River Region's Journey November 2015

Vol. 17.7

RIVER REGION’S

The River Region’s Premiere Christian Living Publication

FREE

November 2015

Faith @Work Matt Phillips, M.D.

By Acknowledging All the Good Things Life Brings

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DAVE RAMSEY

Says

with Pastor Kemi Searcy

Volume 17, Issue 6

Feature Articles

N OVEMBER 2 0 1 5 Columns page 2

Publisher’s Note Jason Watson

page 12

Faith @ Work

Meet Dr. Matt Phillips, OB/GYN, and find out how he shares his faith with patients during times of joy and pain.

Also, learn about an exciting new abortion prevention ministry coming to the River Region.

page 4

Pastor's Perspective John Schmidt, Centerpoint Fellowship Church

page 14

Women Arising Pastor Kemi Searcy

page 19

Pondering the Journey Sam Whatley

page 20

The Intersection

page 16

Bob Crittenden

3 Ways to Live with Joy

page 30

Counselor’s Corner Nancy Thomas, LPC

page 35

by Tim Challies

Family Teams for Christ: Military Edition

Challies pulls from the directives of Ecclesiastes where the author gives us three joy-enhancers—three things that will help us get every bit of joy we can from our years on this earth.

Lisa and Mike Conn

page 36

Dave $ays Dave Ramsey

page 22

In Every Issue

Ministry Spotlight:

page 6

Iron Men Outdoor Ministries

by Laura Jean Bell

Find out how to become part of this ministry that takes in the outdoors while compassionately reaching out to bless others, particularly those who are handicapped, children in need, the impoverished, and the abandoned.

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Books to Read page 8

Around Our Community page 32

Support Groups page 33

Christian Community Calendar November 2015

River Region’s Journey

Our Mission...

We believe the Good News concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is worth sharing with our friends and neighbors in the River Region. Each month we deliver this life-changing message to the centers of activity across our community in a user-friendly and relevant way to empower and equip all those seeking to grow closer to God. Join us in this mission by sharing a copy with your neighbor or by becoming an advertising partner starting next month.

Editor DeAnne Watson deanne@readjourneymagazine.com

Publisher

Jason Watson jason@readjourneymagazine.com

Associate Publisher Savannah Bowden

Research Editor Wendy McCollum

Contributing Writers Laura Jean Bell Tim Challies Lisa and Mike Conn Bob Crittenden Dave Ramsey John Schmidt Kemi Searcy Nancy Thomas, LPC Sam Whatley

Advertising Opportunities Jason Watson ads@readjourneymagazine.com (334) 213-7940 ext 703

Ad Design

Tim Welch, Welch Designs

Distribution Team Kristy Brennan Wendy McCollum Chris Mitchell, Manager Manzie Moore Richard Ward Lesa Youngblood

From the Publisher For What Are You Thankful?

There are many things I could count as blessings. My wife and children, my health, my friends, and the comforts of home. That list could go on and on. Though, as a child of God, I can’t escape what should be the ultimate source of my thanksgiving - the saving work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Right? Maybe you’re not feeling that way this year.

Maybe you haven’t received this free gift of salvation being offered by God. Or possibly your relationship with the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit has faded and become a religious relic collecting dust, so that when you think about being thankful your thoughts go only to things like your family and health.

Good things for sure, but none compare to your salvation and the empowering work of God in your daily life.

Forgetfulness and apathy can ruin our thankfulness. You might be quick to offer thanksgiving for something today that six months from now you grow tired of, or worse - curse it’s existence. This can happen in a marriage. The person you cherished above all others and who you, once upon a time, lavished with special gifts of affection now has become a mere roomie with whom you divide life’s chores. Couples in this situation have forgotten the special place each holds in the other’s life and they no longer value their other half like they should. I’ve read numerous marriage counselors who put forth the remedy of “going back to first things.” Those things we did when we were dating and trying to win each other’s hearts. Things that take an investment of time and mental and physical resources. “Oh, let me count the ways...”

It works the same way with you and God. If thankfulness for God isn’t bubbling up from your heart, then you may need to go back to those first things. This is what God said to a church in Ephesus in the book of Revelation (Ch. 2). This church did it’s “chores” for God but they had abandoned the love they had at first. When the love is gone, forgetfulness and apathy quickly settle in and the relationship that once brought you great joy now feels dry and burdensome.

God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit wants to work out the free gift of salvation in your life. They offer the joy and freedom of righteousness through their love, sacrifice and power.

They desire for you to be: “Like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3). There is nothing on this earth that can compare to what God offers us. All of this is explained in the Scriptures and are God’s promises to you if you confess your guilt of sin, place your trust in Christ’s act of salvation on your behalf through His perfect obedience, death and resurrection, and seek to honor Him as the Lord of your life. Then, what’s amazing is God actually puts His Spirit into those He saves to give us strength to follow and obey Him. Stop and read this paragraph one more time.

As we come upon this year’s Thanksgiving holiday and reflect on the things we’re most thankful for, do you need to make a new investment of your mental, physical and spiritual resources to draw near to God? I know He is waiting for you to open the door of your heart so He can come in...whether it’s for the first time in your life or if you are returning to a relationship you’ve allowed to grow cold. Fan those embers you feel in your heart with God’s Word and allow Him to produce in you flames of joy, freedom and new life. Read His Word daily, regularly gather with other Christians to spur each other on, tell others what God has done for you, and serve those in need. Thanks be to God!

River Region’s Journey is published monthly by Keep Sharing, P.O. Box 230367, Montgomery, AL 36123.

For information, call 334-213-7940. River Region’s Journey is copyrighted 2015 by KeepSharing. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

The opinions expressed in River Region’s Journey are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. River Region’s Journey has the right to refuse any content that is not consistent with its statement of faith.

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CHRISTCHURCH 8800 Vaughn Road

Come Worship With Us!

Founded Upon God’s Word At Christchurch, Holy Scripture serves as the final authority for our teaching and preaching. Indeed, over the course of three years, almost the entire Bible is read aloud and preached upon.

Warm and Loving

Liturgically Joyful At Christchurch worship involves the entire congregation, as we offer God praise, thanksgiving and adoration using worship traditions that can be traced back to the earliest days of the Church.

Our worship is not designed to entertain us, but to honor the true “audience” of worship, the Lord!

By God’s grace and through His Spirit, the people of Christchurch enjoy the richness and joy of being a true family. We’d love for you to become a part of us!

Regardless of who you are, you will always find a home at Christchurch.

Committed to Mission The people of Christchurch respond to God’s Word by going out into the world, to places like Uganda, Guatemala and Montgomery, proclaiming the good news of Jesus and joyfully serving as His hands and feet!

Sundays: 9:30 a.m. Worship 11:00 a.m. Christian Education for All Ages Weekly: Discipleship and fellowship opportunities abound

Find us on Facebook and visit us at www.christchurchXP.net 3

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River Region’s Journey

Pastor’s Perspective

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John Schmidt, Centerpoint Fellowship Church

Surprised by God’s Word “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV) I am a pastor and I often quote these verses, but every now and then I am still surprised when I see God’s Word accomplishing far more than I expect. It happened again just last week.

A man came to see me about a personal problem. He doesn’t attend church

anywhere, but he needed some advice and didn’t know where to turn. So he came to see me. Why? Seven years ago I had led a devotional in his workplace.

I remember the occasion well because I viewed it as a complete waste of time.

Yes, I had faithfully read God’s Word and shared some helpful applications, but when I finished no one responded or even spoke to me. I left feeling completely ineffective and useless. I was sure that no one had listened and nothing had been accomplished.

Yet, seven years later standing in front of me was a man seeking my help because God had spoken to him through the Bible passage I had read and commented on that day. He had come to see me in hopes that God would speak to him again and give him direction. As we looked at what the Bible had to say about his problem I am certain God did.

Here are a few things I believe about the Bible: • The Bible is true. “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17 (NIV) • The Bible is not like any other book. It is inspired by God himself! “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and

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to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) • The Bible is living and powerful!

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.

It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) • The Bible is our guide in all matters of faith of and practice. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NIV) So, if I believe all of these things why was I surprised that God had spoken through His Word to (at least) one person during a devotional that I had viewed as worthless? Where did I get the notion that if I don’t see immediate results when presenting God’s Word nothing is happening? What if God’s timing is different from mine? What if the Word I present today is watering a crop that will bear fruit seven years from now? What if God just wants me to faithful and leave the results to Him? I thank God for reminding me again of the power and effectiveness of His Word. As a result I have renewed my resolve to let Him speak and move me (and my expectations) out of the way. Then maybe next time I won’t be so surprised.

John Schmidt is Senior Pastor of Centerpoint Fellowship Church. He may be reached at john@ centeringlives.com.

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Our Statement of Faith In keeping with Protestant theology, we believe that the Bible, as contained in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is fully inspired by God and therefore inerrant in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the only essential and infallible record of God’s self-disclosure to mankind. The Scriptures are the authoritative and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, practice, and doctrine. They are totally sufficient and must not be added to, superseded, or changed by later tradition, extra-biblical revelation, or worldly wisdom. The Bible is perfect in every way and shows us how to become and live as Christians.

The way of becoming a Christian is by faith alone in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who came to us, born of a virgin, in full human form while remaining fully God. Jesus was, and is, perfect, and was crucified so that others could live. Three days later He rose from the dead, never to die again.

He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.

Those who have faith in Jesus as their Lord in this life, and Savior from damnation in the next life, now live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, becoming more like Jesus everyday.

Join us for the Dream Women’s Conference as we discover how to live into the dreams God has for us right now! Experience authentic worship, life-changing teaching and deep fellowship with other women seeking the Lord’s heart. Come learn what desires He has placed in you and be inspired to dream big!

saint james

We believe that God is one

God. The one God has three persons: the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Just as God is one, so also, all believers are to be one. We believe in the unity and fellowship of all those that have faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are one in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith. *All editorial content published needs to be in agreement with our Statement of Faith

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Stop Your Complaining

by Ronnie Martin

Never have I had a quicker opportunity to apply the book I’ve been reading. I read most of Ronnie Martin’s Stop Your Complaining on the morning of a holiday Monday, then went to a polling station to cast my vote for next week’s election. (Yes, the advance polls are open on the holiday; I would be away on Election Day and decided to make sure I cast my ballot.) I walked into the community center and saw a lineup—a very big lineup that was going nowhere fast. I had the choice: Would I be grateful for a free country and peaceful, democratic elections? Or would I join the crowd in grumbling about the incompetence of Elections Canada (before heading home to finish the book, of course)?

Would I turn this into an opportunity for grumbling or gratitude?

