NBA POWER FORWARD TAUREAN PRINCE OF THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES HAS AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE SALVATION ARMY IS CONCERNED. P.16
Have you ever watched a quiz show and thought, I could do that ?
Of course, it’s one thing to answer trivia questions from the comfort of your couch; it’s another to be on stage, bright lights shining, clock ticking, thousands of dollars on the line.
Facts can be memorized and—if you’re lucky—recalled on the spot. But when life throws difficult questions and situations our way, the right answer isn’t always obvious.
Thankfully, God promises to guide us. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Staying on the right path, with God’s help, is the ultimate grand prize.
To learn more about how God can guide you, visit our website at faithandfriends.ca or contact us at The Salvation Army Editorial Department, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P4.
: Tartila /stock.Adobe.com
Illustration14
FAMILY TIME
5 Time to Just Be
Setting children on the right path in life.
25 & COUNTING
8 The Fortune Cookie
To mark our first quarter century, Faith & Friends is featuring past articles that have impacted YOU, our readers. Tell us yours!
BAD TO THE BONE?
12 Moses: From Cowardly to Courageous
How God took a wimp and made him a miracle worker who freed God’s people from slavery.
Jesus Revolution is more than a movie; it’s an invitation to experience revival.
16
The NBA’s Taurean Prince has an attitude of gratitude, especially where The Salvation Army is concerned.
Joseph Lauren made a promise to God, but would he live long enough to deliver on it?
FAITH BUILDERS
26 The Things We Do for Love
In The Little Mermaid, will Ariel regret the trade she made?
LITE STUFF
28 Eating Healthy With Erin Sudoku, Quick Quiz.
NIFTY THRIFTY
30 Fun With Food
When hosting your next party, consider the cuisine as part of the décor.
It was the stuff dreams are made of. A young fan had flown 7,089 kilometres from Argentina just to see Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler in action in a regular season game.
But imagine 12-year-old Felipe’s mortification when he learned that Jimmy was a late scratch for a game against the Boston Celtics.
The moment Felipe and his sister, Zoe, found out that the star forward was a no-show was captured on national television. It was a heartbreaking sight.
However, the story had a happy ending. When Jimmy and the Heat found out what happened, the team gifted Felipe with a brand-new Butler jersey and gave him on-court access, which led to a photo op with Heat point guard Gabe Vincent.
Jimmy addressed the gesture on Instagram, captioning the photo of the interaction: “I got you.”
Jimmy is not the only NBA player who looks out for others. In this month ’ s Faith & Friends, writer Jayne Thurber-Smith profiles Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Taurean Prince. With the help of The Salvation Army, he goes above and beyond to help those less fortunate.
“Giving is the number one rule to receiving,” he says. That’s a rule we should never break.
Read about Taurean on page 16.
Elsewhere, you’ll see how one father decided to let his daughter set the pace, discover why a neardeadly prison altercation saved a man’s life instead of ending it forever, and read about the Jesus Revolution, a real movement that swept the continent in the 1960s and ’70s.
Ken RamsteadMission Statement
To show Christ at work in the lives of real people, and to provide spiritual resources for those who are new to the Christian faith.
Faith & Friends is published bimonthly by:
The Salvation Army
2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto Ontario, M4H 1P4
International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4P 4EP, England
Brian Peddle, GENERAL Commissioner Floyd Tidd
TERRITORIAL COMMANDER
Lt-Colonel John P. Murray
SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS
Geoff Moulton, DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND LITERARY SECRETARY
Pamela Richardson
ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ken Ramstead, EDITOR
Kristin Ostensen
MANAGING EDITOR OF SALVATIONIST AND SALVATIONIST.CA
Lisa Suroso
GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST
Rivonny Luchas
DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
Ada Leung
CIRCULATION CO-ORDINATOR
Giselle Randall, Abbigail Oliver STAFF WRITERS
Scripture Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from New International Version
Contact Us
P. (416) 467-3188, F. (416) 422-6217
Websites
faithandfriends.ca, salvationist.ca, salvationarmy.ca
faithandfriends@salvationarmy.ca
Subscription for one year:
Canada $17 (includes GST/HST);
U.S. $22; foreign $24
P. (416) 422-6119
circulation@ salvationarmy.ca
All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada & Bermuda and cannot be reproduced without permission.
