Kingdom Life HR Magazine

NOV / DEC 2019

SPECI A L REPORT The Pow er Of A Teacher KINGDOM LIFE M AGAZINE

H OM E | CUL T URE | T RA V EL

BEST PRAYER

OF ISSUE w w w .christianmagazineshr.com

VOL 1 No.5

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CONTENTS COVERSTORY: Traveling aw ay from hom e seem s t o provide a unique t im e for t he t em pt at ion of alot of Christ ian m en. M ost find t hem selfves m ore suscept ible t o laziness ,lust , and ot her kinds of sins. In t his st ory w e dicuss t he t ools t o help t raveling Christ ian m en.

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I've had t o learn t hat prayers are im port ant t o having a " real" relat ionship w it h God. We should have a voice of Thanksgiving. In t his issue w e re-discover prayer and t he im port ance of it !

Inarecent surveyin Hr's86%of the populationclaimsa spiritual connection withreligion..

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PRAYERANDTHEFAMILY

PUBLISHERPEN

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Jeremiah"Jerry"Gaines hasmentoredand continuestodevelop youngmeninto successstoriesfor over 40years.

Fam alies use prayer-t im e as a w ay t o t ransfer religious t radit ions t o t he younger generat ion.

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Tipsonhowtostay awayfromthe serpent salesperson.

Tiponnegotiatingand savingmoneyonyour newcar purchase.

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Holidaysaren't completewithout these10designer must haves.

5COMPONENTSOF PRAYER A.C.T. is a easy w ay t o rem em ber key elem ent s of prayer- Adorat ion, Confession and Thanksgiving.

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Therelationship betweengrandparents andgrandchildrenare basedonlove, appreciation,funand purejoy.

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JasonHaywoodhas basedhisbusinesson servingGodand spreadingthe"Good news"toall that he meets.

COVER STORY

A C hrist ian M an?s Travel Plan Tr avelin g aw ay f r om h om e seem s t o pr ovide a u n iqu e t im e of t em pt at ion f or m e. M aybe it ?s becau se I?m ou t of m y r ou t in e or aw ay f r om m y f am ily, bu t I f in d m yself m or e su scept ible t o lazin ess, lu st , an d ot h er k in ds of deadly sin s. To h elp f igh t it , I k eep t h r ee basic t h in gs on m y m in d w h en I t r avel: family, purity, an d ministry.

Family Whenever I?m gone, I want to make sure my family knows that I love them and that I?m thinking about them. I do this with phone calls, but I also do a couple other things.

1. For my wife I write her a card for each day I?ll be gone. The card usually has a short prayer or a couple sentences telling her something I love about her, and then a verse of Scripture. It takes about 20 minutes to do these cards (depending on how long the trip is) and I?m pretty sure it blesses her more than I realize.

2. For the kids, I try to rally them

together before I leave and show them on a map where I?m going. I ask them to pray for me while I?m gone and tell them what I plan to do while I?m there. I don?t always leave them something to open when I?m away, but I always bring them something back to let them know they were on my mind while I was there.

Pu r it y I know that while I travel I will face temptations in ways that I don?t always when I?m at home. I may be a pastor, but I?m still just a dude, so I?ve got to be on guard. To do this, I make sure of the following:

I?m prayed up. I do my best to intentionally ask God to protect me during my trip from wandering heart, wandering eyes, and wandering feet. While I travel, I strive with extra effort to have solid devotional times. It is easy to neglect this discipline when I?m on the road because of the change in my routine, but there?s always excuses to not draw near to Christ? so I fight it fervently.

Keeping my eyes on Him is my only hope to honor God, so I do my best to draw daily upon His grace during my trips. I?m partnered up. I don?t like traveling alone, but when I have to, I enlist several brothers to help me.

These men know my weaknesses and have committed to pray for me while I?m gone? and sometimes they?ll even

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Anestimated14.2millionmenwill travel globallyin2019with$206 billionintotal economicimpact,.

72%of malemillenniasl will travel soloin2020

7Best travel destinationsfor single menareBritishVirginIslands,NewYork City,Barcelona,SantaFa,Hawaii, ScottsdaleArizonaandMexico

" Th e st eps of a m an ar e est abl i sh ed by t h e Lor d, w h en h e del i gh t s i n h i s w ay...I n peace I w i l l bot h l i e dow n an d sl eep, f or you al on e, O Lor d,m ak e m e.."

Psal m 37:23

even check in on me during my trip. I?ve been 100% transparent with these brothers about my struggles and they know the tough questions to ask me when I?m gone. I?m too weak to fight this fight alone, so I?m thankful for these brothers who keep me accountable.

1. I?m planning to kill the TV. As soon as I step into the hotel room I unplug the TV and promise God I won?t plug it back in. Me + hotel room + TV = trouble, so I don?t flip through the channels? and I don?t give myself the chance. I also don?t get the internet in my hotel room. I figure people lived without the .com for a really long time and I can go to the lobby if I really need it.

God tells me to make no provision for my flesh and I have to obey Him (Rom 13:114)

bring a pocket sized Bible that I can part with, so I don?t have to decide if I am willing to part with my personal Bible in the case that someone needs a copy of God?s Word.

These are a few basic things that I try to make sure I do each time I travel. Please let me know of other ideas you have about traveling as a Christian man.

May God be honored in our lives, wherever we may go.

1. Traveling away from home seems to provide a unique time of temptation for me. Maybe it?s because I?m out of my routine or away from my family, but I find myself more susceptible to laziness, lust, and other kinds of deadly sins. To help fight it, I keep three basic things on my mind when I travel: family, purity, and ministry.

M in ist r y

Family

While most of my trips are ministry related, there are some basic things I try to do, just because I?m a Christian.

1. I pray for God to set up divine appointments.

Regardless of why I travel or where I travel, I am an ambassador for the King of Glory (2 Cor 5:20) In light of this, I ask Him to set up encounters with people He wants me to talk to about Him. Whether it be on the plane, in a taxi, in a restaurant, at the hotel, or wherever I am, I ask Him to make me attentive to the people He has placed around me. I pray for Him to open doors for me to share the Gospel and to point people to Jesus. We must always be available to be used by Him. Ask Him to set up divine appointments.

2. I bring a tract and an extra bible. One of the things I?ve found to be profitable is to have a copy of a non-goofy tract like, ?Two ways to live? that helps people understand the Gospel message. I don?t always use it when I?m sharing the Gospel, but I do think it?s good to leave something with them to read after our conversation is over. I also

Whenever I?m gone, I want to make sure my family knows that I love them and that I?m thinking about them. I do this with phone calls, but I also do a couple other things.

1. For my wife I write her a card for each day I?ll be gone. The card usually has a short prayer or a couple sentences telling her something I love about her, and then a verse of Scripture. It takes about 20 minutes to do these cards (depending on how long the trip is) and I?m pretty sure it blesses her more than I realize.

2. For the kids, I try to rally them together before I leave and show them on a map where I'm going. I ask them to pray for me while I?m gone and tell them what I plan to do while I?m there. I don?t always leave them something to open when I?m away, but I always bring them something back to let them know they were on my mind while I was there.

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"One of the hardest things about being a married man on a vacation alone, the days get longer and the nights get even longer."

PUBLISHER PEN

BERNARDS.HARRISON,JR PUBLISHER/ FOUNDER

I've h ear d a lot of sad sou n din g pr ayer s in m y lif e.

Hey, I've pr ayed a lot of t h em m yself , t oo. · Prayers of desperation -- God, you've got to help me! · Prayers of self-pity -- God, things are so awful! · Prayers of resignation -- God, if you want to leave me unemployed, then I can't stop you!

But I'm learning how to pray a different kind of prayer ? a prayer said with thanksgiving. I learned it from Paul who, was writing from prison, he taught me a most powerful lesson. He said, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Here he is suffering himself, yet he's telling me to pray with thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the seasoning that makes our prayers edible to God. After all, who wants to hear people whine all the time?

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I've learned that you can't whine and give thanks in the same breath.

Self-pity and thankfulness don't mix any better than oil and water.

In fact, mixing thanks with prayer somehow changes it. When we remember what God has done for us in the past and think about who he is in the present -- and express that in thankfulness -- our prayers become gentler, more trusting.

