River Region Christians (August 23)

Feature Articles

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Faith @ Work: Charlie Harrelson

Meet husband, father, and owner of H&H Carpets in Montgomery. Charlie Harrelson has been serving the community for 30 years in the carpet business and gives God all the credit for his beginnings and his success. He also shares the secret to a strong, lasting marriage along with other insights about the faith.

On Letting Your Kids Go

by Tim Challies

Sending our children out of the nest and into the world is an exciting, yet emotional transition for parents. Find advice for balancing letting them go with continuing to love and support them through the young adult years.

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Ministry Spotlight: LOVE LOUD Montgomery

by Kym Klass

Formerly Forest Park Ministry Center, Love Loud is committed to meeting human needs while spreading gospel seeds. In addition to their food pantry, which allows those with financial needs to shop for themselves, LLM also offers counseling services for people struggling with grief, anxiety, and other hardships. Find out how you or your church can help!

AUGUST 2023

Columns

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Publisher’s Note

Jason Watson

page 4

Pastor's Perspective

Dr. Chris Montgomery, Frazer Church

page 11

Moments with Kym

Kym Klass

page 12

The Intersection

Bob Crittenden

page 18

Women Arising

Pastor Kemi Searcy

page 19

Counselor’s Corner

Sarah McCrory, LPC

page 20

Dave $ays

Dave Ramsey

In Every Issue

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Books to Read

page 7

Faith @ Work

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

Kay Cannady, LPC

Tim Challies

Bob Crittenden

Kym Klass

Sarah McCrory

Pastor Chris Montgomery

Dave Ramsey

Kemi Searcy

Advertising Opportunities

Jason Watson ads@readjourneymagazine.com

(334) 213-7940 ext 702

Digital 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 2023 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

God’s Not Mad at You

Our world is full of judgment and condemnation. Cable news and social media are two easy examples. But there are others closer to home. Sadly, this could be your parents, friends, or even spiritual leaders.

Here’s the worst part about that... all that judgment and condemnation can wrongly creep into the way you see God and the way YOU THINK He sees you. I like the often-used phrase by Christian author and preacher, Steve Brown, when he says, “God’s not mad at you.”

Is that a phrase that’s hard for you to believe? Thankfully, it fits quite well with John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

God’s love goes beyond human comprehension because He doesn’t give us what we deserve; it is unconditional, all-encompassing, and without limits. Do you need proof? The ultimate display of this love is found in the sacrificial act of sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem humanity from sin and reunite them to Himself.

God didn’t come to rescue us from our sin with a scowl on His face or with a look of disgust as He washes us white as snow. It is His joy to rescue and redeem us. Like the Bible stories of the one lost sheep or the prodigal son - He pursues us and welcomes us home.

If you want to see Him correctly, think on the way the Bible describes His longsuffering nature, His willingness to wait patiently for us to turn to Him, and His desire to extend forgiveness and redemption. He is the good Father that we dream dads should be. He is the model for all loving fathers. And through the pathway of Jesus’s redeeming sacrifice, we can approach Him knowing He loves us more than any other.

You may be thinking, “Yeah, but you don’t know me.” Thankfully, God’s mercy knows no bounds. It is readily available to anyone who seeks it genuinely. No matter what we have done or how far we may have strayed, God’s mercy offers a fresh start and a chance for ongoing transformation as we learn and live His perfect will by His Spirit at work in us.

Many struggle to accept God’s love, feeling unworthy or burdened by their past – judged and condemned. However, God’s love is freely given, not earned by your good behavior.

What if today you open your heart to the real God of the Bible? The one who isn’t mad, but instead wants to give you a long embrace. An embrace that makes your heart melt. The kind that makes a grown-up cry like they’re eight years old again because you finally feel safe, loved, and accepted.

Find a room to be alone with God. Physically open your arms and ask God to love you with His perfect love as you praise Him for Jesus’s atoning sacrifice on your behalf. Sit in that love. Offer thanksgiving for it. Let it transform you.

Pastor’s Perspective

by Chris Montgomery, Frazer Church

Betrayed

Have you ever been betrayed? Odds are we all have. In different ways and to different degrees we have all felt the sting of betrayal. Some of us carry the weight of our betrayal with us every day. Some of us do a pretty good job of compartmentalizing the betrayal we have experienced, or we do our best to forget it.

