San Antonio Beacon February 2017

Jaci Velasquez In Concert March 17th page 13

Give Gentleness a Go

February 2017

Serving San Antonio and the Surrounding Communities Since 2001

VOL.17 — NO. 2

I discovered that a lack of gentleness erodes intimacy and plants seeds of fear in children. Gentleness, on the other hand, does precisely the opposite. PG 7

Max Lucado: It’s Not Too Late You aren’t building a temple, but you are building a marriage, a career, a witness, and a legacy. PG 8

DOUBLE PLATINUM

Service Dogs are Saving Lives “We have the technology to rebuild body parts of injured veterans, artificial hands and legs; but no technology to deal with PTSD” PG 12

JUST

Javier Galvan MULTI AWARD WINNER AND BEACON Interview Pg 4

5 Ways to Raise a Reader Reading together is the single most important way to help children get ready to read. Share books with your children every day. PG 13

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F E B R UA R Y 2 017 — B E A CO N

ENTERTAINMENT

JAVIER GALVAN BEACON RADIO INTERVIEW EXCERPTS

Javier Galvan started the Tejano band, Fama, in 1985, which has had four albums certified gold, three platinum, and one Host Steve Teel double platinum during Steve@saBeacon.com the 25 years Javier was the front man. Although he enjoyed much success and played concerts as big as 82,000 people, none of that fame gave him the peace he really sought. Javier shared with Beacon Radio his transformation in Christ (and subsequent challenges) and God’s victory over alcoholism and drugs in his life as well as his new role as Morning Radio Show Host on Radio Luz AM1160 weekdays 7-8am KRDY. Here are some

PUBLISHER: Full Armor Outreach CONTENT DIRECTORS: Pam Leslie ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: Blake Clifton

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edited excerpts and for the full interview go to to know the Lord at Faith Outreach InternasaBeacon.com/radio. tional with Pastor Charles Flowers and I went STEVE TEEL: I want to hear about you up to the upper room at Faith Outreach and I became a Christian and how God got a hold of gave my life to the Lord. I needed the Lord so you and I also want you to tell us about the bad. I truly truly needed a change in my life. I new show. was tired of being sick and tired. I was tired of JAVIER GALVAN: We have a show here on having everything else except that peace that KRDY called “Levantate Y Dale.” That means surpasses all understanding. When I accepted “Get Up and Go” and is based on Scripture Christ, that loneliness went away. That junk, where Isaiah 41:10 says that God would lift us that drug addiction was immediately lifted off up. And when He lifts us up--the same Spirit of me. that raised Jesus from ST: It was gone? the dead is the same JG: Gone. ComSpirit that is raising each pletely. Now, for a few one of us up. If we allow years I was alcohol free God to do it then He’ll and then the doctor do it. So that’s what diagnosed me with high we’re trying to do in the cholesterol. So he said mornings: our main thing is to lift people’s spir- drink two glasses of wine and I said, ‘Praise the its, to lift their hope. There are a lot of people Lord, Jesus made wine,’ so I started drinking walking around hopeless. When I was in the two glasses of red wine. Well the cholesterol world many years ago, I started a group called went down but Javier liked the wine so much “Fama,” which means Fame, and we started out that I thought ‘Jesus made wine,’ every justifiin Houston, my brothers and I. We had much cation I could come up with, ‘It’s only two success but within all that success I was also glasses.’ But after a while I wanted the whole an alcoholic, a drug addict, and my drug of bottle. And after the bottle, I wanted that sixchoice was cocaine and I would literally wake pack of Bud Light. And I was ministering and I up in the mornings and drink some beer, have thought this is wrong. So I asked my wife and Proposed Advertisementmyfor September 2016 some breakfast, drink more beer, and then do kiddos and my mom to pray for me and I more cocaine. But one day, July 19, 2001, I came was delivered and I’ve been alcohol free for a

“Impacting the World One Plate at a Time.”

COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST: Todd Reid COMMUNITY MANAGER: Blake Clifton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Amanda Graves, Jim Faulk, Kirk Freeman, Lauren Robertson THE BEACON OFFICE: P.O. Box 591490 San Antonio, Texas 78259 PH: (210) 614-8884 FAX: (210) 614-8885 ONLINE: www.saBeacon.com MISSION STATEMENT To deliver hope, inspiration and change happening all around us through relevant articles from local and national writer, news sources, and Beacon staff. We strive to be recognized as the forum for familyoriented community events and activities, directories for area churches, schools, charities, businesses, and camps.

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few years now and it’s been amazing. Not that I was a drunk again, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t need not even one drop of alcohol in my system. I wasn’t going around doing ministry and being drunk. I would minister and all. But it kind of crept up on me. I had to really examine myself. I went to Alcoholics Anonymous through Cornerstone. But what the enemy meant for evil God turned into good. As a minister I see a lot of other ministers bound by alcohol. Now there’s some people that can drink one or two beers and aren’t alcoholics, but then there’s some like Javier who cannot touch alcohol. If it causes you to stumble, if it causes you to mistreat people, act totally a jerk around people, or if it’s just not good for you-then it’s not good for you. So that was me. I praise the Lord that I am delivered of the alcohol. The drugs I have not touched in 15 years.

ST: That’s awesome.

JG: God has been good. God gave me a dream and He said, ‘Your obedience will bring the blessing. Devote yourself to me and I shall give you the desires of your heart.’ We had played Monterrey, Mexico many years ago with the group Fama and there were 82,000 people, singing our songs. Singing and screaming, I think I lost my hearing that day. This was back in ’94 or ’95 and we keep seeing those kinds of crowds in Mexico and that was a part of our success and what happened on a regular basis.

