SB Faith & Family May 2013

May 2013

Run with the Angels Mo�ers Making a Difference

Running the Race in Boston

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MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

contents

MAY 2013

on �e cover 9 Running the Race in Boston 12 Run with the Angels Mother’s Making a Difference

columns 4 Teen Talk

God’s Faithfulness in my Life

5 From the Readers

Happy Mother’s Day If ever in Doubt...Don’t

8 Health & Wellness

Blood Sugar and it’s Effect on Body Composition

20 Thoughts in Christ

Mary, our Cause of Rejoicing

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10 Joyful Noise

Big Daddy Weave

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11 Faith Under Fire

The Chaos Platform

15 Close to Home

Honor Your Parents

17 Beautiful Feet

Local Family Called to the Mission Field

18 Chick Chat

My one Defense

19 Youth News

American HeritageFaith, Service, Fun!

in every issue 16 Wise Words

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19

22 Ad Directory

Jason Foster

Graphic Design Ad Consultant

Angelique Milliken Mary Driscoll

On the Cover from left to right: Joey Haddad, Tom Murphy, John M. (Holy Angels’ Resident), Caroline Murphy, Ginny Murphy, Jeanne Long, Billy G. (Holy Angels’ Resident) and Marti Lepow.

Back row: Virginia Haddad, KATHRYN GAIENNIE, and Cissie Smith.

Advertising Mary Driscoll Mary@sbfaithandfamily.com 318-423-4483

7 Marriage Matters

9 Running the Race in Boston

Publisher Ashley Foster ashley@sbfaithandfamily.com Editor

14 Pressing Upwards

features

May 2013

Contributors Kayla Arrington, Bonita Bandaries, Bishop Basil, Lawrence Farley, Cindy Flanagan, Madison Holly Field, Dianne Howell, Rebekah Lewis, Tim Palmer, JoAnne Timothy, Amanda Ward, Debbie Wilson, Steve Wilson Mission Statement SB Faith & Family exist to provide Christians and the community at large with ways to grow and develop as a part of their faith & family. The local publication is designed to promote positive living by sharing with readers the latest news on entertainment, healthy living, parenting and inspirational literature as well as what individuals and organization are doing to try to address needs of the family.

SB Faith & Family is published monthly and is available at high traffic locations throughout the Shreveport/Bossier Area. SB Faith & Family can also be read online at www.SBFaithandFamily.com Theoria Publishing 6658 Youree Dr. Suite 180 #297 Shreveport. LA 71105 SBFaithandFamily@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook SB Faith and Family Stay up to date on local events & concerts.

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God’s Faithfulness in my Life

I am blessed and that is my testimony. To most that may not seem like a very good story to tell but I have been blessed and I do not have an extremely dramatic story to tell. I use to believe that this was not good enough and that I didn’t really have anything to share but I was given the opportunity to work with a mentor this year to help bring a new Christian club to my school and realized that I am enough and my story, I feel is a testament to what God can do in your life when you follow Him. I am blessed with two Christian parents who strife to follow Christ every day. They have set a standard in my life that said God comes first and I am so grateful to them for that guidance. As a kid I went to

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MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

church camps, stayed involved in youth group activities growing up and was saved at the age of 8. At the age of 16 I was blessed to go on a mission trip to El Salvador. I was not sure I could go because of the cost but I knew I should go and God provided a way.

The best part was it was a mission trip planned completely around actives with children and the cool thing about that is that I am going to one day be an elementary teacher. It is just so cool to sit back and watch how God works when you are faithful to Him in the small everyday things. Now I do not say all of this to say it has always been perfect, that has not been the case. However, I am reminded of two verses God has given me through my life to remind me that all things are possible and that His plans are to give me a future.

I am referencing Phillipians 4:13 and Jeremiah 29:11 and those two verses have given me hope and guidance throughout my life.

So my testimony would be that I have, in my life, tried to follow God’s ways and he has been faithful to me and for that reason I am blessed.

I have also been blessed and honored to

represent First Priority at Airline High School. First Priority is a club that not only keeps High school students involved, but also allows them to have their voice heard in front of their peers at school. This club also brings together people from different churches and unites them as a school. This club was started at Airline this Year in the spring semester because I was able to start this as my senior project. I was able to put my part in as the person that got the word out. Through this process I have been able to work with some amazing mentors that have been guiding me with this project. People like my High school pastor Chad Glover, and my small group leader Alison Grooms and my Senior Project mentor and the starter of First Priority Ark-la-tex John Carruth. These three amazing leaders have shown me that I can do anything I set my mind too. Before I was introduced to First Priority I was not the best speaker in public and if you were to tell me to go make a huge difference in the school, I would say your crazy! But I did it, I accomplished a goal.

Some statistics that have been proven over this school year with First Priority is that about 72 students have made a 1st time decision to follow Christ. And about 30 want to talk to someone about a relationship with Jesus, and about 25 students want to get plugged in to a local church group. And at Airline alone on our normal Wednesday meetings we now have about 30-40 people that come to the weekly meetings.

Kayla Arrington

Airline High School of Bossier City, LA

from the readers

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

(John 15:12 KJV) The love Carili has for our child, Beckett, made this scripture so real!! There is nothing like a mother’s love. The memories of the first time she saw him, the first time he walked, cried, said I love you..... All these memories have been so special because of her Christ like love for our family.