Gratitude does not come easily to me. It should. I live an easy, convenient, first-world life. I have been given innumerable blessings, not the least of which is the gift of salvation.

But still, I like to complain. I like to apply my powers of perception and River Region’s Journey

November 2015

discernment to the people and situations around me and to discuss their inevitable shortcomings. It’s not complaining, right? It’s just honesty. It’s just observation. Somehow I always feel like I am justified in it. It’s like the book says: “Complaining is more than just a cute adjective to describe us on our bad days.

In all of its various forms and functions it’s become a lifestyle, a way of existence and a daily routine that is as natural to us as breathing, walking and eating.

It’s built into the foundation of our communication, bridging cultures together as one of the few ways we know how to relate to one another.”

That’s exactly why I pulled this book out of the pile that showed up this month. I know I have a bit of a problem here. I’ve been aware of it for some time and have been working on it. But I was eager for a bit more guidance. And I’m glad to say that Martin’s book delivered admirably.

I found two significant ways that this book shifted and sharpened my understanding of complaining. First, Martin emphasizes the sheer evil of complaining—at least, the kind of grumbling, self-centered complaining 6

that I am prone to. He says rightly that “complaining is a slow, subtle poison that builds in our systems and usually goes undetected. It may be one of the least discussed sins in churches today.” It’s sheer prevalence may make it an acceptable sin, but that does not diminish its ugliness or seriousness.

At heart, complaining is casting blame on God, suggesting that he has not provided what I am sure I need. That is a serious charge, a serious offence.

Second, Martin emphasizes that complaining is not so much something I do as something I am. Complaining goes far deeper than words. Words, after all, are simply an overflow of the heart. In that way, complaining exposes an inward dissatisfaction and an inner conviction that I deserve better than what God has provided in this moment (or in that moment when I walked into the voting station.)

But, of course, Martin does not simply describe and define the problem. He also offers a solution—the Bible’s own solution. He points to repentance and gratitude, both flowing from and related to the gospel, as the keys that can overcome this ugly problem.

If you read a book like this one and come away with two simple things—a deeper disgust of complaining and a heightened desire for gratitude—your time has been well-spent.

And I think that is what you will find if you read it. Stop Your Complaining is short but not trite, light but still significant. It’s exactly the book I needed today.

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Kicking for Christ Wins the AFYI 2015 Center Stage Youth Talent Show

Spice Up Your Marriage: Date Night

The Kicking for Christ karate demonstration team from Johnson’s Martial Arts Academy of Montgomery won 1st place during the Alabama Family Youth Initiative Family Unity Dinner which was held on October 5th at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Cash prizes were awarded to the top three winners and they were all selected to perform at “Walk in My Shoes” event that will be held on Veterans Day also at the Embassy Suites Hotel. If you are interested in having “Kicking for Christ” to perform at your event, organization, or youth ministry please contact David Johnson at (334) 284-2344. In the photo from left to right there is Briana Jackson (choreographer), Sydney Talbert, Booker Pitts, Christopher Wilson, Kamiya Moten, Jakori Hollinger, Kavian Mitchell, Kamille Moten, Hezekiah Hampton, David Johnson (Instructor), (Kneeling) Leland Talbert, and Tyler Bell.

Nov. 10 @ 7 p.m.

Dr. Gary Chapman, world-renowned speaker and author of The 5 Love Languages will headline “Spice Up Your Marriage: Date Night,” an event designed to equip and encourage married couples in a fun, engaging evening of music, comedy and inspiration. Joining Chapman for this unique event will be Michael O’Brien, former lead singer of Newsong, as well as national speakers and humorists, Jeff & Debby McElroy. First Baptist Chruch, Montgomery; www.foreverfamilies.com/ministries/ marriage/spice-up-your-marriage/ Tickets: $22.50

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As Frazer UMC prepares to open a multi-site campus in the Pike Road school in February, our Crave Student Ministry Staff and the Children’s staff are jumping right in getting to know the community. These Frazer staff members volunteered during the Pike Road School lunch hour recently, many Frazer children were ecstatic to see their children’s and youth pastor and proudly pointed them out to their classmates. Children’s Ministry Director Cami Culpepper especially enjoyed the time because she saw so many of her previous students from her days as the music teacher at Halcyon Elementary. Youth director Chase Faulk was invited into a first grade classroom to read with the children.

CRAVE’s Momma Daisy (aka Kathy Boyd) enjoyed eating lunch with her grandson and meeting his classmates and teachers. Comment of the day from a Frazer youth at PRS as she introduced her friend to her youth pastor, “This is my friend and she wants to come to Crave with me!”

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We don’t wonder anymore how it happened, that one summer could bring such happy memories.

New friends are now best friends. New experiences are now the best times ever. No wonder it’s so easy to tell others about it and include them in the fun.

B ASKETBALL • S OCCER • A RTS

• H ORSEBACK R IDING • S WIMMING • T ENNIS • C ANOEING • D ANCE • A EROBICS • G YMNASTICS • B EACH V OLLEYBALL •

Welcome to Riverview Camp for Girls!

We’ve do put Itogether everything you’re looking for in a perfect“I saw camp onemy of Why choose Riverview each summer? mysetting! first river Recognized on a mountain,as I rode Golf,times Dance, Dance, Outdoor Sports, Soccer,use Beach Volleyball, Basketball, “As go,Stomp it was one of the BEST.”Skills AndClass, what child couldn’t some of that these days?

Riverview Refinement, Program, Campfires night,Recognized optional trips and more!

We’ve put together everythingCIT you’re looking for in a perfect every camp setting! as one of the Southeast’s best all-around summer camps for girls, Riverview is an oasis of fun, friends and happiness. Spring and Fall &available 2 week Sessions ages to 16...

Mother-Daughter Weekends1are also!

Registeredfor Nurses and6 Physician on Staff. Entire full-summer staff is First Aid andand CPRFall Certified.

Camper/Counselor Ratio 5:1 Spring Mother-Daughter Weekends...

waiting lists start early...sign up soon!...

Waitingwww.riverviewcamp.com! lists start early...sign up soon!...

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Call for FREE DVD and catalog 1-800-882-0722 Accredited by American Camping Association • Members of Christian Camping International

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www.riverviewcamp.com

Only 1 /Mountain 2 hours from Huntsville Located on top of Lookout in Mentone, AL. Only a 3 hr drive.

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Dr. Larry & Susan Hooks, Owners/Directors • Donna Bares,Asst. Director

1 & 2Week Sessions for Ages 6-16

C RAFTS • C HORUS

first I had campfires every night. Icamps felt close to God. giggled a lot is with friends and counselors. time flew by! thehorse.

Southeast’s best all-around for girls,IRiverview annew oasis of fun, friends andThe happiness...

I Exciting felt safe and secure. Iinclude: gained confidence in myselfPool,Tennis, through the world around me.” activities Riding, Heated Canoeing, Ropes Course, Climbing Tower,

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FLAG TWIRLING • CHEERLEADING • RIFLERY • ARCHERY • TRIP DAY • GOLF

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Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Several River Regions churches are cooperating together to provide this 15 week class that covers the Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic perspectives on God’s global redemptive plan. The class begins on January 19, 2016 and runs through April 26. Each class is taught by a different speaker known for their knowledge and experience in world missions. The first two sessions are free to attend. The cost for the course is $275 and includes a comprehensive reader on missions. A $25 early bird discount is available for all registrations prior to December 1. The class will be hosted by Trinity Presbyterian Church at 1728 South Hull Street in Montgomery.

For more information and to register go to http://www.perspectives.org.

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Frazer UMC Prepares for Multi-Site Campus at Pike Road School

• R OPES C OURSE • C LIMBING T O WER • OUTDOOR L IVING S KILLS • C AMPFIRE F UN • C OUNSELOR -I N -T RAINING • 9

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Women of Faith Farewell Tour: LOVED Nov. 6-7; Friday 7-10 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

BJCC Arena, Birmingham In 2015 Women of Faith celebrates 20 years of transforming messages with “LOVED: The Farewell Tour.” See all your favorite speakers plus special guest Korie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” and musical guests Sandi Patty and Building 429.

Register today at WomenOfFaith.com.

“Home for the Holidays” Craft Show The Charis Crafters 17th Annual “Home for the Holidays” Craft Show will return to Wetumpka Alabama the second weekend in November at the Wetumpka Civic Center. New this year is the addition of a Preview Show on Thursday, Nov 12th 4-7p.m. The show continues Friday, Nov 13th 9am-7pm and Saturday Nov 14th 9am – 2pm. Tickets available in advance and at the door for $5. One ticket is good for all three days! Door prizes every hour!

The Craft Show features a variety of handmade items as well as homemade delight available for purchase. These pieces are perfect for gift giving, home decor and Holiday decorating! One of the best sellers every year are the First and Second Edition cookbooks of recipes compiled by our crafters over the years including some “secret recipes” from the kitchen of Mae Ruth Jones, one of our founders. ALL PROCEEDS from cookbooks and ticket sales are given back to community charities and those in need.

Charis Crafters is a group of local crafters who meet throughout the year to prepare and organize the annual craft show and distribute funds to local charities and community organizations. We share and spread God’s love in the community following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

CRAFT SHOW: Thursday Nov 12 4 – 7 pm Preview Show Friday Nov 13 9 am – 7 pm; Saturday Nov 14 9 am – 2 pm For Ticket Information Contact Nancy Brunson 334-399-0350 or Del Mock 334-201-1817 or find us on facebook.

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Prattville First United Methodist Church 100 E. 4th Street, Prattville, AL 36067 TRADI TIO NAL W O RSH I P 8 : 3 0 AM & 11 : 0 0 A M SUNDAY SCH O O L 9 : 4 5 AM TH E W ELL 11 : 0 0 AM

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Candlelight Harpsichord Chamber Concert December 2, 6:30 p.m. at Christchurch, 8800 Vaughn Road. You are invited to a free concert of sacred and secular music.

The 45-minute performance will feature instrumental and vocal pieces performed by the church’s chancel choir and soloists from the church, as well as outside professionals. The free concert in the church’s sanctuary will begin at 6 p.m. Reception to follow in Canterbury Hall. Reception tickets will be available by calling (334) 387.0566, ext. 203. Please visit www. christchurchxp.net for more details.

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Christmas Begins with Christ:

An Eclectic Christmas

The 8th Annual Eclectic Christmas walking tours begin December 1-8 2015. This event will take place at the Falk Farm. Located at 1733 Claude Road Eclectic AL, 36024. It is just south of Eclectic on AL Highway 63.

