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Raising caring kids Lawbreaker to ‘Law Man’ Ebola is nothing compared to this Make your way to Maui

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Ian McCormack should be dead. But the waves the surfer encountered actually saved his life. His amazing experience was recently made into a motion picture. Read Ian’s story on page 2

Have Glove, Will Travel

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rew MacIntyre has played hockey for 16 teams in his 12-year career – nearly all of which he has spent in the minor leagues. By all accounts, the 31-year-old goalie is a journeyman, but he doesn’t sound like one.

“At this stage of my career, I hear that [reference] and I’m very thankful to still be playing,” he tells Living Light News. “Two years ago, I went over to Europe and ended up breaking my ankle and when I came back over to North America, teams in the lower leagues weren’t even calling me back.”

Initially he expected to be home for a weekend as he looked for a

by Lee Warren

new team, but a month and a half later, he still didn’t have a job.

“I wondered if I was ever going to be able to play again,” he says.

“I finally got a job in the East Coast [Hockey] League, which is a league lower than I’m used to, but I had to go back and re-establish myself.

I definitely know that the Lord was teaching us some lessons.”

His wife, Karen, and their two girls, Mullen (5) and Sallie (2), learned how quickly his livelihood could be taken away, so when the Reading Royals of the ECHL did come calling, he was grateful for the opportunity. Hockey is a young man’s game, he says now, and that’s what makes hanging around

at his age all the sweeter.

“I’m still playing,” says MacIntyre, who last year made an astonishing behind-the-back glove save for the Toronto Marlies that’s been dubbed the “Greatest Save Ever” and viewed nearly two million times on YouTube.

“I still get to do what I love. And I still get to talk to people about Jesus. This platform made me realize I don’t have to play in the NHL to do what I’m supposed to be doing.”

And as a Christian, a part of what he’s supposed to be doing is serving others.

This past summer, he worked with a ministry in downtown

continued on page 2

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

by Lailani Mendoza It was about midnight and Ian McCormack lay dying.

A nightdive on a picturesque reef in Mauritius had gone horribly wrong.

Looking for crayfish, the New Zealander was ambushed instead by the lethal box jellyfish. The potent venom from this almost-transparent sea creature can cause cardiovascular collapse in five minutes. One sting can kill a person: McCormack was stung five times.

Alone with a burning pain in his blistered right arm and no vehicle to get to a hospital, the 26-year-old struggled just to stay conscious.

Ten thousand kilometres away, Ian’s mom could sense her son was in trouble. She dropped to her knees and prayed. His mother kneeling beside the bed was a familiar sight to Ian. After all, it was her who taught him The Lord’s Prayer.

Ian attended church until his confirmation at age 14.

Eventually, the disillusioned teen got tired of the rituals.

“I walked away because I’d never heard God speak to me,” he recalls.

At 24, McCormack left his farm consulting job for what Kiwis fondly call The Big OE (overseas experience). Surfboard in tow, he enjoyed two years of perpetual summer in some of the world’s best surfing spots – from Australia to South Africa.

Ian was in Mauritius doing some last-minute surfing with his Creole friends when the unthinkable happened.

As the effects of the venom began to overtake his body, McCormack hobbled down the road knowing he desperately needed immediate medical intervention.

Begging for a ride, Ian found a cabbie who took pity on him at first but shoved him from the cab thinking he wouldn’t pay. Thankfully, his buddy Daniel happened upon him and called an ambulance.

As his life flashed before his eyes, Ian saw a vision of his mother saying, “Ian, no matter how far from God you may be, no matter what you’ve done wrong in your life, if you call out to God from your heart, God will hear you and forgive you.”

Ian wondered, “What prayer would you pray before

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and acceptance. And I felt all fear, all shame removed as I stood.

“I had no comprehension that the power of that repentance in the ambulance had actually washed every sin away – that I was standing before God with no sin, no guilt, no shame. That’s His amazing grace.”

Face to face with Jesus, Ian says he was given the choice to return to earth or stay in heaven. He wanted to stay but chose to return to tell his mom what happened.

God had a bigger plan, showing Ian multitudes of people needing to hear about His love.

McCormack shocked doctors and nurses when he opened his eyes in the morgue. A few days later, he left Mauritius with a new purpose.

“I’d never read the Bible so when I finally did, it just made sense – Jesus came to earth ... because of love, pursuing love. Even though we’re enemies and hated God in our hearts, He still died for us.”

The one-time atheist, who has ministered in over 60 nations and now pastors a church he founded in London, has stayed true to his mission.

“When you die and see Christ, you’re never the same. I’m a dead man walking. I’m not here to live for my plans and purposes. In the Scriptures, it says, ‘It’s no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me.’ [This Ian McCormack experience] radically changed me,” says McCormack, prayed. “I will follow you all the days of my life. I need who gave up his $400/hour consulting job to serve a miracle.

God. Since 1982, he has freely shared his incredible “I felt the presence of God flood my heart. I knew experience without monetary gain. that I made peace with God. I thought, what a bizarre His experience was recently made into a movie, thing to find out that God is real just before you die in an The Perfect Wave, starring Scott Eastwood (Clint ambulance, but of course that’s where I was born again.” Eastwood’s son) as Ian. The doctors tried to save him but it was too late. After “I was searching in the ‘80s for the meaning and truth taking his last breath, McCormack sensed he was no to life,” McCormack shares. longer in the hospital, but in another place – a place of total “And what I came to realize is that … Christ is alive. darkness (“the most terrifying place I’ve ever been in”).

There is a heaven and a hell.

Just as quickly, he passed through a tunnel towards a beam “Jesus showed clearly that there is only one God and of brilliant light, where he inherently knew the Lord was. that God is the Christian God. And He doesn’t force people to believe, He [gives them] free will to choose.

“When I came through this tunnel of light, I felt “My heart’s prayer is that people who are searching comfort. And then a wave of absolute peace. Then a wave of joy. And then another wave, while I was in the for the meaning and truth to life is that they’ll find the true life and true love of their life in Christ Jesus.”

Lord’s presence, was an extraordinary wave of love

Continued from page 1

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you die?” He couldn’t remember the words to The Lord’s Prayer.

“God if You’re out there, please help me to pray,” he pleaded. Astonishingly, he saw the words of the Prayer appear line by line. For the first time, he prayed it from his heart.

When he reached “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us,” he thought, “I can do that. I’m not a vengeful man.” But then, he remembered the taxi driver.

“If You can forgive me, I can forgive him,” he relented.

McCormack realized only God could have walked him through that prayer. “Lord, I surrender my life to You,” he

photo courtesy Ian McCormack

2

understanding was a process, and it took him a few years to grasp what was happening to him. “I was so young, but Sunday would come and I wanted to go to church. Later I learned it wasn’t about going to church.”

At first, he says he viewed his faith like the plus-minus statistic in hockey, weighing his positive deeds against his negative ones. But eventually he learned the importance of having a relationship with Jesus, thanks in large part to many of the chaplains he has interacted with since turning pro.

God was always one step ahead of him, providing for his spiritual needs at just the right time. His first year in professional hockey, MacIntyre was injured and missed the entire season. God was in that, too.

“I was done for the season, so I was home,” MacIntyre recalls. “That’s when I met my wife. She became my biggest spiritual encouragement. And I encourage her.”

As he has gone from one organization to the next, the couple has leaned on each other for support, reminding each other that God will look after them.

Drew MacIntyre On one of MacIntyre’s

Toronto to serve the homeless. He says it was a real eyeopener to see how much faith some of them had.

He also serves through Hockey Ministries International. HMI conducts summer hockey camps that teach the fundamentals of the game while also teaching children about Jesus Christ.

“It gives me an opportunity to share my testimony,” he says.

“It’s really cool to just see these kids carrying around their Bibles, instead of hiding them.”

He also loves seeing the kids gather on the ice for prayer after hockey drills are completed. It probably brings back memories of his own faith journey.

He grew up attending church services with his father, but didn’t fully grasp the gospel. At the age of 15, he moved from PEI to Ontario to play Junior-A hockey – living in billets – so he could gain more exposure to the game, but he gained something even greater. In solitude, he began to feel the gentle pull of the Holy Spirit.

“During the next couple of years, I really got to know Christ,” he shares. His spiritual

most recent stops – a stint with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL (the top affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs) – he put together a good 2013-14 season. That earned him a shot with the Maple Leafs, and most importantly his first career start (his sixth career appearance in the NHL). Even though the Florida Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs, 4-2, it’s a day he won’t forget.

“I had always dreamed that in my first start, I got the win,” MacIntyre remembers. “After we lost the game, I saw all of the reporters walking toward me and God seemed to say, ‘Okay, this didn’t go the way you always dreamed about, but what are you going to do?’ My dream was to win the game and then thank God for the journey. He seemed to say, ‘Are you only going to thank Me when you win?’ So when the reporters asked me how I felt, I said, ‘I just want to thank God for the journey.’ ” During this past offseason, MacIntyre signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL, and was recently assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. But he isn’t stressed over it.

“I’ve learned that I don’t have to play in the NHL,” he said.

“I’m not going to look back and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t make the NHL – what a waste of time.’ I would love to play there, but at the same time, I know that it’s not everything in life.”

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

Newsbriefs Suds Of Selflessness HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – Twelve years ago, Greg Russinger and his friends asked T-Bone, a homeless man from Ventura, what they can do to help. The simplicity of his reply spurred them into action: “If I had clean clothes, I think people would treat me like a human being.”

They immediately took T-Bone to a laundromat and did his laundry for free. What began as a kind response to one person’s need is now a growing movement called Laundry Love. An expression of the founders’ Christian faith, it now has over 100 locations in the US, helping homeless people and those who struggle financially

to avail of free laundry services – and more. Victoria Mitchell, a grateful recipient, was unemployed and living in her car with her infant daughter when she first heard about Laundry Love. The volunteers helped her secure an apartment. Now Mitchell has a stable job, and remains friends with the volunteers.

As volunteer Shannon Kassoff explains, it’s a practical way to follow the Biblical mandate to love your neighbour. She says, “This is probably the most meaningful thing that we do, because we’re taking our love outside of the walls of church.” To find out how you can start your own chapter, visit laundrylove.org.

Sandwich Saviour MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Allan Law knew he wanted to make a difference. For 32 years, the retired Minnesota teacher didn’t just teach math and science at an inner city school, he also taught compassion by running an after-school program for needy students. Fifteen years after retirement, Law is still making a difference – delivering as many as 520,000 sandwiches a year to the poor and homeless through his nonprofit 363 Days Food Program. From 9 p.m. to 10 a.m., he tirelessly hands out food and other basic necessities donated by churches and volunteers from the back of his red minivan.

