River Region Christian April 2024

Feature Articles

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APRIL 2024

Columns

Faith @ Work: Robert Fike

We sat down with Robert Fike, husband, father, and Vice President of Internal Operations for Lowder New Homes, to discuss his journey to accepting Christ at 22, why he highly values relationships in his workplace, and how he depends on Christ daily to walk out his faith during good and bad times.

Perseverance Wins the Prize in Step Families

by Gayla Grace

Marriage can be a difficult journey even in the best of circumstances. Throw in ex-spouses and trying to blend stepchildren and some couples simply want to give up the fight. You’ll find great advice here for moving through the hard times with patience and hope for a future worth having.

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Ministry Spotlight:

page 2

Publisher’s Note

Jason Watson

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Pastor's Perspective

Father Andrew Rowell, Christchurch

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Books to Read

page 6

Faith @ Work

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Women Arising

Pastor Kemi Searcy

page 15

The Intersection

Bob Crittenden

Young Life

by Kym Klass

The ministry of Young Life has been building relationships with and discipling high school and college students in the River Region for decades. Find out how to get your teen involved or how to volunteer your time serving our community’s youth.

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Counselor’s Corner

Lennie Howard, LPC, LMFT

page 20

Dave $ays

Dave Ramsey

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

Research Editor

Wendy McCollum

Contributing Writers

Tim Challies

Bob Crittenden

Gayla Grace

Kim Hamblin LPC

Kym Klass

Dave Ramsey

Father Andrew Rowell

Kemi Searcy

Advertising Opportunities

Jason Watson ads@readjourneymagazine.com

(334) 213-7940 ext 702

Content Manager

Anna Watson

Social Media Manager

Scott Davis

Ad Design

Tim Welch, Welch Designs

River Region Christians is published monthly by Keep Sharing, P.O. Box 230367, Montgomery, AL 36123. For information, call 334-213-7940. River Region Christians is copyrighted 2024 by KeepSharing. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

The opinions expressed in River Region Christians 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 Christians has the right to refuse any content that is not consistent with its statement of faith.

From the Publisher

Springtime is so exciting.

I love watching the buds break through as nature wakes back up and begins its next season of growth. But there’s a downside. The rain!

I love the Fall season the most because temperatures are mild, the sun is shining, and it’s dry.

That might be good for top-down rides in my jeep, but not for feeding new growth. We need the gentle showers of Spring to breathe life into the earth and nurture the seeds of new beginnings.

What a great lesson, though, for all of us. Just as the rain refreshes the soil and encourages the growth of vibrant blossoms, so does God’s Word nourish and cultivate our souls, guiding us on a journey of spiritual growth and renewal.

Just as seeds require water to germinate and grow, our hearts require the living water of God’s Word to flourish and bear fruit. Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “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.”

Praise God that the Holy Spirit works within us, illuminating Scripture and nurturing our faith, transforming us into His children (Romans 8:14-16). Like tender shoots emerging from the soil, we are continually shaped and molded by the transformative power of God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit.

No Rain = No Growth

Just as the rain falls according to His divine plan, so does His Word penetrate our hearts to bring spiritual growth and renewal. As you read this month’s issue, open your heart to receive the nourishment of God’s Word, allowing it to take root deeply within us and bear fruit in our lives.

Pastor’s Perspective

by Father Andrew Rowell, Christchurch Anglican

God Makes Much of Meager Offerings

I’ve had two passages from the Bible on my heart for the past few weeks. When read together, they offer a profound reminder that, on the one hand, we can do nothing without God’s help and, on the other, that God will take our meager offerings and do more with them than we could ask or imagine!

The first passage is from Mark chapter 9:14-29. Jesus, Peter, James, and John, just returning from the mountain on which Jesus had been transfigured, come upon the other nine disciples who were arguing with the scribes. The nine had failed to exorcise a demon, so we presume the argument was about the reasons why they had failed. Jesus arrives and not only casts out the demon, but, when the exorcism leaves the boy “like a corpse,” takes the boy by the hand and raises him back to fullness of life. The part of this story that has really struck

me is the conversation that happens in the aftermath of Jesus’s mighty act. When the disciples ask why they had failed, Jesus replies, “This kind of demon can only be cast out by prayer.”

When I was younger, I used to think that this passage indicated that there must be “types of demons.” Perhaps some require fasting, others prayer, others yet other means. But I now realize that Jesus was not describing “types of demons,” but rather rebuking the disciples for relying on their own power and not His. In other words, there is no type of demon that isn’t cast out by prayer – for what is prayer but the reliance on God’s power and not our own?

All the struggles in our lives - our addictions and our failures and our sorrows – they all require prayer to the only One Who can truly help us - the God Who heals, Who redeems, Who exchanges our mourning for the oil of gladness (Isaiah 61:3).

loaves and two tiny fish, blesses it, breaks it, and passes it out until, not only are five thousand men and untold women and children fed, but twelve baskets of leftovers remain.

