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CONTENTS 11

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JOURNALING: A TWO-WAY CONVERSATION WITH GOD Practical advice from NLB for learning to be led by God’s voice

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COLLEGE DOESN’T CHANGE YOUR HEART, IT REVEALS IT The heart wants what the heart wants, but does it want what’s right?

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LOVE YOUR WIFE LIKE JESUS LOVES HER Ten ways to love that will strengthen the foundation of your marriage

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A LEGACY THAT MAKES GOD SMILE: JEANETTE CATHY Chick-fil-A’s Trudy Cathy White reflects on her mother’s quiet strength.

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WAITING FOR GOD ALONE Follow King David’s example of trusting God in times of desperation.

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GOODLIFE TRAVEL Reopened Georgia state parks offer special promotions on getaways.

FEATURED COVER: MICHAEL JR. The star of Selfie Dad and More Than Funny, beloved comedian Michael Jr. brings laughter and inspiration to audiences all over the world, including in uncommon places, such as homeless shelters and prisons.

Publisher

Kristen Bland

Editor-In-Chief Gabriel Bland

Assistant Editor Autumn Burr

Contributing Writer Sharita Hanley

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at No Longer Bound than what I came for. What do you want next for my life?

Journaling: A Two-Way Conversation with God

Mike Harden had founded No Longer Bound in 1991 and had been leading the organization for over twenty years. Year after year, men flocked to No Longer Bound to find refuge.

I had been journaling daily with God for eight years, since I was a resident myself. Now thirty-two years old, I had been working hard with our team to grow the organization, and we felt momentum toward developing the program to have more community impact. Our founder was experiencing health issues, and I could see his desire to spend more time with his growing flock of grandchildren.

It is difficult for any organization to transition into the second generation of leadership. I was feeling called to approach Mike about taking over, but I also knew it would take incredible courage for a founder to hand off his baby to a new generation.

God: I have prepared you for just this time. You have followed me each step of your journey, and I have led you to this place. I have equipped you, and your heart is ready to lead. Trust in me. Do not be afraid. I believe in you.

After so many years of journaling to God every day, I felt I knew His voice. I shared with my wife the radical idea of approaching our founder and asked her to pray with me. As we both heard confirmation, I scheduled time with Mike. I was nervous to share my vision with him. To my shock (and to his total credit), he said yes, and we began to make the transition.

GOD WANTS TO TALK TO YOU Month after month, new men begin their journey to freedom at No Longer Bound. They come from brokenness, isolation, and despair. Their most recent experiences have been dangerous and dark. Shortly after we admit them, we teach them to journal. In actuality, it is the first step in teaching them how to have a two-way conversation with God. “Why would God talk to me?” is a common first response. “Do you know where I’ve been?”

BY: EDWARD BAILEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NO LONGER BOUND At twenty-four years old, as an addict on the brink of death, I checked in to No Longer Bound, a faith-based, addiction treatment program in Cumming, Georgia. Through NLB’s Regeneration Program, I found hope, healing, and sobriety. As my twelve months came to a close, I heard a clear call from God to apply for internship. At the time, I didn’t know why He called me to stay, but it was an easy decision. I committed to one more year.

Internship led to employment, and one job led to the next. At the end of each year, I committed to one more. Eventually, I told God I would stay at No Longer Bound until I heard Him call me away. Before I knew it, seven years had passed.

Journal Entry, Fall 2012 Me: God, I am so grateful for all you have done in my life and how you have allowed me to give back. You have accomplished even more in and through me

Don’t we all ask this same question? Why would God talk to me? And yet, the practice of two-way journaling is the same for you. Jesus wants to talk to you.

In the late 1930s, the Oxford Group, a nondenominational movement that heavily influenced Alcoholics Anonymous, began circulating a pamphlet entitled, “How to Listen to God.” Amongst other things, the pamphlet taught: 1. God is alive.

2. God has an answer for every need and problem you face.

3. God can and wants to talk to you.

These truths can be difficult to accept, but assuming we believe them to be true, let’s focus on the last point.

God wants to talk to you. How do we know? may/june 2020

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JESUS CHANGED EVERYTHING Ancient people needed a mediator to communicate with God. Under the old covenant, the temple veil created a physical separation between the Spirit of God and His people. But then, God came into the world in the form of a person, that we could know Him. After His death, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51, NIV). His death removed all barriers, so we can now approach Him, knowing He wants a relationship with us. Having a personal relationship with you was worth dying for. Jesus’ death changed everything.

YOU DON’T HEAR HIM? French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, “All of humanity’s problems come from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” When he wrote these words, he wasn’t suggesting we spend more time answering emails. Active listening takes effort.

Good relationships take time. Great marriages don’t happen overnight. Effective communication with Jesus is no exception.

The men at NLB are taught to journal in the morning because, from start to finish, their days are full. As the work day comes to a close, they are exhausted and ready to check out. Morning is the time they are mentally most available.

Have you experienced the sacred quiet of early morning in your home? That time before everyone is awake? How would your day be different if you began each morning with reflection and the voice of Jesus (who loves you and wants you to live your best life)?

2. Ask a question. Beyond the psychological benefits of keeping a journal, asking a question and then listening for His answer will create a meaningful conversation with impact.

Writing down what you hear is even better. Here are some questions to get you started: • How do you see me today?

• What is on your heart for me today?

• What do you love about me?

• Who do you say that I am?

3. Let your journal be your refuge. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge…”

(Psalm 91:4, NIV). If we believe God loves us, then we should trust Him with the real us—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Dare to be vulnerable. Expose your true feelings, your doubts, and your unanswered questions—even the questions that scare you. Give Him all of you and see if He doesn’t accept you.

4. Know his voice. How will you know His voice? The answer is simple. It will sound familiar. That voice in our heads can’t possibly be God, right?

Consider a mother raising her child. Is the tone of her voice different when her child is two years old than when he is twelve?

How about when he’s eighteen? Or when he is thirty? In each stage of life, a mother selects the words and tone her child will best hear. Why? Because she loves him and wants him to know what she has for him.

There are more than twelve million articles on the Internet describing the benefits of journaling. Daily reflection brings clarity and perspective. Journaling engages our most creative self. Pouring one’s heart out onto a piece of paper is good. And yet, while journaling is a constructive endeavor, the benefits of straight journaling may be only as effective as your ability to talk yourself through life’s biggest challenges.

Life is hard. We need a guide. We need truth spoken and lies destroyed. We need a savior. The difference between journaling and two-way journaling (or two-way prayer) is the assumption that God will respond.

