Valley Christian Magazine Issue #87 by Valley Christian Magazine

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

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Valley Christian Magazine is a free monthly magazine published by Texas Christian Publications a 501c3 non-profit ministry located in the Rio Grande Valley.

On The Cover:

For advertising information call 956-314-0161.

Gabriela F., age 12, Mid Valley Christian School Gus G., age 7, Agape Christian School Emerson G., age 18, South Texas Christian Academy Ava P., age 10, St. John’s Day School Forrest G, age 3, First Christian Academy Owen B., age 13, St. Paul Lutheran School Elena B., age 9, Covenant Christian Academy Jose Luis S., age 13, Vanguard Rembrandt Secondary It is the purpose of Valley Christian Magazine to be a magazine that points people to Jesus Christ. How to trust Him. How to do life with Him. Supported by local businesses, ministries & faithful believers. Valley Christian is a free resource for us all.

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Issue #87

Questions, story ideas, events, or comments call 956-314-0161 or email info@ValleyChristianMagazine.com. Social Media Facebook: @valleychristianmagazine & @valleychristian Instagram: @valleychristianmag Twitter: @vcmagazine Copyright 2018

Printed in Mexico.

Valley Christian Magazine 3827 N 10th Street Suite 301 McAllen, TX 78501 956-314-0161 www.valleychristianmagazine.com

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Lysa Terkeurst

Lisa Morrow

What Jesus Longs For Us To Know Today

Favorite Hymns of My Life

11 VCM’s Annual School Edition Private/Charter School Spotlight

12 Agape Christian School Mission, TX

13 First Christian Academy Weslaco, TX

14 Harvest Christian Academy Edinburg, TX

15 Mid Valley Christian Academy Weslaco, TX

16 South Texas Christian Academy McAllen, TX

17 St. John Day School McAllen, TX

18 St. Paul Lutheran School McAllen, TX

19 Vanguard Academy

Alamo, Pharr, Edinburg, TX

20 Covenant Christian Academy McAllen, TX

22 Time with Our Creator Prayer on Hope & Trust

23 Valley Christian Magazine Events 24 Raul “Rudy” Rodriguez The Restoration Story

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

20 valleychristianmagazine.com

What Jesus Longs For Us To Know Today By Lysa Terkeurst “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV) Here is my prayer for you: May you catch even the slightest glimpse of the tender mercy of our Lord Jesus. For one drop of the Lord’s mercy is better than an ocean of the world’s comfort.

The finances that never balance. The hope so deferred it makes your heart sick. The anxiety over a child bent on a wayward path. The diet you’re sick of.

Specifically, ask Him to help you see and notice His tender mercies. Then you will see that, indeed, one drop of the Lord’s mercy is better than an ocean of the world’s temporary comforts.

The broken promises from a friend. The lack of true friends. The constant messiness always distracting from the peace you want in your home. The impatience and frustration, anger and disappointment of losing it — again. If only we knew how deeply Jesus understands and cares for us. If only we could see the wonder of His love. The skies He paints, the flowers He blooms, the world He arranges just for us. The love letters He’s written to us throughout the Bible. These are all mercies from Him. The world will offer us comfort in the form of escapes. We escape to movies, magazines, malls, chocolate, vacations, affirmations from friends. Not that any of these things by themselves are bad. They aren’t. But they’re very temporary. They make us feel good in the moment, but that good never stays. We need more and more. Trying to fill our aching hearts with these things is like trying to fill an ocean with a tablespoon. It’s never enough. So we clench our fists and keep trying to find something to comfort us.

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If only we knew. If you find yourself wanting to escape today into one of the world’s comforts, first invest some time in asking Jesus to help you, show you and direct you. Hebrews 4:15-16 reminds us how approachable Jesus is, how He understands our struggles and graciously offers us help and hope: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

The situation that seems impossible.

If only we knew how to stop clenching our fists so that we could open our hands and catch the drops of His tender mercy. If only we knew how to release the weight of trying to fix it all ourselves. If only we knew to stop in the midst of it all and whisper, “Dear Jesus ... help me.” Just a whispered breath formed in the wholeness of His Name carries all the power and mercy and wisdom and grace we need to handle what we face.

Issue #87

Dear Jesus, I don’t want to spend another day chasing after things that will never satisfy. Instead, I pray that I would begin to truly see how high and how deep is the love You have for me. Help me catch the tender drops of Your mercy, and teach me to fully embrace Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY: Psalm 100:5, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (NIV) Ephesians 3:17b-19, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (NIV)

REFLECT AND RESPOND: Write a list of things weighing most heavily on your heart and mind. