Mississippi Christian Living: June 2024

Chris and Polly Kellum

From pain to purpose

● Men in ministry

● How to take a soul-refreshing girls’ trip

Polly and Chris Kellum share how a series of spinal surgeries took Chris from pain to purpose. See page 16.

Kevin and Natalie Mahaffey (in plaid shirt and T-shirt dress) stay busy with their kids and grandkids, but they are committed to the ministry Kevin discovered at local jails. See page 22.

Columnist Chris Bates’ brother would have died on a fly-fishing trip if he hadn’t done one crucial thing: lean downriver. See page 26.

Mississippi Christian Living is committed to encouraging individuals in their daily lives by presenting the faith stories of others and by providing information that will point every person, at every stage of life, to a deeper, authentic, personal, and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Views expressed in Mississippi Christian Living do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Every effort has been made by the Mississippi Christian Living staff to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2024 by

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Very Bad Decisions and the Great Reversal

As I pondered what to write about for this month’s Editor’s Letter, I realized I’ve recently been immersed in examples of men — both fictional and historical — making Very Bad Decisions.

Stephen and I recently finished watching the third season of “Outer Banks,” a soapy teen adventure/drama in which every father figure leaves something to be desired, to put it gently. They all either abuse, use, neglect, or fail to protect their children. Even the one “good” dad lets his son participate in “adventures” (life-threatening shenanigans) that no sane parent would allow.

In addition to watching this guilty pleasure, I’ve been reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Children of Hurin,” in which the main character Turin (son of Hurin) makes Greek tragedy-level choices while blaming the consequences on other people. Classic.

These are just two examples of men behaving badly in pop culture and literature. I’m sure you could name others. Why so many? Well, if everybody always does right, it makes for a boring story. Also, art imitates life. Eve may have taken the fruit in Genesis 3, but Adam was present (see verse 6) and apparently did nothing to prevent it.

The poor choices don’t stop there.

Continuing on in Genesis, Abraham lies — twice! — about his wife Sarah being his sister in order to protect himself (see chapters 12 and 20). He also agrees to take on another wife (chapter 16) in order to “help God” fulfill His promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son. Great idea.

Finally, my pastor has been preaching through the book of Esther, in which a drunken King Xerxes and his wicked righthand man, Haman, team up (if it can be called that, since Haman manipulates the king) to make all manner of bad decisions.

But don’t worry, men, you’re not alone. Women also make Very Bad Decisions, both in fiction and reality. Eve did take that fruit.

You can see it play out in all the stories above. The moms in “Outer Banks” range from absent to Lady Macbeth. Turin’s mother teaches him toughness, but not humility. Sarah is the one who comes up with the plan to give Abraham a second wife (facepalm).

And in the book of Esther, Haman’s wife tells him to have Mordecai killed — then when she sees it won’t work, she tells Haman he doesn’t stand a chance. (That would’ve been nice to know yesterday, thanks!)

A lot of Christians, including myself, believe that Satan attacks men first. Men are supposed to be the spiritual leaders of the household, and if the leader falls, the household falls with him. But either way, men and women alike are in dire straits. We find ourselves doing the very things we hate and failing to do the things we know are right (Romans 7).

Yet there is hope.

In the book of Esther, a great reversal happens: Instead of eradicating Mordecai and the Jews and exalting himself, Haman winds up impaled on the very stake he had erected to kill Mordecai, and the Jews are saved. (Two people make Good Decisions in this book: Mordecai convinces Esther to speak to King Xerxes, and Esther convinces her easily influenced husband to give the Jews the right to defend themselves.)

The book of Esther is a hint at the gospel, the ultimate Great Reversal: Man is enslaved to sin, which leads to death; but then God becomes man, dies that death Himself, and rises from the grave. Now sin is paid for, death is defeated, and man is free to choose God and receive new life. (See the entire book of Romans.)

In other words, it is possible to make one crucial decision that redeems every facet of our lives — not because of our own merits, but through the merits of Jesus Christ, whose decision to lay down His life (John 10:18) changed everything.

If you have not put your faith in Christ, please don’t put it off. Eternal life is guaranteed for all who call upon His name (Romans 10:13) — but our next breath is not guaranteed if we delay (James 4:14). Trust in the Son of Man, and become the man or woman you were meant to be. Y

Katie Ginn katie@mschristianliving.com

by SARAH BEASLEY

Preparing our hearts for a blessed summer

Afew years ago, our school created a hymn canon, with great hymns of the faith chosen to correlate with the seasons — the beginning of a new school year, Advent, spring. Each song ushers us into a different rhythm, a slight change in the pace of our days.

The hymn for this summer is “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us.” The author, Stuart Townsend, when commenting on the process of hymn-writing, states, “Worship begins with God … we live in an alarmingly self-oriented society, where the bottom line to every choice we make, from relationships to religion seems to be … but does it make me happy? If we’re not careful we can bring this attitude into church, and even into our worship. We can come looking for the experience, for the ‘warm feelings.’”

Images of happiness fill our summertime reel, don’t they? Swimming, the beach, sleeping late, Father’s Day, grilling out, fireworks, and free time. Rest is good for our souls, and this season is a gift from a gracious Father.

But the gifts are only a shadow. Their goodness disappears without the blinding light of God’s love.

When sharing the process of penning “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,” Townsend wrote, “I’d been meditating on the cross, and in particular what it cost the Father to give up His beloved Son to a torturous death on a cross. And what was my part in it? Not only was it my sin that put him there, but if I’d lived at that time, it would probably have been me in that crowd, shouting with everyone else ‘crucify Him.’ It just makes his sacrifice all the more personal, all the more amazing, and all the more humbling.”