Sent in by Cody Tuma

Some of my favorite memories involving Mom:

3. The look on her face when our father announced to the three sons - ages 20,18,16 - that a new sibling was “on the way” PRICELESS!!

I have many great memories with my mom, Della Lopez. I believe the best ones is: when I was around 8 years old we would get up every morning around 5:30am.

We would walk 7 miles, but it wasn’t a normal walk.

This is where she taught me to talk with God, how to pray for others, and how to love in a way that Christ loved others. The teachings of my mom on those walks were the best memories I ever had. Love you, mom!

Sent in by Ron Foster

Sent in by Jason Lopez

1. Unbelievable preparation for holidays and family gatherings, which was always special for all involved - memorable!

2. Those occasions that seemed like “the end of the world” and being told by her steadfastly that it wasn’t - always reassuring!

Shreveport

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Bite into a crispy Buffalo Chicken, Salmon, Steak & Mushroom or Crawfish Pizza—but hurry, because theyFre only here for a limitied time.

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For information on advertising please contact Mary at:

(318) 423-4483 Mary@sbfaithandfamily.com 6

MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

M If ever in Doubt...Don’t!

arriage

Matters

Early in our marriage we decided to make a principle in our life and it was “If ever in doubt .... Don’t.” What that means is if we are going to make a decision and we have doubts about it, we will not do it un�l we get the freedom and answer from the Lord. There were many many �mes that this statement saved us so many problems. I remember a �me in our marriage that we needed a new car. We went and picked one out on Friday, signed all the papers and it was a done deal.

Didn’t really pray about it and had some doubts, but went through with it. On Saturday we drove to Tyler (about 90 miles away) and when we got home, we were very dissa�sfied with the car. On Monday, the dealership called us and said that we needed to come by and sign some papers that we didn’t sign on Friday. We walked in and told them that we were very unhappy with the car and they let us out of the deal. We got our old car back and we learned a very important lesson.

Lessons from “If ever in doubt..... don’t.”

1. If you have any large decision to make and you have some doubts about it, wait at least 48 hours to make a decision. If you s�ll have doubts, walk away and trust that God has a different way to provide for your need.

2. If you have doubts.... Try figuring out what the Lord is trying to teach you through wai�ng and what is He wan�ng to do in your life if you do wait? God is never in a hurry. If it is of Him, it will s�ll be there a�er you have taken the �me to pray and seek His will!

“Be s�ll and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10 I challenge you to put this principle into your daily life. Decide to stand by it no ma�er what and you will see that God cares about everything in our life and He wants us to bring everything to him and He will guide our every decision!

Steve & Debbie Wilson

w w w. M a r r i a g e M at t e r s No w. c o m

sbfaithandfamily.com | MAY 2013

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Health and Wellness

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Blood Sugar and its Effects on Body Composition When we are trying to lose body fat or gain lean muscle tissue, the key is to control blood sugar. Blood sugar control is also critical for athletic performance. If your blood sugar spikes higher than what your body needs at that point in time, all of the excess is stored as body fat! If it falls below what you need during physical work, your body begins to breakdown muscle tissue. It becomes very important to consider food selection and quantities in relation to physical activity! We used to teach that it was only necessary to count calories, but over the last 5 to 10 years, there have been numerous studies that indicate some foods affect blood sugar more drastically than others.

What does this mean to our training? Foods that spike blood sugar are only desirable prior to intense physical work or exercise. When we are going through the remainder of the day, foods that provide a more level blood sugar over a longer time period are desirable.

Examples of foods that have a high glycemic index (spike blood sugar) are sweets and refined grains. Examples of foods that have a low glycemic index are fats, proteins, vegetables and whole, unrefined grains.

Please remember that this is general information! What is right for one person, may not be right for you. You must consider your goals and physical activity level. You can also control blood sugar through physical activity, but it is much more difficult to exercise enough to control blood sugar than it is to eat correctly!

I recommend that you eat clean, train hard and be consistent! Don’t become frustrated with your mistakes!

Focus on your goals and the things you need to do to reach them! Stay in the moment, later or tomorrow hasn’t happened and it isn’t guaranteed! I believe in you!

1 Tim 4:8

Tim Palmer

The Exercise Solution, Inc. Shreveport, LA 318-864-6594 8

MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

special feature

Running the Race in Boston The Boston Marathon, first held in 1897, is a time of joy. People from all over the world gather in Boston every year on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday in April, to test their endurance and celebrate the nobility of the human spirit. Usually 500,000 gather for the happy event, including about 20,000 registered runners. On the third Monday of April, one of the best places in the world to be is the finish line in Boston.

Not this year. As everyone now knows, at about 2:50 p.m. two bombs went off within twelve seconds of each other close to the finish line, killing three people and wounding many others, including children. At time of this writing, Boston is a city in mourning, locked down and looking for the assailants. Understandably, the police are scouring everything— the vast area now designated a crime scene, and surveillance footage from many cameras. President Obama has promised that those responsible will be found and will feel the full weight of justice.

since America has come under a terrorist attack on its own soil. News footage from Boston has renewed American vigilance. The public is even now being warned to be aware of its surroundings.

This is, of course, just common sense. Even as children, we were warned to look both ways before crossing the street. Vigilance is good, especially at times like these.

