A BOY. The girls giggled hysterically and I was embarrassed for
Linville Continued from page 9
The next day, he did the same; it wasn’t the highlight of the Everest experience, for sure. What I found very interesting is that during his descent, Charlie’s name and accomplishment were being talked about across the entire world. Any major network that you can think of, he was being mentioned. Everyone was talking about him and, of course, trying to get interviews with him. Ironically, while all of the media were going crazy over this, he was laying in a tent, in agony, unaware that the entire world now knew his name. I asked him what it was like to instantly become famous and if it was odd having so much attention, not only in the USA but worldwide. “It’s a little strange, but I don’t get on social media very much. Part of the reason I did this climb was to show that the impossible in your mind, is possible.” Charlie’s faith has helped him in many areas of his life. “I think more than
the rest of my life. Another time I wore my pink ballerina sweat suit to school and absentmindedly lifted my leg in an arabesque as I leaned to throw some paper in the trash. Gloria saw me and called out in a laughing sing-song voice, “You’ve got the motion!” Then I was embarrassed for the rest of my life. I remember another time a year or two later I was in a class play about a king and a queen. I was somehow the queen, and a cool kid named Justin was the king. Gloria told me she wanted to marry Justin, and I said stiffly, “You can’t marry him cuz I’m already married to him.” Gloria and her mom hooted at that and laughed at me until my face exploded in redness. Again I was embarrassed for the rest of my life. Those are all the memories I have involving Gloria. I guess around her, I was in a state of constant embarrassment. No, it’s more than that. Around most people, I was in a state of constant embarrassment. I just wasn’t sure I was an OK kind of girl. My son seems poised to carry on the grand family tradition of not being quite comfortable out in the world. But we’re working on that. We’re building confidence and facing fears and talking it out. We’re building a home where he knows he’s safe and cherished. Plus, he’s armed with a pack of fruit-scented markers. He’s ready to conquer anything. n Dani Grigg is a Boise freelance writer, wife and happy mother of two young sons, including Jonah (in the striped shirt) and Andy.
anything, being baptized in Lake Clarke, Alaska last year is what made the difference in the climb this year.” This location is one of the most unbelievably beautiful areas in the country, so having the opportunity to be baptized there must have added to such a special moment. I feel God must have been watching over him countless times as a Marine, and continued to do so for this amazing climb. Charlie credited God and was thankful to “have God on my side and watching over me during the journey. Charlie has certainly increased the awareness for the adaptive community and veterans alike, and he does not like the word ‘disabled’. “Some people just need to use adaptive equipment to do what they want.” He is very passionate about helping veterans and to that end, hopes you visit his website and also consider seeking out a veteran and telling them that you appreciate them. “If you know of a veteran, let them know they are part of the world, as many don’t feel that way. Twenty-two veterans a day are committing suicide because they don’t feel they belong,” Charlie said.
10 September / October 2016 | Christian Living
“The only thing that I am afraid of is not doing what I want in life, and then having a bunch of regrets,” he said. I hope you take time to listen to his amazing journey in more detail by visiting the links below. Charlie, I’m sure I speak for others when I say, “Thank you for your service, inspiration, and eagerness to help others. You are right when you said God has big plans for you.” n For more information, visit: Audio interview – http://bit.do/ PassionPodcast Charlie Linville – www.CharlieLinville.com LIMBitless, Inc. – www.LimbitlessLife.org A multi-business owner in Meridian for more than 20 years, Ronald Kern and his wife sold their businesses in 2013. Ron is a serial entrepreneur, personal and professional consultant, author, columnist, motivational speaker, and philanthropist. All of his information is on his website, MyPassionInAction.com, and he always looks forward to speaking with his readers.
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SVDPID Re-Entry Conference
Group helps ex-offenders return to society Tony Arrubarrena serves as volunteer president of the Interfaith St. Vincent de Paul Re-Entry Conference in Boise. The all-volunteer program helps males and females who have been out of the Idaho Department of Corrections system for 90 days or more. They are ex-offenders who have served their time and are trying to re-adjust to everyday life outside the DOC. Arrubarrena calls them “returning citizens.” “They are overwhelmed,” he said of the men and women trying to reintegrate into society. “They have commitments to keep with their probation and parole officers; they need employment and housing.” Frequently, however, they do not have the resources, family or community support to help them transition successfully. Clients start by calling the Re-Entry Conference Help Line at (208) 331-2208. They then receive home visits from volunteers. The Re-Entry Conference is able to provide them, as needed, with clothing vouchers, food pantry access, medication assistance, transportation vouchers for buses or bikes, rental assistance, furniture and household items, and referrals to employment classes and help in preparing a resume. “We address their immediate needs and long-term goals within the comfort of their home setting,” Arrubarrena said. “We always conclude with a prayer. They are sometimes more grateful for the
prayer than for the financial assistance. A stranger is praying for their well-being and success. They get pretty emotional.” The returning citizens are generally between the ages of 20 and 35. The volunteers come from all Christian faiths, backgrounds and talents. “Though SVDPID Re-Entry Conference is internally Catholic, externally we don’t proselytize,” Arrubarrena said. The organization helps anyone regardless of religious affiliation, or lack thereof. It operates through donations from churches, and from grants and personal donors. Unlike other Treasure Valley St. Vincent de Paul conferences, it is not sponsored by a parish and doesn’t operate under the auspices of the Catholic diocese. SVDPID Re-Entry Conference currently has 12 active volunteers. In 2015, it assisted 432 individuals, and the monetary value of the assistance came to $46,554, or $107.76 per person, according to Arrubarrena. Volunteers’ time amounted to 512 hours. One of the group’s most recent accomplishments was securing a car for an ex-offender, Zehn Curtis, who provides free transportation services to other ex-offenders who are clients of PEER Wellness Center, a peer-based nonprofit substance abuse and mental health center. Arrubarrena works at PEER as volunteer services coordinator, and Curtis is a volunteer recovery coach there. Curtis also frequently drove ex-offenders
to parole meetings, classes or other appointments they needed to keep — until his van broke down, leaving him and the people he sought to help without a way to get around. The Re-Entry Conference was able to give Curtis a 1999 BMW that had been contributed by a donor. In the March edition of the Idaho Catholic Register, the “Beamer” is described this way: “The vehicle has some cosmetic damage, but the engine and interior are in pristine condition as the donor greatly cared for the vehicle.” Arrubarrena feels the BMW was a godsend. “It came by the power of the Holy Spirit,” he said. The Re-Entry Conference serves 10-20 new individuals per week and is always in need of volunteers. Interested people may call Arrubarrena at (208) 870-9598 for more information. Arrubarrena said the recidivism rate for clients of the Re-Entry Conference is 19 percent, while the rate for the general ex-offender population is 35 percent. n
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 11
CONSIDER This