As we delight in summer’s bounty of friends and sunshine and food, may we meditate daily on what the Father did for us so we can enjoy His blessings rightly. May we also be reminded that our happiness, our transient feelings, are not the goal. Because this summer will include thunderstorms, overtired parents, bored kids, Father’s Day without a beloved earthly dad, and a

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2024

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hundred other bitter disappointments.

God’s love for His children will still be just as deep. What Jesus did will still be just as glorious.

Father, orient our hearts so that the gospel brings fresh life each morning. Let us never get over what Christ did to bring many sons to glory. Help us not to trust our feelings that change by the moment but to trust in the Rock of our salvation. All glory to your name, God — for every precious gift of this life, but most of all, for Your Son. Y

Sarah is home a LOT. Luckily she’s an introvert who enjoys reading and learning about new things and people. The Reins love their church family at Lakeside Presbyterian and coffee.

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Sarah Rein and her husband, Trey, are raising their four children in Brandon, where Trey is a school principal and

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Dads hold their children’s hands for a little while, but they hold their hearts for a lifetime.

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“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” – PSALM 68:5

It’s not your shoes, it’s how you walk in them

When I met my husband, Roosevelt, at a conference we attended in Washington D.C. thirty years ago, I noticed the shoes he wore. He was not only handsome but had on really nice dress shoes that were newly polished. At that time, I loved seeing a man with nice shoes. But I also knew that the shoes really didn’t make the man. It doesn’t matter what shoes you wear; it matters how you walk in those shoes.

Roosevelt had an incredible example of not only what shoes to wear, but also how to walk in a way that honors God. Little did I know how great of a father my husband would be because of the example of his dad, Roosevelt Greenwood Sr.

What an honor to be the daughter-in-law of a man who loved his family well and taught his family to do the same because of his love for Jesus! As we started doing things against certain man-made traditions of the church he loved, he would constantly encourage us to pursue what the Lord had for us to do. We knew that his love for the Lord allowed him to override those traditions. He supported the unique steps God had for us even though it may have been difficult for him to watch us do something different.

When my husband’s father passed away, he left behind a legacy of faith, love, wisdom, and strength. Just as Joshua had to fill the shoes of Moses and lead the Israelites into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:19), my husband has filled the shoes of his father, leading our family

forward with courage and faith, no matter the obstacles we’ve faced. We miss having him here with us. It was especially difficult when Roosevelt was in the hospital during his cancer journey. “I wish I could talk to my dad” was a frequent thing he would express. It broke my heart that he wasn’t here with us during that time to pray and to pass us $20. (He would just give you money when he saw you, as the Lord led him. It was very difficult for me to accept as a gift. I wasn’t used to people doing that.) But God provided in sweet ways that would remind Roosevelt of his dad. We were thankful for those moments.

In 1 Samuel 16:7, God reminds us, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” It’s not about the shoes we wear or the external appearances; it’s about the heart we have and how we walk in those shoes.

Even if this Father’s Day is difficult for you, may we all strive to walk in the shoes of our departed loved ones, carrying on their legacies with humility, grace, and a commitment to making a positive impact for the Lord. May we walk in our shoes with confidence like those who have walked before us! Y

Shay is a style coach with a mission to help women look and feel their best! Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @shaygreenwood.

High blood pressure? Pray — and make changes

No one visits a healthcare facility for bad results, right? Our arm can be completely inverted, with bones protruding, and we still somehow expect a positive prognosis. “Tell me it’s not broken, doc!” we might say. Then utter disappointment hits. It seems as if hearing what we already know of ourselves hits us a little harder, especially in our health.

“ Reducing sodium is (hard), especially when you find out sodium is in everything except water. Managing stress is (hard) when you have kids in sports. … We need help overcoming ourselves.”

A staple procedure when visiting a healthcare facility is a blood pressure check. It’s expected and probably the most highly anticipated procedure, given it provides immediate results. More times than not, it was high the last time it was checked. We know we haven’t done anything to improve the results, yet we still anticipate our blood pressure to be in a healthy range because we know we only have one or two more times for it to be out of range, or we are going to be prescribed medication.

The standard protocol for giving a hypertension (high blood

pressure) diagnosis is two or more elevated readings in a healthcare setting on at least two different days. Depending on age and health status, you may only have annual check-ups, and you may have a primary provider who isn’t that medication-happy — but if you keep visiting their office with no improvements, you are going to receive a prescription. The prescription to move more, eat better, cut back on sodium, lose weight (if you are heavier) and reduce stress normally comes before they give us a pharmaceutical prescription.

As Christians, some of us may decide not to accept any human prescription and instead attempt to pray our blood pressure back into range. High blood pressure, for the most part, is a controllable health condition dictated by our lifestyle, and adverse outcomes related to behavior can’t just be prayed away. Yes, prayer works, and it can work in the instance of controlling our blood pressure, but only if we know how to pray in relation to it.

Eating healthier, managing our weight, controlling our stress levels and increasing our physical activity levels are all valid lifestyle changes in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels — but adopting these lifestyle changes can be difficult. Our body is still going to crave what it’s used to, and consistently overcoming those desires will be easier said than done.

Reducing sodium is going to be hard, especially when you find out sodium is in everything except water. Managing stress is going to be hard when you have kids in sports. The opposing teams’ parents are going to make sure of that. We need help overcoming ourselves and our natural desire to give in to behaviors that elevate our blood pressure. We need help managing those behaviors.