Thankful prayers are offered with faith and faith is an essential ingredient for prayers that God chooses to answer.

We remember the first too land in Jamestown, on Thanksgiving Day, not so much for their turkey dinner, but for the sheer faith that inspired them to give thanks in a year that saw nearly half their number die of sickness. Yet they prayed with thanksgiving.

When your annual day of feasting is over, you may bemoan your extra helpings of dressing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. But if you can hang on to the "thanks" part of Thanksgiving, you'll be a different person. Because when you learn to talk to God about your needs -mixed with a healthy dose of heartfelt thanks -- then you have crossed the divide from whining at God to real prayer. We all have so much to be thankful for. Waking up each morning, a spouse, a child, a roof over your head! This issue of Kingdom Life is dedicated to those prayers heard and unheard.

We also have discovered the "Best" stories in Hampton Roads, far from the beaten path. Jamie Dodd president of Dodd RV and his life-long relationship with senor "Jerry" Gaines.This article examines the power of a teacher.

A ministry trip, or a leadership conference can have an adverse affect on a weekend trip alone. A man's travel planner shows how to avoid the pitfalls of traveling alone.

I once heard someone say "It's great to be a grandparent, you can spent time with a grandchild and then leave them with thier parents." The question is what actually do grandchildren need from their grandparents?

I pray that your days are filled with Joy and happiness and

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Special Thanks to REV. DR. ANDERSON FOREMAN

PRAYER AND THE FAM ILY Is t h er e a con n ect ion bet w een divin e appoin t m en t an d pr ayer ?

At the dawn of time, God ordained the family as a viable institution to sustain the world He created (Genesis 1:26, 2:18).

The growth or decadence in our world today begins at the dinner table. According to Marianne Neifert, ?the family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling that empowers a child to venture with confidence into the greater world and to become all that he can be.

Nevertheless, it is a sad reality today that many promising homes are broken, and marriages are ending in divorce.

Instead of being a formidable weapon for societal and spiritual progress, the family has become a breeding nest of sorrow and backwardness.

Beloved, when the boat of the family is sinking, something important is missing ?prayer!

We often underestimate the power of prayer, the unimaginable privilege to commune directly with the God, the Maker of the universe.

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independent of God in this perilous world will only lead to ruin and confusion. A life devoid of Christ is always full of crises.

The family is an invaluable treasure that must be jealousy guided in prayer against the ageless rogue whose primary mission is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

?This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything."

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?This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hear us? (1 John 5:14 NIV). I hope you know that your family should be a blessing and a miracle to the world. Therefore, for you to walk in the reality of this destiny, you must frequent the place of prayer individually and collectively. You must approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that you may receive mercy and find grace to help you in times of need (Hebrews 4:16). Make your

family an altar of prayer and your home a platform of fire and it will bring peace to you and to your world at large. Just remember that diligence, persistence and determination are good and necessary in all forms of prayers at work or play. When it?s all said and done, though, we progress and bear fruit in the spiritual life by the sovereign grace of God, leaving us no cause for pride or boasting but giving thanks to God. In the end I can?t honestly point to my efforts in experiencing breakthroughs or

illuminations but rather to God?s sovereign goodness and perfect timing.

TIMBARNES,AUTHOR

5 COM PONENTS OF

PRA YER Lorem

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. Praise- If God inhabits (lives in) praise

then I, for one, want to start my prayers with praise!

Let me tell you, God not only inhabits praise, He is reachable and closer than you can imagine. He is right there with you. Tell Him how much you love him. He wants your praise!

There is POWER in praise! Look at Psalm 149:6-9.

In 2Chronicles 20:21-22 the Bible gives us an example of how a battle was won with praise alone!

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. Thanks- We have things to thank God for

before asking for more! Even if things are not going well we have the assurance that even they will eventually turn out good according to Romans 8:28!

We have to trust Him. We need to thank Him for everything. We can think of things to thank Him for if we try! 1Thess 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

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. Forgiveness- You and I have been forgiven a

large number of things by our Father in heaven. He is glad to forgive us, so we should be glad to forgive others for what they have done. Plus, we need to continually ask forgiveness because even bad thoughts are considered sin and need to be forgiven. Mark 11:25, "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

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. Asking- According to 1 John 3:22 in order to

receive the things we ask we need to keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Verse 23 tells us His commandment is we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. If we are not receiving answers to our prayers then we obviously need to dive deeper into the Bible and get our thoughts and prayers more in line with God's will.

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Luke 11:9

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. Listening- Listen for the answers to your

prayers. Listen for other things God wants to tell you. "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14 Wait can mean wait a minute, wait till tomorrow, wait for a few years. God will reveal things to you in His time. He knows what you need and also knows when to give it to you.

When you are praying leave plenty of time to wait on God to speak to your heart. Imagine Him to be in the same room with you (because He is!) When Jesus died the curtain to the Holy of Holies was split

by God from top to bottom so we could enter into

that holy place and be with God! ipsum dolor sit am et , conset et ur sadipscing sed diam nonum y eirm od

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CHRISTIANS IN THE MARKETPLACE..

Lorem The marketplace (or workspace) is a

physical location or an online platform where people trade goods and services. No one is an island and because of our self-insufficiencies, there is always an inevitable need to come together in a commercial relationship.

The world of commerce today is bedeviled by lack of creativity, honesty and sincerity. Corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of our marketplaces that people now trade their virtues for a morsel of bread. God needs of men and women who will bring the glory of His kingdom to the workspace and transform it for His glory. u Jesus, in Matthew 5:13-14, reveals Christians are the light and salt of the world. We are like a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden and a lamp set upon a stand to brighten the paths of men. In other words, we are God?s models and representatives in the marketplace. It saddens the heart of God when He sees His children slaving in the world when they can simply draw from the Him, source of life and creativity, to transform their world. Job 32:8 says ?there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding.? There is a divine capacity in us as

Christians to create answers and proffer timely and relevant solutions in our place of work. We must therefore be diligent enough with our lives and resources in the marketplace. Diligence is an indispensible virtue for a man who desires to sit before kings (Proverbs 22:29) and poverty will come upon a sluggard like a robber (Proverbs 6:9-11).

More so, as light and salt of the world, we are not supposed to swim with the tide of perversion that is assailing the world today. Do not forget that ?a false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight? (Proverbs 11:1). The world should see the righteousness of God in us.

Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No (Matthew 5:37). Be honest in your dealings with man as the creative power of God flows through you to bring about a productive outcome that will bless the world. Amen.

BY: ANIKA GRANTyam erat , sed diam volupt ua. At vero eos et accusam et just o duo dolores et ea rebum .

St et clit a kasd gubergren, no sea t akim at a sanct us est Lorem ipsum dolor sit am et . Lorem ipsum dolor sit

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A Pr ayer For Tr u m p an d diam noLet?s pray for the upcoming election

starting now, and please pray that God?s perfect will be done, as The Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray. We cannot lean on our own understanding in such a crucial election as the 2020 election. We must pray and seek The Lord as to His will and pray that the person of His choice will be nominated, and then go on to become our next president. Pray that you and all Americans will have supernatural wisdom in their choice, and I pray that we will have the faith to believe that The Lord can move mightily in behalf of this nation as we fulfill 2 Chron. 7:14 and Joel chapter 2.

Sadly, I hear so many Christian talking doomsday talk about the future of America under the

leadership of the #45 elected President. Of course, that is the plan of Satan for America. However, I believe that some of the dreams, visions, etc. that some Christians are getting are from the wrong side, and they are geared to bring fear, frustration and apathy to the Christians.

The enemy gives dreams that some perceive as coming from God, but they are not from God but from the enemy. I will explain why I have found this to be true.

I was a missionary overseas for some twelve years, and before I left America; I had several horrible and redemptive dreams, and of course I thought they were prophetic and from The Lord. However, later I learned that they were sent to deter me from my

Images Courtesy of: Ronald JAtkinson / urbanstockhouse.net

from my mission and calling. While I was overseas; I prayed and prayed every day, and I received the real dreams from the Lord, and they were redemptive and quite encouraging.

