LIBERTI magazine : Jan / March 2014

JAN - MAR 2014 • £3

10 ways to transform your finances

The Gender Where Gap did all

Darlene

Zschech Exclusive interview: All things are possible

BOOBS AREN’T NEWS

the women go?

FITNESS:

EXERCISE without trying Entertainment • Fashion • Health • Interviews • Movies • Shopping • Sex • Travel • TV

R esurrection Year

A hope-filled story about starting again after a dream has died – an emotive, poetic and at times humorous discovery of the healing qualities of beauty, play, friendship and love.

Available wherever books are sold.

CONTENTS Jan - Mar 2014

35 LIBERTI features Boobs aren’t news Join the revolution

28

57 LIBERTI living 16 Greenmum

47 LIBERTI faith 25 You are fearfully and wonderfully made

19 Nutrition

63 LIBERTI culture 10 Interiors 13 App Alert

20 Fitness

48 When it all gets too much

23 Lifecoach

51 Reject to Royalty

54 Music to our Ears

All things are possible

26 The confidence trick

55 Movies

43

Being positive in Malawi Turning the tide

57 Am I beautiful

LIBERTI women

on HIV

60 Finance

40

Gender Gap

Where did all the women go?

35

Darlene Zschech

5 First word

14 Check out Gadgets

63 Baby it’s cold outside

9 Knitting for Justice 70 Last word

43

20

9 10

EDITOR

Bekah Legg

bekah@libertimagazine.com

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

Duncan Williams

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

Fiona Hinton

PROOFING

DESIGN

williamspublishing@yahoo.com fiona@hintonmediaservices.com

Katherine Kane

katherinekane@live.com

Tina Grobler

tina@pegasusgraphics.co.uk

PRINT

Halcyon

DISTRIBUTION

COMAG

CONSULTING EDITOR FOR SCM

www.halcyonline.co.uk

Steve Legg

steve@libertimagazine.com

Š Liberti Magazine 2013 Liberti is published by Son Christian Media (SCM) Ltd. The acceptance of advertising does not indicate editorial endorsement.

SCM holds names and addresses on computer for the purpoe of mailing in accordance with the terms registered under the Data Protection Act 1984.

Liberti is protected by copyright and nothing may be produced wholly or in part without prior permission.

CONTACT Liberti Magazine PO Box 3070, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6WX, UK Tel: 01903 732190 Email: bekah@libertimagazine.com

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LIBERTI

women

FIRST WORD:

freedom to shine

T

here are days when I look at the world and wonder where it will all end. Days when I see women put down, sexualised and treated as objects. Days when I hear about children and women losing the fight against poverty and disease and learn about budget cuts and charities losing their funding and it all seems hopeless But there are more days when, through the fog of human suffering, I see hope; I see rays of light shining through the mist. I see women and men stepping up and taking the fight to the darkness.

These pages are full of that hope – we have women raising awareness of HIV in their communities, campaigning, on a national level, against mainstream sexualised imagery and others challenging the message that we must all have perfect hair. We even have women knitting for justice - who knew that was possible?

Sometimes the darkness does seem overwhelming, but we follow a God who whose love drives out fear, whose goodness overcomes evil, whose people, when they choose to stand up and fight, change the world.

Flick through these pages, read these stories and be inspired.

Take encouragement from the good that is already happening, find the God at work in this world and discover ways that you too can shine His light in the darkness.

Bekah Bekah Legg | EDITOR BekahLegg

Š Thinkstock | iStockphoto

Winter 2013 5

2 thousand years ago

JESUS

went out of his way

Honour, Restore and Release women He still Does. to



It’s time to RING THE BELL for women to live in freedom.

W

e have a dream to reach women all over the country with the liberating message that Jesus is good news for women; we’d love you to help us.

Will you become a LIBERTI BELLE and actively promote the vision and values of Liberti Magazine.

• • • • •

Become a subscriber. Every subscription enables us to give copies of Liberti away to women in the armed forces, women in refuges and women in prisons.

Become an ambassador. Tell the women in your church about us and encourage them to subscribe too.

Become a distributor. Buy a bumper box of 50 magazines for just £50 to give away to the women in your community.

Become a sponsor. Take out a subscription for a girl who needs to discover release for herself.

Become a prayer supporter. Sign up to receive regular emails so that you can pray for us as we determine to take this Liberti news to more and more women.

Liberti

www.libertimagazine.com © Dule964 | Dreamstime.com

It’s fresh. It’s funny. And it’s startlingly honest.

This quirky collection of true life, hilarious mishaps brings one man face to face with his foibles and failures – and the God who invariably has the last word.

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cgi women’s conference

14-15th March

Be. 2014

‘To be,

or not to be’:

that is the

n. o i t s e qu

www.christiangrowthinternational.org

KNITTING FOR

LIBERTI

women

justice

by JO TAYLOR

Six months ago I decided to embrace my inner granny. I picked up a hook and some wool (the wrong hook for the wool it turned out) and learnt to crochet. A few squares, hats, slippers and mistakes later, I’m appropriately hooked!

A

s well as the satisfaction of friends and family enjoying the fruits of my labour (apart from my son who declared his hat “the worst hat ever in the whole world. Ever.”), creating has been good for my soul. I’ve been helping friends unleash their own creativity; watching their faces light up as they enjoy producing something beautiful has been quite incredible.

CS Lewis said, “[storytellers] carry meaning in a way that rational truthtellers cannot. For me reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning. Imagination, producing new metaphors or revivifying old, is not the cause of truth, but its condition.” We can all pinpoint a song, a photo, a painting or story that has had a profound

impact on us. Creating ourselves is good for the soul, but it seems that the creativity of others can stir the soul.

The ‘Craftivist’ movement hopes that by channelling that creativity, people will not only be stirred but inspired to act. With that principle in mind, Sarah Corbett founded the Crafitivist Collective, “to expose the scandal of global poverty and human rights injustices through the power of craft and public art.”

Bunting, jam and embroidered mini protest banners have all been created to catch people’s eye; make them stop and think.

During the last few Septembers the Craftivist Collective has partnered with War on Want’s “Love Fashion, Hate Sweatshops” campaign, creating mini protest banners around London Fashion Week.

Currently, creative campaigners are embroidering footprints, encouraged to think about the impact they, and others, are having on the world.

Extrovert that I am, I love nothing more than surrounding myself with thousands of other people on a great big, placard-waving shouty march. But this isn’t everyone’s style. Craftivism allows for a quieter engagement, an opportunity to reflect as well as protest. It can be done on your own, in your home or by gathering a group of people together for a stitchin. It is an opportunity to encourage dialogue, change minds and spark change through creativity. It’s an opportunity to show, no matter who you are, that you care about injustice.

© Thinkstock | Meliha Gojak

And if the thought of knitting brings you out in a rash, I’ve got some spare placards – you can still come join me on a march – I’ll even bring you a hat to keep you warm.

Sarah Corbett’s book, “A Little Book of Craftivism” along with more information, ideas and resources can be found at www.craftivist-collective.com

Winter 2013 9

LIBERTI

culture

Interiors

Looking forward to 2014, patterns will be more important than they have ever been for the perfect room!

Tutti Frutti Double Duvet Set: £16.99 Rosalie Throw Mink: £34.99 Windsor 3 Drawer Bedside: £119.99 Catherine Double Metal Bedstead: £119.99 Costwold Table Lamp: £19.99 Classic Elegance Clock: £4.99 Slumber Natural Rug From: £49.99 All items are available from Dunelm Mill www.dunelm-mill.com 10 Winter 2013

£35.00

LIBERTI

culture

Aurelia Turquise Designed by Sophie Conran.

From: Arthouse www.arthouse.com

£18.00

Organic Cotton Ironing Board Cover - Isabella

Made from Organic Cotton. Adjustable to fit and laminated with extra resilient foam and thick felt.

From: Ochre & Ocre www.ochreandocre.com

£90.00

Handwoven Geometric Rug in Blue Made from Wool.

Dimensions: 90 x 150cm.

From: Oscar & Eve www.oscarandeve.co.uk

£49.00 each

‘millefiori’ - Grey and Black

Made from 100% heavy cotton.

50cm x 50cm Quality, edge piped, duck feather filled cushions. Available from: Beyond the Fridge www.beyondthefridge.co.uk

Winter 2013 11

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{app} alert

LIBERTI

culture

by SUE RINALDI

SPEAK, SHARE, love

Reading texts without hearing voice tone can be as frustrating as a sticky trackpad on a summer’s day and can even lead to wrong interpretations: were they being angry, playful, serious or sarcastic? No more guessing games…welcome to the fab ‘n’ friendly world of ‘push to talk’ apps.

VOXER

ZELLO

Transform your mobile into a walkie-talkie. Every ‘push to talk’ message is live (people can listen as you talk) or recorded to their inbox. Talk, send photos, text or location across platforms using Wi-Fi or cellular data, and invite others into a chat group. Upgrade in-app for more features. The idea of talking without conversation is liberating. Over and out!

Built to push all other ‘push to talk’ apps into yesterday, Zello has a fine looking face for its live and recorded messages across platforms, and as well as enabling you to create a channel for your own forum, you can also join readymade existing channels.

Multilingual and easy to use, Zello inspires enterprise.

Roger that!

Released free for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.

Released free for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and PC.

HEYTELL

Lesser known but just as good, HeyTell provides another way to send crossplatform voice messages and location via Wi-Fi or cellular data but with more customisable options like setting privacy levels for example. In-app extras include Voice Changer and message expiry dates.

Do you copy?

Released free for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.

When words fail you, try video…

VINE

Limitations can inspire creativity and this motion and sound-capturing app is persuasive proof. Vine shares short looping videos – 6 seconds to be precise – and is storming the online universe. Instantly post unlimited videos and share on Twitter and Facebook. After 7 months, Vine boasts 40 million users and improvements are growing fast.

Released free for iPhone and Android.

TECH MADE EASY: FAMOUS NAMES Each smartphone, tablet, phablet or other digital mobile device has an operating system (OS) with specific features, styles and bespoke apps.

ANDROID is from Google. Current version is 4.4 and called KitKat. Previous versions raided the sweet trolley for names like Ginger Bread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. App shop is Google Play.

BLACKBERRY is currently running 10.2 and apps are found at Blackberry World. iOS is from Apple. The iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Apple TV use this system, derived from Mac OSX. Current version is iOS7 and their chart-topping apps are at the iTunes App Store.

