Austin Faith and Family- February 2010 by Lee Eddins

Faith Family

February 2010

FREE

Faith Works Embracing the Crisis at Hand

Catching the Light The Seven that Stain

Dollars and $ense Single Momâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; $5000 Winner!

Mommy Time Should your Children be Colorblind?

urney The GreatestifJeo... of My L

TABLE OF CONTENTS In This Issue 8 Faith Works: Embracing the Crisis at Hand 9 Travel: Where in the World Can You Cruise to from Galveston? 11 Feature Story: Byron Webre: The Greatest Journey of My Life 14 Don’t Miss 14 Golf Tips From the Tour: PGA TOUR Destinations-SBS Championship 16 20 Words: Awakened from Slumber and Stirred to Pro-Life Action 17 Mommy Time With Miranda: Should Your Children Be Colorblind?

Faith Family Publisher: Lee Eddins, H.O.T. Publishing, LLC Lee@AustinFaithandFamily.com (512) 689-2717

Editor: Marcy Lytle Marcy@AustinFaithandFamily.com

Discussing Race Relations with Kids

20 21 22 26 27 28

The Home Front: ENERGYSTAR® Rebates and Home Buying/Selling Incentives Leadership Filter: Equippers vs. Speakers Student of the Month: Seth Polizzi Catching the Light: Hearts A View From the Blue Roof: Preaching the Gospel in Word and Action Daniel and Justin Show: Generation Bridge

Focus: 10 Focus Family: Family Link Kids 15 Focus Non-Profit: Heroic Media 17 Focus Restaurants: Bella Donna Subs 28 Focus Music: Steve Pack and the Wah Wah Toosies

Photos: Lee Eddins

General Manager/Graphic Design: Beth Rountree

Feature Story: Byron Webre p.11

LifeStyle: 6 Health Matters: Personal Training 6 Back Talk: Vitamin D and the Flu Connection 18 Top 10: Color Your Home 23 Dollars & $ense: Money Saving Tips from Moms Who Shop Health Matters: Special Features: Personal Training p. 6 7 Josh Morgan: A “Driving” Force Carpooling Students to Christ 19 The Piano Teacher: “Honoring God in Piano Performance,

Teaching and Professionalism“

22 24 29

Contributing Writers: Lee Eddins, Marcy Lytle, Lauren Lacey, Joe Elliott, Dr. John Tuggle, J.L. Lewis, Paul Terral, Lauren Turner, David Lawrence, Miranda Bradley, Debbie Stevens, Laurie Loew, Dave Ramsey, Michael Tummillo, Dr. Kie Bowman, Whitney Campbell, Melissa Critz, Jo Ann Armstrong, Patricia Jacobson, Mariah Wilde and Bruce Karnes

Unfinished Business of Race in America

Sales: Lee Eddins (512) 689-2717 Pat Eddins (512) 635-4281

Austin Faith and Family is committed to encouraging individuals in their daily lives by presenting the faith stories of others and providing information that will point every person, at every stage of life, to a deeper, authentic, personal and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Views expressed in Austin Faith & Family do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the Austin Faith & Family staff to ensure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information, nor the absences of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be, or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2010 by H.O.T. Publishing, LLC.

Light the World... Switch to FIRETRADE Coffee This Job Was a Gift from God

In Every Issue: 4 Letters 5 City Scene 5 News of the Weird 12 The Christian Brothers Automotive Calendar 23 Dave Says 26 The Source Church Directory 30 The Back Pew 30 Rave Reviews

EW!

News of the Weird p.5

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society. Special Feature: Unfinished Business of Race in America p. 22

Austin Faith & Family is published monthly and is available at high traffic locations throughout the metropolitan area. Copies are also available by subscription, $25 for one year. Single issues available for $3 an issue.

Volume 1, Number 9

If you would like your church to be added to our distribution list, please send an email to lee@AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

Editor’s

EDITOR’S NOTE

A “

Do You Mind?

mind is a terrible thing to waste” is a famous quote. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind” is another famous saying from The Good Book. Putting these two quotes together and one might say it’s a wasteful life, loving God only in heart and soul, but not with the mind. But what does that mean? The mind is where we store information, make judgments and form opinions, and these shelves in our minds are often hidden, out of view from others. However, these shelves should be cleaned from time to time, removing those things that are collecting dust and replacing them with new, fresh ideas that stand out, ideas worth keeping…and sharing.

of the month

hen

you’re

looking

for

great pizza, sandwiches and

wireless internet, look no

further than Rudino’s Pizza and Grinders. At

This month’s issue is full of information that is good for your mind. We have included informative articles on home buying, finances and health. After reading our cover story about Byron Webre, I hope you make a decision to seek God, on your knees, and truly see His goodness unfold in your life. Perhaps our article “20 Words”, aimed at the college crowd, will help you form opinions you might have been unsure about before. The story about a young college graduate teaching English to students in Korea may inspire you to embark upon an adventure of your own. Loving God with our minds means thinking on good things, reading articles that inspire and learning more about His truth for our lives. However, it’s not enough just to fill the shelves of our own minds with these good things. They need to be visible, available and ready to be shared with those who need a good read…

Rudino’s, you can get some of the best pizza that Cedar Park has to offer. With a variety of grinders and pizza, they always have something to satisfy! Rudino’s has two locations. There is a Rudino’s at 1890 Ranch as well as R.R. 620 in the H.E.B. shopping center at Anderson Mill Road. I am sure you’ll enjoy their food, and wifi as much as I do!

LETTERS

Marcy Lytle Austin Faith & Family Marcy@AustinFaithandFamily.com

Dear Lee, Thanks again for running that article! (AFF ran an article regarding Pajama Program and their Christmas drive). We ended our year with over 4,025 pairs of new PJ’s and 4,500 new books donated! We thought it would be a miracle to donate 1000 and look what God did! So joyful to be a part of this ministry. –Susan M. Dear Marcy, Your magazine is needed and very much appreciated. God Bless you until The King of Kings Jesus Christ of Nazareth Returns. –Sue E. Hi Marcy, Yesterday I received a call from a wonderful family interested in foster care and adoption who saw our ad in AFF. Great things are already happening! Thanks so much! –Mariah W. Marcy, I just wanted to thank you all for publishing our article. –Martin F. Dear AFF, I was in H.E.B. the other day and noticed this publication which I had never seen before. I just want you to know that I was very delighted to read about Christian Brothers Automotive. (Jan.10) I have never been there but after reading your article and seeing what a great company they are, I will definitely take my car there when I have trouble in the future. I was especially happy to hear about their ministry to single moms they do. We need more businesses like this to step up and get involved in their communities. Thanks Christian Brothers. –Jeanette L. Dear AFF, I really enjoy reading the Austin Faith & Family. We would like to have them delivered to our church. Thanks for providing this resource to the Christian community. –Monica S.

Faith Family

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

News of the Weird

Austin Young Chamber of Commerce Selects Six Concordia University Texas Students for its First Apprentice Program Apprentice Program Provides Top College Students Unique Opportunities

USTIN, Texas—Austin Young Chamber of Commerce (AYC) recently selected six Concordia University Texas students for its pilot apprentice program to begin February 2010. Amber Byrn, Pamela Graham, Blanca Rodriguez, Nick Russo, David Saams and Jason Wallingsford were selected for this program based on their achievements at Concordia. “We are very excited that so many of our students were chosen for this opportunity,” Dr. Thomas Cedel, president of Concordia University Texas, said. “By participating in this program, these Concordia students will have an opportunity to connect with Austin’s business community prior to graduation. It will be a wonderful experience and we hope to participate in this program for many years.”

The mission of the AYC is to develop and connect young professionals in Austin to help them achieve business, community and individual success. This specific initiative, the Apprentice Austin Mentorship Program, is a three-month, six-session mentorship program for top college students looking to build a career and life in Austin upon graduation. At the end of the three-month apprenticeship, the program will culminate with a graduation ceremony with local leaders and key stakeholders from the University. The University is paying the $300 cost to participate in this program. The students will meet their mentors at the beginning of the spring semester. After a formal launch party, the program will run from February through April. The program also offers each student an annual membership in the Austin Young Chamber.

he Kirklees (West Yorkshire, England) Environmental Health department cited farmer Ronald Norcliffe, 65, in 2008 for inadequate lighting in his barn, which inspectors said failed to meet the "psychological needs" of his one cow and her calf. In his formal appeal, heard in October 2009, Norcliffe noted (unsuccessfully) that he has had a clean record as a farmer for 30 years and that in fact, he still lives fine without electricity in his own house. After his defeat, Norcliffe's lawyer sighed. "I still have no idea how much lighting is appropriate for a cow."

he Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre in Norfolk, England, lowered the water level in its giant aquarium for Christmas because the big turtles (which are herbivores) were scheduled to receive their annual holiday treat of brussels sprouts. Officials know from experience that if they fail to lower the water level, the gas bubbles from the powerful turtle emissions will lift the water high enough to trigger the emergency tank-flooding buzzers.

A News of the Weird Classic (April 1993) sychology professor Russell Carney of Southwest Missouri State University told the Associated Press in August 1992 that he had developed a technique for improving memory and told the reporter how he could facilitate the recall, say, that a particular painting was done by Degas in 1865. First, think of an object that sounds like "Degas" (day-GAH), for example, "dagger," and then memorize the last two digits of the year by learning the sentence "Twin new moons rose low, just clearing four pine saplings," in which the first word begins with a T and stands for "1," the second, N, stands for "2," and so on. Thus, 1865 becomes "65," which becomes "just" "low," which could translate to J-L, which could be "jelly," which would produce a "jelly dagger," to which the subject tries to find a resemblance, somewhere, in the Degas painting. Simple as that!

(Left to right: Jason Wallingsford, Pamela Graham, Nick Russo, Amber Byrn, David Saams Not pictured: Blanca Rodriguez).

3D Cruise & Travel Cruises | Honeymoons | Group Travel Family Vacations

Call (512) 218-0291 Find out more information online at: www.3DCruiseandTravel.com

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

Vitamin D and the Flu Connection

Personal Training

hen you think of training with a personal trainer, some thoughts may come to mind. “I don’t have time for that”, “I can’t afford it” or maybe “I’m just simply afraid of that!” Although these are normal fears, let’s look at reasons why you can and should consider hiring a personal trainer. Do you find it hard to work out routinely, on your own? If you are not currently working out, a personal trainer can help you get started. You can learn how to maximize your time as well as set reasonable goals and map out a simple schedule to fit your lifestyle. Simply having a consultation with a trainer can help you understand the reasons why you need to make exercise a part of your daily life forever. If you have a specific injury, a trainer can help you find a program to help heal injuries and avoid any further problems. If you have a specific condition such as arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure or heart disease, a trainer can help you decrease the uncomfortable symptoms you may be experiencing or even help you improve or resolve your condition and/or reduce or eliminate some medications. Maybe you find yourself bored or hitting a plateau and you can’t seem to lose those last few extra pounds. A trainer can help you put some variety in your workouts and bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to challenge

both your body and your mind. Working with a trainer will greatly increase your goal to optimal health and weight loss. The beauty of working out with a trainer is that you just show up and they tell you what to do. A trainer can motivate you to push past those self-imposed limits, encouraging you to lift heavier, go longer and challenge yourself more than you would on your own. Having a standing appointment provides you accountability not only for that workout but the workouts you were told to do on your own during the week. Just knowing you are going to see your trainer each week should make it much harder for you to skip your workouts. There are several options for meeting with a trainer and you can find ways to fit it in your budget. Training a few times per week is optimal, but may be out of your price range. Meeting with your trainer once a week and then doing prescribed workouts the remaining days is a very popular and successful way to train. The more economical, but sometimes less effective, way to train is to have a trainer write a workout program for you to do on your own and then meet with them every 4-6 weeks to learn a new and different workout. As you can see, having a personal trainer is very beneficial to living a life of optimal health and can be done fairly inexpensively. Just like anything else in your life, if you really want it, you can budget for it. And this is one budget item you know will be well worth it. Check with your local gym for specials they may be running on personal training sessions. Usually the more sessions you buy, the more you save. Depending on the expiration date of the sessions, this could really save you money. So, do some adjusting in your budget and let’s get training! Lauren Lacy Fitness Coordinator/Personal Trainer CHASCO Family YMCA

ell, it looks like we are in the middle of allergies, cold and flu season. I’m sure as a child you heard from well-meaning parents or grandparents that if you don’t bundle up when you go out in the cold weather, you’ll catch cold. Despite the fact that this adage has been proven to be unfounded, there is an undeniable spike in frequency of colds and flu this time of year. Most research has told us that when it is cold, we tend to spend more time indoors and are closer to other people, and this makes spreading colds much easier. New research is focusing on the connection between the reduction of sun exposure during the winter months, Vitamin D levels, and the immune system. For years we have been told that if we spend a few minutes outside each day we will get enough sun exposure to stimulate our bodies to produce adequate amounts of Vitamin D. However, if you live in a northern climate, it is near impossible to get enough direct sunlight to produce enough Vitamin D for optimum function during the winter months. Latitudes higher than 40° don’t have enough sunlight to achieve optimum levels of Vitamin D during six to eight months of the year. Fortunately, we live in Texas and have more of an opportunity to get some sunlight, although we have our spells of cold and rainy weather.