The Church: purity is proportional to power By Dan Woodworth
9/10-16
The early Church in Israel in the book of Acts was pure. Very pure. In fact, she was so pure that when Ananias and Sapphira lied to Peter in Acts 5:1-11 he said that they lied not to men, but to God. They were struck dead! Why? Because the Church was pure. That is why the pure, raw resurrection power of the Risen Christ was so evident! Fast forward to today in Boise. If that same experience happened here, would we see the same result? Why was the first Church so pure? Many will say because she was so new or the Church needed to be established. Others will respond with different answers. Why is the Church in our area of Boise so different than the Church in Acts 5? The first Church was pure because the members were filled with the Spirit in His love! Raw Resurrection Power from our Risen Christ. Let’s see and hear what the people saw and heard in Acts 5:12-16 in the original Greek: By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were being done among the people. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. But of the others no one dared to join them; however, the people held them in high regard, and more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they carried out the sick even into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, so as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. A great number of people from the towns around Jerusalem also came, bringing the sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and they were healed, all of them. Signs, wonders, high regard, more than ever believers were added to the Lord and everyone they brought was healed. Those are the actions the people saw and heard! If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), then why don’t we see and hear those same actions in our Boise area today? I have been thinking about this and praying about this since my Most Beautiful Beloved Bride, Irene, and I returned from
Israel six months ago at the time of this writing. I believe that the answer is revealed in the word love. God is love. (1 John 4:16) The Greek word for the love of God is agape. Each time we see the word love in this article it will be agape. Galatians 5:6 reveals words of Spirit and Life to us in the Greek: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith ex- Dan Woodworth pressing itself through love. Let’s see and hear this revelation in The Message: For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. Let’s see and hear the true meaning of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 in the Greek: Love is long tempered (patient). Love is kind. It does not envy. Love does not brag. It is not arrogant. It is not rude. It is not self seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no account of wrongs. It takes no pleasure in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth. Love covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never falls, fails or ends… Let’s see and hear these words of Spirit and Life in The New Living Translation: Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never
12 September / October 2016 | Christian Living
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loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Could the difference between the first Church and the Church in our Boise area be how the word love is lived in the Church today? Let’s see and hear our Loving Lord in 1 John 4:7-8 in the Greek: Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The person who does not love does not know God because God is love. Do you believe that the raw resurrection power of Christ is centered in His love? I do! Why? Because God is love. He loved us so much that He raised Jesus from the dead for our justification (Romans 4:25). He loves us so much that He deeply desires to live through us with His love in the same way He lived and loved through them in the book of Acts! Why don’t we see the same power of the Spirit in our Boise area like the people saw in the book of Acts? If we allow Him to purify us with His love and we love one another as He commands us in 1 John 3:7-8, we will see the same mighty work of the Spirit in our Boise area as those people saw 2,000 years ago in Israel as He radically reveals in Acts 5:12-16! God is love and His power to supernaturally solve pressing
problems such as the distortion of the view of God, shame, addictions, anger and violence in our Boise area and beyond is released through His love! See and hear His words of Spirit and Life in Ephesians 3:14-20 in the Greek: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name, in order that according to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, rooted and grounded in love, in order that you may be empowered to grasp with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to the One who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine according to the power that is working within us… Purity is Proportional to Power! The greater our Purity, the greater His Power! n Dr. Dan Woodworth earned his Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree from the King’s University in Los Angeles in 2009. His passion is to encourage and empower people with the transforming power of hope and healing to become all they are created to be. He and his beautiful bride, Irene, have planted three churches. They are in the process of creating a cross/ cultural, cross/generational healing community solving pressing problems in Boise and beyond. He may be reached at dan@danwoodworth.org.
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 13
CHALLENGING Faith
Time: the gift we continually throw away
Joel Lund we don’t have time to notice them. Other times, we’re so afraid of making a mistake we freeze. We play it safe. We The following is an excerpt from the author’s upcoming book, Prepare For Rain; convince our self that “It’s not the right time. Not yet. I’ll get to that later. You The Ten Essential Steps for Creating the Life know, when (something undefined and You Want. vague) happens.” That’s our story, too. So you won’t get It’s your time any judgment from us. Often, we’re so busy making mistakes Hardly. We waited far longer than we should have to begin pursuing our dreams. And the problem with that is something you already know about. We all face it. We all get the same amount of it. It makes absolutely no difference if you are rich or poor, tall or short, smart or not. It cares not at all what color your skin is. It’s as strong as gravity and its consequences are far more impactful, s e good or bad. d Bla • Wiper ot all kinds Everyone takes it for granted until something happens. Something big. We’ve g Something that changes everything. Check t n la o o C And too often, by that point, it is too • eze) e r F i t late to do anything. n (A Because time endures when we do not. Each of us receives 168 hours of time every week. It is ours to use as we please. Even when our choices are limited, because of our circumstance, our place 35 YEARS IN BUSINESS in this world, or what family we were DAVE YOSHIDA ~ OWNER born into. Time is, oddly enough, changeless. It marches on at the same speed for all of us. And that speed is faster than we admit. So you have a choice to make. Right now. Whether or not you finish reading this article. You do not dare not make this choice, By Joel Lund
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however you make it, because to deny it or delay it just guarantees you stay on the course you’re on already. Choose to work with time, rather than against it. It’s simple. Working with time means that you no longer take it for granted. It means that you treat it as priceless and sacred and probably everything you haven’t treated it with before. Like with respect. Like with trembling. Like with gratitude. Because you just have no idea how much time you get to live with. And you know what? Your dreams are absolutely tied to time. Every moment you are not engaged in pursuing your dreams is time you don’t get back. It’s your life, frittered. If you ever want to begin making your dent in the universe, as Steve Jobs put it, you better get started on pursuing your dreams. Right now. Stop wasting time. Embrace it for what it is: yours to lose.
