Searcy Living Issue 6 2015

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issue 6 2015/2016

The Thompson’s 50th 20 Avoid Emotional Investment Decisions

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Embrace Grace 58 Failure Was Never An Option

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Internet Safety 68 White County Kicking Cancer Foundation

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A Veteran’s Hope 76 An Amazing Perspective 79 Positive As Possible 80 Out & About Homecoming

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A Special Tribute To Unity Health Staff

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The Judge And The Zebra 88

“Be so happy that when others look at you they are happy, too.”

Publisher’s Note 11 Hope Believe 12 Fashion Fun 22 We The People 26 Business News 44 Living In Searcy 52 Over The Counter 74 Fab Do It Yourself 92 Dinner And A Magazine 94 Games And Puzzles 96

On the Cover maggie james corinne nicholson shuntal clifton Photo by celina ann photography 501-593-9741

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Publisher Christine Walker Art Director & Webmaster Garrett Johnson Editorial Assistant Cherie Sewell Makeover Coordinator Christine Locke Customer Service Angela Fisher Contributing Independent Photographers TJ Boarman (501) 416-7034 Kimberly Brackins (501)279-1515 George Dillin (501)268-9304 Cassie Jones (501)230-0539 Candace Skarda (501)281-6297 Taylor Howard Photography (870)917-8012 Feature Writer Cecelia Wilson

Searcy Living Locally Owned and Operated 812 South Main Street Searcy, AR 72143 searcyliving@yahoo.com (501) 368-0095 SearcyLiving.com For subscription information go to SearcyLiving.com

Copyright 2015 Shark Promotions LLC. Searcy Living, Cabot Living, and Your Hometown Magazine are trademarks of Shark Promotions. All rights reserved. Ownership, rights, and logos are property of their respected businesses. No part may be reproduced without written permission. Shark Promotions LLC is not responsible for claims, misprints, discrepancies, advice of any kind, or content in advertisements or editorials, but will rectify errors in forthcoming issues.

Copyright Š 2015 Shark Promotions LLC

Searcy Living Magazine is a subsidiary of Shark Promotions LLC.

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I always have mixed feelings about this time of year, as I love pretty much every season except winter. I’m ok with a few days of cold and snow, but for the most part I want those beautiful blue skies, warmth and maybe an occasional light jacket weather. So last winter, wanting to make the best of it, I planned a two day hiking trip to Petit Jean. As luck would have it a nasty ice storm was lingering in the forecast, but I was so determined to get away I went anyway. Loaded down with a few good books, I figured it couldn’t be that bad of a trip even if I was stuck inside. The ice storm hit within a few hours of my arrival and there was no turning back, forcing me to stay an extra day. But on that third day I bundled up and headed down the trail to check out Cedar Falls. About half way down the trail the sun broke through and the most glorious colors were suddenly all around me like a fairy tale.

Purples, yellows, splotches of white snow and moss green on the rocks. It was spectacular.

The week before this issue went to press, after being very busy for weeks on end and working a lot of extra hours, I decided to take a day off and head back to that magical place.

It rained hard most of the day so I didn’t have the opportunity to hike any long trails, but the weather broke long enough for me to take a short walk by the bridge. Amid the brilliant fall colors it was like standing in the middle of a Thomas Kinkade painting.

If you’re dreading the grey skies and lack of sunshine like I am, remember to enjoy those small moments when the sun breaks through and there is glorious beauty all around you.

Arkansas is an awesome place to live!

As always, thank you for reading Searcy Living. We appreciate you!

See you on the trails. :)

This Fall

Find Us On Follow Us On

Remember The Extras On Last winter on the Cedar Falls trail

A Special Tribute “Please take time in your

struggles to see the ‘good’ in people.”

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Positive As Possible “The boys learned how to depend on

each other, how to trust their coaches and, most importantly, remembered to honor God in all that they do.”

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Failure Was Never An Option “The one piece of advice that I can give to any single parent is to believe in YOU.”

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Hope Believe

Foster Care and Adoption Boutique

* The Searcy Living Foster Care and Adoption Boutique is simply a room in the Searcy Living business office that we have dedicated for use in helping foster & adoptive families, and sometimes emergency situations. Our awesome Searcy Living readers bring in donations, enabling foster parents to be able to ‘shop’ for what they need for foster, adopted and disadvantaged children, at no cost. Our office is located at 812 S. Main Street in Searcy. We welcome gently used or new items. Thank you, Searcy, for your generosity and time spent to support the Foster Care Boutique!

“I always questioned whether or not I was ready to adopt. Then I realized no child is ever ready to be an orphan.” ~Unknown

“ There is an instinct in a woman to love most her own child - and an instinct to make any child who needs love, her own.” ~Robert Brault

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Dear Community,

From A Foster Parent

Most people that know me now just assume that I was born during the holidays I rock that baby in the quiet of the night with being a natural ‘kid person.’ But nothing could be further just the Christmas tree lit and I thank God for the beauty and from the truth. I am a ‘kid person’ for the most part now, but peacefulness of His perfect love in that baby’s face. [And then I I arrived to this part of my life journey kicking and screaming thank Him for removing my selfishness so I could have that amazing all the way. I never really had the time to be a kid person. I moment.] When I go to the grocery store and see a former foster was busy. I did my share of ‘good deeds’ so I really didn’t see child who has grown so much that I almost don’t recognize them why I should have to give up my time and freedom when I gave as they run up and hug me. When I hear their precious voice call my ‘fair share.’ Yes… time, freedom and personal space. Those my name and say, “I love you.” When these children become so beautiful and compassionate because they begin to heal, and then were the biggest things that I could not let go of.

So now here I am so many years later and so much of my life I watch in amazement as they help other children heal; because we is spent giving up that time, freedom and space. You see, God have become a mercy team together. When I look back in photo albums and all I see are smiles and showed me a clear picture of the good times, and I remember it may suffering that was going on all have taken a tough road to get those around me. And it came to the point “When I see a child accept Christ, not smiles there, but we made it! When that it was much easier to sacrifice because I was the most perfect parent, but I know my former kids will always my time, freedom and my home because they see me do my best to share have amazing and happy memories to help children than to watch and several of the most sacred places in my that they can keep forever. When a know about the pain that these kids child grows up and travels from afar go through… and do next to nothing little world: my heart, my home, my time and to visit me. When I see a child accept about it. my life. And even though they see my many Christ, not because I was the most I have grown so much and been imperfections, they also see Christ in those perfect parent, but because they see blessed in ways unimaginable! sacrifices.” me do my best to share several of But yes, it has been a tough road the most sacred places in my little walking next to kids who start out world: my heart, my home, my time so hard to understand and need so very much. Yes, there are days I think, “Am I really going to make and my life. And even though they see my many imperfections, it through today?” Yes, it is hard to go to work the day after taking they also see Christ in those sacrifices.

I have grown in so many ways I can’t even explain, and I still have in a child at 2 am. Yes, it was hard to buy that mini van when I had a perfectly good paid-for car. Yes, the constant appointments a ton of growing to do. I know not everyone can or will become that are ten times more demanding and frequent for a foster child a foster parent. But I have shared my story so that you who are can leave me exhausted and sometimes grouchy. Yes, there are fighting against that call in your life with everything you have, times I want to crawl under a rock when an occasional nay sayer will consider it again. When you hear a foster parent say, “It’s not whispers as I walk by with my five kids and they give me that always easy but it’s always worth it,” they really mean it.

And if you can’t become a foster parent, then help a foster parent. disapproving look. Yes I sometimes feel wrongly self righteous and resentful when some say, “Your family should really not take We DON’T want your money. We just want you to love our kids; in so many… it’s just too much.” And to tell you the truth I have we want you to help us help them. We want just a little of your to pray for forgiveness when I think, “I wouldn’t feel like I have to time, your freedom and maybe even occasionally your personal if you would just take in one.” Yes, I get frustrated when someone space. Because we can’t do this alone and they really are worth it. kindly suggests what I need to do to help improve my foster child’s academics or behavior and I just want to scream, “My goodness, Sincerely, they were just *raped/beaten/starved/abandoned (pick one) last month - give us some grace!” But of course I can’t say that. Yes, A foster parent there are days I just really want to give up.

But the blessings are unbelievable! When a child who has never trusted anyone trusts me. When I get those precious hugs. When *Please note that there are sometimes other circumstances that bring a child into foster care.

Sometimes parents just need a little help with circumstances beyond their control.

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Hope Believe Members of the Three Rivers Reading Council from McRae Elementary School collected and donated 217 books to assist in promoting literacy through the White County foster care system.

Three Rivers Reading Council is one of 19 local councils in the state where professional development is provided at the local level. Each council also sponsors literacy activities in their communities.

The Arkansas Reading Association sponsors a Literacy Conference in November of each year where nationally recognized speakers and small group session leaders provide professional development for all educators. Membership is open to all educators, parents, community leaders and anyone interested in promoting literacy.

Go to arareading.org for more information.

Things You Can Do To Help a Foster Family You Know • Pray for the children AND for the strength of the adoptive/ foster families. It is not always easy helping children who may have never had healthy boundaries and have experienced trauma.

• *Pray that God would heal the wounds of rejection, abandonment, fear and mistrust in the children.

• Offer to help transport a child to an appointment.

(Note: DHS rules change quite frequently. Check to see if you need certification.)

• Ask them what clothing size they need for a child and come to the Foster Care Boutique and pack a bag for them. (Let the FC Boutique know which family you are helping.)

• Offer to come over and clean a closet or organize drawers.

• Cook a meal.

• Babysit.

• Help with yard work.

• Mentor a child.

• Cook or do a craft with a child.

• Write a special encouraging note to a child.

Floyd Extension Homemakers had a booth at the White County Fair recruiting foster parents.

There is a great shortage of homes!

• Laundry. Need we say more? “There was a woman who just folded socks for me every week for about a year or so. That one act of kindness was so important and helpful. I didn’t have so many foster children because I had always dreamed of a large family; I had so many children that year because there was simply no place else for them to go and God put it on my heart. I was willing, so I needed to step up. But the laundry was overwhelming, and I was so grateful for that help. Folding socks. Who would have thought that could be such a huge blessing?!” ~WC Foster Parent • Teach your children to be kind. Sometimes children in foster care disclose some of their circumstances to peers and then get picked on.