Law was one of three people featured in the documentary film, The Starfish Throwers, released in March. In the film, he explains the reason for his work: “I want them to know that they are not alone, that someone cares for them, and that I am here.” A born again Christian, Law said he accepted Jesus Christ as a teenager. He listens to gospel music as he drives around town, the words “Love One Another” painted on the side of his vehicle. “I truly believe that God put me on this earth to help the poor,” he tells the Star Tribune. “This keeps me going. It’s a strange life, but I think I’m doing the Lord’s work. I’m happy.”

Specializing in

Surfing The World NEW YORK, NY – Pro surfer Bethany Hamilton doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Known for surviving a shark attack at age 13 and competing with one arm, Hamilton is facing an exciting new test as a globetrotting contestant in the Emmy Award-winning show Amazing Race. She and her husband Adam Dirks compete against 10 other teams in extreme physical and mental challenges while racing 26,000 miles in eight countries. For Season 25, teams travelled to exotic locales that have never been featured before on the show, like Valletta, Malta; St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; and Shetland Islands, Scotland.

Having just one arm, Hamilton said she had to be creative in performing some of the Race’s challenges,

which included herding sheep and rappeling 200 ft down to a sea cave. While the high pressure environment can be taxing for couples, Bethany and Adam say their Christian faith helped them work as a team and come out stronger at the end. “It wasn’t too bad,” says Adam, also a surfer and former youth pastor. “We did go through a lot of stressful times …

Part of who we are is our relationship with Christ, and He gives us a heart of forgiveness.” Bethany agrees.

“We knew that it would be stressful, because we knew the show and had studied it.

But of course, once you’re racing, it becomes this whole other thing ... Adam was such a great partner though. It’s the situation that’s stressful, not your partner.” The show is on CTV every Friday at 8 p.m.

Secret To Success ATLANTA, GA – While Atlanta fastfood giant Chik-fil-A continues to thrive – Time magazine recently reported it has surpassed KFC’s US market share, piquing Wall Street’s interest – the legacy of its late founder goes beyond a hit chicken sandwich. To those who knew him, Truett Cathy wasn’t just a successful entrepreneur, he was a true Christ-follower who honoured God above everything else.

The late business magnate once told CNN, “I see no conflict between Biblical principles and good business practice.” As an outflow of Cathy’s Christian values, his stores are closed on Sundays.

He also valued character and integrity more than profit.

Wall Street is seeing results in Chik-fil-A’s average annual growth of 12.7 percent, strong store expansion and sales of over $5 billion a year.

Cathy’s secret was being true to the Chik-fil-A corporate statement: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.” After Truett passed on in September, his son and company CEO Dan says, they’re staying the course.

“We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on Biblical principles.”

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Louis’ Legacy TORRANCE, CA – Unbroken, Angelina Jolie’s sophomore directorial feature about former Olympian and World War II survivor Louis Zamperini, is coming to theatres on Christmas Day. Growing up in Torrance, Calif., Zamperini competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He later served as a World War II airman, and survived seven weeks adrift on the Pacific Ocean after his plane was shot down.

Instead of being rescued, he and his colleague were captured by Japanese soldiers as prisoners of war.

His greatest challenge was dealing with starvation and the brutal tortures brought on by a Japanese general nicknamed The Bird. When the war was over, Zamperini suffered from nightmares

Pitcher Perfect Performance KANSAS CITY, MO – San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is already being hailed as the best pitcher in World Series history after a jaw-dropping performance. Bumgarner pitched a shutout in Game 5 against the Kansas City Royals, rested for two days, and returned to the mound to pitch five shutout innings of relief in Game 7, leading the Giants to a 3-2 victory – their third World Series title in five years. His performance – he finished the World Series with two wins, a save and an ERA of 0.43 (career World Series ERA of 0.25) – made him the first pitcher in Giants history to win the

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While everybody credits the 25-year-old pitcher for the victory, Bumgarner credits Jesus Christ. “ I don’t think there’s any way I’d be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for my faith,” Bumgarner told CBN, adding that he surrendered his life to Jesus at 16. “The biggest thing I want people to know about me is that I’m a believer and I’m a Christian, and not just a baseball player.”

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and started drinking heavily.

Ultimate salvation came after attending a Billy Graham crusade where he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. “While I was still on my knees, I knew my whole life had changed,” he told In Touch. “I knew that I was through getting drunk – that I’d forgiven all my guards, including the Bird.” After his life-changing experience, Zamperini visited his war tormentors in Japan to offer forgiveness and tell them about Jesus. Despite experiencing unimaginable hardships, Zamperini went on to become – as Laura Hillenbrand, author of his bestselling biography Unbroken, described him – “the grandest, most buoyant, most generous soul I ever knew.” He passed away in July at 97 years of age.

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

Surprised by Christ

by Andrew Hess

W

I’m still often surprised and amazed by the things He did and said. disciples assumed He didn’t have time for little children and sent them away, but Jesus said “Let the little children come to Me” (Matthew 19:14).

Similarly, Jesus once had a conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in a Samaritan town.

Jesus’ disciples returned and were surprised to find Him talking with a woman. Back then, Jews don’t talk with Samaritans; men don’t talk with women. And a rabbi would never be caught talking with a woman who has been with six men outside of marriage. Jesus showed He was willing to offend social norms of the day by caring for this woman’s needs. He wasn’t worried who the disciples expected Him to be. Jesus’ bold love for both women and children was clearly demonstrated through His life.

Lastly, Jesus surprises me in His bold determination to accomplish His mission. Did you know Jesus knew the type of death He would die? During a trip to Jerusalem with His disciples, Jesus predicted how He’d be betrayed and turned over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged and crucified (Matthew 20:17-19).

It’s terrifying to think of being crucified, but it is even more mind-boggling to think Jesus knew what was waiting for Him in Jerusalem – and He went anyway.

Anyone else would have run the opposite direction, but Jesus understood God’s plan was for Him to die for the sins of people. Jesus died to accomplish the mission He’d had all along. He could have turned back, but He went to Jerusalem with bold determination to accomplish God’s plan.

I’ve been studying the life of Jesus for decades, but I’m still often surprised and amazed by the things He did and said. I think my relationship with Him will always be that way. Just like making new friends, a relationship with Christ is full of surprises. I encourage you to press on to know Him more.

Andrew Hess is the senior editor of Churchleaders.com in Colorado Springs, CO. You can follow Andrew on Twitter at @AndrewWHess.

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The Sad Clown

by Phil Callaway

F

ew humans have been more gifted at making others laugh than Robin Williams. Our children loved the Disney movie Aladdin with Williams as the irrepressible and hilarious genie.

Williams was also a comic genie-us. When he was clean, I found him marvelously entertaining. I remember the first time I saw the TV show Mork & Mindy over at a friend’s house. I laughed as I’d seldom laughed before.

Mork was an alien who arrived from the planet Ork in a small, egg-shaped spaceship and hearing his razor-sharp, rapid-fire humour was like riding a roller coaster of hilarity.

We are all created in God’s image and God gave Robin Williams the Mork-like gift to make millions laugh.

“Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves?” he once asked. And, “If women ran the world, we wouldn’t have wars, just intense negotiations.”

But like the genie in Aladdin who spent thousands of years trapped in a bottle, Williams admitted that he was trapped in another kind of

s Phil Callaway bottle – battling depression, drugs and alcohol. He once said, “If you need booze or drugs to enjoy your life to the fullest then you’re doing it wrong.”

In July, with four movies scheduled to release, he checked himself into an addiction treatment centre.

Co-star Joel McHale told the press that Williams was fighting to get his life back on track: “So him going back to rehab, I pray it all works out.”

It didn’t. A month later, Williams took his own life, leaving a wife and three children.

I think the news of his death hit me so hard because every time I saw him perform I had the nagging sense that I knew how this is going to end.

Several people that I love

most in this life battle depression. Laugh again?

Sometimes they laugh – it’s a lifesaver – but this valley is no laughing matter. I’ve walked in it a little myself and sometimes my sense of humour is a coping mechanism.

A man once told his doctor, “I’m depressed, lonely and anxious.” “The best thing you can do,” said the doctor, “is go to the circus and watch the clown.

He’ll make you laugh and you’ll feel much better.” The

There are people around you who really care.

Find them. man burst into tears. “But doctor,” he said, “I am the clown.”

A surprising number of successful clowns experience such darkness.

Peter Sellers was frequently depressed. He claimed: “If you ask me to play myself I will not know what to do. I don’t know who or what I am so I will not be able to help you. I’m not the real Peter Sellers. I’m just a

plastic mock-up.” He died of a heart attack, aged 54.

Dudley Moore took the comedy world by storm in the ’60s but battled depression and alcohol abuse, spending a fortune on psychotherapy. “The futility of my life and of every sort of activity is overwhelming,” he wrote in his diary.

Another man battled depression. He asked often, “Why so downcast oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” But King David knew where to turn. In Psalm 42 he wrote, “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God.” I don’t want to oversimplify anything. If you are depressed, please tell someone. There are people around you who really care.

Find them. There’s help and there’s hope.

Whatever you’re battling today, my friend, would you look up? And keep praying, believing that a day is just around the corner when you’ll be filled with purpose, hope, and joy. Truly free.

Able to laugh again.

Phil Callaway is a speaker, best-selling author, and host of Laugh Again Radio. Check it out at laughagain.org

www.glasbergen.com © 2014 by www.glasbergen.com Randy www.glasbergen.com Glasbergen © 2014 © 2014 by by Randy Randy Glasbergen Glasbergen

hen we discover a friend’s hidden talent, we sometimes turn to the person and say, “Who are you and what have you done with my friend?” Discovering these surprises is one of the best things about relationships. s Andrew Hess I’ve often found that my relationship with Jesus is sometimes surprising. The longer I walk with Him, the more I learn things about Him I didn’t see coming. It might seem the limited information in the Bible would hamper these discoveries, but the more I read the Bible, the more I’m surprised by Christ.

One thing that surprised me about Jesus Christ is His compassion on the outcasts. In Jesus’ day, the most dreaded of all diseases was leprosy. It was an incurable and terrible physically debilitating disease.

Lepers were highly contagious and sent outside the cities to live out their days with other lepers. It was a miserable life and wise Jews avoided lepers.

But Jesus surprised people by reaching out and even touching lepers. Jesus’ own disciples warned Him not to touch, but to their surprise, He touched them anyway. In Luke 5:12-13, a leper came to Jesus, fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” Jesus touched the leper and instead of getting leprosy as the crowd expected, He healed this man’s leprosy.

Secondly, Jesus surprises me in His countercultural love for woman and children. In Jesus’ day, children and women weren’t treated very well. Men had a much higher social status. One time, Jesus surprised His disciples by letting children come to Him. The

Living Light News - November/December 2014

Written In Stone

s Marcia Laycock

by Marcia Laycock

T

he tables in the hall gleamed with china and glass. The church family smiled and chatted, all dressed in their “Sunday best.” The banquet, celebrating our friends’ many years of ministry, was about to begin.