It’s not enough to want it
When you think about it, we should not be surprised by the fact that pursuing your dreams is work for the bold and the brave. It requires courage. Some days, more than you can muster easily. Or at all. Consider all of the books you loved when you were young (and maybe all the books you love now that you’re older). They were full of heroes. All kinds of heroes, mind you. Little engines that could. Brave puppies. Elephant’s that risked flight. A wooden doll that became a boy. At the earliest age, we learned that it takes courage to reach big goals. We understood that what really matters to us rarely comes without a fight. For many, that foundational understanding about how the world works got lost along their journey. The responsibilities that come with “adulting” can do that. When you’re stressed out about how to cover the rent when the car just blew a water pump, it can seem silly to keep planning for pursuing your dreams. We get it. Still, is it off base to question if that’s what dampened your vision? Isn’t it pos-
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sible that the water pump, followed by the unexpected medical bill, followed by the (fill in blank), became a handy string of excuses for stalling? Perhaps your dreams got jettisoned due to circumstance. Maybe someone told you that thinking that way was being “childish.” And maybe you believed them. But did you ever stop to consider the source of that declaration? Did the (almost certainly adult) person telling you to stop being childish seem to be living out their purpose? Or were they coming from a place of scarcity and disappointment? This couldn’t be more important. Read the biographies of famous people — those who “have made it” — and you’ll be struck by how much courage it required for their achievements to be reached. Too often, we look at those we celebrate and we unconsciously discern the gap between where we are and where they’ve arrived. We typically measure the gap in terms of money, which gets us on the wrong path immediately. Even if we don’t measure ourselves against others by money, we fail to recognize what we do every time we compare ourselves to those we admire, respect and wish we could be like: We compare our blooper reels to their awardwinning performances. Maybe in the course of human history there really is someone who was an
overnight success. Stranger things have happened, and there are exceptions to every rule. But the most common rule is this: most of the people that are held up as shining examples of living their purpose were “overnight sensations” that actually took years, even decades, to become. If that’s how it worked for them, why can’t it work that way just as well for you? No reason at all. Those celebrated people kept getting after their dreams just the same way we have to. One day at a time. Wanting it isn’t enough. Working at it like your dream depends on it is the only certain way to make your dream a reality. Luck has nothing to do with the outcome you desire. God grants you a limited supply of time. God also places the calling inside of you to live a life of purpose. If you aren’t living that way yet, it’s time to start. Today. Not tomorrow, because it may not come. n Joel Lund is a certified master coach and business marketing expert. Are you a business owner? Check out his newest enterprise, PurposeDrivenAcademy. com, an online business accelerator. Owners and entrepreneurs using the academy quickly break through to higher revenues, with less work and more fun. Download his (free) simple 10-step guide for living with more purpose and joy: www. prepareforrain.com/ebook.
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 15
The Shoe That Grows:
Because International’s By Sandy Jones Born and raised in Nampa, Idaho and a graduate of Northwest Nazarene University, Kenton Lee felt called to the mission field. Having served on a couple of weeklong mission trips with his church group, Kenton knew that to make this decision he needed to spend a considerable amount of time in the mission field before he made a commitment. Right after college he opted to spend six months in Quito, Ecuador, but it was the six months of 2007 that he spent near Nairobi, Kenya that forever changed his life — and the lives of many others. Living and working in an orphanage of about 140 kids outside of Nairobi, Kenton recalls having “an amazing time.” Walking to church one Sunday he looked down and a little girl in a white dress was walking next to him; it was then he noticed that her shoes were so much too small for her feet that the toes of the shoes had actually been cut off to allow room for her toes to stick out. Kenton knew these children were poor, but it wasn’t until then, as he looked around and saw many other children in the same situation, that it hit him just how incredibly poor they were. Later that day he went to the director of the orphanage to inquire about the children’s shoes. The director explained that the previous year a group had sent a shipment of clothes and shoes, but nothing since. It was all the orphanage could do to keep a roof over the children’s heads and food on their table — they simply had to make do with what they had. It was then the thought crossed Kenton’s mind: “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a shoe that could adjust and expand, so that kids always had a pair of shoes that fit?” Fortunately, he wrote those thoughts down. Upon his return to Nampa, Kenton realized that the mission field was not his calling, but his heart to serve was beating every bit as strong. He asked himself: “What can I do from here that’s still missional? How can I be involved in missions right here in Nampa, Idaho?”
The Shoe That Grows expands five sizes in the front, with posts and holes on the sides with snaps, and then on the back with a buckle. The sole is made of compressed rubber similar to that used in tires, and the top is high-quality leather. (Photo provided by The Shoe That Grows)
Then he ran across the note he’d made about children needing a shoe that grows with them, which started him on his way; soon after, a few friends joined in and they started Because International in 2009, practicing what they call “Practical Compassion.” Since none of them knew anything about shoes, they reached out to the big brands — Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Crocs, Toms — and either they weren’t interested, or they told Kenton’s little troop that it wasn’t a good idea, it just wouldn’t work. Thinking they weren’t explaining the concept well enough, Kenton’s group had a friend make a video, which they presented to the major manufacturers, with the same result. Determined as ever, Kenton went to area thrift stores and Walmart to buy “cheap” shoes, cutting them up in his garage and trying to piece together a prototype of what he had in mind. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that he really didn’t know what he was doing and the project wasn’t going anywhere. Knowing the big brands weren’t interested in helping, Kenton and his team found a small shoe Children wearing The Shoe That Grows gather around Kenton Lee and his wife Nikki during a company in Portland, Oregon that actually makes prototypes of shoes. visit to Kenya. (Courtesy photo)
16 September / October 2016 | Christian Living
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COVER STORY
‘practical compassion’ Christians also, the owners of the company had been on mission trips themselves and had also seen this real need. They were in! Working through the design process together they finally came up with The Shoe That Grows. Five years of hard work and dedication had paid off ! With his wife, Nikki, Kenton took the 100 pairs of the prototype and returned to Kenya, placing them in four different schools and having the kids try them out for about a year. The kids loved them but they had a few changes to make, so back to the shoe company in Portland; then, the first batch of 3,000 pairs was made. The end result, in Kenton’s own words: “…just a really simple, functional shoe for kids who are in desperate need of sustainable footwear…” The shoe project was funded largely by donations from friends, family, and Kenton and his friends’ own money. Kenton and Nikki stored the shoes in their guest room, with the plan to send them with friends and sell them to people going on mission trips. Since he was working a full-time job at Northwest Nazarene University, this was supposed to be a small side project. That was until Buzzfeed.com, a website based out of New York, picked up their story in April of 2015 and published an article that prompted a “tidal wave” of publicity. They sold out of shoes that day! Between that publicity and the people who’d been directed to their website as a result of the story, they had $112,000 donated by people from around the world in the next two weeks. Out of shoes, Kenton started taking pre-orders for mission trips that were scheduled for that summer. They had shoes being made as quickly as possible, running short for approximately three months while production caught up to demand. Soon Kenton realized that his small side project had outgrown him. The first person he had shared his idea with was his best friend since second grade, Andrew Kroes, who quit his full-time job in Boise to join him. Having always been a part
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Kenton Lee was moved to create The Shoe That Grows after he visited Kenya and saw children wearing shoes they had long ago outgrown. (Courtesy photo)
of the project, Andrew is now the president of Because International. Kenton laughs and shares: “He’s 100 times better at business than I am!” In the 12 months following July 2015 Because International has gotten over 50,000 pairs of The Shoe That Grows to kids in over 70 countries, primarily through mission trips and organizations that work with kids in need. It’s amazing that a shoe that grows five sizes can be manufactured, packaged in a nylon backpack, and delivered to a child in need for as little as $16. Kenton explained that most missionary trips order a large duffel bag (provided by Because International) with 50 pairs of shoes in it to take with them for $800. Some larger groups take two of these duffel bags with them for a total of 100 pairs of shoes at a discounted rate of $1,500. With his heart for the people in these areas, Kenton is now working to shift production to a small factory in Ethiopia and hopes to find a similar partner in Haiti, where most of their shoes go. Moving production will create jobs in those areas and keep the costs of shipping down to maintain the affordability of the shoes. A true visionary, Kenton sees The Shoe That Grows expanding, with the eventual possibility of retail sales here in the U.S. and other countries. But as we parted that day, he hinted at the next project for children in dire need in struggling countries that is set to be launched the first part of 2017. A story that clearly is “…to be continued…!” n For more information, or to contact Kenton Lee about The Shoe That Grows, go to www.TheShoeThatGrows.org; to learn more about Because International, go to www.BecauseInternational.org.