• Be aware. Be understanding. Don’t gossip.

• Just ask the family what they may need help with. But realize that foster families are used to helping, not receiving help. You may have to be persistent.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

— James 1:22

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*From icareaboutorphans.org

A Special Birthday Timothy Jonas Gilbert recently celebrated his first birthday. Instead of throwing him a party, with some help from friends, everyone decided to donate items on his behalf. His parents are very thankful for this opportunity!

• We need diapers in all sizes.

• Socks • Underclothes • Volunteers from 1-5pm

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Hope Believe Thank you to all who give!

Thanks Everyone!

The SHS Wrestling Team, along with Coach Evans, his wife Megan and the team manager, helped switch clothing seasons at the boutique! Awesome!

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Thank You Claudette Smith

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Thank You To everyone who gives!

A special thank you to all of the churches who volunteer to help at the local foster parent meetings.

Foster parents and the kids REALLY appreciate you!!

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A special thank you to Gum Springs Church.

Character is helping those who can do nothing for you. ~Unknown

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Before Fashion Fun Day: Cori Vehlies

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Makeup by Doris Yates at

Evelyn Moss Makeover Coordinator

In the Heart & Soul Plaza 1623 E. Beebe-Capps • Searcy (501) 279-2526

Hair by Robin Martin at

Outfit from 219 W. Market Ave. Downtown Searcy 501-279-2544

Turn the page for more fashion & beauty retailers. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

3005 E. Race St. • Searcy (501) 268-0800 SearcyLiving.com 23

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get down downtown

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U.S. News Ranks

Harding University Among South’s Best For 22nd Year Harding University has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best universities in the South for the 22nd consecutive year. The rankings are in the magazine’s 2016 Best Colleges guidebook.

The University ranked 22nd this year and was the only Arkansas institution included among the top 25 regional universities in the South, behind such notable schools as Rollins College, The Citadel, Samford University, Stetson University, James Madison University and Mercer University.

The report also ranked Harding at No. 4 on its “Great Schools, Great Prices” list as a best value among schools in the South.

Harding was the only school in Arkansas included in the top 15 of the regional university category.

Harding is included in the Best Regional Universities category, which comprises schools that offer a full range of undergraduate- and master’s-level programs and some doctoral programs. The 618 universities in this category were ranked against their peer groups in one of four geographic regions — North, South, Midwest and West.

The 12 states included in the magazine’s southern region

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include colleges from West Virginia to Florida and from Arkansas to the East Coast. Harding is the highest-ranked Arkansas school in this category.

“It’s exciting to see that an organization being as unbiased as possible ranks Harding as one of the premier institutions in the country,” said Glenn Dillard, assistant vice president for enrollment management. “It confirms what we believe — that Harding offers a world-class education in a Christian environment.”

To determine the rankings, the magazine evaluated universities across the nation in areas such as graduation rate, peer assessment, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving rate.

Harding was first ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 1994 when enrollment stood at a little more than 4,000. Now, with an enrollment of 6,033, Harding is the largest private university in Arkansas. The student body represents 49 states and 52 foreign countries. The University also maintains study abroad programs in Australia, Chile, England, France, Greece, Italy and Zambia.

Searcy Children’s Home Dinner Thank you to all those who attended the Searcy Children’s Home dinner.

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Dr. Eugene McKay

Jamie Mobley

Nancy Meador

Cole Robertson

Arkansas Community Colleges Fall Conference Arkansas State University-Beebe students, faculty, staff, and alumni were recently honored at the Arkansas Community Colleges (ACC) fall conference held at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Student Weston “Cole” Robertson of Quitman was named the Academic All-Star for ASU-Beebe. Robertson attends classes on the Heber Springs campus, and has maintained a 3.8 GPA, while active in various campus organizations such as Gamma Beta Phi, Phi Beta Lambda, and Future Educators Club. He is currently working toward an Associate of General Studies degree, and after graduation plans to transfer to the University of Central Arkansas to complete his bachelor’s degree in mid-level education.

Robertson said, “The teachers and staff at ASU-Heber Springs want me to succeed. They make sure I’m supported and challenged academically, and that I have the opportunity to be involved in my community.”

Dr. Eugene McKay, Chancellor, was named recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award. Since 1966, Dr. McKay has held many roles, and he currently serves as chancellor and tenured professor of English. He has taught literature, composition, journalism, and French. His late wife and fellow English professor, Dr. Judy McKay, once remarked that he “died and went to administration,” but his heart has never left the classroom. Dr. McKay’s lifelong labor of love has improved untold lives, families, and communities.

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He will retire in January, but his legacy will endure as a testament to the transformative power of education.

Nancy Meador, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, was named recipient of the Outstanding Staff Award. Meador led the charge to change the logo and mascot at all ASU-Beebe campuses.

This included numerous focus groups ranging from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. She constantly kept the University community up-to-date on the process and answered numerous inquiries about the change. The result was a logo that was quickly accepted by the Board of Trustees. This rebranding, from beginning to end, was enormous in its scope, and Meador’s tireless effort eased the transition.

Jamie Mobley, Regions Bank City/Market President, has been named this year’s Outstanding Alumni for ASU-Beebe.

Mobley entered ASU-Beebe in 2000 and later earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Arkansas State University.

Her career began as a teller at Regions Bank in Beebe, while attending classes at ASU-Beebe. Mobley now oversees Regions Bank operations at the branches in Searcy, Bald Knob, Beebe and Cabot. Mobley also serves as vice chair for the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce and is a board member for the White County Community Foundation’s Future Fund and the Searcy City Board of Zoning Adjustments. She is a member of the Liberty Christian School Board, and lives in Searcy with her husband and two children.

For more information about ASU-Beebe, call (501) 882-3600, or visit the website at www.asub.edu.

Arkansas State University-Beebe is an operationally separate, two-year institution of the Arkansas State University System. With campuses located in Beebe, Heber Springs, Searcy, and Little Rock Air Force Base, the university offers associate degrees, certificates, and non-credit training for business and industry.

The Beebe campus also collaborates with Arkansas State, a fouryear university in Jonesboro, to offer baccalaureate and graduate degrees on the Beebe campus.

Are you being abused? Call our hotline 501-278-4673. Collect calls accepted.

Support our local thrift store at 1211 E. Race in Searcy and you are supporting the battered women’s shelter Hope Cottage.

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AKIC Gators For the second consecutive year, the AKIC Gators won the 3rd and 4th grade Searcy Optimist pee wee football championship at Lions Stadium. The Gators finished 7-1 and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 191-24.

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Pictured are: (L to R kneeling) Christian Layne, Ayden Taylor, Clayton McGlothlin, Trent Hughes, Dustin McCosh, Isaiah Raines-Carlos, David Miller (L to R standing 2nd row) Colin Brinsfield, Brock Dillard, Stacy Mitchell Jr., Peyton Sample, Braeden Adkins, Jacob Castera (L to R standing 3rd row) Coach Kyle Tiffee, Coach Blake Hendrix, Coach Barry Brown

Feed the Right Wolf A man told his grandson, “My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all.

One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.”

The boy thought about it, and asked, Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

The man quietly replied, “The one you feed.” ~Author Unknown

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Celebrate H You H In June of last year, three members of the Frederick Van Patten Chapter attended the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Continental Congress in Washington, D.C. One of the challenges given to the DAR Chapters for the year 2015 by the President General was to honor the Vietnam Veterans in some way, as this was the fiftieth year since they fought in Vietnam. Upon returning to Searcy, the Vice-Regent, who is also Program Chairman, Irene Gray, met with the Regent, Glenda Kersh, and discussed what to do. It was decided that we would hold an event in lieu of a regular meeting in October and call it “Celebrate You,” as the sole purpose of this event was to celebrate those men and women who served in Vietnam. An ad was put in the Shopper and notices posted all around town so we could get the word out, as well as it being in an article in Searcy Living. On Saturday, October 10th, this event took place in the Community Room of First Community Bank on East Beebe Capps. We had veterans come and join us who had served in the Army, Navy, Air Force and WACS. We had a special cake made in honor of these veterans as well as many other tasty refreshments made by Chapter members.

Red, white and blue was everywhere in the décor. Special ribbons were pinned on the veterans and stars from flags that had flown in AR were also given to them. Chapter members enjoyed visiting with the veterans and the veterans seemed to enjoy visiting with Chapter members. It was a time to reflect on that era and visit with other veterans. Thanks to all who came.

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Thousands Raised to Benefit

Jacob’s Place Homeless Mission With Special Thanks to Corporate Sponsor Edward Jones Jacob’s Place Homeless Mission announced that the organization’s annual “Empower the Homeless” banquet raised nearly $11,000. The funds will be used for the facility’s operational expenses to provide housing and counseling services to current and future residents.

Jacob’s Place, located in Searcy, serves as a temporary housing refuge for White County homeless families with children and has served 144 families, including 193 children, since it opened in 2008.

The mission empowers the homeless by providing them financial, spiritual, emotional and job counseling while receiving shelter. Jacob’s Place is an area agency of the United Way of White County.

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“

Butterflies can’t see their own wings; they have no idea how beautiful they are. People are like that.” ~U nknown

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“Your life is your message to the world.

Make it inspiring!� ~Unknown

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“People coming together as a community can make things happen� ~Jacob Rees Mogg

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 Breast Cancer Luncheon

Child Safety Center Groundbreaking

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Great Job Well Done Run!!

henard utility products

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The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission met in Searcy at the Cone Chapel in the American Heritage Center at Harding. This was only the second time in the 75 year history of the AOGC for it to convene here.

“Over 118 Years of Experience!”

Experience Matters Mike Hart’s State Farm team offers years of experience and comprehensive coverage from Auto/Home/Life & Commercial needs.

No matter the claim scenario or underwriting situation, chances are our team members have accumulated the knowledge to handle the situation properly.