But as believers in Christ, we must also take care that vigilance does not degenerate into fear and rob us of our peace in Christ. As the prophet Isaiah taught us, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You” (Isaiah 26:3).

The truth is that we knew this was a dangerous world even before the bombs went off in Boston. The world is torn and ravaged by disease, subject to accidents of nature and to the evils of men. Women die in childbirth, babies die in infancy.

Tornadoes and floods work their carnage. Wars slay multitudes of men, including innocent civilians.

Though the words “terrorist The world into which we have been attack” were not used in the born is a scary one, and every life President’s initial statement to the will, sooner or later, end in death. press, people from his office later Yet even in this world, God confirmed that they are treating the events in Boston as an act of terror, promises us peace if we look to Him. given that the bomb explosions seem The words of the Old Testament find to have been coordinated. It has been their fulfillment in the New, and the over a decade since the tragic and Gospel renews the promise of the traumatic events of 9-11. Vigilance prophets: “In the world you have has relaxed somewhat, and fear has tribulation,” Jesus said, “but be of subsided. It has been a long time good cheer—I have overcome the

world” (John 16:33). Recent events tempt us to look about nervously, to let fear fill our hearts. What’s in that package that someone left by the road? What’s in that bag?

What’s around the next corner? It is possible to let fear rule us, so that our attention is claimed and held captive by unseen possibilities for terror. The Gospel calls us to put our attention elsewhere as we run our own race: “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). Whether we have ever set foot in Boston or have ever run a marathon, if we serve Christ, we have a race to run.

It began with our baptism, and has its finish line in the Kingdom of God, where the Lord is “seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). As we run our race, let us not let fear dislodge our gaze from its proper Object, nor be afraid to cross the finish line. If we keep our hearts rooted in Christ, we can have perfect peace, even in Boston. When we cross our finish line, through whatever circumstances, be they inwardly peaceful or outwardly tragic, we enter into joy. Nothing can change that—not falling towers in New York, not exploding bombs in Boston. Let us run in peace, looking always to Jesus.

Pastor Lawrence Farley

sbfaithandfamily.com | MAY 2013

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Joyful Noise

Big Daddy Weave performs at Morphé Fest May 11th You’ve heard them on the radio. You may have even sung their songs in the shower. You have heard them numerous times as they are one of the 10 most played artists on Christian radio over the past decade. And, now you can hear them live at Morphé Fest on May 11th. Big Daddy Weave will perform at Morphé Fest as the festival kicks off its first Christian music festival for the Ark-La-Tex. It is about time we had our own Christian music festival. This area is packed with godly people and strong churches. We need to come together as a Christian community to worship and encourage one another. It will be a great time of fellowship as we gather around an outdoor stage and sing to the Lord. Glorifying God is the goal.

Big Daddy Weave will remind us all that we are set free in Christ just as their No. 1 single, “Redeemed,” says. Redeemed spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the NCA (National Christian Audience Chart) and nine weeks at No. 1 on the AC Monitored Chart. The video for the hit song has also proven to be a hit as it has amassed over two million views on YouTube.

As a part of the lineup of artists, you can catch Last Flight Out, who is flying in from Georgia on I-20. Of the Broken will be sharing their music and reminding us that while we may be broken, we serve a Savior who is perfect and complete. All for One will sing of the only true God as they share their heart for ministry with us. The Brandon Pierce Band will shake things up with their latest songs from their new album being released just in time for the festival. Johnson Forest will

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MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

surprise us with their unique blend of contemporary Christian/folk/ blue grass. And there is more.... DOXA and Gregg Gober will lead us in praise and worship of the One we seek to honor. You don’t want to miss this. Check the website for the schedule of performances.

Morphé Fest is an outdoor Christian festival being held on May 11th on the grounds of Camp Bethany. Bring your blanket or your lawn chairs and plenty of energy for jumping or running in the inflatables. Oh, come hungry as you will find smoked chicken with sides, hamburgers, catfish, gumbo and desserts. This place will smell delicious and sound great.

Get your tickets early for $15 at Lifeway in Shreveport or online at www.morphefest.com or itickets.com Tickets will be $20 at the gate.

Children 5 and under get in free. Gates open at 1PM with the first band starting around 2PM. Gates close at 10PM. You do not want to miss this event. Help build this festival into a recurring annual event.

With your help, this festival can grow into a multi-day experience with speakers and competitions and more artists.

Morphé Fest is hosted by Morphé Ministries, a local non-profit organization seeking to help troubled teen girls who need a fresh start on life. Additional information on this ministry is available at www.morpheministries.org

Amanda C. Ward

Shreveport, LA

Faith Under Fire

The Chaos Platform You lose your job unexpectedly and have no idea how you’ll pay the bills. You receive bad news about your health. Your marriage falls apart. The stress at work is overwhelming.

You plan to rest over the weekend, but the washer hose breaks and you spend your time mopping, drying and salvaging. Chaos.

Disorder. Confusion. We’ve all been there.

It looked a lot like that before the dawn of time. Genesis 1:2 tells us that “the earth was without form and void...” The Hebrew for “without form” is “tohuw” which means formlessness, confusion, emptiness, wasteland, place of chaos, or vanity. The Hebrew for “void” is “bohuw,” translated void or emptiness. But chaos is of no concern to Elohim, The All-Powerful One, Creator. In fact, it’s the very platform on which He executes His finest creations and expresses His glory. From nothingness, darkness and disorder, He spoke.