WINDOWS PHONE is from Microsoft and applauded for its integration of Microsoft services with Facebook and Google accounts. Primarily used by Nokia phones, along with some HTC and Samsung. Current version is 8.1 WINDOWS RT is from Microsoft and designed for tablets only. Current version is 8.1 and apps available from Windows Store.

Sue Rinaldi travels internationally as a concert artist, worship co-ordinator, speaker and creative consultant. A selfconfessed info junkie and digital disciple, her interest in culture, justice, technology and the future fuels her living and writing. www.suerinaldi.net

Winter 2013 13

LIBERTI

culture

CHECK OUT:

{gadgets}

by SUE RINALDI

ONLY TIME WILL TELL As the tick-tock of excitement grows for wearable smartwatches, will these wrist-mounted techie-timepieces be a watchtastic success or a BIG BEN of a timewaster?

PEBBLE SMARTWATCH v SAMSUNG GALAXY GEAR Pebble Smartwatch

Samsung Galaxy Gear V700

Crowd-funded through Kickstarter, this open source designed smartwatch had a magnificent start in life.

Slim and dressed for success in black, white and primary colours (depending upon your mood and style), it has a removable rubber strap and waterproof body - a minimalist’s dream of elegance. With three inbuilt watch faces and an option for downloading more, the 1.26 inch e-paper screen is crisp and clear with LED backlight.

Racing to the finish line ahead of major competitor Apple is Samsung’s stylish wrist-hugger. With a choice of six colours, you control your phone; make and answer calls, check messages, snap shots, make voice memos and more, without even touching your mobile.

The Pebble connects via a few simple instructions and Bluetooth to iOS and Android devices. Once paired, you can be notified of incoming calls, texts, emails, events and social messaging. Works for 5-7 days before needing a recharge, it can also track runs, control your music and more apps are continually being developed.

Available at www.getpebble.com £100.00

Although carrying nearly twice as much weight as the Pebble, it offers a favourable difference in screen size and resolution. It includes a 1.9MP camera, two microphones, one speaker and Bluetooth for connecting to your mobile. And here is where you realise the constraints; right now it can only pair with the Galaxy Note 3 (although this will be extended) and Gear apps are currently limited. Needs charging more frequently than the Pebble because it does more! All that aside, Samsung is glimpsing into the future.

Freedom, however, comes at a price - around £300!

Available at Argos and Amazon

14 Winter 2013

© Thinkstock | iStockphoto

LIBERTI

culture

LEAP MOTION

UBI

Time to practice your wave…good olefashioned clicks and taps will just not do! In true Minority Report style, the 3 inch controller is changing how you interact with your computer by sensing gestures and movements and responding. Browse the web, draw, paint, play music and utilise tailored apps.

Available at Amazon £69.99

Full name is Ubiquitous, meaning ‘ever present’!

Plug it in and by accessing the internet through Wi-Fi, Ubi will follow your every command; search the web, read the weather forecast, alert you to emails and events and integrate with other smart things in your home through Ubi’s sensors. Is digital servitude legal?

Available at www.theubi.com £130

iKETTLE Boil your kettle with your smartphone from anywhere in your home! Wake up mode on your kettle app asks if you’d like a morning drink, offers to keep it warm whilst you shower, and gives four temperature options for the connoisseurs! Just don’t forget to fill it up! Oh, it reminds you of that also!

Available at www.firebox.com £99.99

Winter 2013 15

LIBERTI

living

greenmum: I’m wearing a Frankie Says Relax T-shirt and leg warmers. It’s non-uniform day and I’ve just been to Big Pit Mining Museum in Blaenafon on the school coach. We’re on our way back down the M4; Kim, Louise and I are singing Duran Duran on the back seat, and I’m trying to look cool in front of Nick Holloway. It’s 1984. veryone’s been talking about Torvill and Dean all day because they’ve just won Olympic Gold. Louise says she’s starting skating lessons at the Mecca next Saturday and I’m going to put skates on my birthday list so I don’t have to wear those embarrassing blue ones. Kim’s not into skating. She’s an animal lover and wants to be a vet. She’s against animal testing, smells of Body Shop White Musk perfume and is the only vegetarian in our year.

In 1984, I was 14. I got what Kim was saying about cosmetic testing but I couldn’t bring myself to give up Twilight Teaser lipstick. Everything was animal cruelty, miners’ strike, CFCs, Ethiopia, and nuclear threat. Even Mum was wearing a CND badge and talking about taking us to the Greenham Common Peace Camp over half term. I closed my eyes and hoped it’d all go away, but it didn’t. By Christmas, Band Aid was number one and starving children were all over the TV. At the school disco, I backcombed my hair, sprayed it with Boots Extra Firm Hold hairspray and tried not to care that Nick Holloway was kissing Louise under the mistletoe whilst Simon Le Bon sang ‘There’s a world outside your window...’

© Thinkstock | Kevin Russ

Elim Bible Week, 2012. I’m wearing an Oxfam Ethics Girl T-shirt and furry ankle toppers (yeah okay, they’re just leg warmers

16 Winter 2013

LIBERTI

under a new name). I’m walking round Telford Conference Centre with no shoes on and delegates are giving my bare feet funny looks.

I’m doing this to support the annual TOMS One Day Without Shoes campaign. I’m trying to raise awareness of how lucky we are to have footwear – something we all take for granted. Between meetings, I go to the coffee hall, hopping in and out of crowds of excitable worshippers and getting my toes stepped on.

I’m just drinking a nice cup of Fairtrade red bush when an old friend sidles up beside me.

After the Hi’s and Hello’s and the lamenting of the lack of Costa-standard coffee, he gets down to it: “What’s with the no shoes thing?”

I launch into my explanation and he listens and nods politely and does one of those considering type of smiles. “But tell me,” he says, when I’ve finished. “Tell me honestly. Isn’t it all just a big fad?”

Oxford Dictionary: Fad (noun) – An intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived.

Tall skinny sugar-free caramel cappuccinos.

Fad. iPhone apps for everything and anything.

Fad. Frankie Says Relax T-shirts. Fad. Teens liking Torvill and Dean. Fad. Duran Duran. Fad. (Sorry, Le Bon lovers. It’s true.) Using half a can of Extra Firm Hold hairspray in one night. Fad. Nick Holloway. Fad.

© Thinkstock | VikaValter, Jupiterimages, Konrad Bak

Since the Sixties, campaigning has become cool. Rock stars do it. Comedians do it, TV personalities and film stars do it. Does that make it a fad? And does it matter? Would you rather they sat around in their LA mansions drinking mojitos all day? Freedom in East Germany wasn’t trivialised just because David Hasselhoff sang Looking for Freedom on the Berlin Wall.

living

pony-tails have gone and fresh-faced Matt Redman and Tim Hughes dominate our worship slots.

We live in a faddish culture, but it’s not all bad.

The current appetite for TOMS shoes is doing a whole lot of good whilst they reign supreme in the footwear charts. And it’s showing the multinationals there’s a market for ethical products. If consumers buy ‘ethical’ then suppliers will make ‘ethical’ because they want to sell. And if suppliers make ‘ethical’ their advertising campaigns will promote ‘ethical’.

And if advertising campaigns promote ‘ethical’ then consumers will buy ‘ethical’ because we live in a faddish culture. It’s a virtuous circle.

Let’s not pull the brakes on it with cynicism and negative labelling.

In 1984, I thought ‘ethics’ was someone lisping the name of a county. In 2012, you can buy Fairtrade Dairy Milk in supermarkets, TOMS shoes from Top Shop, and cruelty free cosmetics from Superdrug. You can support ethical campaigns at the click of a Like button and add your views to green blogs. Ethical has gone mainstream.

Short-lived?

No. Going away?

(even if you want it to)

No. Not a fad.

Society has changed. In the last half-century it’s started to express itself in different ways: television, pop music, high street fashion, social media. And to cycle through ideas, technology, and trends more and more quickly. None of us are untouched by the mass media programming of popular culture. Even my 89 year old gran watches X Factor.

The Church isn’t immune either. In 1984, we were all ‘Graham Kendrick’. Then the new boy Noel Richards hit the scene bringing us Queen-style stadium rock. Nowadays the

Winter 2013 17

WHEREVER GOLF TAKES YOU, YOU’LL HAVE THAT EXTRA EDGE. GET SERIOUS.

With the high-tech functionality of

www.galvingreen.com

LIBERTI

living

Best foot forward

for 2014

by CAROLINE GERRIE

The body is an amazing structure with an incredible framework of bones that whilst tough and rigid are in a state of being constantly renewed.

Š Thinkstock | Ridofranz, pilipphoto, vesmil

That is the beauty of our bones and teeth: they are not fixed, solid objects but living tissue, constantly changing. As our body lives and breathes minerals, fluids and other nutrients are continually and dynamically moving in and out of our bones; in fact one of their main functions is to store mineral reserves like magnesium and calcium, which can be released when needed elsewhere in the body.

As with all tissue, the cells in bones and teeth need good levels of proteins, oils, water and other supporting nutrients to enable them to be vital and strong.

The bone matrix needs calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese to enable the process of forming the matrix. Also vitamin D, boron, silica and magnesium help to position calcium into the right place around the entire body.

Begin your year by focusing on your framework. Paying attention to your bones with nutrition will help kick start the year and help you stride out into the new season brimming with confidence and buzzing with good health.

Magnesium rich foods spinach, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, mackerel, beans, chickpeas, figs.

Calcium rich foods broccoli, bok choi, salmon, sardines, green salads and leaves, live bio yogurt, cheese, tofu, almonds, sesame seeds.

Zinc rich foods seafood, chicken, oats, brown rice, kidney beans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Copper rich foods nuts; hazelnut, walnuts, pine nuts, calamari, lobster, sun dried tomatoes.

Manganese rich foods spices; cloves, saffron, ginger, chilli, nuts; hazel, pine, pecan, macadamia seeds; flax, sesame roasted soybeans (edamame).

Boron rich foods pears, oranges, banana, red apples and grapes, honey, carrots, broccoli.

Silica rich foods whole grains, roots vegetables, alfalfa, herbs such as horsetail and nettle.

Vitamin D rich foods raw fish, canned tuna in oil, mackerel, herring, fortified soya milk and products, eggs, mushrooms.