The previous dreams were not redemptive. God?s dreams and visions are always redemptive, and they will always give the person hope for the future. You will know if a dream is of the Lord by its content which will be reflective of the Word of God. It will be the truth, but it will also bring faith, hope and encouragement concerning our obedience to the Lord.

I t h in k m an y Ch r ist ian s ar e n ot pr ayin g f or ou r f u t u r e in Am er ica f or m an y r eason s. Wh y?

1). They may think that they will not be here in the future, because they will be raptured.

given, but they don?t use it in prayer. We, Christians, have been given all the power and authority because of what our Lord suffered for us.

We need to start seeking the Lord and praying His will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Father always knows best.

This year and next year; we Christians need to pray and seek The Lord as never before. Joel chapter 2 is a good example of how we should pray and fast and cry out to almighty God for our nation, its people and for our country to become a righteous nation. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin brings a great reproach and shame upon a nation and a people.

My prayer for the next election:

2). They may think that it is all a lost cause.

3.) They do not understand the tremendous power in prayer and especially the prayers of agreement between two or more Christians.

The church needs to learn about the power and authority provided by the death on the cross and the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Many Christians know about the power they have been Image: Ronald J. Atkinson

d t h e Upcom in g Elect ion Dear h eaven ly Fat h er , We humbly seek Your face about this crucial matter. You alone know the future, and the hearts of all men and women. We pray Father that Your best choice will be nominated and then elected. We pray that Your people will repent of our apathy, and that we will humble ourselves, pray, seek Your face, turn from our wicked ways, and then You will hear, forgive us and heal us and our land. We pray that we Christians will seek after Your perfect will for our future, our country and the world. We have gone our own way, and we have leaned on our own understanding, and we have been selfish, greedy, and we have not sought Your will first. Father, please forgive us for our rebellion and for doing our own thing.

Father we pray that this country of America will turn back to our foundation and heritage which is Jesus Christ and The Word of God and the greatest and most effective constitution that was ever written. Please forgive us for allowing Your Name to be blasphemed and Your commandments to be trodden upon in America. We pray that we will have the supernatural power of The Holy Spirit to turn to You with all of our hearts, and then You will hear from heaven, forgive our sins and heal our land.

Please bring us to repentance, and please bring a repentance revival to our once great land. Forgive us Father, and please empower us to have the hope, faith and love that we need to build a new and better future for America.

Please bring justice, judgement and repentance for all of the innocent blood shed in America, and for all the abuse done to innocent people, and for all of the lying, stealing, killing, rape, and evil that has been allowed to run rampant in America.

In Jesus Name. AMEM!

SPECIAL REPORT

RV dealer Jam ie Dodd r ef lect s abou t h is r elat ion sh ip w it h Jer r y Gain es w h ich h as last ed over 30 plu s year s Images by Ronald J Atkinson www.urbanstockhouse.net

THE POWER OF A TEACHER Au t h or Jam ie Dodd sh ar es t h e m ost in spir in g an d m em or able excer pt s f r om h is f or t h com in g book t it led ?40 St or ies Ret u r n ed? set f or r elease in t h e Spr in g of 2020.

Ronnda?s Story? ?

Today?s Date is September 11, 2019? . 18 years ago, today, the world watched while the World Trade Center collapsed.

Like many people, I can remember exactly where I was at that moment. Its not too many events in life, where people can remember the exact details. Most people remember milestone birthdays, births, marriages, divorces and

milestone birthdays. I remember exactly where I was the day, I met Mr. Jeremiah Gaines. I was on the bus ramp, at Great Bridge High School, and it was the 1995-1996 school year. I was waiting outside afterschool to go to Indoor Track tryouts.

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This was Mr. Gaines?first year as one of the Assistant Principals, and because I was in 10th grade, he was the administrator for my grade. He also was the administrator in charge of the bus dismissal, so he was always outside after school.

I had saw Mr. Gaines several times before in the hallways, and in the cafeteria. I really had any interactions with him, because up until that point, I managed to stay out of trouble. Still, I knew who he was, I mean, it?s hard not to notice that there is a new Principal at Great Bridge High School, some of those administrators and staff were there when my mom graduated in 1975. So, in 1995 it?s even harder not to notice that this new

Principal is a black man, with an afro, square glasses, and a never-ending supply of khakis. This is all a big deal because for many of us in the 1990?s, me included, as a young black teenager, many of our parents were struggling with drug addictions. We were lost, angry, thrust into roles that we weren?t prepared or equipped for, raising siblings, living with relatives, and hoping to just survive.

During that time, outside of sports figures, and entertainers, we would only see Black Educators, Doctors, and Lawyers on TV. So, realizing we had our very own Joe Clark (Lean on Me) was a big deal.

On this day, I walk outside to wait for the athletic bus.

As I opened the door, I saw that Mr. Gaines was standing on the other side, leaned up against the wall.

My first thought was ?I really hope this guy doesn?t start talking to me?. I guess the universe had other plans for me, because as I moved to put my backpack down Mr. Gaines asked me what I was doing outside. I told him I was waiting for the athletic bus to go to track practice.

He laughed at me and told me that he didn?t believe I was running track with all the attitude I had. I was like what? You don?t even know me. And he said ?oh, I know you alright, the problem is that you don?t know you?.

Before I could respond the bus came, and after we boarded spoke to the driver, looked at me, nodded and

and walked back in the building. I?m pissed. Like who the heck did this guy, with this afro, this windbreaker, this perfect use of language, think he was and who did he think I was? For the next few days, I tried my best to avoid him. I would time my exits so I would just be coming outside when the bus arrived, and I would walk out from the last hallway so he wouldn?t have time to talk. He would have just enough time to say Hey Ronn, and I?d reply my name is Ronnda with an attitude.

A week later, I?m at track practice. Our coach, Pat Banks, says Ronnda I think you might make a decent hurdler. He moves me down the track and says I got an expert coming to give you some pointers. The next thing I know, I see Mr. Gaines walking towards me, he had on this trench coat, and he has this Natural coolness, and that coat made him look like Shaft.

Coach Banks walks over to him, and then back to us, and he says Ronnda this is Jerry Gaines, He will be giving you tips on how to hurdle. I look at Mr. Gaines, who is just standing there smiling, and I start to

complain. He says, don?t worry Coach Banks, Ronn will be just fine. That was the beginning of Mr. Gaines showing me who I was both on and off the track.

We got through that indoor season with very little incident. I did my job, was average at hurdling, and I decided that I would outdoor track also. As I mentioned earlier, I was affected by the 90?s drug addictions. My mom was addicted to crack cocaine and started having run ins with the law. My father, who was a full-blown alcoholic at that time wasn?t any help, so that left my maternal grandmother to raise me and my younger sister. What I haven?t mentioned, is that this wasn?t a situation that is stereotypical for drug addicts at that time. We are a middle-class family. My grandfathers on both sides are Naval Veterans, my grandmothers were both College educated school professionals. My maternal Grandmother was the first black school secretary at Carver School in Chesapeake. Both my parents are college graduates, so this drug addiction only proved that no matter what your background, status, education you can still fall www.christianmagazineshr.com - 22

victim to addiction.

As a teenager, it?s very difficult when your life changes in that way. I began to act out, not wanting to do anything, my grades went from straight A?s to C?s and that?s IF I went to class. I was disrespectful to my teachers, talking back, not doing the work. I had daily referrals, weekly detentions, and poor Mr. Cleavinger and Mr. Anderson, they had their hands full with me. I heard so many times I wasn?t living up to potential.

After getting put out of yet another class for my mouth, I was sent to Mr. Cleavinger.

To my surprise Mr. Gaines was waiting for me there also. Mr. Cleavinger said he called Mr. Gaines because he knew that he worked with me at track. He also said that he sensed there was something going on with me, and maybe I would feel more comfortable talking to Mr. Gaines since we already had a relationship. The only thing Mr. Gaines said to me was go sit outside my office.