If anyone had the right to feel betrayed it was one particular person we read about in the book of Genesis. His name in Hebrew is Yosef, but we know him as Joseph. He experienced many betrayals. “Joseph” means “May God add or increase” yet much of his life did not feel that way. He was as the 11th son of Jacob and the firstborn to his mother, Rachel, the grandson of Isaac, the great-great grandson of Abraham. He had one brother named Benjamin, and ten half-brothers. He was a dreamer

of dreams and an interpreter of dreams. Thirteen chapters of Genesis are devoted to his life. And what you experience in that reading is one betrayal after another.

Joseph’s ten older brothers were jealous that their father (Jacob) favored Joseph and gave him the famous coat of many colors. In their jealousy and rage the brothers thought about killing him. One brother, Reuben, stopped them. Instead of killing him, they threw him into a cistern that was meant for holding water, and they happened to choose one that had no water in it. While in the pit, the brothers sat down for lunch and later admitted that they could hear his cries for help, but they did nothing. After some time in the empty pit, Judah, another one of the brothers, suggested that they sell Joseph and at least make a little money. And sure enough, Joseph was sold into slavery when he was only about seventeen years old. He served his slave master Potiphar faithfully, but Potiphar had him put in jail after hearing a false accusation made by Potiphar’s wife. An inmate, who happened to be the cupbearer to Pharaoh, was helped by Joseph when Joseph interpreted a dream he had. The cupbearer promised to help Joseph but forgot his promise to help clear his name, leaving Joseph imprisoned until he was thirty. One betrayal after another.

Joseph lived with jealous siblings who wanted to kill him. He was physically assaulted and abused by them. He was

sold like property by his own family members. He was falsely accused of things he did not do. He was lied to by someone he helped and trusted. If anyone had the right to feel betrayed it was Joseph. He was just like many reading these words right now. In this moment you might be able to raise a shaking hand and say, I too have been betrayed. The pain may still linger while the memories remain vivid.

While you may be able to identify with the malice of Joseph’s story, my prayer today is that you would also be able to identify with the miracle of it as well. We could point to his perseverance or his prayer life. We could point to his resolve to never lose hope or patience. But the one thing that finally set Joseph free from the pain of the past was a moment of forgiveness. In Genesis 45 we see Joseph in the presence of his brothers once again, not only giving forgiveness for all the things that they had done, but also looking back over his life and seeing how God used all the evil he experienced for good.

What if we could do the same? What if we could wade through all the emotions of the hurt to see the helping hand of God bringing us to this point in time. Do we have some scars? Yes. Is life exactly what we thought it would be? No. Is God still in the business of redeeming our history so that we may have a testimony? Absolutely!

May we be able to say what Joseph said so long ago in Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Chris Montgomery is senior pastor of Frazer United Methodist Church, 6000 Atlanta Hwy, Montgomery, AL. Visit www.frazer.church.

Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Morman Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew

by Micah Wilder

Micah Wilder was raised in a faithful and devout Mormon home, first in Indiana and then in Utah. Like many young Mormons, he decided to embark on a two-year evangelistic mission. For much of the time he spread the Mormon gospel, telling all who would listen (and many who wouldn’t) that God was restoring the true Christian faith through the Mormon church.

Several months into this mission, Micah encountered a Baptist pastor. He was intent on converting this pastor to Mormonism and convinced he had provided a perfect defense of his faith. But there was one thing he couldn’t shake. The pastor had listened attentively, then encouraged Micah to do the simplest thing: to read the Bible free of Mormon presuppositions while pleading with the Holy Spirit to illumine the Word. He took up the challenge and read the New Testament not once, but repeatedly. And over time God was pleased to act—he opened Micah’s eyes to the truth. He came to understand that, contrary to Mormonism, he could not earn his salvation, but could receive it only as a free gift of grace. He repented, believed, and was saved. Yet he was still in the Mormon church and his newfound convictions did not go over well with his leaders. Inevitably, he was called before them and disciplined. He left the church and began a ministry meant to reach Mormons and others with the good news of what Christ has done.

So where do my hesitations come in? First in the lack of attention to the importance of the local church in the life of the Christian. I understand that coming out of an institution as overbearing as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, Wilder may have had some hesitations about aligning with another institution. Yet while his conversion happened outside the context of a local church, he never seems to integrate with one and tell his readers that they ought to do the same. Even now it’s hard to tell if he is connected to a local church or if he’s merely connected to a parachurch organization. There is also the role of different forms of prophecy or other unusual elements in his story in which he is told—and appears to believe—that he has an unusually important role to play in God’s plan for this world. And then there is the way he tells the story as if he could recollect the fine details of conversations that took place decades earlier, something that does not seem entirely plausible.