When I was younger, I used to think that this passage was only about the power of Jesus to feed His flock, just as He did by providing manna in the desert to the fleeing people of Israel in Exodus 16. And, to be sure, it is about God’s mighty power to provide. But I’ve also come to see in that little boy’s actions a call to discipleship in my own life. He didn’t have much to offer. Yet he gave the Lord all that he had. And by God’s power his tiny sack lunch became more than enough to feed the hungry, comfort the suffering, and soothe the afflicted.

The second passage is the familiar story of the feeding of five thousand from Mark 6:30-44. In it, we find Jesus and His disciples intending to go to a remote location for some rest. Yet the crowds chase after Jesus, longing to hear more from Him. Jesus sees them, has compassion on them, for they were “like sheep without a shepherd,” and takes the time to teach them many things. When they grow weary and hungry from a long day of learning from the Teacher, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has them sit down on the green grass (Mark 6:39; Ps. 23:2). He takes a lunch from a young boy (John 6:9) consisting of five small

Some of you may know that Christchurch Anglican is acquiring the beautiful land and buildings of our next door neighbors, Southern Homes & Gardens. We could have never anticipated such a blessing coming our way, for it, indeed, came out of nowhere. It feels like the Lord has just plopped it into our laps and said, “Watch what I’m about to do!”

Will you pray for us as we discern next steps? As we ask God to guide us, we pray that He would guide you and your congregation as well. May Christians across the River Region, all of us saved by the mighty blood of Jesus, be found to be people of prayer, who rely on God’s power and not our own. May we all trust that God will take our offerings, however meager, bless them, break them, and do infinitely more with them than we could ever ask or imagine.

Fr. Andrew Rowell is delighted to be the second Rector of Christchurch Anglican. He has a passion for preaching and teaching God’s Word and for sending the church out into the world to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

Fr. Andrew is married to Miriam “Mimi” Suber Rowell, who is a Critical Care Registered Nurse. Andrew and Mimi have two sons, Stephen Ebenezer (Eben) and Ezekiel McConnell (Zeke).

God’s Grace for Every Family

by Anne Meade Harris

Thirty percent of families in the US are led by a single parent. Nearly nineteen million children have just one parent in their home. And while the actual numbers will vary from nation to nation, most of the Western world experiences something similar—large numbers of families that are led by just one parent. Sometimes the cause is divorce, sometimes death, sometimes unplanned pregnancy, and sometimes any number of other factors. But the reality is that more people than ever are raising families alone.

And this makes me wonder: Are our churches a safe and attractive place for such families? Do we welcome them and make them feel accepted? Do we account for them in our ministries, in our programs, in our sermon application? Do we acknowledge that single-parent families not only exist, but form a significant part of the population? Do we truly value them?

It was these questions that compelled me to read Anna Meade Harris’ new book God’s Grace for Every Family: Biblical Encouragement for Single-Parent Families and the Churches That Seek to Love Them Well. Though I do not have experience in being part of a single-parent family, I do serve a church that has included a good number of them. And I have wondered if we have served them well. Her book is meant to provide comfort and counsel to single parents while also informing and training churches to love them well.

Harris became a single parent in 2010 after her husband succumbed to colon cancer. At that time, their boys were nine, twelve, and thirteen years of age. And she was left to finish raising those boys and to press on in life without her spouse, her partner in so many of life’s blessings and challenges.

Her chapter on vulnerability helped me better appreciate how single moms are often especially vulnerable in any number of ways and often carry that sense of vulnerability with them throughout life. And her chapter on shame helped me understand how churches can inadvertently increase the sense of shame that so many single parents carry, even when the circumstances that led to being single are in no way their fault. These lessons and so many more have helped me better understand, better appreciate the challenges, and, I trust, better love those who are living them out.

The hope and confidence in this book is that the challenges of doing all this alone can be met within the church where God’s family can step up, care, love, and provide. The church is meant to be a place where the fatherless can find a father figure and the motherless a mother figure. It is, in short, a place where God means to bless every family—even, and perhaps especially, those families who are most broken and most in need of his grace.

The Kindness of God Beholding His Goodness in a Cruel World

by Nate Pickowicz

There is much to love and appreciate about our God, much for which we ought to give him praise and thanks. One of the attributes we may consider too seldom is his goodness, and as an aspect or component of his goodness, his kindness. And that is the subject of Nate Pickowicz’s new book The Kindness of God: Beholding His Goodness in a Cruel World.

The fact is that we live in an unkind world. We live in a broken world in which we sin and grieve and suffer. We live in a world in which evil comes to each of us and in which evil comes from each of us. We are accustomed to being unkind and being treated unkindly. And in such a world it may be hard to believe that there is a God who is kind. Yet this is exactly how God reveals himself to us.

“God is good; we are sinful,” says Pickowicz in the early pages. “Because of this, we are undeserving of his goodness. But because of God’s mercy, he demonstrates lovingkindness to us. Therefore, every kindness we experience is pure grace and ought to be received with gladness and thankfulness.” This “Grand Premise” stands behind the book and serves as a kind of backdrop to an exploration of the topic.