Since I was no stranger to the office, I just went in and sat down. About 5 min later Mr. Gaines comes in from the hall door. I get up to walk in his office and he said ?I didn?t tell you to come in did I? I said sit outside my

Jerry Gaines continues to serve the community through other endevours. image by Ronald JAtkinson www.urbanstockhouse.net

Jam ie becam e a cr oss cou n t r y bicyclist . " I sh ar ed w it h M r . Gain es abou t m y h om e lif e, m y m om w as in car cer at ed at t h e t im e, an d m y gr an dm a w as r aisin g u s. M y Au n t s h elped w h en t h ey cou ld, bu t ever yon e?s r elat ion sh ip w as st r ain ed becau se of m y m om ?s addict ion . " office?. He sat at his desk and begin to work. Near the end of the bell, without looking up from his work, he said you will bring your work with you tomorrow for your 3rd period. I went to track practice that afternoon as usual. After doing my routine warmups we didn?t break off into our sections. I asked Coach Banks why not, and he replied you have to ask Coach Gaines.

The next day I brought my work as usual, like the day before I sat outside his office, I did my work, and the whole time Mr. Gaines carried on about his day. Near the end, Mr. Gaines said again, bring your work tomorrow. Track practice was also the same, Mr. Gaines didn?t come to practice. I wouldn?t let him know it, but I was beginning to be a little worried. I actually missed him coming out and working with us.

I missed his stories about Reynaldo Nehemiah, and about

his Spanish students, somehow, he always found a way to incorporate one of these stories to what we were doing on the track.

The next day I went to the office to sit outside. He wasn?t there as he was making his rounds.

When he walked in, I immediately asked him how come he didn?t show up for track practice. His response was ?I will show up, when you finally show up?. He turned and walked back out before I had a chance to respond. Before the end of the bell, the lady in the office tells me Mr. Gaines called and dismissed me, and to bring my work tomorrow, and no, he didn?t show up for practice. The next day I was ready. I was determined to speak my mind. I felt I was being treated unfair, that he didn?t know me, and didn?t have any right to treat me that way. Mr. Gaines greeted me at the door. He told me to come in and have a seat in his office.

He said I will be 5 minutes, and he left. I took the time to look around his office. It was my first time actually being inside. I could see the pictures of all his family, his former students, his former athletes. I saw his yearbooks, and plaques from VA Tech. I saw a few framed pictures, one of his father at the Olympics, one photo of Mr. Gaines when he was young, and one picture of Mrs. Theresa, a glamour shot photo on his desk.

When he came back, he said ?I hear you are going through some trouble at home?. Hearing that, I gathered my things getting ready to sit outside again, because that wasn?t something I wanted to share, especially with Mr. Gaines. As I got up, he said ?Still not ready to show up, are you?? And I lost it. I am ashamed of the words that came out of my mouth. I remember yelling and screaming, crying, and calling Mr. Gaines everything but a

but a child of God. It was so bad, Mrs. Hamilton our resource officer came to the office, the other Principals, Mrs. Moxley from next door, all came in, and he turned, held up his hand to let them know he had it under control. He then looked at me and said ?Now that you have everybody?s attention do you feel better? It was like that question snapped me out of my rant. I said ?Huh?? He repeated his question, and that moment, I was painfully aware that I had just went off in this man?s office and EVERYBODY came. He went next door to the nurse?s office. He came back with a juice and a moist paper towel and handed it to me. He said, ?well, it seems like you have needed that, now are you ready to talk about it?. I shared with Mr. Gaines about my home life, my mom was incarcerated at the time, and my grandma was raising us. My Aunts helped when they could, but everyone?s relationship was strained because of my mom?s addiction. After hearing what was going on, he paused and said: Ronn, its unfortunate what you are going through. I hate that for you. I know it seems like all of this is out of your hands, but I have one question for you, when are you going to stop allowing your mother ?s situation to dictate yours? If you see in an old Looney Tunes cartoon, when the characters finally ?get it? they will show a series of animations in sequence like a train colliding, an atomic bomb, and explosion and then the characters will widen their eyes in an ooooooohhhh moment. That?s what happened to me when he asked me that question. He said ?Ronn, you mom has the addiction, not you. So, you are going to let your mom?s addiction be the reason that YOU don?t succeed. Your mom isn?t the one acting out in school, grades slipping, and a hair shy of getting cut from track because

you have an attitude bigger than Texas?.

That day, for the first time in a real long time, I felt like someone cared. At the same time, I felt like the biggest jerk in the world for saying all of those mean things I said to him earlier. I apologized, and apologized, and he said ?Ronn, I may actually be hurt if you were the first student to do that, but I have over 20 years of teaching, and 20 years of students fussing me out?. I could only nod, because I was still crying. He said, Ronn, its nearly the end of the bell. Bring your work tomorrow. I will see you at track practice. Mr. Gaines came out to practice that day, and if he could help it, he never missed another practice. He also made me do extra hurdle drills, because even though he had forgiven me, he hadn?t forgotten all the things I said. I honestly think I am the first person to work his nerves so bad he lost his cool. I wish I could say that was it, however you know old habits die hard. I was doing good for a while. The next two years I was hardly in any trouble. My 11th and 12th grade years were normal. I got detentions a few times, for talking, I was late a few times, but overall, I was doing ok. I still had daily visits with Mr. Gaines throughout this time.

Sometimes they would just be quick check ins, other times it would be for a while. I knew that I had a safe place in his office.

Sometimes he would let me come and just sit there. I didn?t say anything and neither did he. He knew that I just needed to be there. Other times I would have what I call his Joe Clark moments, where I would get some story from his life experiences, and he would force me to look at things from a different perspective. The middle of my 12th grade year my grandma got sick and ended up having to be hospitalized. My sister had gone to live with her father, but there was no one to take care of me.

My Aunts lived in different cities, Norfolk and Newport News. My Aunt in Norfolk said I couldn?t come there because she had her own family issues.

My Aunt in Newport News said that I would have to come over there with her. I was hysterical.

I felt defeated. I felt like my world was collapsing. I rushed to Mr. Gaines office as soon as I got to school. I ran in without knocking and I yelled out Mr. Gaines, My grandma is sick, and I must move to Newport News, and I have to quit track, and I?m not going to graduate from here. I told him I would run away if I had to go. That I wouldn?t leave, and I was old enough to stay at my grandma?s house by myself.

Mr. Gaines sat there for a moment, then he got up and walked over and gave me a hug. He hugged me, like how a dad hugs a child when they didn?t get the school play, or their best friend moves away.

He hugged me and let me stand there and cry. He held me and patted my back, and all he said to me was ?Kiddo, you sure have had a tough break?. He sent me to the nurse to get myself together.

When I got back, he asked me for my Aunts information.

Two days later my Aunt came to get me. She let me know that she had to Meet with Mr. Gaines the next day. When we got to school, he sent me to

class. After about an hour he called me back to join him and my aunt in his office. Mr. Gaines said that unfortunately he couldn?t do anything me leaving, and he paused, then he said however I have told your Aunt that due to the circumstances and how close you are to finishing I will help you out. Your Aunt has agreed to let you stay with her, and she will drive you here to school or drop you off in time to catch the bus. If she drops you off and you are a few minutes late, I will write you a pass to class. Your pass will excuse you, however the tardy?s will still count. I will talk your teachers and explain to them the circumstances. You must do your part. Every day, for two months Mr. Gaines wrote me a pass. Mr. Gaines stayed after school with me at times and let me do my homework in his office. I did have to quit the track team though. My Aunts work schedule wouldn?t allow it.

In the end though, my grandma fully recovered, and I ended up graduating on time.

After high school, I joined the Marine Corps, had a family, and moved away from VA. On my first leave home, I drove up to Great Bridge and I wanted to share everything with Mr. Gaines. To see how proud he was, after all the office visits, Joe Clark moments, it made me feel so wonderful. I kept up with Mr. Gaines often. He was the first www.christianmagazineshr.com - 26

person I called in 2011 when my grandmother passed. He let me know he had a previous engagement, but he took the time to send me an email about what he remembered about my grandmother. About a year later, I had moved back home, and I let Mr. Gaines know I was graduating from College.

His reply was to send him the info and he would see if he could swing it. Graduating from College was bittersweet moment. It was the last promise I made to my grandmother, and she wasn?t there to see it. My mom was there, with nearly 20 years clean, and so was my family.