Well I became a Christian in 2001 and I have a dream, and in this dream I’m seeing 82,000 people in front of me. I know it’s a dream and I was conscious of that. But I saw 82,000 people praising God instead of praising the king of beers and the king of that, they were praising the King of Kings. I turned around and I could feel God’s presence. I get weepy just talking about this. I looked back and I said, ‘Lord, how can we accomplish this? How can we accomplish 82,000 people to worship you like this?’

He said, ‘Your obedience (and this was like thundering voice) will bring the blessing.

Devote yourself to me and I shall give you the desires of your heart.’ I immediately woke up my wife. It was about 3 o’clock in the morning.

‘Honey, I had a dream.’ She’s like, ‘Okay, tell me in the morning.’ So I go downstairs and googled: the desires of your heart. I knew there was a Scripture but I wasn’t very familiar with the Bible then. And it was Psalms 37:4 where it says, ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.’ I began to pray. I began to weep. God began to put something in me. He birthed something in me that night that changed my life totally. This is after I got saved, a few years later but I wasn’t really getting into the Word like I should and so from that day on I purposed in my heart to serve God with everything that I have, to devote myself to Him and only Him, and delight myself in Him and He has opened doors...”

Christian Teaching & Talk Seven Days a Week

MONDAY - FRIDAY

We love because He first loved us

Program Guide

SPREAD THE GOSPEL! Visit KSLR.com for resources to help you grow your faith and share it with others!

SUNDAY

This month share Christ’s eternal love with others!

SATURDAY

1 John 4:19

6:00am 6:30am 7:00am 7:30am 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 9:30am 10:00am 10:30am 11:00am 11:30am 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:15pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 9:00pm 10:30pm 11:00pm

Thru The Bible Renewing Your Mind Truth For Life Focus On The Family Insight For Living Leading The Way Family Life Today Grace To You Turning Point Pathway To Victory Jay Sekulow Live Hope For The Heart Somebody Loves You Messianic Perspectives Key Life Real Life Radio Chris Brown’s True Stewardship Living God Ministries The Eric Metexas Show The Word to Stand of for Life Maranatha Bible Church John Haggee Today Grace Revealed Calvary Current Focus On The Family The Word On Investing Turning Point Pentecostes Sigue su Marcha Hope in the Night

J. Vernon McGee R.C. Sproul Alistair Begg Jim Daly Chuck Swindoll Michael Youssef Dennis Rainey John MacArthur David Jeremiah Robert Jeffress Jay Sekulow June Hunt Raul Ries Gary Hedrick Steve Brown Sean Azzaro - River City Chris Brown Aaron Budjen Eric Metaxas Ron Arbaugh - Calvary Chapel Rander Draper - Maranatha Bible Church John Haggee - Cornerstone Church J.D. Link - Abundant Grace Bunjee Garrett- Calvary South Austin Jim Daly David Mitchell David Jeremiah George Weber - Templo Pentecostal June Hunt

7:00am 7:30am 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 10:00am 10:30am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 1:45pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Paws And Tails Adventures in Odyssey Parenting Unchained Kathleen Whitten Ministries Learn to Buy and Sell Cars KSLR Church of the Week The Cross At Kerrville Hill Country Institute Live Beacon Radio High Resolution Believers In Business Believing the Bible Real Life Radio The Word On Investing Rehoboth Voice Prophetic Voice Of Our Time RCCG Salvation Center Focus On the Family Weekend Parenting Unchained Maranatha Bible Church Steve Brown ETC His Life Revealed

Insight For Living Focus On The Family Dr. Jim Dempsey Kathleen Whitten Randy Adams KSLR Max Greiner Larry Linenschmidt Steve Teel Kurt Hudspeth KSLR Scott Lane & Terry Read Sean Azzaro - River City David Mitchell Johnson Varkey Mike & Cris Sosso - Freedom Fellowship Dr. Adekoye Sanni - RCCG Salvation Center John Fuller Dr. Jum Dempsey Rander Draper - Maranatha Bible Church Steve Brown Todd Grainger - His Life Ministries

7:00am 7:30am 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 9:30am 10:00am 10:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm

Calvary Current Road To Reality Peace By Believing Living Your Best Life Bible Baptist Hour Doctrinal Bible Studies Revival Ministry Grace To You - Weekend Kathleen Whitten Ministries High Resolution KSLR’s Church Of The Week Leading the Way - Weekend His Life Revealed

Bunjee Garrett - Calvary South Austin K.P. Yohannan Jon Redmond Les Hollon - Trinity Baptist Lasserre Bradley Jr. Pastor R.B. Thieme Jr. GD Coppedge John MacArthur Kathleen Whitten Kurt Hudspeth - Four Winds Baron Wiley Michael Youssef Todd Grainger - His Life Ministries

2:30pm

Hope for the Heart

June Hunt

3:00pm

Turning Point Weekend

David Jeremiah

3:30pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 7:00pm 8:00pm

The Word On Investing The Cross at Kerrville Phophetic Voice Of Our Time RCCG Salvation Center Abortion Hurts God Heals The Christian Outlook

David Mitchell Max Greiner Mike & Cris Sosso - Freedom Fellowship Dr. Adekoye Sanni - RCCG Salvation Center Saundra Decker & Virginia Lange Don Kroah

9:00pm

The Bible Live Quiz Show

Soapy Dollar

11:00pm Steve Brown ETC

Steve Brown

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F E B R UA R Y 2 017 — B E A CO N

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FAITH

THE ART OF BEING INTENTIONAL

BY LAUREN ROBERTSON, Beacon Intern

“Are you happy? What makes you happy?

If that object of happiness was robbed from you today, would you still be happy?” These questions make up Bare Handing- a simple survey volunteers from St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Waco, Texas ask Baylor students on a weekly basis. This community outreach challenges students to shake up their mundane train of thought. Missionary Sam White currently serves the Baylor community in this manner and notes the main objective is to trigger intentional conversations.