Our prayer should be that He soften our hearts to His wisdom and strengthen us to act in obedience to His designed plan for our health. Designing our health, healing and restoration is what He did for us. Acting in that wisdom is our responsibility. Let’s seek His wisdom out and act on it. Y

Chris Fields is executive director of H.E.A.L. Mississippi, a nonprofit whose mission is to reduce the impact of diabetes and other cardiometabolic disease in Mississippi. Our vision is to establish a high-quality, easily accessible standard of care for diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases. God created us to be whole and healthy, and He’s made provisions for us to walk in His divine plan related to our health and healing.

How we made our girls’ trip a time of soul refreshment

As much as I love my husband and children, sometimes the thought of sleeping until I naturally wake up and making breakfast for one sounds like heaven. So when my friend Ashley Tinnin Frazer told me about Lauren Daigle’s Kaleidoscope Beach Weekend and mentioned the idea of a girls’ trip, I was all in!

Ashley and I rallied a group of seven women who were over the moon to steal away to the sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast. Not all the members of our group knew each other when we left Memphis, and I was a little worried that might impact the flow of conversation. But Betsy Hollis Brown suggested we swap cars halfway to the beach so everyone would have a chance to chat. That sounded like a plan, so we hopped in and made the long drive south.

So many of the details — from the weather to the group dynamics to the concert itself — were out of my control. Ashley’s hopes for the weekend were as high as mine, so we prayed that God would show up and refresh this group of women, encouraging them in whatever calling they were living out during this season of life. God answered our prayers and the trip was just what we were hoping for — soul refreshment. As I have thought back over what made the long weekend so delightful, I’ve noticed something: the four things I enjoyed most are ours to delight in here on earth, and — thanks be to God — they will also be ours for the taking in heaven.

1. Praise: The Lauren Daigle Beach Weekend was a threenight music festival and during that time, Lauren invited several artists to join her onstage. Let me just say, when you find yourself praising God under the stars at the beach with your friends, the atmosphere of worship sets the tone for everything else that happens. I recall multiple occasions when we might otherwise have tripped into gossip, but my friends chose not to share a specific name or juicy detail in order to steer clear of hearsay. Worship pointed our hearts heavenward toward Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s work was clearly evident in the

God answered our prayers for our Gulf Coast girls’ trip and filled it with blessings that gave us glimpses of heaven.

words that were spoken, and perhaps even more evident in the words that were not.

2. Laughter: All four nights, we came home after dinner, put on our PJs, and sat chit-chatting on the U-shaped couch like we would have done at a middle-school slumber party or in a college dorm room. These days, we often live life in a rush. Conversation is intentional, but clipped. But when a group of girls — at any age — are just shooting the breeze with nothing to do, stories will come out and giggling will commence. Since heaven is filled with unadulterated joy with nary a tear in

sight, a good late-night belly laugh serves as a solid preview for what awaits when we all get to glory.

3. Nature: As Ashley and I planned our trip, we had to make several decisions, with the biggest being where to stay. In the end, we decided it was worth it to be together, and it was also worth it to be close to the water. We settled on a beautiful house called “Dune Beachy” by GLAM-Destin that was perfectly set up for a big group. Ashley counted — it was 25 steps from the porch to the water. Almost nothing is as nourishing to a tired or parched soul as time spent in the great outdoors. Several friends took long walks; others went on runs. Every last one of us sat by the water for hours on end, talking and dozing and letting the lapping waves loosen our tight muscles and lull our overstimulated minds. Nature did what nature does: It reminded us that God is the Creator; we are the created. And there is nothing more relaxing than that.

4. Conversation: Community is a gift, and the most fundamental way to build community is through good conversation. I remember one night, a girl in our group asked,

COMMUNITY OUTREACH by COURTNEY INGLE

W“What do you do when you get into an argument with your husband and afterward, the tension just hangs in the air?” One answer helped me tremendously: “Humor,” another friend said. “One of us will say something funny, and that cuts the tension like a knife.” The well-timed, intentional question sparked much good conversation, and we all walked away relationally richer because of it.

A weekend away is hard to come by in busy phases of life. Before any planning can take place, it’s worth it to pray and ask for God’s blessing on the people, the place, and the purpose. Ask Him to show up in big and little ways. Because there is nothing on earth that brings rest to the mind, body, and soul like the presence of our heavenly Father. Y

Candace Echols and her husband, Jim, enjoy raising their five children in Memphis. For fun, she dreams of having a small writer’s cottage in either Oxford, England or Oxford, Mississippi — either one would be just fine. For now, she writes in her yellow wingback chair from Ikea, and that serves as her happy place.

NeedtoBreathe show benefits Mississippi foster orgs

hen rock band NeedtoBreathe performed at the Brandon Amphitheatre on April 30, there was an opportunity for a lasting impact to be made on children in Mississippi.

NeedtoBreathe drummer Seth Bolt discussed some of the ways the band gives to children in the areas where they perform.

“For the past few tours, we’ve been supporting an organization called For Others,” said Bolt. “They help support the (foster care) system, and the money we raise in states across the country actually stays in those states and helps the community where the money is raised.”

During intermission at the shows, concertgoers get the opportunity to support children in the local foster care system by donating to For Others, who accompanies the band on tour.

“We’re supporting the existing organizations in the foster care system that are already doing their best work,” said Bolt. “It’s a no-pressure opportunity to just support the foster care system locally.”