As I walked across the stage, I heard my mom yell my name. I looked up and I see a man standing next to her. I see an afro, glasses, and a pair of Khakis. I see Mr. Gaines. He stayed there long enough to see me receive my diploma. He stood there, smiling like a proud parent. Giving me a thumbs up. His gift to me was a signed copy of his book, with a note to check out chapter 35. I go down the Table of contents, and there I see 35: Discipline: RONNDA.

After reading MY chapter, I broke down and cried. It?s a feeling that is unexplainable when you see that somebody believes in you. A few years later I found out just exactly WHO Mr. Gaines was. My entire time knowing him I had NO IDEA who he actually was. I called emailed him and asked him how come he never told me about his groundbreaking achievements, or his military career other than the basics. He said, Ronn, if I told you everything I had done in my life, how would that have cemented YOUR legacy?

I am honored to know Jeremiah ?Jerry? Gaines. I am humbled that a man of such greatness saw something in me that I couldn?t. Mr. Gaines saved my life. He held me accountable. He made me see that the only thing I could control in this world was myself. He made me realize that anything I wanted to do in this world, I could, and I was the only person who change that. Mr. Gaines showed me that if I did what was right everything else would work out. I love Mr. Gaines. Mr. Gaines is my hero. I am honored to be one of his ?kids?.

BY: Ron n da Sau n der s

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On it s 21t h anniversary, All Pro Dad is commissioning new research on t he impact of fat herlessness All Pro Dad, a program of Family First, celebrated its 21th anniversary 2 months ago. For two decades, All Pro Dad has helped millions of dads love their families well. ?The issue is not that we don?t have great dads in America,? said President Mark Merrill. ?The issue is fatherlessness, and that we don?t have enough dads showing up for their greatest role.?

Statistically, 33% of children grow up without a father and 71% of mothers who give birth under the age of 25 are single. Those statistics equate to more than 18 million children who live in father-absent homes.

Last Father ?s Day, Merrill along with NFL Hall of Famer Tony Dungy, commemorated All Pro Dads, who are committing to the next generation and challenge them to be a hero to the child who calls them dad and to a child who has no one to call dad. ?We believe that present fathers are the solution to many problems facing our youth,? said Merrill. ?But not every child has a positive father figure. We can all do more by just simply connecting with a young man or young woman who doesn?t have a father figure in their daily lives. It might mean coaching a sports team, bringing a child home for dinner to see a family sit around the table or showing up at an All Pro Dads Day school breakfast chapter.? When All Pro Dad began twenty-one years ago, the fact that 70% of juvenile delinquents did not have a biological father present in the home was indicative of the impact of fatherlessness. Today, All Pro Dad is commissioning a national study to be released this fall to uncover the true impact of fatherlessness in our nation 21 years later.

?Thousands of fathers have taken intentional steps to be a positive influence on both their children and communities,? said Dungy. ?Those men are heroes. Now, we are asking these men and those wishing to become heroes to accept our challenge by being the solution to issues caused by fatherlessness.?

He continues: ?My wife and I were called to adopt children who needed a home. Whether fostering, adopting, mentoring, or simply providing a hug? every father can do more for one more child.?

There are hundreds of All Pro Dads Day chapters across the country and one located on the Peninsula in Hampton Roads Virginia. What began as a conversation between Merrill and Dungy has grown into one of the world?s largest parenting organizations.

This year, All Pro Dad is challenging every man to be a hero to the child who calls him dad and a hero to a child with no one to call dad. Here are three ways to accept the challenge: Join the All Pro Dad team by: ? Signing up for the Play of the Day ? Mentor a child through an All Pro Dad school program ? Foster or adopt a child Learn how you can be a hero. Visit www.allprodad.com/jointheteam.

@HOM E

Ca r s a n d S e r p e n t s : T h e S m a r t W a y t o B u y a Ca r

By; Steve Diggs presents the No Debt No Sweat! Christian Money Management Seminar at churches and other venues nationwide. Visit Steve on the Web at www.stevediggs.com or call 615-834-3063.

L

et's talk about cars. More

specifically, let's talk about the dumb things we do in car showrooms that we end up paying for for years to come.

It's hard to listen to any radio or TV show very long without hearing from a half dozen fast-talking, backslapping car folks.

The pitch is often the same, "Stop wasting money repairing that old clunker-step up to a brand new 2003 Supper-Dupper-Hippy-Dippy-DaddyBopper...This or That!"

I don't want to over-spiritualize what I have to say about car buying, however a comment from Jesus comes to mind as I write this. As He prepared his apostles to go out into the world, one of the Master 's admonitions was, "Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16 NASV) This short comment of Jesus' has served me well for much of my adult life. It reminds me that not everyone can be trusted. I need to keep my guard up and not believe everything I'm told. Sometimes a little skepticism is a good thing.

Christians should not be ignorant and gullible people. We need to ask hard questions and drive fair deals. But, as Jesus also reminds us, we must be as "innocent as doves." I know there is the temptation to "fight fire with fire." But, as Christians, we need to avoid the urge to become cynical and dishonest ourselves.

As a believer, my goal is to deal honestly, yet at the same time remain a good steward of my money.

That's why I believe it makes sense to think about car buying occasionally. After all, for many of us, our car is the second biggest expense we have after housing. As I present the No Debt No Sweat! Seminar at churches around the country, I hear stories about disastrous car purchases.

Today the average car loan is some 55 months long and costs almost $380 per month. That's a lot of money.

In my book, No Debt No Sweat!, I write at length on cars: how to negotiate your best deal, how leases work, new vs. used, etc.

While I don't have space here to go into as much detail, let me make a few observations.

To begin with, we have to face the fact: New cars DO NOT make good financial sense-period. Am I against owning a new car? No. But before buying one, I believe there are two things one should do: 1. Look you r self in t h e m ir r or an d adm it t h e t r u t h , "This is a luxury-not a necessity. I want it because I want it-not because I need it." I don't care if it's a Cadillac or a Kia-it's a luxury. Why? Because anything that can drop in value by up to 40% in the first couple of years is not an investment! Is it wrong to have a luxury? Not necessarily. But, that leads us to point #2...

2. Th e on ly r igh t w ay t o bu y a lu xu r y it em is if you can af f or d it . What do I mean by being able to afford it? I mean you are able to walk into the dealership, pick out the car you want, write a check for it, and drive it home never missing the money. If you can't do that, you can't afford it.

Believe it or not, 22% of cars and trucks are sold for cash. Who are these people who can buy a vehicle and pay cash for it?

For the most part they're people just like you and me who have made up their minds to get control of their lives. Instead of living like the masses, these are people who got fed up with business as usual.

They decided that eating out all the time and buying designer clothes they couldn't afford was crazy. They realized that getting ahead was something that only happens when you get really tired of being broke all the time. There was that moment in time when they finally got tired of living on the edge-so they changed things.

The good news is-you can do it, too. Don't believe the lie that only rich people buy cars with cash. It ain't true. Lots of people on their way to becoming financially free are buying vehicles and paying cash for them. Besides, how do you think those rich folks got rich? They didn't do it by making interest payments to someone else!

How To Never Have An ot h er Car Loan There's a way to never have another car payment-EVER! (And, no, I'm not talking about taking the bus!) This little idea that I ran across has reduced financial pain for a lot of people. Here's how it works: Step 1) Forget your ego. Believe me, this is the toughest part of all. Egos are expensive to maintain. It's especially hard for a person to forget their ego when it comes to the car he or she drives. For Americans, cars are an extension of our personalities. We show the world who we are by the cars we drive. Even Christians fall into this trap. But if you ever want to pay cash for a car the first thing you must agree to is never drive a car you can't afford to buy with cash. Curiously, by making this determination, many people have gradually stepped up to some of the nicest cars on the market.

Step 2) Save $3,000-4,000 quickly and buy a safe, affordable car. Get focused on saving that $3,000-$4,000. Do whatever it takes: Brown bag your lunches, skip a vacation, work overtime, get a second job. See how quickly you can make this happen. This is enough money in many areas to buy a decent, safe car.