The emcee asked everyone to take a seat and told us that this was our opportunity to honour the couple whose lives and ministry we were celebrating that evening.

One by one, people went to the microphone to speak about what that couple had meant to them over the years.

Most of it was complimentary and inspiring. But I remember what one young woman said.

She smiled at her former pastor’s wife and said she was thankful to her for being an example of dressing in style.

I was stunned. Really?

That’s it? I felt a kind of

emptiness as the young woman sat down. And I thought, would you want that engraved on your tombstone? And it made me wonder, what will I be remembered for?

It also made me think of an interview with Malcolm Gladwell on Relevant Magazine in which he talked about writing his latest book, David and Goliath.

He interviewed Wilma Derksen, the mother of a young woman who was brutally murdered in Manitoba. As Wilma talked about forgiveness, Gladwell recognized something

Those weapons are mighty. They can change us. astounding in that woman – “to borrow that marvellous phrase from Pierre Sauvage – (it was) the ‘weapons of the spirit’ – the peculiar and inexplicable power that comes from within.”

I hope and pray that I end up like Wilma Derksen. I hope and pray that people see God’s Spirit in me day to day.

There are many times when I know I have not exhibited the love and grace of God. But I hope – indeed, I do know – that as I have

5

No Counterfeit grown in Christ over the years, those days become fewer and fewer. I am being changed by the Spirit in me.

I often grab hold of these verses in Philippians 3:12-14 – “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me ... But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I am so thankful that God’s grace is new every morning and each day is another opportunity to get closer to Him, to read His word, to feel His presence and to watch for examples of how others are living for Him. That’s the only way to learn how to wield those “weapons of the spirit” Pierre Sauvage mentioned.

Those weapons are mighty. They can change us.

They can change those around us. They can change the world. Those weapons of the Spirit are the key to being able to live for Christ.

And they will produce in us something worthy of being written in stone.

Marcia Laycock’s latest book, ‘A Tumbled Stone,’ is available at www.marcialeelaycock.com or go to atumbledstone.com.

s Rhonda Rhea

by Rhonda Rhea

W

hen I was a kid, I always wondered why anyone would ever choose Frankenberry over Count Chocula.

Because … chocolate. That was my entire reason.

Of course, even though I was only a kid, I still instinctively knew that cereal chocolate didn’t really count as true chocolate. It was actually the first bite of Cocoa Krispies that tipped me off. It was more like: snap, crackle – I don’t think so.

I’m sorry, but I’ve just never been all that cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. I think it might be simulated. Simulated what, I don’t know. It doesn’t even smell right. It’s like a cross between old baby oil and sweetened aluminum.

Spoiled, oiled or foiled – I don’t know that either.

Calling cereal chocolate real chocolate would be like calling cereal marshmallows

real marshmallows. I know it’s supposed to be to a breakfast cereal’s credit when it stays crunchy even in milk, but I don’t think that’s supposed to go for the mallows. Whenever you bite down on a marshmallow, you shouldn’t be able to hear it.

That’s just not right, people.

They’re not marshmallows.

Crumble Ho Ho’s in a bowl.

Add milk. There’s your chocolate cereal.

There’s always disappointment in encountering the fake. So much more so when you’re talking about what is meant to distinguish people as Christ followers. Jesus said in 1 John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (ESV).

We’re called to love without anything counterfeit or artificial.

We’re called to love each other without anything counterfeit or artificial. Without hypocrisy.

Without self-centredness, secret agendas or ulterior motives. Self-seeking fakelove? It’s just not right, people.

When you’ve received the forgiveness of Christ, your love is to be sincere, deep, heartfelt – just as His is. “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you

have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22, NIV).

There’s no place for counterfeit love among those who know Christ. Only the genuine article will do. Paul said in Romans 12:9, “Let love be genuine” (ESV).

So how do we do that? We love the Lord first and foremost. We obey His commands and allow His Spirit to work out His love through us. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-39, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.”

And He will never command us to do something He won’t enable us to do.

Love is more than just an emotion. It’s the ability to sacrifice for one another. Jesus lived and died showing us how to walk it out. “And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God” (Ephesians 5:2).

No weird aluminum smell. A fragrant offering. When we’re walking in His love, there’s simply nothing artificial about it.

Because … Jesus. That’s my entire reason.

Rhonda Rhea is a radio personality and conference speaker across North America. Find out more at www.RhondaRhea.org.

A Place Called Heaven

I

f you asked a number of people if they believe there is a place called heaven, most would probably say yes.

Though many people cling to a belief in heaven and hope to go there when they die, very few have an accurate understanding of it.

Since human beings are earth-bound until death, misconceptions about s Dr. Charles F. Stanley heaven are common. Some people imagine it as a foggy haze where formless spirits float about, or winged saints sit on clouds playing harps.

Movies about the afterlife present their own version of what awaits. And a few people who have reportedly returned from near-death experiences have described what they believe they saw.

Amid all the confusing and contradictory views, we need to remember that the only sure source of accurate information about heaven is the Bible. In its pages, God gives us glimpses of celestial scenes. Although we may long for more details and descriptions, the Lord has revealed what He wants us to know and, more than likely, what we can handle.

How Do You Get To Heaven?

The Bible clearly states that after death, there are only two possible destinies for mankind – heaven or hell. In a story that vividly contrasted the comfort of eternal life with everlasting torment, Jesus explained that switching locations is impossible (Luke 16:19-31). Knowing this, we would be foolish to ignore God’s Word and risk relying on our own ideas about how to get to heaven.

Many people think that eternal destiny is determined by behaviour. If their good works outweigh the bad, they believe God will accept them. But the Lord says all our

good works are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6).

Since every person on earth inherits a fallen nature, no one is qualified to enter God’s holy dwelling place.

Our entrance into heaven has nothing to do with how good we are: what matters is how good Jesus is, and what He did for us. He lived an absolutely perfect life and paid the penalty for our sin by dying in our place. Those who believe this and accept His payment on their behalf are given a ticket to heaven which can never be revoked.

Why Should You Be Interested In Heaven?

This eternal dwelling place is home for all of God’s family.

People who surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ will meet the saints from every age and be reunited with believing loved ones. But this reunion will be so much better than any we’ve previously experienced. There will be no conflicts or misunderstandings – only perfect love and intimacy.

But the most important reason to learn more about heaven is because it’s the dwelling place of God. We will finally be in the presence of the One who died for us. For all of our earthly years as Christ followers, we have loved

Each day is an opportunity to prepare for our eternal home. and served Him, but in eternity, our faith will become sight.

The sin that kept us from perfect, intimate fellowship with the Lord will never again hinder our relationship.

What Is Heaven Like?

Because Jesus came from the Father to earth, He had firsthand knowledge of our glorious future home. Shortly before dying, He told His disciples that he was returning to His Father’s house to prepare a place for them and would come back to take them to their new home (John 14:1-3).

Today, when believers die, their souls are ushered instantly into the Lord’s presence to experience all the joys

and comforts of heaven (2 Corinthians 5:6-9).

Many years after John heard Jesus promise to prepare a place for His followers, he was given a vision of the future.

He saw a new heaven and earth that were completely cleansed of all sin. The sight was beyond human description, but John did his best to put this celestial vision into earthly language (Revelations 21:1-22:5).

The brilliance of God’s glory radiated from the structure, and its foundations gleamed with various colours of precious stones. The gates were made of pearls and the street of transparent gold. This city was designed by the Lord as a place where He and mankind would share an intimate, perfect relationship forever.

Though we have difficulty imagining the physical structure of this city, we have no trouble understanding the meanings of the things that are not in the New Jerusalem.

There will be no pain, tears, mourning, or death. All frustration, boredom, and problems will cease. No one will have handicaps, and our bodies will never grow old, tired, or sick.

How Can You Prepare For Heaven?

Knowing the glories of eternity should motivate us to live for Christ during our time on earth. Keeping an eternal perspective enables us to endure hardship and pain without losing heart.

Each day is an opportunity to prepare for our eternal home. It’s so easy to get sidetracked with the cares of this life, but what we do today will shape our experiences in eternity. Let’s spend our lives in faithful service to God, glorifying Him by bearing much fruit, and selflessly storing up treasure in heaven. Christ’s commendation of “Well done, good and faithful servant” will be worth every earthly sacrifice.

Dr. Charles F. Stanley, author of more than 50 books, is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta, GA and founder of In Touch Ministries. In Touch programming is available in Canada on television and radio. For broadcast details, visit intouchcanada.org. Article courtesy In Touch Ministries © 2014.

by Lisa Hall-Wilson

e v WhenLo Speaks

After 12 years of working as a marriage counsellor, Dr. Gary Chapman discovered one sentiment that seemed to cause turmoil in many couples’ lives: “I feel like my spouse just doesn’t love me.”

Delving deeper to find a solution, Chapman came up with a revolutionary concept which he shares in his bestselling book, The Five Love Languages.

For the first time in Canada, the renowned author and relationship expert will be speaking Nov. 19 in Edmonton at Evangel Pentecostal Assembly as part of his eight-city Canadian tour.

First published in 1992, The Five Love Languages was translated into 49 languages, has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 300 weeks, and was featured on Oprah.

“In the book, I share some of my encounters with couples through the years that brought me to realize that what makes one person feel loved does not necessarily make another person feel loved,” Chapman shares on his website.

“For a number of years, I have been helping couples in the counselling office discover what their spouse desired in order to feel loved.

“Eventually, I began to see a pattern in their responses.

Living Light News - November/December 2014

Therefore, I decided to read the notes I had made over 12 years of counselling couples and ask myself the question, ‘When someone sat in my office and said, “I feel like my spouse doesn’t love me,” what did they want?’ Their answers fell into five categories. I later called them the five love languages.”

After 22 years, the book is still flying off the shelves. Practically every year since it was first published, the book has outsold the previous year’s sales. And there’s no shortage of rave reviews from fans sharing how it has saved their marriages and transformed their lives.

Written from a Christian perspective, The Five Love Languages identifies five ways people express and receive love: acts of service, words of affirmation, receiving gifts, physical touch, and quality time.

According to this concept, each person has a love tank. A person feels loved when the tank is filled using a person’s primary love language.

Because couples often have different love languages, it’s vital to know your partner’s primary language so you can communicate your love to each other more effectively.

Dr. Chapman encourages people to take the free love languages assessment available at 5lovelanguages.com.

“If you don’t speak each other’s primary love language, you may be sincere in speaking the others, but your spouse will not feel loved,” he explains. “When you speak their primary love language, their love tank will be filled and you will have a happy spouse.”

So wouldn’t it be easier if we married someone with the same love language?

“Maybe, but it doesn’t often happen like that,” explains Dr. Chapman from his North Carolina office. “I’ve found that even couples who have the same love language will speak different dialects.”