The 6 and 8 o’clock time slots on each production night are handicap accessible. Please notify us when registering if you require assistance. Reservations are suggested and may be made by calling 334.578.4846. Email: reservations@aneclecticministry.org or by visiting www.aneclecticministry.org.

Time slots are scheduled in 15-minute increments. *Admission is free, and donations are accepted and appreciated to help with expenses.

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Matt: Actually, my original plan was to be an Orthopedic surgeon. From age 13 when I watched my Dad perform an arthroscopy, it was my dream.

Orthopedic surgery residency positions are highly competitive and I did not get in. That was, at that point in my life, my greatest disappointment. I went into a one year internship in trauma surgery after graduation from medical school, with plans to reapply to orthopedics. During this year my wife, Camille, and I had our first son. My wife’s doctor was a strong Christian and lived out his faith in a beautiful way in his practice. After praying about it, and at my wife’s recommendation, I decided to become an OB/GYN. Now, as I look back on the 20 years since I graduated from medical school, that “closed door” or failure was one of the great blessings of my life!

In that trial I learned to trust God while waiting on Him. Finally, I learned that His plans are better than my plans and His ways are higher than my ways.

I was encouraged with Jeremiah 29:11-13 which says, “I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you call upon me and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart.”

RRJ: You were told the good news of the Scriptures all of your life by godly parents and teachers, but has God’s love and grace always been your primary motivation in life?

Matt: My relationship with Jesus began, as all relationships begin, with an introduction. God used so many people in my life to show me Jesus and to introduce me to the only One who can give meaning and purpose in life. Early in my relationship with God I spent my time checking off the boxes of do´s and don’ts of being a Christian, all the while trying to fit into the world. In college I was faced with new temptations and struggles as I straddled the fence between being a real Christian and living for myself. After almost two years of failed attempts in my own power to live for Christ, God convicted me of my pride and love of the world. I think it was in that time of conviction that I first began to understand grace. For the first time I knew that I needed God’s grace to cover my sin. Now this relationship that began with an introduction has become an increasingly intimate relationship with a God who truly loves me, even in my continuing struggle with sin. The thing about grace is that we spend the rest of our lives realizing how amazing it really is!

RRJ: As an OB/GYN doctor, you have a front row seat to seeing God’s miraculous work of creating a new life. What drew you to this field?

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RRJ: As glorious an occasion that giving birth can be, in your position you also serve mothers in some hard situations. How does your faith give you strength and assist you in serving your patients in these times?

Matt: One of the great privileges I have in my life is that couples invite me to both the happiest and saddest moments in their lives. I laugh and cry all day!

Sometimes I am asked to deliver a healthy baby in Room 3 and then move to Room 4 where a couple is grieving over a stillborn. It is the most emotional of all medical specialities. For me personally, knowing that God is the author of life is one of my greatest comforts. He is sovereign. If I thought I was the “author of life” the weight would be too heavy to bear. My faith in Jesus and His work in me allows me to love people with His love. The first fruit of the spirit according to Galatians 5:22 is love. As long as I get out of God’s way, He is able to love and comfort patients through me, and I can point them to Christ in happy or sad circumstances.

RRJ: Besides your work at OB/GYN Associates of Montgomery, you serve as the Medical Director for several area pregnancy centers and are on the cusp of bringing something new and unique to our area. Can you tell our readers about that?

Matt: My job puts me in a unique position to stand up for life. For the past 11 years I have had the privilege of volunteering as a medical director for three 12

crisis pregnancy centers where women can have a free ultrasound in a compassionate, gracious setting so they might make a truly informed choice.

Over 90% of women planning to have an abortion will change their minds if they see their baby on ultrasound. These women are then presented with the gospel and many come to Christ and are discipled for the rest of the pregnancy. Adoption services are offered. Post abortion counseling through “Forgiven and Set Free” classes are offered, and many finally receive forgiveness and healing. We are excited about a new ministry coming to the River Region called “Life on Wheels,” which will take an ultrasound and rolling clinic to abortion vulnerable women. It will be a 31-foot Class C RV that is OHHSA and HIPPA approved, equipped with a large screen ultrasound so women can see the truth. We will be able to take this rolling clinic near the abortion clinic and anywhere that might reach women in crisis. I have read that in cities where this is being done, 89.1% of women who already have an abortion planned that day will change their mind if they just board the RV! We will work in conjunction with the existing crisis pregnancy centers locally and refer these women who decide to parent back to the centers for discipleship and counseling. Our fundraising gala is planned for February 5, 2016 at Frazer United Methodist Church and an example of the RV will be at the church for viewing.

RRJ: Living out one’s Christian beliefs beyond the church walls can be a struggle for many.

What are some things you do to press on in the faith and make Christ known?

Matt: When God saved me I became a soldier in the army of the Lord. It is most helpful for me to think in these military terms. In fact this is the language that Paul used over and over as he admonished us to stand firm with the full armor of God. My adversary is the Devil and he hates me, plain and simple. So, if I plan to be a decent soldier I must dress for battle, train with my weapons and persevere in battle. No soldier would ever run into the field of battle naked without his weapon! So many times that is what we do when we get up and run out of the house without getting prayed up and equipped in the word of God. In medical school, when stress was at an all time high, I began memorizing Scripture. This dramatically changed everything! God has also used other men in my life to help me fight well. We have a men’s Bible study that has been meeting for over 15 years on Tuesday mornings. We pray for each other and hold each other accountable. We have locked arms that we might finish well. The word says, “As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.”

My hope is that the Holy Spirit will finish what he has started in me.

Dr. Matt Phillips is married to Camille and they have four children.

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The Emotional Juggling Act Women are often told that we are “too emotional.” In response, we often fall into the trap of juggling our emotional life around a fast-paced, dogmatic society that praises sensitivity one day and stoicism the next. How can we stop juggling something that clearly we were created to use to benefit the world? Let’s look at a true situation from the “Reality Bible.”

Genesis 29 showcases two emotional jugglers, Leah and Rachel. When handsome Jacob came looking for a wife, they both imagined the possibility of marriage. Jacob fell in love with Rachel. Leah must have experienced an emotional juggle in order to love her sister, while simultaneously envying Rachel’s relationship with Jacob. Rachel must have also juggled conflicting emotions: pity for Leah, knowing Leah as the oldest sister should have been the first to wed, and the ecstasy of young love. Jacob worked seven years for Rachel’s father in order to pay the “bride price” for her hand.

Finally, the date of the marriage was set. Jacob was ecstatic at finally securing his beloved Rachel as his wife. Can you imagine the sisters preparing food for the guests, helping each other dress, and…

Leah wishing she was Rachel, while Rachel tiptoed around Leah, trying not to be overly excited? Then, right before the wedding, the sisters received some disconcerting instructions from their father.

As was the custom, the bride was heavily veiled and as the festivities went late into the night, the couple went off to the bridal chamber in the dark. Jacob woke up from River Region’s Journey

November 2015

his matrimonial bed to find that he had not married his beloved Rachel, but Leah. I can hardly imagine what Rachel was feeling, having been told to keep silent while she watched Jacob take her sister as his bride.

And Leah’s emotional pendulum swung from elation at the thought of being first to marry, to sorrow for the price Rachel paid for such trickery.

Jacob duly confronted the girls’ father.

Leah watched as her husband argued that she was not the one he wanted. Even though she could empathize with Jacob under the circumstances, she was hurt nonetheless. He did not want her, but she loved him regardless.

As a compromise, Rachel was given to Jacob as a second wife, a mere week after Leah’s own wedding day.

Finally Jacob had his true love. As his devotion to Rachel grew, so did his disdain for Leah.

For many years Leah juggled through her emotional scars and wounds.

Should she be angry with Jacob? Was it his fault? Maybe she should be furious with Rachel—the beautiful one, the loved one, the wanted one.

Genesis 29:31 tells us, “Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb but Rachel was barren. Leah conceived son number one and named him Rueben, for she said the Lord has seen my affliction, surely now my husband will love me.”

Leah named her son because she wanted Jacob to return the emotion she had for him. In fact, Leah named her next three 14

sons because of her need. She named her second son Simeon, which means the Lord has heard that I am unloved. Her third son she called Levi, meaning again my husband will become attached to me. Leah named her fourth son Judah, for she said, this time I will praise the Lord. It seems that Leah may have finally realized the Lord was giving her the affection she craved from Jacob.

God, in His infinite wisdom, created me to be a woman. Part of the package that makes me female is my emotional strength.

I am secure in knowing that God sees my emotions as great assets for His glory.

Expressing those emotions appropriately, with God’s timing will take a lifetime to learn.

Like Leah, we were created to incubate and to aid life; that is the purpose of our womb. In Greek, womb is translated as meah, meaning sympathy, compassion, bowels of mercy. Our wombs are seats of compassion so that we can emote like none other.

When the love we give wholeheartedly is not reciprocated or when relationships go bad, it may be difficult for us to move forward. Our wounds run very deep because of our emotional disposition. This is often where the juggling begins. We struggle between what we feel inside, and what we must project. We juggle between staying positive, but also how to forgive and let go.

Such was the case of Leah.

In Psalm 23, we see God as the restorer of our souls, and a healer of broken spirits.

He knows about our troubles and, like Leah, He hears our cries and desires to bless us.

Surrender all offenses at the feet of the cross. Ask the Lord to heal your heart and leave the juggling to the circus clowns!

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November 2015

River Region’s Journey

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Last week I was captivated by a sunrise. I am one of those people who is “early to bed, early to rise” and have watched many sunrises. I love the dawning of a new day because every day is so full of promise and possibility. Every sunrise lays a new day before us and asks, “What will you do with this day? What will this day be?”

The sunrise that so gripped me is described in the book of Ecclesiastes where the author, a man who identifies himself only as The Preacher, writes “Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.”

This man is a poet and he looks at that sunrise and sees it as a picture of youth. The brightness of the sun as it cuts through the darkness and ushers in a new day is like the radiance of youth with all its excitement and energy and possibilities. Youth lays a whole lifetime before us and asks, “What will you do with this life? Who will you be?”

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God wants us to enjoy life! God wants us to linger over a good cup of coffee and walk hand-in-hand with the person we love and savor that delicious meal and enjoy making love and appreciate the beauty in a rainbow. These are his gifts and he wants us to enjoy them. Life is a gift and he wants us to enjoy it.

The Preacher’s great concern is that youth does not go to waste.

He wants us and commands us to enjoy the days of youth—not just the days of childhood, but all of the days before old age comes. “So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all … Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 11:7-9). He speaks to each of us and tells us to take advantage of this time to do what makes us happy, what brings us joy, what we are passionate about. These are the days when we are young and strong, energetic and optimistic. These are the days when the possibilities are limitless, when the whole world lies open before us. He wants us to do what we love and to love what we do, and he wants us to do it now, in the days of youth. He knows that a day will come when joy will be far more difficult to find. If we are going to be joyful in old age, we will need to be joyful now and carry joy with us into those days.

This Preacher has been speaking on behalf of God and teaches us that the Lord wants us to enjoy life and to acknowledge all the good things life brings. Isn’t that amazing? God wants us to enjoy life! God wants us to linger over a good cup of coffee and walk hand-in-hand with the person we love and savor that delicious meal and enjoy making love and appreciate the beauty in a rainbow.

These are his gifts and he wants us to enjoy them. Life is a gift and he wants us to enjoy it.

The Preacher is so concerned with our joy that he gives us three joy-enhancers—three things that will help us get every bit of joy we can from these years. These are things each of us would do well to keep in mind.

Even though their judgment isn’t always amazing,

#1 ACKNOWLEDGE YOUTH WILL END

their healthcare is.

The Preacher says, “If a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many.” He wants us to savor life as we live it. If we are granted many years, we are free before the Lord to live them all without sadness and without regret. But even as we take joy in life, even as we live with youthful exuberance, our Preacher calls us to have an awareness that the light of day will eventually give way to the dark of night. The sun that rises will need to set again and darkness will come. The joy of youth will be followed by all the difficulties of old age and the difficulties of old age will be followed by death. It is right and good to really live, to live all the way, but we live best when we keep one eye on eternity, when we keep in mind that these good days will come to an end.

Acknowledging the end helps us. It reinforces that we only get one chance, one opportunity. This life cannot be lived well in retrospect. It can only be lived well in the moment. None of us will get a second chance to do life well; none of us will get a second chance to live today well. So don’t waste your day, don’t waste your youth, and don’t waste your life!

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November 2015

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#2 ACKNOWLEDGE A COMING JUDGMENT The Preacher gives a second way to enhance our joy in life. He says to enjoy life but to do so by acknowledging a coming judgment. We might think that it’s far too risky for our Preacher to call a young man to live “according to the ways of his heart and the light of his eyes” (verse 9). This could easily be seen as a call to hedonism, to live only for the pleasure of this life. A parched man wrings a wet cloth to get every last drop of water out of it, and we could see the Preacher calling us to wring every bit of selfish pleasure we can out of life and then to go to the grave smiling. But it’s not this simple. The Preacher offers this warning: “Know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.”

Our joy in life is to be an innocent, pure, moral joy. When we look elsewhere in Ecclesiastes and elsewhere in the Bible, we find that God gives us boundaries and tells us to live within them. God cares for our joy so much that he tells us what to avoid and what to pursue in order to find the highest joy. These days of youth and all of their pleasures are lived out before God who will weigh and assess each one of them. Our challenge in all of life is to

believe what God tells us and to live within the good boundaries he provides, trusting that this is where we will find the greatest and most lasting joy.

#3 ACKNOWLEDGE THE VANITY OF LIFE The third of the joy-enhancers is this: Enjoy life but acknowledge the vanity of it.

After he calls us to enjoy life the Preacher reminds us that “All is vanity” and “youth and the dawn of life are vanity.” The ESV translates this word from the Hebrew as “vanity” but it has been translated many other ways. Some translations say “meaningless.” Others go with “futility” or “pointlessness.” The meaning is in there somewhere and they are all pointing to the same reality.

Literally the word means “vapor.”

All that comes between life and death is vapor. It isn’t quite meaningless and it isn’t quite futile, but it is vapor, something that is here and then gone, like dust blown away by the wind, like steam that rises from the kettle and disappears into the air.

What we do in this life matters. What we do in this life has real significance, but nothing here will ultimately satisfy because nothing here will last forever.

Earlier in Ecclesiastes the Preacher says that God has put eternity in our hearts.

How could anything less than what is eternal give us ultimate satisfaction? We were made for this, but we were made for so much more than this.

This is a warning for us that we are surrounded by false, fraudulent joys, things that try to convince us that they will satisfy, but they will only leave us empty.

Really, this is a warning that we will always be tempted to be idolaters, to make the gift into the god. We find the greatest joy when we accept the gifts for what they are and acknowledge that they, like everything else in this world, will end. The sun that rises will set again.

That sunrise challenged me anew with both the brevity of life and its signifiance.

That sunrise challenged me to grasp the fullest joy and signifiance from each day, to acknowledge that God tells me where the highest joys will be found, and to know that misery often masquerades us joy. This life is vapor, but this life matters. It matters to God that I pursue joy—the truest and highest joys—and that I pursue it for his glory.

Tim Challies is an author, blogger and book reviewer. Visit www.challies.com.

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Sometimes God speaks to us through the unusual happenings in nature. We may not, like Moses, see an unconsumed burning bush, but there are natural events that startle us and capture our attention. I recently witnessed one of those as a leaf suspended in air.

I was reading a book on a park bench beneath several oak trees when I noticed a leaf dancing freely in the air. I thought it was caught in a wind current of some kind, but that was not the case. The leaf would rise to about seven feet, flit about, and glide down within inches of the ground. Then it would hover and bob for several minutes. Suddenly it would ascend for two or three feet and move from side to side. This went on for over an hour.

I stopped reading, mesmerized by this event. Other leaves were falling from the oaks, but they merely glided to earth. This one leaf seemed almost alive. It moved some six feet in different directions, as if guided by an unseen hand. I went back to reading, but looked up frequently to watch the leaf.

I walked over to the place where the leaf danced and looked carefully from several angles. I did not see a spider web.

But, I told myself, there had to be a strand of web running from a limb, keeping this thing suspended above the ground. I knew that if I ran my hand over the leaf, I would solve the mystery. But the illusion was so strong that I did not want to break it. How many times do you see a leaf glide in the air for over an hour?

Watching this leaf reminded me that we who know Christ have an unseen hand that holds us safely in bounds, allowing us to express who we really are, without falling to an earthly end. As the Apostle Paul said: He is before all things and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17 NIV

When Christ went back to Heaven, he sent us his Holy Spirit. It is this unseen Hand that keeps us from falling back into sin and despair as we continue in our life in Christ.

He gives us comfort and strength. He helps us to choose the right path and reject our old ways. Sometimes he just lifts our spirits.

I once had a friend who was reluctant to accept Christ because he was afraid to give up his “freedom.” He was addicted to his vices. Yet, a few years later, as he lay on his deathbed, I offered to give him a Bible.

He took it. Two days later, he died. I never knew if he accepted the Lord. But, all those things he once thought he could not give up were given up, one way or the other.

What appears to the world as freedom is bondage. Once we accept Christ, we are freer than we ever were when we were bound by our sin and tied to our selfdestructive habits and behaviors. Christ has a better life for us. Jesus said: … I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

John 10:10 NIV Ironically, the freedom Christ offers us is what many unbelievers consider religious bondage. They cannot see that, though we make mistakes, in Christ we become new creations. We are spared the free fall of letting our desires control our lives.

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If it feels like something else has taken control of your life, trust in the One who holds all things together. No, you cannot see him. You cannot reach out and touch him.

But he can touch you. He can send the wind of his Spirit to lift your burdens and bring you to life. If you know him, you know what I mean. If you do not know him, find a church that believes the Bible and tell someone there you want to meet Jesus.

The Apostle Paul tells us: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

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The Gospel According to BuzzFeed The website, BuzzFeed.com posted a video attempting to provide a unique, albeit unbiblical, view of what Christianity is and what Christians believe. First - a little background on BuzzFeed: According to a Business Insider piece, BuzzFeed posted to their website in 2010 that, “We have a big audacious goal of helping creative people launch and spread their ideas across the web. We have been thinking for years about how media spreads on the web, and our technology provides a unique way to launch, track, and accelerate viral content.”

By their own admission, they inject editorial into the process, saying, “Our team of editors monitors all triggering content, post [sic] its own content, and experiments with idea.”

What sort of “idea”? Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist website points out that after the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage: BuzzFeed celebrated the ruling with wild abandon, and its editor Ben Smith told one media watchdog there weren’t “two sides” on the issue. Radio host Hugh Hewitt interviewed Smith about that, during which they discussed that Smith doesn’t believe in God. Hewitt wondered if BuzzFeed could do a good job of covering believers and whether there were any evangelicals on staff. Smith responded: BS: We do have, yes, but I also think, second, that newsroom diversity is like you know, it’s really important in having people of faith and particularly religious Christians in newsroom is important, yes, and we do.

And I think that’s an important perspective…

I mean, you know, I think good reporters are very good at least trying to understand the people they cover, and I think we have people who have all sorts of different beliefs here, so…but that’s important.

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Hemingway contends that this video called, “I’m a Christian, But I’m Not...,” treats Christianity with disdain. She included the text of the video - the opening lines include these words: I’m Christian but I’m not homophobic; I’m Christian and I’m definitely not perfect; I’m Christian but I’m not close-minded; but I’m not unaccepting; but I’m not uneducated; but I am not judgmental; but I’m not conservative; I’m not ignorant…

Yep - same old attempt to introduce some new, “enlightened,” form of Christianity that tolerates everyone and everything, that implies that those who want to live according to the Bible, to the teachings of the Christ of Christianity are somehow “close-minded” or “judgmental.”

Who are these people? Hemingway relates that there were six people featured and points out that at least 33 percent are LGBT (about 10 times the national average) and at least 50 percent are feminist, contrasting with only 18% of Americans whom she says identify as feminist. She said: BuzzFeed didn’t include Christians who don’t share these half-dozen millennials’ hangups on the sexual doctrines that differentiate Christianity from the dogma of BuzzFeed and most other American newsrooms. Or Christians who don’t think the most recent trends denying distinctions between the sexes are all that helpful to relationships.

Oh, and she relates that there is no mention of Jesus in this video!

The commentator likens the video to the prayer of the Pharisee in Luke 18, where we find a Pharisee, devoted to the religious law, thanking God that he wasn’t like all those 20

“sinners” around him. By contrast, a tax collector cried out to God for mercy, for He was a sinner. Jesus concluded the parable by saying that those who exalt themselves would be humbled, and the humble would be exalted.

“I’m a Christian, but I’m not...” How would you fill in the blank? In the spirit of the parable, I might use the word, “worthy,” or “undeserving.” You probably should not say, “prideful,” lest you be thought of in that way. The use of the word “but” might imply that there is a form of Christianity that is on a higher level than the run-of-the-mill Christianity that those (we) intolerant, judgmental church folks practice.

I think it can be instructive and affirming to let the world know who we are as Christians, rather than who we are not. For instance, instead of “I’m a Christian, BUT,” you could say, “I’m a Christian, AND,” or “I’m a Christian (period),” then make a bold faith statement - for instance: I’m a Christian and I’m FREE. I’m a Christian and I’m FORGIVEN. I’m a Christian. I am LOVED BY GOD. I’m a Christian. I am a CHILD OF GOD. I’m a Christian and I’m VICTORIOUS. Remember, the definition of a Christian is not determined by the culture, but by what Christ has done in our hearts and the declarations about His work that we find in the Scriptures. When we recognize that we are new creations in Christ and are intent in living in that way, we make a powerful statement to the culture about who Jesus is.

Bob Crittenden is host of “The Meeting House”, heard weekday afternoons from 4-6pm on Faith Radio, 89.1FM in Montgomery. Described as “the intersection of faith and culture”, the program features Christian music and conversation about a variety of topics. Learn more by visiting www. meetinghouseonline.info.

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selves to compassionately reach out and bless those in need, particularly those who are handicapped, children in need, the impoverished, and the abandoned.

Becoming a Member

Iron Men Outdoor Ministries officially began in April of 2005. The founding members had been involved with activities for the disabled prior to this point in time. The founders saw the benefits and need to organize and become a 501 (c) (3) registered non-profit organization. The “founding father” of Iron Men is Rick Murphy who has positively influenced many over the course of ten years. A person can become a member of IMOM; to be eligible for membership, a written application must be submitted and the applicant must be sponsored by at least two current members. Membership calls for an individual to declare the love of Jesus for children, juveniles, handicapped, orphaned, or anyone in spiritual, physical, or circumstantial need. They must declare the seven virtues of the ministry and believe fully in its mission statement.

In obedience to the mandate of Jesus given in Matthew 28:19: “Make disciples of all nations,” Iron Men Outdoor Ministries commits to the mission of being living examples of and to act upon the seven virtues of their ministry: love, mercy, justice, honesty, faithfulness, integrity, charity, as well as the irrevocable guiding premise of the ministry that the Bible is the inspired word of God and the sole authority for faith, life, and moral guidance. Also the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only source of salvation given to man by our Father God in heaven for those who believe. With all this in mind, they therefore commit themRiver Region’s Journey

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Great Things Happening Melinda Newell of Iron Men Outdoor Ministries shares, “This ministry is heavily involved with families. We are not just a one time stop.” She continued to share the ways that the Lord has worked within the ministry. “God has brought IMOM fired up volunteers and generous donors. Just this year, IMOM was able to provide a car steering unit for a teenager with Spinal Bifida. Imagine how this opened doors for this teenager! He can now drive to school, social events, and church like his peers.

We held a fishing tournament for those with disabilities and children who needed love and direction. Through that event, we met with over 100 young teens to discuss one on one tools the Bible provides us to handle everyday challenges and circumstances.

In the month of August, we were able to provide a man, who had lost both legs in an accident with a scooter. Mobility for him meant HUGE freedom! ‘ September was a fun month for us, as the Lord helped us host two dove shoots for those who serve our country by providing a track wheel chair to a warrior who was hit by a suicide bomb. Through gen-

erous donations, IMOM will be taking 100 under privileged and disabled to the Alabama National Fair including their immediate families!

We are able to join Buckmasters in the month of November in holding a banquet benefitting our nation’s heroes. Auburn University football and baseball star, Gabe Gross, will be our special speaker and ALL the proceeds will go to wounded warriors and their families.

There is so much more, but the highlights of this year are all due to the goodness of God and His favor on us as we journey in this mission.”

Iron Men Outdoor Ministries manages the Little River State Park in Atmore, Alabama. This park is supported by campers and donors. IMOM began management of the Little River State Park in October of 2010 and is working diligently to make the park accessible for those with disabilities. Their desire and purpose of

taking on this task is to show off God’s great outdoors. IMOM provides vacation time at no charge to those struggling with physical, mental challenges and those who serve our nation. They are supported by contributions and park revenue. All revenue generated by the park exclusively goes back toward operations, activities, and park improvements.

Every day holds multiple responsibilities for those who are running IMOM. Managing Little River State Park is one of the main responsibilities. Constant care is

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God is “All In” IMOM and You Can Be Too!

extremely important in order to keep the park running smoothly for all the events that are thrown. On top of managing the park, IMOM is answering calls from families daily who are needing help. They also call families daily to check in with them and on those who are sick. IMOM is constantly booking new events for their families to participate in (at no charge to the families). IMOM cares about each and every person and family that calls and participates in all events and aspects of their camp.

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November 2015

Iron Men Outdoor Ministries foresees the Lord moving in the ministry in so many ways!

Newell shares “There is no limit to our God. He is all in IMOM. This is an amazing ministry where God is opening doors and pathways that many times we had not even explored. You have to do more than hold on when God is leading. Time and time again He has proven that we must be ready to put to use the talents and opportunities He has given us!”

As Iron Men Outdoor Ministries grows and continues, their love for the Lord and His children is constant. If you have any

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interest in volunteering or donating to this wonderful mission, please visit www. ironmen.info or call them at (334) 2846523. Their offices are located at 6449 Norman Bridge Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36105. Be a part of their journey!

Laura Bell is a freelance writer, born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. She enjoys spending time with her husband Cody and finding all reasons to have joy in life! **Photos provided by Iron Men: (large) September Warrior Dove Hunt, JT with Coach Chizik, Jeremy with Terri Shaw, and Travis and Muscle Guy.

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November Crosses 2015_Layout 1 10/19/15 3:48 PM Page 1

A Faith Radio donor and neighbor has provided hundreds of 7 foot freestanding wooden Christmas crosses for us to distribute to our listeners for a generous donation. This donation helps Faith Radio continue to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. We will have the crosses available beginning in mid-November. Stay tuned for details of dates and times.

There is a limited supply of crosses and last year the Christmas crosses were gone within the first few weeks of availability.

crosses... will be displayed this year in the Christmas season proclaiming the love of Christ Jesus!

Call to get your Christmas cross magnet!

The ministry of Faith Radio/WLBF is supported by individuals in the Christian community. You can participate in strengthening families as we provide spiritual encouragement with your financial support.

November 2015 River Region’s Journey 25

Contact us at www.faithradio.org, call 800-239-8900 or by mail at P.O. Box 210789 Montgomery, AL 36121-0789.

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Adoption

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy and First UMC, Millbrook APAC- Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Connection Support Group This group provides education and social interaction for adoptive families. Montgomery Group meets 3rd Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m., Room 8114 at Frazer.

For information, call Monica Russell at 409-9477 or email mrussell@childrensaid.org. Autauga/Elmore Group meets 4th Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m., First UMC, Millbrook. Childcare, children’s group and dinner provided. For info, call Hannah Taylor at 409-9477 or e-mail htaylor@childrensaid.org.

Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd.

Leaders: Chad & Betsy Emerson (334) 201-5241 Wednesday, 6:30pm in Rm. 116. The Orphan Care Group will focus on God’s call to help orphans through adoption, foster care, and missions work. The group will share experiences, study and Biblical themes regarding orphan care, and provide a support and network for individuals who want to support orphans.

Location: Millbrook First United Methodist Church, 3350 Edgewood Road Adoption Support- Will meet 4th Tuesday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m.

Alcoholic / Addict

Location: Caring Center of FBC, 52 Adams Avenue CrossRoads Support Group is for addicts/alcoholics and family members.

Meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and follows a Christ-centered 12-step program.

Call 264-4949.

Location: Dalraida UMC, 3817 Atlanta Highway Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.

272.2190. Alanon meets at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Location: First Baptist Church (Huff Community Ministries Bldg., 200 S. Perry Street) Celebrate Recovery, a Bible-based Christ centered approach to recovery from hurts, habits and hang-ups, meets Friday nights, from 5:30 p.m.- 8 p.m. For more information, contact Jane Ferguson at 241.5141.

Location: Grace @ Bell Road, Corner of Bell Road and Atlanta Hwy. Alcoholics Anonymous and Alanon meetings are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, at 6 p.m.

An Open AA Speaker meeting is held on Saturday at 6 p.m.

An Alanon & AA held on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Location: Grace Point Community Church, 78223 Tallassee Hwy (Hwy 14), Wetumpka Celebrate Recovery- every Tuesday night- 6:15pm. All are welcome! These meetings are a safe and loving environment for individuals seeking to conquer their hurts, habits and hang-ups! gracepoint.info.

Location: Journey Church, 2960 East Cobbs Ford Road across from The Catfish House in Millbrook Celebrate Recovery - Christ-centered 12-step for anyone struggling with addiction or life-challenging issues. Mon-

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days at 5:30pm (meal-CrossTalk Cafe), 6-6:55 pm (large group), 6:55-7:45 (small group). Childcare available. Call Larry at 334-832-5714 or visit myjourneychurch.com.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy An Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. in Room 3103. Call 272.8622.

Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. RSVPThis is a 12 step spiritual recovery program for overcoming addictions. Using the steps and Bible we help build self-esteem, responsible behavior, the making of amends for our destructive actions, and to fill the void in our hearts in a loving relationship with God. Wednesday @ 6:30pm in Rm. 121 of the Life Center.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Dementia Daycare is held each Thursday in Rm. 3101 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Each participant may bring a sack lunch. There is no charge. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Call the LifeCare office at 272-8622.

Location: Prattville Church of Christ, 344 East Main St. RSVP - 12 step (Christians Against Substance Abuse-CASA) spiritual recovery program, for overcoming addictions. Class begins each Wednesday evening @6:30 PM. Please call 334365-4201 for addition information.

Location: Santuck Baptist Church, 7250 Central Plank Rd. (Hwy 9), Wetumpka. Celebrate Recovery meets each Thursday evening at 6:15 in the Fellowship Hall. This is a Chrsit centered 12 step-program for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Call 567-2364.

Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is open to all struggling with addictive sexual behavior. If you believe you have a problem with sex addiction (or are wondering if you might) and you want to change your behavior, we recommend you visit our group. For locations, please visit- https://saa-recovery.org/ or please contact – MontgomerySAA@outlook.com.

Meetings are held: every Sunday night - 7:45 p.m, men only.

Every Monday night - 7:30 p.m, men and women.

Location: St. James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road Celebrate Recovery meets every Thursday night from 6-8 pm in the Youth Room. This is a Christ-centered 12-step group for anyone struggling with an “addiction or lifechallenging issues.” For information, call Chris Henderson at 334-215-0427.

Location: Trinity Episcopal, Wetumpka (Across from Winn Dixie on HWY 231) Gamblers Anonymous-Saturdays at 7 p.m.

Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road Celebrate Recovery is a 12-step-Christian process to help you cope with hurts, hang-ups, and habits on a weekly basis.

Led by Jeff McFarland on Wednesdays from 6-8 pm. Call 279-5433 for more info.

Location: First United Methodist Church, Wetumpka 306 W. Tuskeena Street ‘Fresh Start’ Recovery meets every Thursday, 6-8pm (meal included). In 2011, Fresh Start Motorcycle Ministry (FSMM) began when God laid it on the heart of a lifetime biker to minister to those with his background. All are welcome, not a requirement to own/ride a motorcycle. Format used is the Holy Bible. For any info contact ministry leader, Paul Henderson, 334-201-5428.

Alzheimer’s / Dementia

Location: First UMC, 2416 W. Cloverdale Park, Wesley Hall Bldg.

An Adult Parkinson/Alzheimer’s respite ministry meets from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Lunch is served. Contact Daphne at 834-8990.

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Location: Memorial Presbyterian, 2130 Bell Road A Dementia Morning Out for caregivers is offered each Tuesday from 8:45-noon. There is no charge. Each participant may bring a sack lunch (juice provided). Registration is required by calling 274-1018.

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Cancer

Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Rd, Montgomery Cancer Survivors Support Group is sponsored by Samaritan Counseling Center.

We would love to have anyone (patient or family member ) join us. Thursdays at 1 pm. Please call before attending just to make sure we are meeting that week. Please call Debbie D at 467-4578 or Ben W at 202-1912.

Location: Dalraida Baptist, 3838 Wares Ferry Road.

Just for Men -- Faith based cancer support group for men.

Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the conference center. Please call 272-2412 email stan.hurst@knology.net.

Location: ChristChurch, 8800 Vaughn Road Cancer Support Group for general cancer. Tuesday afternoons at 1 pm. For more info, please call Christy Holding at 531-1390 or Debbie at 467-4578.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. Women of Hope Breast Cancer Support Group, providing education, awareness, and mentoring for breast cancer patients/survivors, family, and friends, meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Rm 8253. Call 272-8622 or womenofhope@charter.net.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. The Central Alabama Multiple Myeloma Support Group meets from 10 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of every month in Room 3105. We have guest speakers, video presentations, printed information and a group that welcomes sharing their journey with myeloma in an informal setting. Refreshments are provided.. Contact Lorenzo and Elaine Duncan at 334-281-8158, or at duncan6563@gmail.com.

Depression

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Depression/Bipolar Support Group meets on the 1st Thursday of each month from 7:00-8:30pm in Room 3101. This group also meets on the 3rd Saturday afternoon, 12-2 pm, Dalraida UMC, 3817 Atlanta Hwy in Church Annex. Call 334.652.1431 or email dbsamontgomery@yahoo.com.

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Divorce

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street Divorce Care is held Wednesdays, 6:30-8 pm. Childcare available. $15 for workbook. Dinner at 4:45 ($5 adults, $3 kids). Call Kathy Cooper at 241-5125.

Gamblers Anonymous Hotline: 334-541-5420 or you can call 2-1-1 and ask for meeting information.

Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling: 277-5100

Grief Location: Eastmont Baptist,

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Divorce Care meets each Tuesday from 6-7:30pm. in the Fellowship Hall Lobby. This group will provide support & guidance to assist you in working through the issues, pain & pressures surrounding divorce. Also, Divorce Care for Kids meets each Tuesday from 6-7:30pm. For information, contact 495-6385 or email singles@frazerumc.org.

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Location: Millbrook First UMC, 3350 Edgewood Road DivorceCare- Will meet Sundays from 5-7 p.m.

For more information or to sign up, please call the church office at 285-4114 or email churchoffice@mfumc.org.

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Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road DivorceCare fosters a weekly supportive and caring environment to heal the hurt of separation and divorce. Facilitators are Todd Smith, Wendy Timbie, and Becki Harrison. Call 279-5433.

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Gambling

Location: Cedarwood Community Church, 10286 US HWY 231 in the Wallsboro/ Wetumpka community Gamblers Anonymous, Saturdays at 6 pm. 567-0476 Location: Mental Health of America Bldg, 1116 South Hull Street, Montgomery. Sundays @ 5 pm.

Location: St Paul’s Lutheran Church, 4475 Atlanta Hwy, Mondays @ 6pm.

4505 Atlanta Hwy. Compassionate Friends is a national self-help support organization for families grieving the death of a child meeting first Tuesdays at 7 pm. Call (334) 284-2721 for info.

Location: First UMC, 100 E. Fourth St, Prattville Grief Share, Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm in the church parlor. Call 365-5977.

Location: Frazer UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Grief Recovery Support Group meets Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., Rm 3105, in Fellowship Hall Lobby. 272.8622.

Location: Grace Baptist Church, 304 Old Montgomery Highway, Wetumpka Mourning to Morning is a Christian growth group for mothers who have lost a child, from before birth through adulthood. Meets the last Thursday night of each month. For info, contact Alice Scarborough (334) 462-4775 or Gwen Ellis (334) 567-8754 or e-mail mourningtomorning@gmail. com. Join us on Facebook--Mourning to Morning Group.

Location: Millbrook FUMC, 3350 Edgewood Rd Grief Share meets Sundays from 5-7 p.m. For more information or to sign up, please call the church office at 285-4114 or email churchoffice@mfumc.org.

Location: Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church 1550 E. Washington Street Grief Ministry is a grief recovery support group that meets

every Monday at 6:00 P.M. The ministry is designed to help anyone through the hurt of losing a loved one by successfully traveling the journey from mourning to joy. Alicia Glover is the coordinator. For information contact Glover at 334-281-2754.

Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road GriefShare is a support group that meets Wednesdays from 6-8 pm. This program is non-denominational and features biblical concepts for healing your grief. GriefShare will be led by Howard and Carol Payne and Jim Williams. Call 2795433 for more information.

Miscellaneous Location: 5500 Ash Grove Circle, Montgomery.

OCD Support Group (obsessive- Compulsive Disorder) Long showers, multiple hand washing, rituals, checking stove, hoarding and symmetry. This support group is open to anyone who has struggled with OCD. You’re not alone anymore. Call Donald: 220-7555.

Location: Eastmont Baptist Church, 4505 Atlanta Highway Take Heart is for women dealing with infertility and/or miscarriage. The group meets the first Monday of each month at 6 pm in room 116. Contact Melissa at (205) 9132667 for more information.

Parenting

Location: First Baptist Prattville, 138 S. Washington Moms LIFE (Living In Faith Everyday) meets twice monthly from 8:30 - 11:45 am in the chapel at the Church from Aug May. We offer a time of fellowship, Bible study, musical guest, special guest speakers and a lot of fun!! Cost is $5 per meeting. For moms of all

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Robert H. Owen, Jr. D.M.D., M.S. Prattville Location 460 McQueen Smith Road Prattville, AL 36066 (334) 358-6411

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stages and ages of life. Childcare provided by reservation.

For more info and to reserve your spot, call April Scott at 828-446-6666.

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Moms, need a little break? MOPS is a place you can share a good meal, make new friends, and find encouragement as you face the everyday challenges of raising your little ones. We have educational speakers, great conversation, and fun activities.

Free childcare is provided. Meetings are every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., September through May. Contact Tiffany Alewine at 241-5165.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Frazer mom2mom is a playgroup to connect mothers of ages birth to 5 at Frazer United Methodist Church to share fun and inspiration in our journey together, with our children, and with Christ. Email Mom2mom@frazerumc.org for more information.

together by a common bond, to be better wives, moms, and friends along this journey in the trenches of motherhood. We meet the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month from 9:30—11:30 a.m. Childcare is provided. For info e-mail VFCMOPS@gmail.com.

Physical Challenges

Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Road Visually Impaired Support Group – Meets monthly on second Thursday 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. The group is called Outward Sight - Inward Vision and is for those with vision loss and their caregivers. Our mission is to assist those experiencing vision loss to maintain their independence by providing access to valuable information and spiritual support. Call 272-6152.

Location: Perry Hill UMC, 910 Perry Hill Road Single Moms’ Care and Support Group meets 2nd and 4th Thursdays from 6:15 - 8:00 PM. December meeting will be on the 11th. Free snack supper provided to moms and children. Child care for infants -16 years. Call 272-3174 for information.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy An MDA/ALS Support Group will meet Tuesday August 10 6:00p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in room 3101. Anyone affected by a neuromuscular disease or family members of those affected.

To receive information, call 396-4534.

Location: Redland Baptist, 1266 Dozier Rd, Wetumpka A MOPS group will be held 1st and 3rd Tuesday’s of every month during the school year, and has scheduled play dates and moms nights out through the summer and beyond.

While moms are in a MOPS meeting, their children are lovingly cared for in the MOPPETS program. Email Denise Braswell at deniseorscott@yahoo.com for more info.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy The Montgomery Ostomy Support Group is for people who have had or will have urinary or intestinal diversion surgeries such as colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy. Family members are welcome to attend. Meetings are held every other month generally on a Sunday afternoon. For more information, call Paul at 271-3563 or visit www.montgomeryostomy.info.

Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road Are you in need of a time-out? MOPS joins mothers

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November 2015

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy A Parkinson’s Support Group will meet the 4th Thursday

at 6 p.m., in room 8114 at Frazer UMC. This group is for those who have Parkinson’s disease and the family members. 272-8622.

Singlehood

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Boundaries study for singles meets each Tuesday from 6-7:30pm in the Fellowship Hall Lobby. This study will help singles learn to set boundaries with emotions and help avoid the harmful behavior of others. For more information, call 495-6386 or email singles@frazerumc.org.

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Single and Parenting! A New Group for Single Mom’s.

This group meets every Tuesday from 6-7:30pm for hope & encouragement & guidance & parenting ideas. For information, call 495-6386 or email singles@frazerumc.org.

Location: Cornerstone Christian, 301 Dalraida Rd. Unavoidably Single Again (USA) Fellowship, a support group for widows and widowers. Informal meetings for fellowship and fun are held on the third Saturday of each month starting at 10 AM. Contact Lynda at farauthor@aol. com or 354-8869.

Veterans

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy Veterans OEF/OIF Caregivers Support Group meets on the 3rd Wednesday from 11am-1pm in Room 3108. Contact LaQuana Edwards, Caregiver Support Coordinator at CAVHCS (334) 727-0550 ext. 5350.

Email your support group info to deanne@readjourneymagazine.com!

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10/12/15 8:46 AM

Healing Minds, Bodies and Spirits for Thanksgiving In the field of counseling, one of the most powerful and effective forms of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy. During this kind of therapy, the clinician helps the client examine deep rooted beliefs for validity/truth or utility/usefulness. These beliefs may be so ingrained in identity that they are outside of conscious awareness but subconsciously contribute to everyday reactions and major life decisions. These unexamined beliefs or assumptions can trigger maladaptive emotions, physical sensations, behaviors, communications and finally, unpleasant consequences.