(Note: I didn't say fancy or prestigious.)

them to a bank, pay yourself instead. Now, here's where you have to be tough and intellectually honest with yourself-don't ever cheat. Just as surely as you would send monthly payments to the bank, set aside a monthly payment to yourself. Since the average car payment in America is well over $300 per month, I would encourage you to set aside something in that range. Do this for a couple of years. By that time you will have $6,000 to $9,000 in your "Paid-For Wheels" account. Sell your old car. Suppose you get $1,000 to $2,000 for it. Now, you have around $7,000 to $10,000 for a much nicer car.

Step 4) Repeat the Process. Now all you have to do is repeat this little strategy until you are driving the car of your dreams-still never making a payment to the bank!

Why am I talking about cars-and not something more spiritual? Because for many of us it's our cars and other stuff that absorb far too much of our time, money, and worry. By refocusing and redefining our needs, we will use our money more wisely and travel more lightly before our Lord.

Step 3) Now, start making monthly car payments to yourself. With your "new" car in the driveway, it's time to start making car payments. But instead of making

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10

M ust H av e For Th e Ch r i st m as Season

Th e h olidays ar e on ce again f ast appr oach in g, an d it ?s n ot t oo ear ly t o st ar t en h an cin g you r h oliday dĂŠcor . For in spir at ion , h er e ar e t en ?m u st h aves? t o in spir e you r cr eat ivit y!

1. Let There Be Light! Soft glowing light is complementary to you and your guests. Once you?ve turned the lights down low, bring out the candles by the boxful. From tall and tapered to short and stout, candles set a celebratory tone. For the most dramatic impact, group candles just as you would any other collectible, and display them on a silver tray.

2. Haul Out The Holly. When choosing plants to help add holiday cheer, think beyond the traditional poinsettia. Fill metallic vases with bouquets of fresh flowers and holly. Or try beautifully shaped topiaries covered with pepper berries.

3. Precious Metals. Silver is always a festive choice and you can incorporate it in a number of ways including candlesticks, picture frames and decorative boxes. Don?t hesitate to mix things up a bit. In formal rooms, combine your silver pieces with gold or polished brass accessories. Or take a more casual approach by blending pewter, copper and brass.

4. A Feast for the Eye. The dining room itself should be a visual feast.

Drape the chandelier with pine garland or holly. Surprise your guests with wrapped gifts on their salad plates. And for a cohesive feeling, incorporate an element of your room?s design on the table. If your room features a mirrored wall, use mirrored chargers beneath each plate.

5. Ornamental Accents. Christmas tree ornaments are not just for trees anymore. Display some on the coffee table in an oversized bowl or clear glass urn. You can even use round glass balls as place cards, and write each guest?s name on each and set them around the dining table.

6. Be my guest. Is your guestroom ready for holiday guest? Is there a luggage stand and/or space in the closet? Are there plenty of pillows? Is the bedside table big enough to accommodate a lamp, reading materials and a carafe of water? Don?t forget the little extras such as fresh fruit, potpourri and a basket of toiletries. And be sure to include a few holiday touches like greenery or a small gift.

7.The Wonder of Wreaths. Whether you prefer wreaths made of natural materials or some of the lovely permanent florals on the market today, wreaths are an absolute must for any holiday home. In addition to their traditional place on the front door or over the mantle, smaller wreaths can be used as drapery tiebacks or napkin rings.

8. The Wonder of Wreaths.

Whether you prefer wreaths made of natural materials or some of the lovely permanent florals on the market today, wreaths are an absolute must for any holiday home. In addition to their traditional place on the front door or over the mantle, smaller wreaths can be used as drapery tiebacks or napkin rings.

9. Festive Fruits and Vegetables.

Visit the produce aisle of your grocery store for unique holiday decorations. For example, spray-paint walnuts and gourds in silver or gold and display them in a decorative basket. Or fill a large crystal bowl with red and green apples. Set Your Own Style. Make your tree an integral part of your decorating scheme and a reflection of your personality. Are antique toys a personal passion? Then decorate the tree with miniature wooden versions. Are you a dedicated beachcomber? Attach some of your favorite shells to the tree with simple grosgrain ribbon.

10. Wrap It Up With Ribbon. Ribbon can be used for much more than wrapping presents. Use French wire ribbons, in a variety of widths, to tie bows on your trees. Or instead of a garland or greenery,

Happy Holidays

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Hom e Lif e

HisTemple,Our Bodies

By M ar ia Cooper

Lorem i t em por invidunt ut labore et dolore m agna aliquy Question: How would you rate your nutrition and fitness status? Well, what do you think of the question from the Word in (1 Cor.3:16.?Do ye not know that you are the temple of God..)? Likewise with the same thought, we find in (3rd John, ?Beloved I wish above all things that you may prosper, and be in health even as thy soul prospers ?). God is very concerned about the unhealthy state of believers. Jesus referred to us as (?The light of the world.?), that we should be examples to those outside His Kingdom. Yet, Christians as well as Americans in general have become entrenched in our health crisis becoming sicker by the year.

Cereal ads have dominated our TV?s for many years, and the impact of these ads on our children is huge, evidenced with the parent?s favorite question; ?Which one do you want?? Of course, the child is going to say the box which most appeals to him. The majority of those cereals are just loaded with sugar, and a few vitamins they add. We, as parents should be educating ourselves regarding healthier choices for our children., Sugar substitutes have had a ?green light?for many years such as aspartame and equal, but the jury is still out on those also. Some major drinks I will admonish us to avoid at

God commanded me in 2004 ?I want you to teach my children how to take better care of their health?. I began right

all costs are the children?s drinks which most all have high fructose corn syrup. READ THE LABELS!

away teaching this topic on my radio broadcast, as I had been studying nutrition for some time. Now, we will look at just a few reasons for our dilemma. A naturopathic doctor I listen to has coined America?s diet with the acronym S.A.D, in describing the Standard American Diet.

As God?s love is so great towards us, He desires to make us more like Christ. In this way we are not relying on ourselves to make the needed changes, instead we can give God glory for His ?strength which is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor.12:7-9)?. At the same time, He understands our struggles

The top of our ?culprits?are the food manufacturers, which

in all areas of our lives, and as the Apostle Paul shows us in (1

includes frozen and pre-packaged items. These types of processed foods are loaded with salt, unhealthy fats, and the

Cor.9:27.?I keep my body into subjection.? We to can win!

real troublemaker, high fructose corn syrup. They use these

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items because they understand the appeal to our taste buds.

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But we do not have to give in to purchasing processed foods if

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we truly desire improved health. Our children are developing

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conditions normally seen in adults such as obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, and hypertension. I am an advocate for children so I have special concern about this next ?culprit?I will share.

ADVERTISING! am

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Th e Ti es t h at Bi n d : Gr an d p ar en t s an d t h ei r Gr an d ch i l d r en

M

y gr an dson Om ar i is six m on t h s old.

I like to read the Bible to him when I can, I take walks around the yard and I sing to him.

Everytime I see him, I greet him the same way -- by picking him up,and saying "Pop-pop is here!" Omari does not talk yet, so he can't respond in words back to me. If he's wide awake, I can make him smile or giggle. But I know he knows "pop-pop" is here, we jave an important pact. It illustrates one of the best things dads and grandfathers can be for their children and grandchildren. I often say that the best present a dad or grandad can give is to be be present www.christianmagazineshr.com -38

SAYAPRAYERFOR GRANDCHILDREN Loving heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of my precious grandchildren and what a privilege it is to see my grandchildren growing up and learning about You. Thank You Father for each little life and I lift each one up to You Lord, and pray that by Your grace and . love You would surround them with Your love, throughout their lives.

Guard and guide them all I pray and uphold and protect them. May each one come to know You Lord as their personal Saviour and may they all come to a deep understanding of all You are and all that You have done for them - Oh Lord I pray most earnestly that each one would accept You into their hearts and lives as their Lord and Saviour Protect them from the evils of this age, keep them from temptations and help them to live godly lives forJesus our Lord,-- AMEN

Close your eyes for a moment, open your treasure trove of memories and take a step back in time to your childhood. Do you remember your grandfather gently scooping you up into his warm and comforting embrace? Or sitting by your grandmother ?s side as she lovingly baked cookies chock full of delicious, warm chocolate chips. The bond between grandparents and their grandchildren seems to be a magical one.