There are a few choices to supplement your diet with Vitamin D. Milk and orange juice now come fortified with Vitamin D, but offer up their own health concerns, so should not be considered a primary source of Vitamin D. Cold water fish such as sardines are good sources of Vitamin D, but the highest concentrations are found in the skin and fat just below the skin, which most people do not eat. Cod liver oil, Vitamin D capsules, direct sunlight, and tanning booths are all ways to increase your levels. Two warnings: If you use a tanning booth, ask for a booth with the higher levels of UV-B. Ultraviolet B is the wavelength the body needs to produce Vitamin D. Just be careful not to get sunburned. The second warning is that if you focus on increasing your Vitamin D levels, you should also increase your Calcium uptake. Although we know Vitamin D is essential for your body to assimilate Calcium to make strong bones, it can also draw Calcium away from the bones if there is not enough Calcium in the diet to interact with the Vitamin D. Dr. Tuggle (512) 257-2225

For years we have heard about the importance of Vitamin D for strong bones. Indeed, Vitamin D is important in regulating the movement of Calcium in the body. More recent research is also showing the importance of Vitamin D in the function of the immune system. Hence the interest of low levels of sunlight, Vitamin D deficiency, and the increased rate of colds and flu from late fall to early spring.

NATIONAL RECORDING ARTIST LEADS WORSHIP AT ANDERSON MILL BAPTIST CHURCH

Matt Brouwer March 7, 2009 Join us for the Country Gospel service at 8:30am or The Modern at 11:00am. Everyone is invited Free of Charge! He will be performing his latest hit single "Sometimes" which is rapidly climbing the Billboard charts.

Faith Family

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

10633 Lake Creek Parkway Austin, TX 78750 (512) 258.5843

www.ambcaustin.org www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

SPECIAL FEATURE Josh Morgan – A “Driving” Force Carpooling Students to Christ

osh Morgan is the College Minister and Contemporary Worship Leader at First Baptist in Wimberley, Texas and has some definite goals. As a college minister, he desires to disciple and encourage students who have accepted Jesus and currently attend FBC, as well as reach out to students on campus at Texas State University who do not yet know Jesus. As a worship leader, Josh wants to be used to prepare people to worship Jesus in song and receive God’s word through the message.

(Class of 2006), is married to his wife Faith, who worked with him at the BSM and is still on their staff today. Since last September, each Sunday morning, students are carpooled in to FBC from campus, as well as offered a free lunch after church. Josh states he began driving the FBC bus to campus to give students free rides to Wimberley, and it just made sense to feed students, since students all love free meals! “I just knew that if I could get them to come check it out, they’d be back.” The adult Sunday School classes at FBC rotate serving the free lunches to the colleges students after church. On average, eight to ten students ride the van per week, and Josh expects more this spring. First Baptist Church of Wimberley, Texas offers two services, a traditional service (9:15 a.m.) with hymn-based worship led by Dan Stephens, including an orchestra and choir, and a contemporary service led by Josh Morgan (10:45 a.m.), which is a more modern and edgy-style of worship. Josh states, “FBC is beautiful and God is doing some really neat things here.”

Josh states his current passion is to have a presence of Christians on campus to share God’s word with unbelievers. He trains students to ask a few questions and then share the Gospel, using six or seven scriptures verses. This past fall, two Texas State students accepted Christ. Josh himself accepted Christ his junior year of high school, has been leading worship for ten years and has been working with students for eight years. He is also a graduate of Texas State University

Goal-driven, Christ-centered and faithfocused, Josh Morgan hopes to help students realize they can serve God throughout their life. He hopes that once these students move off to begin their career, they will have learned “to minister to others out in the world.” Marcy Lytle

Visit Our Advertisers!

We find the hidden cause! We take pride in fixing complaints that other doctors have had limited success treating.

Specializing in: • Sports Related Injuries • Knee Injuries • Carpal Tunnel • Plantar Fasciitis • Chronic Pain • Shoulder Complaints

Dr. John Tuggle D.C. (512) 257-BACK 2225 930 S. Bell Blvd. Ste 103 | Cedar Park, TX 78613

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

Faith Works: Embracing the Crisis at Hand hese days, as we are facing crises on many fronts: credit, ethics, energy, environment, and in the Middle East, there are many opportunities for America’s Christians to step up to the plate as messengers of hope. The main opportunity that must not be overlooked is the one where most Christians spend 60-70% of our lives: the Workplace. More and more businesses have recognized the bottom-line benefit of allowing people of faith to have an impact on their businesses.

the subject. Billy Graham stated, “The next great move of God will take place in the Workplace.” Henry Blackaby, Os Hilman and many other Christian leaders are saying likewise. One minister refers to the workplace as “the final frontier” where outreach opportunities are concerned. Scores of Fortune 500 businesses have recognized the importance of permitting spiritual expressions at work. They realize that it will only lead to increased productivity, increased loyalty and a decrease in absenteeism and turn-over.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco and American LubeFast. There are many others. One widely-reported comment comes from Austaco, a large Pizza Hut and Taco Bell franchisee corporation in Texas, which credits its Workplace Chaplaincy program for reducing its annual turnover from 300 percent to 125 percent. Moreover, in the trucking industry, where 100 percent turnover in drivers is not unusual, Allied Holdings has a turnover of four percent, partly, they claim, due to their employee care programs like the Workplace Chaplaincy.

It's being called the “Faith at Work Movement” and it's no longer flying below the radar as an increasing number of books and articles are being written on

A few corporations who’ve embraced the concept include Tyson Foods, Interstate Batteries, Sears, Coca-Cola Bottling, Chick-Fil-A, David Weekly Homes,

WORTH CONSIDERING? A Wall Street Journal survey revealed an 80% dissatisfaction rate among the general workplace

population. More than 90% of Christians have never been trained to apply their Biblical faith in the workplace - the place where they spend most of their lives. Many Christians believe work is a curse while many others are merely trading their time for a paycheck. Ministry has been WRONGLY perceived as that which takes place within the walls of a church building. Christians must begin to see their work is a valid ministry. Others should encounter Christ in you through your work. Our lives, our workplaces, our cities and our nations can be transformed by God’s power and presence at Work. NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF So, why do so many Christians hold back at work? Is it fear? Embarrassment? Most people say they cannot recall ever hearing a sermon that emphasized the importance of their job from Heaven’s perspective. So, they’re unprepared, not realizing that Title VII provides a legal guideline for sharing one’s faith at work. Why do employers shudder at the thought of a workplace revival? Two reasons: 1) Fear of lawsuits or getting fired and 2) the concern that employees will get so heavenly-minded they’ll be of no earthly good. The truth is, employees who are given that spiritual outlet at work become better producers with an increased loyalty and a reduced absenteeism. With so much workplace crime taking place, employees biting the hand that feeds them, one employer in Grand Saline recently told me, “I’d rather have my staff spend an hour with a Workplace Chaplain, becoming better people, than an hour a day in the smoking lounge gossiping and bickering.” YOU IN? Yes, Corporate America is catching the vision. Are you? There are well over 4,000 Workplace Chaplains serving American businesses today. I am one of those Chaplains and all I can say is, “the fields are ripe unto harvest.” According to the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries, there were fewer than 50 workplace ministries in 1992; today there are roughly 1,200. Reflective of that trend is my own ministry TCAW (The Church @ Work), which offers businesses the services of career Workplace Chaplains who combine their own secular workplace experience with ministry training. A NEW THING? HARDLY! Ministry in the workplace is nothing new. In fact, Fortyfive of Jesus 52 parables were about work, while 39 of 40 divine encounters in the Book of Acts occurred in workplace settings. Workplace Ministry can be found throughout the pages of Scripture. The word work is mentioned more than 800 times and the Hebrew word “avodah” is the root from which we get the words “work” and “worship.” The workplace is a mission field, and although church leaders will encourage their congregations to go out and reach it, rarely do they show them how to reach those whose company they keep for the majority of their lives. Sadly, just as the Christian world is a spiritual ghetto into which most people never stray, so the majority of Christians seem to have an aversion to mixing sacred with secular. Are you interested in sharing your faith at work? God is on your side, the Law is on your side, and help is available. Just ask. Michael Tummillo | Workplace Chaplain Michael Tummillo is a Workplace Chaplain, Founder of The Church @ Work (TCAW), headquartered in Stephenville, Texas. He can be reached at team1min@our-town.com

Faith Family

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

TRAVEL Where in the World Can You Cruise to from Galveston?

exans are very fortunate to have the Port of Galveston (www.portofgalveston.com) within driving distance from a good half of the state. Many will NOT fly, others do not care to fly, some enjoy traveling to foreign countries, and others do not want the hassles of airline travel. The Port of Galveston is home to Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and the cruises they offer can be the answer those people are looking for. Here are the island ports of call which can be sailed to from Galveston, as well as just a few of the highlights to be enjoyed once you get there: ROATAN, HONDURAS This Caribbean island is 35 miles off the coast of mainland Honduras. It is surrounded by the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest coral reef in the world. Due to that fact, it is well known for incredible scuba-diving, sailing and snorkeling. Roatan is pretty laid-back and not as commercial as much of the Caribbean, but there is lots of fun to be had horseback riding, ziplining and animal watching in the many gardens and lush tropical settings.

FREEPORT & NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Bahamas - the sum of over 700 islands and cays with water sports, fishing and great shopping and restaurants to explore. Freeport & Nassau are two of the islands where ships port and they offer plenty to do, or you can simply find a beach and do nothing at all. You can enjoy one of these islands or venture to another on a catamaran, or even take a Pirate Ship tour for some seafaring fun.

COZUMEL, MEXICO “Surf & Turf”-that about sums up activity options on this beautiful island. The incredible reefs are a magnet for divers all over the world. Just a ferry ride away is a site rich with Mayan heritage, offering landlubbers glimpses of culture that thrived 500 years before Columbus set foot on New World soil. Shore excursions of many kinds wait to match any taste.

Bring this ad for your choice of one free service. Cannot be combined with other offers.

FAM ILY D E NT I STRY

Dr. Jennifer Hoppe Board Certified Pediatric Dentist

(512) 219-1811

Dr. Jennifer Hoppe and her children

GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN The natural environment of The Caymans, complete with palm trees, orchids and butterflies make this destination ideal for nature lovers. Add to it the water life of stingrays at Stingray City and sea turtles at Boatswain’s Adventure Park and Turtle Farm, and you have a fun mix of options to enjoy the day. MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA The island of Jamaica is a tourism giant, and this Travel Agent will encourage you to get out of Montego Bay to experience the best the island has to offer. Jamaica is for outdoor enthusiasts, and for those who love culture and history. Basically, there is something for everyone. Golfing, horseback riding and relaxing on the beach are your normal options. However, only Jamaica offers such incredible adventures as waterfall climbing, bobsledding and dog sledding.

• Treatment for children

of all ages

• Sedation services

available • Patient and caring • Child friendly atmosphere

2000 Sun Chase Blvd. | Cedar Park, TX 78613 | www.drhoppeccfd.com

You can get to Cozumel weekly, The Bahamas are only offered once per month, and Roatan is only offered during the winter months. On a four or five night sailing, you can spend a day in Cozumel and one other Mexico destination. On a seven night voyage, you can experience three ports during the week, and the ports vary by cruise line and week by week. Contact a professional Travel Agent to help you get exactly what interests you most, for the best price. Do not miss out on the fun you can experience, right from The Lone Star State.