Winter 2013 19

INCIDENTAL LIBERTI

living

by GAYNOR BURTON

Even if you go to the gym and sweat it out five times a week. (and who really does that consistently?), it could mean that, for the other 163 hours per week, you are hardly moving.

It doesn’t take a mathematician or a health expert to work out that, in regard to your health, it actually may be more important to look at what you’re doing the rest of the time rather than in those five hours at the gym.

So, of course, don’t give up your regular exercise habits - but consider carefully what your standard day or week looks like.

How many of the following questions do you answer yes to?

My main mode of transport is a car, bus or train.

My commute doesn’t involve a walk.

7 8

I sit down when I’m on the phone.

13

I have a gardener or don’t have a garden.

I drive or get public transport to the shops or I order groceries online.

14

I have a remote control for the TV, a dishwasher and a tumble dryer.

The majority of the day when I am working, studying or caring for others I am mainly sat down.

9

4

I send lots of emails and texts.

10

I take the car to the car wash.

5 6

I use the internet a lot.

11 12

I don’t walk a dog.

When I have meetings with colleagues or friends they are usually over lunch, coffee or dinner.

20 Winter 2013

I mainly take the lift or escalator rather than the stairs.

Someone else cleans the house.

There is no right score here, but the more questions that you answered ‘yes’ to, the more changes that you may be able to make to create a positive impact on your health.

© Thinkstock | Oleksii Glushenkov

1 2 3

LIBERTI

living

Perhaps in 2014 you can be mindful of this and try to reduce the number that you say ‘yes’ to by the end of the year?

© Thinkstock | dolgachov, hamburguesaconqueso, vvvita, lofilolo

Some suggestions to help:

1

Ideally we should all be taking 8,00010,000 steps per day. Invest in a pedometer or a Fitbit (a new device on the market that measures your steps and your sleep patterns etc.) to keep you motivated.

2 3 4 5 6

Take the stairs not the lift or escalator.

7 8 9

Go out and dance with your friends or take a country walk to catch up.

Stand up and pace around when you are on the phone.

Run errands in person not online.

Never sit down for more than 30 mins, set an alarm to remind you to get up if you need to.

Borrow someone’s dog to walk or children to play with!

Wash your car by hand.

When you’re driving and in traffic or sat on the bus or the train squeeze your bottom to activate and strengthen your glut muscles.

10

When you’re cleaning your teeth stand on one leg.

Do some of these things this year and you may find that incidentally you’re fitter, leaner, happier and healthier!

Winter 2013 21

LIBERTI

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See www.fit-fish.co.uk for more details and to book

LIBERTI

Are you getting your message

across?

living

Anyone who has several kids or has ever tried to teach something to a group of people knows this: they probably won’t all get it. At least not in the way you wanted them to.

by HEIKE PRENTICE

R

esearch shows that at church people typically remember about 5% of a sermon. Why is it that people respond so differently to exactly the same message? Obviously it has to do with a mix of personalities, attitudes, interest in the subject, maturity, quality of presentation and ability to speak or teach. But what educators are increasingly waking up to is that there are different learning styles.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation has identified eight different learning styles – you can check out yours on their Edutopia website.

LINGUISTIC The ability to use words effectively for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

LOGICAL MATHEMATICAL The ability to understand complex problems, both logical and mathematical.

This intelligence asks questions, finds solutions, and reflects on the problem-solving process.

VISUAL - SPACIAL Visual-spatial intelligence allows

you to see and modify things in your mind.

Understanding the visual world and its relation to physical items is the ability used in solving spatial problems, designing, and doing crafts.

INTRAPERSONAL Is the road to achievement, learning, and personal satisfaction. You are connected to who you are and how you feel, and you know your own limits and abilities.

You often set goals for yourself, self-manage, and reflect on results.

INTERPERSONAL

© Thinkstock | Digital Vision., Alexander Yakovlev

The ability to manage relationships, understand situations and take a leadership role when necessary.

You enjoy teaching, sharing your thoughts and learning from others.

MUSICAL Is associated with enjoying music, singing, composing and playing an instrument. It includes sensitivity to sounds and the emotions music conveys, as well as an ability to know when something is off-key.

BODILY KINESTHETIC The fundamental ability to use movements for either self-expression or precision to achieve a goal is crucial for surgeons, athletes, mimes, choreographers and directors.

NATURALISTIC Naturalistic learners often understand the patterns of living things, and they apply scientific reasoning to the world.

Heike Prentice is a direction and leadership development coach and currently exploring ordination in the Church of England. She likes to think through new ideas, concepts and strategies and believes it’s important to have a laugh!

Contact Heike: coaching@heikeprentice.com

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In 10 years time her natural curiosity will be replaced by a realisation that the future holds nothing more than hardship and relentless poverty.

YOU CAN CHANGE ALL THAT.

COMPASSION UK CHRISTIAN CHILD DEVELOPMENT 43 High Street, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 8BB Registered Charity No. 1077216 Registered in England No. 3719092

For just 70p a day your one-to-one support will enable a child living in poverty to attend a church-based Compassion project. Here, loving Christian staff will ensure children receive the healthcare, education, food, clothing, spiritual and social support they need to thrive.

You are fearfully

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faith

and wonderfully made.

by KATE SHARMA

Psalm 139 is one of my favourites. It’s the verse I reach for when I’ve had a bad day. I remind myself that ‘I am marvellously made’, despite of all my failings. It’s easy for me to snap out of my ‘pity party’, as I only have to look around to see how blessed I am. But I wonder what that Psalm means to those who don’t live with such hope in their lives.

G

isele

lived in Rwanda. She was quiet, shy and withdrawn.

Her mum worked as a prostitute and rarely spent time at home.

When she did, Giselle had to make herself scarce. The tiny six-yearold was always hungry, dirty and dressed in rags. Things became so bad that Gisele left home.

She wandered the streets and, in her own words, ‘slept where the darkness found her’.

What would Psalm 139 mean to Gisele? Can a girl who is neglected, unloved and shunned by her community really believe that she has been fearfully and wonderfully made? Can a girl who scavenges for food and sleeps in doorways really believe there is a loving God who has a plan and a purpose for her life? You wouldn’t blame her for dismissing the words of Psalm 139 as irrelevant rubbish.

When she was at her lowest point a local Christian mother, Florence, invited Gisele to live with her and her young daughter.

Florence wasn’t a rich lady, but was heartbroken at the thought of Gisele wasting away on the streets.

To assist her she sought help from the local church.

Gisele was quickly registered into a Compassion programme where, thanks to the support of her sponsor, she’s fed, clothed and gets a chance to go to school.

Perhaps most importantly, she’s learning that she matters. Through the love of Florence, the support of the church and the words and prayers of her sponsor, Gisele is learning that Psalm 139 was written especially for her.

To sponsor a child with Compassion, visit www.compassionuk.org or call 01932 836490.

Across the world there are millions of children, like Gisele, whose spirits have been crushed by the poverty they live in.

Children who have been told they are worthless so many times and have come to believe that lie.

The only way they will ever learn of their true value is if someone tells them. We can be part of that solution.

Compassion is an international Christian child development and child advocacy ministry.

Partnering with local churches, we are committed to the spiritual, economic, social and physical development of children living in extreme poverty in 26 countries, enabling them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

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‘The CONFIDENCE Trick’

by WENDY BEECH-WARD

I had coffee with a friend the other day and we were talking about his job.

He was about to go on a leadership retreat and his team had contributed 360° input to this. I asked him what he thought they’d say about him.

His response was that they’d say that ‘I am a visionary leader who always produces work of an excellent standard; that I have incredible energy and great communication skills. And that I am basically amazing at my job.’

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Now this guy is a visionary leader, he is a great communicator and he is amazing at his job. I respect him immensely. What struck me about this conversation was the fact I don’t know one woman leader who, if I asked her what her

colleagues thought of her, would say what he said. And I know lots of women leaders.

Time and again I’m in conversation with women leaders who struggle to believe that God

© Thinkstock | Image Source

I

f I’m honest I expected him to laugh after he made this statement and say ‘only joking!’

But he didn’t; he was totally serious. He genuinely thought his team would say all that about him.

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has called them to lead, that the work they’re doing is significant and that they are actually good at it. They’d never talk about themselves like my friend did.

In fact, many of them go to the other extreme and talk about themselves and what they are doing in negative terms. Some actively seek to downplay what they’re doing as ‘just little old me doing my best.’ I know this to be true because I’ve done it myself.

So why do so many of us doubt ourselves so much and struggle to embrace who and what God has called us to be?

Rev Dr Kate Coleman explores this question in her fantastic book ‘7 Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership.’ Kate identifies that many women fall into behaviour she calls ‘Limiting Self Perception’. Essentially we - sometimes - struggle to see ourselves as leaders and consequently undermine our own giftedness and influence. Some psychologists call this ‘imposter syndrome’. Despite evidence of our accomplishments, we feel like frauds and put our achievements down to luck or the misjudgment of others. Ever felt like that yourself?

Just the other day a male leader asked me why one of his female team, who is extraordinarily gifted, lacks confidence. He was asking about someone who is nationally recognised in her role and has the respect of her peers and wider Christian community. I was glad that he cared enough about her to ask.

What I wanted to be able to say is ‘I’ve got a machine that can fix that. Bring her over, all I need is five minutes and she can go on my ‘confidence machine’

and she’ll be all fixed; she’ll be more confident, more secure in her ability, more aware of her achievements and more able to embrace what God has called her to be and do.’ How I wish I had a magical machine like that. Sadly I don’t.

“we feel like frauds and put our achievements down to luck or the misjudgment of others” If you’re one of those women who doubt your own abilities, achievements and right to be in the role you’re in, unfortunately you’re in good company. And I’d be tricking you if I said there was an easy two step programme to become more confident. What I do know is that our confidence is often linked to our understanding of our identity in Christ.

I’m glad that when I became a Christian, friends explained that being a disciple of Jesus was about becoming a surrendered servant. They told me that all I was, all I had and all I was going to be were God’s and not mine. All I needed was to stay openhearted and willing to be obedient. I’ve never been scared to admit that without Jesus I’m nothing.

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For me knowing who I am in Christ has enabled me to approach life more confidently.

My friend Danielle Strickland often says ‘Jesus isn’t a crutch; for me he’s the whole stretcher.’ We all need to connect with the value God places on us, realising that we’re precious and daring to delight in what God is doing in us and through us. I’m aware of my own brokenness but I know that I’m on a journey to wholeness.

So I don’t let my past experiences hold me back.

Recognising how God sees us can revolutionise how we think and speak about ourselves. It can stop us from talking ourselves down and also save us from talking ourselves up. When I’m part of something that goes well or succeeds, I take some encouragement for myself and my team, and then give the rest of the credit - where it belongs - back to God. There is no trick to being confident, but seeing ourselves as God sees us is a good place to start.

Wendy Beech-Ward @wendybeechward Wendy is the Events and Ambassadors Director at Compassion. She is passionate about justice, equality, leadership, friendship and seeing people fulfil their God given potential. Wendy is often seen wearing Converse trainers.

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28 Winter 2013

BOOBS AREN’T

NEWS!

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Started by Lucy Holmes back in August 2012 the No More Page 3 (NMP3) has quickly gained traction as it has gathered the support of big organisation such as the National Union of Head Teachers, the Girls Guides and Women’s Aid.

by CLAIRE MUSTER

A passionate beginning

During the 2012 Olympics Lucy picked up The Sun newspaper while on a train. She noted happily that there was no Page 3 image; that page was full of the huge achievements Team GB was making. Then she reached page 13. There was a girl just in her pants, the largest picture in the paper – larger than the shot of Jessica Ennis, who had just won her gold medal. It made her feel sad, but also sickened. She had thought, perhaps, the paper had taken the Page 3 image out as a sign of respect to all the cultures visiting our country for the Olympics but no, they had just moved it.

Lucy told The Independent: ‘I am not a campaigner.

But I felt such passion for this issue, passion that burnt like a fire in my chest, that I felt I had to do something about it… The page 3 girl image is there for no other reason than the sexual gratification of men. She’s a sex object. But when figures range from 300,000 women being sexually assaulted and 60,000 raped each year, to 1 in 4 who have been sexually assaulted, is it wise to be repeatedly perpetuating a notion that women are sexual objects? ‘ Lucy set up an online petition through change.org, and created a No More Page 3 website on which

there is also an open letter to the editor that is being signed by an increasing number of MPs. When feminist campaign groups Object and Turn Your Back on Page 3 made a joint submission about ‘the hyper-sexualisation of women in the press’ to the Leveson Inquiry at the end of 2012, Holmes told papers that that the inquiry’s focus on tabloid behaviour helped her campaign gain attention – as has the power of social media. She told The Guardian: ‘In 1970, a group of men, in a male-managed media, in a male-managed country, decided to put the naked breasts of young women in the newspaper, and in 2012, hopefully, we’re a different society. Shouldn’t we look at that decision again?’

Growing momentum The NMP3 campaign has grown steadily and Lucy’s team is now 14 strong. NMP3 also has the backing of various high-profile organisations. In April 2013 the Girl Guides joined in by writing an open letter to Sun editor Dominic Mohan:

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‘We know that The Sun is a family newspaper.

Anyone c an pick it up, turn to pag e 3, and think that it is normal for young women to be treated as objects. We feel this is just wrong and has to stop.’

‘As a young woman in UK society, it is impossible to nurture your ambitions if you are constantly told that you are not the same as your male equivalent. This is what Pag e 3 does. It is disrespectful and embarrassing.’

‘We would like the Sun, as a leading UK newspaper, to promote positive role models to inspire girls and young women and help everyone to understand that women are never for sale.’

In June 2013 David Dinsmore took over as editor but made it clear Page 3 would be staying. In a radio interview he said that: ‘We did a survey last year and found that two thirds of our readers wanted to keep Page 3.’

Since then Dinsmore has started to engage with the campaign and The Independent reported at the end of July that he ‘has asked a group of female executives to “reinvent” Page 3 to make it more relevant to the 21st century.’ The 125,000+ signatures on the petition are beginning to make a difference.

While not a total victory, Lisa Clarke from NMP3 told the paper, ‘it is obviously quite exciting that there is an acknowledgement of the hard work that has gone on.’

So what do those pro-Page 3 say?

As Christians we can quickly dismiss topless images, disgusted by their objectification of women. But sometimes it is important to connect with the issues

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of our day, delving deeper to find out why, culturally, there is a debate going on.

Those who want to keep Page 3 say that it is censorship to try and stop it. But the campaign has been very careful not to ask for legal censorship because of the message it would send about restricting freedom of expression. They realise there will always be those who want to view pornographic images, but think there should be specific places they have to go to see them. It is the fact that children can see the images in a family newspaper that they are campaigning against.

Russell Hobby, National Association of Head Teachers general secretary, indicates that NAHT fully supports this view: ‘School leaders understand the importance of protecting children and young people from inappropriate adult material, whether online, on television or within the pages of the popular press. Our members have told us about the problems the easy availability of pictures like these cause, as children, especially very young children, can find such images confusing and embarrassing.

‘Most adults recognise the importance of the watershed and online parental controls for computers and game consoles – most also appreciate the need to restrict the publication of pictures like those seen on Page Three to adult-only publications.’

The argument that says if we don’t like it we don’t have to buy it is a very flimsy one. While true, us not buying a paper like The Sun will not stop its influence.

It has the widest circulation of any paper in Britain and so its messages about the value of women and their bodies spread far and wide. A culture that accepts the objectification of women to any degree is perpetuating that message to the females that grow up in it.

In fact, children of both sexes who see Page 3 are affected. On the site A Thousand Flowers, blogger

© Thinkstock | loops7

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Mrs Misandry cites some of the evidence, of which I have space for only a few examples – but they are telling:

A 2003

report from the Institute of Education found that 66% of children and young people say that they find out about sex, love and relationships through the media.

Researchers argue this is ‘reinforcing the views of many young men that women are always available for sex’.

A 2005

study of 2,081 young people in Rochdale also found that pornography influences young men’s expectations of sexual relationships, ‘lead[ing] to pressure on young women to comply’ and grooming young men and boys to expect sexual acts normalised in pornography.’

The UK

Government-commissioned Sexualisation of Young People Review found that there is ‘a clear link between consumption of sexualised images, a tendency to view women as objects and the acceptance of aggressive attitudes and behaviour as the norm’ and that ‘exposure to the sexualised female ideal is linked with lower self-esteem, negative moods and depression in young women and girls’.

What sober reading…

But what about the argument that says that models are not being forced to do it, so why should we object? While the campaign itself does not focus on this issue it is important to acknowledge that not all of the models go into it willingly or make it a career choice when they start out modelling. And even if they did choose it for a time, images are so easily accessible these days they may come back and haunt them.

“Thoughts from a woman who knows!”

The above is the strapline from Susie Flashman Jarvis’s new book, Potholes and Belly-flops. She was a topless model years ago, so is well placed to comment on the industry, and fully supports the NMP3 campaign.

Susie’s first introduction to topless modelling came when she was working at the Job Centre! A photographer was taking shots to advertise the centre and she grabbed the opportunity to ask him to help her create a portfolio When she arrived for that shoot, he suggested she pose topless: ‘I really don’t know why I went along with it; maybe I thought I would have to do that in order to be a success.’

Well she certainly was that. Within a week Susie was in The Sun and her modelling career flourished, albeit alongside a drug habit that eventually caused the work to dry up. Since then she has become a Christian, been healed from drug addiction, has four wonderful children, and become a counsellor. But then the inevitable happened:

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‘As I got to work one day, a well-meaning friend told me that she had found me on the internet. Topless pictures! I was so ashamed. I had chosen to do the work, but to see myself there for the entire world to see was totally devastating. I have always been open and honest with my children so it was not an issue about them discovering the pictures that troubled me; it was more to do with the fact that it felt totally out of my control. Anyone could abuse my image as they chose.’

‘I have heard people say that Page 3 models are well paid and they are not persuaded to pose topless and I am sure that is true, but what we don’t hear about are the stories about models, like myself, who would have gone down another avenue rather than take their tops off if they had been shown a better way.’

‘When my book came out and I realised that the Girl Guides were supporting the NMP3 campaign I

32 Winter 2013

immediately put my name to it to. As a Christian it is important to me that men and women regard each other with respect. Women have fought for equal rights, for the vote for equal pay and as part of that journey these images need to be removed.’

‘I challenge those who think it okay for The Sun to have topless images to answer this question: “would you like it if your daughter was in there for all to see?”’

If, like Susie, Lucy, Lisa and thousands of others, you agree our society no longer needs such negative images of women in a national newspaper please go to www.change.org/ nomorepage3 to sign the NMP3 petition.

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features

by SUE RINALDI

Sue Rinaldi discovers the person behind the songs and unearths a few gems about Darlene Zschech ...

There was a blessed irony to the remaining finalists of American Idol singing about the incomparable nature of a promise-keeping God. In the mainstream mediaworld, where the deities of fame and fortune are normally centre stage, how surprising to hear a Christian worship anthem close the 2008 ‘Idol Gives Back’ charity campaign broadcast before 17 million viewers! The song was ‘Shout To The Lord’ and the writer,

Darlene Zschech.

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inger, song-writer, worship leader, pastor, author and speaker are the customary titles afforded to Darlene, who must, by now, be a national treasure in her Australian homeland. By the age of 10 she was part of a kids’ show called ‘Merry Go Round’ and as a young adult, sang on jingles for a number of well-known international companies. Since then, she’s sung on countless albums as a featured worship leader with Hillsong Church, Sydney.

Extravagant Worship In our modern-day worship-song culture - so prominent in churches and Christian conferences across the globe - hymns and sacred songs can come and go like the proverbial wind and accusations of thin theology, trite-ism and mediocre melodies abound!

But a mere glance at the tracklist for ‘Extravagant Worship’ reveals Darlene to be a writer and co-writer with exceptional lyrical depth and melodic ability, managing to uphold those values with everyone she works with from Hillsong to Martin and Anna Smith’s ‘Compassion Art’ charity project.

As well as ‘Shout To The Lord’, considered to be one of the best worship songs ever written, there is the assertive, faith-building ‘All Things Are Possible’ and the joyous, gospel-etched ‘I Know It’. Her most recent album credits her on seven of the twelve songs, and with a published song catalogue well over half the size of Psalms, how does this award-winning songwriter stay creatively fresh?

“Just keep writing. Write your prayers … write what your heart feels … write what you feel the Spirit is saying and then be free with your songs. Show them to others, ask for input and check the theology of your songs with someone who knows,” says Zschech.