Research suggests that children find unique acceptance in their relationships with grandparents, which benefits them emotionally and mentally.

Grandparents can be a major support during family disruptions. Sometimes they're playmates for their grandchildren. They're very often role models and mentors for younger generations. They are also historians -- teaching values, instilling ethnic heritage and passing on family traditions.

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Be w h at you r k ids r eally n eed you t o be.

Dads can and should be providers and protectors. We should teach our kids, discipline

our kids, and be a good role model.

Sometimes children just need you to pay attention when they talk to you. They need you to let them sit around with you. They need you to witness and validate their pain when they?re having a hard day. Your presence communicates that your kids are important to you. It prepares them to be available to their own families when they grow up.

And it?s one of the best gifts you can give the model. But sometimes, all dads need to be is there. Your kids don?t always need gifts from you, or for you to plan out and execute an elaborate bonding experience.

The Bible says in Proverbs17:6 ?Children are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their Father.?

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gotchrist@yahoo.com www.christianmagazineshr.com - 37

About 40 % of Am er i can s say t h ey ow n a gun or l i v e i n a h ouseh ol d w i t h on e,accor di n g t o a 20 18 sur v ey an d t h e r at e of m ur der by f i r ear m i s t h e h i gh est i n t h e dev el oped w or l d.

Gu n s, M en t al Illn ess or Spir it u al Deadn ess ?

Our hearts are

inundated with sorrow and amazement as we hear the list of victims from Virginia Beach and now both the El Paso and the Ohio shootings grow day by day. Then comes the relentless battering from the media with its long list of people to blame and possible reasons it all happened.

Casting these questions out is as random as the gunfire that cut down our citizens. It sways and provokes our thinking and casts aspersions on many people and institutions all the way up to the presidency. It rings of desperation and it breeds confusion.

In the approach of the

election year, next comes the presidential and congressional hopefuls who politicize the shootings. Dems and liberals blame their opponents or the incumbent office holders and rather than making them look bad ? they reveal their own lack of character.

haters themselves.

They foster the very hatred and violence they claim to disdain. They prey on the frustrations of those who are trying to grasp the enormity of events that seem so horrific and evil.

Politicizing events like mass shootings should say only one thing about such candidates ? they are not worthy of any office.

Gun laws didn?t help a bit in Chicago where in the same weekend of the El Paso and Ohio shootings,50 people were shot,7 people were killed and 46 were wounded not in a single shooting spree, but in random and separate incidents across the city which has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. Statistically speaking, very few mentally ill people

Often those crying out the most about hate are www.christianmagazineshr.com - 44

Guns are in the spotlight as always.

While it makes sense to make it much harder for people to buy guns it is a guarantee of nothing. If you are a resident of any major U.S. city you could probably buy an illegal gun in less than an hour on the street.

people commit violent crimes, which are generally committed by people with full cognizance and those who have the full capacity to acquire guns, learn how to use them and make specific choices about where to use them. That there is a collective mental illness sweeping the country due to a spiritual void is by far more believable. Before concluding that we are jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire by seemingly glossing over mental illness, it does well to consider that even Christ made a clear distinction between evil or demonically motivated behaviors

?

and mental disorders. To wit: ?And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.?

With Hollywood, video gamers, celebrities, leftist media and democrats spewing violence across the full spectrum of American social life could it be that we are all experience a bit of mental illness. After all, if the maniacal hate for President Trump is only that.

because of beating Hillary in the general election, it is easy to see that a nation that pushes violence and hatred is after all only reaping what they are sowing As for spiritual deadness, it is an immutable fact that apostate churches, evolutionary hype and a plunge into the depths of sexual immorality and perversion have left the nation with a wounded and battered conscience. This falling away is about a full generation underway and now the time of the ripe fruit is at hand.

Before prayer was pulled out of our schools, school shootings were unheard of, but now even special prayers are under atheistic scrutiny.

Some taxpayers and parents sent out a Facebook post that read, ?Please join us in praying for God?s protective hand to be over our schools, facilities, and students.? ?

Centuries ago the Bible also sent out a message that is quite clear in answer to the Freedom from Religion people. ?..ye have not, because ye ask not.?( James 4:24) If you don?t ask for safety ? don?t be surprised if you have none. How safe and how mentally stable do we think our children feel when the adults in our nation insist

that it is perfectly normal to abort, kill and destroy the lives of the unborn to the tune of 60,000,000 (sixty million) since 1973. The disregard for human life should have them all running for cover in fear and dread. Perhaps that is just what they are doing.

Yes, America is sliding off its strong foundation ? it is stepping off the Rock which gives it stability and standing throughout the whole world.

Yes, these shootings are directly related to our decision to step away from the Rock of our salvation. ?Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.?( Luke 6 47-49) BY: M ich ael Br escian i

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Th e f i r e t h at Jesus l on gs t o cast on t h e ear t h i s t h e H ol y Spi r i t bui l di n g a com m un i t y of h ope an d l ov e i n t h e m ar k et pl ace. Jesus sen ds h i s f ol l ow er s t o l ov e, t o pr ocl ai m H i s gr eat n ess i n t h e m ar k et pl ace. Joi n our Ki n gdom M ar k et pl ace t o ex per i en ces bot h i n t h e ch ur ch an d t h e m ar k et pl ace.

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Sm all Biz Spot ligh t

M EET JASON HAYWOOD Vir gin ia Beach Pr oper t y Design Jason Haywood, owner of Virginia Beach Property Design, is a distributor for ?Sierra Stone? and ?Rubber Stone.? Sierra Stone is a natural stone and epoxy covering that was introduced about 25 years ago in Canadian Home Depots, as a do-it-yourself project, Jason said. However, it was a bit too messy and required too much skill for homeowners. But once Don Emde, the current Sierra Stone President, took over about 23 years ago and invented a way for distributors to handle the concrete top coating with stone and epoxy, getting the product to the public became easier.

Sierra stone is natural river rock mixed with two-part epoxy? no fillers. The unique, decorative stone and epoxy overlay can easily be hand-troweled over concrete--driveways, bathrooms, porches, around pools? the commercial and residential uses are as imaginative as you are. It requires a crew of two people with hand tools, and the only pre-treatment is pressure washing, Jason said.

You can create a beautiful design around your pool without fear of tearing up the liner, plumbing, electrical or having a Bobcat mess up your yard. ?The product is very versatile. There are so many different surfaces it can be put on and many colors can be mixed with it to match brick, mortar, siding, etc.. You can walk on it barefoot, and since it?s an epoxy, it?s stain and extremely cold-weather resistant. You can make just about any design, logo, border, house number? ?

At the end of 2010 Haywood started offering Rubber Stone, and its applications are the same. It?s crumb tire rubber (from a recycled tire) that you mix with a binder and trowel over. It?s the same product you see in amusement parks and some restaurants?playgrounds. It can be used residentially too. Rubber Stone will not tear or crack on the driveway. You can even put it over compacted sand or gravel. Both products are permeable in their natural state (when it rains the water seeps out). There is no puddling and the surface dries quickly.

The products are 100% repairable. The key, Jason said, is that you don?t see the crack or chip after it?s repaired. Jason was the ?2010 Rookie of the Year ? and now trains new dealers nationwide.

Another nice feature is Sierra Stone and Rubber Stone won?t get hotter than concrete.

Around a pool, or anywhere else? you don?t have to tear up the concrete to put Sierra Stone over. And ?there?s no strong odors or VOC?s (volatile organic compounds),? said Jason. ?The binders are coated over every piece of rubber or stone. You can clean it however you want to? use any types of bristles, pressure washer or even a carpet cleaner.? Price-wise, using these products is about the same as tearing out your concrete and replacing it, Jason said. It?s much cheaper than stamped concrete and pavers, and, after it?s put in, you can walk on it within 24 hours and drive on it within 72 hours. ?Sierra stone is hardy,? Jason said. He offers a 3-10 year installation warranty, depending on the type of product and its placement. ?And if they add another coat of epoxy, I extend the warranty another 3-10 years,? he said.