According to the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services,

there are nearly 4,000 children in the Mississippi foster system over its seven service areas. Harrison County has the largest number, with 238 foster kids, and

770 total in the service area that includes Harrison, Stone, George, Pearl River, Hancock and Jackson counties.

Several Christian organizations in Mississippi serve children in foster care and their families. Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth offers respite, therapeutic foster care, adoption services, group homes and more. Lifeline Children’s Services offers adoption and foster services, as well as connecting with churches for the goal of manifesting the gospel to vulnerable children. Sunnybrook provides

counseling services and transitional housing for those in the foster system who will soon “age out”; they also provide life skill classes, connection with a local church, help obtaining driver’s licenses, and support services for foster families.

Money raised by For Others benefits these organizations, which in turn benefits the children in the foster system.

The Bible is clear on how God feels about this: James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”

What may seem like a small donation at a concert could mean everything to a child in need. Y

Courtney and her husband,

in Brandon and are members at Park Place Baptist Church in Pearl. They have a daughter, Taylor, and a son, Jacob. Courtney is a full-time homemaker and can be reached at courtneyingle89@gmail.com.

Jeremy, live

Chris and Polly Ke

From pain to purpose

Chris Kellum was a husband and father who worked in medical sales, served faithfully at his church in northeast Jackson, and did sports ministry on the side. Check, check, check.

Then a series of spinal surgeries and chronic pain set him back — way back. In 2009, Chris had to give up his job; he and his wife, Polly, nearly lost their house. (In fact, “We nearly lost everything,” Polly clarifies.)

Years later, God would use Chris’ physical and mental pain to help others push through their own barriers. But back then, Chris and Polly didn’t know that.

“At the time, you think, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to get through another day,’” Polly says.

Doing ‘that Jesus thing’

Chris and Polly both grew up in churchgoing families in central Mississippi. Polly had accepted Christ as a child. “I probably drifted away a little in college, (but) if anything was wrong, (the Lord was) where I turned,” she says. And Chris? “Not so much,” he says with a laugh. “I knew the fundamentals of the faith, and then I ended up not really practicing it so much — until I met her.”

The scene sounds like a rom-com:

PHOTO BY STEGALL IMAGERY

“I was on a beach in Destin when I was 24, and I saw this incredibly good-looking girl walking down the beach, and I had to figure out if I could work up the courage to talk to her,” Chris recalls. “I spit a little game.”

“He had too much courage,” Polly says.

After their meet-cute, they found out they lived just a few doors away from each other in Jackson. They went to Sal & Phil’s Seafood Restaurant & Lounge on their first date.

As they got married and started a family, Polly and Chris both prioritized taking their kids to church — but with two very different mindsets.

“(For me) it was more like the ways of Christ, and not Christ is the way,” Chris recalls. “I thought, I want my kids to be good kids. If this Jesus thing is true, I’d rather them know it than not know it. I want their ticket punched.”

I would say something (about faith), she would talk me through some stuff.”

What eventually made the gospel click for him was the fact that he didn’t have to earn his salvation. “It made sense when it became about a relationship,” he says.

“I always thought, ‘I’ll try that Jesus thing out later when I’m not having as much fun.’

with similar stories, including Todd Dyess, Keith Lofton and Dobby Bowdon, and together they and several others formed Ignite Sports.

Every summer for 10 years, Chris and his friends held a four-day, three-night camp, featuring current and former college and pro athletes, sports training, life-skill lessons — and raw conversations with guys from wildly differing backgrounds. (Half the kids attended on scholarship.)

One weekend, Polly attended a Walk to Emmaus retreat. When she came back, she started getting up earlier in the morning in order to spend time with God.

“She is not a morning person,” Chris says. “I was going, ‘What in the world has happened to her?’

“She didn’t use words. She knew I’d heard (the gospel) my whole life and kind of rebelled against it,” he says. “(But) whenever

But now that’s kind of funny, because (being a Christian is) a lot more fun.”

For instance, around the time that the Kellums were helping establish Bellwether Church in Jackson, Chris and some friends started a sports ministry.

Both Chris and his friend Chris Snopek had seen worldly success but found joy and purpose in Jesus. They knew other men

“By Sunday, they were all just the body of Christ,” Polly says. “There was no line, no racial (division).”

Many of those young men are still friends today. “And they still come here (to our house),” she says, laughing. “We have a lot of drop-in company.”

Flushing pills and trusting God

Medical sales is a highperformance, high-pressure field, Chris says. “If you don’t meet your number, you’re gone.”

Starting before he got involved with Bellwether and Ignite, “I had a bunch of back surgeries,” he says.

“Ten, to be exact,” Polly adds.

Through seven of those surgeries, he was able to keep working while taking time off to recover as needed. He missed his sales number once during that time — but it didn’t mean a pink slip. His managers

PHOTO BY STEGALL IMAGERY

PHOTO BY STEGALL IMAGERY

From left: Chris, Anna and Polly Kellum, Riley (Kellum) and John Mark Weldy, Reed Kellum.

knew he was a high performer, and he proved them right, despite the surgeries and chronic pain.

Then in September 2009, he felt something shift in his spine. “It felt like a truck fell on top of me,” he recalls. He saw his

physician, Dr. Bob McGuire, and discovered that his spinal fusion was collapsing.

Dr. McGuire ended up putting Chris on long-term disability, and he had to leave his job — not for a few months, but for good. Chris was serving as worship leader at Bellwether, and he was helping run Ignite Sports, but he could no longer do a job like medical sales,

which involves lots of driving and carrying equipment. (Even today it would not be advisable, though he’s doing much better.)

One day a couple of years after Chris left medical sales — as he was still enduring surgeries and debilitating pain — “Polly had just gone to work, and I was sitting on the couch, I opened the Bible,

The Kellums’ latest canine companion is Roxie, who captured our hearts and the camera!

and I saw Psalm 46:10, ‘Be still and know (that I am God),’” Chris recalls.

“Also, there was this tree frog that had been stuck to the (window) glass, and I had been staring at it for a couple hours, laying on the couch — and as soon as I read that (verse), its eye just made a little tiny movement. There was something about that moment. And then I looked over, and I saw — because I was starting to feel pain again — I saw (a) bottle of pills (I’d been prescribed for pain).

“And I flipped the pages (of the Bible) and it flipped over to Ephesians (3:20): ‘God is able to do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine by His power at work within you.’ I saw that, and I flushed those pills, and that was it.”

From then on, he trusted God to handle his pain. He’d take the meds after a surgery — but even then, Chris and Polly would ask the doctor: How long would a “normal” patient (one not already experiencing chronic pain) need the pills? And after that time elapsed, it was bye-bye pills.

“We’d tell the kids, ‘Daddy’s got the flu’ … and I’d go through withdrawals for several days,” he says. A few years ago, he and Polly told their grown children what he’d really been experiencing.

“But they never saw a dad that complained or quit,” Polly says.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Chris says.

‘I ain’t putting up with this!’

In reality, Chris did have a choice. He could’ve stayed on a steady diet of pain meds. (“Chronic pain can make you feel psychotic,” he says.) He could’ve defaulted to disability mode.

“Every time I would get ready to get out of bed, I just had this fear — because I would not be hurting that bad in bed, and I knew the moment I got up, that would change,” Chris says.

“That day that I first flushed the pills, I remember looking at our dog Louie and going, ‘I ain’t putting up with this! This is on!’ So I would sit up on the edge of my bed, and I would see it as a game … me against pain. I created this figure in my head to represent pain. I would stare at the wall, and I would literally visualize myself winning.

“At one point winning was just making it to the next hour. Then it was making it to lunch. I didn’t understand what was happening in my brain, but now we know

the science behind it.”

Chris poured some of that science, his own experiences, and biblical truth into a book called “Igniting Your Purpose: Discover and Become Who God Created You to Be,” published in 2018.

That book — plus a meeting with former record-breaking Ole Miss wide receiver Shay Hodge — propelled Chris into the next phase of his career.

“(Shay) saw my book in the back of (my friend’s) truck (at an Ole Miss game), and we started talking. He was in a tough spot in his life,” Chris says. Shay had retired early from the NFL due to an injury.

“He asked me to coach him, because I was helping coach some other people, kind of like executive coaching,” Chris says. “I took the content I’d been putting together (for the book) and called it Game Plan.”

As Chris prayed through Game Plan, he knew it all had to be backed by two things: scripture, and neuroscience. As he did his research, he realized he’d unwittingly used “scientific” techniques himself while recovering from his surgeries.

“He practiced (during his recovery) what he’s doing now that helps so many people,” Polly says. “And it’s such a natural, organic kind of health. It’s not something where he’s ‘made’ a self-help thing. It’s real for him.”

Chris’ meeting with Shay Hodge led to a meeting with Mike Espy, who brought Chris in to work with athletes at D1 Sports. That meeting led to another, and another.

“I didn’t set out to do this, but it’s just a ministry,” says Chris, whose day job now is what he calls “peak performance mindset coaching.”

Polly says when Chris started developing his coaching business several years ago, “he went back in his office, and he’s barely come out since. He’s been writing all this content and helping people every day.”

“(My clients) want to be the best version of themselves,” Chris says. “They get held back, as every one of us does. It can be on a field (or in business). Ninety-nine percent of the time, it doesn’t matter where you are — it’s in your head.”

Wonder Woman

When the Kellums are asked about their callings, Chris says his is in his book title: to help people discover and become who God created them to be. Polly says she doesn’t have a “definite” calling like Chris does, or that she doesn’t have words for it.

“I do. One word: Discernment,” Chris says. “I feel safe when I’m around her. … And she’s protective. She just sees people, places and things that we are supposed to avoid. She has a very powerful spirit of recognizing where the Lord’s moving and where He’s not.

“Also,” Chris says to Polly, “I think you’re very gifted at knowing, what’s the next move?”

When Chris was recovering from his surgeries, “I had the comfort of knowing my kids were taken care of, and my wife was still going to love me,” he says.

“A lot of times I felt alone. And (almost) every time I had these feelings of loneliness, (Polly) would come in and say, ‘OK, what’s going on?’ I’d say, ‘How’d you know?’ Or, I’d lash out,” he admits. (Polly claims she doesn’t remember that part.)

Polly was working in advertising and marketing during Chris’ recovery. “She was still winning awards at work, and they gave her this Wonder Woman doll. It was really true,” Chris says. “To have three kids running around … And I would still come home to the smell of dinner. And the house was still clean.”

“I don’t think the house was really clean,” Polly says with a laugh.

But Chris grew up with three brothers, he notes. “Clean looks different to all of us.”

Hope amid the yuckiness

One of Chris’ favorite scriptures is Psalm 18:1, where David writes, “I love you, Lord, my strength.” Polly leans on Philippians 4:6. She quotes it:

“‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition, lean not on your own understanding’ — (that last part is) a different one (Proverbs 3:5), but they go together well,” she says.