“I’ve become braver as I’ve gotten older. I know I have to write a lot of average songs to come up with a really strong one … and that’s part of the journey.

Write for the love of writing. Generations ago, the Church was the hub of everything creative in the community, and we are a long way from that now. BUT the Church is on the rise; there is a new sound coming and it is flowing in the film industry and beyond.”

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Discography 4 Solo albums

‘Kiss of Heaven’, ‘Change Your World’, ‘Simply Darlene’ and ‘You Are Love’.

Double complilation ‘Extravagant Worship’

Live album ‘Revealing Jesus’, is a spectacular live album recorded in Birmingham, Alabama during September 2012.

Produced by Israel Houghton, it features fellow CCM luminaries Michael W. Smith, Kari Jobe and the effervescent Houghton himself.

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Incredible Days Zschech’s enthusiasm for the new sound to be heard is accompanied by an audible longing of “Oh Lord let it be.” Expanding on this, she “senses the Spirit of God is moving powerfully and swiftly across the earth. So I pray that personally I will be right at my correct post, living purposefully and bringing the hope of Jesus. His grace abounds … these are incredible days.”

You get what you focus on.

Looking at music videos of the lovely, smiling, energetic, passionate and profiled Darlene can fill the life-sandwich of any non-blonde, slightly imagechallenged girl with a thick slice of self-consciousness covered by a thin layer of envy! How does she see herself and what does she perceive to be the fixations of our celebrity culture, which is very often obsessed with image?

“One of the things I love about getting older is that I actually love my older body; I’m really comfortable in my own skin. The issues facing our young people are very different to those we grew up with and body image is obviously a big issue. We’ve to keep remembering Psalm 139, which talks about how wonderful we are; that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Sometimes you’ve got to get stuff past your head and into your heart. If you allow magazines to shape your idea of yourself, no one can ever measure up. Not even the people in them can measure up!”

“My rule is to be yourself and do your best.”

Everything Points To Jesus Behind the public image lies a woman with a journey, similar to everyone else’s … mountain highs and valley lows. Legend has it that desperate for peace and going through a difficult time, Darlene sat at her old piano and ‘Shout To The Lord’ flowed out. Little did she know that her personal worship time would evolve into a significant anthem; not only for disciples worldwide, but also for USA television audiences and YouTube viewers. After such a colossal hit, it must be difficult to stay real and grounded; How does being a famous worship leader affect the role of leading people into an encounter with Jesus?

“I get myself out of the way as soon as possible,” replies Zschech.

“I see myself as a bit of a bridge; a bit of a cheerleader, and I let everything point to Jesus. All I’m doing is directing traffic! After a few minutes I’m not actually aware of people. I’m very focused on people releasing themselves to God. You get what you focus on.”

Even when experiencing prejudice as a female in Christian leadership she stays focused on her call. “I’ve been to places where I wasn’t allowed to lead worship unless I had a dress or a hat on. It ticks me off a bit - in my church it’s so different – but I’m there to serve, so I’ve learnt to go with the flow. I don’t want to be an interference.

We are always under authority, whether we’re male or female.”

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home beautiful and relaxing for my family and friends. We just love hanging out. I love to paddle board and exercise, I love going out for breakfast, I love seeing live bands.”

Recently Darlene, together with husband Mark and family, moved to the beautiful Central Coast of New South Wales to pastor a church called ‘Hope Unlimited’.

“I truly think life is about seasons,” comments Darlene, “recognising them and adjusting your sails accordingly. It was a huge culture shock moving from a massive church to a tiny church and being pastors – never in our lives have we wanted to be pastors – so we’ve had to rely on the Holy Spirit. Coming to Hope has been amazing; it’s just been God and it’s reconnected our hearts. It’s been two years of the miraculous and we have just launched our third campus and people are getting saved. We’re having the time of our lives!”

I don’t want to be an interference.

God Is Here

“But when it comes to family, your commitment to them is not a short season, so you cannot put them in the same category as a job or career or even a ministry demand. Mark and I have made all the decisions together and to be honest, apart from serving and loving Jesus, all other things pale into the background compared to my family.”

As with many public figures, what goes on behind the scenes can be the most significant. “Home is the prize for me. Always has been. I love to cook and make

Juggling family and work can be a pressure, and learning to find successful synergy between the two can appear illusive. This is a subject Darlene could chat about

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for days but essentially reflects: “Doing what you love and not making the family be in competition with that makes the journey SO much fun.”

If you allow magazines to shape your idea of yourself, no one can ever measure up. Not even the people in them can measure up!

All Things Are Possible Mark and Darlene visited Central Africa in 2004 with Compassion International, a charity working through local churches in poor communities around the world to release children from poverty. During the trip they were prompted to initiate Hope:Rwanda, a global endeavour designed to bring hope to a nation seemingly forgotten since the 1994 genocide. Hope:Global continues to bring hope and healing to Rwanda, but has spread into Cambodia, Vanuatu and India.

It is clear that Darlene Zschech has more than songs on her mind. When asked about heroes, her disclosure of “Mother Theresa and many unsung heroes like her across the planet,” reveals a heart that is empathetic to those who are truly suffering and a life that demonstrates that empathy through love and action.

Her most recent album, DVD and devotional book are aptly titled ‘Revealing Jesus’ and that is exactly what she is doing. At the same time, through the converging avenues of family, friendship and fame, she is also encouraging others to do the same.

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r e nd

e g e h t

P A G

U.S author Rachel Held Evans sent waves across the Internet when she publically challenged a Christian Leadership conference via Twitter. Her issue?

There were over 110 male speakers at the conference and only 4 female speakers. This led another US blogger, Jonathon Merritt, to collate the overall presentation ratios of men versus women at other national US Christian Conferences. The resulting average was female speakers 19%, male speakers 81%.

A

s conversations about this made their way across the pond, UK blogger Helen Austin pondered on Twitter about the need for UK Christian Conference statistics. And there our mission began. After listing all the large Christian events, Helen and I began trawling through event websites, using their recorded talk archives for 2013 or their advertised speakers for 2014.

Six hours later and the results were in; we are doing better than the US, with an average of 72% male speakers and 28% female speakers, though I’m not sure it’s time to celebrate just yet. In 2007 a Tearfund report found that 65% of church attendees are women.

The disparity is stark. Women are in the majority in churches, yet when it comes to national Christian platforms they are in the minority. At different ends of the spectrum we see that Keswick Convention had 0% female speakers, while 52% of the Youthwork Summit speakers were women.

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Since publishing this research there has been much conversation across the UK, both on and offline. Responses have ranged from “Sad, but not surprising,” to “You can’t blame the organisers of events if the pool of women to choose from is significantly smaller than the pool of men!” Alongside responding to the statistics, thoughts have been offered as to why there are more male speakers and to considering what the barriers to women speaking at conferences are.

When women make up 51% of the UK population, and 65% of the church, it is a great injustice that they make up only 28% of national conference speakers

There are no easy answers, however some of the issues that have been raised include: 1. A lack of intention on behalf of conference organisers; increasing diversity hasn’t been part of the agenda. The exception being Youthwork summit where Martin Saunders points out, “We worked really hard to achieve that figure [52% female speakers]. I want to make it clear that it was intentional.”

2. Not enough opportunities for female speakers on a local level, so women struggle to gain the necessary experience for speaking on a national level.

3. Practical issues: a. Women are more likely to be the primary carers of their children. This often means they step off the career ladder to have children, and are unable to re-enter at a later date. b. Statistically women are paid, on average, 15% less per year than men. This makes it more difficult for women to

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4. The media provides unachievable models of beauty to women, which can leave us lacking in confidence not just about our appearance, but about our competence.

Additionally, women also face prescriptive gender stereotypes. As author Cordelia Fine explains, women who are comfortable with power and confident of their skills are stereotyped as “competent but cold” and women who try to change this are labelled “nice but incompetent”. Men, on the other hand, tend to be received positively when they are comfortable with power and confident of their skills.

5. Some conferences and churches have theological issues with women speaking and teaching. This prevents women having opportunities on either a local or national level.

There is no doubt that more conversations will be had regarding these figures, and that is a good first step. However, talk is cheap, and at some point we are all going to need to take responsibility for our part in changing things whether we are passionate about equality or not, because this isn’t about equality; it’s about justice.

When women make up 51% of the UK population, and 65% of the church, it is a great injustice that they make up only 28% of national conference speakers. We may need to make decisions about whether to continue paying to attend events where gender justice is not taken seriously, male speakers may have to commit to not speaking at events where there are few women speakers,

and conference organisers may need to implement ratios on gender - and race and disability - in order for UK Christian conferences to truly represent the body of Christ.

Recent 2013 Conference Presentation statistics

Spring Harvest 2013 (Minehead 1)

71% men women New Wine 2013 (London South East) twenty seven% women

29%

73%

men

have the financial resources needed to develop their passion to speak.

features

Keswick 2013 presented 100% by men

13% 87%

women HTB Leadership

Creation Fest 2013

women

Conference 2013 presented by men

10%

ninety % by men

Faithcamp 76% men and 24% women

Soul Survivor 2013

73% men women

27%

Natalie Collins set up Spark (www.sparkequip.org) and is an independent consultant working to prevent and respond to violence against women and enable others to do the same. She is also the Creator of DAY (www. dayprogramme.org), an innovative youth domestic abuse education programme.

She speaks and trains on understanding and ending domestic abuse and other gender related issues nationally and internationally.

** Information taken from god-loves-women.webs.com.

© Getty Images | Hemera Technologies

Winter 2013 41

discount anytime after that on presentation of Liberti magazine

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LIBERTI

features

MALAW I

BEING POSITIVE IN

Fanny is 30 years old. She lives in Mzenga, Northern Malawi with her husband Wyson and four children. She sits outside her house, a small mud brick structure with a grass roof, one of a dozen or so such buildings clustered at the side of a steep and rocky road which leads to a nearby tea plantation.

F

anny is HIV positive. Good nutrition is crucial for maintaining her drug regimen, but, with her lifestyle, food isn’t always available. “Sometimes we have to work and take drugs without food.” she explains. Like mothers all around the world, risking her own health, she feeds her children first.