Fait h In Law

CH I R S T I A N I T Y A N D W OM E N R I GH T S Ju st becau se t h e Bible r ecor ds som et h in g doesn't m ean it en dor ses it . Ju st becau se t h e Bible r ecor ds t h at slaver y exist ed, t h at w om en m ay h ave been t r eat ed in an oppr essed f ash ion , it does n ot m ean it en dor ses su ch act ivit ies.

L Eph esian s 5

With that said, let's jump straight to the ?go to? passage almost all those who oppose Christianity pounce on when it comes to women's rights. That would be Ephesians 5:22-24, ?Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything?

(NIV).

cl ?Well, there you have it. There it is right there in

black and white!? This is usually the type of comment that will be made when this passage is brought up. These people act as if these two verses settle the entire issue and they disregard not only the verses which directly follow these, but all of the other positive Biblical passages regarding women.

If these people would continue reading just one more verse, verse 25, they would pick up an entirely different vibe than what they usually cling to it a kasd gubergren, no sea t akim at a sanct us est Lorem ipsum dolor sit am et . Lorem ipsum dolor sit am et , conset et ur sadipscing elit r, sed diam nonum y eirm od t em por invidunt ut labore et dolore m agna aliquyam erat ,

Right below, directly in the same portion of Scripture, right after all the ?submit to your husbands? language we read, we see this, ?Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up to her...?(NIV). So, if a husband is truly loving his wife as Christ loves the church, giving his life for her, humbling himseln f, and living as Christ lived, a wife will have no problem submitting to her husband. In fact, Christ lived a life of submission, submission to God, so wives and husbands should have no problem submitting to each other.

Wom en In Scr ipt u r e: Let's take a look at just how women are portrayed in Scripture: -To start with, Jesus healed many women. We see Jesus healing women all throughout the New Testament. In that day and age, this is hardly the kind of ?marketing strategy? one would use in an attempt to -Second, when we look at the narratives of the empty tomb we find all four gospels making a point to note that it was women who first witnessed this event. Again, this would be a ?culturally awkward? thing to admit in first century context, especially in writing that would be passed on.

-Third, two books of the Bible, Esther and Ruth, are named after women who are the central characters.

of Women. In it she attests to the fact that Jesus ?stands alone as a 'founder ' of a religious sect that did not discriminate against women. Jesus favored women (and many minority groups) much higher than society did. He did not simply say they were equal. He went out of his way to elevate them. He was a pioneer in crossing cultural boundaries, risking reputation and legal consequences to add incredible value to women wherever he went.

Th e Fem in in e Side of God: Another gripe often heard, especially among those into the New Age movement, is the lack of the feminine in the God of the Bible. While it is true that God is Spirit, He is not an anatomical Being, it is also true that when Jesus gave us a pattern for prayer he did instruct us to address God as ?Our Father.? There is nothing sexist about that. This is especially true when you take into account some of the feminine descriptions of God found in Scripture.

-Deuteronomy 32:18, ?You neglected the Rock who BEGOT you, And forgot the God WHO GAVE YOU BIRTH.?

-Isaiah 40:11, ?Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His BOSSOM; He will gently lead the NURSING ewes.?

And both these women are portrayed as having the As is evident, the Bible has an extensive supply of

utmost of value.

positive things to say about women. Both males -A fourth thing to note is found in John 8:7 where Jesus came to the rescue of a woman from a punishment which she actually deserved by reminding her male executors that they too

and females are created in the image of God and both have sovereign roles given to them by God for both family and the Church. Different roles does not mean different values are placed on either sex.

are guilty of sin.

One sex is no more or less important than the -Fifth, in Judges 4-5 we find the record of Deborah who was in charge of Israel. She was a powerful leader and was victorious in battle and brought 40 years of peace to the nation. And all of this is just the tip of the ice berg.

This would be a good spot to introduce a point made by Lee Anna Starr in her book The Bible Status

other. Mistakes made in the past should not be the criterion for an entire group of people in the presen t.

BY: Jer r er y Hagan

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Jamie D odd L ed by Faith & Conviction, takes Dodd RV into the Futur e The terms ?Kingdom Business,? ?Business as a Mission,? ?Great Commission Business,? and ?For-Profit Missions? have become buzz phrases used to describe commercial ventures that are Christian led, and intentionally committed to advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These companies are ministries at two levels. First, they minister to those who are directly in their business sphere of influence (such as their employees, suppliers, vendors, investors, creditors, customers, clients, and even competitors). Secondly, they serve as a financial pillar to the faith community. Dodd RV of Portsmouth and Newport News are examples of this business model.

In 1971, Dodd RV was launched. A family owned company built on tradition, hard work and a tremendous belief in God. Spearheaded by patriarch George Dodd and children Jamie, Paul, Jennifer and Susie. The company began to grow and flourish. George is now over 90 yrs. old and has turned over the company to Jamie in 2002.

The Newport News lot was purchased in 2004. ?Family has always been important to us? say Jamie. ? I remember cutting the grass

grass on the current lot, washing campers and cleaning bathrooms during the summer as a child.? This is one of many childhood memories associated with his father business. As a rambunctious teen in the Dodd household, Jamie would experience most of the trials and tribulations of any normal teenager, until his faith would be immensely tested for the first time. He would become involved in a catastrophic high-speed motorcycle accident occurred.

Jamie suffered through a severe foot injury, which the doctors said that he would never play sports again.

After years of rehab, Jamie met his mentor Jerry Gaines at Western Branch High. Jerry encourage him to reach for the unattainable. They shared words that became an investment in Jamie?s dreams that have lasted a lifetime.

The second time Jamie?s faith was tested was at the conclusion of his college years. Having attained his MBA from the University of Florida, Jamie thought about going to work in the automotive industry, for which he had developed a passion. His father wanted him to return to Dodd RV and work alongside him. Jamie knew that his father had steered the ship from the beginning and wasn?t ready to relinquish the wheel. Jamie was a young man with insightful young ideas. Jamie had to pray hard for direction and wisdom before making this decision. His prayers were answered, and the rest is history.

Outside of the dealership, Jamie has maintained balance in his personal life. He has a lovely wife and three adorable children.

He also attends Liberty Life

Church and is praying about taking on a leadership role there.

Jamie gets so enthusiastic when he talks about his current collaboration with the Gaines brothers. A book called ?40 Stories Returned? a collection of stories from students that Jerry Gaines taught at Western Branch High School and Great Bridge High over 4 decades. The stories chronicle the mentorship Senor Gaines provided former students and athletes, to overcome different obstacles in and out of school. The Book is set for release in spring 2020.

Jamie has proven the theory that entrepreneurs don?t have to reinvent the wheel; they just must figure out how to put a slightly different spin on it. He stands on the word of God and builds on a passion to serve and provide top shelf customer service for his clients. In the end, Jamie holds firm on his belief in God and that all things through Him are possible.

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YOUR VIEW d diam nonum y eirm od t em por invidunt ut labore et dolore m ag i POWER OF INFLUENCE

Ronald J. Atkinson We all possess a plat f or m of in f lu en ce. The Mom has one daily that she exercises as she arrests fears with calming words . . . Dads subjugate opportunity with priorities . . . Middle Schoolers dictate discipline when peers might error on the side of convenience . . . lawmakers vote NO, when the YES vote is in conflict with values consistent with a Biblical worldview . . . the disadvantaged empower others by their consistent drive to release innovation.

Someone is always watching and or listening to us.

Our lives are in a fish bowl, so as we honor God,

others are tasting the reality of the living God by observing our lives. The question we must ponder . . . how well are we directing others to trust in Him Of late, I?ve been challenged with the true spirit of reconciliation. This act of discipline is key to emulating Father God. I fail when my passion is to be right as opposed to being reconciled. Jesus was right but while we were enemies of God, He made things right for us with God. It blows my mind, "I got it going on? paradigm thinking.

When one is offended the time to forgive is right then on the spot. When one offends another, pour oil in the wound not defense. Those that didn?t enjoy the good Jesus did, often were stern on the law. They knew the outside but the inside of their hearts were a bit stern.

Let's release Kingdom power of influence by choosing

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