L-R Front: Debbie Miller, Lynne Woods, Anita Smithey L-R Back: Wendi McAfee, Mike Hart, Becky Oliver

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505 S. Main St. Searcy, AR 501.368.8000

Thank You To Our Veterans Flags were distributed around Searcy in honor of Veteran’s Day by Dalrymple Residential Real Estate Agents.

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 RiverWind Bank Ribbon Cutting

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What’s the biggest obstacle to your ability to invest successfully? Is it the ups and downs of the financial markets? Political events? The fact that you weren’t born rich? Actually, the chief hurdle you face is something over which you have control: your own emotions.

Your emotions can lead to a variety of ill-advised investment behaviors, such as these: ■■ Cutting losses – Declines in the financial markets can lead some investors to try to “cut their losses” by selling investments whose price has declined. Yet, when prices have dropped, it may actually be a good time to buy investments, not sell them, especially when the investments are still fundamentally sound.

■■ Chasing performance – In the investment world, the flip side of “fear” is “greed.” Just as some investors are propelled by fear of loss, others are motivated by quick, big gains. They may pursue “hot” investments, only to be disappointed when the sizzle quickly fizzles. Instead of trying to “score” that one big winner, you may be better off spreading your investment dollars among a range of vehicles – stocks, bonds, government securities, certificates of deposit (CDs) and so on. While diversification can’t guarantee a profit or protect against loss, it may help reduce the impact of market volatility on your portfolio.

■■ Focusing on the short term – When the market is down, you might get somewhat upset when you view your monthly investment statements. But any individual statement is just a snapshot in time; if you were to chart your investment results over a period of 10, 15 or 20 years, you’d see the true picture of how your portfolio is doing – and, in all likelihood, that picture would look better than a statement or two you received during a down market. In any case, don’t overreact to short-term downturns by making hasty “buy” or “sell” decisions. Instead, stick with a longterm strategy that’s appropriate for your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon.

■■ Heading to the investment “sidelines” – Some people get so frustrated over market volatility that they throw up their hands and head to the investment “sidelines” until “things calm down.” And it’s certainly true that, when owning stocks, there are no guarantees; you do risk losing some, or all, of your investment.

But if you jump in and out of the market to “escape“ volatility, you may take on an even bigger risk – the risk of losing some of the growth you’ll need to reach your goals. Consider this: If you had invested $10,000 in a package of stocks mimicking the S&P 500

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in December 1979, your investment would have grown to more than $426,000 by December 2013. But if you had missed just the 10 best days of the market during that time, your $10,000 would only have grown to less than $206,000 – a difference of about $220,000, according to Ned Davis Research, a leading investment research organization. The bottom line? Staying invested over the long term can pay off. (Keep in mind, though, that the S&P 500 is an unmanaged index and isn’t meant to depict an actual investment. Also, as you’ve no doubt heard, past performance is not a guarantee of future results.)

Our emotions are useful in guiding us through many aspects of our lives, but when you invest, you’re better off using your head – and not your heart.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

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#relationshipgoals

IN SEARCY

By Jarred Moss

I

t’s no secret that a great majority of people to leave her name and number with an associate, and her number

keep bucket lists, that is, a list of goals they’d like to accomplish before they die. For some, they’d personally love to go skydiving, for others, it’s all about travel, and for many, retiring on a large nest-egg of good investments. There’s nothing quite as sweet, however, as when a couple plots out their goals together, especially when those goals come to pass.

Matt and Carolyn Nunnally wouldn’t have guessed that today they’d be sitting in the finished version of one of their main relationship goals, but sure enough, the occupied Dutcher home in Searcy, Arkansas tells the tale of two lovebirds who worked themselves silly to turn their dream into a reality.

Matt met Carolyn in the oddest of places in 1997: waiting in line to use a gas station restroom in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. (Neither of them are from Arkadelphia.)

“We had just come from a Third Day concert, and we were waiting with a youth group to use the restroom,” said Carolyn, starting to laugh.

The two chatted casually about the concert and had no idea that fate would reunite them in Searcy just a few months later. Matt worked at The Bible House at the time and Carolyn, a freshman Harding University student, went in to make a purchase. As fate would have it, an issue with her intended purchase prompted her 52 Your Hometown Magazine

found its way into Matt’s hands.

“He asked if he could show me around Searcy,” she explained.

“It took, like, five minutes.” Matt recalled, smiling.

The young couple went on to date for a season before Matt was extended an amazing offer to tour and sing with the Church of Christ singing group, Acappella. The invitation required Mr. Nunally to move to the simple town of Paris, Tennessee, and piqued Carolyn’s interest. Having dated for three years, Carolyn was ready to know where the relationship was going.

“I said to myself, this is the make it or break it year,” she said.

She transferred to Lipscomb University so they could continue their relationship in close proximity, and the two ultimately married and enjoyed life on the road for three years.

“The time with Acappella is where we really learned to work together,” Carolyn said.

While being on the road 3 out of 4 weeks was a strenuous season on the couple, the one week at home each month birthed a dream in their hearts that would one day become their favorite reality.

The two recalled watching a pair of friends buy an old run down craftsman-style home in Paris, with intentions to fix it up and enjoy the charming feel.

While Matt and Carolyn were skeptical at first, watching the plans come together made them believers, and much more,

“ W H at i t w o Ul d ta k e is a lot of time, effort, money and elbow grease. The two worked together, putting into practice all of the teambuilding lessons they’d learned over their years together.” dreamers. Remembering that season, Carolyn recounted, “Restoring a historic home was DEFINITELY on our marriage bucket list.” They had added it to their relationship goals, and God had just the right home in mind.

After moving back to Searcy in 2004, the couple ventured out and bought a new home, a 70s ranch-style house off of Main street, with the desire to fix it up. Though they really wanted an early 1900s craftsman bungalow home, Matt stayed the course and continued to make progress as the property called for it.

Many repairs later, their ranch-style home was in great shape and they enjoyed it.

“We honestly thought we’d stay there forever,” he said.

And then he found it.

Matt’s interest had been piqued when he saw a certain older home for sale, and he began to keep an eye open for the craftsman bungalow his heart yearned to restore. But when the old Dutcher home became available, his interest skyrocketed.

“I saw this one for sale, and after about a month I convinced her to look at it,” said Matt. “Once she walked in, it was over,” he laughed.

“Our realtor still speaks of that day as ‘the day that Carolyn walked in and sucked all the air out of the house!’” Carolyn added.

As if Carolyn’s taking loud gasps of air in every room of the house wasn’t enough assurance, Matt and Carolyn’s friend, who doubled as their realtor, assured Matt at every deep audible breath that he would have to buy the home.

“I’m sensing that,” was Matt’s reply.

Buying the home would be an interesting endeavor, but the Nunnally’s figured that if God really intended for them to make the purchase, He would make a way. After praying, they put in an offer at a price they could afford, well below the asking price, with their offer contingent upon being able to sell their then current house. Though the owner initially rejected their offer, three weeks later their realtor called with the news that the owner had accepted their offer after all, and the Nunnally residence went up for sale.

“The home is c o z y, e l e g a n t, and calls to mind the s i m Pl e l i f e .”

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“ T He y m o v e d i n little by little, during the process of restoration: a joy, a stress, and a journey that they altogether enjoyed.”

“I put the sign up in our yard and we had three offers that evening.

We sold our house in less than 24 hours!” Matt recalled.

Their dream was about to become a reality.

The Dutcher home gets its name from the carpenter who built the house for his family in 1929. Nobody knows exactly how he acquired the property, but history shows that Dutcher was doing carpentry work on the newly renovated Rialto movie theatre in downtown Searcy for the theatre’s owner, whose name was Bloom.

At that time, Bloom apparently owned the majority of the city block on which the Dutcher home sits. After Dutcher proceeded to help Bloom remodel his own home, it’s possible that he struck a deal with Bloom to build the original 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom bungalow home for himself and his family.

Unfortunately, after the home was built the great depression

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struck and hard times hit the carpenter’s family. Looking for work, after just 8 months or so in their new home, Dutcher’s family moved from Searcy to Little Rock, and the property went through a change of owners over the following 6 decades.

Its rich history shows throughout the house. The Nunnally’s dream home still boasts the same tin ceiling on their front porch that echoes that of the Rialto theatre’s ceiling, as well as many other old features that the young couple finds endearing. The master bedroom is a converted area that used to be the ‘sleeping porch’ for the entire family.

“Everyone used to sleep here,” Carolyn pointed out. In the timeframe in which the house was built, families had no air conditioning and would gather in a room with all-around windows to enjoy the breeze and fresh air throughout the night. The windows encircle

“ S i d e b y s i d e , the two labored a labor of love and built their dream hand in hand, fixture by fixture to what can be seen today...” the Nunnally’s bed which sits atop the original hardwood floor with which the room was built.

In addition to the beautiful, fully restored, tile walled bathrooms, complete with white cast iron, claw-footed bathtubs, and cross-bar handled sinks, the home features a beautiful dining room painted dark green with the color extending to cover the ceiling, playing a nifty trick on the eyes to remove any idea that the ceiling exists.

The gorgeous home now boasts 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a large living area separate from the formal living room. The kitchen peeks through two shutters into the den which was added on after the original home was built, as evidenced by the rock wall which clearly used to serve as the home’s exterior, another note of vintage character.

It didn’t always look so nice though.

Matt recalled the initial state of the home when they acquired it.

“She saw the house through rose-lenses,” he said, grinning. “I saw everything it would take to get it back to its intended look!”

What it would take is a lot of time, effort, money and elbow grease. The two worked together, putting into practice all of the teambuilding lessons they’d learned over their years together.

“At one time, you could see the dirt on the ground right here,” Carolyn pointed out in a space next to the former sleeping porch.

In one story, the two recounted painting walls one night while their dog wandered throughout the house. After they found their puppy sleeping on a set of paper towels it had purposefully knocked over to avoid sleeping on the carpet itself, they agreed that staying with Matt’s parents was the right move until they could bring their dream house up to a liveable condition.