4 KEYS TO EFFECTIVE TWO-WAY JOURNALING 1. Make time. Envision a piece of paper full of writing—words and sentences top to bottom, edge to edge. No margins, no empty spaces. Can you see the chaos? Margin (or empty space) in our day creates time for reflection. Time is necessary for the relationships we want to grow. Being still creates an opening for the voice of Jesus.

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Don’t you also speak to those you love in a manner they understand best? God might remind you of something in nature, the kind word of a friend, a remembered dream, a favorite book, or even your own familiar voice. He will be clear and easy to understand because He loves you.

Dust off your old journal and give this a try.

• Create margin in your day, preferably first thing in the morning.

• Journal by hand, not on your device or your computer.

• Ask Jesus a question and dare to be vulnerable.

• Listen, then write down the first thing you hear.

• Don’t overthink. Trust that He loves you and is speaking to you.

• Share with someone you trust. While your journal should serve as a guide for making life’s biggest decisions, you should also seek wise counsel.

My prayer is two-way journaling will lead to a more reflective you with more confidence in your decisions and intimacy in your relationships.

BONUS

on the next page!

I See What You Did There - Journaling: A Bonus Interview With Greg Wylie I had been to five treatment programs in eight years.

Coming to No Longer Bound was just one more shock to my pride. I had been sober for thirty days, but I was absolutely miserable. I felt like I knew how to stay sober, but I didn’t know how to be happy. I would have said I was walking with God, but I was all white knuckles.

In my first days at No Longer Bound, I used my journal to vent about being in treatment again. Poor, pitiful me. Eventually, I began writing about memories, and then my journal writing turned to anger. I used it as a chance to get things off my chest—to my dad, my mother, God, whomever. It was a one-way conversation, and I didn’t have to worry about, nor did I want anyone talking back or telling me how I should feel.

My counselor challenged me to write things down, ask God a question, then take a break. It’s very easy to write a question and already have the answer in your head, but to write a question and take a break? See if He provides the answer? At first, there were so many unanswered questions.

“Why am I not hearing from you?”

I started carrying a pocket journal in case an answer came later in the day. Sometimes the break would bring an overnight thought.

Eventually, things started to shift. I discovered I didn’t want to be the one answering my own questions any

more. I stopped wanting to control outcomes. Two years earlier, I knew all sorts of Bible rhetoric about what God had done in my life. Now, my counselor was questioning whether I even had a relationship with God. “Why do you let people attack my relationship with you?” I wrote. Then, “Why is it so easy for people to challenge what I know you’ve done in my life?”

I dropped the pen, and a few minutes later, I wrote God’s answer. “What have I actually done for you?”

In that moment, I realized I had never let God change me. I wrote, “Man, I’ve never given you a fair chance. I always take control. I never let you steer the boat.”

From that day on, things started to make sense. My questions started to be answered. My journal entries became a back and forth between God and me. I wrote about gratitude.

Today, you can find me sitting on my bed journaling each morning, like I did in the program. It’s a conversation. It’s me saying, “I see what you did there, God.” Greg Wylie completed the Regeneration program in March 2019 and is now serving as an Apprentice on the NLB Culinary Team. He plans to earn his Certification in Addiction Counseling with the hopes of earning a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health or Social Work.

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College It Reveals It DOESN’T CHANGE YOUR HEART,

BY: SAMMY RHODES

E

very summer the same thing happens to my inbox. I open it to find a steady stream of emails from concerned parents, youth pastors, and older siblings asking me to check in on so-and-so when they get to campus in August.

They all want the same thing: to see their beloved eighteen-year-old get involved with our ministry on campus and grow in their faith.

The problem is that more times than not, this isn’t exactly what the beloved eighteen-year-olds want for themselves.

What do they want? That’s the question I’ve asked myself for the last eight years doing campus ministry. The question itself embodies everything I love and hate about campus ministry. College students, typically ages eighteen to twenty-two, are working out for themselves not what their parents want for them but what they want. It’s thrilling.

It’s maddening. It’s discouraging. It’s exhausting.

Some are trying harder than others to figure it out. Some come in thinking they’ve already got it figured out. It takes time. Few of them realize how precious time actually is. It also takes mistakes—lots and lots of them, typically.

The Drama of Emerging Adulthood Few have put what college feels like better than Notre Dame sociology professor Christian Smith. He writes, To an extent matched by no other time in the life course, emerging adults enjoy and endure multiple, layered, big, and often unanticipated life transitions. They move out, they move back, they plan to move out again. They go to college, they drop out, they transfer, they take a break for a semester to save money, some graduate, some don’t. They want to study

architecture, they hate architecture, they switch to criminal justice, a different career path. Their parents separate, make up, get divorced, remarry. They take a job, they quit, they find another, they get promoted, they move. They meet new friends, their old friends change, their friends don’t get along, they meet more new people. They get new roommates, their roommates don’t work out, they find a new apartment. They buy insurance, they wreck their car, they cancel their insurance, they borrow a car. They find their soulmate, they get involved, their soulmate dumps them, they are crushed. They believe in saving sex for meaningful relationships, they hook up, they get angry with themselves, they look for a meaningful relationship. They smoke, they want to quit smoking, they quit for some days, they start smoking again. In these and other ways, for emerging adults not a lot in life is stable or enduring. (Souls in Transition, 34) If you read between the lines, college students are trying to answer two questions: “Am I loved?” and “Can I get my own way?” According to Dan Allender, in his book How Children Raise Parents, these are the two questions every child is born asking. Their parents have already attempted to answer these questions for them (some better than others), but now it’s time for them to begin to answer these two questions themselves. In other words, every college student has a story, and that story is a drama with the central storyline being

“College students are trying to answer two questions: ‘Am I loved?’ and ‘Can I get my own way?” may/june 2020

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twofold: Where will they find love, and how will they learn to live for something bigger than themselves

No Student Is Safe Woody Allen once famously said that “the heart wants what it wants.”

The late minister and social reformer Thomas Chalmers would agree.

The problem isn’t that we desire, it’s what we desire and why. Our hearts are fickle things, and more than anything, that’s what college reveals. As Paul Tripp, author of Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, might put it, it’s not that college changes your heart as much as reveals it. It isn’t the secularity or the immorality that is to be feared.

According to Jesus, it’s the propensity of our hearts to either want the wrong things or try to anchor themselves in the wrong places. All the while, Jesus is simultaneously the one we’re running from and looking for.

In Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis wrote about his own heart, “For the first time I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose.

And there I found what appalled me: a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was legion.” Far from being a bad, morbid, overly introspective thing, this was how he became a Christian, how he saw his need for a Savior who promised he came not for the healthy but the sick.

Sick-hearted people are the ones Jesus came for.

This means the only freshmen who will be completely “safe” in college are the ones with completely pure hearts. And the last time I checked my Bible, that’s none of us. Even the high school senior who was the youth group hero and “so mature for her age” isn’t safe. I’m sure she’s great—actually, according to Jesus, I’m not so sure because often that high school senior loves the approval and affirmation she gets from her youth group leader, her teachers, her parents, really just any adult in general. More than she desires Jesus, she loves the religious pats on the back that simultaneously make her feel godly and better than all her peers.

What to Do with a Broken Heart I know this well because this was me. The heroic (at least in his own mind) high school senior who loved approval transformed suddenly into the lonely college freshmen who thought he was better than 14 12

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everyone, yet at the same time was afraid of being known by anyone.

An antisocial butterfly who loved to flutter his self-righteous wings mistook his flying as his own doing instead of the pure gift of God. What do you do with a broken heart? Not a romantically broken one but the one all of us carry around, the one broken by the fall. The one that caused David to seduce the hottest girl on campus (2 Samuel 11:2–4). The one that caused Peter to not eat dinner with “the losers” (Galatians 2:11–12). The one that causes us to choose almost anything but Jesus.

You bring it to Jesus. He’s the only one who can heal a broken heart.

The only one who can fill it. The only one who can make it new. The only one who can answer in a satisfying way the two questions it’s aching to have answered. Yes, you are loved—so loved that he knows every twisted, dark spot of your heart, yet refuses to let you go.

“What our students need is the one thing Jesus said was necessary: a heart that’s found its rest in him.”

And, no, you can’t have your own way. Our hearts are quick to want the wrong things or indulge good desires in the wrong way, at the wrong times. But he loves us enough to disappoint us, to discipline us, to teach us, to change us.

What our students need is the one thing Jesus told Mary was necessary: a heart that’s found its rest in him (Luke 10:38–42). Restless hearts leave a wake of self-indulgent or self-justifying wreckage behind them. Only hearts that are resting in Jesus are able to embrace all of life—with its thrills and heartbreaks, ups and downs—with the calmness and courage of one whose life is secure because it’s tucked away with Jesus above.

The heart doesn’t want what it wants. Whether it knows it yet, or is still struggling to believe it, the heart wants Jesus.

Sammy Rhodes (@sammyrhodes) is a campus minister with Reformed University Fellowship at the University of South Carolina.

He blogs at Embracing Awkward.

DEVELOPING CHILDREN’S UNIQUE GENIUS NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN SCHOOL SHINES AT HELPING STUDENTS DISCOVER THEIR GIFTS BY: KATE HARTLEY Five Academy tracks are available to students: The STEM Academy, The Academy of the Arts; The Academy of Business; The Academy Synclair, who first began running track in of Counseling, Ministry and Education; and 5th grade at NCCS, notes that this school- The Academy of Exercise and Sports Science. wide commitment to individualized education begins in NCCS’s Lower and Students in an Academy take courses, Middle School. Exploration in the arts starts participate in internships, and experience with the 3-year-old preschool classes, and hands-on opportunities in their area of study. throughout elementary school, students have “At NCCS, we believe that each child comes the opportunity to participate in praise team, to us full of purpose. It’s our amazing honor chorus, an annual play, and private music to come alongside them and ask, ‘What are lessons on campus. you really good at?’ and ‘What are you really passionate about?’ The intersection of those Fourth-grade students also rotate through two questions is where God’s calling for them unique “music-mesters” -12-week begins,” says Mrs. Strange. “Psalm 139:14 is immersions in band, orchestra and music. the inspiration for our Academies Program: ‘I In addition to robust arts programs, middle praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully school students explore outside-the-box made.’ We help students connect with their interests during in-school clubs every Friday innate value as God’s child -- and then help like drone flying, animation, and cooking. them figure out what He has created them to Even the school’s after-school program, spend their life doing.”

Flipside, offers year-round courses after the bell rings, ranging from origami to expressive Synclair, who is in the Academy of Exercise dance. and Sports Science, is a testament to the effectiveness of the NCCS approach. “My “Developing students’ ‘unique genius’ -- Academy experiences really grabbed my helping them discover their unique identity interest and let me know, yes, I’d like to do this and purpose -- is a cornerstone of what we next,” says Synclair, who plans to study physical do at NCCS,” affirms Craig Konchak, NCCS therapy and athletic training in college.

Middle School Principal. “Our students are “NCCS has such a supportive given countless opportunities to find what family culture. Coach [Kristy] makes them tick.”

Sanders, my Academy director, always tells us to take all of the opportunities we’re offered.

ACADEMY EXPLORATIONS Thanks to NCCS, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Perhaps the most distinctive element of this unique culture at NCCS is the Academies program. The NCCS Academies allow high To meet NCCS’s education experts, set up a school students to select one of five tracks, personalized tour of the school any time by equivalent to magnet programs, building calling 770-975-0252 or emailing an academic and real-world foundation in admissions@ncchristian.org. | North Cobb their areas of interest. “Participating in the Christian School |Preschool K3 - 12th Grade NCCS Academies is like majoring in an Fully Accredited | Award-Winning Arts, area,”explains Upper School Principal Megan Athletics, & Academics | 4500 Eagle Drive, Strange. “Students take electives that funnel Kennesaw, GA 30101 | ncchristian.org | them down a pathway of interests, gifts and 770-975-0252 skills.”

CREATIVE FOUNDATIONS

Synclair Savage is a senior. She’s also a firstchair flute player, star student, reigning Homecoming Queen, and the state trackand-field record-holder for the 100-meter, 200-meter and long jump. But what is most surprising about Synclair is that, at North Cobb Christian School in Kennesaw where she attends, she’s not an anomaly. Yes, she is absolutely amazing, but at NCCS, it’s not unusual for students to shine in multiple disciplines like Synclair does -- for the track star to excel at orchestra, or for the quarterback to lug his cello around the halls.

Guiding students to discover and develop multiple gifts is what sets NCCS apart in the realm of education -- and their students thrive as a result.