“That’s something you’ve been saying to the kids,” Chris says.

“Their whole lives,” she says. “(And) I get peace in Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For I know the plans I have for you.’ And I for so many years didn’t go on down to verse 12 … where it says, pray about it.

“We get uneasy about, what is the plan for our life, and what are we supposed to do? Well, we don’t really know. We just hope in the Lord and know He does have a plan for our life, and it’s for good — no matter what. Even if you go through a lot of yuckiness to get there.” Y

MEN IN MINISTRY

From law offices to prison cells

We often think being a “disciple” means being alongside Jesus during His earthly ministry; a more contemporary image of a disciple of Christ might look like a pastor behind a pulpit.

The men in our Feature Story have made discipling others for Christ their mission, even if they aren’t in full-time ministry. From the mediation room to the prison cell, these men hit their God-given mission fields each and every day.

Kevin and Natalie Mahaffey

Kevin and Natalie Mahaffey, along with Kevin’s brother Tim, are the owners of Quality Printing in downtown Jackson. Between Kevin and Natalie are five adult children, and right behind them are three grandkids. Life is busy enough — but Kevin is dedicated to his Great Commission work in prison ministry.

What started as a small men’s group with Kevin, Aubrey Pritchard and Gene Henderson (father of Chip Henderson,

pastor of Pinelake Church) grew into a desire to spread the gospel to those lacking everyday access to the Word.

“We had an accountability group and we’d talk about how we spread the gospel that week,” said Kevin. “And (Pritchard) would come and say he baptized 14 men, like every week, and I asked how, and he said at the Rankin County Jail.”

Kevin dived in with ministry at the Rankin County Jail before moving into the Madison County Detention Center.

Kevin and Natalie Mahaffey with their grandkids: (from left) Hampton, Ellis and Stella.

PHOTO BY KARLA POUND

“It’s God’s super to our natural,” says Carmen Abston (left) of how she and Willie balance family, work and ministry.

The work involves much more than just leading a Bible study.

“If someone lost a parent recently, while they were in jail, then I’ll go and talk to them,” said Kevin. “Or if they’re having a problem with something in their life, I go in and talk to them, and pray with them.”

Over the past few years, Kevin said he’s seen God do a lot of transformation in the lives of these incarcerated men. Some of them have reached out to him.

“I had a letter just the other day, from a man saying he’d never forget us coming in and sharing the Good News with him,” said Kevin.

It wasn’t long after Kevin started in prison ministry that his wife, Natalie, got involved.

“I told her, this is the most addicting thing you’ll ever do,” said Kevin.

“When I started working with ladies who are incarcerated, I actually started with this group called The Net,” said Natalie. “It was doing one-on-one mentoring and Bible study with women who lived in Crossroads, which was a transitional living facility, so it’s the women when they’re released (from) prison.”

Kevin and Natalie both were able to relate to the incarcerated men and women, and through their ministry, grew to appreciate God’s grace and mercy more and more.

“Like Kevin, I had made some terrible choices in my life. I didn’t always (walk) in obedience with the Lord. I had my times of running away,” said Natalie. “He was so faithful and so good to us and so forgiving and showed us so much grace.

“We had that in our heart where we could share it with the people that we meet who are going through a hard time, who have maybe turned away from the Lord, who maybe didn’t

know Him ever. And so our past experiences and the forgiveness and love and grace that we’ve received from God have helped us with these people.”

Kevin said the work Christ has done in the lives of the incarcerated stretches far beyond the sentences they serve.

“It’s amazing what we’re seeing; we’ve probably baptized 110 since January,” said Kevin. “And then we’re also teaching Celebrate Recovery, which they can take with them to court when they have to appear for their drug charges.”

Willie and Carmen Abston

Willie and Carmen Abston have been in ministry for most of their 33 years of marriage. Willie is an attorney and has worked in just about every ministerial position at New Vision Fellowship in Brandon.

“I’m an assistant pastor at our church,” said Abston. “I’ve been

a pastor and elder at this church, and I’ve been a youth pastor, and up until recently, Carmen was leading the Personal Workers Ministry. We’re also on the board and have led outreach ministry.”

The Abstons’ mission field is wherever their feet are touching ground at the moment.

Carmen is a coordinator for The Writing Center at Hinds Community College, and Willie’s legal practice focuses on mediation. They’ve had opportunities for gospel-centered conversations with students and clients.

Balancing all this seems impossible, but Carmen said that, thankfully, God drives their every move.

“It’s God’s super to our natural,” said Carmen. “It’s really His super power that has been added to our natural ability that allows us to do what we do.”

As Willie has led his family and his church in their walks with the Lord, he has seen the impact it has had on others.

“Our son approached us and had been on a mission trip to China, and he wanted to go back and us go with him,” said Willie. “To see your kids display that kindness is really awesome. To see them want to share what they have in Him that others may not have, it really tugs at your heart.”

Between work and ministry, there’s a lot to handle that can often take away from time together with your spouse and family. Willie said that the work he and Carmen do is complementary based on their natural abilities.

“Carmen has a Ph.D., so she’s the smart one, and we need that,” said Willie. “So we have the brains, and we have the side of us that is a hard worker and driven.”

Willie has a heavy load at the practice, though now he is more on the mediation side. Even still, gospel opportunities are constantly presenting themselves.

“A case I recently mediated involved a man with a personal injury and his place of work,” said Willie. “So we got it resolved, and he is a Christian, so we were able to talk about the Word and how his faith kept him going during this process.”