They moved in little by little, during the process of restoration: a joy, a stress, and a journey that they altogether enjoyed.

One fateful evening, three years into the home, Carolyn woke up and stepped into the hallway only to see a rushing flow of water winding its way down the spiral staircase which occupied the hall at the time. “I saw a waterfall in my house!” she exclaimed.

Though they had known the plumbing was going south for a while, it all had come to a head that disheartening evening, and the house, once again, was not liveable.

After a several-month stint back at the in-law’s home, Carolyn

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was delighted to move back in, this time with fresh plumbing and fresh vigor. Side by side, the two labored a labor of love and built their dream hand in hand, fixture by fixture to what can be seen today: A beautiful, authentic 1920s style craftsman bungalow home that leaves little to the imagination, and invokes a genuine love for history within even the simplest of minds.

The home is cozy, elegant, and calls to mind the simple life. By all means, it is the absolute dream home for the family of three. But as life began to change for the hard-working couple-turned family, so did their priorities.

When their son Zander, now four years old, arrived, their roles began to shift and today, the couple smilingly looks forward in good conscience to selling their home in a simple motion to downsize their living space in order to upsize their family lifestyle.

“We’ve walked a hard road the last four years to know that family comes before the house.” Carolyn said.

“You have to be ready for whatever life throws at you,” Matt added. “Know where your priorities are. You can’t let the house swallow you. If this house was blown away by a tornado today, we’d be upset, but it’s just a house!”

It doesn’t make sense, as ambitious people would define ‘sense,’ to leave the home the Nunally’s have invested so much time and effort in, but for the happy couple who enjoys their son’s smiles more than anything, it’s a joyful notch on their belt and a check on their marriage bucket list.

“I’m glad we can mark it off our list.” Carolyn said, smiling a joyful smile.

Each relationship has goals. And each couple’s goals vary widely.

But what joy awaits those couples who achieve their goals, with even greater joy awaiting the couple that finds true meaning and life value in the pursuit of their goals. While a goal in the Nunnally’s relationship was to build themselves a wonderful historic home, Carolyn offers a word of truth to any family interested in marking off their own bucket list: “It’s not the house that makes the home. Your family IS your home.”

“ Y o U Have t o b e ready for whatever life throws at you...Know where your priorities are.”

“ It’s not tHe HoUse that makes the home.

Your family IS your home.”

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and 17 year old Alice is enjoying a carefree summer before starting her senior year of high school. She has been spending lots of time with her boyfriend of one year before he heads off to college next month. Alice has noticed the last week that she is easily tired and nauseated. She plays it off on her late nights and the fact that her period should come any day! After another week, her nausea turns into morning vomiting sessions, and her period never comes. Alice becomes painfully aware that she could be pregnant. She sneaks a pregnancy test into her bedroom and wakes up extra early the next morning to perform the test. She can’t risk her mom catching her with a pregnancy test! Alice nervously waits on the test results. As the time ends, she picks up the test and begins to tremble. Positive…..positive…..positive.

Her head begins to swirl and the tears began to fall. How could

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this happen, she begins to ask. She was a “good girl.” She lived in a Christian home with her parents, who taught that sex before marriage was wrong. She attended church and was very active in her youth group. What was she going to do? Where could she go?

Who could she turn to?

The above story is, of course, fiction. I don’t know a girl named Alice who had a pregnancy at the age of 17. But change the name and change the circumstances, and we are describing a growing number of young girls in Arkansas. Searcy is very fortunate to have an excellent crisis pregnancy center to minister to girls with unplanned pregnancies and help them choose life for their baby!

Once that decision is made, then what? Where do they go for support? Most girls run away from their local church out of fear and shame. What if we could change that? What if the church was the first place pregnant unwed girls ran to for support?

Most churches advocate life and discourage women from getting abortions, but once a brave and courageous girl chooses life, a lot of times the church steps away and has nothing to offer for support. She is then left with nine months of being scared and alone. This is where the body of Christ can minister to women who are desperately searching for a Savior.

Psalms 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Every life is a gift from God and is not a mistake. The unborn baby is not a sin that needs to be gotten rid of. God cherishes all life and has a plan for each precious life. When God wants to get the attention of a young girl, he just might use a baby to do it. He might bless her with the sweetest face she has ever laid eyes on, so she can finally get a tiny glimpse of just how BIG God’s love is for each one of us.

What if the church honored young girls for choosing life? What if we looked past the sins and saw the actual person? This is what the pro-love movement is all about. It’s time the church truly is the hands and feet of Jesus! We need to point these girls to the foot of the cross and help inspire a passionate relationship with Christ.

Psalms 46:1 says, “God is our place of safety. He gives us strength. He is always there to help us in times of trouble.” God is asking the church to show that He is the safe place and the One who will always be there. How can we do this? There is an exciting new ministry in our area called “Embrace Grace.”

The mission of this ministry is to inspire and equip the church to love on single and pregnant girls. Embrace Grace is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of providing emotional, practical and spiritual support for single, young girls who find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy. If the church, the body of Christ, will join together to support these girls who choose life, young moms will be more open to not aborting their babies.

Whether they keep their baby or place it for adoption, Embrace Grace is a support system for them as they begin their journey.

We can’t fix their problems, but we can point them to the One that does and promise that they don’t have to walk this season alone.

Trinity Baptist Church in Searcy has recently answered the call of becoming a pro-love church. An Embrace Grace class started in August and will continue through November. There will be another semester starting in January. Each semester consists of 12 weeks of DVD lessons, encouragement, empowering activities and lots of love. The semesters will end with each girl receiving a baby shower and a special day just for the mommies. For more information on partnering with this program call 501-268-8219.

If you’re reading this and are single and pregnant, needing some love and encouragement, please call the same number to sign up.

God loves you, and we do too!

Please pray for this ministry as we rally around these girls who choose life, and support and honor them for their decision. The pro-life movement saves babies and the PRO-LOVE movement saves the babies AND the mommies. When love and grace are given, babies are saved and generations are changed. God’s love can change the world, one mommy and baby at a time.

Amy Dutton: Embrace Grace Leader Facebook page: Embrace Grace- Trinity Searcy

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Pictured above: A few of this year’s scholarship recipients from the White County Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Inc

s a child, not once did I ever have the

dream that I wanted to grow up and be a divorced single mother. I was going to be married for fifty-two years, just like my grandparents had been. They had the most amazing marriage, and that was my hope. But life did not have that plan for me and my children (Lindsey, Andy, and Patti Anne).

Starting in September of 1994 and over the next eighteen months, “life” as I knew it changed dramatically. My Mamaw and Papa died within nine months of each other, my twelve-year marriage ended, and I found out a month later that I was pregnant with our third child. Where had my life gone? Who was I? How did I fail my family and my children? This should not have happened to me! I came from a strong background of family, faith, and work ethic, and I’d had an ideal childhood. Frankly, I was on my hands and knees. I do not want to share with you the pain and agony of divorce, addiction of a loved one, and my own perceived failure; I want to share our story of overcoming that which tried to destroy us.

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Where to start over? My mantra became the simple phrase, “If it is good for my kids, it is good for me.” With everything in life, one must have a set of expectations and values to live by. I was fortunate enough to have parents and grandparents that instilled in me a set of values that was the foundation of EVERYTHING that I worked from. Having a strong work ethic was so incredibly valuable. I knew I could work my way out of the situation, I just needed time. Many days I felt like I was using a pick and shovel, digging one small hole a day. I would not allow myself to look up. I set small daily goals and did not quit until I achieved them. Some days my goal was to just get through the emotional agony of feeling like a failure. I found that the physical work was a great remedy to overcoming those feelings. My work ethic took care of “today.”

What would take care of “tomorrow?” Education is freedom. I knew that if there was to be a rewarding and secure future, then I had to finish my college degree. Education is what I call “deferred compensation.” It is a tremendous amount of work as a single

parent to balance work, school, and family, and an immediate result is not evident. It is a lot of “faith” work. A single parent has to pull from extra convictions, passions, and courage to take on all three.

There were late nights that I would just be so tired that I would physically shake and cry. I wanted an easier answer! I struggled in the belief that I had enough courage and strength to take on all three. And, as a woman, I struggled with the idea that I could take the route of depending on another person, again. I would not allow myself to go in that direction. In the twenty years that I have gone through this journey, I realized that no one is safe from the risk of being a single adult with children. In fact, as a financial advisor, I see many different situations where people find themselves taking on a lead role for their family or loved ones. I have identified four “D’s” (divorce, death, disability, and dependency) that can wreak havoc on a life. In my situation, I experienced all four in just eighteen months. Hoping one of them won’t happen is the biggest risk one can take. I have realized that we can be proactive in our life, or we can be reactive. Proactive offers the ability to have many choices based on personal goals.

Reactive comes with a small set of choices and a timeframe to choose. Education was a proactive choice. It was something that no one could take from me once I captured that knowledge. It was mine forever. Education gave me personal strength.

What would prepare my children for their own adult lives?

Leading by example for my children’s sake was the key to

everything. A strong work ethic based on my family values and completing my college education gave me credibility. It was the act of teaching my children that momma does not quit. I had a moral responsibility to set the best example for my children. After all, they would be affected by the four “D’s” at some point in their lives. I needed them to know how to overcome those obstacles. I needed them to know that suffering was a part of life and that instead of protecting them from it, I was teaching them how to grow courageous and stronger because of it. This was my duty and my honor.

Who did I want to be? I wanted to be proud of the woman in the mirror again.

Divorce is agonizing. It ripped my self-confidence to shreds. Nobody wants to feel like they failed at a marriage, especially one that was over a decade old. With children, it is even more challenging. I had to reinvent myself. I may have invented myself for the very first time. I stuck to my core values, used the test, “If it is good for my kids, it is good for me,” finished my education, and led my children out of failure and into success. I could not be more proud of where we are today. First and foremost, we are together and we are unbreakable. We are not perfect, but we know our strengths, and we know how to adapt and change when necessary. We love each other beyond any challenge. We know how to survive. We know how to overcome and thrive. Isn’t that what life is all about?