The bulk of the book explores God’s kindness as he displays it to us in various ways: In the salvation of the lost, in granting the gifts of repentance and faith, and in the blessing of sanctification. Then it turns to God’s kindness in relationships like marriage, children, friendship, and even with God himself. It turns to God’s kindness in giving us blessings like gifts and talents and provision for our needs. Of course, the book would be incomplete if it did not account for God’s kindness to us in our suffering. One particularly encouraging chapter shows how God’s kindness meets us in our trials and tribulations. While we may never understand why bad things happen to us in this world, we can most certainly be assured that God’s lovingkindness to us never ceases and never permits anything that is ultimately to our harm.

The book wraps up with a pair of chapters that show how God’s kindness is also reflected in Christians (since those who have been recipients of God’s kindness must display it to others) and in his grace to the nations (since without his kindness the world would be uninhabitably awful).

I have often been drawn to God’s kindness and pondered what a blessing it is. The Kindness of God has provoked me to do so once again and to praise and thank him for this most wonderful of attributes. And for that, I’m grateful.

RRC: How were you encouraged to become a Christian at 22?

RF: After making bad choices, I was between a rock and a hard place. One Saturday morning, with no answers to any of my issues, a friend of a friend showed up at my house with the help I needed. After showing Christ to me, she introduced me to John Schmidt, a pastor at Frazer Church at the time. Through Carol Ann Nolen’s love for Christ and John’s teaching, I accepted Christ and never looked back.

RRC: You mentioned that you had no experience building homes when you became a part of the team at Lowder New Homes in 1996. How did that change your life?

RF: In 1996, I was waiting tables at Jubilee Seafood and attending school at AUM. Mr. Lowder would bring his family to eat, and I got to know them by serving them. After

months of this, Mr. Lowder asked me to come work for him. It was the first of many blessings the Lord has used through the Lowders in my life.

RRC: What does demonstrating a servant’s heart mean to you as the acting VP of Internal Operations?

RF: I take it to heart that my first job at LNH is to serve my boss and ensure I am a good steward with the resources afforded to me. A close second is investing in the staff and helping each become the best person they can be. I pray for the families and try my best to keep the relationship ahead of the work. It’s tough sometimes. I want to be successful and do my best for LNH.

RRC: You married and divorced young. What did that process reveal to you which led you to Christ?

RF: As I was eluding to earlier, I was in a tough place. It was my fault. I was living a life that was leading to death. That’s when Carol Ann came in and explained Christ to me. It was Carol’s love for Christ, not her words, that touched me the most. She was sincere and believed in her heart the truth. She shared the Gospel with me, and I was all in.

RRC: How do you view your work as a vocation calling and a duty to God?

RF: I believe God gave me this platform for a purpose. I was not educated in the construction industry when Mr. Lowder hired me. Fast forward 28 years later, I am still building and have such a great platform to help and love others. The people I have met and the relationships I have built are blessings. I love the construction industry. But, even more, I love the people it allows me to meet each day.

RRC: How have your bosses impacted your life through your work?

RF: Mr. Lowder has been such a blessing to me and my family. He provided the opportunity for me to learn and grow. As the VP of Internal Operations now, I can’t say enough

about how the Lowders have blessed my life. My immediate boss, Jimmy Rutland, is just as big of a blessing. He is my boss, and I do all I can for him. He is a loving, Godfearing man who provides a Christ-centered experience in the office. I love that we can pray with and for one another and the entire LNH family. Every meeting starts with a prayer. It is a Christ-centered family, and it starts from the top down.

RRC: What has God taught you through interacting with people in the community?

RF: We are all hurting. We all wear a mask. We all need grace. Remembering this helps me see each person through Christ’s eyes and helps me want to grow closer to them. I am not perfect. I struggle with my flesh daily, but after 28 years of close interaction with so many different people, Christ still teaches me to love people, no matter if they love me back.

RRC: What advice would you give someone struggling to become closer to God?

RF: The word says to draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Take the first step and start talking to Him. He will show up. He is trustworthy and is always faithful. Day after day, He proves His love, and it amazes me. I have been in a lot of tough spots, and He is always faithful.

RRC: When challenging times occur, how do you strive to maintain a Christ-like behavior?

RF: Every morning I pray, read, and reflect before I leave the house. I remember what God has done in the past in my life, and I trust He will do it again. I tell people to write down the things God has done in their life. When things get tough, Satan loves to tell you that it is over. But when I reflect on His blessing in my life, I receive the peace of Christ and find the courage to take another step.

Robert Fike has been married to Kelly for three years. They have a blended family that consists of: Alex and Austin (31, twins), Anne Katherine (23), Jaylyn (22), Carson (21), and Jax (18).

In the early years of our marriage, I wondered if we would make it to our next anniversary.

Blending four children, grappling with our stepparent roles while learning to parent together, combating ex-spouses, and trying to stay afloat with job, church and community obligations seemed impossible.

As we celebrated 21 years of marriage recently, I’m thankful we never quit.

Randy and I lead an ongoing stepfamily class at our church and often counsel other step couples. One day I asked him why he thinks the divorce rate of remarried couples is so high. His

answer was simple: they quit too soon. Yes, there are struggles with ex-spouses, a complicated schedule, bickering kids, financial concerns, and on and on. But the reason most remarriages fail is because step couples don’t devote enough time to work through the kinks and find success in their relationships. Perseverance is a foreign word in too many homes.

Stepparenting should be viewed as a marathon, not a sprint. If a marathoner begins a race with even a small consideration to quit when it gets hard, he won’t finish. When the muscle cramps slow his gait, when the road stretches endlessly, when his breathing labors under the hot sun, as others stumble along the way, he has to decide he won’t give in to the temptation to stop. The choice is daunting.

It’s no different as a stepparent. Without a firm commitment to trudge through the challenges that come your way, you won’t make it. It’s tough. Very few stepfamilies escape what stepfamily expert Ron Deal calls the “wilderness wanderings.” The wanderings will look and feel differently for every stepfamily, but

just as the Israelites wandered aimlessly through the wilderness for 40 years, most stepfamilies endure days, and possibly years, of hardship and suffering. If you don’t determine ahead of time that you will persevere when it gets tough, you will turn back. You won’t find the blessings that accompany your journey in the end. Stepfamily statistics confirm that.

Randy recently experienced the privilege of walking his youngest stepdaughter, Jodi, down the aisle. His face radiated with the joy of the moment. Tears welled in my eyes as I recounted his 20 years of commitment to my girls. But Randy will be the first to tell you he is an imperfect stepfather. Although his stepdaughters now love him dearly, it hasn’t always been that way.

Stepparenting should be viewed as a marathon, not a sprint. If a marathoner begins a race with even a small consideration to quit when it gets hard, he won’t finish. When the muscle cramps slow his gait, when the road stretches endlessly, when his breathing labors under the hot sun, as others stumble along the way, he has to decide he won’t give in to the temptation to stop.

Jodi was almost three when we married and my oldest daughter, Jamie, was five. Randy had a difficult time with Jamie from the beginning. She didn’t want another dad in her life and she made that clear to him.

He overheard a conversation between the two girls one night during our first year of marriage. “I hate him too, I can’t believe Mom married him,” Jamie told Jodi. There was little love, or even like, between Randy and the girls in the beginning.

During our second year of marriage, Randy left the house one evening and called from a nearby hotel. “I’m not coming home tonight. I’m not sure I’m coming home again. I can’t cope with the ongoing conflict between me and you and the kids.”

It was a tough season. Randy brought two children to the marriage also and attempting to blend our four kids, ages 3-10, while learning how to stepparent and parent together, proved harder than we anticipated. But neither of us wanted to endure another divorce. Randy and I began counseling that year to work through the bumps.

Jamie challenged us on every turn during her teenage years. If Randy punished her in the slightest, she threatened to call Child Protective Services. She ran away more times than I can remember (but thankfully never went far). After one particularly difficult day with defiant behavior, Randy took Jamie’s cell phone and threw it to the ground. As it busted into several pieces, Jamie began yelling at us both. The night didn’t end well. And I wasn’t sure the sun would come up the next day.

But it did. And Randy didn’t give up on his stepparenting journey with Jamie. When she came into driving age, Randy wanted

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to teach her to drive. She tested every ounce of his patience. They would come in from a driving session hardly talking to one another—Ja mie’s anger brewing over. But the next day, they were at it again.

During her high school years, Jamie participated in competitive cheerleading. Randy would jokingly say, “Do you call cheerleading a sport?” The ongoing drama with other cheerleaders, out-of-town competitions, and continuous suction cup to his wallet threw Randy into stress overdrive. His grumpiness overshadowed his joy at times. But he didn’t quit supporting Jamie and the things that made her tick.

As Jamie left for college, I’ll never forget her words to him. With a wrap-around hug and a smile on her face she said, “Thank you for being such a great dad to me. I love you!”

Jamie traveled to Mozambique, Africa for an eight-month missionary journey after she graduated from college. She left in early summer, and we knew it would be hard to communicate with her while she was gone. As I suspected, though, she made sure to call on Father’s Day despite the sevenhour time difference. When Randy answered the phone, I saw tears in his eyes as he listened to Jamie recount lifechanging experiences. He knew he had contributed to her stability and maturity that enabled her young life to now make a difference with others. She closed with the words every stepfather loves to hear, “Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you. I miss you.”

Do you have to be a perfect stepparent to have a meaningful relationship with your stepchildren? No! Randy’s

stepdaughters, Jodi, now 24, and Jamie, now 27, love their imperfect stepdad.

Why? How did that happen? Randy never quit. He got up when he fell down. He sought help when he needed answers. He cried. He prayed. He struggled. He fought. He apologized. He forgave. He smiled with gritted teeth. But he never quit.

Is it a cycle? Yes. You take one step forward and two steps backward. You celebrate a season of growth and then start a season of despair. You gain the insider status day and feel like an outcast the next.

Stepparenting is tough. Mistakes are made. Perseverance in the midst of it requires an intentional choice. But with that choice comes reward. I love the promise of Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (NIV). James 1:12 offers another promise: “A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” (HCSB).

If you’re trudging through difficult days in your stepfam ily, don’t give up. Rely on God’s strength and power to sustain you—He will see you through to better days ahead.