Debby Stevens | 3D Cruise and Travel Debby@3DCruiseAndTravel.com

Cedar Park Jewelry

FREE

Cypress Creek

Call: (512) 259-9430

cedarparkjewelry.com

- Ring Cleaning - Watch Battery - Watch Link Removed

I35

- Appraisal - Ring Sizing (up or dn. 1 size)

Hurry! Expires on 03/01/10 - Chain Solder We buy all gold, silver and diamonds regardless of the Condition! 601 e. Whitestone blvd. | bldg 7, suite 112 | Cedar Park, tX 78613 www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

FOCUS : FAMILY family

Family Link Kids – Love-Healing-Hope

y heroes Heidi and Roland Baker prayed a prayer that changed their lives forever. "God, we don't want to live ordinary lives. We want to live extraordinary lives. Take us to the least of these. We give you our all!" They are now caring for thousands of orphans daily in several countries, picking up children living on the streets and in dumps, planting churches, going to the unreached; and the world will never be the same! www.irismin.org

Our family was inspired, prayed that same prayer, and that was the beginning of Family Link Foster Care and Adoption Agency. We had been foster and adoptive parents since our early 20's, worked with inner city missions, crisis pregnancy counseling and housing, but we knew God was calling us to more. More of His love, more passion, more impact and changed lives!

Do you have the courage to pray that prayer? Don't be satisfied with an ordinary life. God is calling you into your great destiny. He is calling you to great love and compassion for people and He wants you to stand up to injustice! Will you answer the call? At Family Link, we believe in caring for children before they are born, as well as after. Do you believe abortion is ending a child's life? Are the lives of these children worth your time? Did you know that with three hours of your time, three to five children may be born as a result? In my hand I hold a replica of an 11 week unborn baby. What beautiful little feet, legs, and face, and an incredible reminder that the value of human life has nothing to do with size. It is time for us to stand up for these babies that cannot speak for themselves.

Faith Family

The next step is caring for children, as they need us after they are born. This is where foster care and adoption comes in. God is very pro-adoption since He adopted us! Did you see the movie, The Blind Side? Did it touch you? If we don't take action, what is that compassion worth? As I spent time with family over Christmas, it made me think even more about all of the children who don't have a family. I can tell you that opening your heart and home to hurting children is an amazing, life-changing privilege. To look in the face of a child, who has been beaten and left alone for days, and then bring them into the safe love and healing of your home and hear them call you, "Mommy” or “Daddy" is aweinspiring. Maybe this is one of your life goals.

(512) 219-1811

Cypress Creek FAM ILY D E NT I ST RY Dr. Sid Gupta

Board Certified Periodontist

Dr. Christopher Hoppe

• Quality care provided in a

relaxed atmosphere

• All forms of general

dentistry from extractions to cosmetic makeovers

• Surgical services including

gum therapy and implants

• Sedation services available

if needed

General Dentist

I have great news! Adoption is often free, and there is free college, insurance and more for both foster and adopted children. You can also volunteer and make a difference! If you are willing to invest time and rescue these little ones, as well as care for their mothers, then contact me! For more information go to www.familylinkkids.com. Together we can change the world, one child at a time.

Dr. Sid Gupta

Mariah Wilde

Dr. Christopher Hoppe 2000 Sun Chase Blvd. | Cedar Park, TX 78613 | www.drhoppeccfd.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

FEATURE STORY

yron Webre – You may remember him as Chief Meteorologist on KEYE TV here in Austin. Byron is now the Development Director at Summit Christian Academy, and his journey from a career in television to a completely new career at a private Christian school is one worth telling, and one worth noting. Byron’s dad was in the Air Force, and Byron attended four different high schools, starting out in Germany, and finishing up his senior year in San Antonio, graduating from MacArthur High School, where he played both football and baseball. He then attended and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Meteorology and a degree in Engineering. Byron’s career in television as a meteorologist began in Odessa, continued in Amarillo, moved to Knoxville, Tennessee and on to Abilene, Texas, where he landed a job as Chief Meteorologist. From there he went to San Antonio, then to Cincinnati, Ohio and finally to Austin, Texas. He was Chief Meteorologist in both Cincinnati and Austin, as well. After more than 20 years of a television career, September 1, 2008 was his last day on the air as Chief Meteorologist for KEYE-TV. The station where Byron had been employed since December 2003 had decided to exercise their option to get out of his contract.

Byron didn’t want to leave Austin, as he said, “This is home for us. We have roots here.” However, there were no job opportunities available for employment as a Chief Meteorologist elsewhere in Austin, so Byron had a decision to make. Relocate his family in order to stay in the television market, or make a huge career change? He chose to leave his television career and stay put, in the middle of the “worst recession”, as Byron put it, “at least in my lifetime.” Although Byron’s resume was full of only TV experience as a weatherman, he saw a change on the horizon… After several months of networking, calling, sending out resumes, etc., Byron began to feel anxiety and fear, with thoughts such as, “How am I going to support my family?” “How can I do that?” He was not doing www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

urney The GreatestifJeo... of My L well emotionally, but felt strongly that God was telling him, “You need to stay here, I have plans for you.” It was during this time of anxiety and waiting that Byron’s faith experienced tremendous growth. One day in October, Byron was particularly anxious and scared, alone at home. There had been no serious offers for employment,

Byron was hired as the Development Director for Summit Christian Academy. This new job led to Byron’s son Drake starting Kindergarten at Summit in January ’09, his son Dawson beginning Pre-K in the fall of ’09, and Byron’s wife Amy joining the teaching staff as well, where she is now a Kindergarten Teacher.

Cedar Park Campus

and even the international community. The students at Summit have taken trips to Oklahoma and New Orleans (serving Hurricane Katrina victims), Washington DC, Ecuador, and even overseas to Austria and Germany to serve others; and these trips have had a profound impact on the lives of these kids. Summit is an independent, non-denominational Christian school,

Leander Campus

and Byron fell to his knees in tears, stating in prayer, “I can’t do this without you.” He just gave it all to God in trust, and felt this was definitely the TURNING POINT of his life. It was the first time he had stepped out in “blind faith”, doing what he knew God had told him to do, with no idea of what was next. Immediately after his confession of his need for God, he began feeling better. Byron states this began “the greatest journey of my life.” Two weeks after this prayer time on his knees, Byron was at a FedEx Kinkos and ran into Steve Bratton, who worked in commercial real estate management. At the time, Byron was taking classes to get his real estate license. Steve recognized Byron from television, and they began talking about Byron’s exit from KEYE, about real estate, etc. and they exchanged email addresses. At the time Byron was unaware that Steve was also the Facilities Construction Contractor for Summit Christian Academy. Soon after that, Steve invited Byron to drive around with him, which Byron thought at the time was to show him some of his properties. However, Steve had other ideas, and basically ambushed him. He dropped Byron off at Summit Christian Academy to meet Dr. Cortez, the Superintendent. Little did Byron know, the next hour and a half visit with Dr. Cortez was an interview of sorts for an open position at Summit, which just suited Byron and his communication skills, and his ability to interact with people and build relationships. By December 1, 2008,

Cedar Park Campus

Byron’s new job encompasses three main duties: raising funds through inside and outside sources, marketing and promoting the school through billboards, radio, print ads, etc., and building community and relationships among the families. What seemed to be a devastating blow of losing an ideal job had now turned into a huge blessing for Byron and his entire household. God wasn’t mad at him. God rescued him. Byron states he loved telling the “weather story” to his viewers, but at Summit Christian Academy he is serving and doing what God has led him to do at this point in his life. “We here at Summit are educating our future leaders to be Godly leaders.”

which offers MDO, and Pre-K through 12th grades. Check out their Open House/Showcase on February 9 (Leander campus) and February 11 (Cedar Park campus.) Byron states that Summit Christian Academy is the “best kept secret in this area”. (www.SummitEagles.org) Why is Byron’s story on our cover? Byron believes his story will encourage our readers who might be hurting, out of work, looking for a job, to believe and rely on God, because “He will not forsake you. He will take care of you.” For those who do not know Christ, he encourages them to seek Him, and he will answer them. Byron says it wasn’t until he fell on his knees and gave it all up that he became what he calls an “authentic Christian”, not just a man going through the motions. “I get it,” he says. “I didn’t get it before, but I get it now.” Marcy Lytle

Summit Christian Academy offers a very warm family atmosphere, and an excellent Christ-centered education (test scores way above the national average) in a very safe school environment. Summit also has outstanding sports, fine arts and performing arts programs. Byron offices out of the Leander campus, but also works at the Cedar Park location, which is beautifully situated among a vast array of trees covering the landscape of the campus. The thing that makes Summit unique is its Impact Education Program – a mission-based serving program that serves our local community, our state, our nation,

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Byron with Student Shelby Jones

Faith Family

February calendar brought to you by Christian Brothers Automotive

FEB CALENDAR Caring for the Familyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; Caring for the Family Car MONDAY

Bookspring 5th Annual Read-A-Thon: All day at Bookspring. Readers of all ages can read to make a difference and help to place books into the hands of children who need them most.

AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you can experiment with it in this feature exhibit. In AirFair, children and adults can investigate how air affects different objects and playfully discover the powers and properties of moving air through fun, hands-on activities.

Chiquitito's Spanish Workshops: 10 am at Austin Children's Museum. Infants, toddlers, pre-k children and adults can learn Spanish through fun activities presented by Young Peoples Workshops.

TUESDAY

Bookspring 5th Annual Read-A-Thon: All day at Bookspring. Readers of all ages can read to make a difference and help to place books into the hands of children who need them most. AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you can experiment with it in this feature exhibit. In AirFair, children and adults can investigate how air affects different objects and playfully discover the powers and properties of moving air through fun, hand-on activities.

WEDNESDAY

Bookspring 5th Annual Read-A-Thon: All day at BookSpring. Readers of all ages can read to make a difference and help to place books into the hands of children who need them most.

Suenos Realizados Storytime (Dreams Come True): Various times at Austin Children's Museum.

St. William's Sweetheart Dinner and Dance:

Join educators in the En Mi Familia exhibit for a bilingual storytime, featuring books written by Carmen Lomas Garza.

St. Williams Catholic Church Parish Hall. The dance features music by Ram Herrera and the Outlaw Band and will include door prizes and raffle.

MONDAY

SATURDAY

AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you

Emotional Baggage Co. Inaugural Runway Fashion Event: 7:30 pm at 501 Studios. EBs product line emphasizes the use of re-purposed and reclaimed materials to create hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind bags and personal accessories.

Brown Bag Lunch Concert: 12 pm at Lakeway Activity Center. Pack a lunch and come and enjoy some excellent entertainment. Career Transitions Class: 7 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Faith-directed job hunting class and support for those out of work or looking to make a career change.

Walking the Mourner's Path: 6:30 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church. A Christ-centered bereavement program.

FRIDAY

can experiment with it in this feature exhibit. In AirFair, children and adults can investigate how air affects different objects and playfully discover the powers and properties of moving air through fun, hands-on activities.

FronteraFest 2010: Various times at Hyde Park Theatre. FronteraFest provides a venue for new theatre, comedy, and dance performers, as well as established local and national performers and writers to explore new works that challenge these artist and Austin audiences. C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters: 4 pm and 8 pm at Paramount Theatre. The Screwtape Letters is a funny, provocative and wickedly witty theatrical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' brilliant novel that explores the theme of Spiritual warfare from a demon's point of view. Free Home Financing Seminar: 8:30 am at Capitol Credit Union Downtown Branch. Learn helpful hints and tips about mortgage financing and a loan officer will be available to provide a free loan analyst.

Golden Hornet Project presents Symphony VI. 8 pm and 10:30 pm at Austin Ventures Studio Theater. Three compositions are string oriented and will consist of 32 of Austin's top string players, along with musical directors on piano, electronics and effects.

American Voices: 8 pm at Long Center of Performing Arts. Larry Gatlin, Crystal Gayle, and Andy Cooney. Daddy/Daughter Dance: 5:30 pm at Clay Madsen Recreation Center. A perfect time to create a special and memorable experience with your daughter! Dress up, take pictures and dance the night away! Musical Mystery Dinner Theatre:

2 pm at First

United Methodist Church Round Rock.

SUNDAY

can experiment with it in this feature exhibit. In AirFair, children and adults can investigate how air affects different

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you

Join educators in the En Mi Familia exhibit for a bilingual storytime, featuring books written by Carmen Lomas Garza.

THURSDAY

Suenos Realizados Storytime (Dreams Come True): Various times at Austin Children's Museum.

Music From the Heart: An 80th Birthday Tribute to Rod Kennedy: 6 pm at Paramount Theatre. An all-star tribute to Rod Kennedy, founder of the Kerrville Folk Festival. A benefit for Texas Music History.

objects and playfully discover the powers and properties of moving air through fun, hands-on activities.