The White County Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Inc. The White County Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Inc. recently recognized 5 summer and 19 fall scholars at its 2015 Fall Scholar/Donor Reception. The event was held in the Founders Room of Harding University. Craig O’Neill of KTHV served as emcee and Amy Daniels of Edward Jones provided the keynote address. Amy raised her children as a single parent and is currently establishing an endowed scholarship for WCSPSF, Inc. honoring her oldest daughter, Lindsey Mann.

WCSPSF, Inc. awarded 39 scholarships in 2015 with a combined value of $29,325. Since its inception in 1999, WCSPSF, Inc. has awarded 506 scholarships with a combined value of $281,624. All scholarship money is privately raised. For more information, contact Executive Director Dan Newsom at wcspsf. inc@gmail.com or 501-230-2414. Information can also be obtained at www.aspsf/county_white.html.

WCSPSF, Inc. is truly providing hope and changing lives through education!

Dan Newsom, Executive Director of the White County Single Parent Schalorship Fund pauses for a photo with Amy Daniels and her daughter.

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Twenty years ago, I was standing in the hallway of a rental assistance house, my head was bent in anguish, and I was crying. I asked God to please help me find a way to save $2,000 so that I could buy a used mobile home. Little did I know at that time that the journey that we went on would have MORE than exceeded that dream that day. I could not have dreamed the life we live today. I didn’t know how to dream that big. I just knew I had to dream something better than where we were at the time. We dreamed a thousand dreams. I wonder where we will be in the next twenty years of dreams.

The one piece of advice that I can give to any single parent is to believe in YOU. “I can’t” should never be a thought in your mind. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. You are braver than you can imagine. You are deserving of great successes in your life. Your children are deserving of a fair chance in an unforgiving world.

Pick up your pick and shovel, and start digging your way to success. I promise you it is worth every single bit of dedication you bestow upon yourself and your children.

Amy’s kids, top, and grandchildren, right.

Belinda LaForce presents a scholarship to a recipient on behalf of the Searcy Rotary Club. Pictured, far right, is Craig O Neal, emcee for the event.

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Photo by John Baker

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By Lou Butterfield, Ed.D. nternet safety is a big deal. Whether

you are an adult wanting to do on line banking, a teen wanting to use social media to keep in touch with friends, a preteen wanting to make brand new friends, or someone who simply wants to research a topic or current event, it’s all possible at the end of your fingertips.

Unfortunately, there are an estimated 1 million predators on line every minute of every day with, shall we say, less than noble thoughts in mind. From those exploiting personal information to steal identities, to searching porn sites for their own pleasure, to attempting to hook up with unsuspecting children, etc., all are very real concerns.

All one has to do is search for “Internet Safety” and literally millions of hits come up in less than one second. After spending hours reading many of these sites, the following list of safety measures has been compiled (from Microsoft Security, Norton, Covenant Eyes, and others) specifically focused on helping parents keep their children safe on the Internet.

1. Realize that information on the Internet lives forever.

All one need do is take a screen shot, archive a message, or cut and paste and even the programs that claim to disappear in a few seconds are permanently “out there.”

2. Use strong and unique passwords. Infoworld Security Central says an 8-character password is safe for 2-3 days; 12 characters for 90 days; 15 characters for up to 1 year. They suggest a safe password looks something like: %Tv4$H@.<P.6h#p. The most common passwords are, 123456; 12345; 123456789 & Password.

3. Check your privacy settings. Some social networks are notorious for allowing others to see your information even if they are not your “Friend.” Immediately after signing up, go to the privacy settings and make sure only specific people can get your information.

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4. NEVER sign up for a “Meet New Friends” app.

There are literally thousands of such sites (and other chat rooms) that should be considered dangerous. The stories we have all heard about a 50-year old man posing as a 16-year old girl are rampant on such sites.

5. DO NOT click on links in email messages. Many times they are bogus (phishing) sites and will steal your data and/ or install malware, i.e., viruses, Worms, Trojan horses, spyware, adware and other malicious programs. Delete that email, go to your browser and proceed to the intended site without “second party” involvement.

6. Insist that your children not share personal information such as their real name, phone number, address, travel plans, etc. A very honest comment such as, “My family is going to Mexico next week on a mission trip, I’m so excited,” is actually saying, “We are all going to be out of town next week, so come steal our stuff.”

7. Don’t broadcast your location. Many social networks have locator services, which track your every move. Frankly, most of us don’t care if you are at the pizza joint with your friends, but stalkers, predators and thieves use this information every day!

8. It is the parent’s responsibility to monitor Internet usage by their children. Allowing children to surf the web unmonitored is like dropping them off in a gang-infested neighborhood and telling then, “Have fun, I’ll pick you up at midnight.”

So, it is very important to use filtering/accountability software on all Internet enabled devices. These not only block unwanted sites but also allow a designated person/s to track how the device is being used and the attempts made to access unwanted sites.

The maturity level of sites allowed or disallowed is selected when setting up the software and can be changed only by the administrator of the account.

One of the best programs available for both Mac and PC is Covenant Eyes. Going to the following link will give you the information you need and also give you a free month of usage should you decide to give it a try. https://covenanteyes.com/ affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=569 9. Remember, every Internet enabled device needs to be used with proper parental controls selected. Most parents understand that computers should be used in common areas of the house, not bedrooms, etc. so everyone can see what is being accessed. However, it’s easy to forget that gaming consoles, smart phones, smart TVs, etc. also access the Internet directly and need the same safety measures as do computers.

10. Have the talk with kids about on-line gambling.

It’s easy to assume your children will not be involved in such, but according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, “Teen rates for problem gambling are higher than for adults.

Approximately 4-8% of kids between 12 and 17 years of age meet criteria for a gambling problem, and another 10-15% are at risk of developing a problem.” We need to remember; most video games are legal for minors, gambling is not.

11. One of the biggest trends on the Internet is the use of anonymizer websites that are used to bypass Internet firewalls and blocking software. By going to one of these sites, your child could easily browse pornographic sites at home, school, the library, etc. and the computer’s history will look like they have only been to the anonymizer site. The names of these sites look completely innocent such as, workstudyplay.com, so parents need to be vigilant in checking the history. Yes, it will take some time but necessary if you want to keep your children safe.

12. If you allow your child to use a social networking site, you should also be a member of that site. Both you and your child need to add each other as friends so that you know what is being posted to your child’s profile page. Be aware that kids often take online quizzes that ask personal questions about themselves and their families and friends.

13. If you allow your kids to blog, it’s very important to have access to their blog and read it often. Teenagers write about half of all blogs today with two-thirds providing their age,

location, contact information and many using their real name - a predator’s playground!

14. Be aware that public Wi-Fi offered by many restaurants, stores, hotels, etc., should only be used for anonymous Internet browsing. Offering free Wi-Fi may seem like a great service, but with an easily available software program, anyone on the same Wi-Fi signal can monitor everything that being done. The best advise is, when using a Wi-Fi signal that is not secure or a public computer, don’t do anything that requires your user name and password. Paying bills, for example, at a fast food restaurant or a hotel using the provided Wi-Fi, can allow access to all of your banking information including account numbers, balances, bill pay, etc. It’s always best to hook directly into a system using an Ethernet cable and your laptop.

15. Report any content or activity that you suspect as illegal or criminal to your local law enforcement and to www.cybertipline.com, 1-800-843-5678.

This list could go on almost endlessly. Please remember that you, the parent, need to be a safe place for your kids, that you have their best interests at heart and are willing to talk with them about their on-line experiences without making them feel like you don’t trust them. They need to know it’s not them you don’t trust; it’s the perverts, stalkers and predators.

Lou Butterfield holds the PSAP (Professional Sex Addiction Professional) credential from iiTAP (International Institute for Trauma & Addiction Professionals) • Treating Sexual Addiction certification from AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors) • Is the Director of the Center for Christian Broadcasting, Inc., Searcy, AR • Executive Producer of the DVD series, The Mouse Trap, Dangers of Internet Pornography. • Professor Emeritus, Harding University • Pulpit Minister Emeritus, Remmel church, Newport, AR • Ed.D. from Texas Tech University • Ed.S. & M.S. from Indiana University.

Lou may be contacted at lou@wefightporn.com

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O

ne afternoon I received a phone call from Sherry Wilson who shared with me that she had read a blog of a beautiful woman writing about her struggle with cancer. She wrote not only about how “God has got this,” but also about the struggle of having to put a price on her life (because of the treatment expense). Sherry said, “As I continued to read through my tears I thought, what if that were my child or husband? This gave me a desire to want to help people locally in White County who are dealing with cancer.”

Immediately my mind went back to 48 years ago as I remembered how White County had supported our Family in so many ways during the time our 2 1/2 year old son, Timmy, battled leukemia. I 70 Your Hometown Magazine

knew this was another “God given” opportunity to give back to a community that had given so much.

Sherry had contacted Mike Wilson and shared her thoughts.

Mike said, “[I have] firsthand experience of how cancer can affect a family not just emotionally, but financially... My daughter was diagnosed as a teenager, and watching families deal with the stresses of this horrible disease while we went through treatments at Arkansas Children’s Hospital was all the fuel I needed to want to help.”

We three met and, with the leadership of the Lord, the “White County Kicking Cancer Foundation” had its beginning. Our mission: To provide supplemental funding for health care costs and/or needs to local individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer.

We then came together and formed a formal board with local businessmen and women. We are honored to have Kevin Kinard, Steve Hernandez, Christine Walker, George Carder and Robin Reinbolt to help serve and fight for this great cause. The

Foundation will serve people in White County who need help with costs of traveling expenses and other costs not covered by insurance.

The foundation is 100% non-profit and serving just the people in White County. Recipients are chosen by the Board, and anyone in White County can apply for funding. Our first two recipients are Lorri Petty and Alan Dickson.

It’s so important for White County citizens to know they are not alone; we are here to help “kick cancer locally.” Our first fundraiser was a 5K Glow Run & 1K Walk for all ages.

We want to thank all who had a part in making this a success.

Visit our website or email us for further information.