Willie credited his parents and different spiritual mentors for inspiring him to live each day ministry-minded.

“My mother introduced me to Jesus Christ, and my father introduced me to hard work and what it can do for you,” said Willie. “And then there’s Juan Jones and Robin Jones (recently retired co-pastors of New Vision Fellowship), who are really special to us, because they’ve shown us what it’s like to be a married couple with a family who minister the gospel.” Y

Courtney and her husband, Jeremy, live in Brandon and are members at Park Place Baptist Church in Pearl. They have a daughter, Taylor, and a son, Jacob. Courtney is a full-time homemaker and can be reached at courtneyingle89@gmail.com.

● Communicate to the masses! Reach Madison, Hinds and Rankin counties, plus the newly added areas of Oxford and Hattiesburg.

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Associate Pastor Willie Abston and wife Dr. Carmen Abston

• Do you and your spouse feel called to share your life with young people in a residential setting?

• French Camp Academy has opportunities for dynamic Christian couples who are passionately pursuing Christ to serve as houseparents.

• Visit our website at www.frenchcamp.org and begin a conversation with us today!

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Lean downriver

Amazingly, they escaped unscathed, but both of them easily could have been killed. My brother Scott and our friend Brian encountered the power of a swollen river firsthand. The Bitterroot River, nestled in a high valley of Montana, is breathtaking, although sometimes its beauty conceals a merciless force.

Since childhood, Scott and I have been drawn to the pristine waters of Montana as we learned the arts of fly-fishing and river navigation from our uncles. Rowing a McKenzie river boat down a swift mountain river and casting a fly with precision became second nature to us. Those summers spent along the rivers of western Montana and Oregon instilled in us an appreciation for nature’s majesty and a keen understanding of its dangers.

In years when the water is high due to lots of snowmelt runoff, it changes the way the river looks and feels. It creates splits in the river that look different than they did the prior year. The usually recognizable stumps and islands that are waypoints can be underwater and hard to see. Such was the case this particular year after a winter of record snowfall caused the familiar landmarks to

disappear. While the fishing and flies we throw have to be adjusted, so does the extent to which we give priority to potential danger from high and fast water.

Simply put, they made one small wrong navigation decision. With Brian fishing in the front and Scott on the oars, they came around a tight turn without enough distance to pull off of the river just above the trunk of an enormous tree that had fallen and blocked most of the way across. With big eyes and mere moments of near panic before impact, they had seconds to prepare. They spun the boat to best take the coming wreck fully on the side, grabbed for the life jackets, dropped down into the bottom of the boat, and hollered “lean downriver!” to each other.

The impact was bone-jarring, and they were both thrown hard into the side of the boat while every piece of equipment slammed onto the floor and hull. The danger was instant and real. A boat at sideways impact to a solid object wants to do one thing immediately — let the strong current suck the upriver side of the hull down and into the water, which instantly floods the boat, flipping it downward into the current underneath and completely

losing the battle. If that happened at this point, it would be a total loss of the boat, with both men helplessly pinned against it and the huge tree underwater.

At thousands of cubic feet per second, the force of the river will crush a 16-foot, 400-pound fiberglass McKenzie river boat like a stomped-on Coke can, and it will suck you under with no regard for swimming ability or floatation device. They had seconds to maintain their cool. Both men ignored the instinct to lean away from the huge tree that was about to crush the boat, because any weight upstream would have instantly pulled the top side of the boat under. Instead, they listened to years of river experience and what we had been taught all those years -— lean slightly downriver into the blockade.

Their survival depended on split-second decisions. Scott used the upstream oar to stabilize the boat, while Brian positioned himself on the fallen tree, desperately trying to prevent further tipping. In a synchronized effort, they leaped from the boat to the relative safety of the tree, just as the river took the entire vessel under sideways and crushed it, instantly and completely. Only small pieces of debris and other parts of broken equipment began to pop up like corks on the other side. They both described that in the adrenaline-filled chaos of those moments, they had thought of their families and the preciousness of life. They had survived but knew fully the enormous reality of that escape.

Life’s defining moments often come unexpectedly, thrusting us into situations where instinct and survival collide. For me, it was first the battle with addiction, a journey through darkness and despair that reshaped my very being yet opened me up to a spiritual solution. Many years later, life hit again with divorce, other brokenness, and the forced sale of a business that tested my faith and resilience.

Each of us faces our own trials, be it in relationships, careers, or personal struggles. The instinct to fight, to endure, is ingrained within us, yet true resilience lies in surrendering to God. So, what is it that you do when it gets challenging or bad, it’s an emergency, and fear or shame are at a peak? To “lean downriver” goes against every instinct, with millions of gallons of water rushing toward you from upriver. But we can, if we choose, go against our intuition to use selfreliance, to fight harder, to fix it. The real answer instead is to lean into our Maker fully. The choice to lean downriver may be the thing that saves us.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Right now is the time to lean downriver. Decide to do differently; go against what has felt like the only way, using too much self or worldly reliance for too long. Be willing to step out of the boat into a new way with Christ-centered solutions. It is letting go so that we can move forward. Pause for a moment, pray, and prepare yourself to lean into being transformed and renewed. Y

Chris Bates is CEO of AgoraEversole, a full service marketing agency in Jackson, and can be reached at Chris@AgoraEversole.com. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Madison and have adult children and three grand boys.

Investing in special needs camp brings joy

The remarkable Mary Kitchens often wears a small locket displaying these words: “Never, Never, Never Give Up.” It reminds her to keep moving forward regarding the vision God gave her years ago.