And the planets of our solar system appeared, perfectly aligned around a sun that warms our days and a moon that lights our nights.

And Earth was formed with just the right mixture of gases and elements to produce and sustain life. With an abundance of life forms that scientists cannot find elsewhere in the universe. With an axis tilted at the precise

angle to keep the seasons rolling year after year.

The 1995 Hubble Space Telescope “Pillars of Creation.” Credit: NASA/ESA/StScl Hester & Scowen (Arizona St University)

We know the universe is expanding. Study the phenomenal Hubble Telescope image of “The Pillars of Creation” which are part of the Eagle Nebula. The tallest pillar is approximately 4 light-years high. (Don’t even try to imagine how high that is.) Baby stars form in the glowing areas, so it is often called “a stellar nursery.” Every day new stars are born from the chaos and darkness of deep space, an area so vast that our finite minds can’t even conceive its nearest boundaries.

Never-endingcreation.

Infinite rebirth.

Viewed from earth, the Cross appears to be the quintessential example of chaos: God Personified tried and found guilty by His own, humiliated, scourged and hung on a tree to die an appalling death. Believers scattered and disillusioned. The Father’s face turned away. Darkness. Earthquake. The temple veil torn. A sunset of grief. But then, the Sun of Righteousness rises with healing in His wings and heaven’s unique perspective breaks through. (Mal. 4:2) The broken body lives. The stone rolls from the tomb. The Lamb Who Was Slain stands at the right hand of God. (Rev. 5) Everlasting life and eternal salvation are offered freely to mankind. Never-ending creation. Infinite rebirth.

But paradoxes don’t end at the Cross. We are arguably God’s finest creation - the only one He chose to die for. Yet chaos continues through the misaligned choices of our individual lives and the general madness that reigns on Planet Earth. Are you in that swirling vortex? Do you wonder if He can create anything good from the mess that surrounds you? He can and He will! Offer your life as His platform and watch Him work with and through the chaos. (Rom. 8:28; Eph. 3:2021) Never-ending creation. Infinite rebirth.

Dianne B. Howell Shreveport, LA

sbfaithandfamily.com | MAY 2013 11

Run with the Angels Our Story is Our Mission Since its founding in 1965, Holy Angels has built a reputation as one of the South’s finest residential facilities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its foundation as a spiritual calling of the Congregation of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Catholic Diocese has instilled in Holy Angels a sense of selfless compassion and love. It is that sense of compassion which guides Holy Angels today, as we continue to thrive and innovate as an independent nonprofit organization.

It is our belief at Holy Angels that all people have a right to learn, to achieve and, in turn, to find dignity. Through our unique and multi-faceted approach, we provide our residents with an environment which encourages independence and creativity. From our group homes to our many social enterprises, residents can build upon their strengths and find a special fulfillment in self-reliance.

Our world is enlivened by the unique qualities of each and every person who fills it. That’s why we’re proud to welcome a variety of special needs into the Holy Angels family. Today, we serve 184 residents ranging in age from birth to sixty years of age. Recently, Holy Angels has expanded its mission to care for individuals with autism and autistic tendencies. Residents have the option of living in a dormitory setting or one of 12 community and group homes, located both on-site and in the surrounding neighborhood of southeast Shreveport.

Holy Angels’ David Rice Memorial Angel Run Holy Angels’ David Rice Memorial Walk & Run is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together for a fun event while making a difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. You and your teammates will walk and run along a scenic route in southeast Shreveport. This is the only walk and run held in this area and gives all who participate the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the neighborhoods of Ellerbe Road. You don’t want to miss this unique run that benefits the lives of the residents at Holy Angels!

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MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

sbfaithandfamily.com | MAY 2013 13

Mothers Making a Difference Written by LearningRx Director Rebekah Lewis, Ed.D

Ester Brooks and Lee Cline

Mother/Grandmother/ Student: Ester Brooks is an amazing and incredible woman – a mother, a grandmother, a pastor, and now a dedicated student at LearningRx. Ms. Ester desired to better herself so that she could be a role model for her children, grandchildren, and parishioners. From the day Ms. Ester came into our center, we knew she was going to be special. “As I continually encouraged my children and grandchildren to further themselves academically and to never, ever give up on improving themselves, I realized that I needed to follow my own advice!”

After a debilitating car crash toward the end of her career, Ms. Ester’s cognitive skills began to rapidly decline, partly from age progression and partly from the injuries sustained in the accident.

As she studied her Bible to prepare lessons for her parishioners and tried to help her grandchildren with their schoolwork, she realized that 14

MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

her processing speed, logic & reasoning, short- and long-term memory, and reading skills were not at the level she felt she was capable of. She wanted to strengthen those weaknesses for herself, both personally and professionally, as well as for those who look up to her as a role model.

In the late fall of 2012, Ms. Ester began an intense cognitive skills training program with LearningRx and has not stopped since.

Every single day she pushes herself to the limit with her personal brain trainer, Lee Cline. Together they set goals to achieve, and neither one of them stops till those goals are accomplished. Even then, says Lee, “Ms. Ester barely completes one objective before she is already pushing herself to the next!” Since she began her program, Lee shares, “Ms. Ester’s cognitive skills have increased at such an incredible rate along with her self-confidence and self-

Ester Brooks and Trainer Lee Cline

esteem.”