Yet these potential weaknesses aside, Passport to Heaven is an interesting and engaging book and its author has an important story to tell.

Memorable Loss:

A Story of Friendship in the Face of Dementia

by Karen Martin

Is it possible for beauty to exist alongside realities as distressing as dementia and as dreadful as death? Is it possible to write about such realities in a way that is both devastating and encouraging, that is both shatteringly sorrowful and heartbreakingly beautiful? Karen Martin’s Memorable Loss: A Story of Friendship in the Face of Dementia answers with a resounding yes.

Karen Martin’s friendship with Kathleen was perhaps a bit unconventional, not least because they were separated in age by several decades. Yet after meeting through the local church, they became fast friends. Kathleen served as a kind of mentor and confidante, but, as is true in the best of friendships, Karen reciprocated despite her relative youth. Their love and friendship grew through many years and many shared experiences.

Eventually, though, Karen began to notice some changes in Kathleen. She became less comfortable in social settings, less confident in making decisions, and more easily confused. And then came the diagnosis of that most dreaded of diseases: Alzheimer’s. Kathleen had never married and was thus without children to care for her. And so Karen and a couple of Kathleen’s nephews took on the responsibility of helping her through her illness and guiding her through her diminishing abilities.

Alzheimer’s is both progressive and terminal. While Kathleen was at first able to care for herself, the time came when the disease progressed so far that she needed to be placed in a care home. She lived here in relative contentment until the end finally came.

Memorable Loss is Karen’s account of the days from immediately prior to Kathleen’s diagnosis all the way to her passing. It explains Alzheimer’s and dementia and shows how though they necessarily reduce the patient’s capacities, they do not reduce her personhood. It tells of some of the trials that caretakers must endure and some of the agonizing decisions they need to make on behalf of the one they love. And it does all of this through the highest quality of prose.

Martin tells not only of the tragedy of disease and death but of the beauty of the faith and friendship that bound the two women together. It’s an achingly beautiful account that leaves the reader groaning with the sorrow of this world but rejoicing in its delights and longing for the day when death and mourning, when crying and pain, will have passed away. I simply can’t recommend it too highly.

RRC: How has owning H&H Carpets for 30 years impacted your faith and spiritual journey?

CH: God has called everyone to work. Owning H&H has impacted my faith by helping me see the faithfulness of God. I got into the flooring business as an installer for about two years. I had an idea to sell flooring 30 years ago and went to Dalton, Georgia. I purchased one roll of carpet with the last few dollars and installed it myself. God has opened doors that I could have never been able to open.

RRC: How has prayer sustained your marriage for over 20 years?

CH: Marriage is the most important relationship under God on this earth and

the most challenging relationship you can have. Prayer is needed in my marriage because a sinner is married to a sinner. Without God and prayer at the center of my marriage, it can be difficult. Prayer has sustained our marriage through the rough times. My wife and I always reflect on when we prayed for a spouse and heard God’s voice. We focus on the faithfulness of His grace and the goodness of what he gives us when we are obedient, like eternal life, love, joy, peace, children, and health.

RRC: What advice would you give someone who struggles to accept Christ into their life?

CH: I did not grow up in the church. At 32, I got saved, and my whole life changed for the better. Until I accepted Christ, nothing ever worked out for me. Life was such a struggle, whether it was relationships, jobs, family, etc. If you are struggling to accept Christ into your life, I would encourage you there is no better decision you will ever make in your life. I can’t tell you that there aren’t challenges and struggles, but when you accept Jesus Christ, your life will never be the same again. Please, don’t waste your life unfilled, dissatisfied, hopeless, beat down. If you want your life to have meaning and purpose, accept Christ and change will start to take place in your life.

RRC: How is your faith restored daily and how did you become grounded in church?

CH: My faith gets restored every day through God’s word and prayer. The church is one of the greatest movements of all time and one of the greatest resources God gives us. The church is where washing takes place with Christians. It’s a place to worship, and the greatest thing is being in God’s presence. When you know you are in God’s presence, you want to keep going back.

Church is such a valuable tool for Christians and families.

RRC: What is lacking and needed in the community among God’s children?

CH: It’s not more churches we need. We need men to stand up and take the lead. We need men to be committed to God, family, and the church. We need men to have more integrity. Integrity should be a vital part of the Christian life. Where the father goes, the family will follow. It’s time for men to be men, and the homes will change.

RRC: What advice would you give someone struggling to find a partner grounded in faith?