Website:

www.WhiteCountyKickingCancerFoundation.com

Email: kickingcancerinsearcy@gmail.com

The Foundation will serve people in White County who need help with costs of traveling expenses and other costs not covered by insurance.

This photo by Madison Henderson

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It’s so important for White County citizens to know they are not alone; we are here to help “kick cancer locally.”

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Over the Counter Rodney G. Richmond, RPh, MS, CGP, FASCP Harding University College of Pharmacy

The Rise of Measles

By Samantha Morrison, PharmD Candidate, Nicholas S. Marceaux BS, PharmD Candidate and Rodney Richmond, RPh, MS, CGP, FASCP

In 2000 the CDC declared that measles was eliminated from the United States, meaning measles was no longer constantly present in this country. Elimination was made possible because of a highly effective measles vaccine and a robust vaccination program. However, measles remain a concern because outbreaks are still occurring in other parts of the world.

In recent years there has been a surge in the number of reported cases of measles in the United States. With this dangerous and in some cases life-threatening disease on the rise, it is important to know what measles looks like and how you and your family can be protected.

How Big is the Problem? Prior to a vaccine becoming available in 1963, measles killed 2.6 million people each year worldwide. Since then, there has been a reduction in deaths due to global efforts of vaccine administration. However, despite the availability of effective vaccines, measles remain a concern because outbreaks are still occurring in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Each year about 20 million people worldwide get measles and about 146,000 people die. This poses a health concern for people in the United States because measles can be brought into this country by unvaccinated travelers. In 2014 there were 668 new cases of measles reported in the United States, and as of August, 2015 there have been 188 new cases representing five outbreaks reported across 24 states. In fact, the number of new cases this year has already exceeded the average

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of the last five years (See chart).

Cause and Symptoms: Measles is a highly contagious virus that affects only humans. The virus lives in the nose and throat of infected people and is easily spread to others in close personal contact through coughing or sneezing. Although measles can affect anyone, the people who at high-risk for severe illness and complications include: children under 5 years, adults over 20 years, pregnant women, and people who are immunocompromised (e.g. leukemia, HIV infection). Measles symptoms typically appear 7-14 days after a person is infected.

Initial symptoms of measles include high fever, runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes. Then 3-5 days after symptoms begin a characteristic red or white spotty rash covering most of the body will appear. Common complications of measles include ear infections, diarrhea, and dehydration. Some people may suffer more severe complications such pneumonia, swelling of the brain (encephalitis) that can lead to convulsions and deafness, or even death.

Treatment & Prevention: Like many viral illnesses there is no specific treatment for measles; therefore, the best course of action is prevention. Measles can be prevented through vaccination with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR; M-M-R速 II) or the measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV; ProQuad速) vaccine.

•

It is recommended that all children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Children can receive the second dose earlier as long as it is at least 28 days after the first dose.

•

As an alternative to the MMR vaccine, the MMRV vaccine is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox) in 12 months through 12 years of age. The first dose is administered at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. It can also be used as the second dose of measles prevention if M-M-R® II was used as the first dose.

measles to others. Healthcare personnel should get two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days. Because the measles vaccine contains a live virus, women who are pregnant or individuals who have a severely compromised immune system should NOT receive the vaccine.

For more information about which vaccine is right for you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. You can also find additional information about measles on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/measles.

In addition to routine immunization of pre-school age children, following are recommendations for vaccinating others who do not have evidence of immunity against measles. Students at secondary educational institutions (e.g. college) need two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days. Adults should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine. Infants under 12 months are generally not vaccinated against measles, except in the case of international travel. Protection can be provided to infants by vaccinating all eligible family members and individuals who come into regular contact with the infant. This creates a pool of people around the infant who are themselves protected from getting measles. This “cocoon of protection” shelters infants from getting measles. International travelers aged 6 months and older who do not have evidence of immunity against measles should be protected against measles before travel which will both decrease the risk of contracting measles and spreading

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By Paul C. Bunn President: Veterans Outreach Ministries/Centers www.vetcenters.org

I won’t even pray to you Lord God, I can’t face you with all my sins, After all I’ve done, I don’t deserve your grace again.

I answered the call, and served my Country, With blood on my hands, I know I’m not worthy.

I never thought my life, would see such destruction, Now filthy and dirty, My soul feels so broken.

The screams, the nightmares, the insanity inside me, No drug nor drink, I have found to hide me.

I love my family, My kids I adore, But I hurt them with words of anger, that they do not deserve.

Honor for the dead. For the living it’s just pain.

So if I take my life is that not gain?

I deployed. I serve. I left my family.

If I’d died on the field of battle honor they’d gave me.

It’s so confusing to me. To die in battle is okay.

But suicide is sin. Those that love me would hurt.

But the pain would subside, There would be no more hurt for those in my life.

You see, these are the demons that torture our Vets, They don’t want to commit suicide they just don’t want to live.

You ask why I’m still alive. Because of a Man. That’s still in the fight. He was betrayed with a kiss.

Wrongly convicted He died, but came back to life.

He is my “Lord” and my “Savior” “Jesus Christ”.

He came to earth and waged a war against evil, to make a way for you and I to be forgiven.

The price he paid was one of torture beyond all imagination, and at His time of death he confronted Satan.

Jesus took the keys of death from Satan and arose from the grave back to the living, and came unto his Disciples and charged them with the Great Commission to spread the good word that we serve a God like no other. To bring the lost to the saving knowledge of his Birth, Life, Death, and resurrection.

For us to lead by example; being not a stumbling block; that would keep others from salvation, but through our good works they would want to be Christ like and be saved by the Grace of God. And Jesus appeared and said you are mine.

My Father He is God, ruler of all time.

He tells the wind when it can blow, and the Sun when to rise, and when to set, and tells the ocean just how far it can get.

So many times in trials weakness blurs my vision, and I forget of whom I’m forgiven.

He is my Lord and my Savior the living “God” “Jesus” Christ.

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An Amazing Perspective God is often times found in the most unexpected places

By Ben Howard

“But most of all, I looked into his eyes for just a moment, and I saw...I saw God.”

I had one of the most unique experiences yesterday, and it honestly put so much into perspective for me. My grandfather has a friend named Dean Hackworth who’s known me for my entire life, and I’ve known him for as long as I can remember.

For some time in my life, until the past couple of years, I barely knew anything about his personal life other than he has a kid named Eric in his 40s. I never really thought to ask much about it until I was told that Eric is mentally challenged, as well as blind: he can’t speak or walk very effectively on his own, and can’t even eat without some kind of assistance. Naturally, being Eric’s sole caretaker and taking him to Sunshine School everyday kind of puts Dean’s social life on hold most of the time, so sometimes he’ll hire college aged kids (like myself) to go over to his house to look after Eric and make sure he’s fed and safe.

So the other day, after hearing about some of the college kids he normally hires being out of town, I decided to offer my help for the day because I wasn’t doing anything until later that evening, and because Dean is just such a nice guy and great friend to the family.

What happened throughout that afternoon touched me immensely; the love that Dean Hackworth has for this mentally inhibited but beautiful man touched me to the core. Words can’t express how beautiful it was to me as I listened to him talking to Eric as though he was like everybody else, except more gently and with a softer touch.

What made this so much more humbling was after Dean had left to go to a golf tournament to just get out of the house for a bit, I went ahead and fed Eric his food. As I did it, he communicated to me in ways that I didn’t think possible for someone of his mental stature.

He would grasp my arm to show that he enjoyed me being there, and he would shake my hand to show that he appreciated me helping him.

But most of all, I looked into his eyes for just a moment, and I saw...I saw God. I saw how much God had carried me through my severe stages of autism, and how I used to not be able to communicate anything I wanted... just like Eric. Yet, I still understood everything that Eric communicated to me in just one look. And it humbled me immensely; I started visibly shaking at how moving it was.

So, I guess really the only thing to derive from the experience is this: God is often times found in the most unexpected places, just as the Spirit of God was found in Paul, in Moses... and in Eric as well.

And that’s the kind of stuff I live for.

Thanks for listening.

P.S. Also, I’m not trying to get anyone to realize how “good” of a person I am in any sense. I just thought I might share to maybe help at least one person who was going through a tough time.

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, a United States Sports Specialty Association team based in Searcy, won the 9AA state tournament. They beat the odds. They set a goal and achieved it. But there’s so much more to the story.

In 2013, a group of parents and boys met to discuss the idea of playing fall ball in Cabot. Some of the families and kids knew each other and others didn’t. A team was formed simply to allow the kids who had really enjoyed summer league to keep playing baseball during the off-season.

The team was young for the league, and all of the kids had to play up an age bracket. Amazingly enough, they ‘held their own’ most of the time, enjoyed some success and had a lot of fun.

The group of kids fluctuated during the next few years, but several of the kids from the original season remained, and the team began to play USSSA baseball. The ‘Central Arkansas Redbirds’ team was formed in 2014. The athletes continued to build their skills, and their relationships strengthened.

We quickly realized that we were a David in a land of Goliaths.

So many of the teams had indoor practice facilities, large corporate or sporting good company sponsors and privately paid coaches.

We struggled just to find a place to practice, and our coaches were dads who worked all day and came to lead our boys during the evening. At the end of our first season as the Central Arkansas Redbirds, we had compiled a meager 16-25 record. The boys were unphased by this. After a less than desirable performance at state, one of our ambitious players said, “That’s ok. We’re going to win Fall State next year.” We admired his positivity... but little did we know that his prediction would soon become a reality.

The age of 9 brings about big changes in baseball. Kid pitch, leading off and stealing were all new skills for the team to learn.

With this in mind, the coaches made a decision at the beginning of the season to work diligently to keep the focus as positive as possible and to bring faith, family and teamwork to the forefront.

While this has always been a theme of the team, this really became the driving focus for them. The team practiced diligently to learn 80 Your Hometown Magazine

the new skill set, yet when practices ended, the boys wanted to continue playing. The dreams were formed, the imaginary games were played out and ‘official’ 8 and 9 year old commentary was often overheard... “The winning run comes to the plate, the bases are loaded, and here comes the pitch, he swings, he hits and it’s out of here! It’s a Grand Slam Home Run!!” To use a cliché, they were playing purely for the love of the game and for each other.