Sam expresses, “I heard a quote once and it said ‘there are no boring people, just disinterested people’.” We have become disinterested in our immediate surroundings, taking for granted the countless interactions around us- a quality missionaries like Sam understand detract from creative, social beings. In this increasingly automated world, we are quick to resort to our phones, laptops, electronics, etc. in hopes of entertaining ourselves temporarily rather than engaging with those immediately sur-

rounding us. Even as I walk to class on cam- side up eggs. Sam had- and still does- take pus, countless interactions are missed genuine interest in me. Souls desire to be because we are hiding behind screens pursued and intentionally invested in. checking emails, This intentionalHaving one intentional conversa- ity and pursuit of snapchatting friends, or enterfriendship is a lost tion leads to another, and I can taining ourselves art amongst millenattest by experience you will feel nials who are kneein some form of social media. in social media. more fulfillment and purpose in life deep One Sunday, “I think that in our Sam invited me to when you invest time in genuinely generation we have breakfast at her forgotten how to pursuing relationships. When was communicate… We house where we immersed ourstay surface level the last time you checked if your can selves in genuine and superficial in close friends or even sibling are fellowship and conversation,” discussed life on a expressed Sam. “We truly happy? meaningful, spirioften times, might tual level before even walk away from mass. No phones were answered, emails talking with another person an individual checked, or T.V. on to divert our attention. that has a soul made for eternity - which is Just two friends, coffee, and a home-cooked a HUGE deal - and sometimes we feel empty breakfast. I felt energized, encouraged, and or with a sense that they don’t really know simply joyous after; but not because of the who we are. We weren’t made for that type caffeine-latent dark roast coffee or sunny of interaction. We are social creatures, with

such depth that we cannot even imagine.”

People like Sam serve as catalysts encouraging the world to dive headfirst into worthwhile, deep relationships. Having one intentional conversation leads to another, and I can attest by experience you will feel more fulfillment and purpose in life when you invest time in genuinely pursuing relationships. When was the last time you checked if your close friends or even sibling are truly happy? And if they regurgitate the generic “I’m good” or “it’s great”, surprise them by countering those responses with “no really. How are you doing?”.

Ultimately, Sam emphasizes that intentional versus surface level friendship fulfills our human desire to belong. Have you stopped to think if you are truly happy? If those around you are? If what makes you happy was taken from you today, would you have deep enough relationships with others to help carry you through?

FAMILY

The Test of a True Giver

by JONATHAN DAUGHERTY, Founder Be Broken Ministries

How can you know if you are a good giver, one who mirrors the heart of God? I believe the mark of a great giver is humility. Givers who don’t even realize how deeply they are blessing others are so refreshing. It is as if they breathe out generosity without any effort or obligation. Have you known people like this?

Model them!

I wish I could give you glowing examples from my own life of how my generosity just oozed out of me without my own consciousness of it. But then, I suppose, that would be damning evidence against me as a humble giver. But I do have a couple stories I want to tell you of some humble, anonymous givers that blessed my family during a particularly needy time in our history.

When we started Be Broken Ministries we

had nothing; no money, no experience, no clue. We only had our story of God’s miracle of healing and His definite call to launch the ministry. Our faith was stretched that first year in ways we had never experienced before.

One of the primary “stretching points” was our finances, or rather, lack of finances. We were hand-to-mouth seemingly every month, but we knew this was God’s calling and we felt peace about where the ministry was headed.

Nonetheless, we still felt the pinch of the regularly empty bank account.

One day I was at work (a 100 square foot, windowless office space in my former employer’s building) when I got a call from my wife, Elaine. She was concerned about how we were going to have food for dinner that night. Our pantry was empty and there was only half a gallon of milk in the refrigerator. On top of that, we had less than $1 in our bank account.

Yes, I said less than ONE DOLLAR! Remarkably, I didn’t feel panicky (either my faith was growing or I was mentally cracking up…). I told her we should pray, and we did. It wasn’t a flowery record-it-for-all-time prayer, but rather just a heartfelt offering of our needs continued on page 9

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F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 7 — B E A CO N

7

Give Gentleness a Go

by KIRK FREEMAN, Pastor CrossBridge Community Church

There was a season in my early years as a parent when I wasn’t as gentle as I wish I’d been. When my children disobeyed or were disrespectful, I took it as a personal affront to my authority. I’d raise my voice or use my facial expressions to make sure they knew who was in charge (as if kids don’t already know). If I told them to do something or if they argued with me, my response was often to sort of “one up” them and make sure they knew that I was boss and not to be trifled with. Not surprisingly, this often led to a tantrum, or what we call in our house, a meltdown. A meltdown is when a child’s emotional tank gets overloaded and they don’t have capacity to hold it together any more… and once a child has a meltdown, there’s no reasoning with them; they can’t handle it in the moment. No one won when my lack of gentleness pushed my child into a meltdown.

After several years of experiencing this unsuccessful approach, I finally realized it wasn’t working. Being bigger, firmer or louder didn’t seem to be a winning strategy.

I needed a different tactic.

Not long after I came to this conclusion, I came across a command in the Bible that said, “Let your gentleness be evident to all, for the Lord is near.” Like a ton of bricks, I was hit with the realization that gentleness was conspicuously absent from the arrows in my parenting quiver. I didn’t know if it was the answer, but I knew it was part of it.

So I gave it a try.

When my child argued with me, instead of raising my voice, I kept it at the same, more normal level as I repeated my direc-

tions. Usually this did the trick, but not every time. When I encountered further resistance, instead of escalating my emotional intensity, I stayed calmed, stopped what I was doing, and made my child the center of my attention. I would kneel down and say, “Honey, Daddy is in charge and I’ve told you to do something, but you’re not obeying. Tell me what you’re thinking?”