Gayla Grace writes, speaks, and coaches on family and stepfamily issues. She is a wife, mom to three and stepmom to two, ages 16-31. She holds a master’s degree in Psychology and Counseling and founded stepparenting withgrace.com to offer coaching, resources and other support to stepfami lies. She co-authored Quiet Moments for the Stepmom Soul and resides in Shreveport, LA.

by Kym Klass

As a former Young Life student, Kenyatte Hassell can attest to the profound impact the organization had on his spiritual development – providing him with a supportive community, caring mentors, and opportunities for growth that helped him become a better person.

It is an organization he has been involved in for over 30 years – as a student, a leader, and currently, as the Montgomery Urban Director.

“Overall, Young Life’s mission is to introduce young people to Jesus Christ and help them develop a lifelong faith that will guide them through the challenges and opportunities of adolescence and beyond,” he said.

Young Life has a rich history in Montgomery, with its establishment in the community dating back to 1970. For over five decades, Young Life has been actively involved in the lives of young people, providing them with a supportive and nurturing environment to

explore their faith and build meaningful relationships, Hassell explains.

“The organization’s impact on the community has been profound, and with the ongoing support of dedicated volunteers, donors, and community members, Young Life will continue to make a difference in the lives of Montgomery’s youth for many years to come,” he said.

Today, the organization serves in Carver High School, Brew Tech High School, JAG High School, and Percy Julian High School. They meet twice a month at McIntyre Community Center or other locations throughout the city. They also attend a camp called Windy Gap, a Young Life Camp in North Carolina.

Young Life helps students grow in their faith, Hassell said, adding it seeks to provide a safe and welcoming environment for young people to explore and deepen their relationship with God.

Operating through a network of local chapters – typically led by adult volunteers who have a heart for mentoring and supporting young people – volunteers, known as Young Life leaders, build relationships with teenagers in their communities through activities such as club meetings, small group discussions, and social events.

The organization’s purpose, Hassell said, is to reach out to young people who may not have a church background or who may be seeking a deeper spiritual connection.

“Young Life leaders strive to create a nonjudgmental and inclusive space where teenagers can feel accepted and supported, regardless of their beliefs or background,” Hassell said.

The global ministry impact of Young Life shows that over 2.3 million students were “known by name” in the 2022-23 ministry year, according to the Young Life Annual Report – which stated that together, “we can know eight million adolescents by name in the year 2030.”

Through Montgomery’s programs and events, “Young Life aims to provide teenagers with opportunities for personal growth, leadership development, and community service,” Hassell said. “The organization also offers camps and retreats where young people can disconnect from their daily lives and focus on their relationship with God.”

Young Life accomplishes its mission several ways: praying for young people; going where kids are and building personal relationships with them; working in community alongside like-minded adults; and through providing fun, adventurous, lifechanging and skill-building experiences.

“Young Life is important to the community because it provides a positive and supportive environment for young people to explore their faith and build meaningful relationships,” Hassell said. “The organization offers a sense of belonging and community for teenagers who may be feeling lost or disconnected, and it gives them a space to grow and learn alongside their peers.

Young Life works with both schoolaged and college students, offering programs and activities tailored to each age group, Hassell said.

The organization typically has separate chapters for middle school, high school, and college students, with trained leaders who understand the unique challenges and needs of each age group.

“For school-aged students, Young Life provides a safe and fun place to gather, socialize, and explore their faith,” Hassell said. “Leaders build relationships with young people through school visits, club meetings, and other activities, creating a supportive community that extends beyond the school walls.

“For college students, Young Life offers opportunities for spiritual growth, leadership development, and community service. College chapters may host Bible studies, social events, and service projects to help students deepen their faith and connect with likeminded peers.”

Overall, Hassell said Young Life plays a vital role in the community by providing young people with a supportive and caring network of mentors, friends, and resources to help them navigate the challenges of adolescence and young adulthood. The organization’s focus on faith, friendship, and personal growth, he said, makes it a valuable asset to communities looking to support and empower their youth.

“God’s purpose for human beings is to love Him and love our neighbors,” he said. “Through my experience with Young Life, I have found a meaningful way to fulfill this purpose.

“Through Young Life, I have learned the importance of loving God and loving others, and I am grateful for the role this organization has played in shaping my faith and character. Young Life has been instrumental in helping me fulfill God’s purpose for my life, and I am proud to be a part of such a transformative and impactful organization and I want the same for the teens today.”

A Bible verse that encapsulates the mission and purpose of Young Life is found in Matthew 28:19-20, where Jesus instructs his disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

“This verse highlights the importance of reaching out to others, sharing the message of Jesus, and helping them grow in their faith,” Hassell said.

“Young Life’s focus on building relationships, mentoring young people, and guiding them on their spiritual journey aligns with the directive given by Jesus to make disciples and teach them to follow His teachings. Just as Jesus promised to be with his disciples always, Young Life seeks to walk alongside young people as they navigate the ups and downs of life and grow in their relationship with God.”

To volunteer: Email Hassell at kenyounglife@ me.com or call (334) 799-7849.

To donate: https://giving.younglife.org/s/ -- a donor must include the ‘area number’ AL-19

More information: https://younglife.org/

Kym Klass is a contributing writer and Communications Director of the Media Ministry at Frazer Church in Montgomery.