2010 can experiment with it in this feature exhibit. In AirFair, children and adults can investigate how air affects different objects and playfully discover the powers and properties of moving air through fun, hands-on activities.

TUESDAY 9 AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you can experiment with it in this feature exhibit. In AirFair, children and adults can investigate how air affects different objects and playfully discover the powers and properties of moving air through fun, hands-on activities.

FronteraFest 2010: Various times at Hyde Park Theatre. FronteraFest provides a venue for new theatre, comedy, and dance performers, as well as established local and national performers and writers to explore new works that challenge these artist and Austin audiences. Encountering the World of Islam: 6:30 pm at High Pointe Baptist Church. It's an inter-denominational fourteenweek course designed to teach believers about Islam and equip them with the necessary tools to fearlessly reach out to their Muslim neighbors, fiends, and co-workers with the gospel of Christ.

WEDNESDAY

www.cba-austin.com

Suenos Realizados Storytime (Dreams Come True): Various times at Austin Children's Museum.

Activity Center.

Join educators in the En Mi Familia exhibit for a bilingual storytime, featuring books written by Carmen Lomas Garza.

Grace at Work: 9 am at Covenant Presbyterian Church.

THURSDAY

Brown Bag Lunch Concert:

12 pm at Lakeway Activity Center. Pack a lunch and come and enjoy some excellent entertainment.

Career Transitions Class: 7 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Faith-directed job hunting class and support for those out of work or looking to make a career change.

Walking the Mourner's Path: 6:30 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church. A Christ-centered bereavement program.

FRIDAY

Red Carpet Opening For Harry Ransom Center's Making Movies Exhibition. 6 pm at Harry Ransom Center. Making Movies reveals the collaborative nature of the filmmaking process and focuses on how the artists involved transform the written word into moving image.

5th Annual Charity Sweetheart Ball:

7 pm at Plaza Hotel. All proceeds will support us in giving back to the community as we support local charities to include homeless shelters, food closets, and individuals with special needs.

SATURDAY

Monthly Meetingâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;The Austin Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators: 11 am at BookPeople. The free meeting, open to the public, focuses on a nuts and bolts approach to scene and structure.

Lakeway City Wide Garage Sale: 8 am at Lakeway

Nationally recognized speakers will equip us to share Jesus' love through our everyday interactions with people at work and in the community.

SUNDAY

THURSDAY

Sesame Street Live "1-2-3 Imagine! With Elmo and Friends": Various times at the Frank Erwin Center. Imagine singing and dancing with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and all your favorite Sesame Street Live friends.

Brown Bag Lunch Concert: 12 pm at Lakeway Activity Center. Pack a lunch and come and enjoy some excellent entertainment.

Cirque Du Soliel "Alegria":

Cedar Park Center.

Homecoming: 11:00 am - Celebrating 52 years as pastor - Melvin Clearman - Trinity Chapel - 5201 Martin Avenue

MONDAY

Suenos Realizados Storytime (Dreams Come True): Various times at Austin Children's Museum.

Cirque Du Soliel "Alegria":

Join educators in the En Mi Familia exhibit for a bilingual storytime, featuring books written by Carmen Lomas Garza.

Career Transitions Class: 7 pm at Covenant Presbyterian

Austin Marathon:

Church. A faith-directed job hunting class and support for those out of work or looking to make a career change.

Children's Museum. Infants, toddlers, pre-k children and adults can learn Spanish through fun activities presented by Young Peoples Workshops.

Walking the Mourner's Path: 6:30 pm at Covenant

TUESDAY

7 am in Downtown Austin. The race starts and finishes in downtown Austin and you will get a perfect tour of our beautiful city.

MONDAY

Chiquitito's Spanish Workshops: 10 am at Austin Children's Museum. Infants, toddlers, pre-k children and adults can learn Spanish through fun activities presented by Young Peoples Workshops.

Encountering the World of Islam: 6:30 pm at High Pointe Baptist Church. It's an inter-denominational fourteenweek course designed to teach believers about Islam and equip them with the necessary tools to fearlessly reach out to their Muslim neighbors, fiends, and co-workers with the gospel of Christ. Building a Successful Relationship Seminar Series: 7 pm at Fellowship Baptist Church in Morgan's Point Resort. Personality Types: Individuals Look at Life from Different Angles.

WEDNESDAY

Chiquitito's Spanish Workshops: 10 am at Austin

Presbyterian Church. A Christ-centered bereavement program.

AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you

TUESDAY

Cedar Park Center.

AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you

FRIDAY

Cirque Du Soliel "Alegria":

SATURDAY

Cedar Park Center.

WEDNESDAY

Suenos Realizados Storytime (Dreams Come True): Various times at Austin Children's Museum. Join educators in the En Mi Familia exhibit for a bilingual storytime, featuring books written by Carmen Lomas Garza.

THURSDAY

Moses and the Burning Within - A New Musical:

Immanuel Baptist Church in Temple. All February donors will receive a free t-shirt, a free lunch coupon, and a chance to win a romance package from the Residence Inn.

Career Transitions Class: 7 pm at Covenant Presbyterian

Diahann Carroll:

8 pm at Michael and Susan Dell Hall. Diahann Carroll is a Tony Award winner, Emmy and Grammy nominee, Golden Globe winner and a Best Oscar nominee.

Cirque Du Soliel "Alegria":

Suenos Realizados Storytime (Dreams Come True): Various times at Austin Children's Museum.

AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you

Join educators in the En Mi Familia exhibit for a bilingual storytime, featuring books written by Carmen Lomas Garza.

Cedar Park Center.

7:30 pm at Bethany Lutheran Church. Burning within is a musical in two acts adapted from the Book of Exodus.

Cirque Du Soliel "Alegria":

AirFair: Museum hours at Austin Children's Museum. You can't see it. You can't always feel it, but you

Immanuel Baptist Church Blood Drive: 9 am at

SUNDAY

Cedar Park Center.

www.cba-austin.com

The Oasis Restaurant 2010 Bridal Show: 12 pm at the Oasis Restaurant on Lake Travis. Various wedding vendors will be present and brides can register for a chance to win an all expense paid honeymoon to Acapulco.

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Church. A faith-directed job hunting class and support for those out of work or looking to make a career change.

Walking the Mourner's Path: 6:30 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church. A Christ-centered bereavement program.

FRIDAY

Moses and the Burning Within - A New Musical: 7:30 pm at Bethany Lutheran Church. Burning within is a musical in two acts adapted from the Book of Exodus.

Elvis Sock Hop: 5 pm at Allen R. Baca Center. Join us for a Rock n' Roll good time as we step back into the '50's. Brown Bag Lunch Concert:

12 pm at Lakeway Activity Center. Pack a lunch and come and enjoy some excellent entertainment.

SUNDAY

Golf Tips From the Tour with J.L. Lewis J.L. Lewis, PGA

PGA TOUR Destinations – SBS Championship

By: J.L. Lewis

Maui, Hawaii January 2010

he first stop on the PGA TOUR each year is in beautiful Hawaii for the SBS Championship. PGA TOUR winners from 2005 will be heading to Kapalua in Maui for this exciting event. The overwhelming views and tropical windy weather provide for a fantastic venue for the first event of the year. The course is extremely hilly, and a lot of local knowledge is needed to be competitive, even though it is the smallest field of the year.

Faith Family

Extreme wind conditions and strong grain on the greens combine to challenge golfers to hit shots they normally do not face with regularity. An example of these conditions is the Par 4 twelfth hole, an uphill, 390 yard hole where I was tied for third coming into 12 during the second round of the Mercedes Benz Championship in 2004. I hit a sand wedge on the green past the hole and the ball spun off the green and down the severe slope settling 60 yards from the hole. My next several shots I proceeded to spin the ball back several more times and finished the hole with a score of eight, which took me out of contention.

The difficulty of the course is not evident on television as many of the uphill holes are headed into the raging wind that seems to blow nearly every day. That combined with the slope and the ocean, which pulls on the grain of the greens, makes scoring extremely difficult and mentally taxing. Kapalua Plantation Course is one of the toughest walks

on the PGA TOUR, even tougher from a conditioning perspective since it is the first event of the season. The stress and challenge of the golf course is counter-balanced by the breathtaking views from the course. It is common to see whale spouts on the horizon of the ocean during the tournament. Whoever wins the SBS Championship definitely earns it!

Other exciting activities on Maui include going to many different places around the island to snorkel and see the plethora of colorful fish and sea life, including enormous and friendly sea turtles. Horseback riding is also a common tourist attraction. The horses take their riders along mountain trails, to the tops of volcanoes to see the spectacular views of Maui and the other islands. The Road to Hana is also very popular in Maui for its gorgeous landscapes, numerous waterfalls, and a black sand beach.

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

DON’T MISS

Screwtape Letters

ax McLean stars in this 90-minute theatrical meditation, based on C.S. Lewis’ brilliant novel, The Screwtape Letters. C.S. Lewis’ novel explores spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view. Max plays Screwtape, a senior demon whose goal is to hunt, trap and devour a Christian human’s soul. The Screwtape Letters stage adaptation is produced by Fellowship for the Performing Arts (FPA), whose mission is to produce theatre from a Christian perspective that is engaging to a diverse audience. Audience members will leave this production wondering, “Can this be true?”

Sesame Street Live Sesame Street Live is an event for the whole family, and it’s coming to Austin! Imagine dancing and singing with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and all their friends…it’s as easy as 1-2-3! This production will take audiences to far away places and teaches children they can do anything, be anyone and go anywhere, all through the power of imagination.

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

FOCUS : NONPROFIT nonprofit

Heroic Media – New Mom Chooses Life arrie learned she was pregnant just after she and her boyfriend ended their relationship, and at a time with both her parents were very ill. “I felt totally alone”, she said. Carrie Johnson, raised a Christian, felt she had abandoned God because she had not lived the way she “knew she should have.” She did not believe in abortion, but the thought of having one did enter her mind. This is when she saw a Majella (now Heroic Media) commercial, and decided to call for help. Within months of attending parenting and bible study programs offered by Heroic Media, Carrie began attending church and learned to forgive.

forgiveness.” Although she had reached a very low place in her life, Johnson says if she hadn’t seen the ad, she doesn’t know what her life would be like.

On March 20, 2009 baby Alise Paulette was born, but her Carrie was still struggling with forgiveness and didn’t feel ready to be a mom. One evening Carrie looked at her new daughter, wondering how many hairs were on her head, when she realized “God knew” the answer, even before her daughter was born. She suddenly felt His love.

Carrie receiving CIL award

Johnson said, “I thought I ruined my testimony by becoming pregnant.” However, God used her experiences to show his love. Carrie states, “I am an example of his

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Carrie Johnson is the 2009 recipient of Heroic Media’s “Courage in Life” award, which is presented to individuals who demonstrate great courage in choosing or living life. Heroic Media, a Majella Cares outreach, places positive television, billboard and internet ads to help women in crisis pregnancies find life-affirming resource centers. (www.heroicmedia.org) Marcy Lytle

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

Awakened from Slumber and Stirred to Pro-Life Action

o you ever have those moments when you are straight up embarrassed to be a Christian? Normally it happens when our well-known, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ do something idiotic like getting caught in a sex scandal. Other times, it happens in the halls of our own churches when our four-year old daughter points out a jollier member of the body and shouts, “Daddy, Dat man is weally, weally fat, wight?” And then there are moments when God awakens us to a spiritual dog fight going on around us, and then compels us to jump in head first, as he did for me last April. I want to ask you a question. But before you answer, I want you to promise me you will not get offended and weally answer honestly. Weady? As a follower of Christ who is on this earth to love God, love others and battle against injustices, how much do you really know about what the devil is up to in the Abortion industry?