Now, while it’s true that teaching my child to obey is important, it’s also really helpful and trust-building if I seek to understand their heart. Sometimes my child would respond that they simply didn’t want to do what I had instructed them to do. In this case, I would remain gentle and remind them of their role and the role of the parent - and that discipline would follow if they didn’t obey. In most every case, this gentle approach worked. Other times my child would surprise with an insightful answer as to why they weren’t obeying like, “If I stop looking at my book and do what you told me, then I won’t remember where I am in the story.” Granted I may still want them to obey right then, but knowing their reason for resisting gives me insight into how I can encourage and teach them.

I discovered that a lack of gentleness erodes intimacy and plants seeds of fear in children. Gentleness, on the other hand, does precisely the opposite. It takes a moment of disobedience and turns it into a moment of teaching that builds closeness and often ends in a hug. Give gentleness a try this week and see if your child - and even your spouse or co workers - don’t respond differently.

Student Writers Program The Beacon has an exciting new program to watch out for… Our Student Writers Initiative. The young people in the community are getting out in the community and sharing their stories of service, as well as spotlighting different ministries and organizations in San Antonio and the surrounding areas.

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IT’S NOT TOO LATE

BY MAX LUCADO

When Denalyn and I travel together, she wants to drive. It’s not that she loves the steering wheel, it’s just that she loves to stay on track. My mind tends to wander. My thoughts tend to stray. I may be on a highway, but mentally, I’m in a distant land. Consequently, I miss exits, forget to turn, or stray off course. More than once she has dozed off only to awaken in a strange location. The ensuing conversation goes like this: “Where are we?”

“I don’t know.”

“What happened?”

“I think I messed up.”

“Max, we will never get there if you keep forgetting where we are going.”

Sigh. Guilty as charged.

The children of Israel made the same mistake. They didn’t miss a turn; they missed the reason for their return. Here is the backstory: they had passed the last seventy winters in Babylonian exile. Their city was razed; their beloved Temple ransacked.

Except for the courage of Daniel and his three friends, the era would have been a shameful one. But, after seven decades of clouds, a tunnel of sunlight pierced the clouds and surprised the people.

“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,

in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem’” (Ezra 1:2-4).

God turned the heart of King Cyrus toward the Jews and turned the Jews toward Jerusalem. He prompted the king to give the exiles permission and resources to rebuild the temple. In 538 B.C. a delegation of 50,000 Jews, prompted by God and funded by

Cyrus, made the 900-mile trek back to Jerusalem. They rolled up the sleeves of their robes and got to work. Initially, God’s big thing was their big thing.

But after a few years, they began to grow weary. Perhaps the stone-stacking was too tiresome, or the criticism too irksome. Or maybe they began thinking of their own projects; their farms, houses, and businesses. One by one, little by little, person by person, they turned away from God’s big thing and quit working on the Temple.

God’s big thing became their small thing.

They concentrated on their own homes and businesses. “We’ll get back to the house of God, they surely reasoned, next week, next month, after the harvest, after the turn of the year.” And, before they knew it, sixteen years came and went. Sixteen years! Enough time for grass to grow and cover the footers of the foundation. Enough time for neighJune 2016 boring nationsIssue to conclude that Israel’s God wasn’t worth any devotion. Enough time for

C.S. Lewis said, “Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: put second things first and we lose both first and second things.”

a generation of Jewish children to determine that the abandoned temple was a forgotten construction project.

They got off track.

Meanwhile, as God’s house decayed, the houses of the Jews flourished. Fine, paneled houses. The former exiles built businesses and enterprises and, to their surprise, grew more and more miserable by the day. Take a highlighter to the words of Haggai.

“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough.

You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’”

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the Lord.

‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the Lord Almighty.

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IT’S NOT TOO LATE continued from page 8

‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands’” (Haggai 1:4-11).

Want to know how God responds to lethargy and misplaced priorities? You just read it. Ever wondered what God does when we make his big thing a small thing and our small things big things? Now you know. Ever asked the question, “How does God get our attention when we fail to give Him ours?”

According to a page out of His playbook: there will be seasons of drought, times of exhaustive emptiness.

When nothing quenches our deepest thirsts, when no achievements abate our restless hunger, when droughts turn our fields into deserts and retirements into pocket change, what can we do? God’s answer is clear. “Give careful thoughts to your ways.” Evaluate your priorities. Assess your strategies. Is God’s big thing my big thing?

You gave your heart to God and your life to God’s work. But then came…the kids, the promotion, the transfer, the long hours, the business trips. With each passing day you thought less about God’s work and more

about your work. Tithing became tipping, prayers became rote quotes. You didn’t forget God, but you didn’t remember him either. And you can relate to the people of Haggai’s day. Life just doesn’t work like you’d hoped.

And now God has pulled you aside for a face to face. It’s time to consider your ways.

It’s time to “Go up into the mountains and bring down the timber and build my house” (Haggai 1:8).

Amazingly the Jews did. The Lord stirred up the leadership and the people got to work on the house of God. And God blessed their renewed spirit. “I am with you” (Haggai 1:13; 2:4) he twice assured them.

And He is with you. It’s not too late to start again.

C.S. Lewis said, “Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: put second things first and we lose both first and second things.”

They built the House of God. They participated in the greatest work of heaven. God’s word proved true. The glory of the latter was greater than the former.

Trust this promise of God. You aren’t building a temple, but you are building a marriage, a career, a witness, and a legacy. In God’s plan, in God’s hand, the glory of the next chapter will exceed expectations. Just keep your eye on the road. Make his big thing your big thing and see what happens.

The Test of a True Giver continued from page 6

before our heavenly Provider.