Ms. Ester is so excited to be thinking faster and remembering important information, as well as just being able to use her logic and reasoning skills once again.

We are SO proud of you, Ms. Ester. You are one of the most awesome role models we have ever had the pleasure to train and to have as part of our family at LearningRx. You have exceeded your goal of making your own children and grandchildren proud... you have made ALL of us proud, trainers and students alike. I would say don’t ever stop learning, but I don’t have to tell you...I know you never will! Happy Mother’s Day!

5 Karsten’s mother, Karen Brogan, is easily one of the strongest, most determined and supportive mothers we have ever had the blessing to meet. When Karsten was born, there were immediate major medical complications which included missing 2/3 of his brain and many other health and developmental concerns that doctors felt may restrict him from ever leading a normal and productive life. Karsten’s mother supported him through 18 surgeries in his lifetime, with 13 of those surgeries falling between 1st and 5th grade.

All of these obstacles led to severe complications in his

Karen, Karsten, and Bob Brogan

academic career. There were so many learning challenges, and Karsten, though he never gave up, continued to struggle and fall farther and farther behind in school.

Karen shares that “in an answer to prayers, director Donesa Walker, trainer Leon Williams, and LearningRx entered our lives.” Karen notes that she knew without a doubt that Karsten was capable of so much more than the medical community gave him credit for. She was so excited about the opportunity that LearningRx was offering. “We sat down with Donesa and discussed what cognitive weaknesses Karsten had, and then we devised a plan to strengthen those weaknesses,” Karen shares, “and thanks to this positive experience, Karsten has progressed beautifully, academically, emotionally, and socially.”

Recently Karsten has won, out of 83 LearningRx centers nationwide, LearningRx Student of the Year for 2011.

In addition to this amazing

achievement, Karsten has also passed his driver’s license permit exam, qualified in track and field for the 2012 Paralympic Trials, broke and set many state, national, and international records during the qualifying process, and as a result of that amazing season he was named by Team USA Olympic Committee 2012 High School All-American in track and field. Believe it or not, Karsten even checked out his first library book...just for the pleasure of reading!

Karen is so excited and amazed at the differences in Karsten, and she says, “his selfconfidence has increased; he’s sharper, smarter, and has started being a leader in the church, joining the drama team, and is far from the introverted, insecure young man he was not so long ago.”

Both Karen and Karsten are determined to never let his learning challenges intimidate or discourage him from being whatever he chooses to be and accomplishing whatever goals he sets for himself.

Thanks to this incredible mother who just wouldn’t give up, Karsten will never give up either; nor will all the people, young and old, whose lives he has enriched. When he began his LearningRx program, Karsten was behind by 3-5 years in every cognitive skill, but through his training he had amazing gains. Karsten accomplished an 8 year growth in long-term memory and a 6.8 year gain in shortterm memory. Karsten has continued to grow so much that at his one year retest, he not only held those gains he had achieved, but pushed

Honor Your Parents Trainer Leon Williams, Director Donesa Walker, and Karsten Brogan

forward in many areas.

Karsten is proof of what the power God can do in our lives. Despite all of the obstacles he has had to face in his life, thanks to God’s grace, his determined mother, father, brother, and sister, and Karsten’s personal desire to succeed, he has used his knowledge of what intensive brain training is like to physically train for the Paralympics. We are so pleased to announce that Karsten has officially received an invitation & will be competing in the IWAS Junior World Championship Games in Puerto Rico in August 2013 and has his sights set on possibly competing IPC World Championship Games in France in July of 2013 representing Team USA in both events. God has used Karsten’s strengths to reach so many through his motivation and dedication. Look out, 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro...Karsten is on his way to win! God has a great plan for Karsten, and we are so proud that we get to be on the sidelines and watch what God is doing through him.

To make a tax deductible donation online to Karsten’s Paralympic Team USA fund for his events, please visit the Athlete Development Fund @ www.wasusa.org.

Several years ago I joined the millions of adult children who had become family caregivers. Without questioning, I always knew that I would �ll this role because my mother had continually impressed upon her children that we must never place her in a nursing home. Like most family caregivers, I was not prepared for the depth of emotions and care this commitment would require. I just knew that I loved her and must do my duty to honor God’s Word which says in Ephesians 6: 1-3 NKJV: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right, “Honor your father and mother” which is the �rst commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

Family caregiving is a priority issue in today’s world, particularly for the baby boomers who are seniors themselves. At the time I became a caregiver I had no idea that I had become one of approximately 65 million people who were experiencing similar concerns. Most statistics cite that 66% of that number are women and more than half of that number also have children and/ or grandchildren in the home. Further data re�ects that when it comes to taking care of an aging spouse or parent, it’s usually a long-term task.

Desiring to honor your parents’ wishes for care must be weighed in light of what is in their best interest as well as yours. Can the physical, medical, and emotional needs be met in the home? How will this new obligation affect the rest of the family? Acquiring the appropriate medical services and monitoring the care are awesome responsibilities. The caregiver must become an advocate for the parent in seeking medical services and monitoring the care. Answers and solutions can be found for most of these issues and in the process the caregiver acquires many new skills in attending to the physical needs of the loved one. Frequent doctor visits and perhaps hospital stays tend to become the norm; medication knowledge and procedures become routine; and securing and monitoring other caregivers will be challenging. The family caregiver bears all these responsibilities while still attempting to maintain a normal life.