One important characteristic about these beliefs is that they are not the result of motivated thought. We do not try to think terrible thoughts about ourselves; the thoughts arise spontaneously, due to an activating event.

Generally, these maladaptive beliefs about ourselves are adopted early in life, before developing the ability to examine these thoughts and beliefs in a mature and realistic manner.

Typically these beliefs are associated with shame. The result is that we can become very shame driven, rarely making decisions that are wise, rational, or informed and the decisions can lead to unhappy or negative emotions and consequences. This shame driven experience is a spiritual battle for our hearts, minds and spirits.

Think about it like subliminal advertising at the movie theater. The message “EAT MORE POPCORN” pops up on the screen so quickly that we are not consciously aware of it. However, we find that we think and feel we want to eat more popcorn! We did not try to think about eating more popcorn, we River Region’s Journey

November 2015

just did. This is a simplified version of how these underlying beliefs can determine our choices and behaviors without our conscious awareness.

There are a many forms of therapy that include examining patterns of beliefs that may be influencing us negatively. Cognitive Therapy, Rational Emotive Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and many others include exploring faulty assumptions incorporated into belief systems.

Albert Ellis developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and called it the A-B-C Theory of Emotional Disturbance. He quoted a 1st century philosopher Epictetus who said “People are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them.” Obviously, Epictetus had already figured this stuff out long ago. Ellis said that the theory worked like this: A. an Activating experience leads to B. an eruption of irrational Beliefs (generally drawn from deep within) C. causing upsetting emotional Consequences All of this leads to unpleasantness and unhappiness. His remedy for this was to go back and examine the irrational beliefs by: D. Disputing irrational beliefs (for rationality and usefulness) which leads to E. a new Emotional consequence which generally is more rational, wise, thoughtful, logical and less painful.

Traditionally, cognitive behavioral therapy teaches us to identify these deep rooted automatic, irrational and unexamined thoughts and evaluate them for truth and usefulness.

If they are not true and not useful, then more realistic and helpful thoughts and beliefs are developed. Generally, after this reflection, a positive shift in thoughts, mood, and self-esteem is experienced. Clinicians and clients also explore the behavioral outcomes of the irrational beliefs and whether they are enhancing or damaging to personal growth and development. Hopefully through this 30

process not only new beliefs and emotions are developed but more adaptive behavior and healthier consequences.

For people of faith, it is important to understand the wisdom and healing provided by the grace of the Holy Spirit to miraculously transform minds and spirits. Also, to examine what the Scriptures tell us about who and Whose we are. Obviously, the Bible is the best resource for this but I have found that a daily devotional that emphasizes Jesus’ healing words of grace to be most helpful. In this time of Thanksgiving, let us all be thankful for the Blessings that abound.

Consider these common human thoughts and feelings statements: “I am unlovable.”

Or what scripture promises us in Jeremiah 31:3: I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

“I am hopeless.”

Or conversely the scripture in Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The result of healing of mind, body and spirit is peace as expressed in Philippians 4:7.

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Which statements do you think Jesus would like for us to have written on your heart and mind this Thanksgiving?

Nancy W. Thomas, M.A., N.C.C., C.C.M.H.C., L.P.C. Nancy Thomas is the Executive Director of Clinical Services at The Samaritan Counseling Center, Inc. in Montgomery. She is a National Certified Counselor, Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor. She graduated from the University of Alabama with an M.A. in Counselor Education in 1994. She has extensive training and experience in mental health and marriage and family therapy. Her professional interests are in mental health recovery, adolescent and college issues, life transitions, healthy relationships, marital counseling, parenting, spirituality and identity development, and preserving marriages and families. Nancy works primarily with adolescents and adults.

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November 2015 Community Calendar Monthly events can also be found in the Around Our Community Section starting on page 8.

Now through November 13

Frazer United Methodist Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy, invites children to have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of basketball in a Christian environment. Boys and girls in K5 through 8th grade can register in the Activity Center or online by Nov. 13. Practices begin the week of Monday Dec. 1 - first game is Saturday. Jan. 9, 2016 - last game is Feb. 27, 2016.

The early bird registration cost is $90, and

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November 2015

includes a uniform. Call 495-6459 for more information. See more www.frazerumc.org.

November 11-15

International Church World Convention Nov. 11-15, 6-9 p.m. and 10 a.m.- noon Friends of Faith Ministries, 560 Oliver Road, Montgomery. Capital City Friends of Faith presents this year’s convention: “Doing the Will of God.” This event will combine our yearly Rededication Conference with the Eternal Friends Network Missions Conference, Interfaith University Graduation Ceremony, and the Another Level Praise Party. There will be several practical teaching sessions for the whole family and a Riverboat Cruise down the Alabama River on Saturday, Nov. 14. Featured speakers and musical guests include the legendary Gospel great Rev. Milton Biggham and the Stellar-nominated Georgia Mass Choir on Friday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets for the Riverboat Cruise can be purchased by going to www.WorldFaithEvents. com or calling 1-888-777-9862, ext. 810.

November 14 Turkey Shoot 8 a.m. - noon. First Baptist Church Posey CrossRoads, 576 County Road 40w, Prattville. Turkey Shoot/Yard Sale/Bake Sale. Shooters will try to win a Turkey by shooting targets, closest person to the center of

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the target wins. Ammo will be provided: 12-1620-& 410. Cost: $5.00 per shot.

College Street Church of Christ is hosting an Annual Closet Giveaway from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. The location is 36 Aztec Rd., Greenville, AL 36037. All items are Free. Anyone in need is invited to come. No early birds please! The giveaway will start promptly at 7 a.m.

December 2 6:30 p.m. Candlelight Harpischord Chamber Concert at Christchurch, 8800 Vaughn Road.

You are invited to a free concert of sacred and secular music. The 45-minute performance will feature instrumental and vocal pieces performed by the church’s chancel choir and soloists from the church, as well as outside professionals. The free concert in the church’s sanctuary will begin at 6 p.m. Reception to follow in Canterbury Hall. Reception tickets will be available by calling (334) 387.0566, ext. 203. Please visit www. christchurchxp.net for more details.

Ongoing Happenings AGLOW International meets every third Thursday, 9:30 at the Montgomery House of Prayer. All women welcome to join together for praise, prayer and an anointed message. Contact mboudousquie@yahoo.com.

Bridge of Life Assembly of God, 9000 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, holds Sunday morning worship at 10:30

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a.m. each week. Sunday school classes meet at 9:30 a.m. We offer classes for all age groups and childcare is provided. Our goal is to build bridges...not walls. We invite you to come join us if you need to learn how to build those bridges. For directions or information call 334-396-0208. Visit www.bridgeoflife.tv.

Central Community Christian Church, 981 South Perry Street, Montgomery, holds new members training classes on Sundays at 9 a.m. Sunday School (9:30), morning worship (11:00), Tuesday night Bible study (6:30). Every fourth Sunday of the month is our youth Sunday. For more information please call (334) 269-0457 or by email at centralccchurch1@gmail.com.

Christchurch, 8800 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, Sunday Worship 9:30, Fellowship/SundaySchool for all ages. Monday: Women’s Enrichment 6:00; Wednesday: Enrichment for all ages 5:30-6:30; Parish-wide supper 6:30-7:30 every Wednesday; Thursday: Men’s Breakfast Bible Study 7:00 a.m., 11th Floor Goode Building/ Jackson Hospital; Women’s Enrichment Bible Study and Lunch, 11:45 am- 12:40 pm. Call 387-0566 for info.

Chisholm Baptist Church, 2938 Lower Wetumpka Road, Montgomery, holds Sunday morning Bible study (9:30), Morning worship (10:45), Tuesday prayer breakfast (8:30) Wednesday evening prayer service (6 pm) and Senior Body and Soul Group (every 1st Tuesday at 1 pm). Email jbass9784@charter.net or call 262-6437.

First Presbyterian Church, 9299 Vaughn Road, hosts a Men’s Prayer Breakfast every Friday morning, 6 a.m.

The Youth of First United Methodist Church, Montgomery every Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. for

Wednesday Night Live, a time of praise and worship in “the attic”. Also, every Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. is MYF which includes a snack supper $3.00 followed by activities, small groups and lots of fun! Visit www. fumcmontgomery.org.

First United Methodist Church will host Terrific Tuesdays. Please come and join us for fellowship, a program and lunch. Terrific Tuesdays will meet each Tuesday in room 204 of Wesley Hall. Fellowship time will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by a program at 10:30 a.m. and lunch at 11:30 a.m. The cost of lunch is $2.50. Contact NeeNee Webb at 834-8990.

Frazer mom2mom is a playgroup to connect mothers of ages birth to 5 at Frazer UMC to share fun and inspiration in our journey together, with our children, and with Christ. Email Mom2mom@frazerumc.org.

Good News @ Noon is an interdenominational Bible study, held at the First Baptist Community Ministries Building on Adams Street, Thursdays, at noon. Small cost for hot lunch. Call 272.1133.

Hall Memorial CME Church says: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Tutors, prayer-warriors, and office/clerical volunteers needed for the Montgomery City Jail Ministry & G.E.D program. Opportunities are ongoing. No experience or certification necessary. Contact Pastor Anderson T. Graves II, at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com.

Call 334-288-0577. The City Jail ministry is an in-reach ministry of Hall Memorial CME Church, 541 Seibles Road, Montgomery.

Macedonia Miracle Kingdom & Worship Center (MMKWC), 3070 Selma Highway, Montgomery,

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services are Sunday School and New Members Class, 9:00 a.m., Morning Worship, 10:45 a.m.; Tuesday Night Bible Class, 7:00 p.m. and Friday Night Prayer, 6:00 p.m.

(BOTH at The Pattern-Mt Meigs Road) Messiah Lutheran Church, 6670 Vaughn Road, invites all to Wonderful Wednesdays starting with a $3-5 meal at 5:30 pm (RSVP 277-4213 by Monday noon), worship with eucharist 6:15-7:00 pm, and adult choir rehearsal and Catechism class for 7th-9th graders at 7:00 pm. For information, call 277-4213.

Mt. Gillard Missionary Baptist Church, 3323 Day Street, holds Wednesday Bible Study in the church Fellowship Hall and lasts for one hour. Please come and participate in roaming the Bible learning God’s word through teaching. The Rev. Henry M. Carnegie, Jr. is the teacher and pastor. Mid-day Bible Study begins each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Evening Bible Study begins each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Call 233-8750.