Publications Mail
Agreement No. 40064794
ISSN 1702-0131
When my daughter was preschool age, I would often take her to the stores with me to run some errands.
The short journey by car often involved heavy traffic and parking chaos, so I preferred the 15-minute walk. The route took us along a winding path by a creek and through a nature reserve full of flowers before arriving at the shopping centre.
I always seemed to be in a hurry so, hand-in-hand, we would make
the journey in quick time, my poor daughter at a trot as I almost dragged her along. Sometimes, I’d lift her onto my shoulders to make it quicker. My aim was always to be back home within the hour.
Over time, my daughter started showing signs of reluctance to accompany me on my “quick trips.” I asked her why. With a sagging head, she mumbled, “Because you’re always in charge, and you don’t let me pick daisies on the way.”
My next trip to the stores was on a Saturday. I had time. So, I decided to allow my daughter to be “in charge” and perhaps pick some daisies on the way.
So off we set. If I’d recorded the route on a GPS tracker, it would have looked like a plate of spaghetti. My daughter delighted in exploring every form of flora and fauna along the way, meticulously picking dozens of daisies before sitting contently on a bed of clover and making a daisy chain. She then followed a trail of ants on her hands and knees, chased numerous butterflies, waded into the creek up to her knees to watch tadpoles go about their business and said a sweet hello to every passerby. She soaked up every nuance and experience that the path offered, and time was irrelevant.
We finally made it to the stores. I carried out my list of errands, and then the return journey followed the same meandering pattern. The whole exercise took four hours.
But it was the most precious four hours of my life. To see my busy little daughter in her element— exploring anything and everything that caught her eye—was an endearing experience I’ll never forget
And we chatted. She told me about her little life—her friends, her joys, her sorrows, what she was reading, what food she liked and didn’t like, how she was coping with her new little brother.
Over those four hours, I realized that I connected with my fouryear-old daughter as I had never connected before. All because I gave her time to be. Just to be. That memorable journey set the pattern for a relationship with my daughter throughout her childhood.
The Bible says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
As a father with a strong faith in God, I learned early that I would play
“To see my busy little daughter in her element—exploring anything and everything that caught her eye—was an endearing experience I’ll never forget.”
DEAN SIMPSON
a vital role in how my children saw the world and understood right from wrong. Spending quality time and building a solid relationship based on biblical principles was part of that.
When she was born, I couldn’t know what challenges and experiences my daughter would face on the path of life, and I couldn’t control how she acted. But one thing I could do was start her on that path and trust that she will not turn from it.
My daughter is now a young adult. Every now and then, we hang out. Just hang out. Sometimes it’s at the beach. Sometimes it’s a walk or a
café. Sometimes it’s simply watching our favourite TV show.
And we chat. And she tells me about her friends, her joys, her sorrows ….
Perhaps the greatest satisfaction is watching my daughter build a similar model into her life. Her “love language” is gift-giving, and one of her attributes is giving time to others.
As a dad, I’m hoping I have directed my daughter onto the right path and, with God’s guidance, she will not leave it.
Reprinted from Salvos Magazine, August 31, 2021
Twenty-five years ago, a little magazine called Faith & Friends made its debut. Its premise was simple but audacious. “In the pages of Faith & Friends,” wrote Major Fred Ash, the magazine's first editor, “you will read about people whose lives have been changed through an encounter with the living Jesus Christ. Christians are found all around you—in Major League Baseball uniforms, in police uniforms, behind bars, in seniors‘ residences and in corporate boardrooms. There is likely to be at least one in your circle of friends.”
Over this past quarter of a century, millions of copies of Faith & Friends have been shared through Salvation Army churches, social service centres, thrift stores and individual subscriptions. In fact, our records show that just between 2000 and 2006 alone, 6.3 million copies were distributed. That‘s a lot of magazines! More importantly, that means millions of individuals have been reached with the message that God loves them. And with Faith & Friends now also available online at faithandfriends.ca and through its presence on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, the reach of the gospel message continues to grow.