“I think what makes NCCS so special is how the teachers and coaches really encourage you to develop your talents and explore lots of interests,” says Synclair. “My schedule is set up so I have time for track, time for band, time for my classes,and time to be in the [spring] musical. Everyone here works with you to balance your schedule, so you can achieve everything you want to achieve.”

| Sponsored by North Cobb Christian School may/june 2020

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MICHAEL JR.:

W

hen Michael Jr. walked into a Grand Rapids movie theater, he wasn’t expecting any kind of revelation from God. He was simply hoping to sit back, relax, and watch a great film. But halfway through the movie, the film snapped and the screen went blank. Like everyone else in the theater, he was shocked. He waited for a few minutes, expecting the film to pop back on. It didn’t. Instead, the theater’s house lights came on.

That’s when his friend dared him to do the unthinkable: run up on stage and tell a joke. Michael didn’t hesitate. He darted up the theater’s stairs, stood in the middle of the stage as the house lights illuminated his face, and told a joke. “To see the movie-goers laugh was amazing,” he reminisces. But the moment was short-lived.

Before he knew it, security guards were sprinting up the theater aisle to have Michael removed from the theater. “And I remember this white lady stood up and said, ‘If you kick that young man out, I want my money back!’ Everybody in the theater stood up. It was powerful.”

Michael has always believed that God has called him to bring laughter to others, but that is only half the story. “The truth is that it’s not just about making people laugh. I’m called to help people come together to do something that’s greater than themselves.

Those people in the movie theater didn’t know each other. They

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just saw something that was good, and they decided to come together,” he explains. “God changed my mindset about comedy that day. At my comedy shows, we always laugh and have fun, but laughter is just the vehicle. It’s not necessarily the destination,” Michael says, admitting that his ultimate reason for doing comedy is to inspire people to live better and walk in their purpose. But he knows firsthand that purpose is hardly ever achieved without first experiencing setbacks.

SEEING PURPOSE IN OUR SETBACKS “As a kid, I used to struggle with reading a lot. My mind would scramble up just trying to figure out what some words were.

Whenever I had to read something, I felt a lot of pressure,” Michael reveals, admitting he never wanted his friends to know about his reading problems. To compensate, he began devising different ways to try to read words. Visual clues, like the way people’s mouths formed to say words, helped a lot. “I even tried looking at how people responded to certain words to determine what the words were,” he shares. With time, he excelled at reading discerning clues and seeing words and situations visually.

SET UP FOR AN

INCREDIBLE PUNCHLINE BY: SHARITA HANLEY

“I could have made the choice to sit in that struggle and be upset, thinking that something was wrong with me. I could have wallowed in thoughts like, ‘I’m not smart or good enough.’ Believe me, I already had enough people telling me that. But instead, once I did learn how to read, I realized not only can I read like everyone else, but I have this ability to look at life in a different way. And that’s one of the primary places I pull my comedy from,” explains Michael. “So, this thing from my past which seemed like a handicap, God used. There’s absolutely nothing in our lives that’s wasted,” he emphasizes, while encouraging us to look past the pain and frustration that come with setbacks.

“The way comedy works is there’s a setup and a punchline. The setup is when a comedian makes you think in one direction. The punchline is when the comedian changes direction to something you’re not expecting. That’s what causes you to laugh or look back in awe. Life is like that too.”

“We can murmur and complain or we can continue on toward our destination.

So, I’d say that our setbacks are really part of our setups. Whatever is hurting you or has hurt you can, in fact, make you stronger. You just have to make sure that you’re using and learning from everything—even the things that hurt,” he asserts. “Don’t blame God. Ask God how’s He going to turn this thing that was meant for bad into something good,” Michael urges, pointing out that life can be similar to comedy.

LIFE ISN’T ABOUT THE SET UP “The way comedy works is there’s a setup and a punchline,” he explains. “The setup is when a comedian makes you think in one direction. The punchline is when the comedian changes direction to something you’re not expecting. That’s what causes you to laugh or look back in awe. Life is like that too. The setup is about what you receive, but your punchline is about what you’re called to deliver. A lot of people know their setup, but they don’t know their punchline.”

“The setup is who you married, where you went to college, your degree, and things like that,” Michael clarifies, as he begins to share a story. “I was in Nashville doing an event that was sold out. We were having a great time, and I’m listening between the gaps for guidance. So, people are laughing, and I feel God say to me, ‘I want you to bring that lady up on stage.’ I don’t know this lady. She doesn’t look funny. I work alone. I have no reason to bring her up on stage. These are all the things running through my mind while I’m talking to the audience and doing the next joke.” Nevertheless, Michael chose to obey.

Realizing the woman was deaf, he asked the lady signing during his show to invite the woman to join him on stage.

“So, she comes up on stage. The audience was laughing really hard, but as soon as I brought the deaf lady up on stage, the room was silent—deathly silent,” he recounts, continuing, “She was a white lady, maybe around forty or fifty years of age. I could tell she was a little afraid, so I have to be extremely careful. And on top of that, I’m not even sure why I’m bringing her up on stage, even as she walks up the steps.” So, Michael did the only thing he could do: trust God to

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guide him. “I said to her—and I’ve never done this before and haven’t done it since—‘What is your biggest need?’ Initially, the woman responded and said she didn’t have any needs. I paused for a minute and then I said to the woman signing for me, ‘Ask her again.’” His persistent questioning revealed that the woman and her husband hadn’t been on a vacation in over eleven years and could really use some time away. “But here’s the thing,” Michael explains, “money’s not a punchline. Money is a result of you using your setup. So, all I did was ask the next question, ‘Why not?’” It turned out the woman and her husband had a special needs child but could not afford to hire a certified, qualified nurse to take care of their child, so they never felt comfortable leaving home.

“So, I turned to my audience and said, ‘Where is a special needs nurse who can deliver their punchline?’ The whole room is silent, so I said it again. ‘Where is a special needs nurse who can deliver the punchline?’ Finally, I hear a faint voice from the top balcony. This lady says, ‘Here I am.’ She comes walking down, and we introduce them. They lived thirty minutes from each other. The whole audience is emotional. We are all in awe,” Michael says, remembering the sheer joy of that moment. Although he was the headliner of the night’s show, he acknowledges that it wasn’t about his setup—and that our lives are not about our setup but rather our God-ordained punchline.

“There are people all around us who have punchlines to deliver, and there are people around those people who need them to deliver those punchlines.”

IT’S ABOUT YOUR GODORDAINED PUNCHLINE But how do we know our God-ordained punchline? What happens when we’ve endured our setbacks and have trusted God with the way He’s set us up for life? What happens next?

“The key,” Michael asserts, “is to understand your reason why.