Well, if you are like I was a year ago, you could probably talk about how you feel on the issue but offer no insight into what is going on behind closed doors. When I found out last spring that our church (which I have now been a part of for seven years) was less than one mile away from an abortion facility in NW Austin, I was shocked. In fact, it took a group of Young, radical, praying Christians through the 40 Days for Life campaign to awaken me to the reality of this well-hidden clinic. God’s conviction and grace fell quickly upon me. My view of abortion began to shift. It was no longer a political issue, but a justice issue that is devastating OUR community, OUR families, OUR students and most importantly the heart of OUR God! “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”Ephesians 5:13-14 So, as Christ’s passion for human life has pierced me like warm rays from the sun on a cold, windy day, I would like to share with you just a few things I have learned about what the devil has been busy doing:

• Travis County is home to four abortion clinics & uses OUR tax dollars for funding abortions. • Women’s Rights and Women’s Health are the marketing banners that disguise the real engine that drives the abortion industry….money. • Most abortion counselors will not let you see the sonogram and will not offer alternative (Pro-Life) methods to you. • Abortion clinics often racially target minority communities – The Largest US Abortion Facility is being built in Houston’s Third Ward located in the center of four large neighborhoods that are 85% Black and Hispanic. • Less than 5% of abortions in the U.S. are performed because of concerns for the women’s health; the other 95% of the 1.5 million annually are performed because having a baby is inconvenient. • 100% of the people I have surveyed so far say that they are glad they were born and if they had the choice while in the womb they would vote to be born. Now that I have been exposed to the truth, there is no turning back. On Feb 17th a 40-Day Prayer Vigil is launching outside of several abortion clinics in OUR city and I believe that it’s time that generations, young and old, awake from our slumber and become ACTIVELY pro-life. Share this article with others, look into what you read here and visit: www.austincoalitionforlife.com to find out how you can become more involved in standing with Christ by standing against injustice.

Faith Family

We meet the financial needs ofindividuals and businesses.

Services Offered: • Individual and Corporate

Tax Compliance, Planning, & Audit Assistance • Help Finding the Financial

Joe Elliott

Advisor Who Best Meets Your Needs

20 Words has a dual meaning: It speaks to the 20-something crowd and highlights 20 words that send a message.

• Small and Large Corporation

Accounting Assistance • Temporary CEO, Controller,

Faith Family advertise in the aff march issue! Call us today for details!

(512) 689-2717

As Iron Sharpens Iron, Let Us Sharpen You Financially!

and Accounting Staff Services • Design & Implementation We have over 40 years of combined experience meeting the financial needs of people just like you.

of Accounting Controls & Processes

Newberry Financial Services, LLC Experience and Integrity

(512) 905-6573 | www.nfsaustin.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

M om

da iran

Time with M y m

Should Your Children Be Colorblind? Discussing Race Relations with Kids

ith concerns about pregnancy, drug use and “sexting” swirling around these days, parents have plenty of hefty ground to cover when talking to their kids. One issue that is grossly neglected, however, is that of race relations. With February being Black History Month, there has never been a better time to broach this subject with children. As a child of divorce, I often spent time with both sets of my family separately. During these visits, I noticed a huge difference in the way both sides viewed people of other races, especially African Americans. While my maternal grandfather had a black best friend and racial references were never uttered, my paternal grandparents were completely on the other side of the “tolerance” spectrum. In short, I heard the “N” word often from them, something which caused me great discomfort (and in my later years, I told them so). It was because of those early experiences, that I decided I wanted my children to grow up as color blind as my mother’s side of the family. So, it was with great pride that, when I pointed out that President Barack Obama was our first black president, I heard my 5-year-old son say, “What do you mean black?” He didn’t understand the reference because I had never used it before. It made me think that maybe I was doing at least one thing right after all. Experts disagree on this point, however. Some would argue that I waited too long to discuss racial differences with my child. Many say it’s important to gently introduce the subject as soon as children can notice the difference in skin color, as early as age three. How to do this is the big question. Since Black History Month is an important observation in our country, if you have schoolaged children, they will most likely come to you with questions at any rate, so you might as well begin discussing the issue on your own terms and in your own way.

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Take a Day Trip

FOCUS : RESTAURANTS restaurants

You might look into some of the exhibits around town during certain times of year that celebrate the rich heritage of our country. This month, libraries around town offer special story times and exhibits, celebrating contributions of African American writers, inventors and civil rights activists. It’s a wonderful family-friendly way to open up the discussion to your children. In January, Cinco De Mayo celebrations abound, while in November, the largest Pow Wow in Texas takes place right here in Austin – plenty of opportunities to expand your children’s knowledge of other cultures. Also, the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies has regular displays of art, crafts and exhibits provided by African Americans. Take this opportunity to scout out other such cultural centers that explore American Indian, Hispanic and Chinese culture, all of which contributed greatly to this country. Learning Together It’s going to be difficult to answer some of the questions your children will present, so be prepared. If you weren’t alive or can’t remember segregation, contact a senior, either a friend or relative, and ask them to give you their perspective. This may be a good conversation to have in the presence of your children. If you are exploring the Holocaust, perhaps visiting the Holocaust Museum in Houston will give you a better glimpse into the atrocities of that period. If you have a first-hand account, this is even better. Explain to your children that, while you don’t understand why people dislike others for their color, you would like to learn more alongside them. This may be a perfect bonding and enrichment opportunity for the whole family. The Real Lesson These days, with religious and cultural differences playing so heavily into our own lives as Americans, Black History Month serves as a wonderful reminder that you can’t judge a book by its cover. In the end, examining cultural differences can help us circle back to the teachings of Jesus, which always reached beyond color, gender and social status.

Bella Donna Subs – We Serve “Real Food”!

y first visit to Bella Donna’s Subs was a few weeks ago, and I was completely delighted at the choice of sandwiches written up on the board above the counter. There were hot Italian sandwiches, cold Italian heroes, Hot American subs, Cold American subs, Wraps, Hamburgers, New York Jewish Treats and even choices for breakfast. Another surprise I received was being greeted by various notes around the restaurant that let every customer know that these owners love God and they’re not ashamed to say so. After looking at all of the choices, each one sounding delicious by description, I opted for the Flying Turkey with spicy mustard and fresh avocado slices, and my choice of cheese. The staff was friendly, service was prompt and the food was scrumptious! I envied the Chicken Salad sandwich that my brother ordered, thinking I might try it next time.

Bella Donna Subs is located in South Austin at 4612 Burleson Road Ste #E not far off Hwy. 71. On the menu, it states, “If there is a problem with anything here at BELLA DONNA’s, I will personally guarantee to do whatever it takes to make it right for you.” Bella Donna is only open Monday through Friday for the breakfast and lunchtime crowd. There are rave reviews found on the internet, even though Bella Donna doesn’t yet have a website of their own. Make sure to get there early, and go there often, because the choices are too many and the food is too good. Bella Donna Subs: Phone (512) 804-2223 Fax (512) 804-2224 Marcy Lytle

Bella Donna Subs is owned by Hector Garcia and his brother, Vigo Garcia. They have owned the place for about five years. When I asked Hector why he has scriptures and Christian-based sayings posted around his place of business, this was his reply: “If you’re a Christian, then you know why.” He went on to state that Jesus changed his life and in the Bible it says to spread the good news all over the world. His world is within the four walls of Bella Donna Subs. He wants to “do things right”. To have your restaurant reviewed, please contact us at (512) 689-2717 for details.

When all is said and done, the most important lesson to teach our children is to love one another, just as Jesus implored us to do. The generation that masters this will indeed be at peace. Miranda N. Bradley

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

TOP

Color Your Home…

ebruary is the month where the color red abounds. Red hearts are on display in all the stores. Red clothes and red accessories are available for a night out with your Valentine. There’s even red décor, including pillows and candles everywhere, to be placed in your home to add a romantic touch. Red is a bright bold color that adds a “pop” to a room. Below, find 10 ways to add a little bold color to any room in your house, creating a whole new look, without breaking your pocketbook… Living room:

Change out the pillows on your sofa. If your sofa is a neutral color such as khaki, taupe, brown, etc., shop for three to four bright colored pillows and change out or add to the existing ones that came with the sofa. Pier One often has sales on pillows and offers a great assortment of color from which to choose.

Change out picture frames so they all match. If your photos are hanging in mismatched frames of black, silver or gold, try changing them all out to frames of the same color as a color in the pillows you chose, and then display them in a pattern on the wall or shelves. This change takes an area of disarray and brings attention to color and shape. If colored frames are hard to find, opt for colored matting found at Hobby Lobby or other stores with framing departments.

Add a rug. Even if your room is carpeted, a rug can add warmth and color to your living area. Instead of choosing a traditional braided rug or one of neutral tones, add an orange or red rug, or one of another bright color, just in front of the sofa or under your dining table. Turn it an angle, and create a fresh new look.

Include color on the mantle. Purchase colored candle holders or tapers in a variety of heights and place on the mantle. Light the candles and sit down to enjoy the new hues of your re-decorated room. Bedroom:

Place a throw across the corner of your bed, pulling out a subtle color from the comforter, to add color and character to your bed.

Add new lamps (or just change out existing lampshades) to your bedside table and dresser. Instead of neutral shades, purchase colorful ones, or decorate your existing shades, giving them a whole new look. Beads can be added to dangle from the bottom, or fabric can be used to cover a shade, etc. Check out www.hgtv.com for ideas.

Faith Family

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Add throw pillows to the bed as well, perhaps in two to three colors, coordinating your new throw with the comforter and new pillows. A well-made bed makes an entire room. Bathroom:

Make one bold statement of color with a new bright-colored shower curtain. If you prefer a subtle, neutral curtain, add towels in a bold color. A large, bright towel hanging on the towel bar, topped with a smaller towel in another color, and then a decorative ornament as a third layer, brings character to even the smallest of bathrooms.

Shop for decorative “guest towels” (folded paper towels, found at World Market, Target, etc.) in pretty colors and place in a rectangular basket, for guests to see and use when they visit.

Finally, instead of the traditional bath sets of matching toilet lid and rugs, purchase a rug from the choices in the store that are not in the bath section. Opt for a large throw rug in a pretty color to place in front of the sink area, either in a bright solid color or one of pattern.

Color always brings a fresh look to a dull room, and it’s easy to do so without re-doing and purchasing new furniture. February is the last month of winter, when trees are dead and the drabness of winter is almost over. Change is coming, new leaves will be appearing and our world will soon become an array of color again. Why not start inside your home to get a head start on the beauty of the coming season?

Marcy Lytle

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

SPECIAL FEATURE The Piano Teacher – “Honoring God in Piano Performance, Teaching and Professionalism“

AVID BRODRICK began teaching piano in his teens, taught throughout college, and now has over 10 years of teaching experience with children and adults. Originally from Dallas, David attended the Suzuki Institute of Dallas, studying under Professor Da Chen, continued his musical studies at Brookhaven Community College, and then transferred to Southern Methodist University, studying with Alfred Mouledous and obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance, with honors. In 2009, David taught piano in Germany at Baerenklang Musik Schule (Music School). Since moving to Austin, he now has started teaching again and has 20-plus students.

The Suzuki Method of piano is rooted in the idea that in the same way every child learns to speak their mother tongue language, so every child can learn to “speak” the language of the piano with their hands. Young children learn the piano by hearing and repeating music they hear around them, through background music being played on a daily basis. This process is guided by the teacher and reinforced by parents. The more parents provide a musical environment, the better a child can learn. “Music learned is memorized, reviewed and built upon so that skill is not lost, but rather built up,” David says. Sight reading is foundational and new pieces are introduced each week. The Suzuki Method introduces each skill in “tiny, absorbable units,” which makes certain that a student will succeed at their own personal pace. David states that Ben, one of his former students, was accepted in both vocal and piano at the arts magnet high school. Ben draws quite a crowd playing at a retirement

home, and he is also performing now in Dallas. David shared, “His mother thanked me for encouraging him when he thought he might quit!” Another student, David, took off with music after studying with David Brodrick. This young man focuses on Irish music and has performed at musical retreats.

David teaches piano from his own home in North Austin, in the Scofield neighborhood, just north of Parmer and Mopac. David was certain about this, “I desire to honor God in my teaching with honesty, responsibility and good character.” He has lessons available at various times of the day and offers discounts to those with several siblings taking lessons. For more information, visit www.speakingpiano.com or email David at davidbrodrick@ymail.com. His phone number is 512-704-3275. Marcy Lytle

Full Gloss, Full Color, Great Prices & Distributed to Over 500 Locations!

Join our other awesome AFF advertisers today and get results!

Join us for Valentine’s Day! Reservations Only 5pm–10pm Special Valentines Day Menu 118 E. Main Street | Round Rock | (512) 244-7525 www.RRMainStreetGrill.net www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

Timing: The mail-in rebates will apply to eligible appliances purchased between April 16 and April 25, 2010. The 10-day period will coincide with Earth Day. NOTE–the rebate program will not be retroactive. It will only apply to purchases made once the program officially begins in April 2010. Rebate Amounts: The rebates will be as follows:

consumers replace functional old appliances and recycle them where available.

credit, then the full $8,000 can be allocated to the eligible buyer.