CH: Do not settle for anything other than God’s best. The most important relationship under God is the relationship with your spouse. Even Christians sometimes get anxious or in a hurry to make a quick decision when we act on our emotions without seeking God first. Hang on, keep praying. Hang on until you hear God’s voice. You do not want to miss God on this one.

RRC: What does integrity mean to you?

CH: I will not compromise my integrity for anyone or anything. Integrity is that important to me. My relationship with God is more important to me than anything else. People can manipulate and deceive people, but God knows the truth and the motives of the heart. If we as Christians are accountable to God rather than man, then we won’t have to worry about things people worry about so much. It involves consistency as well as someone who does the right thing.

Charlie Harrelson owns H&H Carpets in Montgomery, AL. Charlie has been married to Kim Harrelson for over 20 years. They have four children together.

I won’t ever forget the day we dropped Nick at college. We had driven him down to Louisville, Kentucky where he had enrolled in pre-seminary studies at Boyce College. We had helped get his little dorm room all set up. We had dropped by the bookstore and picked up the last of his textbooks. We had attended the orientation meetings and the chapel service. We had huddled together to pray. And now there was just one thing left to do—begin our journey home and leave him behind.

As I drove along Lexington Road and made my way toward I-64, Aileen sat beside me and wept. She did not weep gently. She did not weep in such a way as to have

a few tears trickle gently down her cheeks. No, she wept as if her heart had been torn in two. Hours later we arrived home and, as we began to settle in for the evening, I had my own moment of emotion when it came time to lock the doors, for I realized that I was no longer locking all my children in to the safety of our home, but this time locking one of them out.

We adjusted quickly, of course. Nick thrived at Boyce and we took great joy in his joy. How could we lament his absence when he was doing so well, learning so much, and growing so substantially in wisdom and godliness?

Two years later we had to do it again when Abby headed down to join him. We found her departure a little bit easier

having gone through it once, but also a little bit harder in that it came in the midst of a pandemic that had very nearly closed the border between our countries. This year we will do it all again, when Michaela journeys down to take up her studies there. This time we will be empty-nesters, at least for the duration of the school year.

A friend recently asked for some guidance for parents whose children are leaving home, perhaps to go to school or perhaps to join the military or perhaps just to begin an independent life. “What counsel might you give them” she asked? I thought I’d take a few minutes to consider it. Here’s what I came up with.

First, I would encourage parents to deliberately begin loosening their oversight well before their children leave. We do not serve our children well when we maintain rigid control over them while they are in the home but then simply release them when they leave. It’s far better to begin to release control when we are still present to observe and to guide them. It’s not the worst thing in the world

if they fail a few times when mom and dad are still nearby to provide them a soft landing.

Second, treat them like adults. You need to do your kids the dignity of treating them like grown-ups and not like children. This involves giving them adult privileges, but also requiring

adult expectations. I expect you will generally find that they are eager to prove themselves by rising to those expectations.

Third, I would encourage those parents to carefully distinguish between matters of preference and matters of absolute right and wrong. What I mean is that your child is probably going to be out of your home for all of two weeks before they get a tattoo or a piercing, or before they begin sporting some new fashion choices or a new hairstyle. Kids who are raised in a Christian home often seem to feel the need to express themselves in ways like these. And while it may not be your preference, you’ll need to consider whether or not you treat them as if they’ve sinned.

Fourth, help them find a good church. Make sure that when they depart to a new school they are also departing to a new church. I’m always glad when parents contact me to say, “my child is moving to Toronto to go to school; can you tell me about your church?” I’m always glad to welcome those students when they begin to attend. And I’m sure most pastors are the same. I would generally encourage students to become members of the church they go to when at school since they will be there for more time than they’ll be at home. Plus, it’s good for them to go through a membership process independent of their parents.

Fifth, clarify expectations about relationships. It would be helpful for you to distinguish between “I think it would be wise for you to refrain from dating during your freshman year so you can focus on adjusting to college and building friendships” ver-

sus “I forbid you to date in your freshman year.” Give them that clarity and remember to treat them like adults.

Sixth, write them letters. I’m sure you’ll be calling, texting, and FaceTiming with your kids, but there is still something special about letters. Leave a letter with your children when you drop them off for the first time and then make it your habit to write to them every few weeks. They may not reply since you probably never taught them how to write and address a letter but they will read, keep, and treasure the ones you send them. Also, why not send them care packages from time to time.