Staying Posted

A high school student in Whitley County, Kentucky, was aware of mental health struggles that her classmates experienced, and a Faithwire article reported that she decided to do something about it. The article relates:

“Our school, along with the middle school, has struggled with suicide,” Sophy Jones told WKYT-TV, referring to her school, Whitley County High. “And, a lot of people struggle with their mental health.”

The article noted she had her own struggles and goes on to say:

After seeing a popular trend on TikTok, the teenager decided to start a prayer wall in her high school. The walls, she said, were created to “help spread God’s Word” to those who need encouragement.

Many of the Bible verses scrawled on sticky notes lining the girls’ bathroom walls are passages that made a huge difference in Jones’ own life.

“God saved me,” the faith-filled student told the local news outlet.

Jones said, “People can just write down a Bible verse or, like, ‘Jesus loves you,’ for example, and you can either take it with you if you want to keep it as a note; you can repost other ones,” adding, “They could take that verse and say they want to read it, or we do have Chromebooks at school, so they can Google the verse.”

Student Evelyn Philpot was also involved in launching the prayer walls. She is quoted by Faithwire: “The other

day, I had seen a young female student who had one of the yellow sticky notes with a Bible verse on it…and it just really like made my day to know that this is something that people are loving and it’s actually helping them...”

The students participate in the First Priority organization at the school. Director Todd Lawson noted, “With prayer and God, that’s the only answer we got — that’s our only hope...I may feel not important at home, I may not feel important to a teacher, I may not feel important to somebody, but God loves us and ain’t nothing more important than that.” The television station’s article reported that Lawson mentioned a suicide prevention emphasis at the school.

There are all sorts of creative ways to do prayer! These students saw a need and realized that prayer could have an impact on students in their struggles. We can respond to the needs about which we become aware by coming before Him; Jesus has granted us admission, and He invites us to come before His presence and bring our requests.

This school district had been adversely affected by suicide and mental health concerns, a trend in cities and towns, rural and urban areas - we live in a fallen world, and our young people especially are in peril. We can be diligent to call upon the Lord and realize we should go to God first with our challenges.

This is especially important in light of opposition to public prayer. For instance, there are European officials who desire to place a restriction on prayer. In the aftermath of regulations in the United Kingdom forbidding silent prayer in front of abortion clinics, Germany has proposed its own potential curbs on freedom of expression.

The Christian Post reports:

Christians in Germany are expressing their concerns over a proposed bill that aims to establish censorship zones around abortion facilities, potentially penalizing pro-life prayers and offers of help, with fines up to $5,000, or $6,300. The bill, criticized for its vague language and questionable necessity, seeks to prevent actions the government deems “confusing” or “disturbing” within 100 meters of such facilities.

The international arm of Alliance Defending Freedom, ADF International, has spoken out against this proposal; the article notes:

The bill is ambiguous and lacks evidence supporting the need for this legislation, the rights group ADF International says, pointing out the government’s admission of lacking concrete data on incidents near abortion facilities.

The group draws parallels with the U.K.’s experience, where similar buffer zones have led to legal challenges against individuals praying near abortion clinics, referring to the Public Spaces Protection Orders in the U.K. The PSPOs threaten free speech and the right to peaceful prayer, the group adds.

Wherever we are, whatever time of day, we can continue to be persistent in prayer. Like Daniel, there may be consequences for our obedience to God - in an increasingly hostile atmosphere, harassment may occur: praying is always the right thing to do. We have to be careful not to be complacent or stuck in routine; rather we can make prayer a key part of our routine. By doing so, we can experience a level of enthusiasm from which we can draw supernatural strength. We will see God move in powerful ways as we accept His invitation to come before His throne, realizing that He is with us.

Guilt: True or Toxic

I have often told patients that, “Guilt is the most useless emotion we have unless it leads us to change our behavior.” While this statement contains a grain of truth, it is far too simplified. True, guilt is the emotion we experience when we have done something wrong. It’s the gnawing sense that we have done something we shouldn’t have or have not done something we should have. Authentic or true guilt can be a positive force for change.

Guilt can also be a negative, or toxic, emotion if we feel responsible for something when we are not. Quoting a Jewish novelist from a true story titled The Teacher of Warsaw, “Guilt is not a good thing. It accuses us, condemns us, and delivers a very harsh sentence.” Guilt tells us that we are not enough, not getting it right, or should be doing something more when it’s not true. Guilt nags, leads us to beat ourselves up for past choices, or to saying yes when the best answer is no. We can squeeze the joy out of life unless it is recognized and addressed.

Ironically, the word guilt appears in the Bible only six times, all in the Old Testament, three of those are in Psalms. Guilty appears four times in the New Testament. True, “sin” implies guilt.

Positive or authentic guilt usually serves us well; it can motivate us to do pos-

itive things or keep us from doing or saying hurtful things. For example, it helps us consider the needs of others, leads to acts of compassion, and encourages honesty. It helps us take responsibility for our actions. It can help us realize when we have said or done something to hurt someone’s feelings. Our true sense of guilt can lead us to admit guilt, apologize, and take action to make amends.