Later that same day, I got another phone call from Elaine. She was ecstatic! Barely able to catch her breath enough to speak, she said, “You are never going to believe what happened. Guess what came in the mail today?”

I, of course, had no idea what could have come in the mail, so I said, “Not a clue.”

“Someone anonymously sent us a $150 gift card to HEB (a local grocery store),” she squealed.

I nearly dropped the phone, along with my jaw. Tears just welled up in my eyes and we both agreed, “Thank you, Jesus.” Someone cared more about our need than their recognition of giving.

There was another instance in that first year of ministry where we were down to crumbs and had no money. We again prayed, expressing our need before God. That same night, after returning home from church, our

front porch was covered with FULL grocery bags! Someone took the time to shop, bag it all up, and drive it to our home – anonymously! We just wept on our porch at the faithfulness of God. He truly does consider us more valuable than the sparrows…

The mark of these anonymous generous givers was that they gave in humility, not seeking credit in this life. They chose, instead, to “give in secret,” knowing that the God of heaven sees such true generosity and will one day offer eternal rewards. Those gifts have always provided a reference point of inspiration for my own aspirations of being a good giver. I want my giving to be measured by eternal reward, not temporal accolades.

Are you aspiring to be a true giver? If so, you are on your way to a life of no more regrets. As Jim Elliott once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

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• A caring Christian faculty and staff • A safe Biblical values and standards community • A best value Christian School • A challenging curriculum for college and career preparation • A diverse student body

Call (210) 653-2800 today to reserve your child’s place.

A place to worship…

A place you can call home.

Come as you are; find people who accept you as you are, and grow to become everything God wants you to be.

Sunday 9:00 am – Café Church | Sunday 10:30 am – Worship Service | Wednesday 6:45 pm – Adults, Youth & Awana trinitychurch.com | 5415 N Loop 1604 E | Easy 1604 access between 281 and 35

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F E B R UA R Y 2017 — B E A CO N

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ENTERTAINMENT

ANNIE CHANDLER GREVERS: CHAMPION OF FAITH

BY STEVE TEEL, BEACON RADIO

ANNIE CHANDLER GREVERS

Annie Chandler Grevers, 29-year-old former Churchill Charger three-time state champion swimmer, Arizona Wildcat national champion and NCAA record setter, was just inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame. She’s married to sixtime Olympian Matt Grevers and they are brand new parents to Skylar. Beacon Radio talked to Annie about her swimming success, her family’s loving support and strong faith, and how Annie’s faith grew and developed in college as it was tested by professorspage as wellad as questioned by her future 1/4 husband, Matt. Here are a few excerpts of

our conversation. For the full interview go to SaBeacon.com/radio and to see more of what Annie is up to go to Anniecdote. blogspot.com STEVE TEEL: Tell me where did you get your faith? Was it in college? Or back here in San Antonio?

ANNIE CHANDLER GREVERS: So I was raised in a great Evangelical Free Church: Wayside Chapel, but I’ll be honest I was just very comfortable in my faith growing up and it was never really challenged. I was very much a proclaimed Christian but I really didn’t have it tested until I got to college. I think that going out of state challenged my faith more. It’s kind of common [in San Antonio] to say, “Pray for our country,” but that’s not as common out here in Tucson. And the intellectual side of professors I’d say they judge faith the hardest and see it as weakness. I had to learn how to back my faith up in college. I will say that my husband, or boyfriend of quite a few years at the time, has really tested me the most.

ST: Really?

Feel Better Live Better

ACG: Yeah, when I met Matt he was NYC) online and we just really like the way raised Catholic but that had left kind of a he’s used to talking to a secular crowd. He’s bad taste in his mouth. He went to Northvery much like a professor. He’s very C.S. western for college and he was pretty much Lewis-esque and that’s probably where a agnostic by the time he graduated and lot of my faith came from was reading when he came here [to Tuscon] that was “Mere Christianity” and little bits of wisobviously really important to me to have dom from C.S. Lewis. someone who shared my faith. When we ST: So along the way, Matt, your husstarted dating, he definitely didn’t. So I band, just became a Christian? The queswould try to minister in passive ways tions were answered? where I’m not directly preaching to him, ACG: Yeah, it was probably before we but he would always challenge it. At the were engaged in 2012 I’d call him a new time I’d get offended because I didn’t really Christian. I’ll never forget it, he was at the know how to counter whatever argument London Olympics and I didn’t really get to he’d have against the faith. Eventually I see him. I was there in London but he was came to realize he wasn’t attacking, he was with the team and in the Olympic Village simply questioning and wanted a thorough and he texted me after one of his best understanding of what Christianity was. So friends, Nathan Adrian, won the 100 free, I feel like we kind of went on a journey and he said, ‘Man, this prayer stuff really together. We found a great church here in works.” I started laughing but he really Tucson, had our pre-marital counseling found a lot of peace through prayer at the with our pastor, Pastor Steve. So that was Olympics and continues to in his swimgreat for us to go to church and talk about ming career. It’s definitely been a journey in the sermons together and now that we coming to understand and have confidence Proposed Advertisement for August 2016 have a baby we listen to Tim Keller (Author in what we believe. and Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in

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F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 7 — B E A CO N

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

4 ACTIONS TO TAKE WHEN DISAPPOINTED

BY RONNIE FLOYD

Disappointment is not easy to live through. It is real and will visit you from time to time. Learning to live and work through disappointment will save you from a life of resentment and bitterness.

Identifying Disappointment Identifying disappointment will help us know what to expect and perhaps give us some insight on how to live through it.

1. People will disappoint you.

All kinds of people will disappoint you in life. At times, even people you love and admire may disappoint you. No one is perfect. Each of us has disappointed other people. Hopefully, it has never been intentional, but it does happen.