Seventh, find the balance between letting them go and remaining involved in their lives. Don’t stalk them or obsess about them, but also don’t utterly abandon them. Remain in contact and make yourself available for counsel. But also be sure to grant them their independence. It may take some trial and error, but you’ll find the right balance.

Finally, commend them to the grace of God, trusting in your own heart that God loves them even more than you do and that his plan for them is even better than your own. Pray for them and pray with them as you part and make this your final and ultimate petition before the Lord: nevertheless, not as I will but as you will. Oh, and remember to treat them like adults. But I’m pretty sure we already covered that.

Tim Challies is a pastor, author and book reviewer living in Canada.

Letting God Meet You “Right Now”

A friend recently shared a message with me from an author who talked about relationships and how people are only capable of showing up exactly how they are “right now.” That they can only meet us to the extent that they’ve met themselves.

And I loved it. It’s easy to think of current or past relationships – with friends or otherwise – and remember where a certain person’s “right now” was when you met.

We are all only exactly how we are “right now.” We’ve all had growing pains, have stumbled, made mistakes. We have not resolved how to resolve conflict, some have not let go of hurts, have not yet “done their homework” to move forward in future relationships in healthy ways.

We can all name those we know. We can certainly add ourselves to the list.

But what I love even more about this message is that Jesus meets us exactly where we are “right now.” With our faults, our sins, our shame. Our worries, our unresolved conflicts. And there’s no judgement, no disappointment.

Just, love.

Open arms, and love.

Come to me, He says.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

He doesn’t expect perfection from us. He doesn’t need our hearts to be tidy prior to entering. He knows what’s already there.

I recently spent two years living in shame over a failed marriage. Two years of hesitating to allow God to meet me “right now,” in that bubble of shame that I allowed to grip my life.

It wasn’t until I finally – and fully – surrendered, that I allowed Him to meet me “right now.” It was freeing in a way I hadn’t expected – and followed a series of events and guidance from people that led me to that moment.

The best people. The best moments. The hardest work.

Tell me God doesn’t have His hand in all the moments. Tell me our God isn’t patient.

I was met exactly where I was. When I desperately called out. There were no questions asked by a God so patient, and with a reward so magnificent.

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninetynine that never went astray.” (Matthew 18:12-13)

Let God meet you “right now.” In your mess. In your depression. In your pain. Call out, reach out, and know He is waiting. He is calling. The devil works hard to prevent this. The devil works hard to make us believe our “right now” is not worthy of forgiveness, of release. Not worthy of God’s grace or love.

Not worthy of freedom. But, friends, you are worthy of this – and so much more. Let God help you find freedom, let Him in the deepest and the darkest. The thickest. In the anxiety, the lies that try to convince you you’re not enough.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:28-30)

Answer when He knocks. Answer, at your “right now.”

Schedule your retirement review today.

It’s been said that we spend more time planning vacations than planning for retirement. Let’s set aside some time to create positive change for you and the people you care about and understand:

• How much you’ll need to retire

• If you are on track for your retirement goals

• Which IRA is right for your retirement needs – Roth or traditional

• The importance of asset allocation and how it can help as you work toward your long-term goals

It’s more than just money. Investing is about realizing the possibilities of your future.

Sang Y Chung, AAMS®, CRPC® Financial Advisor 1951 Berry Chase Place Montgomery, AL 36117 334-271-9573

Gerald Groff was once an employee of a large organization, which expanded its weekly hours to include Sunday shifts. Gerald did not wish to work on Sunday due to religious reasons, so he asked for an accommodationultimately, he was rejected. He filed a lawsuit, and according to Christian legal organization, First Liberty, “The Court held that federal law requires workplaces to accommodate their religious employees unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense on the business,” adding, “This decision means that more employers will be legally required to respect their religious employees by granting them accommodations.” The ruling affects companies with 15+ employees.

This court decision represents another positive development for religious freedom in the workplace, an important area, especially in corporate cultures that do not welcome faith perspectives and even where Christians might feel ostracized.

I spoke with Jeremy Tedesco of Alliance Defending Freedom at the recent National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Orlando, who oversees ADF’s Viewpoint Diversity Score, which released its second annual Business Index in May. The ADF website notes:

The Business Index is the first comprehensive benchmark designed to measure corporate respect for free speech and religious freedom. It scored 75 publicly traded corporations in its year-two edition across forty-two performance indicators.

The site states: “Eight companies increased their scores year-over-year,” but, “only two scored over 25% out of 100% possible in their respect for speech and religion.