Toxic guilt makes us feel responsible when we are not. It can damage our relationship with ourselves and with others. It can cause us to blame ourselves for everything or take responsibility for the behavior of others when we are not respon sible. An example is someone who believes they are responsible for ev eryone in their life, thinking that they must take care of another’s problems and abandon their own self-care.

have caused and which expectations of ourselves we violated. We make a sincere apology and determine whether we need to make amends or how we might stop further damage. We need to examine the lessons we can learn and how we can change our behavior in the future. A person who is truly sorry for that behavior should change that behavior and resolve not to repeat it.

Guilt often comes when our values are out of alignment with our actions, which means we may have to examine our values. It is often not easy to recognize that we are feeling guilty about something. If we can recognize or name guilt, we can disarm it. Steps to dealing with false or toxic guilt include labeling the behavior or thought that is causing guilt, determining whether it is accurate or not, asking ourselves if there is evidence that supports our feelings of guilt, determining what would be a more accurate or truthful thought, and replacing the lie to ourselves with truth.

If we are truly guilty, we need to admit it. We need to determine what harm we

Guilt controls our behavior in ways that we may not recognize. We might decide not to leave a relationship to avoid hurting another person who has become too dependent because we believe that person needs us. We stay in relationships (friendships) we really want to end “when helping you is killing me.” We help family when we are enabling them because “they are my (grown) children.” We say yes (repeatedly) to mom when it’s inconvenient or infringes on our life. We stay in a job (or marriage) we don’t want that has become too demanding (or after a spouse’s repeated cheating) because “they need me and can’t function without me.”

These are a few situations in which guilt controls our behavior. The emotion of guilt is much more complicated than we realize. Next time guilt overwhelms you, take a few moments to analyze whether it is “authentic” or “toxic” in that particular situation.

Dr. D. Kim Hamblin is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Alabama. He received a B.A. in Psychology from Mississippi State University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He maintains a fulltime private practice which specializes in adult individual therapy. Special interests include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorders and ADD/ADHD.

Adoption

Location: Vaughn Forest Church, 8660 Vaughn Road, Montgomery APAC, Alabama Pre/ Post Adoption Connection Support Group: This group provides education and social interaction for adoptive families. Meets 3rd Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m. For more information call Jill Sexton at 409-9477.

Alcoholic / Addiction

Location: Christchurch Anglican, 8800 Vaughn Rd Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday night. Dinner at 6:00, nursery available for children 4 and under. Large Meeting starts at 6:30. For information, contact Dolly McLemore 334-301-3490.

Location: Dalraida UMC, 3817 Atlanta Hwy, Montgomery An Alanon meeting is held at 9 am on Saturday mornings. Call 272.2190 for details.

Location: Grace Presbyterian Church, 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: Heritage Baptist Church, 1849 Perry Hill Rd, Montgomery, AL Route1520 is a Christ-centered recovery movement dedicated to showing the way home for men impacted by sex and pornography addiction. Meets: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:00 PM CST. Email montgomery@route1520. com, visit http://www.route1520.com/men/groups-formen/ or call 877.200.1520.

Location: Journey Church, 435 Sheila Blvd, Prattville Celebrate Recovery - Christ-centered 12-step for anyone struggling with addiction or life-challenging issues. Mondays beginning at 6:15 pm. Childcare available. Call John Pearse at 303-243-4308 or visit myjourneychurch.com.

Location: Prattville Church of Christ, 344 E Main St. CASA - 12 step (Christians Against Substance Abuse) spiritual recovery program, for overcoming addictions. Class begins each Wednesday evening @6:30 PM. Please call 334-365-4201 for additional information.

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 life-challenging issues.” For information, call Chris Henderson at 334-215-0427.

Location: First United Methodist Church, 306 W. Tuskeena Street, Wetumpka ‘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. For any information contact ministry leader, Paul Henderson, 334-201-5428.

Location: Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1728 S. Hull Street, Montgomery Awaken is a Christ-centered recovery movement dedicated to showing the way home for men impacted by sex and pornography addiction. Meets Thursday from 6-7:30 pm. For more information email riverregion@ route1520.com, visit http:// www.route1520.com/men/ groups-for-men or call 877-2000-1520.

Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is open to all struggling with addictive sexual behaviors which may lead to guilt, shame, depression, anxiousness, and loneliness. Examples included use of pornography, adultery, fantasy, reckless sexual behavior, and more. Meetings are Sunday nights. For meeting times and location, please contact – MontgomerySAA@outlook.com or call 334245-1686. For more resources on sex addiction, please visit - https://saa-recovery.org/.

Alzheimer’s / Dementia

Location: First UMC, 2416 W. Cloverdale Park, 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.

Location: Frazer Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy

An Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in Room 3103. Call 495-6343. for more information.

Cancer

Location: Aldersgate UMC, 6610 Vaughn Rd

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: 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 Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy.

Central Alabama Multiple Myeloma Support Group meets from 10 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of every month in Room 3105. Contact Joe Crowley at 334-207-4385 or jpcrowl46@yahoo.com

Location: Frazer Memorial UMC, 6000 Atlanta Hwy.