2. Organizations will disappoint you.

When you are involved in organizations, there is potential for them to really disappoint you. Perhaps they will not live up to what they state or they fail to respond in the way you assumed they would. This could be a school, church, business, government, or civic organization.

3. Circumstances will disappoint you.

There are times in life when we work hard to shape something we love or even the future. Then suddenly, something changes, someone leaves, someone fumbles the vision, or resources are not provided. Transition and change can challenge your attitude and lead to disappointment.

4. Unrealistic expectations will lead to disappointment.

Each of us can have unrealistic expectations. We can have unrealistic expectations of the people we love the most, and even of our nation. As a person who has high expectations of myself and others, I have had to moderate some of my expectations.

Living Through Disappointment Living through disappointment will require us to take a few actions on a regular basis.

Action #1: Realize no one is perfect.

Our unrealistic expectations lead us to

assume that people are perfect and operate their lives and leadership perfectly. This is completely unfair and unwise. Personally, I must always remind myself that I am not perfect and I should not expect other people to be perfect.

Action #2: Forgive and let it go.

Forgiving other people who have disappointed us is the key to living with peace and contentment. We cannot hold something against someone else. We have to forgive and let it go.

Action #3: Forget it and drive on.

When we truly forgive and let something go, we also forget about it and drive on. My friend Clebe McClary, who fought courageously in the Vietnam War paying a high price for our freedom, taught me this principle years ago. He called it FIDO: Forget it and drive on. This is outstanding counsel for each of us when we are disappointed.

Action #4: Give it to God. God knows everything. He knows where you are. He knows what happened. He knows the people, situation, organization, or experience that has disappointed you. Therefore, give it to God. He will take care of you.

The Only Thing You Can Control There is only one thing you can control in your life: Your response to the situation.

When disappointment comes with people, circumstances, organizations, or with life itself, the only thing you can control is your response to the situation. You cannot control others or their actions.

There is one thing you can control: Your response to the situation.

Choose to accept all people.

Choose to forgive and let it go.

Choose to forget it and drive on.

Choose to give all your disappointments to God. Now is the Time to Lead. http://www.christianpost.com/news/4-actions-to-take-when-disappointment-comes-173047/

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PETS

SERVICE DOGS ARE SAVING LIVES

BY STEVE DALE

Ralph Matson says his service dog, Beef, changed his life, and perhaps even saved his life. It’s certain that Matson saved Beef too.

A Pug, Beef was a three-year-old rescue dog when he was paired with Matson, and trained to respond to Matson’s post traumatic disorder syndrome (PTSD).

(Matson interview) Matson pauses, and attempts – without success to hold back his emotions. “I can’t imagine what my life would be like if it wasn’t for this dog.” He’s petting Beef, who sits in his lap as he talks.

Can service dogs help prevent suicide?

“We have the technology to rebuild body parts of injured veterans, artificial hands and legs; but no technology to deal with PTSD,” says Tracy Libby, author of Reporting for Duty: True Stories of Wounded Veterans and Their Service Dogs (i-5 Publishing, Irvine).

According to the United States Veterans Administration, 22 veterans commit suicide daily, that’s one every 65 minutes (a stat that far exceeds the suicide percentage in the general population). This data doesn’t even

include failed suicide attempts of veterans, and at least 40 percent of these suicides have diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Libby.

Many experts agree that PTSD often goes undiagnosed.

“The hardest part is coming forward to admit there’s a problem, and to seek help,” says Matson. “The very nature of what PTSD does is to shut people down, and keep them secluded.”

“It’s hard to make an argument that the service dogs don’t save lives,” says Libby.

PTSD veterans with a service dog have suicide rates about the same as the general public.

Are service dogs as effective as traditional treatments?

Libby explains that traditional treatment for PTSD includes various medications, “throwing drugs at this problem.” Libby says she has little doubt that many meds are necessary. However, paired with a service dog, many veterans require fewer meds (sometimes even no medication), and perhaps lower dosages of the drugs they still use.

Also consider that many drugs have side effects, and then more drugs are required to control those side effects. Service dogs have no side effects.

Getting service dogs to veterans In 2012, the VA pulled their support for service dogs for veterans with PTSD, suggesting a lack of data about their benefits.

Libby says she doesn’t understand the decision since there are lots of studies that support the use of service dogs for veterans with PTSD. Moreover, just ask the veterans with PTSD who are lucky enough to have a service dog (which is what she did in her book), and the benefits will be obvious.

Formal training of service dogs for vets with PTSD is expensive; however, the investment arguably pays off with U.S. taxpayers supporting fewer unemployed vets and fewer veterans requiring as much medication.

New support of service dogs for veterans One model to provide needed service dogs is a Chicago, IL-based program called Pets for Vets. Through this program, shelter and rescue dogs (sometimes destined for euthanasia) are paired with veterans.

Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza is an enthusiastic supporter of Pets for Vets. “The service dogs save lives of veterans, or at least keep some out of the emergency room. And dog lives are saved. All this saves taxpayer

dollars too. This is the kind of thing government should be supporting, it’s common sense. Not supporting service dogs for vets is cutting your nose to spite your face.”

One shortcoming of the program is that shelters and rescues have few financial resources to provide for the training of service dogs. However, in the Chicago area, the Fifth Third Bank stepped up to offer financial support.

Andrew Hayes, VP of Regional Marketing & Public Relations Director says, “After hearing veterans like Ralph, how can you not get involved? It’s a way to easily make a difference for both veterans, and animals who need a second chance. I believe these animals are just as grateful as the veterans.”

Today, Matson volunteers to help other PTSD veterans get a service dog with a nonprofit called War Dogs Making It Home.

Matson continues petting Beef. “I can now go to the shopping mall with my wife,” he says. “PTSD will never go away – but I can better manage now. And I feel productive again.”