This love tank analogy also applies to any relationship, and Chapman has written several successful spin-offs, including editions for the military, parents, singles, teens, and The Five Languages of Apology with Dr. Jennifer Thomas.

Craig Kalvin is the Young Families/Small Group Pastor at Evangel Pentecostal Assembly in Edmonton, and shares this was a book he and his wife read 15 years

ago when they were engaged to be married.

“I consider it one of the best materials for marriage that I’ve gone through. It’s simple, straightforward, and deals with all relationships in general.”

Kalvin looks forward to hearing Dr. Chapman in Edmonton, and encourages anyone “who thinks there’s some potential for improving their relationships” to attend as well.

“Everybody’s welcome to come,” says Kalvin. “This is an event anyone can benefit from.”

Stand-up comedian Steve Geyer and Canadian

folk artist and songwriter Ryan McAllister will be on stage to entertain the crowd.

Tickets are $15 each. For $20, there are 100 Gold Circle tickets available with special privileges. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.funandfaith.ca.

“If you don’t speak each other’s primary love language, you may be sincere in speaking the others, but your spouse will not feel loved.”

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6

Living Light News - November/December 2014

7

y y e k k c for Oilers Ro Hoc this July as an assistant to Dallas Eakins and staff. The 37-year-old Thompson will serve as the “eye in the sky,” making real-time adjustments from the booth instead of the bench.

“Some guys have a problem with [coaching from upstairs] and they can’t get their head wrapped around it,” Eakins told reporters after Thompson’s hiring. “Rocky … was totally comfortable with that aspect of it. I had talked to some … guys that are excellent coaches and they spoke so highly of Rocky.”

Here’s what Rocky Thompson loves about hockey: the competition. The wins. The competition. Being on the ice.

The competition. Having fun.

And did the native Albertan mention he loves the competition?

“I’ve always been this way,” Thompson tells Living Light News. “Ever since I was young, I’ve been so competitive. I love winning.”

A handy drive for a former NHLer to have, especially one with a tough, readyfor-any-fight reputation. After three seasons with the Medicine You’re teaching them that it’s Hat Tigers, Thompson was drafted 72nd overall in 1995, eventually not just how fast or how hard playing 25 games for the Calgary you shoot, but you have to Flames and Florida Panthers.

Following another five AHL understand the game. seasons, the 6-2, 200-pound right wing turned to assistant coaching, first with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Plenty of people seem to. Thompson’s Kings in 2007, then later in Oklahoma gathered praise for his work with City with the Barons.

Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics A good fit, considering that Oklahoma and his 12-year-old Rocky Thompson’s love of winning barely tops Hockey School in Sherwood Park, his pursuit of “making players better.”

Alberta.

“I’ve never been a great skater, and I The annual August camps, ranging didn’t have amazing hands, but I thought from “Novice” and “DMan Camps” to the game really well,” he says. “I can help “Chicks with Sticks,” are a family affair. improve players. When you’re making a Thompson and wife Elizabeth (herself player better, you’re teaching them that an accomplished skier and rugby player) it’s not just how fast or how hard you run each session alongside their four shoot, but you have to understand the children, ages eight to 16. Following game.” their dad onto the ice are Thompson’s The Edmonton Oilers – the Barons’ eldest son and daughter, both highly parent organization – agreed, offering competitive hockey players.

Thompson his first NHL coaching gig And if they rack up the penalty

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minutes, like their dad – his brief stint in the NHL saw him spending 117 minutes in the penalty box – that would be okay.

“Sometimes [penalty minutes] are the way you’re supposed to play the game, but at the same time you have to be in control,” Thompson says. “I was in control.”

Of his game, at least. One day after the Sept. 11 attacks, Thompson was at Panthers training camp when he sliced his right Achilles heel. The injury sent him into a deep funk.

“I was a really selfish individual. I did for myself at the expense of others,” Thompson told an AHL reporter. “I’m sure guys said, ‘Rock, he’s a nice guy, great guy,’ but inwardly I felt awful and caused a lot of hurt to a lot of people.”

Two years later, Thompson was rooming with teammate J.J. Hunter, a Christian. The two started talking about how Jesus died on the cross for every sin, and that His grace is available to all.

Drawn by love, Thompson asked God to be his best friend in a Winnipeg hotel room in 2004.

It’s a move he’s never regretted. “My relationship with God saved my soul,” Thompson says. “I’m so [fortunate] to work in the NHL, but when you read the Bible, it says we’re here today and gone tomorrow. Just like the grass; it comes up quick and then it’s gone.”

One thing that won’t leave anytime soon: Thompson’s love for hockey and Jesus.

“The simplicity is in Christ Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. That’s all that really matters.”

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

SeniorScene Holiday Gifts On A

Budget

by Carolyn Tomlin

It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to Christmas preparations.

Decorations: check.

Shopping and cooking of special foods: check. And gifts for family and friends: not yet.

If you’re like many seniors, finding that present for special people on your list can be quite a challenge. Especially if you’re on a budget!

Will your selections meet the criteria – something personal, useful or inexpensive?

Share a personal gift only you can give.

Most seniors have family heirlooms that should be passed down to the next generation. Select an item that an adult child

or grandchild has admired and wrap it in an attractive Christmas package. Add a card that tells the history of the present or what it means to your family. Give age-appropriate gifts or presents that will become a keepsake as the child or teen moves into adulthood.

Another way to give of yourself is to share your time. Design a certificate, tuck it in a holiday envelope, and place under the tree. Examples of redeemable certificates may include: baking a birthday cake for the recipient; preparing and delivering one meal per month during the next 12 months; babysitting grandchildren a certain number of times.

Remember, it’s the thought that counts – not the amount of money spent.

A much appreciated gift is one that is quick to prepare and can be enjoyed by others.

Plus, it’s inexpensive! Give a “Cookies in a Jar” gift. Start with a glass quart jar and screw-on lid. Select a favourite boxed cookie recipe and layer dry ingredients with nuts, dried fruit or chocolate chips. Choose one that requires only water or milk added.

Finally, attach an attractive recipe card to the outside.

Another option is to make “Soup in a Jar” by adding a combination of soup beans, rice or noodles to a glass container.

Attach the recipe to the jar. Add a circle of cloth to the top and secure with a ribbon.

Design an attractive label that shows your creativity. This gift is appropriate for seniors who have down-sized to small apartments as they can prepare portions of the mix for one or two servings.

Share the holidays with others.

Too often we are so busy with our own lives and schedules that we fail to see the needs of others. One senior invited international students at a local college for a holiday meal in her home. Away from family, they stay in

campus housing and the Christmas season becomes very lonely. They can participate in decorating the home by gathering natural greenery. When they prepare an international dish to bring, they provide an insight into their culture. Telling of traditions celebrated in their country can give them a sense of belonging.

Don’t overlook young families who live away from relatives during this time of year.

One senior couple serves as “substitute grandparents” to a husband and wife with small children. It’s a win-win for the seniors, the couple and their kids.

Do you have friends who have lost a spouse or close friend during the year? The first holiday season may be very difficult.

Give of yourself by inviting them to a special community program, to your home for coffee and dessert or accompany them to an event of their choice. Letting them know you care can be the greatest gift you can offer.

How do you rate your gift? Are they personal, inexpensive and useful? As you think of ways to share with others this Christmas season, consider ideas for staying on a budget but still add your individual touch to your gift.

Finding that present for special people on your list can be quite a challenge.

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

9

Kindness

Parenting CULTIVATING

by Dr. Greg Smalley A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived so he packed his suitcase with a bag of corn chips and a sixpack of root beer and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered

her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug.

She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was

surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what?

She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied, “I ate corn chips in the park with God.” However, before her son responded, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

As fathers, one of the greatest principles we can teach our chidren is the value of kindness.

Five Ways To Cultivate Kindness 1. Touch. Teach your children the power of touch. A hug, a pat on the back, butterfly kisses, a high-five and even a kiss on the cheek can have an amazing effect upon others. Touch (in all its forms) can encourage, support, motivate, uplift and can even bring healing to others.

2. A smile. Proverbs 15:30 says, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.” Proverbs 15:13,

“I had lunch with God.”

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“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” Encourage your children to smile at others. A wellplaced smile can instantly lighten up a room, promote laughter, brighten a mood, and can soften the hardest of hearts.

3. A kind word. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” As fathers, we must teach our children to be kind with their words. Kind words are things like an honest compliment, praise, humour, flattery and positive affirmation can have an amazing impact on others: “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”

(Proverbs 12:25).

4. A listening ear. James 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

5. The smallest act of caring. Proverbs 11:16-17, “A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.

A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.”

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Have lunch with God … bring chips.

Article courtesy Dr. Greg Smalley, Smalley Relationship Centre. For more information, visit www.smalley.cc.

10

Living Light News - November/December 2014

Wellness

Organic

Eating foods with fewer chemicals is

a definite plus!

Foods:

Worth the Cost?

by Beth Bence Reinke, MS, RD If cutting pesticides, hormones and antibiotics off the menu appeals to you, organic foods may be just the ticket. Although the jury is still out on whether organics are more nutritious or not, eating foods with fewer chemicals is a definite plus.

What does “organic” mean?

Organic foods are produced without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, sewage sludge, ionizing radiation or genetic modification.

On organic farms, animals grow and develop naturally, without synthetic growth hormones.

Antibiotics are not used routinely either.

Livestock eat organically grown feed and graze in pastures instead of being confined.

What are the benefits of organic foods?

1. Lower pesticide levels. Overall, organic produce has much lower pesticide residues than conventionally grown ones. However, despite farmers’ best efforts, organic foods can sometimes be contaminated by substances in air, water or soil that originate from other sources.

2. No antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics leads to resistant strains of bacteria – a serious concern for everyone. Organic meats are drug-free because animals aren’t given the antibiotics routinely administered to animals on industrial livestock farms.

3. No added growth hormones. Scientists question whether hormone residues in meat will alter hormone function in people. With organic products, you avoid hormones injected into cattle to increase growth and milk production.

4. Environmental responsibility. Ideally, organic farming uses less energy, minimizes pollution of air and groundwater and helps maintain long-term soil fertility.

Experts suspect that even small doses of pesticide residues are potentially harmful to humans, especially unborn babies and children.

We’re just beginning to understand the hazardous health effects of eating hormoneladen and antibiotic-treated foods, and common sense says minimal intake is best.

Where can YOU find organic foods?

Many chain supermarkets and specialty grocers carry organic foods. Look for the official Canada Organic Biologique logo on the food package. Foods must contain at least 95 percent organically-produced ingredients in order to bear the logo.

About 70 to 80 percent of the organic foods on your grocer’s shelves are imported, mostly from the United States. The US and Canada have an agreement recognizing their organic standards as equivalent, so the quality of products with the USDA organic seal is comparable.

Locally grown produce is fresh and flavourful, but don’t assume that fruits and veggies at a farmer’s market or roadside stand are organic – they often aren’t. The only way to know for sure is to ask.