Taking Faith to Work

That means millions of everyday Americans are at risk of cancelation or punishment for their views.”

Recently, a conference called the Faith@ Work Conference was sponsored by an organization called the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. According to a Religion News article, Foundation President Brian Grim “said its conference drew more than 250 people, with 50 companies represented — more than half of them Fortune 500 firms…”

The article referred to faith-based small groups, called, “employee resource groups,” or ERG’s. It says: “The conference brought together Christian chaplain networks, human resources staffers and members of ERGs that can include people of faith and no faith.”

Religion News noted:

In a breakout session, Mark Whitacre, an executive at CocaCola Consolidated, touted the hundreds of people who annually had become new or recommitted Christians after meeting with corporate chaplains or attending prayer groups at the bottler’s distribution and production sites

In an interview, Whitacre said that he usually attends conferences of Christian groups focused on religious inclusion in the workplace. But he also appreciates the range of perspectives expressed at the Faith@Work gatherings.

Another conference speaker was Tim Schabel of AZZ, described as a “metalcoating company.” According to the article, “he said the use of spiritual advisers from the Marketplace Chaplains organization was ‘one of the biggest tools in the toolbox’ to help employees when they needed a listening ear, including during the pandemic.”

Union University, a Southern Baptist-affiliated school in Jackson, TN, held a Faith in the Marketplace conference recently, according to the school’s website, which featured another

representative from Coca-Cola Consolidated: CEO, Frank Harrison. The site related:

Soon after coming into leadership at Coca-Cola Consolidated, Harrison realized that he would one day be held accountable for the influence that the company has had for God.

As he began to pray about this legacy, a man mentioned the influence of chaplain ministries within secular workplaces. After this, Harrison placed the company’s first chaplain at a plant in Nashville, and he soon realized the great benefit of these chaplain ministries. “A few months later, we got a call from our HR people that said, ‘Frank it’s incredible what’s happening here,’” Harrison said. “Today, we have about 80 chaplains working with 17,000 employees and their family members.”

The article says, “Harrison finished the lecture by describing the purpose statement of Coca-Cola Consolidated, which states its purpose is to honor God in all they do, to serve others, to pursue excellence and to grow profitably.”

This topic area provides reminders; one is: as you sow, you shall reap - business leaders should care not only about profitable companies, but profitable lives of their employees. Unfortunately, we live in an age where those who want to integrate faith into their life and work, specifically Christians, may find their expressions of faith limited, while points of view that are offensive to that faith perspective are championed.

Faith ideally should be a key element of workplace culture - companies should reinforce employees who desire to glorify God; employees who will put Him first, put others (customers) first, do their work with excellence (as unto the Lord), and are concerned about being morally upright. If a Christian is living according to the principles of the Scriptures, who wouldn’t want that type of employee? It’s important to recognize that the faith piece has many benefits, because it is related to a person’s core beliefs, purpose, and performance.

by Kym Klass

Love Loud Montgomery wants their guests to know they are not only in a safe place but they are heard. LLM can provide more than just nutritional needs; they also help the spirit.

Formerly known as Forest Park Ministry Center, Love Loud offers a ClientChoice food pantry helping to feed those living in generational poverty and those in more affluent neighborhoods who have lost jobs.

“Really, crisis doesn’t know a demographic,” said Donna McCullough, director of LLM. “One of the things disturbing to me is the number of our elderly living on a fixed income and who have young children dropped off at their door, and they’re having to feed them.”

Love Loud Montgomery aims to help everyone it can, and over the years, it has expanded its reach from two zip codes to all Montgomery and Lowndes counties.

clothing, and other help for those in need. Its guests are ministered to by a Client-Choice food pantry.

But it is more than about shopping for food. As guests arrive at Matthew 25, Love Loud Montgomery determines if and how they need help moving through life: with grief, anxiety, or other emotional and spiritual issues.

If needed, they are referred to LLM’s Luke 4 Counseling Center on East 4th Street, where guests can receive counseling, workshops on life skills, and support for grandparents who have custody of their grandchildren. During business hours, licensed counselors are available free of charge.

“The immediate human need is met at Matthew 25, and people come and shop our food pantry,” McCullough said. “Our method of delivering our services is through trying to provide dignity for those

needing help, allowing them to make their own choices.

“We do this by appointment so everybody that comes has time to shop the pantry and be visited and prayed with. We want to be sure there is relationship building. Even if they don’t qualify income-wise, it gives us time to talk to them.