Find the rebate form and more about the program by visiting the Energy Conservation Office Website at: www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/arra/

$6500 EXISTING HOMEOWNER CREDIT

$8000 FIRST TIME HOME BUYER CREDIT

Who Qualifies: If your home has been your primary residence for 5 consecutive years in the past 8 years and if the purchase price does not exceed $800,000. You do not have to purchase a higher priced home than the home you sold to qualify.

ENERGYSTAR® Rebates and Home Buying/ Selling Incentives

here are multiple state and federal programs for upgrading appliances and for buying/selling homes. Here is a rundown of what is available, when it expires and what it includes: ENERGYSTAR® APPLIANCE REBATES Summary: Texas will use approximately $23 million in federal stimulus funds for a mail-in rebate program for consumers who purchase certain energy-efficient household appliances. Who Qualifies: The U.S. Department of Energy approved the rebates for consumers who buy eligible Energy Star appliances and replace the same type of old appliance that's functional. The Texas program will also offer an incentive to recycle old appliances.

Thinking of selling your existing home and purchasing another? The federal government is offering a $6500 credit to existing homeowners to do so. You must be under contract by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010 to take advantage.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!! * Depending on appliance type and energy efficiency of model purchased

Rebate Process: Consumers will have an opportunity to reserve an appliance rebate by calling a toll-free number or registering online approximately two weeks prior to April 16, 2010. After the reserved mail-in rebates are awarded, any remaining funds will be rebated to consumers on a first-come, first-served basis. Shoppers will be limited to two appliance rebates and two recycling rebates per household. Recycling: Texas plans to include recycling opportunities of old appliances in the program design. SECO is also working with retailers and recycling facilities to create a system to help

The first time home buyer credit has been extended until April 30, 2010. Closing must take place by June 30, 2010. Who Qualifies: A “first time home buyer” is someone who has not owned a home in the three years preceding the closing date. What about co-borrowers? If a parent co-signs for their child, the child can receive the credit if they can qualify for the mortgage. When unmarried individuals co-purchase a home and only one of them is eligible for the

Do you have a real estate question? E-mail it to info@giverealtyaustin.com and it may be featured in a future column! Robin LeTourneau, Realtor®, SRES®, GRI Laurie Loew, Broker GRI, ABR, GREEN® Give Realty Inc. 3420 Executive Center Drive Ste 300, Austin 78731 Phone: (512) 338.4483 Give Realty is a local Real Estate brokerage who is committed to giving back and investing in our community! When you sell or purchase a home using our brokerage, we donate 25% of our commission to the nonprofit of your choice in your name. Go to www.giverealty.com to find out more or call us at 512-338-4483.

Laurie Loew

A Helping Hand for Neighbors, Food for the Hungry.

“ Treasures”

at the Round Rock Area Serving Center Thrift Stores Hours of Operation:

Monday–Friday 10 am–4 pm Saturday 9 am–12 pm Donations 12 pm–4 pm

Donations of clothing, books, furniture and appliances are needed. Treasure's is a clothing and furniture thrift store that is open to the public. Revenue from sales support the food pantry and social service programs. Services provided include a food pantry, clothing & furniture vouchers, Computers for Kids, Round Rock Coats for Kids, The Volunteer Center, community gardens, computer skills training, and financial assistance for utilities, rent, prescriptions, transportation, and temporary lodging.

Closed Sunday 1099 E. Main Street Round Rock, TX 78664 info@servingcenter.org www.servingcenter.org

For furniture pickup call (512) 244-2431

Faith Family

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Leadership Filter | Equippers vs. Speakers

am convinced there are only two types of leaders that exist: Equippers and Speakers. You are either one or the other. Maybe this verse in 1 Corinthians 4: 15 will make this point more alive for you: “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”

Now, let’s put a different spin on this verse, shall we? It will help drive this point to my desired destination. “For though you might have ten thousand speakers in the American Church, yet you do not have many equippers in the American Church; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” Do you know how easy it is to hear a speaker today? However, it’s so hard to be equipped and empowered for your God-given assignment. Just go to a conference, seminar or a church service. Naturally, your next question would be: “Which one do I go to?” Exactly! There are seriously ten thousand seminars and conferences every year. Stadiums and convention centers are packed out. Churches are full. Are people really being equipped and empowered? NO.

How do we track and measure the process of equipping and empowering people? This is a question I’ve been starting to tackle in my heart and mind. We would have to be naïve to think that our favorite church service, seminar or conference is doing the job. Now, I’m not against any of that, as I do have my favorite list of leadership conferences. I love Sunday morning worship when I hear my pastor teach. The truth is that these vehicles alone will not do the job to equip and empower people for their God-given assignment. What I’ve been learning and observing on my journey is that you can’t fully equip and empower people by having them just sit in a chair and take notes at your church service or seminar. Part of the equipping and empowering process is sending and releasing them to DO something.

individual some space to run, and the freedom to experiment and try new things. Without the delegation of space and authority, a young leader cannot learn to fail, and then learn to succeed; then fail again, and then succeed again. Equipping and empowering young leaders can be a risky business because the equippers have to be willing to stick with the young leaders when they’re learning to succeed and when they fail, on many different levels. This is why it’s easier to just be a speaker than an equipper. David Lawrence

Funny Church Bulletin Bloopers 1. Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa. 2. Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

SUZUKI PIANO LESSONS Affordable and Quality

512.704.3275

Seminars and weekend church services cannot equip you alone; they can only inform, inspire and/or ignite you. Leaders that diligently equip other young leaders do it through life-on-life relationships and practical delegation of authority in leading, serving and reaching out. For a leader to equip and empower other individuals, someone must come alongside and mentor him/her. But beyond that, someone must give that

David Lawrence is the lead editor of ImpelMinistry.com – Where Church Leadership & Millennials Converge. Follow on Twitter @ImpelMinistry and the editor @DavidLawrence2 and friend him on Facebook.com/DavidLawrence2. You can email: david@impelministry.com.

David Brodrick Teacher

First Lesson - FREE! www.speakingpiano.com

These kids are waiting for a family! EMERGENCY! CHILDREN NEED FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE HOMES! There are many children waiting to be adopted and siblings will be separated if we don’t find a family soon. These children want their own family for Christmas! Reimbursement for care is provided. Adoption is free and children receive free insurance and college tuition!

FamilyLinkKids.com 512-947-7306 Get involved and make a difference! “No nos abandones” or “Don’t abandon us” is the heart’s cry of these children who are in need of a family.

Will you answer their call for help?

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

Student of the Month

SPECIAL FEATURE Unfinished Business of Race in America

wasn't thinking about racism on that winter day in 1974. I had returned from lunch and was drowsily enduring the afternoon when the 5th period classes were dismissed to the auditorium for an all school assembly. I hoped I would see my friends, but that day I wouldn't see any of them. I sat near the back by myself looking for a chance to split as the lights went out. Sitting there in the dark, the image on the movie theater-size screen caught my attention and seemed to grow even larger, as the drama of Martin Luther King's ringing baritone voice woke me up! That grainy black and white footage mesmerized me. I was now feeling alone in the pitch dark of the auditorium as the slain civil rights leader spoke directly to my conscience, "We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” For the first time in my life I got it. The Civil Rights movement was the epic struggle of a people wanting what laws should guarantee and even more what hearts alone can comprehend. Minority citizens longed for America to live up to its creed that "all men are created equal." As a 17-year old junior in high school, I realized in a personal and mind-changing way what was at stake as I watched, for the first time, the last speech Martin Luther King, Jr. ever gave. He was killed the next day after delivering that speech. He was only 39 years old. After that

Faith Family

day, I saw that the Civil Rights Movement wasn't just a Black thing- it was an American thing. Eventually, as my faith matured, I came to believe it was a God thing.

and worried. The threats against his life were growing. Yet in his fear, Martin Luther King, Jr. found strength from God. In his kitchen, alone in the middle of the night, after the threatening phone calls, King began to pray. "Lord, I'm faltering, I'm losing my courage...I can't face it alone." Just then, King would later explain, he heard "an inner voice…the voice of Jesus." The civil rights leader said regarding that inner voice, "He promised never to leave me, no never to leave me alone."

Martin Luther King, Jr. was, in some ways, a reluctant leader in the beginning. A 26-year old Baptist Pastor of a comfortable African American congregation, King wasn't looking for a leadership role in the boiling fever of race politics in Montgomery where he lived. His reluctance was overcome by a late night prayer of confession in which he sensed God calling him to stand up for justice. The cry for racial justice intensified on December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks, in a simple act of defiance against a racist policy, refused to stand and give her seat to a white man on the city bus. As a result, she was arrested. The news of her arrest ignited the passions of the Black community, and when the Black churches got involved, King's unequaled gifts in speaking and preaching catapulted him to the forefront. In an organized response to the arrest of Rosa Parks, black citizens refused to ride the city buses, thus costing the city financially and infuriating some folks in the Montgomery political machine. One night, during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the phone rang at the King residence and an angry anonymous voice threatened to shoot King and bomb his house. By that time, King was already tired

The struggle for racial reconciliation is always the unfinished business of the American experiment. Historians may point to Rosa Parks’ unwillingness to bow to social injustice on that day in 1955 as a starting point of the movement. But Martin Luther King bowing before God asking for help may, in the heavenly analysis, be an even more significant place from which to date the movement. Now 36 years later, the scene in that dark auditorium in 1974 still feels fresh to me. And the dream of one man still seems like a God thing.

eth Polizzi is a freshman at Round Rock High School and states that Band is the most important part of school for him. He feels that Band helps him to succeed in his academics. Seth holds the post of “first chair” as a Euphonium player in the band at his school. He even made Regional Band 5th chair, which is a high achievement for a freshman.

When asked how his faith has helped him in school, Seth’s reply was this: “Knowing who I am in God has helped me to focus on the things that are the most important to me, which include character, work ethic, and the gift of music He has given me.” We asked Seth what he would like to do in the future with his life. His answer was to use music to entertain and inspire others into a love of music. He also wants to travel to see different cultures and the way music is influenced by them. A young man like Seth, who knows where his talents originate, who gives God the glory for them, is truly a gem among high school students today. His focus and ambition, combined with his talent and desire, will affect those around him as he graduates and travels, leaving a positive “note” resounding in the ears of those around him. Marcy Lytle

Dr. Kie Bowman Pastor Hyde Park Baptist

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Dollars & $ense

Clients of Give Realty made donations totaling $3105.00 to the following nonprofits in Dec/Jan:

Making a Difference

Capital Area Food Bank: $819.00 Emancipet: $1350.00 Capital Area Food Bank: $936.00

Financial Straight Talk with Dave Ramsey

Money-Saving Tips From Moms Who Shop

Dave Says No credit score, no mortgage?

his is a monthly column full of tips for saving money. This month’s focus is on ways to save and purchase “big-ticket” items.

ear Dave, I’ve never had a credit card or a bank loan, so I really don’t have any established credit. What should I do when it comes to a cell phone contract or establishing utility service? Also, what will happen if I try to get a mortgage loan at some point? -Matthew

Melissa C. (married, mother of four) • Car - We bought a jeep on Craig’s list; will list on Craig’s list to sell one, too.

Dear Matthew,

• Appliances – We watched for sales online and in ads, and compared pricing between Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, etc. I also relied on friends’ advice and what they found to be the best brand and where to buy – this helped tremendously!

There’s usually no exception on cell phone contracts or utility service. Chances are you’ll have to put up the deposit, and you’ll probably get it back in six months or maybe a year from now. I still run into this kind of thing from time to time. It’s almost like you don’t exist if you don’t have debt and a credit rating.

• Furniture – Check at the different furniture stores and watch for ad sales BUT never go for the ‘free’ no interest until a year later. You have to pay it ALL if not done on payments by that next year… so NOT a savings. Kids desks – got all from ads in the paper where people were listing for sale, as their kids had left home…could also look on Craig’s list. Garage/Yard sales – can find some good deals on furniture, but it may not be when you need something.