This is when we, as parents, really noticed how much our boys had grown in their relationships as friends and teammates. Leaders became apparent, encouragers emerged and every single player contributed to the cause. In every tournament the team played a bit better. We began to sense that this team was capable of something special, and the talent and love of the game that had always been in place seemed to all come together.

The Fall State Tournament began on a beautiful Saturday morning in September. Our kids were excited to be there and looking forward to the day. For anyone unfamiliar with tournament play, pool play games are typically played on Saturday and the results determine seeding for the Sunday bracket-play games. The first game on Saturday was against a team we had previously beat, and our boys were feeling pretty confident.

However, if you’ve been around youth baseball very long, you know that the only thing that is certain is that everything is uncertain. We lost that first game, but the boys were determined to win the next. The second game was a pretty easy win. We waited until late that evening to hear our place in the standings and were seeded 5th of 14. This wasn’t too bad, but unfortunately, it gave us a 9:00 a.m. start which meant we would have a very long day on Sunday if we kept winning.

Sunday morning was perfect. The smell of fall was in the air and the kids were excited.

We began, as always, with a pregame devotional and warm-ups. We were scheduled to face one of the teams we had played the day before. It was close and long, but the Redbirds pulled it out. Game two was scheduled to begin at 12:30, and we faced a team that we knew to be a ‘Goliath.’ Much to our surprise, our kids didn’t seem to realize this and won again by a larger margin. This brought us to our third game on Sunday, and this one unfolded a bit like a movie.

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The game began over an hour late, and we waited for our kids to take the field.

This team had beat us the day before, so the kids wanted this one badly. Things were close at first but quickly declined, with the other team jumping to a large lead. Our boys struggled to get three outs to come back in to bat. We finally secured three outs and were down 12-4, with very little time remaining. The boys came into the dugout with their heads held down. All momentum was lost. The parents and coaches did their best to encourage them, but things looked pretty bleak. Several minutes passed and the players seemed to have resigned to lose when one of our original players from the 2013 team began a very weak chant, “Everybody hits. Everybody scores.” After several nonsuccessful attempts to get others to join in, another one of the original boys began to chant, too. More boys joined in, and soon they all started to chant, and the mood lightened. One by one they came to the plate and they found a way to make it to the base, and the lead began to diminish. The chants began to change to: “I believe that we will win. I believe that we will win.” The kids grew more and more excited, and suddenly momentum was once again on our side. Under the most amazing sunset, the Redbirds brought the game to a tie.

We were the ‘visiting’ team, so the other team had the last at bat. By this time, the clock had expired and we had to hold them to force the game into extra innings. Like any feel-good movie, they held them that inning. So once again it was our turn to bat. The boys were hitting well and took a 4 run lead and had to hold them again for the win. We allowed one run. With a couple of runners in scoring position, the tying run came up to the plate. With two outs, the batter stepped up and crushed a line drive to right-center field, and in one of the most dramatic catches of the season, our right fielder made a jumping grab to cinch the victory. The Central Arkansas Redbirds were going to the championship game.

The ball park was empty by this time except for the remaining fans of the two teams. It was 8:00 p.m., and the boys had played over 6 hours of baseball games. They left one field and walked to the adjacent field to grab a quick bite of concession stand fare and rest for a few minutes before beginning the game.

The championship game began, and the parents all wondered how the kids were still playing. However, the kids seemed unfatigued. The Redbirds continued to encourage each other and play with intensity. The game was well played with excellent offensive and defensive play by both teams. Finally, at 10:00 p.m., during the super moon eclipse, in the bottom of the 5th, a line drive to short stop resulted in the third out to give the Redbirds the State Championship victory! Gloves and hats flew in the air and the boys lined up to congratulate the other team on a job well done and accept their trophies. It was truly a breathtaking moment!

It was a fitting end to an excellent season. The boys learned how to depend on each other, how to trust their coaches and, most importantly, remembered to honor God in all that they do. And we ended the night just as we had started the day, with a word of prayer.

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Send us your photos at SearcyLivingPhotos@yahoo.com

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By Mary Ann Bailey

Church, school, work, bills, groceries, kids, grandkids, volunteering, social activities, etc. Wait! An obstacle? My mother doesn’t feel well!

In July of this year my mother was very active, living alone, self-sufficient, self-motivated, and a caregiver to her children and others, an overall normal, healthy 69 year old. In early August, she went on a short overnight trip. She had been feeling some fatigue, some weakness, and slightly under the weather. As most of us do, she thought, “oh probably a bug, virus, etc.” Years prior, she had been diagnosed with a disease called Polymyalgia Rheumatic. In July it was deemed there was a ‘flare up’ from this, so “probably the cause of my symptoms?” While on her overnight trip, there was a moment of uncertainty as she began to step on to the charter tram that was to take her to the evening show she anxiously awaited to see. She couldn’t take a step up? Try this again, nope, again, nope, this is weird? The person accompanying her, as well as a few others aboard the tram, assisted with getting her in the tram and off to the show. At that moment, (as we all would), she was thinking, “that was weird?” She carried-on with the good time she set out to have. Tomorrow came, still some struggle with lifting the legs and the same general symptoms.

Over the next few weeks she began to be much worse.

This healthy, normal mother of mine now required us to come assist her before work, at lunch time, and spend every night caring for her at her home. Amidst all this we were making appointments with physicians, visiting E.R., getting multiple blood tests, CT scans, MRIs, Dopplers, ultra-sounds, and every other test they could run to ‘rule out’ all the ugly stuff. All tests were good?!?

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Much unanswered questions: our mother is having trouble feeding herself, very difficult to walk, can’t raise herself in the bed, why are all the tests ok? As my siblings and I prayed many times, and laid awake, and slacked in all the normal ‘duties’ in life, we began thinking, “Is our mother dying? Are we doing all we can, are we making the right decisions, what is the missing piece Lord?”

On Thursday, August 13th, our mother was admitted to Unity Health (formerly White County Medical Center). This is when we met Dr. Benjamin W. Carlyle & Resident Physician Dr. Ziad Ghneim. While visiting her hospital bed, they showed compassion, care, and a desire to hear our need. They took time to study her case. This was an exceptional response to me and my family. I will not go into all her diagnoses. I will just say she had several, a few ‘rare’ deficiencies, and was consuming dangerously high amounts of vitamins. She was dying. Yes, too many vitamins can kill you!

It took these doctors veering off the ‘normal’ path and doing some research to find this. One doctor mentioned 3 hours of ‘private’ study & research. YES, 3 HOURS! These men had a desire to find the problem, to serve, and to see a healing in our mother.

As I laid awake in the dark, cold, hospital room and watched my mother rest, this message came upon my heart, to spread the ‘good in people.’ This is a story of a small town hospital and small town doctors & staff that have compassion for their patients, and I want to give accolades that are due to many.

Today, she is much better after a very lengthy hospital stay, therapy, and care. We are still facing bumps and bridges to cross and we have seen many ‘close calls’ while in the hospital, lots of sleepless nights, & still far from the life she lived in July. She is

no longer able to care completely for herself, and has recently moved into my home, but thanks to a team of caring, dedicated, loving doctors, nurses, therapists, aides, housekeepers, cafeteria staff, volunteers, and many others employed at Unity Health, she is feeling better and we have hope.

Please take time in your struggles to see the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;goodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in people.

The result can only cause better care, compassion and love.

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By Cecelia Wilson ccasionally there is a headline that not only catches your eye, but compels you to glance at it again and ask, “Did I read that correctly?” So it was in March 2015, when the words “Judge,” “Searcy” and “Zebra” all appeared in the same caption. A story about a hunter and a rogue deer?

Read it. A tale of a rabid raccoon and a human? Not unheard of.

But, when District Judge Mark Derrick was unfortunate enough to have had a run-in with an exotic animal in Searcy – well, that made for one unique story. So, let’s just talk about the [elephant] zebra in the room…

In 1974, Derrick’s father bought farmland in Searcy. Originally his pastures were dotted with nothing more unusual than quarter horses; but, over time, he ventured into raising brahma, then buffalo, black buck antelope and even wallabies. “Dad has always liked animals,” the Judge explains, “especially weird ones!” So, four decades later, it isn’t a surprise that his father’s menagerie includes camels, royal yak and…yes, a zebra.

Just as each human has a unique personality, so too do animals.

And of the four zebra on the Derrick farm in 2015, Crosby was definitely the most “ornery.” For no real reason, Crosby would walk around a person and the zebra and camels standing quietly nearby and, once on the other side of his pasture-mates, he would push them into that person. “Crosby even ran into Dad once or twice and would bump him,” Mark remembers. “Once, he knocked Dad down and then just kept on going.” In spite of 88 Your Hometown Magazine

that propensity to be a bully, Crosby proved an otherwise amicable member of the Derrick family. So much so that Judge Derrick’s computer screensaver is a favorite picture of Crosby being petted

by Derrick’s 7-year-old son in 2011.

March 15, 2015 was an otherwise uneventful Sunday that found Mark working in one of his father’s sheds, scooping manure and filling bags. The four zebra, catching the scent of the messy chore, would wander in from the pasture through the open doors of the shed to investigate, only to wander back out again after a few minutes of curiosity. After filling 15 – 16 bags, Mark began loading the bags into the bed of his truck. His work complete, he tossed his shovel in the back and turned to leave.

No doubt sniffing out “greener pastures,” three of the zebra were no longer around, but Crosby hadn’t left. Thinking nothing of it, Mark continued to the cab of his truck, but from the corner of his eye he saw Crosby rear up. “The next thing I remember,” Mark said, “I was waking up on the ground and Crosby was on his knees.” Clamping down on the Judge’s left arm with his teeth, Crosby was slinging his victim from side to side. “I didn’t think he was hurting me because I couldn’t feel anything.” But, he soon realized he was in trouble. The nerve had been severed in his left arm and he could see his bicep.