September / October 2016 | Christian Living 17
Meditation
The value of the quiet study of God’s Word By RM Drury Today I read the little book of Micah in the Bible. I have to confess that as I was reading it, I was having a hard time following it and figuring out what it might mean to me and how I might apply those words to my life. As always when I don’t understand what I am reading, I picked up my handy-dandy Nelson’s Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe. I can usually find some help in clearing up what I clearly do not understand. It did give me the answers I needed and “so much more.” The “so much more” is the topic of this article. In Chapter 7, Micah is completely miser- RM Drury able because the folks he is preaching to are not “upright” (vs. 2). They are “evil doers” and “unethical” (vs. 3); they are all “untrustworthy” (vs. 5-6). But Micah takes a stand... “But as for me...” (vs. 7) — here comes the so much more — “...I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” (vs. 7) Can you just see Micah standing on top of a hill with his arm ramrod straight and his index finger pointed toward the sky and to the God of His salvation? “As for me,” Micah says, “I will watch, I will wait and I will pray!!!” for Micah knows “God to be faithful.” Micah knows “God to be righteous.” (vs. 9) Micah knows “God to be forgiving.” (vs. 18) (Nelson, pg. 597) Micah knows God to be merciful. (vs. 18) Micah knows God to be compassionate. (vs. 19) Micah knows God to keep his promises. (vs. 20) Micah had probably spent a lot of time listening to God and thinking about who God is for him to know how God is. After reading the Commentary and rereading these verses, I had to ask myself, “Do I know God the way Micah knew God?” This is where meditation comes in. Faithful, righteous, forgiving, merciful, compassionate and trustworthy — these are all attributes of the Lord of Lords, the Almighty God. Meditation, simply stated, is thinking long and hard about something, pondering it, contemplating it. Really allowing it to sink in and flood your being, filling you full with the immenseness of it. This morning, after reading the book of Micah and the Commentary, I sat quietly in my little sanctuary — the room upstairs that I call mine — and thought long and hard about God’s faithfulness to me and my family all throughout our years. About each time He met a need, caused something to happen or swept in to save the day. I thought about God’s righteousness and the times He dealt with me justly. I thought about how God forgave me when I was unforgivable and how He calls me His child now and forgives me when I make wrong choices. I thought about the mercy God showed me when He sent His Son to die on the cross for a sinner such as I. I thought about the compassion God has shown me when I have come to Him with a hurt heart and He allows me to climb upon His lap and just rest in Him, receiving His comfort. And I thought about all the promises God has given me through scripture and how He has kept every one. And as I meditated on these things, I wept. I was full to overflowing with the immenseness of God and who He is and what He
18 September / October 2016 | Christian Living
means to me. And then I had a time of rejoicing, for I get to call my God “Father.” And He calls me “Child.” Meditating on the things of God is a practice that ultimately brings us to a closer relationship with Him. We get to know Him better the more we think about Him. We get to know ourselves better as well. King David declared, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.” – Psalm 119:97 The truth of the matter is, I believe it pleases God when we think about Him and His Word all the time, not just when we are in our quiet time or just when we are at church. For what we think about becomes part of us. Meditate on that for a moment: what we think about becomes part of us! The apostle Paul, in speaking to the people of Philippi, encouraged them to settle disagreements, to be joyful, not to worry about anything, to tell God what they need and thank Him for His provision so that they would experience God’s peace; and, he told them, that peace will guard their hearts and minds as they follow Christ. (Phil. 4:1-7, paraphrased by me) And then Paul closes with one final instruction. “And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise....” – Philippians 4:8 God is truth. God is honorable. God is right and just. God is pure and holy. God is lovely. God is one to be admired and is worthy of praise. God is perfect. Think on these things. As I meditated on God’s faithfulness, I was challenged to be more faithful. As I thought about His forgiveness, I wanted to be more forgiving. I prayed that I would be more compassionate. All these things that I was meditating on about God became the desires of my heart. It became part of me — or at least who I want to be. And with God’s help, I can be that person. And so can you. Meditate on the things of God. You could start your meditation with Philippians 4:8 and dissect it and meditate on one portion at a time. As you are meditating, it is sometimes good to write down what you are thinking so you can refer back to it. Remember that what you think about becomes part of you, and thinking on the things of God will make them become part of you. If meditating on the things of God was good for the Philippians and Paul and Micah, it is good for us. “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord.” – Psalm 104: 33-34 n Reference: Nelson’s Quick Reference Chapter-By-Chapter Bible Commentary; Warren W. Wiersbe; p. 597 Roxanne Drury is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired Christian preschool teacher with a Certificate of Achievement in Early Childhood Education from Moorpark College. She is a former insurance executive and trainer. She has served the Lord for over 40 years in a church setting in many capacities, with most of her time spent in children’s ministry. Her heart is sharing God’s Word and its life application through her blog at thatslifemissroxanne.blogspot.com.
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WHERE Are They Now?
Vincent Kituku fights on for Kenya’s neediest By Gaye Bunderson Editor’s note: From time to time, Christian Living catches up with some of the people we’ve featured in past editions to see what’s new in their lives and ministries. We featured Boise’s Vincent Kituku and his program to help the young people of Kenya in our September/October 2013 edition. (It was only our second issue!) Three years later, here’s how he’s faring.