To help us celebrate this milestone in the life of Faith & Friends, we’re asking past editors, current writers and YOU, our readers, to tell us what articles have impacted them. If any article has spoken to you or changed how you thought of life and faith, we want to hear about it. Write or email us.
by
George Roper was raised in a hard-working farm family on the Canadian Prairies in the 1920s. Like so many of the generation that grew up during the Great Depression, he developed a kindhearted spirit and a keen desire to serve others. How he acquired a liking for Chinese food, though, we’ll never know, but it was one of the great joys of his life. After the meal, he loved to laugh at the messages contained in each fortune cookie. Their often absurd turns of phrase always made him smile.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, he enlisted in the Canadian Army and was part of the First Contingent to arrive on British shores in 1939. But the experiences of war so dislodged his senses that he returned
The first article was suggested by funnyman, humorist and public speaker Phil Callaway:
“Often a single phrase or a stirring story can offer much-needed perspective,” he says. “In the November 2014 Faith & Friends , I encountered both. We were facing uncertainty on a number of fronts when my wife pointed me to the article. The unlikely message found in a fortune cookie ( ‘May God hold you in the palm of His hands.‘) reminded us that we have a mansion builder who will hold us tight wherever we are in life.”
God used a humble message to show a grieving war veteran that he had not been forgotten.
Joe Bailey
to Canada 5½ years later an emotionally broken man with a back injury that reminded him every day of his service and sacrifice. He could have drowned the pain with alcohol or bad company, or simply shut himself away from life. Instead, his strong faith, the unconditional love and support of his wife, Gertie, and their family, and his tenacious drive to be of service released in him a courage to never quit no matter what life threw at him. As a member of both The Salvation Army and the Canadian Legion, he spent countless hours devoting himself to his community. But through it all, George’s preference for Chinese food never left him—even if the fortune cookie advice did little to inform his outlook on life.
On September 6, 2011, his wife passed away in the same month that they would have celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.
Apart from his service in the war, they had been constant companions. During the last years of his wife’s life at their nursing home, they could be seen sitting side by side in their wheelchairs, holding hands and watching a hockey game on TV.
George missed her terribly but his family refused to let him retreat into a chasm of grief. Even a little pup named Shadow made a contribution. Despite George’s advancing years, he remained alert and revelled in lighthearted bantering with the appreciative nursing home staff.
On August 31, 2013, George’s youngest daughter, Mary, ordered in. As old as he was, George still had a passion for Chinese food. When supper was done, they opened up their cookies and read the fortunes. Most messages are just fun to read without any serious content that one could build a life on. However, on this day, the contents of George’s fortune cookie left them in awe.
Never before had they or anyone else read words such as were in that fortune cookie.
“May God hold you in the palm of His hand,” it read.
Two years earlier to the very week, George had said a last goodbye to the wife he loved, and he still missed her deeply. Considering that there are approximately three billion fortune cookies made each year worldwide, the mathematical
improbabilities that this particular one would find its way into the hands of a grieving widower seem astronomically remote.
George passed away weeks later, one day shy of his 99th birthday. But in those final days, God had creatively found a way to show George that he had not— and had never—been forgotten. And He’d chosen a humble fortune cookie to do it with.
Moses. The very mention of his name brings to mind
God’s awe-inspiring power. We still talk about God appearing to Moses in a burning bush, the 10 plagues Moses called down upon Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and the freeing of the Israelites. God Himself said about Moses, “He has proved to be reliable with all my household” (Numbers 12:7 Common English Bible).
But Moses wasn’t always a mighty hero.
Certainly, Moses started out life well. Rescued from drowning in the River Nile by the daughter of Pharaoh, Moses grew up in a palace, privileged and favoured (see Exodus 2:1-10).
But when Moses killed an Egyptian he saw abusing an Israelite slave, someone snitched to Pharaoh, who sought revenge. Moses then fled into the wilderness of Midian (present-day Saudi Arabia). There, he married a Midianite priest’s
daughter and lived as a lowly shepherd. Decades later, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and said that He’d chosen him to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Moses argued, “Who am I, that I should do this?” He even begged God to send someone else in his place. What a coward.