If you understand your why, you’ll have so many options for your what. Your why never changes. There’s a reason you’re here.

A great way to find that out is to ask questions like, ‘Why am I happy about this job?’ or ‘Why am I happy about this project?’”

“Like, literally, take a day, and every time you think about it, just ask yourself, ‘Why?’ Drill all the way down to the foundation or root of why you’re here,” suggests Michael. “The way we’ve been taught even from childhood is that the why ends up with money (i.e., we go to school to go to college to get a job to make money), but we all know that money isn’t the end. So, if you get down to money as your reason why, ask the question again, and you’ll be blown away. And when you get stuck, that’s when you ask it again.” He reminds us not to be afraid to seek the Lord for insight. “Ask God, ‘Why did I move here? Why do I have this job?’ and questions like that. Take any area of your life and ask, ‘Why am I doing this?’ and keep digging. Around your fourth response, it’s going to get uncomfortable but press through it. If you keep going until your seventh response, you’ll find a breakthrough.”

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“Some Christian people bail out and say, ‘Because the Lord wants me to,’ but don’t you stop there. You don’t have to be [thoughtlessly] obedient. Ask God why He wants you to do what you’re doing. Get clarity from God on why he wants you to do it,” Michael insists. “Maybe three of your neighbors went through what you went through as a child, but you’re not talking to them yet. Maybe that’s why. Keep digging. Keep pressing in until you get to the root of it. You’ll find a reason why. God wants to have a conversation with us. He wants to talk to us.”

FUNNY HOW LIFE WORKS Michael shares, “God has really put on my heart that He clearly has a specific purpose for every individual.” His course, Funny How Life Works, helps people identify how they’ve been set up so they can deliver their God-ordained punchline. “It actually teaches people how to understand what they’re called to do.” In addition to asking God why we love what we love, have what we have, and do the work we do, Michael suggests we ask ourselves three important questions. The first question is, “If you didn’t have to worry about bills and money, what would you do?”

The second is, “If you could only talk about one subject for an hour, what would it be?” The last but perhaps most thoughtprovoking question is, “Who are your people?” In other words, what group of people are you called to help? These questions will help reveal to us the many ways God has set us up for an amazing punchline with an profound purpose.

Michael’s latest venture, Selfie Dad, is a family-friendly film that’s set to be released in theaters this June. He proclaims, “It’s a really strong story that can help people understand how the Bible can literally change a person’s heart. Once the heart is changed, the household can change. Once the household changes, the community changes. As our communities change, we can change the world.” Now, that’s God’s ultimate plan for our collective punchlines!

It’s no secret that sometimes life can feel like a cruel joke.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of the most difficult, uncomfortable, and trying circumstances. But we’ll be able to laugh and rejoice no matter what we face when we remember that the God of the universe has set each and every one of us up for an incredible punchline.

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Love Your Wife Like Jesus Loves Her TEN GREAT LOVES FOR EVERY HUSBAND BY: TIM COUNTS Some days, you go to Bible study and your life is slowly but imperceptibly changed. Other days, you go to Bible study and something in God’s Word changes the trajectory of the rest of your life.

One spring day in 1998, as an eighteen-year-old college freshman, I understood marriage in a way I never had before. I had signed up for a Bible study, “Preparing for Marriage,” taught by my college pastor. That day, Pastor Doug Busby gave me and all of the young men in the room an assignment that I have been working on for the last twenty-two years. I will continue to work on this homework until, for my wife and me, “death do us part.”

My pastor read to us, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25). Then he asked us the obvious question (the question we husbands so often fail to ask in the daily grind of work and family life): How does Jesus love the church?

Ten Christlike Loves

As I have scoured the Scriptures, year after year, looking for ways that Jesus loves the church, ways that he calls me to echo his love for me in my love for my wife, I have found ten great loves. God calls you, as a husband, to love your wife like Jesus loves her. So, meditate on his deep, complex, and unparalleled love.

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1. Stubborn Love

Jesus won’t ever leave his bride. He says to her, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). His love for your wife is based not on her performance but on his covenant love for her. When we keep our marriage covenants through all of the challenges and changes over years of married life, we reflect his kind of stubborn, delight-filled love. May our wives know the comfort of love that says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

2. Hopeful Love

When Jesus looks at your bride, he sees her as already sanctified.

This hope is anchored in the power and promise of the gospel. Paul writes to believers, “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11; italics mine). In fact, he sees her not only as already sanctified but as already glorified (Romans 8:30).

How often would your wife say that your love for her “hopes all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7)? By keeping eternity in mind, you can have patience with your wife, just as Jesus does with her—and you.

3. Pursuing Love

Jesus never takes a break from pursuing your wife’s heart, not romantically but persistently. In fact, he cares not only about her devotion but also her affection (Psalm 37:4). He is the tireless Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to seek after the one (Luke 15:4–7). In a similar way, God is glorified when a husband continually seeks a deeper relationship with his wife. A husband who has been captured by Jesus’s love is an incurable romantic toward his wife.

4. Forgiving Love

9. Providing Love

5. Joyful Love

10. Knowing Love

Jesus gives your wife grace when she doesn’t deserve it. It may be that the most Christlike thing you can do is offer your wife forgiveness on a daily basis, remembering that you too are in need of forgiveness. The picture of forgiving love that every husband should seek to emulate is Jesus making breakfast for Peter who had sinned against him, denying him three times at his crucifixion (John 21:12–15). Is it you or your wife who is usually the first to begin to move toward reconciliation when it’s needed?

Jesus provides your wife with all that she needs. Do you notice your wife’s needs, even beyond physical provision, and do something about it? Christ nourishes her, providing an environment for growth and flourishing. The apostle Paul explains to us that “in the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies” (Ephesians 5:28). It made a marked difference in my marriage when I realized that it was my responsibility to do what I could to fill my wife’s sails.

Jesus doesn’t just put up with your wife or grudgingly but persistently love her—Jesus loves to love her. He delights to be with his bride. He receives joy by giving us joy (Hebrews 12:2). Wives who are loved this deeply, who know their husbands love to love them, are often an even greater blessing to others. Love your wife so joyfully that it’s obvious to her and others.

Jesus knows your wife better than she knows herself. He has an informed love for her. He knows her strengths and her weaknesses, and he acts on her behalf (Ephesians 5:29–30). While we will never know our wives like God knows them, he wants us to know them as well as we can. Our prayers for them will always be hindered if we fail to know them (1 Peter 3:7). Our wives know they are cherished when we make an effort to really know them.