Location: Frazer Church, 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 Room 8114. Call 220-4599 or e-mail womenofhope@ charter.net

Divorce

Location: First

Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry Street

Divorce Care

Wednesdays, August 16 — November 8 | 6:00 PM | Room B405

Find help and healing in the hurt of separation and divorce. This class is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. Don’t go through separation or divorce alone. The seminar will feature videos of top experts on divorce and recovery, followed by support group discussion. Facilitated by Robert Gassman

Location: Centerpoint Fellowship 1200 McQueen Smith Road South, Prattville, AL Divorce Care Sundays @ 9:00 am in the Conference Room. Child care is available. Contact Angie Davis at 730-2566 for information.

Gambling

Location: Cedarwood Community Church, 10286 US HWY 231 in the Wallsboro/Wetumpka community. The church is 1 1/2 miles past Tutweiler prison.

Gamblers Anonymous, Saturdays at 6 pm. and Mondays at 6:30 pm. Call 567-0476.

Location: Mental Health of America, 1116 South Hull Street, Montgomery. Sundays @ 5 pm.

For more information about the GA meetings call 334399-6918. For information about counseling services or to request a guest speaker please call the Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling at 334-277-5100.

: Cornerstone Christian, 301 Dalraida Road

River Region

Survivors of Suicide meets on the second and fourth Thursday of every month (excluding holidays) from 6:30-8:00 PM. Welcomes anyone regardless of their religious beliefs. Contact Cheryl Vinson at riverregionsos@gmail.com.

Location: Eastmont Baptist, 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.

Location: Church of the Highlands, 4255 Taylor Rd. Eryn’s Embrace offers hope and healing to children and teens grieving the loss of a loved one through peer support groups. Meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 4-5:15. More info: www.erynsembrace.org; erynsebrace@gmail.com; Erin Camp 334-657-1871.

Location: First Baptist Church, 305 S. Perry St. A GriefShare support group is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief. Through this 13-week group, you’ll discover what to expect in the days ahead and what’s “normal” in grief. Since there are no neat, orderly stages of grief, you’ll learn helpful ways of coping with grief, in all its unpredictability—and gain solid support each step of the way. Wednesdays, August 16 – November 8 | 6:00 PM Room B415. Facilitated by Ben Kelley & Cathy O’Dell

Location: Frazer Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy GriefShare, Wednesday mornings 10am -12pm in the East Sanctuary. Spring group meets through April 26. Fall group from Sept. 6 through Nov. 29. For information call the church 272-8622. Dian Sims (facilitator)

Location: Grace Baptist Church, 304 Old Montgomery Highway, Wetumpka, AL

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.

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.

Parenting

Location: First Baptist Prattville, 138 South Washington Moms LIFE (Living In Faith Everyday) meets twice monthly from 8:30 - 11:45 am in the chapel at the Church from AugMay. 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 stages and ages of life. Childcare provided by reservation. Call April Scott at 828-446-6666 for more information.

Location: Landmark Church, 1800 Halcyon Blvd. Single Moms Support Group, Wednesday nights

at 6:30 p.m. in classroom 118. For information call 277-5800.

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.

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.

Location: Young Meadows Church, 5780 Vaughn Rd River Region MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 am (September-May). Interested moms can reach out to riverregionmops334@gmail.com or find us on Facebook. riverregionmops334@gmail.com.

If You’re Not Going All In, Stay Out

Q . I have an idea for a small business I think would be a huge success in my area. How do you feel about me keeping my current day job, and hiring a full-time manager for the business to handle the day-to-day operations, while I do the accounting and oversee things? If it doesn’t break even or better, I can always close it. In my mind, I equate my plan to being like selling real estate on the side, while keeping my regular, full-time job. What are your thoughts?

A. To be honest, I don’t think there’s a high likelihood of success using this model. Unless, of course, you’re willing to devote 40 to 50 hours a week to this new business, in addition to the time you spend at your current job. In my mind, you’d have a better chance of making it

work if you bought an existing business with a manager already in place. That way, at least you wouldn’t have to be so entrepreneurial and constantly involved in things like adjusting the business model, checking prices and dealing with customers.

Honestly? This idea isn’t a lot like real estate at all. Real estate will run itself—for the most part—once you find a tenant. Also, the number of hours you’d have to put into selling real estate on the side is nothing like the time you’d spend getting a new business off the ground.

Here’s the deal. The secret ingredient to your small business success is you. You are the ideas, the passion and the energy. The problem with your plan is that you

are only a small part of the equation. Franchises and chains try to train this kind of stuff into people with pep talks and other forms of motivation, but when something’s your baby, it’s really your baby. You’re going do your best, days, nights and weekends, to grow it properly. You’re going to worry over it constantly, and treat it almost like it’s your very own child.

I love your entrepreneurial spirit, but I’m sorry, I just don’t like this plan. It sounds like your idea is to swing by once in a while, eyeball things and crunch a few numbers. And if that’s the case, I wouldn’t waste my time or money if I were you. You’d probably benefit your community more by just giving what you’d invest in the venture to a good charity.