So why did God choose Bad Boy Moses and change him into one of Israel’s greatest heroes?
After much reassurance on God’s part, Moses finally agreed to travel back to Egypt. With his brother, Aaron, as his spokesperson, Moses confronted Pharaoh, boldly declaring, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let My people go’ ” (Exodus 5:1).
When Pharaoh refused, Moses performed one miracle after another and called down 10 horrible plagues on the Egyptians. After his eldest son lay dead in his bed, Pharaoh relented.
The Israelites set out to their new
land, with Moses in the lead. As the Bible tells us in Exodus 14, when Pharaoh changed his mind and sent soldiers after them, Moses held his staff over the Red Sea and the waters parted. The Israelites walked to safety on dry ground. Moses held his staff out again and the sea returned, drowning every Egyptian soldier.
How did Moses go from a cringing wimp, telling God, “I’m not Your man,” to a tough, miracle-working leader? Three words: Moses met God.
In the burning bush on Mount Sanai and in his tent face-to-face (see Exodus 33:11), God spoke with Moses. Each time Moses listened to the Lord’s voice and obeyed Him, his heart grew in courage.
God’s love and power permeated Moses until his past and his fears no longer ruled him. Moses moved forward in the strength and favour of God and became a stalwart, wise leader.
Nice story, you might think. But how does it affect me?
Similar to Moses, when we meet God, He frees us from our past, our fears and our slavery to sin through the sacrifice of Jesus. And the more we obey His voice, the more we grow in boldness. The easier it is to believe God has a path marked out for us. A path of victory.
But as Christians, we have it far better than Moses did. We don’t need a burning bush or a special tent to bond with God. By faith in Jesus, we have God’s Holy Spirit in us every moment. He never leaves us (see Matthew 28:20).
We can meet with God in prayer while we stand in line for a coffee, drive to appointments, work out or do chores. We hear God speak in our hearts and through His Word, the Bible. As we listen to His Spirit and follow Him, we, like Moses, can go from cowardly to courageous. And that’s miraculous.
Read Exodus 2-20
• Who: An Israelite prophet who emancipated God’s people from slavery in Egypt
• When: Around 1520-1400 BC
• Where: Canaan (modern-day Israel), Saudi Arabia and Egypt
JESUS REVOLUTION IS MORE THAN A MOVIE; IT’S AN INVITATION TO EXPERIENCE REVIVAL.
by Shannon Mischuk
In the late 1960s, young Greg
Laurie (Joel Courtney, The Kissing Booth) is searching for all the right things in all the wrong places, until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie, The Chosen), a charismatic, hippie street preacher who became an integral part of the Vineyard Movement.
Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer, Frasier), who leads a “respectable” if languishing church, is unimpressed.
“I think these kids need help,” says his wife.
“What they need is a bath,” retorts
Pastor Chuck.
“You’re passing judgment on people you know nothing about,” argues their daughter. “Maybe that’s why your church is so empty.”
At first Pastor Chuck is cynical, but with Lonnie, he opens the doors of his church to an unexpected revival of radical and newfound love, leading to what TIME magazine dubbed the Jesus Revolution.
While I knew it would be a great film, now in theatres, I wasn’t expecting it to impact me the way it did.
While watching Jesus Revolution, core memories from my childhood came flooding to me. The incredible music, cinematography, set and costume design placed me back in North Vancouver, B.C., in 1972, where I grew up.
After I was born, my parents committed their lives to Christ and were radically converted. The church we attended in our neighbourhood of Lynn Valley was profoundly impacted by the Jesus Movement, as were many churches throughout the province, and eventually, across the country.
The music in my church changed as drums and electric guitars made their way to the stage. It wasn’t just the worship sets that changed— though I did appreciate the change it brought to my parents’ record collection (many of the bands and artists that came out of this time period became leaders within the Jesus Movement: Barrie McGuire, Second Chapter of Acts, Keith Green)—it was something much deeper.
The people sitting next to me changed.