The mortgage lending rules are changing almost daily at this point. Under the current rules, there are two ways to be in a great position to get a home loan. One is to have credit running out of your ears and a huge FICO score. This is pretty stupid when you think about it, but it will get you a home loan almost instantly. The second is to have no credit whatsoever. So, it’s really the people in the middle who are feeling the pinch. When you have no credit, the lender has to do the underwriting themselves. It’s something banks used to do, back when they actually had some sense when it came to making loans. They take a look to see if you have a stable job and a decent income. They’ll probably want some kind of proof that you pay your bills on time, and this could be as simple as showing them a few electric bills and other receipts to show that you honor your financial commitments. -Dave

Patricia J. (single mom of two teenagers) • A local radio station was having an hourly Christmas contest over a couple of weeks time period…”be the 9th caller, and you could win a $25 gift certificate to any store in the mall…” As a single mom, I figured “Why not?” and called. I was the 9th caller, and received the gift certificate, but each person who won the smaller gift certificate was entered into a larger drawing to be held at

For more financial help please visit www.daveramsey.com

Let us know your opinion! Contact the Austin Faith & Family at info@AustinFaithandFamily.com.

the mall at the end of the contest and “must be present to win.” When the time came for the bigger drawing, I hadn’t planned to go, since there were over 300 people entered. However, a friend talked me into going, the drawing took place, and I was the winner! I received $5,000 to spend any way I wanted, at any of the stores in the mall, but I only had three hours to do it. I had been divorced only two months at the time, and the kids and I didn’t have much, so I bought some furniture, a computer, a printer, a television, and a few odds and ends to make things a bit more comfortable for us. The best purchase was a $120 camera, so I could take pictures of the kids as they grew something so simple, yet so important! I ended up spending $4,999.74 with a few minutes to spare. God provides for us in our times of need in some very creative ways! Jo Ann A. (single “mature” mom, living alone) • My last washer and dryer were bought with the help of a fellow church member who works for a respected appliance dealer. Ask the people you know and love for recommendations, and allow others to help you. • My Son helped me pick out a stove and microwave from an established chain. Allow family members to go with you, adding their comments and expertise. • I love sales and bargains but not buying quality items is in the long run - no bargain!

Appointments Available | Walk-ins Welcome

$10

l a i c e p S s ’ M en $5

| ir Cut O f f Ha

lor Of f Co

WOMen’s Special $25

O with any cheff Hair Cut mical servic

Cuts•Color•Waxing•Highlights•Redken

903 N. Austin Avenue | Georgetown, TX

(512) 931-1300

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

SPECIAL FEATURE Light the World...Switch to FIRETRADE Coffee

IRE is a non-profit organization fueled by people dedicated to the creation of independently owned, missionsupporting coffee businesses throughout the world. The mission of FIRE is to source financial energy to these evangelical missions so that they may become self-sustaining through the sale of their coffee. Creating viable coffee roasters among multidenominational groups will provide the profits to power financial, social, educational, health, and environmental works throughout the coffee world, shining the light of Christ through the Gospel.

Firetrade coffee will be marketed on-line for as little as $5 and distributed monthly to churches of all denominations, at no extra cost, through our coffee club program rolling out in February. Visit our Website! www.Firetradecoffee.com. Monthly distribution volunteers are needed for each church that participates. If interested, contact: bruce@woodfiredcoffee.com FIRETRADE COFFEE is always hand-roasted exclusively in FIRE built brick ovens. These fossil-free, commercial wood-fired roasters will efficiently use a renewable supply of indigenous wood. They are the greenest

Faith Family

commercial coffee roasters on earth. FIRETRADE COFFEE is 100% Arabica, Organic, Fair Trade coffee. Our first FIRE sponsored company has created a co-op of 30 Saposoa region farmers in the foothills of the Andes to supply the richest coffee possible.

Building the Roaster

Our story is really a convergence of stories, including a pioneer with a 30-year mission in the Amazon Jungles of Peru, and a pioneer coffee roasting family in the Hill Country of Texas. Both were drawn together by the same vision and were introduced by a mutual friend who had served in Peru and recognized the possible impact FIRE would have, if started there. Our coffee roasting family spent years designing, building, and mastering the power-free art of wood fired coffee.

Inspired by the superior flavor of early experiments, they were driven to develop a process that could achieve the same result on a commercial scale. They did it. They liken it to building the first violin (a big one), then learning how to play it! Upon their success, they were soon struck with the potential effect their power-free design could have on the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low-tech, coffee growing regions, and the evangelical missions serving them. This inspired them to create FIRE (the FEDERATION of INTERNATIONAL ROASTERS for EVANGELISM) in order to fund and launch viable, self-supporting, and independently owned missional coffee businesses throughout the world. FIRE is starting wonderfully in Peru, and will soon spread to other worthy missions. It has begun funding, building, training, and marketing indigenous mission-oriented coffee. The first company on board is the Arimborgo ministry in Iquitos, Peru. Jose Arimborgo, our first Missionary, is a native of Peru and has worked in its Jungles with the support of his family for over 30 years. He has pioneered 200 church groups along the Amazon River Basin. As a young man, he had a life-changing experience

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

FIRE stamp

assisting the Red Cross during the devastating earthquakes in Peru. The carnage and suffering he witnessed caused him to examine his life and purpose. He decided his life had to count. He wanted to do something significant before he too was buried. He dedicated his life to Jesus, and to the service of his people. Thirty years later he is still going strong, but the growing ministry needs are great. It is his prayer that God will bless his coffee business and that its success may help supply the material needs for his expanding mission to the Amazon. Bruce Karnes President of FIRE

Village photos

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

After Early Bird Special Individual Tickets: $69 / Groups of 10+: $59

Door Price: $89

MARCH 12-13, 2O1O AUSTIN, TEXAS SHORELINE CHRISTIAN CENTER LOCATED AT 15201 BURNET ROAD

www.ewomen.net or 1-8OO-526-8673

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

THE SOURCE CHURCH DIRECTORY

Celebration Church Weekend Sunday Services: 9:30am 11:30am 1:30pm (en español) 6pm (Children's Ministry:

Advertise with us!

Birth-5th grade only)

YOUR AD HERE! Reach Thousands Each Month Starting at $10/mo Call us today for more info! (512) 689-2717

Faith Family

New Hope Community Church 2330 Dry Creek Drive Round Rock, TX 78681 (512) 255-0064 www.newhope-roundrock.com info@newhope-roundrock.com

First Baptist Pflugerville Sunday Bible Fellowship Groups8:00am & 9:30am Worship Services 9:30am Traditional 11:00am Contemporary Pecan St. @ 10th Street Pflugerville, TX (512) 251-3052

MidWeek Wednesday Night Service: (English and español) 7pm 1202 County Road 116 (Rabbit Hill Road) Georgetown, TX 78626 (512) 763-3000

Catching the Light... Hearts

ut out a huge heart from red paper for each person participating, and write the following words (in pencil) on the heart: disappointment, disobedience, noise, hate, fear, hidden sin and anger. Place scissors, a pen, an eraser, white-out and a small piece of masking tape in a basket or box. This devotional depicts our heart and the things that often that reside there, and how our best efforts still leave our heart broken and stained, and we need God’s love and forgiveness. Read along and follow the directions:

Solid Rock Baptist Church (512) 410-7458 pastorsrbc@gmail.com A Church for the Deaf and Hearing

Disappointment – Getting hurt at a friend by their actions, or even being upset at God for not answering a prayer often results in disappointment. Try as we may, we sometimes find it hard to forgive. (Pass the eraser around and have each one partially erase the word, leaving visible marks).

First Baptist Church of Austin A Thinking, Healing, Feeling Community Downtown 901 Trinity St. (512) 476-2625 www.fbcaustin.org Pastor Dr. Roger Paynter

Hate – Disliking someone can turn into hatred and make an ugly mark in our heart. Sometimes we just try to cover it up or hide it. (Place a small piece of tape over the word “hate”). The hate might be covered, but we know it’s still there. Fear – Fear hurts our heart, and we need faith to rid us of fear. (Use a pen and write over “fear”, changing it to

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

“faith”). Even when we do exercise faith, it is sometimes weak and that nasty fear peeks out from time to time. Hidden Sin – This represents little wrongs that we think no one else knows about, like jealousy or envy. However, these types of sin need to be cut out right away so they don’t take root and grow. (Use scissors to cut out the words “hidden sin”). Now we have a huge hole in our heart that needs to be filled! Noise – This part of our heart is just full of “stuff” or noise from our minds, from the world, etc. that keeps us from hearing God’s voice. (Use the white-out to cover the noise). Blocking out the noise helps, but sometimes it reappears all too often. Anger – This darkens the heart and cannot be left alone or ignored. Leaving it alone and dealing with it later doesn’t work. It needs to be eliminated. (Use a pen and put a big X over the word “anger”). Disobedience – Sometimes we don’t even realize this resides in our heart. When we know to do something good and don’t do it, we are disobeying. This sin is often overlooked. (Leave the word “disobedience” alone). Take a look at your heart. It is marked up, has a hole in it, and is quite messy! Even our best efforts to clean our hearts are not enough. It takes faith in Jesus and his blood, to completely heal a broken, sinful heart. Read Ephesians 2:1-8. God can erase our sins completely. It is his gift to us, when we admit our sin and ask for forgiveness. (Place all the broken hearts in a pile, giving them to Him, confessing particular sins. Pray together for forgiveness, grace and healing.) Families that pray together and play together, grow together. Above is a small sample of the type of family devotions you will find in Catching Fireflies, written by Marcy Lytle. Take one evening, gather the family together, and catch the light from God’s word as you have fun doing it! (www.marcylytle.com)

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

A View from the Blue Roof |

Preaching the Gospel in Word and Action

arly one Saturday morning each month, members of Our Savior Lutheran Church meet a delivery truck that’s just arrived from Atlanta. Together with other area congregations, the volunteers unload dozens of pallets of food for transport to a number of distribution sites around the city. Once there, more volunteers fill boxes, assembly line fashion, with meats, noodles, a variety of vegetables, soups, breads—even a dessert or two.

arrives to pick up a food box is greeted warmly, and a volunteer walks each guest out with an encouraging word and a smile. The fellowship is brief, but it is significant— especially among the Angel Food “regulars.” One of Our Savior Lutheran’s guiding principles is to share God’s love with the community by becoming a part of the “fabric” of that community. Partnering with Angel Food Ministries helps put that principle into practice.

Thanks to the nation-wide efforts of Angel Food Ministries, these boxes are available at a very low cost to anyone placing an order. There are no income restrictions or hidden catches. Each box is estimated to serve a family of four for a week or a single senior for nearly a month. It’s a terrific option for families who frequently struggle with the problem of having too much month left at the end of the money, for seniors trying to balance the expense of food with the rising cost of prescriptions, or for anyone looking to save a little extra money.

St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words.” Being part of the Christian church requires more than simply sharing the Gospel of hope with those around us using our words. It involves us being the Gospel of hope through our actions. We are ambassadors of reconciliation to a broken world, letting the light of Christ shine in us and through us.

Angel Food also helps address more basic underlying emotional needs. Everyone who

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

The possibilities for sharing the Good News are endless: providing a meal to a neighbor, developing a friendship with someone going through a life-altering change, giving a bottle of water to a homeless person standing on a corner. The early Church was well known for

its care of marginalized members of society like widows, orphans and the sick—even when they weren’t themselves Christian. Have recent circumstances prompted you to stop and take stock of your life? The Holy Spirit often seeks to get our attention in a multitude of ways: verses of Scripture that spark a thought, books that evoke new ideas, people we meet who have similar needs. You never know what God has in store for His workmanship, His poetic creation . . . that is, for you and me. For more information, please visit: www.oslaustin.org or www.angelfoodministries.com.

Paul Terral Director of Christian Education Our Savior Lutheran Church

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Faith Family

FOCUS : MUSICmusic

Generation Bridge

Steve Pack and the Wah Wah Toosies – Singing Honest Tunes About the “Stuff” of Life

Lingo – What Your Kids Are Saying

he Daniel & Justin Show airs on Sunday evenings 8pm–10pm on The Word (99.3 FM). Daniel & Justin are youth leaders at New Hope Community Church in Round Rock. Each month, they will offer their insight on things they think parents might like to know, in order to “bridge the gap” between generations. We hope our readers find their comments informative and helpful…

AFF: What are some of the current sayings among the teenagers that parents might not understand? Daniel: Saying something is “sick”. This means it was awesome or really good. “Off the hook” means it’s really awesome. Calling someone a “tool” is derogatory for someone who tries too hard to fit in, or is easily used/taken advantage of, or really fake. “Sexy” is taking on a new meaning and can be used when referring to a car, or anything really nice. “You don’t know jack” means you don’t know anything. Justin: “Dog” or “G” = Friend Foshizzle = For sure or ya “bump you” = kinda like forget you. AFF: What is the funniest word/phrase you’ve heard? Justin: Bump me? Bump you! Daniel: Saying something “got jacked”, meaning it got stolen. AFF: Has lingo changed much since you were in high school? Justin: Not too much. Mainly, it’s the use of negative-style language which really isn’t negative at all. It’s funny now; it’s like sarcasm has gotten stronger. AFF: Is it cool for the “new generation” to have their own “language”? Why, or why not? Daniel: Yeah I think it’s cool for the most part. It’s another way for them to bond with their friends

and express themselves. Where it can be a pit-fall is when the parents don’t understand what is being said and their kids could be making fun of them and they never know. Justin: Yes, totally. They need to have some expressions for themselves.They usually come up with most of their lingo through some funny series of events. AFF: Do kids want their parents to learn this lingo, or is this a no-no? Daniel: This depends on the relationship between the parents and kids; in general no, the kids like to have their own ‘world’ and when parents start using the lingo, the kids feel invaded. Phrases here and there are ok, but definitely don’t delve into it all the way and talk to them in ‘lingo’ all the time. You’re still the parent and there needs to be that definitive line. Justin: Only if you want them to laugh. You must realize two things: a) You will not say it correctly, and b) Even if you do say it properly, they will think you’re a “dork” and that you’re trying too hard. Lose, lose. AFF: What else do you want parents to know regarding the lingo of their teens? Justin: Attitude in what your kids say is really the most important thing. Daniel: Get to know what it is your kids are saying and what it means. Just ask them, and as long as you promise not to use it around their friends, they’ll educate you. Marcy Lytle

FREE One Hour Massage For Any New Chiropractic Care Patient

teve Pack and Joe Alton had been playing together as part of a worship team at their church for years and thought what fun it would be to play together outside of church, to “shine our lights in some places that may not get much”, as Steve says. This is how Steve Pack and the Wah Wah Toosies began, a band that plays a mix of blues, rock, Americana and gospel with a country flavor.

Steve grew up in the “shadow of a hill called Bowman Ridge” near Stephenville, Texas and he was born into a family of great storytellers. Steve himself is a singer/songwriter, penning honest songs about love and happiness, regret and heartache. Steve says he loves “pure, gritty, even homely country & western” but he can’t resist “the strength and power of rock and blues and the emotion of gospel.” The band consists of veterans of the Austin music scene who have played all over the Central Texas area and the Southwest. Steve Pack plays the guitars and provides vocals. Lenny Nichols is on the bass (Lenny has played with Austin legends TD Bell and Erbie Bowser, Bill Rowan & the Highrollers, and many others). Rick Ward plays the drums (he’s performed with Hal Ketchum and Don Walser. Finally, Joe Alton completes the band playing lead guitar (Joe played with the Doc Pointer Band.) The band has played at Dahlia Café in Liberty Hill,

at the Hill Independence Festival and at the Carousel Lounge in Austin, where they currently play every 3rd Thursday of the month, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Flesh and Bone is the title of the debut album of this band, which includes all original songs either written or co-written by Steve. Some of the songs on this CD include “Bowman Ridge” which relays Pack’s Texas roots, “Baby Hold On”, the title track that rocks, and “Like a Dylan”, full of guitar-led fire. The cd is available online at Apple iTunes, Rhapsody, and Amazon. Visit Steve’s website at www.stevepack.com or www.myspace.com/stevepackmusic or contact Steve himself at 512-801-1052. You can also find their electronic press kit at www.sonicbids.com/StevePack for scheduling a concert. Steve states “We are a fun, clean band that rocks. All four members of our band are committed followers of Jesus. Our faith informs all that we do. It’s also woven into the life of the songs we play and sing. Come out to see us and enjoy some live music.” Steve Pack and the Wah Wah Toosies. The name of the band alone brings a smile to this writer’s face, and makes me curious enough to want to hear the tunes of this hometown, Austinbased, spirited band with a story to tell… Marcy Lytle

On CouponePer Patient (must presen t coupon)

Wellness & Better Health Chiropractic, P.A.

(512) 257-2225 Expires 02/28/2010

Faith Family

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

SPECIAL FEATURE This Job Was a Gift from God never actually planned to end up teaching English in South Korea. But God knew what He was doing and began to lay the groundwork for this adventure during my years at Westwood High School. I was a member of the International Baccalaureate program along with students from places like India, China, Japan, and Korea. I was intrigued by their different cultures, and so became interested in studying things of an international nature.

Gyoungnam Foreign Language High School…what a mouth full! (as are most other Korean phrases I’ve managed to pick up). As my parents and I began to ask around, we discovered that South Korea is one of the most popular destinations for first-time English teachers. After many good reviews (and much prayer) we decided that this job was a gift from God. I officially signed the teaching contract and moved to Busan, South Korea in August, 2009.

After high school, I became a proud member of the “Fightin’ Texas Aggies” class of 2009 (Whoop!). Because I wanted to travel and even live abroad, I chose International Studies as my major with an emphasis on politics of Latin America. I minored in Spanish, studied abroad for a summer in Chile, and was certain that my next step after college would be somehow related to my degree. But that wasn’t exactly God’s plan.

Now, after five months of living and working in Korea, I have begun to grow accustomed to it. There are still so many aspects of the culture I can’t understand, but the people are very kind and my students are the best. One of my favorite memories is of the sweet little man who owns the corner store near my apartment. Every morning my coworkers and I stop to get some snacks for the day, and he greets us with a boisterous, “Merry Christmas!” It is the only English phrase he knows, and he wants to make us feel at home. It is always a blessing that he helps me start off each day with a smile.

Two of my favorite classes at A&M were in the area of linguistics, and focused on the many components of language, how languages are spoken (as opposed to how they should be spoken), and how language and meaning are related. My professor for these classes, Dr. Elisa Everts, included in her lectures many stories about her years teaching English in Japan. It was after one such lecture that I began to seriously consider teaching abroad as an option for my future. As I got to know Dr. Everts, she encouraged me to look into one school in particular. This school just happened to be in South Korea. I didn’t particularly want to go to South Korea at first. My field of study was Latin America and I’d already spent eight years studying Spanish. At least a Spanish-speaking country would seem somewhat familiar to me after my time in Chile. Plus, I could barely find Korea on a map. But my professor insisted that this was the best teaching job I would find.

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Me with some of my favorite sophomore students in front of our hand-made paper Christmas tree.

My schedule consists of four or five classes per day, plus four hours of night class each week. Technically I teach English conversation, but there’s a lot of grammar and writing thrown in there. I don’t really have a curriculum to use, so I am able to tailor the lessons to my students’ needs. Each class is composed of high, medium,

or low level students so I can make the activities harder or easier as necessary. My goal is to increase my students’ conversation skills while teaching them about American culture. Since one of my favorite things about American culture is how we value creativity, I emphasize creative thinking and writing as well. My students are like little test-taking machines. The Korean education system is completely focused on the college entrance exam that the students take in their last year of high school.Therefore, every class except mine exists for the sole purpose of preparing them for that exam. By the time they get to my class, their brains are addled by all the facts and theories they’re forced to memorize each day. I so enjoy their smiles when I greet them with a movie clip or a silly story from my high school days. My favorite lesson from last semester was titled, “There’s a Monster in Your Closet!” I showed the first three minutes of the movie Monsters, Inc. and then put the students into small groups to write skits about what they would do if they found a monster in their closets. They performed the skits at the end of class, and we were rolling with laughter as some students made friends with their monsters, some captured them and kept them as pets, and some fought them with swords. Seeing my students smile and have fun while speaking English is what keeps me going every day. I have had my share of “culture shock” moments, though. Probably the most difficult thing for me to understand has been the older generation’s obsession with appearances. For example, the principal of my school needed to hire two new English teachers to replace my coworkers who had completed their contracts. The only two applicants for these positions, both of whom were fully qualified for the job, just happened to be not white. My principal refused to hire more than one non-white teacher. Refused! Just like that. Coming from a country where racism still exists but is actively and forcefully combated, I could simply not wrap my mind around this situation. We only had two applicants for two positions. I was going to have

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

to teach classes twice as large because the principal would only hire ONE non-white person. He didn’t want to be looked down upon by his peers for not having “real” English teachers. Absurd! Thinking about this still makes me angry, and yet it is something I have had to learn to accept as a reality in Korean society. Yet there is hope, because with each generation this becomes less and less of an issue. As much as I’ve learned to love Korea, some issues have really been a struggle. But God has been with me the whole way. He has taken all of my fears, frustrations, and loneliness and used them to make me ever-more reliant on Him. Many foreigners in Korea allow the culture shock to make them bitter toward Koreans. They grow to hate their jobs and become negative, miserable people. It is only by God’s grace that I’ve avoided this despair myself. God is using all of my struggles to teach me patience and to open my eyes to the reality of what “love one another” means. He is also reminding me daily that He is all I truly need, and that though everything around me may seem scary and unfamiliar, He will never leave me or forsake me. I know that I will reap the benefits of these lessons for many years to come. Whitney Campbell

My coworker and I with some junior girls on field trip day...we taught them to say "gig 'em" for pictures!

Faith Family

THE BACK

RAVE REVIEWS

PEW

MOVIES Crazy Heart

116 The number of years the “Hundred Years War” actually lasted.

Quips and Quotes After fifteen years of marriage, my wife wants us to recommit our vows. As a man, I don’t understand her need to get married again. We’ve got our toaster, let’s move on. –Robert G. Lee Before criticizing your wife’s faults, remember that they may have prevented her from getting a better husband. –Anonymous Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible. –Corrie ten Boom

11 The number of light posts on a ten dollar bill.

Jokes Q: What kind of lighting did Noah use for the ark? A: Floodlights Q: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? A: Only one, but the light bulb has to WANT to change.

Jeff Bridges stars in this movie, which should win him a Golden Globe, at the very least. As a washed-up country-western singer/songwriter who is also an alcoholic, “Bad Blake”, Jeff Bridges sings, staggers, shows deep emotion and vulnerability, completely winning the heart of a single mom, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal Their journey towards a better life is one worth watching. One of the highlights of the movie is hearing Colin Farrell and Jeff Bridges harmonize together on a catchy, country tune. Robert Duvall even makes an appearance as a friendly bartender. The movie was heartwarming, heart-wrenching and deeply moving. Rated R – for language, sensuality and abuse of alcohol. Marcy Lytle

MUSIC Fourth Circle–Enter the Worship Circle Enter the Worship Circle is a group comprised of worship musicians who began visiting various groups of people in need in prisons, brothels, and other places filled with desperation and pain. They wanted to share God's love with people who felt the need for it the most, and began to write their own honest music as a response to seeing these situations and dark places. They have recorded several records of these songs, and each is a different member of the circle or a combination. One of my personal favorites is "Fourth Circle"- a collection of 18 songs with a folky, bluegrass vibe played and sung by a group of people. Each song is uniquely treated as a piece of art, and the lyrics are all sung to God in a humble and authentic way that portrays Enter the Worship Circle's heart for reality mingling with God. "Meet Me by the River" is my favorite song, an invitation for humanity to join the artists in God's love and lose their selfishness in it. Enter the Worship Circle sells their music on iTunes. Lauren Turner

MUSIC Heaven and Earth–Phil Wickham San Diego native Phil Wickham released "Heaven and Earth", his fifth full-length album, in November of 2009. With it, he released twelve more songs to add to his worshipful repertoire of chill, ethereal, rock. "Because of Your Love", a simplistic, catchy anthem about how Jesus Christ's death on the cross enables His people to live a life for Him is truly the heartbeat and theme of all of Wickham's music. His laid-back, warm tenor voice sails through each sincere love letter to God and invites the church to take part. The title track "Heaven and Earth" encompasses the album and Wickham's desires for the kingdom of God to collide with our world in these lyrics: "I'm laying down my life, because I know what You're worth. I'm crossing the great line between heaven and earth." Other standouts include "Cielo" and "Safe". Lauren Turner

Faith Family

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

www.AustinFaithandFamily.com

Available at all HEB stores in the Greater Austin Area

Keep YOUR Money! Vote Joe Petronis US Congress (TX–10) | Republican Candidate

Principles: •Born again Christian •Raised on small town values •Grounded in the US Constitution

Policies: •Push power back to the States •Cut Federal government spending •Create US Congressional term limits

www.PetronisForCongress.com Early Voting: Tuesday, Feb 16 – Friday, Feb 26 Any registered Texas voter can vote in the Primary! Paid for by Petronis for Congress Committee