Amazingly, not one of Fanny’s children is HIV positive. Simple interventions during pregnancy can prevent a mother passing the virus to her children at birth. Fanny got the help and information that

she needed to protect her children from the disease that had held her hostage. By taking the necessary medications – particularly toward the end of her pregnancy – she was able to give birth to healthy children, free from HIV. Fanny describes the relief of knowing her children are healthy: “It makes me very happy. Life with HIV can be made hectic by the medicines. I’m glad my children don’t have to go through that.”

We met Fanny along with Racheal, Ane, and Jester. They have twenty-

one children between the four of them. Not one of their children are HIV positive. In a country where an estimated 180,000 children are living with HIV (UNAIDS), they are an amazing example of the impact helping mothers can have on fighting the spread of HIV. These women work as farmers; growing maize, rice, tomatoes and a variety of vegetables. They work hard to feed and support their families. Their strength is inspirational.

Above: Mother buddies, Rachel, Ane, Fanny and Jester

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43

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features What strikes you about the group is their hope and vitality. HIV is a terrifying diagnosis in a country that saw an estimated 46,000 deaths due to AIDS last year [UNAIDS]. Racheal described finding out she was HIV positive as being like a death sentence, but she knows that isn’t true now: “Feeling healthy gives me hope that God is with me and I will live longer.” Fanny agrees saying “Because of medication, I have good health. When I see myself farming, I feel better day by day.”

Changing the Statistics The reason these women are defying the national norm is the support that has been offered them through the Mziche

Fanny spends time with other mothers explaining how to protect their children from HIV.

44 Winter 2013

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Project. Mziche is a community led response to a disease that is crippling Malawi, supported by EMMS International in partnership with Livingstonia Synod AIDS Program (LISAP) ‘Mziche’ is a local Tonga word that means “brother or sister”. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” This project encapsulates the hearts of what Jesus was saying.

Despite being close to Lake Malawi, which attracts local tourism and market traders, Mzenga is still remote from essential healthcare. The more remote parts of Mzenga can only be reached on foot; three or four hours walk from where roads become impassable. It’s why the Mziche Project, delivered through 30 local churches is crucial to deliver life-saving messages to the women of Mzenga, along with providing necessary healthcare support.

Overcoming Stigma The social stigma still attached to HIV plays a huge part in the spread of the disease. When Maria’s family found out she was HIV positive, her uncle set fire to

her house. It’s no wonder people hesitate to get help, but that hesitation can be fatal: Shalom was 10 months old when her mother brought her to hospital struggling to breathe and severely dehydrated. Both of them were HIV positive. Her mother hadn’t brought her sooner because she wanted to protect her from the stigma of her HIV status. Trying to protect her child from becoming an outcast, she had left it too late and Shalom died.

EMMS International’s Mziche Project looks to support the community in stopping the spread and the local church is at the heart of the work, beginning with combatting stigma. Through HIV support groups, women are taught to care for each other so that they are able, in turn, to care for their communities.

Women Supporting Women Fanny, Racheal, Ane, and Jester are all members of HIV support groups. “Telling other mothers is our responsibility,” says Ane. These mothers have learned how to overcome their diagnosis; to work, care for their children, and educate others on HIV. They are

features

active in their communities as ‘mother buddies’, telling other pregnant women how they can protect their children from HIV, coming along side them as friends saying, “I did it, you can do it too.”

Mother buddies are bringing hope to the community; making sure mums get the information and support they need to stay healthy, ensuring they stay healthy enough to enjoy watching their children grow.

Members actively encourage one another to live healthily. Issues like drug adherence, balanced diet, and safe sex are important in living a long and full life with HIV and stopping it from spreading.

The groups are also a place for offering spiritual and emotional support. Martha shares with the group, “You aren’t worried.

In Malawi where an estimated 180,000 children are living with HIV (UNAIDS),

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45

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features

By yourself you can become frightened, and fear death but when you come together you encourage one another and have more hope. We also get spiritual encouragement from the Bible.”

“We also grow and share food, in particular milk, so we do not have to travel too far to get the food we need. We eat together at the group.” shares Emi, who found out he was HIV positive in 2005 when he became severely ill and his weight dropped to 53kg.

Mothers supporting Mothers There are an estimated 770,000 AIDS orphans in Malawi. The burden of this disease is crippling families, villages and a nation.

Support groups take responsibility for looking after AIDS orphans.

Mothers in the group know that, if they lose their personal battle with AIDS, their children will not be left alone; the other mothers will step up and look out for them. Many of these children are also living with HIV whilst caring for younger siblings, so visits and food parcels from the group are critical to their survival.

Educating Mzenga Groups are trained to lead and take part in programmes to educate the community about HIV. They share in schools, teach churches, and go to people’s homes. They even educate people about HIV at funerals, not just of those who died of AIDS related infections.

There are an estimated 770,000 AIDS orphans in Malawi. The burden of this disease is crippling families, villages and a nation The truth is, although the HIV epidemic can appear overwhelming, although the statistics in Malawi make a sobering read; the solution to the HIV epidemic is already there.

People, like Fanny, are willing to make a change and educate others but they need your help.

Please pray for them, and, if possible, give financially so that they can continue to serve their community.

How does it work?

The Mziche project takes a broad, community-based approach to tackling HIV. In particular it aims to:  Help more HIV positive mothers to give birth to HIV-free babies through the support of “Mother Buddies”. Mother buddies are HIV positive women who have given birth to babies without HIV.  Encourage more fathers to test for HIV. At present only 5% of men are tested during pregnancy screenings with their wives.

EMMS International is looking for churches in the UK to partner with churches in Mzenga to provide the resources and prayer required to bring life without HIV.

 Equip 30 local churches to educate the community and offer practical support for people living with HIV.

To find out more information about the Mziche project and how you can support it visit emms.org/mziche.

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LIBERTI

faith

WHEN IT ALL GETS

by BEKAH LEGG

I’m going to level with you; I’m rubbish at asking for help – at home, at work, even with my mates. I’m speaking at a conference this weekend and it would be great to have someone along with me – to keep me company on the journey, help me out with the magazine stand, give me feedback on my talk. But I’ve not asked anyone.

I

’ve been asked by the event organiser to let them know who I’m bringing; they expect me to bring someone.

But I’ve not asked anyone. Who would I ask? My friends are all busy with their families and anyway – more to the

48 Winter 2013

point - how could I possibly ask someone to support me? Why do I deserve their time? Even if someone offered - without me asking – I’d probably spend the whole time feeling guilty that they had given up their time for me.

It’s not just the big things like this – I hate having to ask people if they can pick my kids up from school – I will jump through hoops, leave meetings early, make my kids walk home in the rain rather than ask someone to have them round for a drink and a biscuit.

It’s not that I wouldn’t do it for them. I would genuinely do it at the drop of a hat – I love helping people out. And actually, if one of my friends asked me for favours more often I’d probably feel easier asking them back, but the reality is I just don’t like asking people to do favours for me and I’m not entirely sure why.

© Thinkstock | LuminaStock

too much

There is a warped little part of me that doesn’t want people to feel obliged and then resentful.

Then there’s another part of me that I think, honestly, feels naughty for not being able to cope on my own. Or, there’s the voice in my head that feels the need to prove I can do it – all of it - whatever ‘it’ is at any given time, regardless of what other ‘its’ I’m trying to prove at the same time. I am fiercely independent –always have been – and I’m competitive; the surest way of getting me to do anything for most of my life has been to tell me I couldn’t.

All the ‘its’ are killing me – I’m juggling so many balls I can’t take my eyes off them long enough to even count them and feel proud of my achievement. And that is just on the days that I’m still keeping them in the air. Other days I’ve dropped these balls – broken some, lost others - and there have been days, which I don’t like to mention, when it has felt like I’m drowning under the pile of balls that I seem to be buried under.

Those are the days when I think I’ve failed – failed as a Mum, failed as a wife, failed as a teacher, editor, youth leader or whatever other title I’ve decided to throw in the air. Those are the days when I’ve felt like my head is going to burst with the pressure and then I’ve added to the pressure by beating myself up for not being able to cope –not being able to do everything by myself.

I’m juggling so many balls I can’t take my eyes off them long enough to even count them

I had a friend come round a few weeks ago – a fellow juggler who is a single Mum. She worked heart and soul for a charity that has lost its funding, so she has lost her job and consequently feels like she’s abandoned the people she used to support. The guy she thought loved her turned out not to and she sat sobbing next to me saying “I know it says in the Bible that God won’t give you more than you can handle and I feel terrible for being such a mess”.

© Thinkstock | Getty Images

Something in me snapped and, for my friend, I could see the truth. You see, in the Bible it says we won’t be tempted beyond what we can bear but it does not say our load won’t be heavier than we can bear. It doesn’t! And then I had, what I hesitatingly call, a revelation.

Jesus’ cross was too heavy for him. He couldn’t carry it. The product of all he went through; the whipping, the beating, the sheer weight of the wood was too much. He stumbled. He fell. He couldn’t get up again. Jesus, my Jesus, Saviour of the World, Son of the Living God, couldn’t carry his own cross. He couldn’t get it up the hill to die

to save the world. The thing that He was born to do, the whole reason for his existence was too much for him. He needed someone else to help Him carry the timber to fulfil his mission.

I’m still reeling from the realisation. I’ve spent the best part of my life trying to be like Jesus but I never once stopped to see that that meant that I was allowed to feel the pressure of the journey. To sometimes feel overwhelmed by it; to have days when it all feels too much. It’s beyond liberating.

It means I haven’t failed the days when I’ve sat and cried, it means I don’t need to feel guilty for feeling crushed sometimes under the weight of all I’m carrying but most of all it means I need to be able to accept, maybe even ask for, some help so that I can get to the place I have to go.

As women, we try so hard to do so much; we live in a world that tells us we can do everything. We can’t. Not to the impossibly high standards we set ourselves and not on our own. God created us to live in community, to work as team. He created Eve because man couldn’t do it alone. From the beginning we were meant to help each other – and be helped. If Jesus could let Simon carry the most important piece of wood in the history of the world then, surely, sometimes, we can let people carry some of our stuff too.

Maybe I’ll start by ‘letting’ the kids do the washing up. After all, it’s what Jesus would do.

Winter 2013 49

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LIBERTI

faith

Royalty Reject to

© Thinkstock | Katie Nesling

by ARIANNA WALKER

A childhood spent in Sunday school led me to believe that the story of Esther was the Bible’s version of a fairy tale. She seemed like a Disney princess to me - dressed in fine clothes, spending 12 months in a beauty spa and chosen by the prince as the fairest of them all. Surely it’s a story of true love, with singing animals and a fairy Godmother being the only things missing.