Which organic foods should YOU buy?

Many experts recommend eating organic meats, dairy and eggs whenever possible.

Organic baby food is a good idea, too – buy it at the supermarket or make your own from organic foods.

For produce, it’s wise to buy organic for the “Dirty Dozen Plus.” These fruits and veggies contained the most pesticide residues when tested by the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group.

The Dirty Dozen Plus include apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, peaches, spinach, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas, potatoes, hot peppers, kale and collard greens.

The Clean 15 with the least pesticide residues include avocado, cabbage, sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, kiwi, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes.

For a printable guide, visit foodnews.org.

their conventional counterparts. Higher cost is a downside, but many organic consumers think less exposure to unsavoury substances is worth it.

Jot down organic prices to compare with conventional and then decide which organic items fit into your budget. Watch store flyers to see which organic foods are on sale.

How much do organic foods cost?

Be prepared for sticker shock because organic foods cost more – sometimes a lot more – than

Beth Bence Reinke, MS, RD, is a registered dietician who writes about food, health and nutrition. Visit her website at bethbencereinke.com.

What if organic foods are too pricey?

Don’t despair. Try these tips to minimize your exposure to chemicals from conventional foods.

First, remove visible fat from meats because chemical residues tend to accumulate there.

Second, remove and discard fruit and veggie peels, which are most likely to be contaminated with sprayed pesticides. Toss the outer leaves of leafy greens, too.

Third, grow your own vegetable garden or look into gardening co-ops around your area.

Fourth, thoroughly wash all fresh produce to remove as much pesticide residue and bacteria as possible.

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

Lifestyles

by Grace FreeD

“ I had always been

determined to have an interesting life”

photo by Matthew Robertson/CIK Productions

Shon Hopwood shares his redemptive story of going from robbing banks to excelling in law in his autobiography, Law Man.

by Lailani Mendoza Most law clerks start their career journey in law school. Shon Hopwood started his as a 22-year-old inmate in federal prison.

The Nebraska native wasn’t supposed to end up in jail. By all accounts, he had a normal childhood. The oldest of five kids, he was raised by strict but loving parents, wellrespected by people in David City.

He was unmotivated in school (“I was a solid C student all the way through high school”), but passionate about basketball. As a teen, Hopwood would dribble a ball on his way to school and back, and shoot hoops in their driveway until dark. In his hometown (population: 2,877), Hopwood was a star shooting guard on the hard court – a skill that later earned him a college scholarship.

The aspiring athlete did have a rebellious streak – he once bought beer for his underaged brother and butted heads with his dad. “But I wasn’t a big law breaker until the bank robberies,” Hopwood tells Living Light News.

The downward spiral began when at 21, freshly released from the Navy with no

college education to fall back on, Hopwood found himself stuck in a dead-end job.

This was not the life he dreamed for himself, and Hopwood felt trapped. “I had always been determined to have an interesting life. Not a superstar life, necessarily,” he shares in his book Law Man (2012). “But, you know, at least something – not the wasted life of a wage slave shoveling cow manure – my last real job before the banks.”

Over a few drinks, his best friend suggested they rob a bank. Shon was broke, adrift and depressed – and was more than happy to oblige.

The first robbery netted them $50,000. “I’d never seen so much money before,” recalls Hopwood. While his accomplice would quit after the first crime, Hopwood was hooked and robbed four more banks in one year with other accomplices.

“I knew it was incredibly wrong,” Hopwood tells Seattle Weekly News. “Afterwards, when the robberies were done, I used a lot of drugs and booze, sometimes even cocaine, just so I could stop thinking about it.”

His crimes earned him a 12-year sentence and a one-way ticket via Con Air to the

Federal Correction Institution in Pekin, Illinois.

“Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray? Prison’s kind of like that,” says Hopwood. “Every day is the same over and over again.

“You’re told where to go and what to do, and your day is regimented, and there’s the ever present threat of being hurt. And violence. You’ve got to be very careful about everything you do and say because prison is a very dangerous place.”

Hopwood signed up to work at the prison law library to keep himself out of trouble.

In between shelving books, he pored over legal cases and was surprised to discover his aptitude for understanding the law. His knack for solving legal puzzles earned him the title “jailhouse lawyer.”

“It was the first academic exercise that I enjoyed, and that I was actually good at,” says Hopwood, who’s read over 4,000 legal opinions in prison. “I really enjoyed the process of having these legal problems and trying to find a solution and putting the solution down on paper.”

However, when fellow inmate John Fellers asked him for help in filing a Supreme Court brief to review his case, Hopwood hesitated. “I knew if we were going to have some success at all, it would have to be a very good brief,” he says, “and I was worried about whether or not I could do that.”

The Supreme Court receives on average 8,000 requests a year, and agrees to review only 80 – a one per cent chance. Most lawyers wouldn’t do it. For Hopwood, an inmate with no formal training, the chances were even less.

“But Fellers convinced me, so I said yes and spent two months researching and writing,” explains Hopwood, who typed up the brief and mailed it promptly.

“I largely forgot about that case until one of my fellow prisoners came running and screaming one morning to show me a copy of USA Today,” he says. The Supreme Court had granted the case.

“I was in shock, complete shock. For some reason, I understood that things were gonna be different.”

It was a game-changer for Hopwood.

Former US Solicitor General Seth Waxman was so impressed he agreed to represent Fellers for free – but only if he could work with Hopwood. They won the case, 9-0, shaving four years off of Fellers’ sentence.

Eventually, Hopwood was released in 2008, two years early. Fellers, who owned a thriving dealership, presented him with a Mercedes-

Benz as a thank-you gift.

In the middle of the recession, Hopwood unexpectedly landed a job at Cockle Printing in Omaha, a leading printer of Supreme Court briefs.

He also married Ann Marie Metzner, his high school crush. They became friends and fell in love over 500 letters while he was in prison. They now have two kids, Mark (named after his deceased father) and Grace.

“She really provided me with a lot of hope, and a goal to get out, have a career and a decent life,” says Hopwood, adding that she motivated him to become a devout Christian.

“I always knew the Gospel; I just didn’t want to do it. I wanted to do what I wanted to do. I finally realized that it did not work out too well for me, and all that came from that was more suffering.

“I looked back on my life and realized that doing things my way had not worked out too well for me. I needed to make a change.”

Seeing inmates drastically transformed after committing their lives to Jesus made a huge impact on Shon.

A transformed man himself, Shon says, “I just knew that without Jesus I would not be a good father and husband.”

In his autobiography Law Man, Hopwood wants readers to understand that his story is about grace.

“People see my story and they think it’s Shon pulling himself up by the bootstrap and becoming a success. That’s really not what it is,” he explains. “There’s very few things in life I can take real credit for because God has poured out grace on me, not only through the blessings He’s given me but through other people.”

Hopwood, a Gates Public Service Law scholar, graduated from law school in June.

“It’s still hard to believe,” he says.

And the miracles keep coming. The 39-yearold landed a coveted clerkship position for a federal judge at the U.S. Court of Appeals, the second highest court in the U.S. Last month, the Washington state Supreme Court ruled that despite his felony record, Hopwood will be allowed to take the state’s bar exam and be admitted to the bar if he passes.

Hopwood plans to focus on criminal justice reform and also volunteer in prison ministry.

“God can redeem anyone. If he can redeem men and women in prison who are at rock bottom, and some of them – myself included – who have committed really awful crimes, if God can redeem prisoners, He can redeem anyone.”

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Living Light News - November/December 2014 photo courtesy The Swon Brothers

Sights&Sounds

Colton

Zach

‘The Voice’ finalists are making a name for themselves with the release of their self-titled album, The Swon Brothers.

by Teresa Lockhart The dynamic duo known as The Swon Brothers gained worldwide recognition on The Voice after finishing third place in Season 4. Now the two have pressed on to make a name for themselves on the country music charts.

Better known as Zach and Colton to their parents and friends back home in Muskogee, Okla., the two aren’t just competing with amateurs anymore. Now they’ve joined the ranks of professional artists with their self-titled debut album, The Swon Brothers, released on Oct. 14.

The duo have gotten off to an impressive start. While it seems as if something new and exciting happens every week, they remain humble and grateful for every new advancement in their career.

“When we played the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in April, our parents came in,” Zach tells Living Light News. The brothers honoured their parents by inviting them onstage during their milestone performance.

“The next day, we went into the studio, and they got to come. For [our parents] to sit behind the console and watch us do what we do, it was a pretty cool experience. They got choked up and were real proud. It meant a lot to us; and it meant a lot to them.”

If it weren’t for their parents, the Swon Brothers may have never realized their musical talent. As young boys they travelled with their parents’ gospel music group, playing in churches every weekend.

Zach started playing drums at age three, and by the time he was nine, he was playing in their band.

When their touring days were over, the Swons formed a family-style variety show in nearby Wagoner, Okla., and Zach and Colton won over audiences with an eclectic playlist – everything from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson. Zach even donned a wig and suit and did an Elvis impersonation.

The Swons returned to perform on The Voice to reveal the first single from their album, titled “Later On,” which climbed

to the top of the iTunes country singles chart within 24 hours. As the result of the success of their first single, the brothers were nominated for the 2014 CMA Vocal Duo of the Year – even before their album was released!

Extremely selective in their song list choices, they turned to Blake Shelton, their friend and mentor from The Voice, for advice on making the right decisions.

In an interview with People, Colton said, “I know the cameras have stopped rolling, but he’s still mentoring, still coaching, as a friend.”

Shelton advised them to choose songs they wanted to sing for the next 20 years.

But most importantly, he advised them to choose songs that had something they wanted to say.

“We had about seven songs written that we thought were going on the album,” Colton said, “but then we realized there were a lot better writers than we are in Nashville.” So they put aside their own ideas and took a look at the multitude of songs being pitched to them from the most prolific songwriters in Nashville.

As a result, no two songs on the album sound alike and they are happy with that, hopeful their fans will like the variety.

Because every song carries brother harmony, the whole album is woven together with a distinct Swon Brother vibe.

A couple songs on the album are reminiscent of the brothers’ major musical influence, the Eagles, and their favourite track on the album, “Songs That Said It All” was also influenced by the Eagles, not necessarily because of the sound, but because of a chance meeting at a concert.

“My brother ran into [Lady Antebellum’s]

Charles Kelley at an Eagles concert in Nashville, and he was kind enough to say, ‘Hey let’s get together and write,’ ” recalls Colton. “And we exchanged numbers and wrote that song with him and Dave Haywood the next week. We’re really proud of it since it’s the song we co-wrote together on the album.”

Taking Shelton’s advice, the brothers chose songs based on what the song had to say.

“Message is the thing we looked at first,” Colton said, and then added, laughing, “You can only have so many songs out there about tailgates and bonfires.”