I could look down the pew any Sunday and see leather-clad bikers sitting next to an older man in a suit and tie, sitting next to a longhaired 20-something, sitting next to me. This eclectic community began to do life together. We attended tent meetings, camped over weekends at outdoor music festivals, handed out
gospel tracts and ran a coffee house out of our church basement. We truly were a family, brought together by a passion to reach a generation that was seeking something substantial. Something real. Something that would last. Something true.
The Jesus Movement was a revival rooted in love. That pure love is what changed lives—and drew me closer to Jesus.
During my rebellious years, it was these childhood experiences that pulled me back in. I was reminded of God’s goodness and grace, and He reminded me of His unconditional love.
Jesus Revolution is based on the book of the same title by Pastor Greg Laurie, founder of Harvest Christian Fellowship, a retelling of his firsthand conversion experience with Lonnie Frisbee and Pastor Chuck Smith. An impressive film that does a great job of detailing the incredible spiritual awakening of the 1960s and ’70s and how God moved during that time, it absolutely has implications for us today.
• What could a revival today look like?
• Who are the “outcasts” of today?
• How can we show them they are loved?
Jesus Revolution will remind those who lived it of how God’s Word swept through nations, changing the path for an entire generation of hippies, outcasts and truth-seekers, and it will hopefully inspire people to pray, “Lord, do it again.”
NBA POWER FORWARD TAUREAN PRINCE OF THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES HAS AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE SALVATION ARMY IS CONCERNED.
by Jayne Thurber-Smith
Alley-oop!
Taurean Prince makes a run for the net
RATHER THAN JUST celebrating Father’s Day last year by relaxing and being waited on by his own kids, Taurean Prince of the Minnesota Timberwolves dropped by The Salvation Army of North Texas to wait on others.
As onlookers stared star-struck, Taurean handed out much-appreciated hygiene products along with autographs, participated in selfies and dished up dinner. His huge presence, big hugs and wide grin lit up the room. At six feet seven inches tall, the basketball star squatted down to lace and unlace sneakers to make sure people in need of shoes got just the right fit.
When Taurean left the donations area to help fill food trays, one man came by lamenting that he couldn’t find any size 13 shoes. Taurean then took his very own sneakers off and traded them for the man’s sandals!
“That’s doing the most good for sure!” a Salvation Army bystander laughed in awe, referring to The Salvation Army’s slogan in the United States.
“Giving is the number one rule to receiving,” the 29-year-old says. “You can’t really receive a lot of the blessings you pray for or strive for unless you have that sacrifice of being able to give. I want to return the favours that were done for me.”
He recalls a brief time in his youth when he and his father were homeless and found safe refuge at a Salvation Army shelter in San Angelo, Texas. Taurean states that the Army saved his life.
“You never know what would’ve happened otherwise,” he says. “That night when me and my father went to enrol, if they wouldn’t have given
At an event put on by The Salvation Army of North Texas, Taurean waits on others
us a spot? You just never know.”
He very much appreciates The Salvation Army’s continuing contribution to the community, all these years later.
“It’s a great thing to give to those in bad situations, and to be able to supply those in need with shelter and food,” he says. “The help they are providing shows what a great organization they are. And a big shout out to the people who donate to allow The Salvation Army to do the things they do.”
Taurean recorded an hour of his
Salvation Army visit and shared it on his Instagram with the caption “I’m the Example.”
“Wanting to help others is a part of who I am,” he says. “That’s all I’m here to do—try and be a blessing for them. I want to share what I went through, my experiences in the past. It gives the kids at the shelter that motivation factor, and the ambition that they can do it as well. I tell them to just keep pushing. I know it’s cliché to say, but it’s about putting out positivity. You’ll receive it back.”
“The help they are providing shows what a great organization The Salvation Army is.”
TAUREAN PRINCEPhoto : Courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves
Feeding the Hungry Taurean knows that people can hear the salvation story much better when their stomachs aren’t growling
Part of Taurean’s experiences the past few years have included playing for various NBA teams until he landed in Minnesota in 2021. Shortly after his Father’s Day visit to The Salvation Army, he signed on with the Timberwolves for another two years.