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In 2010, Vincent Kituku launched Caring Hearts and Hands of Hope with the goal of helping children in his native land of Kenya. The task has been daunting and an ongoing challenge. But in 2015, he bought an existing school in Nguluni, Kenya, renamed it Caring Hearts High School, and educates girls there to give them a more promising life. “Girls in Africa are a threatened species,” he said. One of his primary tasks is to keep the school thriving, and he’s able to do it for about $100,000 a year. It’s a manageable sum, he said, but it requires him to continuously raise funds — to ask people for money. Kituku was formerly a successful motivational speaker. People came to his presentations and paid him to encourage and inspire them. Now, the tables have turned, and he must ask others for funds and receive encouragement from them. “I’m going to write a book on how to treat fundraisers,” he said. “I have felt hopeless, vulnerable, lonely and rejected. … But also accepted and humbled.” He said people have seen him on the street and turned the other way to avoid him, while others have reassured him and prayed for him. The level of need in Kenya is so overwhelming that Kituku calls his work there “a war, not a battle.” He sees miracles; however, he must also contend with sometimes not feeling the presence of God. He likens his own struggles to those of Mother Teresa, who wrote in a diary that she felt estranged from God despite doing His work. “I know from personal experience how true this is,” Kituku said.
Kituku has seen the devastation and human suffering of the poor in Kenya. “I feel I have seen everything, and then I see something else,” he said. Things have changed since he grew up there. “We were poor, but we had hope,” he said. “We had no AIDS then.” The populations of many countries have been decimated by the scourge of AIDS, with parents dying and leaving orphaned children behind to fend for themselves. Kituku walks into that valley of despair every time he visits Kenya. As of June of this year, seven students at Caring Hearts High School had already lost their parents to AIDS, other illnesses, or malnutrition. But Kituku is heartened, as readers should be, by what has been accomplished so far, and he praises the people of the Treasure Valley for their generosity. “We have one of the best communities,” he said. Individuals, corporations and foundations have stepped up to provide financial aid for Kituku’s project. In 2010, he raised $16,000. Last year, he raised $572,000; and by six months into this year, he had already raised $300,000. “I have met amazing people,” he said. “I have gone from rejection to blessing.” He doesn’t just care for the children’s education, but for their health and well-being, safe housing, and even basic hygiene needs as well. He also wants to look after the children’s spiritual needs. “They are learning about God,” he said. And it’s not just girls he is helping. He encountered a teenage boy named Sammy, who was critically ill and very gaunt due to a hole in his heart. After much effort, Kituku was able to help Sammy receive an operation that saved his life. “I randomly match needy children with sponsors. That was what I did with Sammy,” said Kituku. “After meeting the family that sponsors Sammy and explaining his medical condition, the wife, a great woman I have known for years, said, ‘Vincent, I know Sammy’s situation. I, too, was born with a hole in my heart.’ Continued on page 23
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 19
Heartbeat
Unlocking the mystery of the human heart “All Scripture in given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – II Timothy 3:16 The primary definition of the word “heart” means, “The inner part or center of anything.” The physical human heart is at the center of the body as the spiritual heart is at the center of our soul. Opinions and observations alone will not suffice in this study. We must receive our instruction from the one and only infallible source, the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Bible. The word “inspiration” found in II Timothy 3:16 means, “God breathed.” God is the author of all Scripture, He breathed it into existence, and He watches over it with unabated intensity. Christ declared in the Sermon on the Mount that, “till heaven and earth pass away one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” In other words, even the little accent marks are important. Proverbs 30:3 reminds us that, “every Word of God is pure…” Every single word, no matter how small, is important in understanding the full meaning of what God is purposing to teach us. By studying the Scriptures we will become keenly aware of the power and importance of the physical, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional dimensions of the heart. We will learn how all four of these dimensions work together and how they are not easily separated. There are nearly one thousand occasions in Scripture where the word “heart” is used and many startling truths will be highlighted in those references. To lay a foundation in understanding the human heart it is helpful to become acquainted with some facts about both the brain and the heart that God has led science to discover. “Neurons” are cells found in the nervous system, the brain be-
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ing the most significant part of that system. There are billions of neurons in the brain which are designed to communicate within the brain and throughout the body. Within the brain, one cell communicates to another by an electrical transmission that transforms into a chemical transfer in the “synaptic gap” between two neurons. The change from an electrical magnetic pulse to a chemical reaction is a miracle in itself. Simply put, neurons talk to each other. Gary Meuser In the February 2014 issue of the National Geographic magazine, recent advancement in “Biological Imaging” was used to produce a 3D mapping of a mouse brain, hopefully the first step in mapping of the human brain. At this point they have been successful in mapping a portion of a mouse brain the size of a grain of salt. The data used to accomplish this feat is equal to that of 25,000 high definition television movies. There are 70 million neurons in a mouse brain and one thousand times that in a human brain. Furthermore each human neuron has ten thousand synapses. Amazingly, it only takes one neuron to store the memory of your grandmother’s face. The complexity and depth in each and every neuron is as difficult to comprehend as the universe itself. The data to map the human brain would require 1.3 billion terabytes of storage, nearly one half of the 2.7 billion terabytes of storage presently available in the world. Scientists have conceded that it is very unlikely that this feat will ever become a reality. The inner universe of a cell contains a chromosome. This chromosome is made up of a coiled chain of molecules dubbed DNA. The small segments making up our DNA are genes.
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tinue to beat even when separated from the body, as long as it has adequate oxygen. In man’s physical development, the heart begins beating before the brain is formed. This creates a rather perplexing question. If the brain was not there to instruct the heart to beat, then how did it start? From a spiritual perspective that is easy to answer: God started the heart beating. But from a simply human point of view, man is left to conclude that since the brain did not start the heart, the heart must have started itself. That is the miracle of it all, and that is only a beginning. The heart has neurons just as the brain has neurons — the same neurons found in key cognitive (thinking and reasoning) areas of the brain. Science claims that the heart has intellectual capacity. God allowed science to make this discovery and the Bible covers this and other truths concerning the heart in great detail. An in-depth study in Scripture uncovers several profound aspects of the heart’s impact on our physical and spiritual life. Join me in this study, as together we unlock the mystery of the human heart. n Gary Meuser received his BA degree in Christian education from Northwest Christian University and MA in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. He has served as a pastor, counselor, high school and college teacher and business owner. His current ministry, A Smarter Heart, is the title of his recently published book available at Amazon.com and book stores. He is available to speak at church, business and private gatherings of any size. You may follow his daily devotions on the heart at facebook. com/asmarterheart or email him at garymeuser@gmail.com.