When the roles of parent and child reverse, their lives may change dramatically and often fosters emotional strife. Caregiving can become depressing, exhausting, and stressful. It may not be for everyone for it does require patience, understanding, and a thick skin. There are numerous support groups, web sites, and publications to give tips to the caregiver and these can be helpful. Not until after I no longer had a need for them did I discover how many there were. As a former counselor, I knew the importance of keeping myself emotionally strengthened. The Bible was my primary source. It always supplied me with wisdom, direction, and peace as I endeavored to honor my parent’s wishes. God gives us the tools to meet the challenges of this season of our lives and to one day say in re�ection that it was a rewarding experience.

As Mother’s Day and Father’s Day approach, children will seek ways to honor their parents. One way is given by Rev. Billy Graham in one of his columns; “Honor your Parents with Prayers.” He admonishes us to ” pray for our parents; prayer is one of the best ways to honor them.. . . .do everything you can to let them know you are thankful they brought you into the world, and you care what happens to them.”

Bonita Bandaries Shreveport, LA sbfaithandfamily.com | MAY 2013 15

Wise Words Possession of Choice

From Soren Kierkegaard: “God is present in the moment of choice, not in order to watch but in order to be chosen.

Therefore, each person must choose. Terrible is the battle, in a person’s innermost being, between God and the world.

The crowning risk involved lies in the possession of choice.”

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(318) 797-8124 (866) 244-8230 director@auldsfuneral.com

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Contact: ������������� Pastor Kikelomo Togun, MD ���������������������� Christlove International Church ��������������������� 900 Francais Drive Shreveport, LA 71118 �������������������

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MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

Phone: (318) 617-0812

Local Family Called to Mission Field The Minister of Music and Outreach at the First Baptist Church of Vivian, La. answers God’s call to Africa. Bro. Ed Manning, his wife Tracy, and their daughters, Maleah and Grace, will be moving to and working in the mission field in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Both Ed and Tracy are graduates of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, but the call to “be a missionary” came individually to each of them at an early age.

God has used the years to prepare Ed and Tracy for the work He was calling them to do.

Before surrendering his life to fulltime ministry in 2007, Ed was never comfortable preaching and being up in front of people so God used music and singing to prepare him.

He went on several mission trips throughout the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong and Australia ministering in song, testimony and drama in many churches, schools, jails and malls.

During Tracy’s single years, she went on stateside mission trips and an overseas mission trip to Romania.

She also served as a North American Mission Board missionary to Vermont to help plant a student church on the campus of the University of Vermont.

In 2005 Ed and Tracy met.

Their first conversation involved missions. They were married in 2006 and their individual

“calling” to the mission fields became shared and stronger.

Ed completed seminary December 2011 and in February 2012 he became First Baptist Vivian’s Minister of Music and Outreach. During one of the first services there, Ed and Tracy learned that Burkina Faso was the country chosen by the church for their international missions’ emphasis and the church would be planning a trip there in the future.

he felt affirmations to God’s international missions calling and that Africa could be that destination for his family. While in Burkina Faso, he overheard Ms. Lynn Kennedy, his host and missionary/founder of Shattering Darkness Ministries in West Africa, tell one of his team members about a ministry position for a couple that was open. The position calls for both husband and wife to play significant roles in

Five months later, their hearts were stirred and Ed and Tracy prayed about a move to the mission field. Was God leading them and if so where?

They began to look at Africa for the first time together: Sudan, Tanzania and Burkina Faso were all considerations.

The church’s trip to Africa became a reality the end of December 2012. Two men from the church, Ed Manning and Clint Alexander would join Ms. Paulette Holt on the annual trip to work with Shattering Darkness in Burkina Faso.

Other members of the team were Stacie Monzingo and Barry Monzingo from Good Exchange Baptist Church in McLeod, Tx., and Mickey Fore of First Baptist Church in Dillon, S.C. During Ed’s short week and a half in Burkina Faso,

the ministry.

Back at home, God continued to work in Ed’s heart and using situations and circumstances in his ministry position to move him and Tracy closer to His will for their family. God spoke many a word through Rev. Dustie Dunn, Ed and Tracy’s pastor at First Baptist Vivian, concerning missions and calling. Ed came to greatly value his pastor’s wisdom and counsel during this time.

On January 18th, Ed wrote, “Dear Lord Jesus please raise us up and send us out in your perfect way and will, to the glory of the Father, Amen and Thank You.” On January 21st, 2013, after much prayer, Ed realized it was time and he and Tracy began talking about and planning for the move to a ministry in Burkina

Faso with Shattering Darkness.

Ed wrote in his journal that evening, “ May Joshua 24:15 be my family’s life verse: ‘ . . . as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’”

After a few months training and learning French, the Manning Family plans to leave for Africa in August/September.

The family must provide for their own expenses during their 2-3 year tour and have sold everything they own. First Baptist Vivian is providing some financial partnership through an open account for “Manning Missions.”

The church held a going away party for the Manning’s and a financial blessing was received along with a water filter and other useful field items.