Winter 2013 51

faith

I

never learnt in Sunday school that Esther was a refugee child of perhaps 12-16 years old. I never knew that she was not given a choice in the matter- a vulnerable young orphaned girl, taken from her home by soldiers. I never understood that she would have been groomed by her ‘teachers’ to bring sexual pleasure to a man she feared, or that she might only ever see him once and then spend the rest of her life among the other women considered the King’s sexual property.

Realising that Esther was more akin to a trafficked victim than a Disney princess makes me sit up and take notice - it makes me view her with a new- found respect that has made me read between the lines of this well-known tale and see what I didn’t see before.

Esther’s story is a message of hope, of purpose and of destiny for every one of us. There are universal principles and lessons at work in this story that apply to each of us and, if we learn from her, we too can become what she became - a voice for the voiceless, a defender of the weak, an ambassador for the Kingdom of God. Even the fact that God is never mentioned throughout the story gives me comfort when I look at my life and can pinpoint seasons where I’ve felt far away and removed from Him. Yet, with hindsight, I can see His hand was all over those situations.

Esther went from reject to royalty and so can we. We can be those who don’t let our past determine our future. We cannot control what happens to us but we can control how we respond. Whatever our external circumstances, background or situations may be like, we can decide to respond to bad things from a good place.

52 Winter 2013

Esther was marked out from the crowd, not because of her external beauty - she was in a crowd of the most beautiful women of her time - she was marked out because of her internal beauty. Our character and how we carry ourselves shines through whatever our exterior may be. Our life experiences can turn us into victims, wracked with bitterness, anger and unforgiveness, or we can allow Jesus to turn our pain into a pearl of great value.

“If you know that God is NOT the source of your pain, He can become the resource for your healing”

If you know that God is not the source of your pain, He can become the resource for your healing. When you know who He is; His character, His nature, when you know that He is for you and that in His arms you will find your healing and your hope, you will discover that whatever your past has been - however rough the hands were that shaped you - in His hands your life is a masterpiece.

Esther 2:12 tells us that before she could go before the King, Esther had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women- six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. What is interesting to note is that myrrh was used to purify, to detox and to get out of Esther all the traces of her former life.

When God takes us through a process of healing, there will often be a season where we feel like he is detoxing us - dealing with our attitudes, our thought processes - causing us to look at what we believe and dealing with the remnants of our ‘old’ selves. He asks us to give Him our ashes, so he can exchange them for a crown of beauty. (Isaiah 61) And when we submit to this process, we will find that He also takes us through a time where His presence is like a perfume, where

© Thinkstock | tycoon751

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LIBERTI

faith

the time we have spent detoxing on the inside becomes apparent on the outside, as we begin to reflect Him more and more.

And, like Esther, this is never just for our benefit, for our own position of wealth or influence. We cannot become those who enjoy all the benefits of Christianity - the eternal life, the love, the forgiveness, the grace, mercy and hope - without taking on the responsibility that comes with it.

“We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we RESPOND” Strength is for service, not status, and instead of simply enjoying the influence and position of royalty that we have attained through Him, we can become a voice. We can become vessels, ambassadors for freedom instead of merely ornaments in the house of the King.

© Thinkstock | György Barna

Our lives are not fairy tales. They do not have magic wands and princes that wake us with a kiss, but we do have a Saviour. We have a God that takes our broken, vulnerable selves and calls us to be agents of change.

He says to us the same thing spoken to Esther - you were born, set apart, called and commissioned for such a time as this!

Arianna Walker is a speaker, author and Executive Director of Mercy Ministries UKa Christian charity that works in partnership with churches across the UK to provide residential care for young women who are dealing with life controlling issues. Arianna is married with two children and lives in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Winter 2013 53

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culture

MUSIC TO OUR

ears

by SUE RINALDI

Kingdom Come - Bryan and Katie Torwalt Drenched in dynamic and truth, ‘Kingdom Come’ reveals Bryan & Katie Torwalt’s view of earth when God moves. Rich in image and melody, the songs always succeed in sounding so good - uplifting yet delicate, with outbursts and intimacies swirling like heavenly angel-wings.

Prism - Katie Perry ‘Part Of Me’, the documentary which follows Katy Perry through early memories, a 2011 tour and a marriage break-up, is the perfect appetizer for this next course.

‘Prism’, Perry’s fourth album, delivers an appealing serving of musically interesting and lyrically fluent songs.

It‘s obvious she has a great team around her. The arrangements and sounds appear crafted and chosen with the utmost of care - at times al dente to perfection in ‘Double Rainbows’ or ‘By The Grace Of God’, her testament to rising above difficulties. Elsewhere, ‘Birthday’ and ‘Walking On Air’ boil impeccably to the temperature of dance-floor-pop. ‘Unconditionally’ is an atmospheric anthem to faithful and forgiving love and ‘Love Me’ lifts the lid on Perry’s life lessons about finding your true self. Touches of the ‘Teenage Dream’ girl sneak out of ‘This Is How We Do’ and ‘Roar’ but respect for singing the word roar and making it credible!

Throughout, Perry sings with dexterity and conviction, and Prism succeeds in reflecting all she has seen through the light of recent experiences.

‘He Is Light’ opens with verve, ‘Weight of Glory’ is simple but effective, and ‘Worthy King’ finds new height and depth in the familiar worship song pattern. ‘It Was Finished’, conquers and the hopefilled ‘I Will Trust You’ is on perpetual play. Bryan’s voice tumbles through your ears with an intense emotional velocity and Katie’s vocal-led tracks add a Florence & The Machine vibe to the collection.

Loved their first album, love this even more!

The Ascension Phil Wickham Phil Wickham’s artisan touch positively radiates. In addition to his distinctive and agile voice, his ability to craft transcendent melodies that carry uplifting and insightful lyrics is much to be admired.

Always surrounded by tasteful instrumentation, ‘Mercy’ soars, ‘This Is Amazing Grace’ delights, ‘Tears Of Joy’ is infectious and ‘Thirst’ is a seekfest of a closer. ‘The Ascension’ is a “forward movement towards closeness with God”, explains Wickham and his hope for these songs to encourage God-desire in others seems realistic.

54 Winter 2013

AT THE

{cinema}

LIBERTI

culture

by SOPHIE LISTER

The Railway Man (3 Jan) The true story of Eric Lomax is extraordinary. Taken prisoner by the Japanese during the Second World War, he was horrifically tortured and barely survived. But years later, after half a lifetime spent dwelling on these events, he decided that he needed to heal.

Colin Firth plays Eric, with Nicole Kidman as his wife Patricia, who persuades him to take a painful journey back into the past. When they manage to trace one of the men responsible for the torture, Eric is faced with the prospect of meeting him face-to-face. Is it possible that Eric will be able to forgive? This powerful tale won’t be forgotten in a hurry. © Lionsgate films, image curtosy of flicksandbits.com

© Film4/Channel 4/eOne UK (UK)

12 Years a Slave

© BBC Films

(24 Jan)

A Long Way Down

Another tough true tale is brought to life in 12 Years a Slave, which is generating awards buzz for British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and director Steve McQueen (Shame, 2011). Ejiofor plays free black American Solomon Northup who, at the height of the slave trade, is abducted and sold to cruel owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).

An unflinching drama which, like The Railway Man, reminds us of both the best and the worst in human nature.

Novelist Nick Hornby (About a Boy, 2002) has a knack for combining comedy and tragedy. This adaptation finds four suicidal misfits forming an unexpected bond – disgraced TV presenter Martin (Pierce Brosnan), single mum Maureen (Toni Collette), teen tearaway Jess (Imogen Poots), and wannabe rock star J.J (Aaron Paul). Will their blossoming friendship give them hope, despite the odds?

(14 Feb)

Sophie Lister is a writer with Damaris which provides free resources for Damaris Film Clubs as well as the Damaris Film Blog. See damaris.org/filmclubs and damaris.org/filmblog

© Paramount Pictures, image curtosy of imdb.com

Noah (28 Mar) The biblical epic is having something of a Hollywood renaissance with a ‘Moses’ film also currently in the works.

Ambitious director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, 2008; Black Swan, 2010) helms the ship here, with Russell Crowe as the title character and Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson also on board. Expect a creative retelling which finds contemporary relevance in this ancient story.

Winter 2013 55

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LIBERTI

living

HAIR

by CHINE MBUBAEGBU

Š Thinkstock | Eyecandy Images

our crowning glory I lie awake, head throbbing, brain pulsating through my forehead as my body protests against me for the trauma I put my hair through yesterday.

Winter 2013 57

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living

M

y hair. Its strands pulled tightly away from my scalp, forced into corn rolls. Its kinks and curls suppressed into smooth, artificial plaited rows to allow Someone Else’s hair to sit flatly on top of my head, making me look just like said Someone Else. It’s not my hair. It did not sprout from my head in the original sense, but it belongs to me. I paid a good price for it.

My neck aches from staying rigid, for fear of causing further pain to my angry head. The hair that had spent six hours in the salon being pulled and yanked away from my head cries out in pain as I try to lay my head to rest following the troubles of yesterday, forcing it back towards the scalp from which it had nearly been separated. I never thought slumber could be so painful, I think to myself as I reach for another painkiller and wash it down with the water from the glass on my bedside table. You never thought? My hair reminds me, as it brings to mind the countless times we have been through this painful routine following a day at the salon. Each time I tell myself ‘never again’.

Each time I forget.

And suddenly I sit up, angry.

Raging at the injustice of it all; the fact that I cannot get a good night’s sleep just because I have had my hair done the day before, tried to change my appearance, in search of the perfect look, the perfect weave, the perfect me.

The search to be beautiful.

58

Winter 2013

© Thinkstock | alenkadr

I live not far from Deptford in south-east London, where I have been going to have my hair done

LIBERTI

since I was a child. In one afternoon in the hairdressers, you can see life in all its glory. Deptford is rich in its vibrancy. It is a melting pot of cultures – its young men strutting down the high street, its old men reminiscing on doorsteps.

You will also find there: artisan creatives and yodelling market stallholders, Vietnamese restaurant owners, Chinese shoe sellers, Asian halal butchers, Caribbean bakers and Cockney fruit and veg vendors. But the salons of Deptford are some of the most exciting places you will experience.

“each time I tell myself ‘NEVER AGAIN’.

Each time I forget” They are also stressful: your hairdresser will have no qualms about screaming at the colleague she is having a disagreement with right over your head. The TV will be blaring out the latest Nollywood (Nigerian Hollywood) drama, complete with highly implausible but gripping plotline. Your head will be forced under a cold tap because the plumbing isn’t quite working at the moment. Your treatment will pause momentarily while your hairdresser rummages through the bags of wares – DVDs, shoes, perfume, handbags – being sold by sellers who come right into the shop to show you what they’ve got this week.

© Thinkstock | Kaan Ates

Customers and colleagues will share their life stories – their immigration status, their children’s behaviour, their cheating boyfriend, their sick mother

Become a ‘fan’ www.facebook.com/ amibeautifulbook

living

back home. This is where life happens.

In the weaves, and the chemical relaxers and the plaits and the colourings. And at the heart of this hubbub are women who are getting their hair done because they want to be beautiful. We recognise in each other the importance of that.

The hairdressers know that, whatever is going on in our lives, we all crave that boost – that momentary, beautiful feeling when we look in the mirror at our new hairstyle. Beautiful. Black women will all have memories of the pain caused by having our tough hair done when we were children – combed through, scalps scraped and scored, the sting of the chemical relaxers; and the constant hassle and the joy of the Black Woman’s Hair Upkeep. Having black hair is painful, expensive, time-consuming and occasionally wonderful. It is a significant part of our lives as black women. But all women have a hair story. You could be a tree-hugger sporting dreadlocks. You may have opted for a short, sassy style to save you time and give you that power look in the boardroom.

Maybe you chopped it all off when you became a full-time mum. Maybe you dyed your hair blonde because you thought it would help you find love.

Maybe you turned brunette for the same reason. Maybe you wash it every day. Maybe you’re a slave to the hair straighteners. Maybe you regularly visit the salon or maybe you opt for DIY. Whatever you do, you have a hair story.

This is an extract from Am I Beautiful?

by Chine Mbubaegbu (published by Authentic).

Chine Mbubaegbu is a writer and journalist, and head of media & communications at the Evangelical Alliance, a trustee of the Bible Society, the Christian Enquiry and her local church.

Follow us on Twitter: @amibeautiful13

For more info visit www.amibeautiful.co.uk

Winter 2013 59

LIBERTI

living

Tightening the Belt.

With Christmas behind us and a New Year beckoning, now is as good a time as any to take stock of our bank account.

We’ve put together ten top tips to help protect you and your family financially.

60 Winter 2013

LIBERTI

USE THOSE PROMO CODES

Boring as it sounds, budgeting how much money is coming in and making decision about how much money going out is the best way of making sure you know where you stand. There are some great online tools to help you.

My Grandpa used to say “If you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves.”.

Looking for the best prices can take time but even small savings really do start to add up.

Never buy the branded versions - A 16-pack of Nurofen caplets costs £2 compared with Tesco’s 16 pack of Ibuprofen caplets at 19p. Say no more.

HAVE YOUR MONEY IN THE BEST ACCOUNTS

Many of us are paying literally hundreds of pounds for packaged accounts but barely using the benefits we’re paying for. Use an online calculator to check that you have the best current and savings account for you. It’s easier to switch than most people think.

SHOP AROUND

© Thinkstock | Oleksii Glushenkov, Mathieu Viennet, Jordan McCullough, Pavel Bobrovskiy, Dizzy, francesco perre, pichet_w, Fuse, Ronnie Wu

BUY GENERIC MEDICINE

They can be really annoying –especially when they email you every day – but there are some great bargains to be had that might enable you to keep some treats in your life. There are some great online tools to help you.

BUDGET

living

HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND

This is linked into the last one; generally, experts suggest that you should have three times your monthly bills in savings ready to tide you over. If that’s not possible, even a small sum tucked away could make a difference.

PRIORITISE YOUR PAYMENTS

Identify the bill you have with the highest interest rate – pay it off first.

SWITCH

It’s not just the deals in the supermarkets.

It really does pay to shop around for out utilities and insurances – you can genuinely save hundreds of pounds.

AVOID THE COWBOYS

CHECK YOUR TAX CODE

You may have the wrong tax code on your pay packet. Martin Lewis at Money Saving Expert says some people have reclaimed thousands after double-checking.

MOT your car at a council-run testing station. They’ll charge you the full £55 for testing but because they don’t do repairs they have no incentive to fail your car.

Winter 2013 61

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Join Emily, every Tuesday at 9pm on Cross Rhythms Tune in on computer or mobile: www.crossrhythms.co.uk/listen Or listen anytime at: www.crossrhythms.co.uk/listenagain facebook.com/FusionwithEmily

Baby its

LIBERTI

culture

cold

outside ‘Get your coat, you’ve pulled!’ never sounded so good.

Statement outerwear is the big trend this winter, with the emphasis on BIG. Winter coats take centre stage as stylists advise ‘build every outfit backwards’.

Best of British Black and Pink Check Wool Cocoon Coat - £299 Marks and Spencers

Check out Liberti fashion editor, Emma Greenwood, on Pinterest (this month’s Fashion Board: Baby it’s cold outside

Winter 2013 63

LIBERTI

Oversized

culture

Daisey Coat - £269 Hobbs

Long and maxi if you’re tall. Slouchy, and snuggly if you’re small. Wear this year’s drop shouldered boyfriend coats over leggings or skinnies and saunter around nonchalantly with hands thrust deep into low slung pockets. Go for an ovoid cocoon shape, a mannish overcoat or a classic double breasted pea coat.

Gwen Coat - £329 Hobbs

Josephine Coat - £349 Hobbs

Oversized Boyfriend Coat - £99 La Redoute

Heritage Mohair Coat - £349 Hobbs

64 Winter 2013

Josephine Coat - £349 Hobbs

Luxe Wool Pea Coat - £120 Lands End

Best of British Black White and Pink Check Wool Cocoon Coat - £299 Marks and Spencers

Charcoal Grey Military Coat - £155 La Redoute

LIBERTI

culture

Best of British Long Ivory Deep V Wool Coat - £299 Marks and Spencers

Single Breasted Coat - £49.99 bonprix.co.uk

Check Borg Collar Coat - £79 Miss Selfridges www.missselfridge.co.uk

Autograph Coat - £129 Marks and Spencers

Autograph Coat - £129 Marks and Spencers

Jonathan Saunders Edition - £175 Debenhams

Grey Crombie Style Coat - £99 Wallis

Check Oversized Coat - £75 Next

Single Breasted

Daisey Coat - £269 Hobbs

There’s a touch of Arthur Daley about this winter’s single breasted notched lapel crombie style overcoat. Tailored straight up and down with only a nod at a waist. Team with skinny jeans and a big scarf.

Pay attention to footwear: block heel ankle boots, masculine loafter/ brogue flats or spike heels to smarten.

Winter 2013 65

LIBERTI

culture

Belted

J by Jasper Conran - £159 Debenhams

If the oversized or masculine look isn’t for you, fear not! Belted coats are also on trend. Catwalks were sporting ‘coat dresses’ and the trench made a return as well as the glamorous and iconic Max Mara/Chloe style coat. So tighten your belt and show off your waistline.

Trench Coat £97.30 La Redoute

Best of British Black Trench Coat - £249 Marks and Spencers

M&S Collection Coat £129 Marks and Spencers

Dillan Coat - £375 Fenn Wright Manson

Per Una Speziale Coat £229 Marks and Spencers

Full Length Trench Coat - £79.99 bonprix.co.uk Twiggy Reversible Coat £99 Marks and Spencers

David Emanuel Military Coat - £60 Bonmarche

66 Winter 2013

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LIBERTI

women

Last word:

HOLY COW!

by CATHY MADAVAN

It was a lovely day – our family were tromping through some fields in Wales; a gentle and scenic stroll if you will. It was not supposed to be traumatic in any way.

We walked quickly and quietly along the wall at the side of the field. And as we walked, that herd of cows, led by the evil looking Chief-Cow, walked parallel to us, watching us constantly. When we were just over half way and perspiring freely, the cows turned to face us. As I glimpsed up at the wall behind us to determine whether or not it could be scaled, Chief-Cow gave me one more moody look, signalled to her mates and then the whole herd of heifers began to charge towards us. Who knew that cows could run like the clappers?

“I’m too young to die!” shouted Naomi, genuinely terrified by now.

70 Winter 2013

“and so I did what EVERY Countryfile armchair expert does I Panicked!”

At that moment, Anne came down the lane from the farm.

“Having a rest are you?” She asked.

I explained that we had, in fact, just escaped certain death by trampling and that her cows were terrifying.

“Don’t be silly,” she laughed.

“They just heard your plastic bags and thought you had a packet of Werther’s Originals. They

love those things.” I stared, open mouthed, as she waved goodbye.

What? I mean, SORRY? You mean that look on the face of ChiefCow was in fact a yearning for a buttery-smooth boiled sweet?

That running was sheer joyful glee at the thought of a sugar fix?!

“Oh yes.” said the hubster. “Really terrifying, those cows.” And he and my youngest walked down the hill shaking their heads and enjoying the hilarity of it all.

Which just goes to show that cows are deceptive creatures. You think you know what they are thinking, but there might be one more crucial fact that would change your whole perception of the situation. Much like people really.

There is often one fact more. A fact which could save you a load of energy and worry and would, actually, give you a totally different perspective.

They don’t tell you that on Countryfile now, do they? But it’s worth remembering.

© Thinkstock | Yarygin

T

he hubster and our youngest had gone ahead, while our eldest and I were chatting as we carried our empty plastic lunch bags and slowly admired the views around us. But as we entered the final field (owned by the friendly local farmer), we noticed a large herd of cows ahead of us who were all looking in our direction.

“Take it slowly,” I said confidently.

“They’re really looking very hard at us.” said Naomi.

“Nonsense child. I’ve seen Countryfile and I know what to do.” I gulped. “Trust me.”

And so I did what every Countryfile armchair expert does – I panicked. I frantically called the hubster on my mobile – no reply.

Thanks honey. So I resorted to the trusted techniques of shouting loudly, clapping, crying and finally running faster than we had ever run before until eventually the cows, having seen us off, slowed up and had a munch on some grass.

Naomi and I kept running until we found the others waiting at the gate, and collapsed in a heap, where we cried, laughed and then cried a bit more.

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