6. Serving Love

Defy the Serpent with Love

Jesus served her in life and death. There is nothing—nothing—that God can call you to do for your wife that would be too much! Jesus “gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Many husbands think of themselves as kings to be served, but you and I are called by God to be the chief servants in our homes. The way to Christlikeness in our marriages is through joining Jesus in taking up the towel and the basin (John 13:12–17).

7. Sanctifying Love

Jesus loves your wife by helping her to grow in holiness and by being her advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1). Do you encourage your wife to go to Bible study, even if it means you have to care for the kids by yourself for the evening? Do you regularly bring your wife before the Father in prayer? Work hard to help your wife blossom spiritually.

One evening, I walked down the hallway from our bedroom with bare feet when I saw something no one ever wants to see in their hallway: a snake tail sticking out where the floor meets the wall. It turned out that there was a crack in our foundation, and a snake had made its way through the crack and up into our home.

Brothers, we have an enemy, that ancient serpent, who desires to squirm his way into our homes and cause havoc. But praise God, we know the snake crusher, Jesus Christ, who has already defeated him and loved us with a supernatural love. Know that when you love your wife like Jesus loves her, the foundation of your marriage is strengthened, Satan is defeated again, and Christ is lifted up for more to see.

8. Leading Love

Jesus leads us to what is good for us. Jesus not only loves your wife with a leading rather than a passive love, but he also leads her toward what is good (Psalm 23:2). It is impossible to lead our wives spiritually if we ourselves are not being led by God through the Word and prayer. One way you can lead her well is by seeking her input and then making big decisions (and accepting the consequences), rather than allowing the decisions and consequences to fall to her.

Tim Counts (@timothycounts) is married to his best friend, Melanie, and they are the proud parents of three children. He serves as the pastor of Northshire Baptist Church in Manchester Center, Vermont.

Tim writes regularly at He Must Become Greater. may/june 2020

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JEANNETTE CATHY:

Le g a c y Th at M a k e s G o d S m i le

with TRUDY CATHY W HIT E

BY SHARITA HANLEY

example of a godly legacy was her mom.

“A lot of people know about my dad, Truett, the founder of Chick-Fil-A, but nobody really knows my mother’s story.

She was relentless in her support of my dad, and she had quite an influence on our family, and particularly, the family business. So, I felt like her story needed to be told,” Trudy explains. Her latest book, A Quiet Strength: The Life and Legacy of Jeannette M. Cathy, tells her mom’s story while challenging us to think about the legacy we’re each creating as well.

Realize Your GodGiven Why

A

fter finishing her first year of college at Samford University, Trudy Cathy agreed to join the family business for the same reasons most of us would: she loved her family and wanted to help them out. It was also a nice way to start earning a living—like an internship with the potential for full-time work. So, when her father, Truett Cathy, handed her the keys to the business, she took a year off from school to run one of the restaurants we know and love as Chick-Fil-A. She worked hard, supported her family, and hired a fellow Samford University student whom she worked alongside, fell in love with, and eventually married. “When John came in [looking for work],” she recalls, “I knew I needed to hire him,” admitting, “It didn’t hurt that he was good looking.” Like most of us in our young adult years, the idea of “legacy” wasn’t at the forefront of her mind. But that’s exactly what’s been on her heart lately.

To me, legacy is all about the choices we make day in and day out.” Although a number of different people have positively influenced her, Trudy’s most influential 20

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“A lot of legacy goes back to a root issue.

It’s about understanding your ‘why’— like, why does God have you here, on earth, to begin with? When you get clarity on that, you begin to get clarity on your priorities and how you make choices and decisions,” Trudy points out, explaining how her mom’s why influenced everything she did. “My mother never knew her father,” Trudy divulges. “Her earthly father walked away from the family when she was only three months old, and she never saw him again. But when she was about five years old, someone shared with her some verses from the Bible that talked about believing and receiving Jesus Christ and becoming a child of God.” Those verses resonated deeply in Jeannette’s heart and promised to fulfi ll her desire for a father. “That was the beginning of an incredibly intimate relationship she had with God the Father,” Trudy adds. “She would talk out loud and sing songs to Him. She just lived every moment of every day walking with the Lord.”

The same is true for us. One of the best ways to build a lasting, worthwhile legacy is knowing, remembering, and

acknowledging daily who we are in Christ. “My mother had this habit of standing at the back door when we were leaving out to go to school or on a date or wherever and telling us, ‘Remember who you are and whose you are,’” Trudy recalls. “That’s so important for us to remember as we go through life. We are created by the hand of God, and we actually belong to Him,” she emphasizes. “Knowing and remembering that guides and determines our life choices.” Those choices, along with our values, help establish a meaningful legacy.

Determine Your Values “John and I have five core values,” Trudy reveals, listing them out. “Our faith is first and core to who we are.

It drives and determines the decisions we make. Our family is very important to us. So, if you were to look at our calendar, you’d see that the first thing I do is block out time for the family throughout the year because I value that. The third value is integrity. We are people of integrity when we make choices about what we’re doing and going to do. And the last two values are generosity and gratitude. We live with a sense of gratitude for what we have, but at the same time, we’re very generous with what we have. Knowing your values helps you to determine what your goals will and won’t be. They also help us live a life of consistency,” she expounds, admitting that’s what she loved most about her mom and dad. “Every time my dad encountered challenges, my mom always directed him back to the truth of God’s word.

My dad was a follower of Christ as well, but my mom was just so impactful.”

“They weren’t perfect people, so I don’t want anybody to get that impression;

however, they were very consistent in how they lived their life. I didn’t know how to appreciate that when I was growing up, but as an adult, I realize that kind of consistency speaks volumes to other people who are watching,” Trudy says, continuing: “So, if young people are wondering, ‘How can I be a good leader?’ or ‘How can I encourage people to follow me?’ be consistent with how you’re living your life. Be intentional about living out the values you’ve identified as most important to you.” By doing so, we’ll be prepared to handle adversity and missed expectations with grace and faith.

Handle Adversity and Missed Expectations Well “One thing I think we all tend to struggle with is managing expectations,” Trudy states. “My mother was in her seventies on her way to a doctor’s appointment when she had this conversation with me about managing expectations. She said, ‘I had all kinds of expectations for your dad and secretly thought as he got older that he would retire and we would have more time together. I’ve realized that he probably won’t ever retire from work because he loves it so much.’ And then she said, ‘I’ve decided to not have any more expectations for him.’ Then she asked me, ‘Do you have any expectations for John?’” Too often we find ourselves stepping away from our values and living inconsistently when we’re faced with missed expectations or adversity. But knowing when to push forward and when to let go is a key component of building a legacy that makes God smile.

“There’s this sense of determination young people need to have so they don’t ever give up. Adversity and challenges are going to come in life, and through them, you can grow stronger. Don’t be so quick to throw in the towel,” Trudy advises. “On the flip side, as we get older, we might have determination and perseverance to push through, but you also need to have discernment. At this stage, it’s important to know when and where you have to and need to quit

and stop things, even though you never want to give up. You have to know when to slow down, take some time to think, and when necessary, to quit.”

“I witnessed this in my mom’s life. She was an extremely determined lady. But as I watched both my parents get older, I realized they became wiser in determining what were priorities in their life. They realized that sometimes they had to set aside some things to keep their priorities in order. Often times, they set aside things they really enjoyed and were passionate about. But they realized that life wasn’t about them anymore but that it was more about how they could have an impact on or influence others.” But one of Trudy’s most valuable lessons from her mom was that legacy doesn’t have to be forceful or brash.

Realize that Legacy Doesn’t Have to Be Loud

Actually, when I finished the manuscript of this book, I struggled with the title. I just didn’t know what I should name the book. Finally, I realized after thinking about that verse

“We live in a very noisy world, and the Bible challenges us by saying our quietness and our trust will be our strength,” Trudy insists, referring to Isaiah 30:15. “Actually, when I finished the manuscript of this book, I struggled with the title. I just didn’t know what I should name the book. Finally, I realized after thinking about that verse in Isaiah, that Quiet Strength just fit. That’s definitely who my mom was.” More often than not, we think of legacy as grand accomplishments from assertive people who are quite the opposite of quiet. But Isaiah 30:15 reminds us that many times we’ll find strength while quietly trusting our Lord and Savior. That consistent, quiet trust informs our day-to-day choices, which, in turn, determine the kind of legacy we’ll leave behind. Just like Jeannette M. Cathy did, let’s build legacies that’ll make God smile.

in Isaiah, that Quiet Strength just fit.

To learn more about Trudy Cathy White and Quiet

That’s definitely who my mom was.

Strength: The Life and Legacy of Jeannette M. Cathy, visit trudycathywhite.com.

may/june 2020

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Waiting for God Alоe

HOW DESPERATION TEACHES US TO TRUST BY: JON BLO OM To be brought to a place where God is our only real hope is a merciful experience. But I don’t say that lightly—because almost always it’s also a desperate experience. Some external circumstance, or internal crisis, forces us into a place where our other comforts and hopes are removed or fail us. In these moments, we keenly feel our weakness and vulnerability, and we usually long and plead with God for escape.

But it is in these seasons that enduring faith is forged. And, usually in retrospect, such experiences—ones where we find that God really is our only rock, that our only real hope is from him—prove to be among the sweetest of our lives. It’s then we call them mercies.

WAITING FOR GOD ALONE David was experiencing a season of desperation when he composed Psalm 62.

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. (Psalm 62:1–2) David had many desperate experiences during his lifetime. He lived in a brutal age and endured tremendous pressures. He lived much of his adult life with the threat of death looming like a shadow over him. He lived for years as a fugitive, fleeing King Saul’s paranoia. He lived for years leading armies against aggressive enemy nations and guarding against espionage. And worst of all, he lived for years with the anguish of watching trusted friends (Psalm 55:13–14), and even a son (2 Samuel 15:10), turn into treacherous enemies who delighted in his tribulations and conspired against his life.

“Seasons of desperation really teach us what trust means, and they train us to actually trust in God.” But right from the beginning, David had made the Lord his trust (Psalm 40:4). He refused to lift his hand against Saul, whom the Lord had anointed king (1 Samuel 24:6). He sought the Lord’s guidance when it came to waging war (2 Samuel 5:19). And when conspired against or defamed, he would not personally take revenge (2 Samuel 16:5–14). Everyone knew that he claimed to trust God. Therefore, God’s name was at stake in how he conducted himself. If vengeance belonged to God (Deuteronomy 32:35), then he must trust God to preserve and vindicate him, and not pursue it himself.

And what did God do for David? He allowed many situations that forced David to make the Lord his one trust, his one rock, his one source of salvation. He forced David to wait for him alone.

TOTTERING FENCE But what was David feeling in the midst of those desperate experiences? Here’s how he described it in this psalm: How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.

They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. (Psalm 62:3–4)

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Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalm 42:11) David is telling his soul to remember the source of his hope: God— more precisely, what God had promised him. It’s true that David’s experience was unique in that God had made specific promises to him, such as becoming Israel’s king (1 Samuel 16:13) and receiving a throne that would “be established forever” through his progeny (2 Samuel 7:12–17).

But for all the saints, hope in God is grounded on the promises of God. The promises of God, his word to us, is the fortress we flee

“All God’s promises are places of refuge, fortresses where we may flee when we feel weak.”

David didn’t seem to be feeling like his faith was growing stronger. He was feeling weak and vulnerable and fragile.

He felt like an old stone wall, bowing out and ready to crumble. He felt like a rickety old fence that could easily topple over.

to when we are afraid. That’s why David says it this way elsewhere: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).

This is how we often feel when we are learning to make God our only trust. Tests of our faith often feel in the moment like threats to our faith. Whatever form of adversity we’re experiencing, it feels overwhelming. We too feel weak, vulnerable, and fragile, like we’re going to topple over and crumble. We might feel tempted to panic.

David took refuge not only in the promises God made specifically to him. He took refuge in the entire revealed word of God that had been provided up to that point. That’s why in Psalm 19, David spoke of every word of God’s special revelation as having power to revive the soul, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, and reward those who keep them (Psalm 19:7–11).

So, what do we do?

New-covenant believers find the same to be true. Yes, sometimes the Spirit will illumine a particular promise for us during a difficult season to help us endure. But the greater truth is that “all the promises of God find their Yes in” Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). All God’s promises are places of refuge, fortresses where we may flee when we feel weak, vulnerable, and fragile, such as:

MY HOPE IS FROM HIM David shows us by putting on a clinic in Psalm 62. He preaches to his troubled, weak, vulnerable, fragile soul (and ours): For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. (Psalm 62:5–7) This is David’s way of saying what the sons of Korah said in Psalms 42 and 43:

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MY FORTRESS

• I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) • Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27) • If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7) • My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) • Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is

not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:25, 33) • We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) • After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10) • Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) And there are hundreds more. In the desperate season, when something or someone is threatening our hope, and we feel on the verge of collapse, we must turn from looking at the threat and instead look to the source of our hope, and say with David, “On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God” (Psalm 62:7).