As of late, Al-Qaida members have infiltrated into Burkina Faso. Is the idea of it all somewhat frightening? Yes. No electricity, some electricity - - no water, some water . . . is it going to be easy? Most likely, no. Yet, according to the Manning’s, “Gods affirming call is louder than any of the fears. Knowing that He has much for the Manning’s to do and that He holds our lives in His hands instills deep comfort and anticipation for the future.”

Article written and submitted for publication by: Cindy Flanagan (318)287-3798 or (318)423-4708 jflanagan7600@hotmail.com

sbfaithandfamily.com | MAY 2013 17

My One Defense Exodus 15:2 – “The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

There are many times in this life that we need defending – either from ourselves or circumstances we have fallen into. God IS the defender of His children and one of the building blocks of the foundation of our relationship with JESUS is that we believe He will deliver us through or out of any circumstance in this life. NONE are too hard for God. ONLY God has all the answers and directions for our lives. We have to come to a place where we recognize that. Those who build their foundations upon the ROCK grow in this knowledge and are enriched by it on their journey here on earth!

Who is your defender? Do you need defending? Is there a circumstance that you need to be delivered from or through?

All of our worldly defense will fail. Only ONE Defense remains! Do we depend on God for that? Is our relationship so deep that we recognize He is our

ONLY defense?

Here is what God WANTS to do and be for you: Y God IS my one safeguard (Psalms 5:1112)(Let God hear your voice; ask Him for His help for the day and look up to Him and His glory!)

Y God IS my one shield (Psalms 3:3) (Petition God when you are confused and can’t see your way) Y God IS my fortress (Psalms 18:2) (Read this Psalm in prayer time after God has delivered you from something!)

Y God IS my protection (Psalms 42:4) (This Psalm is a call to remembering the Hope in God that the believer has – are you remembering where your Hope comes from?)

Y God IS my advocate (John 14:26) (The

Holy Spirit is God’s gift to you – to remind you of who God is and how He loves you!)

Y God IS the vindicator of me (Psalms 54:1) (This Psalm should cause you to look back on your life and recognize how God has spared you from things and people) Y God IS my resistance to any attack (Psalms 140:7) (God delivers us in all situations – we have to be able to recognize that!)

Is your relationship with JESUS in a place that you recognize all of the above?

Is He your ONE DEFENSE in this life? God has such a deep desire to show that to each of us! All we have to have is willing and obedient hearts – He will do the rest!

Be encouraged and begin to live this life with the knowledge that God really is our ONE DEFENSE!

JoAnne Timothy

www.Heartsfireministry.com

Location:

Camp Bethany, 9766 Hwy 79 Bethany, LA (Just 6 miles south of 1-20)

Date: May 11th

Times:

Tickets:

Gates open at 1PM & close at 10PM. FIRSTBAND STARTS AT2.

9 Bands will be perfoming!

$15 at Lifeway in Shreveport or online at www.itickets.com

What to Bring:

Blanket, Lawn chairs, Money for food

$20 at the Gate Children 5 & under are FREE!

Also Performing:

For more info go to: www.morphefest.com

Last Flight Out Alive by Sunrise The Bandon Pierce Band Doxa Gregg Gober All for One ...and more!

Morphé Ministries is a non-prof t organi ation. Check us out at: www.morpheministries.org

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MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

youth news

American HeritageFaith, Servic� Fun! �

American Heritage Girls is a Christ centered scouting organization dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. The program, established in 1995, enables girls ages 5-18 to enhance life skills, build confidence, develop teamwork, and initiate girl leadership. It also presents girls with the opportunity to cultivate character, social, and spiritual development. It offers badge programs, service projects, girl leadership opportunities, and outdoor experiences. American Heritage Girls is the premier national character development organization for young women that embraces Christian values and encourages family involvement.

Troop LA0412 is currently the only AHG troop in Shreveport. We are just 2 years old, and already have over 30 girl members, and lots of great parents who volunteer their time to serve in leadership roles. Troop LA0412 provides its members with opportunities to become good leaders and develop their character. In May last year, the Explorers and Pioneers hosted a Mother & Daughter Tea for girls earning their Daughter of the King badge.

While earning this badge, we all learned how unique and gifted we are, the significance of modesty and purity, how essential it is to be ourselves, and embrace our identity in Christ. Most importantly, it taught us to stay true to ourselves and not let society persuade us to change our biblical views of what true beauty is.

I felt right at home when I attended my first meeting in March 2012.

I found everyone in the troop to be very welcoming. Since then, I have grown to love all the girls. It is gratifying that I have the opportunity to surround myself with such amiable young ladies. The one thing that I love about AHG is that it gives me the opportunity to freely share my faith. I am surrounded by lovely girls that love God as much as I do. AHG gives me certain strength needed to embrace my faith. It is a pure, wholesome, morally sound program that encourages young girls to grow into holy young women.

By: Madison Hollyfield Senior Patrol Leader AHG Troop LA0412

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Mary, Our Cause of Rejoicing

Mary is very close to my heart, and, I am certain, close to the hearts of all who love her Son, Jesus. I can hardly think of her name without tears. When God, in the fullness of time, because of His great love for His creation, sent His Only-Begotten Son to save us sinners, He chose to do so in a way that is at once simple and tender, and profound, beyond our comprehension.

He came to find a bride.