“As a licensed professional counselor, my goal is to minister to these people who need help with life struggles in the best ways using practices from mental health, but also from a Christian worldview. We want people to know they are in a safe place where they can be heard.” McCollough spent 30 years working in the interior design field and continued feeling a need to be in a “helping” field. After becoming more involved in my church in various ministries, I went on mission trips. But I had never really done anything in my community.

“I went to the MBA (parent organization to LLM) and said, ‘You don’t know me, but this is my heart. How can I start volunteering or train volunteers.’”

After that meeting, she learned LLM needed a director.

Courage lives

Most people cannot even imagine what it feels like to watch a child take on a battle against cancer. The courage, strength and resilience our patients demonstrate every day is what inspires us to give our best. We are here when families need us the most, caring for their children and never giving up hope in their fight against cancer.

How you can

Love Loud Montgomery can use shopping buddies to shop alongside guests in their pantries. They can also use people in their clothing area, training volunteers to complete intakes (helping assess needs and pray), and licensed professional counselors to volunteer.

What’s new?

The Blessing Box, part of the partnership with Patrick Aitken’s Homeless Outreach Mission Endeavor (HOME), assists the homeless. The box on the Matthew 25 property is stocked with emergency bags (enough food for a day), socks, feminine supplies, sleeping bags, and T-shirts.

“And I told my husband that there was something we needed to pray about. And he reminded me I had been praying for God to use me for two years.”

She has served as LLM’s director for 15 years, which was renamed four years ago. “When we started at Forest Park Ministry, we had two to three zip codes that we served. Today, the ministry is operated by 30 volunteers.

The USDA provides criteria for those who can access a food bank, McCullough said. They either pre-qualify by receiving SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford food essential to health and well-being); TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families); or Supplemental Security Income.

“Or, their income falls below the poverty level,” McCullough said. That level is $18,954 for a single person. A family of eight can make about $65,000 or below.

“Sometimes, there are instances where there is a crisis and we can help,” McCullough said. “If you have income above that and you had a house fire or lost your job this week and are one check away from being unable to pay your bills. Or eat.”

One thing McCullough said COVID-19 did was help LLM get outside their ministry and network with others.

“That’s been really helpful because we like to refer people to another ministry,” she said. “And secondly, to be able to get our churches more involved. One of the things that has developed is the rolling food pantry, Love Loud River Region. It is a renovated school bus offering mass food distribution.

“We didn’t have to close down and instead started serving people in the parking lot. We shopped for them. We took that bus to the Garrett Coliseum parking lot. Little by little, we had churches that wanted to do their own distribution. That has been a beautiful silver lining – if you want to find something that came out of COVID, it is the fact that churches found a way to distribute.”

The Client-Choice pantry on East Ann Street has a large produce section.

While Matthew 25 partners with the Montgomery Area Food Bank, they also have a large garden on the facility grounds, where they grow produce, including collards, tomatoes, peppers, squash, and okra.

Love Loud Montgomery also partners with Goodwill, which offers gift certificates to shop at its store. At Christmas time, LLM partners with Community of Hope and offers SAM’s Angel Market, allowing parents to purchase Christmas

gifts for children in their household with dignity.

“Everything we do as far as physical needs, we do in a way that people can choose what they need and can use,” McCullough said. “You read in Matthew 25… if you’re feeding someone who is hungry, providing clothes, you are doing it as though you’re doing it for the Lord.

“God calls us to do this. We’re told this is how we minister and show love to our fellow man. The fact that we do it in the way we do it in a Client-Choice method makes it a unique ministry.

“We believe the Scripture that tells us we are all made in God’s image, and actually, we’re all broken,” McCullough said. “In some way or another, we’re broken by sin. And so, we want people to know that we are peer-to-peer. We want them to have the dignity of shopping for themselves.”

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

Why Self-Care Isn’t Selfish

When asked by the Pharisees which is the greatest commandment, Jesus responded by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).

I have heard this verse many times in my life, but it wasn’t until recently that I noticed those last two words... “as yourself.” I checked the Greek and consulted several commentaries and apparently this means I should love my neighbor and care for them as I care for myself. It was only a few years ago that it was brought to my attention that I should care for myself at all. So maybe Jesus wants me to care for myself so that I have what I need to care for others?

As a follower of Jesus, a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, and counselor, I am called to love and care for others daily. But when I don’t care for myself, I will burn out. In his book Embracing Soul Care, my friend Steve Smith introduced me to the concept of “soul care”, an idea that maybe sounds better than “self-care” to some. Whatever term you want to use, it seems to be an important idea to think through! Is it possible for us to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength if we are emotionally burned out, spiritually dried up, mentally overwhelmed, and physically exhausted?

Probably not. So, let’s talk about how we can care for each of those aspects of our soul or “self”.

Heart: Caring for my heart or emotions might look like giving myself freedom to experience all the emotions that are God-given that help me to navigate the difficulties of this fallen world.

Ideas: journal thoughts and feelings, recognize the need for limits on media intake (do I need to turn off the news?), practice gratitude, connect with other people, be playful (smile, laugh, dance, have fun), seek help from a trusted friend or counselor when things get too hard.

Soul: Caring for myself spiritually looks like nourishing my soul with God’s word. It means being in community with people who care for me and are trying their best to look like Jesus.

Ideas: go to church or a small group, do personal Bible study, start or meet with a group of like-minded people to discuss life, and prayer (which should include a practice silence and solitude so that it isn’t only speaking, but allowing the Holy Spirit to bring peace and comfort).

Mind: When I care for my mind, I am reading and learning new things. I want to do things to stretch myself intellectually and I want to engage my mind in things that build me up and make me smarter.

Ideas: read a book, play a puzzle game, solve a jigsaw puzzle, learn a new skill like crochet or woodworking.

Strength: Caring for myself physically includes resting, eating well, moving

regularly, and just getting outside. We were not made to be “on” all day every day, so resting each day is good, and real rest one day a week is prescribed (in the Ten Commandments)! God created our bodies to move and when we don’t, we can feel stiff and sore. He created our bodily systems to require a healthy amount of sunshine. He also meant for us to eat healthy food to give us the nutrients we need. Now, I’m not saying I don’t enjoy the occasional brownie (God gave us tastebuds, too), but when we are eating over-processed junk food, we are not giving our bodies the fuel they need. Ideas: take an exercise class, go for a walk, sit outside and breathe fresh air, try a new recipe made from whole, unprocessed

When we care for ourselves, we have the strength we need to care for others. Self-care is not selfish; it is necessary to live the lives we are called to live. In the life of Jesus, we certainly saw him care for others, but we also saw him rest, spend time with his friends, make connections with people, connect with God and care for his body. Let us all care for ourselves as though this body God gave us is a gift, because it is!

Sarah McCrory is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Registered Play Therapist (RPT) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She has had success with utilizing different counseling modalities but she finds that over time, her counseling style has become more Person-Centered, because each individual has their own needs and personality and responds differently to different types of therapy. Sarah is a TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) Practitioner, trained in Theraplay and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

Should I Cash in 401(k) to Pay Off Mortgage?

Q. Should I cash in my 401(k) to pay off my car? I have just enough in the account to pay off the car and free up money in my budget.

A If I were in your shoes, and I could pay off the car in 18 months or less, I’d live on rice and beans—plus a very strict monthly budget—and just push through until that car payment was out of my life. If that wasn’t realistic, then I’d take out ads online and in the local paper, and sell the car as fast as possible.

Cashing out your retirement plan to make this happen isn’t a good idea. I love that you want to get rid of your car payment, but if you use your 401(k) they’ll charge you a 10% penalty, plus your tax rate. That means you’ll lose anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of it to the government.

I don’t know about you, but I think those guys get way too much of our money already!

No Second Mortgage!

Q My husband was recently told layoffs are about to happen at his company, and that it might be a good idea for him to start looking for another job. He has found a couple of good possi bilities, but the jobs are lo cated 100 miles away. In preparation for a possible move, we spoke with a real estate agent who told us we’d have to remodel our kitchen to sell the house. We’ve got about $4,000 in savings, but the agent said remodeling would take between $2,500 and $3,000. Should we get a second mortgage to pay for the work?

A For starters, I’d suggest cutting expenses any way you can, living on a strict budget and saving as much cash as possible. But taking out a second mortgage? No! You don’t want that hanging over your heads. You might want to get another opinion on the kitchen remodel, too. Sure, a new kitchen would be nice, but would it be a make-orbreak kind of thing if you decide to sell your home? Probably not, unless it’s in really terrible shape right now. Regardless, there’s no way I’d go into debt to make this happen. There’s no reason to fix up a house that’s not for sale, especially when you’ve got just $4,000 to your names.

My advice is to wait and see how the whole job situation plays out before making any big decisions. Then if you end up selling the house and moving, you might take $500 or so from savings to freshen up the kitchen a little bit.

Christian Business Owners