“Each NBA team is unique in different ways,” he comments, “each
As Jesus stooped to wash His disciples’ feet, Taurean also stoops down to care for someone in need
city, fan base and owners. This team is unique. I like that there are a lot of veterans here. Being able to learn from their experience helps our players out. Everybody gets along with everybody else in the locker room. It’s probably one of the few groups I’ve been in that a lot of us hang out together outside the stadium. There’s always chemistry on the court when you get along off the
court, which makes playing basketball with each other easy.”
The Timberwolves vastly outperformed the public’s expectations last season. They clawed their way into the playoffs by defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in round, then held their own against the favoured Memphis Grizzlies. They took the Grizzlies to six out of a possible seven games, many of which could have gone either way.
“We wanted to capitalize on all opportunities,” Taurean comments. “We knew that it was time to go out there and show what we could do. It takes commitment, consistency and having belief in yourself more than anyone else does. We know there are certain teammates who need to get the ball to give us the best chance to win, and we buy into that.”
He looks forward to building on what they’ve already achieved.
“I’m super excited about this season,” he says. “Obviously, our goal is to get further than last season, getting into the gym and connecting the dots. Every team is different year to year, and I’m looking forward to being together with the guys and making it work.”
While Taurean got off to a great start this season, he unfortunately ran into ankle problems, and when he tried to come back too soon, he found himself back on the injury list, with no indication as to recovery time. As for the Timberwolves, the spring saw them in position to make the playoffs.
“Anything is possible,” smiles Taurean.
He wears number 12 on the court because he was honoured to be selected the 12th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. One of Taurean’s Instagram posts tells how unlikely a possibility that seemed when he was a kid on the street.
“I shouldn’t be here. How is this possible? It’s simple—gratitude. Everything was stacked against me as a kid—poor, homeless, forgotten, there was no clear path. I didn’t even start until my junior year of high school. No Division 1 colleges wanted me, and yet here I am. Effort is one hundred times more important than any excuse. I take nothing for granted. I shouldn’t be here, but here I am.”
I MADE A PROMISE TO GOD, BUT WOULD I LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO DELIVER ON IT?
by Joseph Lauren“When my cell gets cracked open, I’m going to come over to yours and kill you!” Frankie said in a voice loud enough for everyone in the cellblock to hear.
As a fellow inmate at Kingston Penitentiary in Ontario, I knew that this wasn’t an idle threat. I had been handing out dinner trays and one word had led to another. Evidently, whatever I had told him had crossed the line of acceptable insults at a maximum-security prison.
The entire range had gone silent. Because of his status inside and whatever code he lived by, everyone knew that Frankie was now obligated to at least try to kill me.
Once our cell doors were opened for shower time in the next few minutes, I faced the reality that nothing good was going to happen to me. I would either win the fight against this younger and larger prisoner, resulting in more prison time being added to a sentence that would keep me away from my
children, or, more likely, I would be severely injured, maimed or even killed.
Kingston Penitentiary was the last place I ever thought I’d be when I started my first day as an articling student waiting for a tour of a large downtown law firm in Toronto.
While I was waiting, I saw another summer student wearing Formula One white leather driving shoes. I asked him what he was doing and he mentioned that he was having a car delivered that he had purchased from a deal he was working on. Now, I knew that he couldn’t afford that type of car on the salary near what I was about to make
so I took that to mean he’d made money on insider trading. I called my best friend, who was working at another firm, and told him what I had seen, and we both decided to try it.
Within two years, we were making millions of dollars. By then, I’d moved to New York City, trading stock full-time and setting up accounts all around the world.
If I had never seen that student, I would never have gotten into it. My plan was always to attend law school, finish at the top of my class, and then work at a prestigious downtown firm. And that’s the path I was on … until that day.
But that conversation led down a slippery slope to a decade-anda-half career of insider trading in Canada and the United States, churning through tens of millions of dollars and the tragic death of my best friend and co-accused, who committed suicide the day before we were to fly to New York City to plead guilty. Career, money, relationships, all went up like smoke. It’s something I regret to this day.
But on that day in Kingston Penitentiary, before my cell was cracked open, I realized my life was about to end in the next five minutes.