Her relationship with Christ was a unique relationship, something that no one else can have. It gives her a unique place in salvation history. Until the coming of the Archangel Gabriel to the dwelling in Nazareth, the people of God would make pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem, to worship God who was present there, and to revere the very stones of the temple. Yet at a moment in time, in an obscure Palestinian village, in a young virgin, that temple became passé and irrelevant. She became the temple, and it is for that reason that we honor her. She became the temple, a unique thing that gives her a unique position in our salvation. It was from her blood that God took blood, blood that would become the fountain for our immortal life. It was of her flesh that God took flesh, the flesh that is now offered to us as the food of immortality.

who sustains and upholds all the universe? It was Mary who upheld God, the Creator of all things visible and invisible, as He took His first steps on this earth. She offered her little finger for a tiny hand to grasp. When the child Jesus, as He must have done, scraped His knee or was hurt by some unkind words of a playmate, and wept and came running to mother, it was Mary who kissed the wound and made it feel better, or took Him in her arms and assured Him that the unkind words and the sadness He felt would pass, that everything would be all right. She brought comfort to God. And when God wept, when Jesus wept, it was His mother, like every mother, who wiped away His tears.

Mary wiped away the tears from the face of God. What is profound about this is not just the fact that these things happened, but that Mary knew who it was that she supported with her little finger. She knew who it was who suckled at her breast, whose diapers she changed.

She knew who it was whose wounds she kissed and bandaged, whose hurt feelings she comforted, and whose tears she wiped away. Mary knew.

days after the birth of her only Son, the great sorrow that would come to her heart was foretold to her: that there would come a day when His wound would be not just a scraped knee, but nailed hands and feet, and a pierced side. That the tears He shed and the unkind words and actions He endured would be not just unkind words of little playmates, but the sentence of death from those whom He came to save. How her heart must have been pierced wanting to kiss those hands, and the feet, and the side, and the brow, to make the wounds and the pain go away, to no avail. And how she must have anticipated receiving her Son from the Cross, now dead.

Who among all humankind has offered so much to our God? She offered her flesh to become His flesh, her blood to become His blood. She offered every motherly tenderness (and there’s no tenderness like a mother’s tenderness)—who but Mary endured such pain? Our hymnographers show us Mary standing at the Cross, remembering Christ the child when He took His first steps, and when He said His first word, and when He shed His first tear, and when He laughed His first laugh, and called her “Mother” for the first time. Imagine, now, that very human Mary standing at the Cross.

In the Feast of the Presentation, she brought her Son to that stone building in Jerusalem that she knew Who but Mary breastfed Him who was no longer needed, knowing that Mary was overcome with sorrow feeds all of creation? Who but Mary He was the Son of God. It was at that Seeing You crucified and dead on the carried in her arms as mother Him time that her sorrows began. Forty Cross. She cried out, “How You suffer, 20

MAY 2013 | Faith and Family

my beloved Son! The sword thrust in Your side has pierced my heart.

My wound burns with Your agony.

Nevertheless I sing Your praise, For You willingly died to save the human race.”

man, He became what you and I are in everything except our sin. And for that to be possible, He needed a mother.

The honors and prerogatives given to her during His earthly life must pale compared to those accorded to her now that He is seated at the right hand of His Father on the throne of glory, bearing the flesh and the blood which He took from her. Her flesh and blood given to Him, her Son, sits at the right hand of the Father and is accorded worship by thousands of angels and ten thousands of archangels—her flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of Adam, the flesh and blood which you and I share with her, and because of her, with our God.

“Nevertheless I sing Your praise.”

In spite of all the ugliness she sees and the pain she endures at seeing her Son unjustly crucified by those He came to save, yet she glorifies Him. She knows He is God. The only thing that can balance that sorrow is the joy she had three days later, when her Son rose as victor. Imagine her joy when the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, again I say rejoice, for your Son is risen from His three days in the It is no accident, then, that our tomb, and with Himself He has raised Lord’s first miracle, at the wedding in all the dead. Rejoice, rejoice!”

It is not a theological proposition, Cana, was worked at her intercession. but a simple fact, that God became And at her intercession, although the

wedding reception is nearly over, He makes over a hundred gallons of the very best wine. When His mother asks, He pours forth His grace abundantly and richly. Who would do less, at the request of his mother?

Mary is our boast, our cause of rejoicing, our sister, our mother, and most of all, our intercessor. Let us honor her, love her, and bring our needs before her with the innocent confidence of children who know that their mother will meet their needs with love.

His Grace Bishop Basil

Antiochian.org

sbfaithandfamily.com | MAY 2013 21

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These annual advertising partners make it possible to produce this magazine and offer it for free to Shreveport/ Bossier Families. Please support these local partners.

Advertiser Index: Bobby L. Greene Plumbing 2 & Heating

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Litton Mortgage

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Barksdale Federal Credit Union

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Auld’s Funeral Home

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Cosse & Silmon Orthodontics

Newk’s Eatery

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Christlove International Church 16

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Ratcliff Animal Hospital

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LearningRx

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Abbot Printing

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Morphé Fest

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Orthodox Church

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Ratcliff Animal Hospital

Barksdale Baptist Church

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Sciport

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Abbot Ashley Ridge Imaging Barksdale Baptist Church

LifeWay Christian Book Store Litton Mortgage Newk’s Eatery

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Cosse &Silmon Orthodontics 24

sbfaithandfamily.com | MAY 2013 23