Perhaps the most important message that resonate throughout the album is the message of faith.

“We’re from Oklahoma and the Bible Belt, and our mama raised us right. We have a strong foundation in our faith and in the church. I think you will hear that influence in this record for sure.”

The brothers make their faith in God a part of their day-to-day business. Not only did they pray before every session with the musicians as they cut the album, they also knew their mother was praying for them every day.

While some people have asked them why they don’t just focus on traditional Christian country music, the brothers agree that having Christians sing country music is a pretty good thing too.

Before every show, the band circles up, and they pray, thankful God has given them the desires of their heart.

“We know why we are where we are today,” Colton says. “It’s nothing but the favour and blessing of God. Faith is not just a part of what we do, it is the part. It just doesn’t work without our faith.”

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Living Light News - November/December 2014 RHETT WALKER BAND Here’s To The Ones rhettwalkerband.com Review by Lindsay Williams On its second full-length effort, Here’s To The Ones, the Rhett Walker Band veers off into country territory.

While the band’s music has always been classified as southern rock in the vein of Third Day, this newest offering finds the group expanding their musical horizons.

The title track – an ode to faith, family and country – could comfortably be played alongside the Zac Brown Band. In fact, the song is wisely being serviced to country radio. In addition, “Better Part of Me,” dedicated to the band members’ wives, could easily be recorded by Lee Brice or Blake Shelton.

Lest fans think the band has left their Christian roots behind, there’s plenty of unabashed spiritual content to affirm the band members aren’t trying to be anyone other than themselves.

“Love Like Jesus” is a country-tinged pop anthem that calls listeners to lives of authenticity. “Amazed” finds them expressing gratitude for grace. Meanwhile, stand-out track “The Mystery” strips away heavy production in favour of acoustic guitars and a sole mic for the rawest recording of the band’s career. Additional cuts like “Clone” and “Dead Man” bring the rock.

Here’s To The Ones is a natural progression for the band, who is able to blur genre lines and authentically play their unique brand of music, whether rock or country twang.

LAUREN DAIGLE How Can It Be laurendaigle.com Review by Lindsay Williams Just a few bars into her stunning debut, How Can It Be, and any listener will realize what sets new artist Lauren Daigle apart from the competition – her voice.

Daigle’s guttural, raspy vocals run thick and deep, and every note on her EP reveals the wide spectrum of her incredible range.

Comparable to Adele, Daigle’s soaring voice is unique in its power and might. Influenced by a diverse cacophony of sounds, from blues and country to zydeco and Cajun music, Daigle’s worshipful pop possesses a rare, colourful richness.

The title track brilliantly displays the power of her vocal delivery while upholding extravagant theological truth. “Come Alive (Dry Bones)” is pulled straight from Ezekiel 37, proving her lyrics are as deep as her voice. All Sons & Daughters join Daigle on “Power To Redeem,” a lush, stripped-down cut that meshes their blended voices effortlessly. Although it’s actually a holiday track, “Light Of The World” tells the Christmas story in a profound way. Void of holiday bells and whistles, it’s a song that can easily be enjoyed throughout the year.

While the digital version of How Can It Be only contains five songs, the physical copy – available exclusively at Daigle’s live shows – boasts nine tracks and gems like “Salt & Light” and “Once And For All,” sparse cuts that clear the stage for nothing but Daigle’s vocals to shine.

AYIESHA WOODS It’s Time ayieshawoods.com Review by Lindsay Williams After releasing two albums and a Christmas EP on Gotee Records, Ayiesha Woods is independent. Now a wife and mother of two, her new full-length project reflects the changes she’s experienced

JukeBox both personally and professionally. Although it’s a more mature recording from start to finish, It’s Time finds Woods having a musical identity crisis.

Previously known for her bouncy pop anthems fuelled by a soulful voice, on It’s Time, it’s hard to peg exactly what genre Woods is aiming for; and that’s simultaneously a good and bad thing.

The collection shows the diversity of her vocals, equally at home on an inspirational ballad as they are on a funky danceworthy track. Yet, the sporadic jump from pop to reggae to fullon Gospel leaves It’s Time void of cohesion. In an age where digital singles reign supreme, perhaps this smorgasbord simply provides a buffet of options for a broad range of music listeners.

Among the track listing, highlights include opening anthem “Better Days” and “Do It for Me,” both reminiscent of the pop Woods has become known for in her relatively short career. Meanwhile, “Game’s Over” reveals a hard-hitting edge with fist-pumping lyrics.

Conversely, “Pay Off” conveys a full-fledged country persona.

It’s Time may show off the many versatile facets of Ayiesha Woods, but in the future the singer could amass a more targeted following by choosing one genre and sticking to it.

NEEDTOBREATHE 60/50 Ocean Way: The Live Room Sessions needtobreathe.com Review by Matt Conner It’s been quite a year for Needtobreathe. The band’s fifth studio album, Rivers In The Wasteland, released in April and landed at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. Critics hailed it as their finest work to date.

Now, 60/50 Ocean Way: The Live Room Sessions, gives fans a great new take on several familiar songs.

If “Ocean Way” sounds familiar, it’s because many music icons have recorded there. Tom Petty, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Radiohead, and Ella Fitzgerald are just a few of the many legends who have recorded their biggest hits at the L.A. studios, and Needtobreathe said they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do the same earlier this year.

The mix on 60/50 is comprised of seven unplugged songs, and many like “Wasteland” and “Difference Maker” are truly stripped bare. “Something Beautiful” is given a greater twist than most, with a new straightforward feel from the original on The Outsiders. “State I’m In” is a barnburner that shows off the band’s signature energy. With less accoutrements, Bear Rinehart’s strong vocal stands out even more.

If you have to choose between the two 2014 releases, Rivers In The Wasteland is the one to add. However, 60/50 Ocean Way is substantive on its own and gives fans another dimension to appreciate.

SANCTUS REAL The Dream sanctusreal.com Review by Josh McConnell It seems like only yesterday that Sanctus Real entered the national stage in 2002. Twelve years later, the band from Toledo, Ohio has become one of the Christian music industry’s flagship artists with their seventh studio album soon to be released.

Titled The Dream, the 38-minute album is true to Sanctus Real’s signature sound after so many years in the spotlight. The production is slick, the music is upbeat and the handful of ballads are powerful and anthemic (“Ride It Out,” “33,” “On Fire”).

17

Surprisingly, there is a little bit of experimentation, as the band plays with some ’80s synth influences (“Easier On My Heart,” “I Need You”) and even jumps on the southern/folk territory (“Bend Not Break,” “The Beginning”).

The standout track is definitely “One Word At A Time,” which is well-layered with different instruments and vocals to achieve a truly massive sound. This composition demonstrates the difference between just pumping out another song and purposefully taking the time to make it right.

The Dream is for an audience that loves Sanctus Real’s signature style. The band has some moments of experimentation, but they would do well to explore their musical horizons even more. Nonetheless, if you’re a fan of the band, pick this one up.

STEFFANY GRETZINGER The Undoing bethelmusic.com/the-undoing Review by Matt Conner Bethel Music fans will already be familiar with the beautiful voice of Steffany Gretzinger (nee Frizzell) as one of several worship leaders featured on recent albums like Tides and For The Sake Of The World. Gretzinger now steps out on her own with her solo debut, The Undoing. It’s marked by a tender approach and compelling mix that should bring her a greater platform and audience.

Gretzinger’s songs on The Undoing are rooted in life’s processes – of transitions, of choices, of the spaces between one home and the next. “Morning Song” celebrates the promise of a new day, and “Constant One” is a reminder of the steadfast love of God. Together, the back-to-back tracks provide inspirational anchors in the midst of seasons when uncertainty can overwhelm.

“Steady Heart” is more straightforward in its focus on this theme.

She sings, “Steady heart that keeps on going, steady love that keeps on hoping, lead me on/Steady grace that keeps forgiving, steady faith that keeps believing, lead me on.” It’s a beautiful, memorable pop number that serves as a cornerstone track.

From beginning to end, The Undoing feels as delicate as its subject matter, but the mix never becomes dull or one-note.

Instead, the songs remain bright and buoyant with hope even in the midst of the tension.

MANIC DRIVE VIP manicdrive.com Review by Josh McConnell If you’re searching for a band that is the epitome of hardworking, you don’t have to look much further than Manic Drive.

Comprised of two brothers and a bandmate, the trio’s roots can be traced back to 1996 in Mississauga, Ont. and the independent group One Cross. Band members have come and gone (except for the brothers), the name changed and the group eventually signed with a Nashville-based label in 2004.

Despite the distribution backing of the label, it is evident that the group is still very much grassroots in its promotion, music videos and even record-creating process. The band also took to crowdfunding for its latest effort, VIP. The band’s fifth record continues to prove why the group’s hard work pays off. The rock music is solid, the lyrics are encouraging for its listeners and the overall product exudes fun. There are still ballads which pause the mood for seriousness, but it is evident the group doesn’t take itself too seriously as a whole.

Standing out in a sea of mass produced music, VIP is an alternative-rock effort worthy of your hard-earned cash. Manic Drive doesn’t reinvent the genre, but they still standout from the pack.

18

Living Light News - November/December 2014

Cover to Cover A SHORT WALK TO THE EDGE OF LIFE

EIGHT TWENTY EIGHT

QUESTIONING THE BIBLE

THE HOPE QUOTIENT

In this suspenseful read, author Scott Hubbartt takes his readers back to a gruelling journey that changed his life.

It was supposed to be a daylong hike from one tiny Peruvian village to the next. Instead, Hubbartt finds himself hopelessly lost for days as he wanders amid rocky canyons and wilderness.

The decorated combat veteran finds himself in a struggle for survival beyond anything his training or experience prepared him for.

He faces extreme temperatures, dangerous wildlife, and exhaustion, but his biggest physical challenge is dehydration in the punishing atmosphere. Several times, he was certain he was beyond his ability to endure, yet he kept going.

In the process his pride and self-reliance are laid bare. He’d been confident in his skills as an adventurer, but one after another these skills fail him. After he is stripped of any reliance on his own ability, he experiences a spiritual awakening.

This book keeps you turning pages as it weaves together the themes of survival and reliance on God. Hubbartt skillfully intersperses historical background and personal reflections into the narrative, so the journey is not a straight playby-play of events, but a comprehensive picture that allows readers a peek into the author’s mind and emotions.

The chronicles of Hubbartt’s harrowing journey, and the surrender that led to his ultimate rescue, will take you to an amazing adventure you won’t soon forget.

This true story begins with an All-American college romance.

Ian is that guy on campus who wears knit hats, has long hair and makes everyone laugh.

Larissa is a sweet good girl, and everything seems to flow like a fairytale. Everyone knows someday there will be a ring and Larissa will become Mrs. Murphy.

Or so it seemed until a horrendous car accident. Driving on his way to a job, an SUV crumpled Ian’s station wagon, driving right over him. The Jaws of Life were required.