I had never been much of a religious person but, faced with a dark reality, I prayed like I had never prayed before. Being a lawyer, my prayer became more of a negotiation with God than one for help.
“God,” I said, “if You could help me get through this, I promise to take some good from the bad of my experiences, help other people and make an unselfish act of the rest of my life if You could get me back to my children unharmed.”
Immediately after I whispered that promise out loud, I heard an explosion of metal—doors opening—followed by the sound of
feet stomping fast and hard toward my cell. I prepared myself for the fight-to-be when a group of correctional officers ran frantically past my cell.
After I caught my breath, I pushed my face against my cell’s bars to look down the hall to see what was going on. As I did, I saw two correctional officers with an inmate strapped to a stretcher. It was Frankie, the inmate who had threatened to kill me and who would have tried to in the next few minutes. He’d had a seizure! The guards carried him away from my life forever, never to be seen again. My life had been saved.
Joseph Lauren today. "If I can help even one person, out of the thousands of people who have heard me speak, it will be worth it"
From the moment I made that promise to God, to do things to help others, events occurred at a dizzying pace. Within a week, I had a parole suspension hearing—the chaplain told me I was only the second person in five years to win a judgment—and less than a week after that, I was back in Toronto playing with my children.
I kept my promise. I helped create a documentary on my life, Collared, on the prevention of white-collar crime through a focus on its unin-
neighbourhoods.
This is where The Salvation Army comes in through their system of halfway houses and referrals of those who have just been released from prison. It’s an incredibly vibrant organization that deals with people no one else cares about.
Juliane Martin, a chaplain with The Salvation Army at Bunton Lodge/WP Archibald Centre in Toronto, a halfway facility for ex-offenders, is one of those caring people. As a facilitator and administrator, she meets with
tended victims. I’ve spoken to schools and church groups, corporations and professional bodies. My default position is that if I can help even one person, out of the thousands of people who have heard me speak, it will be worth it.
Through my talks, I was referred to Restorative Justice Housing Ontario, which is a charity I work for as its founding program director. We assist former prisoners by providing safe, affordable housing. This gives them the stable foundation they need to become positive members of their communities. It also leads to lower rates of re-offence and safer
our potential clients and ensures they are committed to reform. She makes my life a lot easier.
I don’t know how we would function without her and other Salvation Army pastors.
I could be bitter about my life, everything that led to my incarceration and what I lost, but I’m very appreciative about where it’s led me, who I have interacted with and how I’ve been able to give back to different people and society to try to make amends. I can’t change what happened, but I can at least try to continue to take some good from the bad, and, in so doing, keep the promise I made to God.
My life was about to end in the next five minutes.
JOSEPH LAUREN
In theatres this May, The Little Mermaid is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1989 animated film of the same name, which is based on a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837. The 1989 movie is probably bestknown for its music, and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) confirmed that all of the original songs are included in the remake, as well as some new ones.
The film tells the story of a young mermaid princess named Ariel
(Halle Bailey, The Color Purple), who is fascinated with the human world. Ariel’s father, King Triton (Javier Bardem, Dune), is protective of his underwater kingdom and especially of his seven musically inclined daughters. When Triton discovers Ariel’s secret collection of artifacts from the human world, he warns her that human beings are dangerous and demands that she remain under the water, where she’ll be safe.
Of course, Ariel doesn’t listen. She is drawn to the surface, where she witnesses a boat being shipwrecked,
In The Little Mermaid, will Ariel regret the trade she made?Illustration: Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
its passengers thrown into the sea. She rescues one of them, a handsome prince named Eric (Jonah Hauer-King, World on Fire). Ariel falls in love with him and vows to find a way to be with Eric on land. Triton is livid when he discovers Ariel’s plans.
Desperate to make her dream of living on land a reality, Ariel makes a deal with Ursula (Melissa McCarthy, God’s Favorite Idiot), the evil sea witch who is jealous of King Triton’s power. She gives the witch her most valuable possession: her beautiful voice. In exchange, Ursula casts a spell that changes Ariel’s mermaid tail into human legs, but their trade has a catch that could put everything—and everyone—Ariel values in jeopardy.