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian -- they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets. http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/news-blogs/a-pets-life/interview-veteran-reveals-service-dogs-are-saving-lives

SOUTH TEXAS WOMEN’S CALL TO PRAYER A time set apart to unite to worship our Lord Jesus Christ and pray for our communities and nation.

OPEN HOUSE FEBRUARY 27 | 5-7PM

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 AT 9:00 A.M. PARKHILLS BAPTIST CHURCH 17747 SAN PEDRO AVE. — SAN ANTONIO, TX 78232 Afterward you are invited to a light lunch for $10.00 at 11:00 A.M. for an informative meeting about WPI’s Lighthouses of Prayer, School Choice, and Redeem America Please RSVP for the luncheon by Wednesday, March 15 (210) 349-PRAY (7729) | Toll Free: (866) 325-PRAY E mail: Connie@womensprayer.org | Website: www.womensprayerl.org FIND US ON FACEBOOK! www.facebook.com/womensprayerintl

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5 Ways to Raise a Reader Help your child get ready to read with simple activities every day.

Talking Talking with children is one of the best ways to help them learn new words and information. While walking, driving or riding the bus, count the trees and cars you see on the street, talk about the lettes on street signs and describe what you are doing and where you are going. Vocabulary building early on impacts reading success when children enter school.

Singing Songs are a natural way for children to learn about language. Sing songs like "The Wheels on the Bus," "Itsy Bitsy Spider" or "The ABC Song," The rhythm and wordplay help children hear the sounds of spoken language. This develops their phonemic awareness, which is one of the most important components of reading.

Reading Reading together is the single most important way to help children get ready to read. Share books with your children every day, from the time they are babies. You can read text or simply talk about the pictures and illustrations and ask things things such as what is happening, who the characters

are, where they are and how the story might end.

Writing Writing and reading go together. Scribbling and writing help children learn that written words stand for spoken language.

Keep pencils, crayons and paper handy and help children write their name, make up shopping lists and phone numbers. Have children tell you a story, write it down and read it back to them. They will begin to connect language and text this way, and understand the power of the written word.

Playing Playing helps children put thoughts into words and think symbolically so they understand that spoken and written words can stand for real objects and experiences.

Pretend with your child that you work at a clothing store while folding laundry, a grocery store while putting away cans and boxes or a restaurant while cooking and serving food. Children will learn about the world they live in and develop their language and math skills by sorting and classifying. And, you will get some help getting your chores done.

Early literacy begins with you. https://www.storyplace.org/literacy

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SPONSORED CONTENT

HEALTH & WELLNESS

ALL ABOUT EYES

by MONICA ALLISON, OD

Myopia, also called nearsightedness, is the eye condition where objects nearby or a short distance away are clear but objects that are far away are blurred. It is caused by the eye being slightly too long.

This article is about the science of myopia with the goal of stopping or slowing its progression. Myopia is getting worse around the world, even to the point of being called an epidemic by some. In the United States, myopia has increased 66% in thirty years so that now 42% of people aged 12-54 are myopic. It has become an issue of monumental importance affecting over a billion people around the world and it is getting worse.

Research is showing that that there are methods to slow or prevent the progression of myopia, but the actions work best when the child is younger. Myopic changes are generally permanent. Treatment should therefore be designed to prevent the development and progression. There are no guarantees that any specific treatment will work for an individual person but the lack of early care prevents any potential benefit from starting early.

Most children have normal eyesight around six years old. At this point, some start to become nearsighted, resulting in blurred distance vision. The goal is to identify this and to provide treatments as early as possible.

Here is a summary of what can be done: Spend more time outdoors. We don’t know why exactly - it may be the sun, it may be focusing on distant objects or some other factor. The fact we have for now is that out-

Monica Allison, O.D. Lindsey Denison, O.D. Kim Ip, O.D. Victoria Perez, OD Joshua Martin, OD

door time helps.

Diet may be important. There is a lot of research showing diet is responsible for, or at least makes worse, many disease processes.

There is a good theory based on many studies that high carbohydrate diets could make myopia worse. Children should have a nutritional diet without excess calories and with adequate nutrients.

Your child needs an eye exam every year after age 5. We start seeing children as young as 6 months old at Stone Oak Vision Source. We recommend the next visit at age 3 and then annually while school age. The goal is to actively start treatment within a few months of myopia starting. In general, you may be able to slow or stop it, you can’t make it better.

Prescription Lenses Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) contact lenses worn only at night are powerful in their ability to control myopia and they free the wearer of any type of lenses during the day. Drs. Allison and Dr. Denison have numerous certifications for a variety of Ortho-K lens types.

Bifocal type soft lenses worn only during the day are likely also useful, but the research is not as extensive yet.

Schedule an appointment today at our new location 810 Knights Cross, ste 101, 210495-9020. We can evaluate visual status and see if Ortho-k is an option to prevent myopia progression. We can also take care of your routine eye care needs as well. See you soon!

Call 210-495-9020 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Tune in Saturdays at Noon KSLR AM630 Steve Teel hosts local and national difference makers who share their stories and insights to give you hope, inspiration, and change.

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MEN

Role Playing or Really Living?

BY STEPHEN CERVANTES

Stephen L. Cervantes is a Licensed Marriage Therapist with 29 years of experience helping individuals – mostly men - become more successful in their relationships. This discussion will explain the difference between identity and role, how emotionally unhealthy people incorrectly combine the two, how to recognize the problem and point toward a solution, based on years of

his observation in the counseling capacity.

First, a few definitions for clarity: • Identity: who a person is, how they think about themselves, their distinguishing qualities, beliefs and character.

• Role: the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.

In emotionally healthy individuals, identity and role are different. A role is a part played. One performs the function of father, but being a father does not encompass a man’s identity.