9/10-16
Genes are the very thing that make you so much different from your friends, family, or anyone else. Biology and psychology have also taught us that our DNA is 99.9 percent identical to everyone else on the planet. Perhaps we are not as different as we believe we are. But actually we are all quite unique. It is simply amazing how much diversity God can create out of a 10th of 1 percent. This information about the brain is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is sufficient for our purposes. As we transition to the study of the heart we discover even greater mysteries. Scripture instructs us on all aspects of life and what sustains that life. As an example, Leviticus 17:11 teaches that the “…life of all flesh is its blood…” This life-sustaining blood is pumped throughout our entire body by a small organ in the midst of our chest cavity called the “heart.” Weighing only a few pounds, it pumps huge quantities of blood — or should I say “life” — from before birth until the time of death. The heart pumps approximately two gallons of blood a minute, which equals 2,000 to 3,000 gallons a day. If you went on a 45year-long vacation and, to your horror, left the kitchen faucet wide open, that flow of water would equal the amount of blood your heart pumps in a lifetime, totaling 1.5 million barrels. That is enough to fill up an ocean oil tanker. The heart constantly produces between one and five watts of electricity. The heart has its own nervous system. It does not rely on the brain to function. I guess you could say it has its own breaker box. Daily within the heart, enough energy is created to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime, that would take the truck to the moon and back. Because the heart has its own electrical impulse, it can con-
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 21
TOUGH news
Like ice cream, loss comes in many flavors I cried and we cried a lot. For days. Weeks. Months. Years later, even with a new dog, we get teary thinking of Watson. Time doesn’t really heal all wounds. It’s the need to keep on living that shoves us forward and forces us to cope. There are different ways to cope. Good ways and bad ways. Here is how we chose a good way.
By Janet Lund
What a year
This year has been brutal — emotionally, physically, and mentally. Our only child moved out of the house. Many dear friends and family passed away. We had to move our company out of an office and back into our home again. We had friendships disintegrate without warning. A college dear to our hearts was closed. And now, our kitty Stuart has cancer. Brutal.
Watson’s Way – Embrace the Memories
Janet Lund
The Most Recent Tough News
I got the call about Stuart’s cancer while grocery shopping. I knew we needed food. I did my best to keep it together. Grabbed some things for the weekend and got to the car. I cried all the way home. I adore this cat. Stuart has been part of our family for 10½ years. Since our college sophomore was in 3rd grade. That’s over half our daughter’s life! This phone call brought back terrible memories.
Not the First Time
Our dog Watson died of cancer too. We didn’t know that he had it until an hour before we had to put him down. Just a few hours earlier we had been told that he probably had a simple issue with a disc in his back. It turned out that “simple” issue was cancer. It had suddenly rendered him paralyzed from his belly down. There were no options. There was no time of waiting, fighting it, and hoping. The end came just like that. The pain of loss was immediate and breathtaking. I didn’t even want to go to bed that night. In my grief-stricken state I believed that as long as I was awake I could say, “Yes, I have a dog.” But once I went to sleep and then woke up, I would have to say it in past tense. I know it doesn’t make any logical sense, but that was how it worked in my head. I, of course, finally couldn’t postpone going to bed any longer.
On our drive home from the hospital, we talked about writing down our favorite memories with Watson. We thought it would be a great way to not forget these special moments and also help us heal. Well, a couple days later our then 14-year-old daughter Jessica came up with 162 memories. We were blown away by how many she came up with. Joel realized there were lessons for living in those memories and decided to turn them into a book series. Hence, volume 1 of Watson’s Way; Life Lessons We Earned from Our Brilliant Dog was born. A book of memories born out of loss has turned into a book of help for those grieving. It not only helped our family work through grief, but many other families who have lost loved ones, not only pets. The book makes you laugh…and cry. It encourages you to talk and ponder things. It helps you heal. I think when a loved one passes, one of the elements of pain we experience is fear of forgetting. This was a great way to help us address that pain.
Stuart’s Sessions – Embrace the Moments
This time the cancer journey is totally different. At first I was overcome by the anxiety of anticipating his passing. It took everything I had each morning to go in and see how Stuart fared during the night. But when we got his pain under control, Stu was able to walk and happily interact with us again. That is when I had to change my thinking. Thanks to Stu I learned something new: you have to be brave and strong living with cancer. It is more like an emotional marathon. You have to focus on breathing and taking in the present, celebrating each moment. You have to create joy, not be overcome by sorrow. Because there might not be a tomorrow! This of course can be easier said than done sometimes. I still tear up occasionally. I don’t know how many moments we will have with Stu. What I do know is that he is here today. So I am going to celebrate him. The more memories we make together the more I will have to cherish down the road. One other thing I know is that love is powerful and makes a difference. So, my mission is to communicate to Stu that I love and adore him. That his presence matters to me and to my family!
Back to the Many Flavors
Whether dealing with the death of a loved one, the disappointment of a plan falling through, or the maturing of a child, here are some tools that can get you through: 1. Acknowledge the situation and how you are feeling. Don’t brush the situation off or run away from the emotions burbling inside. Look at these things head on. 2. Ask yourself questions. What are the hurts that come with this loss? There is a good chance there is more than one painful disappointment in this experience. 3. Find an outlet. Journaling, talking with friends, family, and a counselor about your pain is helpful. It’s painful but healthier than bottling your feelings up inside. Besides, when
22 September / October 2016 | Christian Living
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you bottle things up to control some of your feelings, you bottle up all of them. Including all the good feelings like joy. 4. Honest discussion with God. Now, I don’t mean all that flowery and pretty talk you may hear people pray. I am talking about down and dirty honest words. No censoring. God calls us into an honest relationship with Him. God can take it. Really. 5. Shower yourself in joyful moments. Take time to do things you really love to do. It does wonders for the soul. Ongoing sadness sucks the life out of you. I know from experience. It is by choosing to douse yourself in things you absolutely LOVE that you can soak up the joy of life that surrounds. It is the light that allows you to see the good stuff — the God stuff — again.
You are not alone
No matter what flavor of loss you are experiencing remember that you are not alone. Don’t bottle up your pain. Look it straight in the eye. Acknowledge it for what it is and all the ways it impacts you. Share your pain through writing, talking, and giving the Lord an earful. Be gentle with yourself. Remember your feelings matter. Finally, you will get through this. Janet Lund is a relationship coach specializing in nurturing amazing bonds between moms and their pre-teen daughters. She is a singer-songwriter who has spoken and performed in Canada, the United States and Norway. Follow her on Facebook/Janet Lund Music, and preview her music.
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Continued from page 19 “Miracles do happen. I have encountered angels, in human form, that are sent to help. So many times I have hit a brick wall and an angel shows up to save the day. I still tremble when I think of how God works.” For his gallant efforts for the people of Kenya — children, widows and single mothers — Kituku was surprised with the Faith, Family and Freedom Award during the God and Country Festival held June 29 this year at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. The award is annually given to an individual based on their heart for God, their dedication to faith and family, and their appreciation for freedom. Said one attendee: “He was speechless” — an interesting turn for someone who’s livelihood, and now his ministry, depends on his speaking skills. At present, Caring Hearts High School educates 160 students and employs 22 people. Two of Kituku’s own daughters sponsor children in Kenya, and his entire family has been there to see the school, the children, and the work that remains to be done. Sharing the experience with his family — his wife Theresa, his three daughters, and his son — strengthened him and helped him feel less isolated. “At one point, I said to myself, ‘I must not let my feelings of emptiness destroy the purpose God created for me.’ I used to be a motivational speaker; now I speak for these children,” he said. He has become more courageous in his fundraising work also. “It used to be difficult to ask for money until I saw the pain at this level. Now I’ve seen this, I’m not afraid to ask people for money. We are saving lives.” n
Vincent Kituku of Boise met Sammy, shown here at age 16, in June of 2014 in Kenya. Suffering from a hole in his heart, Sammy had no access to medical care and was steadily growing thinner and weaker. Kituku, with help from donors, was able to help Sammy receive For more information, visit the Caring Hearts and Hands an operation that saved his life. (Photo provided by Vincent Kituku) of Hope website at caringheartsandhandsofhope.org.