TRUST IN HIM AT ALL TIMES The truth is that these seasons of desperation really teach us what trust means, and they train us to actually trust in God. They force David’s words to be more than just words to us: Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:8) Desperation is not only one of the most effective instructors in trusting God; it is also one of the most effective instructors in the school of prayer. Few things move you to pour out your heart to God in earnest

“To be brought to a place where God is our only real hope is a merciful experience.”

prayer than when everything seems on the line, and you wonder if you’re going to make it. Most people don’t run into a fortress unless they’re faced with real danger coming their way.

This is why I said that to be brought to a place where God is our only real hope is a merciful experience. But I also said that I don’t say it lightly, because I know such experiences. They have been the hardest of my life. Part of me doesn’t wish them on anyone. But the wiser part of me wishes them for everyone.

Why? Because there is nothing in the world that compares with the sweet comfort our soul experiences when we really know that our greatest hope comes from God, that he only is our mighty rock and our refuge, and that he can be trusted at all times. Whatever teaches us these things turns out to be a great mercy.

Jon Bloom (@Bloom_Jon) serves as author, board chair, and co-founder of Desiring God. He is author of three books: Not by Sight, Things Not Seen, and Don’t Follow Your Heart. He and his wife have five children and make their home in the Twin Cities.

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GA state parks & resorts openings Coral Hospitality, a full-service hospitality management company that manages resorts and lodges in a number of Georgia state parks, recently announced a variety of new promotions to help welcome back visitors and guests to its six Georgia resorts and lodges. Just in time for summer, the company has fully reopened its Georgia resorts and lodges, adhering to the state’s guidelines for operations, including those pertaining to limiting group sizes and capacity. Each Georgia State Park property is now accepting reservations for affordable getaways to Georgia’s great outdoors.

In preparation for its Georgia reopening, team members have taken part in a rigorous cleaning and sanitization program across each facility, as well as launching previously planned beautification projects and undergoing extensive training on new safety protocols, which will be in place at each property moving forward.

Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge

has their Maple Restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, featuring traditional American and Southern classic cuisine accompanied by stunning views of the North Georgia mountains.

Adventure activities have also resumed for thrill-seekers to zipline through the trees and try their hand at tomahawk throwing.

Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge’s mountain lodge rooms and rustic cabins remain open.

Special Offer: Book an overnight stay and receive a special BOGO offer on Level 1 zip lines. To book, call the lodge at 800-573-9656 and mention promo code BOGO. Available for stays through June 30, 2020.

George T. Bagby State Park & Lodge

is nestled in the tranquility of southwestern Georgia and has reopened its rustic lodge and the Pilot House Grill for visitors and guests. The property’s amenities and activities will remain available for guests and visitors, from a full-service marina to championship golf at Meadow Links Golf Course, noted by Golf Digest as America’s sixth best new affordable public course on its opening.

Little Ocmulgee State Park & Lodge

has a newly renovated lodge and is now open for reservations, with top-to-bottom modernizations applied to each lodge room. A charming and serene getaway in South Georgia, Little Ocmulgee State Park & Lodge offers affordable yet challenging golf on the Wallace Adams Golf Course, camping facilities for tent and RV camping, and a full-service restaurant serving traditional Southern meals.

Special Offer: Book an overnight stay in the newly renovated lodge rooms for only $49 per person (Sunday through Thursday) or $59 per person (Friday and Saturday), and receive unlimited golf and breakfast for two in the morning. To book, use the promo code FREEGOLF. Available on stays through September 14, 2020.

Unicoi State Park & Lodge

Special Offer: Book an overnight stay in the lodge or cottages and receive one 18-hole round of golf, including green fees for two guests and one cart rental. Rates start at $75 per person. To book, use the promo code GOLF18.

is a mountain getaway just two miles away from Alpine Helen, which has reopened Unicoi Restaurant and the Smith Creek Tavern. Its renovated lodge rooms, secluded cabins and iconic barrel cabins remain open for visitors. Visitors and guests may also embark on mountain adventures at Unicoi State Park & Lodge and Unicoi Beach, such as paddle boarding, kayaking, fly fishing, and ziplining.

Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club

Special Offer: Book an overnight stay and receive a special BOGO offer on Level I zip lines. To book, call the lodge at 800-573-9659 and mention promo code BOGO. Available for stays through June 30, 2020.

has reopened its on-site, fine dining restaurant, Cordelia’s, plus its lodge rooms and lakeside villas for visitors and guests. The quiet, waterside retreat is considered one of the most versatile resorts in Georgia with a variety of activities ideally suited for social distancing, such as scenic golfing at the Georgia Veterans Memorial Golf Course, fishing, and boating.

Special Offer: Book an overnight stay in the lodge or villas and receive breakfast for two in the morning with the guest’s choice of two activities: one round of golf for two, one round of disc golf for two, or a two-hour kayak or canoe rental. To book, use the promo code ESCAPE.

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Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa

is a luxurious countryside escape in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Young Harris, which has also reopened its lodge guestrooms, spacious cottages, on-site restaurants, and stables for horseback riding. The award-winning Brasstown Valley Golf Course will continue to offer expert golf for all experience and skill levels. For now, the 7,500-sq.-ft. Equani Spa will remain closed.

Special Offer: Book an overnight stay and receive breakfast for two in The Dining Room with the Bed & Breakfast Package.

WHERE YOU TAKE THEM MATTERS 9 Sports Medicine Doctors and Surgeons 25+ Locations 35+ Sports Physical Therapists 50+ Certified Athletic Trainers 40+ High Schools and Club Sports Affiliations

Zoe Shepard, Hip and Heel Injury

5 Locations in Buford, Dacula, Duluth and Snellville

be here Whether you’re reading Shakespeare or studying organic chemistry, Covenant’s campus provides the perfect environment to immerse yourself in deep learning. Our scenic 400-acre campus sits atop Lookout Mountain, Georgia, just eight miles from bustling downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.

In our tight-knit community, your passions will take shape as you recieve career mentorship from our esteemed faculty. covenant.edu/LiberalArts

©2020 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Inc. All rights reserved. Sports Medicine Physical Therapy is a department of Children’s at Scottish Rite hospital.

WE GOT ZOE BACK EN POINTE

choa.org/sportsmed