The emotionally underdeveloped individual mistakes role for identity. Hiding behind a role seems to provide a safe alternative to authentic emotional interaction that may feel threatening because of past experience. The role may have been developed in childhood as an escape or way to survive emotionally. However, once developed, roles can become fixed and stifle growth and emotional maturity.

You might be asking what are these roles? Examples of roles that mask an individual from the world include: • Angry man: his behavior includes blame, attack and shame.

• Controlling man: his way is always right.

• Lost man: he offers no emotional response.

• Nice man: he bends over backwards to be helpful and pleasing.

• Storyteller man: he’ll wow the crowd with an amazing story, but he is not emotionally present.

• Entitled man: he feels entitled to get whatever he wants.

Roles are simple, repetitive and used for emotional survival.

• Often they are developed in childhood as the best way to exist while growing up in your family.

• Once developed, they become fixed and are used into adulthood, marriage, family etc.

• Roles keep individuals from developing and emotionally maturing.

• Some people believe the safest place to be is inside a role.

Please visit us at: sachristian.org

These men are stuck. They are not in a growth mindset. A great deal of time has been spent developing and operating in the role. Since so much time is spent in the role, their other emotional skills are less developed. They are not good at staying neutral, being curious, or acting open minded. Some men have confused their role with their identity. These men do not even know they are playing a role. Identity comes from God.

Roles are how we interact with others.

Thinking about these roles I asked myself some questions. Why is playing a role so important? Why is it so hard to “not” play the role? Why do some men get so fixed playing one role for a lifetime? Here are some insights.

• Angry Men-These men are good at blaming, attacking, and shaming.

• Controlling Men-These man think their way is the right way. “Just do it the way I tell you!”

• Lost Men-When asked an emotional question, these men repeat this response, “Huh. I don’t know. I’m not sure. I just don’t know.”

• Nice Men-These men try extra hard to be helpful and pleasing.

• Story Telling Men-These men tell amazing stories. However, if you listen, you will find very little emotional content. They entertain but are not emotionally present in their stories.

• Entitled Men-These men have found life to be easy. They go through life feeling entitled to get whatever they want.

Playing a role does not bring emotional satisfaction, rest or personal connection.

Many would long to tear off their mask.

But they are afraid or ill equipped to change. They are stuck: they have spent so much time developing their role, they have not developed other emotional skills such as staying neutral, being curious or listening with an open mind. Many men attending emotional training have low emotional awareness - have so confused their role with identity they don’t even realize they are playing one!

We are made in the image of God. The Heavenly Father tells us our identity. Jesus shows us our worth. The Holy Spirit is our counselor and comforter. Life is about growth and transformation. Keep growing, developing and learning on your journey to a healthier emotional place. Pray for wisdom. Read your New Testament for information about identity, value and the transformation process. God Bless us on our growth missions.

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SPORTS

And The National Champion Is…?

by JIM FAULK, Area Director-FCA

What a national championship game!

Depending on who you’ve been talking to, reading, or listening to, the NCAA National Championship football game was the greatest one EVER…notwithstanding that 2006 Vince Young/University of Texas game.

This BCS National Championship had all the hype one could imagine, from a rematch of last year’s matchup of last year’s teams to the possibility of Alabama’s head coach, Nick Saban, tying Coach Bear Bryant’s record of National Championships. The Crimson Tide jumped out in the first half, with 14 unanswered points, but Clemson just kept fighting back into the game. And, just when the football fanatics and sports crazies thought that a National Champion was ready to be crowned, the Tigers scored again. Finally, with one second remaining on the game clock, Clemson’s quarterback connected on a short pass at the goal line, giving Clemson both the 2017 National Championship and revenge for last year’s loss.

For devout Christian football fans it was an evening of inspiration, as we watched our football icons kneeling to pray in the end zone before the game, acknowledging God Almighty. And how we were encouraged after the game, as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the rest of social media lit up, proclaiming both head coaches as men of sincere faith; offensive player of the game and Bobby Bowden Award recipient, Clemson quarterback Deshawn Watson was reported to be a most humble and loyal believer.

For us FCAers, we all get pretty excited about Clemson’s head coach, Dabo Swinney, who came to a saving relationship with Christ through his high school FCA group. So many of us have tremendous respect for both Coach Swinney and the Clemson community, because when the Freedom From Reli-

gion Foundation threatened the university with a lawsuit if they did not remove any and all religious influence from the state school funded football program, both stood strong and stuck to their convictions – and won for lack of someone to testify against them.

Wow! But, if I’m being truthful (and reminding you that for 32 years I’ve represented a ministry that promotes the impact and influence of Christian coaches and athletes), I must caution myself – and you – to be careful not to get caught up in the celebrity worship of high profile Christians. I wholeheartedly believe that one of Satan’s most successful deceptions is to simply redirect our focus from the King of Kings to, in a literal sense, worship the creation of His hands.

In this entertainment and media-driven celebrity culture, we so hunger to have high profile Christians to point to, look up to, have our kids emulate, that we can easily fall into the trap of misplaced allegiance. I’m guessing that most of those we’ve mentioned (and perhaps idolized) must likewise fight very hard against all of the adoration and attention showered on them! It is terribly difficult, I’d think, to be humble when you’re a real somebody on the world’s stage. As I watched Coach Dabo Swinney the day after the game in an interview, my takeaway was that he attempted to communicate in both his words and body language, “It’s not about me!”.

I think Coach Swinney, who no doubt loves to compete – and WIN! – would probably tell us is that in all the hoopla of the BCS, football, and National Championship is this: let’s not forget who our True Champion is! Let’s focus on and point to Him! Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Alamo FCA’s Website, and Instagram accounts!

GO SUPPORT THE ROAD RUNNERS

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