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 23
Maximum Health
Nutritious and quick recipes for children 2 droppers liquid stevia Optional berries
By Rosie Main I get to adjust many kids in our office, and many moms ask me what quick snacks or meals they can make — or better yet, teach their kids to make. Below are recipes that can help you pack their lunch bag for school or events, and prepare a snack when they return home. The goal is to increase nourishment with no added sugar and keep all the flavorful and tasty foods they like. Try these recipes and call me if you need more help. Remember, Rosie Main your child’s health begins from the inside out. God put an amazing Kefir ‘Cereal’ healing power in your children to fight viruses and bacteria, but we need to honor their bodies by removing interference. Get their nervous system checked, feed them well, and love them constantly. Homeschooling my twin boys, we know God’s healing power is great, and we do our best to honor our “Body by God” and be mindful of our choices.
Berry Smoothie
1 cup blueberries or blackberries ½ cup coconut milk 1 scoop vanilla protein ½ cup spinach (optional) Blend together
Mint Lemonade 2-3 lemons 2-3 mint leaves Ice 5 droppers stevia Blend together
Healthy Quesadilla
Organic Popcorn
Organic Popcorn
1 cup organic popcorn kernels 2 Tbsp coconut oil ½ stick grass-fed butter 1 tsp sea salt Use a stove top popper Add coconut oil Add kernels Keep stirring until the popping stops. Add melted butter and sea salt.
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Kefir ‘Cereal’ 1 cup kefir Hemp seeds Chia seeds Cacao nibs
Berry Smoothie
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Berries and Cream
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 25
Deborah Bell
Her praise dance ministry glorifies God By Gaye Bunderson Praise is an essential part of the Christian life, and praise dancer Deborah Bell has the perfect response as to why. “God created us to worship Him,” Bell said. “Why would you not want to? Look at all He’s done for us; look at His creation. Why would we not want to worship the God who cares for our every need, who helps us in every situation?” Bell, a 40-year resident of the Treasure Valley, always possessed an interest in creative expression. “Before I came to Christ, I had a love for theater and arts. When I came to Christ as a fullgrown adult in 1988, it was natural to express my love for Him in that way,” she said. Bell and her family attended St. Paul Baptist Church in Boise long before it moved to its current site at 306 N.
Deborah Bell of Boise knows there is plenty of scriptural foundation for worshipping God through dance. She started a praise dance team at her church and also founded God and I Dance Community Praise Dance Ministry to teach others. (Courtesy photo)
14th St.; back when it was located at 124 Broadway Ave. and was under the leadership of Rev. H. Lincoln Oliver, Bell started to form her praise dance project. “Rev. Oliver was open to it. We did praise during worship,” said Bell. Rev. Michael J. Ross Sr. now pastors the church and is equally receptive to Bell’s praise dancing. She formed a praise dance team and has five members at present. The team augments Rev. Ross’s sermons. “We prepare the people’s hearts for the minister’s message,” Bell said. “We dance the message of the psalm, hymn or scripture.” Said Rev. Ross: “The psalmist says in Psalm 149:3, ‘Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.’ At St. Paul Baptist Church, we are exceptionally proud of our ‘Praise Team Ministry’ under the capable leadership of Mrs. Deborah Bell. Through this ministry: worshippers are exposed to an additional method to praise God; believers are able to use their God-given talents to glorify God; worshippers are encouraged and inspired to worship God; and it is a means used to reach the unsaved with the good news of the gospel. For these reasons and more, the ‘Praise Dance Ministry’ at St. Paul is a vital and vibrant ministry that serves a major role in our worship.” Bell is quick to reinforce that what she does is a ministry, not a performance. “This has been given to me by God,” she said. “I can’t do it by myself. God has to help me, and He does. God is in control, and He puts the choreography in my heart.” As a separate endeavor from her church-based praise team, Bell formed God and I Dance Community Praise Dance Ministry in 2009. She annually offers a For His Glory Praise Dance Conference, this year held July 20-23 at the Nazareth Retreat Center in Boise. She gives scholarships to women at City Light Home for Women and to Chrysalis Women’s Transitional Living, enabling interested women in challenging situations to attend free of charge and learn a beautiful way to praise the God who loves them. On average, 20-30 participants generally come to the conferences, but Bell said: “Whoever comes, they’re going to get a good show. I’m happy with who
26 September / October 2016 | Christian Living
God sends.” Her two daughters, now grown women, were taught praise dance by their mother when they were children and now help each year with the conferences. Praise is a biblical precept, and there are many examples of it throughout God’s Word. Bell teaches that one of the first mentions of praise and dancing is Exodus 15:20-21: “Miriam, the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. Miriam answered them, ‘Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted...’” Another example is 2 Samuel 6:1415: “And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.” “David’s joy — that’s how we need to approach God,” Bell said. “But you can’t do it without a relationship with the Lord.” If you have no relationship, she contends, then praise dance is just movement without meaning. It’s the relationship that allows it to become an expression of adoration. There are several genres of praise dance, such as lyrical and contemporary, and various instruments that may be used, including a tambourine (the timbrel), flags or billow cloths. There is team praise dance or individual praise dance. Bell attended classes and seminars to hone her skills. Over the past 20 years, she has been an educator, leader, mentor and choreographer. In 2015, she became a member of the International Dance Commission. Bell is retired from a 38-year career fixing computers for IBM. Her retirement in 2015 allowed her to pursue her passion for dance. “It gives me so much joy to teach about it and to participate in it. One of my greatest joys is to minister using dance. I am ecstatic to express my love for God in this way.” For more information, go to www. godandidance.com. n
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 27
YOUR Daily Bread
Stewardship is more than giving money God. It is a balance between giving, saving and spending. Not only is overEarly in my faith journey, I thought stewardship spending a sin, but hoardreferred to contributing money to support the church’s ing your financial resources operating budget or building fund. I believe this is a is also a sin. common misconception resulting from churches rePeople often comment ferring to fundraising activities as “stewardship camthat financial stewardship paigns.” As I grew in my faith and studied scripture, I must come easy to me belearned that giving was only one component of stewardship. Stewardship has a much broader meaning than cause I am an accountant. However, there is a huge just giving. Merriam-Webster defines stewardship as: “the careful and responsible management of something difference between being a good money manager entrusted to one’s care.” As Christians, stewardship refers to how we handle the blessings God has provided and achieving financial Terry Frisk stewardship. While I am us. still learning, here is what I The first concept you must understand is God owns have discovered: everything. In 1 Chronicles 29:11, King David de1. Recognize that your income is a blessing clared: Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory from God. He has entrusted you to use your money wisely to serve Him. He wants you to and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven achieve a balance between giving, saving and earth is yours. (NIV) and spending so that you do not become You were born into this world with nothing and you a slave to money. Attain this balleave this world with nothing. All the worldly possesance through prayer. sions we receive during our lifetime are blessings from 2. Give to support God’s God, who has entrusted us to manage them. work. Start with what you can For many of us, financial stewardship is the most difcontribute today and strive to ficult part of our faith journey. I used to think that 10 percent of my income was God’s and the remaining 90 increase your giving to a full tithe or more. 2 Corinthians 9:7 states percent was mine. But giving 10 percent (also known as tithing) does not buy your way into stewardship. Yes, we should give what we have decided in our heart to give. I believe this is encouraging us to giving is a key component. But, once you accept that everything is God’s, you can put how you manage your exceed our giving above tithing, not less. 3. Create a budget that focuses on your true money into perspective. This means carefully selectneeds. Allocate an amount for giving and saving first. ing how you allocate your money in a way that pleases By Terry Frisk