Eight Twenty Eight is an intense love story.

Twenty-one year old Larissa devotes her life to Ian, despite a coma that lasts for months.

Larissa is not alone. The Murphy family and her own family supported her through years of a stubborn love that refused to give up hope.

Larissa tells most of the story of long days and nights in hospitals and eventually at home, processing feelings and realities of living with a brain-injured boyfriend. It is one of those books that is both hard to put down yet hard to read quickly because of the profound sadness.

Ian and Larissa went from fairytale to nightmarish reality, but because of love they overcame. Eventually, a new norm was established with literal baby steps of progress.

The title, Eight Twenty Eight, refers to their wedding day (August 28); however, their story is about treasuring every moment together, making the most of our time with those we love and celebrating life together.

If you haven’t read Jonathan Morrow’s writing yet, this book is a great indication of what he has to offer.

The author and apologist responds to ex-Evangelical Bart Ehrman’s arguments regarding the reliability, authenticity, and dependability of the Bible.

In this exceptionally well-developed book, Jonathan sets out to diffuse 11 of the top challenges that Ehrman has thrown at the Christian community. These arguments include such topics as: Is the Bible anti-intellectual?; Have the Biblical texts been corrupted over time?; Is the Bible unscientific?; and, Is the Bible sexist, racist, homophobic, and genocidal?

These are not easy questions for the average Christian with only a Sunday School-based knowledge of the Scripture to tackle, let alone develop sound confident responses to.

That’s where a scholar of the quality of Morrow becomes a crucial advocate for the Christian faith. He answers all of these and other questions with great precision, comprehensive evidence, and challenging proof.

This is an extremely engaging text suitable for the serious reader. He writes for those who recognise the debate, the arguments, and the difficult questions. It is a useful tool that allows both Christians and seekers to evaluate the claims of Christianity for themselves.

This book is perfect for lay person and academic alike. You won’t be disappointed.

What’s your Hope Quotient?

Ray Johnston, pastor and founder of Bayside Church, says discouragement is “universal, repeating, deadly, and contagious.”

No one is immune, even a dedicated follower of Christ.

Johnston believes God intended for us to live abundantly with the hope found in Jesus’ resurrection. Based on this principle, he shares hard-earned insights about the antidote to discouragement in The Hope Quotient.

In Part One, Johnston explains why hope is the key factor to success in all aspects of life. He says, “I’m convinced that any great thing that ever happens in your life […] happens because someone has achieved a higher hope level.”

Hope does four things: activates, initiates, liberates and motivates.

Part Two offers seven steps we can take to raise our Hope Quotient. Using Biblical illustrations, Johnston shares practical ways to combat discouragement, including changing our expectations, using our gifts, finding balance and building support systems.

Johnston concludes with Part Three: how to infuse hope into marriage, kids, career, church, local community and the world. Once we increase our own Hope Quotient, we can unleash it in our sphere of influence.

Whether in desperate need of hope for your own situation or others, you’ll find the advice you need in The Hope Quotient. Johnston says, “This is the battle you want to win and the one battle you cannot afford to lose.”

Reviewed by Harma-Mae Smit

Reviewed by Miriam Leslie

Reviewed by Wayne Hagerman

Reviewed by Lynetta Smith

by Larissa & Ian Murphy

by Scott Hubbartt

Peter Goldring

by Jonathan Morrow

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

Ebola Is Nothing Compared To This T

he race is on to find a cure for the deadly Ebola virus, and blood transfusion from survivors is at the forefront.

In fact, blood serum treatment centres will be set up immediately in Liberia – the hardest hit country in West Africa – so that Ebola survivors can donate their blood and help those who tested positive for the virus, according to the World Health Organization.

The three patients who received donated plasma from Dr. Kent Brantly, the Samaritan’s Purse missionary doctor who beat the virus, are showing significant improvements.

With an estimated 10,000 new cases a week

by December, Ebola is easily the worst epidemic the international health community has seen in years. But as bad as it is, there’s another silent killer that’s claiming the lives of people the world over.

It’s called sin.

According to the Bible, sin is not confined to serious offences, like murder or assault. It can be something as simple as lying or coveting what doesn’t belong to you.

Just like any epidemic, it spreads from one person to many. The Bible says,

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone” (Romans 5:12).

While Ebola patients number in the thousands, the Bible says all people are infected with sin – for everyone has sinned (Romans 5:12). And sin causes death, both physically and spiritually (Romans 6:23).

Just as only a survivor’s blood can be used to help treat Ebola, there’s a special type of blood that can save people from their sins. It’s a substitutionary sacrifice, so only blood that’s shed by someone with no sin will do (1 Peter 1:19). Just as Dr. Brantly donated his blood willingly, Someone has already shed that lifegiving blood for sinners over 2,000 years ago – Jesus Christ, God in human form.

When Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross, He offered the ultimate antidote to sin for humankind. The Bible says, “He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 2:2). He suffered and died so we don’t have to; “by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Through Jesus' sacrifice, a person's sins can be totally forgiven. And it’s all because of His great love for mankind.

While treatment through blood transfusion is experimental, the cure that Jesus offers is guaranteed.

How do we know? On the third day, Jesus rose again – conquering not just sin but also death. And He offers life to all who believe in Him. The Bible shows what a person needs to do to avail of this cure: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Thankfully, we don’t need a blood transfusion to get this antidote, but it still requires an immediate response.

They say “What you don’t know won’t hurt you,” yet whether it involves deadly Ebola or sin, that statement simply isn’t true. Are you ready to undergo this life-saving procedure? Pray this prayer from your heart: Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner. I’m sorry for all the wrong things I have done. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to save me from my sins. I believe that He died on the cross and He rose again on the third day. Lord, I surrender my life to You. Please help me to follow You from this day forward. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

19

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

20

photos courtesy Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)/Tor Johnson

Getaways

Magnificent

Maui!

by Jan Snyder

If

When Captain James Cook discovered the island of Maui in 1778, he never could’ve imagined the millions of people who would follow in his footsteps to experience this gorgeous island – all 77 kilometres of astonishing tropical landscapes, rugged mountains and valleys, and its warm Polynesian culture.

A trip to Maui during November or December demands some whale watching.

The waters of Maui are teeming with mighty humpback whales during the winter. Tour operators can get visitors closer to whales here than just about anywhere else on earth.

Two museums in the Whale Center of the Pacific in Ka’anapali tell the story of these giants of the ocean, including a skeleton on display to give visitors an idea of their size.

The entire family can “ooh and aah” as Atlantis Submarines take you down a full 100 feet to the ocean floor. Discover brilliantly coloured coral reefs and fish of all kinds, including sharks, eels, octopi and turtles. These narrated one-and-a-half-hour excursions depart several times a day from Lahaina Harbour (Adult and child, $109).

Check out the Maui Ocean Center, featuring a 750,000-gallon, open-ocean tank with a walk-through acrylic tube. Their mission is to foster understanding, wonder and respect for marine life. The centre is open 365 days a year, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

But there is still so much more to see! Trek through a bamboo forest to scout for rare

tropical birds. Maui Pineapple Company offers an hour-and-a-half tour, complete with a fresh pineapple to take back to the hotel. Spend each day on a different beach with sand varying in colour from pearl white to volcanic black. All the beaches on Maui are public.

The old whaling town of Lahaina is home to quaint shops and eclectic galleries.

Historical buildings, parks, museums and restaurants make this stop memorable.

Beneath the rough-hewn ceiling beams of the Baldwin Home Museum are the wonderfully preserved memorabilia of the Rev. Dwight Baldwin and his family. He was a medical missionary who lived in this oldest building in the city from 1830 to 1868. See the grand piano, four-poster bed made of koa wood, as well as paintings that bring to life another time and culture.

Time your visit right to enjoy the free monthly music series held at the museum.

Later, stop at the Lahaina Center for souvenir shopping.

Sign up at any hotel for a visit to the Haleakala Crater. You will leave between 3 and 4 a.m. to take in the incredible sunrise view. You’ll see the multi-coloured volcano crater and views of Maui’s Central Valley.

Take along warm clothes – the temperature two miles up is 0-10 C in the morning. At the top, before sunrise, you will see more stars than you thought possible. As the sky slowly turns various colours, the sun comes up over the ocean and clouds and the crater below you.

You Go...

Atlantis Submarines atlantissubmarines.org 1-808-381-0237

Haleakala Crater nps.gov/hale/index.htm 1-808-572-4459

Hawaii Tourism gohawaii.com 1-888-349-7888

February 20 - 22 Shaw Conference Centre - Edmonton

ONE”

And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyONE.” Mark 16:15 NLT

Canadian Children’s Chaplaincy Assoc.

Maui Ocean Center mauioceancenter.com 1-808-270-7000

M ISSIONS F EST A LBERTA 2015

“WON BY

Donna Boone

Choose from several luxury hotels including the Hotel Wailea or Hyatt Regency. There are also dozens of affordable condos and hotels to choose from. Check out TripAdvisor, Airbnb or mauiownercondos.com.

The top restaurants in Maui serve Pacific Rim Cuisine, a mixture of Asian and Californian styles of cooking with an emphasis on seafood. With about 350 restaurants on the island, choices run the gamut.

Visit Honu in Lahaina, for fresh lobster rolls on the oceanside or Haliimaile General Store, nestled in a former pineapple plantation, for their famous crab pizza.

Dine on seafood more moderately at awardwinning Sansei or Colleen’s at the Cannery.

Leilani’s at Kaanapali Beach offers a less expensive menu in their lounge. And for pizza lovers, Lahaina Pizza Company serves the famous deep-dish style. For breakfast, sample anything from crepes to wraps at the budget-friendly Café des Amis or burgers and Mediterranean fare at Café Mambo.

There’s plenty to do without blowing your vacation budget. Search for rainbows over the ocean the first two hours after sunrise and in the mountains the last two hours before sunset. Enjoy the surfers riding the big waves, see the traditional hula performed daily at shopping centres and stroll along the beach.

While you visit Maui, catch the Aloha Spirit, the natural kindness and friendliness of the Hawaiian people. Take it back home with you and pass it on to others!

Brenda Giangregorio

Crossing Borders/ MEA Worldwide

Terry Law

World Compassion

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MFA Mission Statement:

“Find YouR PuRPose, Make a diFFeRence”

C onferenCe A Ctivities

inClude :

Prayer room; Children's Ministry; Youth and Young Adult rally & Activities; re:surgence; Panel discussion; General Assemblies; Worship: Traditional & Contemporary; seminars; MfA luncheon**; exhibit Hall: local, national & international mission organizations, camps, Bible colleges, universities and feature areas; Missions search Centre; intensive training days**: Great Commission Coaching, Connections for Women & Men on a Mission; variety of ethnic music, drama & dance on the festival stage and at sing to the nations; Praying for the nations; MfA store; and much more. **Tickets & Pre-Registration required only for noted activities, details will be posted on our webstie.