Open Door Christian Faith Worship Center, 2450 Presidents Drive, Montgomery, holds Sunday School at 9:00. Sunday Morning worship 10:45. Wednesday night Bible study 6:00. Youth Sunday Every 2nd Sunday.

Women’s Prayer Monday 6:00. Our Mission is producing believers who make an impact on a fallen society.

Motto: Living –Loving-Praying and Walking In The Spirit of Excellence. William E. Cromblin, Pastor. For information call 334-270-6498.

Perry Hill UMC, 910 Perry Hill Rd, sponsors a Bluegrass Jam in the Church Fellowship Hall on the third Saturday of each month from 9AM - 12AM. All Bluegrass Artist plus Fans are invited to attend. Attendance is FREE. For information call Kathy@ 272-3174.

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Perry Hill UMC, 910 Perry Hill Rd, hosts a Wednesday Night Supper and Revive! program each week from 5:30pm til 7:00pm. Reservations are required by noon on the Monday prior to the supper. Cost is $4 per person or $12 per family. Call 334-272-3174 for more information.

River City Church, 301 Dexter Avenue, offers a Friday Christian Night Club (free of alcohol and smoking) with Ballroom Dancing every Friday at 6:30 P.M. Cost $10 for a one hour lesson, devotional, and 3 hours of DJ music.

All denominations welcome. 7:30-10:30 open dance floor.

The River of Life Church, located at 116 County Road 40 E (in the Pine Level Community Center) Prattville.

Pastor Nick Edwards invites you to a “Place of New Beginnings”, where families come and grow together.

Church Service Schedule: Sunday 10:30 a.m. Sunday School; 11:00 a.m. Morning Worship; 5:00 p.m. Evening Worship. Wednesday 6:00 p.m. Adult Bible Study, Teens (Genesis Project), Jr. High (Limitless), Royal Rangers, MPact Girls, Rainbow’s/Noah’s Zoo Club. Thursday 9:00 a.m.Women of Grace Bible Study. Nursery provided. Call the church office 334-657-0392 or visit www.theriveroflifechurch.net.

Saint James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road, offers S.N.A.G. (Sunday Nights About God!) This program starts at 5:00p.m. and ends at 6:30p.m. Childcare is provided for small groups until 7:00p.m. Don’t forget this program is available for all children!

Saint James UMC, 9045 Vaughn Road, offers Wild & Wacky Wednesdays! Wednesday night supper starts at 5:15p.m. We will start checking children in at 6:00p.m.

This program ends at 7:30p.m. and childcare is provided until 8:00p.m. for small group participants. Call 277.3037 for more info.

Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, 706 E. Patton Avenue, “Clothes Closet” is open to the public each Thursday morning from 10 a.m. – Noon. The Men of Saint Paul host a free Men’s Prayer Breakfast the Third Saturday of each month at 8 a.m. in the Church Fellowship Hall. The Men’s Prayer Breakfast is open to all men of all ages. Come and share your concerns and needs of our Men of today. For more information, please contact (334) 354-1897. Bible Study is held each Wednesday, 6-7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. For info call 286.8577.

S-STOP, a commUNITY Bible study for Singles.

Souls Strengthened Together for One Purpose. Psalm 46:10 “BE STILL and know that I am God.” Meets at Prattville Christian Academy on Sunday nights at 6 p.m.

For info email sstop04@gmail.com.

Vision Full Gospel Ministries, 163 Rifle Range Road, Montgomery, holds Bible Study Tues. Night 7:00 p.m., Pray & Praise 2nd & 4th Thurs. Night 7:00 p.m., Sunday School 9:30 am, Sunday Worship Service 10:45 a.m., Internet radio-homecominggospel.com Sunday 3:00p.m.

Central & 4:00 p.m. Eastern. and Satellite Radio -wlsg 1340am Sunday 3:00p.m.

Women at The Well Ministry invites you to attend its women’s fellowship at 1 pm every 1st and 3rd Saturday.

We are women who desire and have a heart to see broken, crushed, hurting women be transformed through the one man who can fulfill their every need... JESUS. All women of all denominations or race are welcome.

This ministry is available to teenagers as well. For info contact Evangelist Dr. Linda McCall, 334-220-1924.

Send your events to deanne@ readjourneymagazine.com.

River Region’s Journey

November 2015

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Standing Firm in His Peace As a couple, what are you doing to strengthen your marriage and family?

Stand firm then . . . . with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:14, 15) The apostle Paul presents a finished picture here of the armor of God. Perhaps, in his captivity as Paul lay chained to a Roman soldier while this letter was written, he imagined the soldier as the model for his description of “The Armor of God”. Paul turned each piece of the soldier’s armor to a Christian use. This month, we will study “standing firm with the feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”.

As husbands and wives we want to run the race victoriously. Sharing a daily devotion together strengthens us as a couple. In fact, recently, during our Character-Centered Parenting workshop for military couples, the importance of a strong foundation for your marriage and family was demonstrated during a 3-legged race. One couple was allowed to talk prior to and during the race, representing a strong couple who share the same goals and communicate well and often. The second couple faced in opposite directions signifying a couple who have different goals and aspirations. The third couple was not allowed to talk. They represented a couple who is headed in the same direction but are too busy to talk. Needless to say the first couple won the race!

The shoes of readiness. The shoes of the Roman soldiers were heavy sandals stud-

ded with hobnails to give a secure foothold.

Paul identifies these shoes with the firm “footing of the gospel of peace.” Our daily march brings us peace when we are close to God each day. But, how do we find God’s peace?

The gospel of peace. The Bible declares, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). If we abide in Christ, staying close to Him, we know that God is at peace with us. And Jesus Christ is our peace. When in the midst of turmoil and battle, we have God’s assurance that nothing can separate us from Him. Romans 8:35-38 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The gospel of peace is the firm assurance of God’s love, and in this, and this alone, we stand.

The peaceful heart. “The peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). A calm heart helps us to know what God wants us to do. Many of us have hearts beating so loudly and fast we can’t hear God’s quiet voice. The peaceful heart is able to put its whole strength into its work. That is what troubled hearts can’t do, for much of 35

their energy is taken up in quieting themselves, or is wasted by going after a dozen other things. However, when we are engaged in quiet fellowship with Jesus Christ, we have all of our energy at our disposal and can fully concentrate on the work God has called us to do. A quiet heart makes us ready for duty.

Many of the upsets that come against us come unexpectedly--Mike calls them “unplanned challenges”. It is the sudden assaults we are not looking for that work most disastrously against us. We should cultivate a careful watchfulness against our own weaknesses and keep close hold of Jesus which brings us peace and makes us steadfast, however sudden the assault.

Many Christian’s are not in the habit of strengthening their walk with Christ. “For it is the Gospel that brings the peace, and if its peace brings the preparedness, then the way to get the preparedness is by immersing our minds and hearts in the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (Bible Hub, MacLaren). Remember using tracing paper as a child? We would place the transparent paper on top of a picture and trace it carefully. We must stay close to God until the image of Jesus Christ Himself is reproduced in us.

A 4-Step Challenge. (1) Make a list of what you are currently doing to strengthen you armor--to prepare yourself to face and overcome the challenges of life. (2) Ask your spouse to do the same. (3) Make a date to sit down with your spouse and compare lists. (4) Based on your comparison, pick three things that you and your spouse will do together in the next 30 days.

Lt. Col Mike Conn and wife, Lisa, founded Covenant Family Ministries when Mike retired from the Air Force in 1997. CFM is an independent marriage and family education ministry committed to partnering with churches, organizations, and individuals in Montgomery and across Alabama to build Family Teams for Christ. Married for over 33 years, Mike and Lisa have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren.

November 2015

River Region’s Journey

Q. With all the economic problems in the country today, what can college students do to avoid money problems in the future?

A. There are always three or four things smart things you can do to protect yourself financially.

One is to live on a budget. When you give every dollar you make a name, and write in down on paper, it helps you know what your money is doing instead of wondering where it went.

Two more good ideas are staying out of debt, and saving as much money as possible. Your money is your biggest wealth-building tool, and when you’re saddled with debt, your money goes to creditors instead of into your pocket. Saving money is what prepares you for the good and bad things life throws at you — whether it’s putting money aside to buy

River Region’s Journey

November 2015

a car, a house or handling unexpected things that always happen.

Another thing is investing. I know you’re young, but a little bit invested now could make you a millionaire when you’re ready to retire. These are all simple things, but they’ll make a huge difference in your financial situation now and in the years to come!

Q. I’m having issues with my youngest brother, and I need some advice. He’s 25, divorced and has two kids. He only wants to play dad when it’s convenient for him, and he’s very irresponsible with money as well. Our parents passed away a few years ago, so this leaves me to be the big brother and dad at the same time.

I worry about him, but I’m not sure how to help him grow up. Any advice?

A. One of the bad things about these

situations is watching people you love do stupid things to themselves and the people around them. And I don’t know

36

that there’s really a lot you can do without becoming the enemy to some degree.

You can always try to hold him to a higher standard and refuse to tolerate immature, irresponsible behavior when you’re around him. You might even look for opportunities to use yourself as an example. Point out areas in your life where you made mistakes in the past and how you fixed the problems. But to go out and directly intervene in his life, trying to force him to be a man, would be a tough thing to pull off.

When I help people on my show, I have the benefit of them calling in and actually looking to me for help. These people actually care about what I think. I don’t just walk up to folks and say, “You know, what you’re doing there is really stupid. Let me fix you.” I think that’s kind of the situation you’re in right now. I would also begin to pray for him, and ask God to bring people into his life who will have a positive impact.

You never know what might happen, and asking God for help is never a bad idea. Who knows? He might even start dating some strong, mature young woman who’ll jerk a knot in his tail and straighten him up!

Vaccine is the best method to prevent influenza (flu), pneumococcal disease (pneu), and reduce complications.

FLU VACCINE

PNEU VACCINE

• Recommended for 6 months of age and older

• Recommended for 2 months to 5 years and 65 years and older

• Available types include: nasal mist, high-dose, under the skin, egg-free, or 3-4 strains

• Two vaccines protect against 13 and 23 strains of pneumonia

• Vaccine can be given from September - March each year

• Risk groups and all adults 65 years should receive both vaccines

For more information, contact your healthcare provider, county health department, or community vaccinators.

The

Living Christmas Tree December 11 • 7 pm December 12 • 4 & 7 pm December 13 • 4 & 7 pm Tickets available online beginning November 9.

Call 334.241.5156 or order online

at www.thelivingchristmastree.org No offering will be taken during the presentation. $5 per ticket suggested.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH montgomery

305 South Perry Street Montgomery, AL 36104