The vision is a camp for children and adults who have special needs, serious illnesses, and physical, mental and emotional challenges. The name Camp Kamassa means “persevere under difficult circumstances.”

Camp Kamassa, located in Copiah County, will soon be the home of Mississippi’s only fully handicap-accessible camp. The facility is a host, partnering with special needs camps and providing yearround access. Hosting summer camps, retreats, proms, and children’s parties, the possibilities are endless.

It becomes clear why God gave Mary the idea when you learn about her background and experiences. He also affirmed it with a Scripture verse — Hebrews 12:13, NIV.

The Mississippi Toughest Kids Foundation (MTKF), a 501c3, was created in 2008. The foundation purchased more than 400 acres of land in 2013 and 400 more in 2022.

Today, Camp Kamassa is a year away from completion. The sale of a cookbook, in-kind donations, and Mississippi legislation have provided funding for the $30 million facility.

Even the Pentagon is involved. The campsite provides a training area for each branch of military personnel, who have completed land foundational work, eight duplex cabins and a multi-use building. MTKF provides the supplies. This year, construction is underway for a swimming pool, an infirmary, and additional buildings.

Why does Mary still feel called to lead this endeavor when most folks in her age bracket are slowing down (she is a year

(Story continues on page

Mary Kitchens (left) with Arlie Cooper, Mississippi’s Little Miss Wheelchair 2024.

away from being an octogenarian)? It goes back to never giving up. “When God tells you to do something, you had better do it.”

And He gave her the passion to do His assignment. He has also gifted her with the ability, surrounded her with support from family, friends and volunteers, and connected her with other camp directors and experts.

There are two dozen special needs camps for children throughout the state. Mary’s dream is to see this expanded to new camps for individuals with Down Syndrome, kidney and heart disease, hearing loss and blindness. Looking forward to the camp’s opening, Mary said her children told her they would put a rocking chair, her Bible, and a coffee pot on the balcony of the second floor of the main building. She said, “From this location, I will enjoy watching the children and what God has accomplished.”

Mary advises readers of a certain age, “Don’t sit at home. Ask God to open your eyes to where you can get plugged into. It is a joy to be involved. We have been given this time

“ It is a special place created by a special lady that will bring joy to thousands of special kids with chronic illnesses and disabilities. It exists because of a dream, a woman with grit and resilience, and a good cookbook.”

(Facebook, by Caleb Seney)

beyond our working years — invest them.”

If you want to donate, volunteer, or take a tour, please call 601.892.1117. Mary would love an invitation to come and speak to your church or organization about Camp Kamassa. Ask her about the stories regarding her homemade oatmeal cookies, almost a registered trademark for the camp.

Mary and her husband, James W. Kitchens (Presiding Mississippi Supreme Court Justice), have five children and 13 grandchildren. Visit the website, CampKamassa.com, to learn more and sign up for the newsletter.

Email: mtk@mtkfound.com Facebook: facebook.com/MTKFoundation Y

Laura Lee Leathers is a writer and speaker. Imagine Lois Lane, over 65, living on a farm. Her metropolis is the area of freelance writing. Her primary love interest is the Word of God. She digs for information, interviews fascinating people, offers a cup of biblical hospitali-tea, encourages, and helps others with the how-to’s of life. Visit LauraLeeLeathers.com.

If you aren’t sure whether you have a relationship with God or where you’ll go when you die, please don’t put this magazine down until you’ve read the following:

✝ THE PROBLEM

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death … – Romans 6:23a

The natural result and consequence of our sin is eternal death, or hell (Revelation 20:15), separated from God. This is because God is completely perfect and holy (Matthew 5:48), and His justice demands that sin be punished (Proverbs 11:21).

✝ THE SOLUTION

but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 6:23b

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8 Jesus Christ died in our place on the cross and took on the punishment for all our sins (Isaiah 53:4-6). Then God raised Him from the dead (John 20)!

✝ HOW TO RECEIVE SALVATION

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9

Trust in what Jesus has done for you — His death for your sins and His resurrection — and trust Him as Lord.

✝ IS IT FOR ANYONE?

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. – Romans 10:13

✝ THE RESULTS

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 5:1

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

✝ WHAT TO DO NEXT

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. – Romans 10:17

If you decided to trust in Jesus, grow in your faith by reading more of God’s Word in the Bible. We recommend the gospel of John (it comes just after Luke) as a good starting point — or Romans!

Finding a church close to you that teaches faith in Christ is another important step. It’s crucial to spend time with other believers so we can encourage each other in our faith.

If you have questions about anything on this page, please contact us at 601.896.1432, or send us a message on Facebook @MSChristianLiving, Instagram @mschristianmag or Twitter @MSChristLiving.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that

you do be done in love.”

~ 1 CORINTHIANS 16:13-14, ESV

“He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

~ MICAH 6:8, ASV

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

~ 1 TIMOTHY 5:8, ESV

“Similarly encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good.”

~ TITUS 2:6-7A, NIV

“Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.”

~ 1 PETER 3:7, ASV

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

~ GENESIS 1:27, ESV

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

~EPHESIANS 5:25, ESV

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

~ JAMES 5:16, NIV

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

~ 2 TIMOTHY 2:15, NIV

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers: But his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night.”

~ PSALM 1:1-2, ASV

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

~ EPHESIANS 6:4, ESV

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

~ 1 TIMOTHY 6:11-12, NIV

“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”

~ ROMANS 4:3-5, ESV

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