Struggling for release, he punched Crosby in the eye, tried to wrap his legs around the zebra’s neck and even attempted to grab his ears. But, even the two punches he managed to land didn’t faze the animal. At some point during the altercation, Mark received a

Mark Derrick was unfortunate enough to have had a run-in with an exotic animal in Searcy.

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The Derrick Family

“While deep in his medicated state, reality was illusive and visions crept in. ‘All my [hallucinations] were pictures of Jesus. He let me know very quickly He was there.’ With that strong sense of security and the superb care of the UAMS staff – from the doctors to the people who emptied the trash – Mark Derrick began the process of healing.”

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gash near his right eye and his glasses were lost. His right wrist was bitten, fractured in two places, the tendon was cut and the indention of Crosby’s teeth was visible in the bone.

Fifty yards away, Mark’s father looked up to see his son being tossed about by one of his pet zebra like a rag doll. Yelling as he came across the lot to rescue his son, Mark finally knew help was on the way. By the time he rounded the corner to the last shed, Crosby was nonchalantly walking away. Rushed to White County Medical Center in serious condition, Mark was then taken by ambulance to UAMS in Little Rock. It appeared he would lose his left arm, but his doctor was reluctant to agree with that possibility.

After surgery, he was placed in intensive care and given plenty of pain medication.

Despite the severity of his injuries (the Judge would eventually endure 10 surgeries on his left arm and 2 on his right wrist), he insists he was never worried about his condition. While deep in his medicated state, reality was illusive and visions crept in.

“All my [hallucinations] were pictures of Jesus. He let me know very quickly He was there.” With that strong sense of security and the superb care of the UAMS staff – from the doctors to the people who emptied the trash – Mark Derrick began the process of healing. And part of that process meant retaining a sense of humor over a very somber ordeal.

After his condition was upgraded, he was placed in a regular room and that’s where his wife, Shannon, found him one morning looking…well, like he’d been assaulted by a zebra. Both his arms were heavily bandaged, and his left arm was larger than his leg.

She looked at her husband’s battered, wrapped body and quipped, “You know, I just don’t see how you’re going to be able to use a weed eater!” Yet, he was released from UAMS the first week of April, was back at work four half-days in April and was sitting in court full-time by May 1st.

Welcoming him back, the Judge’s clerks in Searcy celebrated his return with food served on zebra-printed plates. They gave him a small stuffed zebra with big eyes and band-aids on his eye, nose and bottom. They even presented him with a zebra-printed necktie. It was a day to relax, to laugh and to be thankful for a life that could have been lost. And though he’s back to his daily routine without pain, he still has lingering issues. Mark’s left thumb and first two fingers are still numb. “I can throw a 50 pound bag of feed over my shoulder, but I can’t eat an ear of corn,” he explains his left arm’s limitations. He can use his chainsaw and a weed eater, but holding a phone to his ear is not as easy.

To this day, it still baffles the Derricks as to why Crosby attacked on that March day. Since the pet was legally owned, the police did not press charges, and a game warden checked the 8’ tall outside fences, deeming them appropriate. An official from the Little Rock Zoo explained that sometimes a strange, unfamiliar scent can be enough to set off a zebra and asked the Derricks if there had been any new animal births around the time of the attack.

There had. A baby camel had been born that very morning.

Only one zebra, the calmest, remains on the Derrick farm these days. Crosby was auctioned off soon after his run-in with Mark.

But, the Judge feels confident that on that fateful Sunday Crosby the zebra was just being that ornery, quirky character he had always been. Why did Crosby hang around that day and, without any provocation, decide to pounce? Certainly, caution always has to be used when around any animal – domesticated or not.

And there’s no interviewing the animal to get a statement on his defense. But, Judge Derrick thinks he has some insight into his old friend’s alibi. “I bet after the accident if you had been able to talk to Crosby, he would say [of Mark], ‘He’s my best bud. I was just treating him like any another zebra!’” To date, Crosby refuses to take the stand.

Thank you, thank you, thank you sooooooo much for all the prayers. GOD let me know from the first lucid hours I had at UAMS that he was with me and I am certain he was more gracious and merciful to me because of your prayers.

UAMS is a great place with lots of good Christian people.

Only 1 more surgery in a few weeks to take out the screw in my right wrist where they repaired a tendon.

The skin grafts took 100%. I’m getting more use of my left arm every day. Orthopedics wanted to fuse my left elbow, but my plastic surgeon, Dr. Yuen, felt he had attached what was left of my left bicep that I should wait. Dr. Yuen has a lot of GOD-given talent and wisdom.

2 good things came out of this: 1. Crosby scraped the sheathing off of the nerves in my right wrist. Dr said it is the same thing they do for carpal tunnel, so I won’t have to worry about that.

2. For the last year or year and a half I have been praying I did not feel I had the “love for my neighbor” that I was supposed to and I have been asking GOD to show me what kind of love I should have. He showed me. People were praying for me that I didn’t even think liked me. People were constantly taking their personal time to come see me, even people I thought didn’t like me. Brad Newman from the AG’s office even spent his lunch hour with me two days and I know he hates to miss lunch. The cards, flowers, and food were amazing. A large sack of cards came from the 4th grade children at Southwest Middle School and 3 healing flowers from 1st grade classes at Sidney Deener. After a few days, GOD told me: “This is the love I want you to have.” No more “I’m tired and I want to go home.”

The Searcy District Court Clerks and Probation Department (and Connie Newkirk and Reni Irby from Circuit Court) threw a lunch party for my return to work. The ladies all wore black and white. There was all kinds of great food, including zebra-striped fudge and cupcakes with zebra-striped frosting. I also received this cool zebraprint tie. Great Day!!! Don’t want any supper, though. Why are all my friends better than I deserve?!?!?!

 Mark still likes animals even after the zebra incident.

Lucy is a long time family friend.

Then you sit and realize GOD knew all of this was going to happen before he ever created the earth. I bet GOD likes the refrain from the Delfonics’ song Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time.

To you smokers - because of the 8 hours my left arm had no blood because Crosby ripped a big chunk of artery out - the Drs. said if I had been a smoker I probably would not have much use of my left arm, if I could have even kept it.

I know this was long, those of you who know me well know I’m kind of like Arlo Guthrie in Alice’s Restaurant - I’ve been singing for 30 minutes and I could sing for another 30 - I’m not tired, or proud.

One other thing I think worth mentioning. I have been wanting The Complete Works of Josephus. I received a copy while in the hospital and the person who gave it to me had no idea I wanted it.

Friend Misty Perkins to Mark Derrick “She said zebras are sweet horseys!”

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Fab Do It Yourself Multifunctional Desk When our oldest daughter inherited a queen sized bed and large dresser it didn’t leave a lot of space in her bedroom for other pieces. As a teenage girl one of her room “must-haves” was a desk for homework that could double as a makeup vanity. With

I started out with a 20”x36” pine project panel (available pre-cut at Lowes); a 1x4 board cut into two 18” pieces and two 33” pieces; and two 29” table legs. I painted each piece and distressed them to accent the woodgrain.

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3

To make the frame of the desk I connected an 18” board to the side of each table leg using an angle clip.

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such limited space, the best solution was to build a custom desk to fit the dimensions of the space. After looking at the room’s layout, I decided to put the desk beside the bed and add a third function as a night stand, which allows me to use fewer pieces in the room.

2

I mounted the first 33” board onto the wall 25.5” from the floor, making sure to attach to at least 2 wall studs.

4

6

Next, I connected the second 33” board to the front of both table legs, also using angle clips.

5

I then lifted the piece and connected it to the wall mounted board to complete the desk’s frame.

For the desk’s top, I placed the project board on top and nailed it into the frame. For durability and easy clean up, I applied 2 coats of polyurethane Tip: If using white latex paint, use water based poly. Oil based will turn white paint yellow. You will also avoid the harsh fumes of the oil based.

The desk is now a multifunctional piece that can be enjoyed for years to come!

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4 Bean Chili With the cooler weather finally making its grand entrance most people are ready for a bowl of chili. If you are vegetarian, or have dinner guests who are, you will really appreciate this recipe! You may choose to use beef broth instead of the vegetable broth or you might even decide to add ground beef to this. Either way it is still delicious, but you will be pleasantly surprised at how truly good this is when prepared as the recipe directs. It would make a cowboy proud! I spoke with Crystal at the Natural Food Store and she said she has everything needed to make this if you want to stop in and get it in a hurry. Buying the ingredients is the most time consuming part of the whole process.

INGREDIENTS 1 large yellow onion, diced 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 Tbsp olive oil 28 ounce can diced tomatoes 15 ounce can black beans 15 ounce can pinto beans

sauté

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven sauté diced onion and minced garlic in the olive oil until the onion is clear and tender.

add

Add remaining ingredients and simmer until heated throughout. Easy!!!

beef

If you choose to add ground beef to this, simply brown it before adding the onion, garlic and oil to the pan. Enjoy!

15 ounce can kidney beans 15 ounce can cannellini beans 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder 2 c. vegetable broth (or beef broth)

Tanya Turner Leckie’s cookbook Cartwheels In The Kitchen, is available at Tonya’s Consignment, Midnight Oil Coffee House, as well as through Tanya by e-mailing her at lazydaygourmet@sbcglobal.net. Partial proceeds through sales benefit the Makonde Team mission work in Tanzania, Africa.

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Across 2. Information on the Internet lives _____.

5. God is often times found in the most _____ places.

8. What is the chief hurdle of investing?

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m measured in temperature and time, but have neither.

Down 1. Amy Daniels considers education as _____ compensation.

3. White County Kicking Cancer Foundation provides supplemental _____ for health care costs and needs.

4. What singing group was Matt Nunnally a part of?

6. The Redbirdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; championship game was during a super moon _____.

7. Trinity Baptist Church in Searcy has recently answered the call of becoming a ___ _____ church.

What runs around the house but never moves?

Find The Answers On

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Keep your head up.

God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.

Show your support for life and help raise money at the same time! Purchase an Official Choose Life Arkansas License Plate for the rear of your car. You can obtain one through direct purchase from the Department of Finance and Administration.

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make the readership of Searcy Living the BIGGEST supporters for life in the state!

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