Ariel, despite being a mermaid, defiantly insists that her true home is on dry land among the humans. She cherishes her collection of items from the human world and risks everything to become a part of it. Each of us was born on earth, but if we are Christians, the Bible says our citizenship is in heaven (see
Philippians 3:20). That is our true home. Despite this truth, too many of us are too comfortable here in the human world. Like Ariel, we collect things and can become distracted by material trappings. We might even chase something less tangible, such as fame and popularity.
The things we collect in this world can distract us from our true calling: telling other people that God wants us to be part of His heavenly world for eternity. But unlike Ariel’s deal with the sea witch, there’s no catch in God’s offer. God made humans to live in relationship with Him, and in the beginning, that’s how it was. But Adam and Eve sinned, and that separated humans from God. But God still had a plan. He loves us so much that He sacrificed the most precious thing He had—His Son, Jesus—so we could once again become part of His world.
Not only that, God wants to be the centre of our world while we’re still here on earth. He’s always with us, and He cares about everything that happens to us. If we invite God into our lives in this world, someday, He will welcome us into His heavenly world for eternity.
Ariel, despite being a mermaid, defiantly insists that her true home is on dry land among the humans. DIANE STARK
TIME 1 hr 40 min MAKES 2 servings SERVE WITH mashed potatoes and/or salad
2 turkey legs
5 ml (1 tsp) salt or vegetable seasoning salt
2 ml (½ tsp) pepper
5 ml (1 tsp) paprika
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
5 ml (1 tsp) fresh rosemary, sprigs removed
5 ml (1 tsp) fresh thyme, sprigs removed
1. Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F).
2. Mix all spices together in bowl and rub over turkey legs.
3. Put turkey legs and spice mix into a small roasting pan. Place on middle rack of oven, covered with aluminum foil, and cook for one hour. Remove foil, flip turkey and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
4. After the turkey has cooked for a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes, broil on each side for 1 minute. Ensure that turkey is golden brown on the outside and has reached an internal temperature of 74 C (165 F).
TIME 5 min MAKES 8 servings SERVE WITH tea or coffee
1 cup all natural smooth peanut butter
125 ml (½ cup) rolled oats
60 ml (¼ cup) unsweetened shredded coconut plus 30 ml (2 tbsp) for garnish
15 ml (1 tbsp) chia seeds
30 ml (2 tbsp) honey or maple syrup
60 ml (¼ cup) mini chocolate chips
1. With the exception of the 30 ml (2 tbsp) of shredded coconut, place all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Line a plate with parchment paper.
3. Mix ingredients together in bowl and form into balls. There should be 15-16. Roll balls in the reserved coconut.
4. Place in fridge for 20 minutes and then transfer to an airtight bowl. They will keep up to a week in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 × 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
1. Which Los Angeles Lakers player now holds the alltime NBA scoring record?
2. In Shakespeare’s play, what country is Hamlet the prince of?
3. What month’s birthstones are pearl, alexandrite and moonstone?
For our twins’ second birthday, I wanted to create a bit of food fun. Think of all the celebrations you’ve attended. The food is always on display and it can be a great way to add colour and magic to a party. With thrifting, I always have an idea of what I am looking for but am open to finding something different. I went to my local Salvation Army thrift store with the plan of picking up a few items I could use for the food table. Here’s how I created a thrifted party table:
These are something you can always find at the thrift store. How to use them? I made Rice Krispies treats in the shape of a “2” and then dipped them in pink chocolate (they were a hit). With a butterfly cookie cutter, I made little sandwiches.
When hosting your next party, consider the cuisine as part of the décor.
Everyone needs one in their kitchen. I used watermelon and honeydew for a bright display. The kids loved the little balls and they vanished quickly.
Who doesn’t love small desserts? At my local Salvation Army thrift store, I discovered a mini muffin pan and used it to make tiny cupcakes. These are great for a party because you can make them ahead of time.
Adding colour, shapes and bite-sized treats can be so easy! Remember to check your local Salvation Army thrift store, as a lot of party supplies are donated when they are no longer needed.
Families across the country face empty cupboards and fridges daily.
The Salvation Army believes everyone is worthy of being fed, lifted and loved.