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Also, include an amount for unforeseen expenses that may occur. 4. Prayerfully consider every major purchase. Before shopping, determine how much you are prepared to pay and stick with it. I maintain a savings fund that I contribute to each month for replacing my auto. When it comes time to trade vehicles, I have a set amount of cash available. This eliminates the temptation to pay too much and reduces the stress of negotiating since I have an established amount to pay. 5. Be careful with debt. Not all debt is bad. Very few people purchase a home without a mortgage. However, your mortgage payments should not exceed 25 percent of your income. If it does, you are buying a home that you cannot afford. If you use credit cards, pay them off monthly. If you are carrying a credit card balance, then you are spending beyond your means. You can find a lot of money handling advice in books, magazines, television and on the Internet. However, the best advice can be found in reading the Bible and praying to God for guidance. Even the smartest accountant cannot stack up to these resources! n
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 29
Educate a child
Become a student of your students Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.
By Daniel Bobinski
Whether you homeschool, public school, It’s our observation that Einstein’s definition of or have your kids in a private school, the education is marginalized in many of today’s learning school season is upon us and your children’s environments. Too often, kids are being told what to minds are getting ready to soak up another believe about something, or made to memorize facts round of information presented to them. without analyzing those facts for patterns or relevance. As I prayed about what to write for this isIn other words, much of what passes for education sue of Christian Living magazine, it turns out these days is telling kids what to think, not how to think. I already wrote it. What follows is excerpted Yes, children must know facts, but knowing what to do from the award-winning book, Become a with those facts in the process of thinking is infinitely Student of Your Students, which I wrote with more important. Consider this statement that Daniel my wife, Jeralynne. The book is a practical often teaches his clients: explanation of learning styles, cognitive styles and innate intelligences, emphasizing how to recognize these different facets in Daniel Bobinski Everyone has thoughts, but thinking is a learned skill. each child and how to help your child learn In order to teach our kids how to think, we first must best. It’s my prayer that the words below will encourage you to understand how they perceive and process information. In other spend more time with each of your children this school year, and words, how they learn. As a start, know that some of each child’s help them learn and grow in the way God designed for them. makeup is nature (wired by God) and some of it is nurture (influThe following are excerpts from the first and last chapters of enced by their surroundings). Become a Student of Your Students: The idea in becoming a student of your student is to learn their preferences so you can value them as the people God made We firmly believe that a parent’s ability to understand and comthem to be. Because behavioral styles (which correlate to learning municate with his or her children is key to each child’s educational styles) are pre-wired from birth, that is, “God given,” it’s imporsuccess. And, we also agree with a quote attributed to Albert tant to remember we aren’t supposed to try to rewire people. Einstein:
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Focus on Your Child’s Strengths Ask anyone who has found their life’s passion, and they’ll tell you that they play to their strengths. Try to get someone to improve an area of weakness, and they’ll probably describe it as banging their head against the wall. Obviously, we need to help our children find strategies to be more effective in their areas of weakness, but as parents, we need to become aware of and stay focused primarily on our children’s individual learning styles, cognitive styles, and innate intelligences. If we, as parents, study our children’s preferences in these areas, it helps us educate them in the way God designed them. Why should we do these things? Because once we become parents, we are responsible for the growth and development of another human being. Our lives are no longer the same. We have created another person who will always know us as “mom” or “dad,” and until they die, they will always think of us as someone whose actions and attitudes fundamentally molded them into whoever they became. So become a student of your students! We urge you to devote serious attention to learning as much as you can about the makeup of your student’s soul while they are in your care. Keep digging and keep learning as much as you can about them. The benefits will be many, and we’re convinced that as you apply what you learn, not only will your relationships with your children grow deeper and richer, your children will blossom and grow in the direction they were designed to grow. n Daniel Bobinski, M.Ed., is the Director of Family Experience Ministries, and also an avid proponent of homeschooling. More information on the book, Become a Student of Your Students, can be found at www.FamilyExperience.net. Daniel can be reached directly at (208) 375-5048.
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Obviously, each style has its pros and cons, and also some rough edges. But if we start criticizing a child’s style or try changing who God designed them to be, it’s going to end badly. Remember Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go”? A good explanation of this verse can be found in The Soncino Books of the Bible, a set of Hebrew Bible commentaries edited by Dr. Abraham Cohen. Regarding this verse, Cohen says that the verb “train up” is derived from the Hebrew word for “education.” He also tells us that the phrase “in the way he should go” is more accurately translated “according to his way.” With those clarifications, we could paraphrase this verse to say “educate a child according to his way.” Cohen also writes that the intention of Proverbs 22:6 “is not ‘the way of uprightness and good living,’ but ‘for the way in which he is to spend his life.’” He also says the verse has to do with the type of occupations our children will have, and that our purpose as parents is to help them develop solid habits that will influence their conduct when they get out on their own. You might ask, “What about teaching our kids to live uprightly and follow the Truth of the Gospel?” By all means, we should! In Deuteronomy 6:5-7 we are given the command to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and that this command is to be on our hearts. Verse 7 says of these commands, “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” But Proverbs 22:6, educating a child according to his way, is touching on a different matter from Deuteronomy 6.
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 31
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