780-451-0080 www.mfest.ab.ca

Living Light News - November/December 2014

21

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Living Light News - November/December 2014

We welcome you!

Church YourDirectory

Church Neighbours. .

Sunday Services: 9:15 am & 10:45 am 11:00 Children’s Sunday School (ages 2 yrs up to Grade 6) Midweek Programs: Youth (Insight & Awana) , College & Career; Ladies Small Group Bible Study, Men’s groups, all meeting during the week 13208-95 St. NW, Edmonton 780-476-5855 northgatebaptist.ca

invite you to visit them this weekend!

P

EMMAUS WAY EMMAUS LUTHERAN CHURCH Service – Sunday @ 10am Children’s Ministry – 2-12 yrs (supervised nursery)

5015-144 Ave., Edmonton

Contemporary Worship, Sunday School, Youth Corner Sundays at 11:00 AM

9004-153 Ave. Edmonton 780-456-7890 www.necf.ca • necf@necf.ca

Pastor Glen Carlson

Learning together to “live life in Jesus” and to “live the Jesus life.”

8505 - 142 Street, Edmonton, Alberta 780•483•5366 info@lhbc.ca www.lhbc.ca

Welcomes you to visit our Spirit led, Bible based and family oriented congregation.

Mid-week: Connection Groups, Youth Activities

We meet weekly to worship on Sundays at 9:30, and we meet weekly to serve on Wednesdays at 5:30

Beit Mashiach 12404 - 140 Avenue

We are a Torah observant community endeavouring to walk in the fullness of the Jewish roots and heritage of our biblical faith.

Shabbat Service

Saturday 10:30 am

Yeshiva (Bible Study) Wednesday 7:00 pm Messianic Pastor: Andrew Ketel 780-901-5859

www.beitmashiach.com

Global

FORT SASKATCHEWAN

We are a family of God, multiplying disciples of Jesus, and we joyfully choose to put relationships of love ahead of every other consideration.

Congregation

A Church with a Heart - In the Heart of the City

Connections

Church

Pastors Steve & Carmen Lynne

Family Service: - Sundays at 9:30 a.m. / 11:00 a.m. at 205 Main Street, Spruce Grove - Sunday Evening Service at 6 p.m.

Youth, women, married couples, single moms, groups meeting during the week.

780-478-8697

Fully accredited Bible college

Call 780-960-9077 for more info www.gcccanada.com

IT’S A PLACE FOR YOU!

Sunday Worship at 10:00 am Sunday Children Education (Pre-K to Grade 6) 10:15 am

W O R S H I P W I T H U S AT

Wednesday 6:45pm - Children and Youth Worship and Teaching

Edmonton Family Worship Centre

• Parenting Class • International Friendship Club • Divorce Care

Sunday Worship

Contemporary, Charismatic, Caring

10605-96 St. Sundays 10:30 am

9:45am - Coffee & Conversation 10:30 - Contemporary Worship

780-424-6422 www.efwc.org

5940-159 Ave, Edmonton 780-454-1936 info@centrepointechurch.ca www.centrepointechurch.ca

B A P T I S T

C H U R C H

9333-199 St. • Edmonton • 780-451-3881 www.westmeadows.org Pastor Kevin Schular

( North Edmont

“Where you can Begin, Believe and Belong!”

P

First Christian Church (Disciples) 13407-97 St. Edmonton

Grace

P

CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

A Grace Communion International Congregation

Come Celebrate Christ!

Worship Service Saturday, 11:00 am

780-905-1124 http://edmonton.wcgweb.org

Calvary

Baptist Church “A Caring Community”

7215 - 97 St. Edmonton, AB Sunday 9 am & 11am

780-483-2665 www.fusionfellowship.ca

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:8

Worship & Prayer Gathering

The Lord will watch over your coming P.M.and going At 4:00

forevermore. both now andService: Sunday 4pm Sunday , August 16, 2009 Psalm 121:8

Meeting at Castledowns Worship & Prayer Gathering Baptist Church At 4:00 P.M. 11250 - 153 Ave. 11250 - 153 Avenue

Edmonton, Alberta T5X 5H2

Bible Study: 10am Worship: 11am Sunday School:11:15am

Sunday , August 16, 2009

Contact: Bill 11250 - 153 Pastor Avenue 780-473-3633

Castledowns Baptist Church Building

10162 152nd Street

Edmonton, Alberta T5X 5H2

Sunday Service @ 10:15am

“Where you can feel at home and cared for, living in His Presence.”

Meeting: Sat. @ 6pm 10105 - 153 St Mark & Sherry Adams Gord & Dawn Hancock

( North Edmonton ) A Bible-based, spiritually vibrant, multi-racial, multi-cultural church

Castledowns Baptist Church Building

Sunday Services

780-476-5238

( North Edmonton ) [North Edmonton]

The Lord will watch over your com

DIVERSITY WITH ONE HEART, ONE VOICE, ONE PASSION

Pastors:

Pastor Bob Millman

the with Christ Journey Church

10405 - 142 St. 780-454-3463 * We invite you to join us! * Morning Worship@ 10:45 * www.faithcom.ca

passionate, generational, God - centered worship and preaching

Fort Saskatchewan Life Church #111, 10421-99 Ave Fort Saskatchewan 780-992-9673 www.fslifechurch.ca

Lutheran Church

both now and forevermo

Sunday Service: 10:00 a.m.

Sunday School & Bible Study 11:30 a.m.

Pastor Forrest Stroup 4638 - 117 Ave. 780-477-2894

Walk in Victory!

Promised Land 121:8 Psalm Ministries Deliverance & Healing Centre

12145-67 St. NW Edmonton, AB

780-944-0526 www.jesusdelivers.com

Living Light News - November/December 2014

EventsCalendar Special Events Men’s Breakfast Nov. 15, 8:30 -10:30 a.m., Beulah Alliance Church, 17504-98A Ave., Edm. Men won’t want to miss Joe Roberts’ inspiring story of determination, courage and overcoming adversity. Tickets: $15, available at beulah.ca/register.

Love Talk Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., Evangel Pentecostal Assembly, 446150 St., Edm. Catch NY Times bestselling author Dr. Gary D. Chapman speak on The Five Love Languages. Tickets: $15-$20, available at fundandfaith.ca.

Regular Events Seniors Health and Fitness Tuesdays and Thursdays, starts at noon, Northgate Baptist Church, 13208-95 St., Edm. This is a go-at-your-own pace program for those aged 45-95+. Feel free

to bring walkers, etc, if required.

This class is for all abilities; anyone with any condition or disability is welcome. $5/session; coffee afterwards. Visit northgatebaptist. ca, or call 780-476-5855.

Deliverance Ministry Fridays, 7 p.m., Promised Land Ministries, 12145-67 St., Edmonton. Break free from spiritual bondage! Deliverance through Jesus Christ can transform your life. Visit us on Friday nights to find out how. For more info., visit jesusdelivers.com.

Encounter Worship Nov. 30, 7-9 p.m., Fort Rd. Victory Church, 13470 Fort Rd., Edm. Join us in song, spontaneous worship, intersession, dance, flags, prayer and prophetic words. For more info, visit frvc.ca, or call Valerie at 780-475-1647.

The Cellar Youth Centre 13407-97 St., call 780-554-7203

for times. Youth who frequent the Cellar enjoy an array of activities such as playing pool, video games, computer time, free food, concession, art projects, and on-on-one mentoring. For more info, visit yuedmonton.com.

Men’s Floor Hockey Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m., Beverly Alliance Church, 12235-50 St., Edm. Come out and play floor hockey! For ages 14+. For more info., visit bac.ca, or call 780-4740476.

Babes with Babes Nov. 19, 10 a.m., Beverly Alliance Church, 12235-50 St., Edm. Come out and meet other mothers and their little ones. For more info, visit bac.ca, or call 780474-0476.

Clareview ESL Monday evenings, 7-8:45 p.m., Bethel Community Church, 14204-25 St., Edm. We welcome beginner, intermediate and advanced students to practice English in an informal, small group setting. No charge. Free-will offerings will be accepted. For more info., call 780-475-0553.

Celebrate Recovery Wednesdays, 7 p.m., Fort Rd. Victory Church, 13470 Fort Rd., Edm. The purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to allow us to become free from life’s hurts, hang-ups and habits. For more info, contact Peter on the church’s website (frvc.ca) on their “Contact Us” tab.

Music & Drama Movie Night Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, 7-9 p.m., Highway Christian Centre, 10436-63 Ave. Edm. No charge.

Nov. 14 movie – Surrendered.

Dec. 12 movie – Hopeful Notes.

Visit freefamilyfilms.com.

Freedom Singers Nov. 23, 10:30 a.m., Polish Veterans Hall, 9203-144 Ave., Edm. The Freedom Singers (freedomsingers.com), a southern gospel group who have appeared on Dragon’s Den, are refugees from Romania with an incredible testimony. No charge.

Worship United Concert Nov. 14, 7 p.m., Sherwood Park Alliance Church , 1011 Cloverbar Rd. Join Worship

23 calvarybaptistedmonton.com/ christmastales.

United Band and praise God. Tickets: $25-30, available at Blessings, 9058-51 Ave., Edm.

Paul Baloche Christmas Tour Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Sherwood Park Alliance Church, 1011 Cloverbar Rd. Popular worship leader Paul Baloche appears with Joel Auge and Greg Sykes. Tickets: $15-$25, available at uniteinworship.com.

Te Deum Singers Nov. 22, 7 p.m., Nov. 23, 3 p.m., Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church, 11210-59 Ave., Edm. A program of sacred choral music for the Christmas season, including excerpts from Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” (with orchestra). No charge. Contact Diana at 780-436-3083.

Classes/Seminars Breakforth Workshops Jan. 30, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Northlands/Expo Centre, 7515-118 Ave., Edm. Choose from eight workshop tracks taught by renowned teachers.

Tickets: $67-$107, available at breakforthcanada.com.

Steve Bell Concert Dec. 7, 7 p.m., Sherwood Park Alliance Church, 1011 Cloverbar Rd. Don’t miss popular recording artist Steve Bell in concert, celebrating 25 years of music. Tickets: $20, available at stevebell.com, or by calling 1-800-854-3499.

Conferences/ Retreats Aboriginal Conference Dec. 5-7, Continental Inn West, 16625 Stony Plain Rd., Edm. (Empire Room) This conference is for aboriginal pastors and anyone who works with aboriginal people. Contact Rev. Deborah at 780-231-6899, or email abmissions@gmail.com.

Christmas Tales Concert Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m., Calvary Baptist Church, 7215-97 St., Edm. Vancouver singer/ songwriter Russ Rosen of YWAM and storyteller Justyn Reeves deliver songs and stories like you’ve never heard before. Tickets: $5. Visit

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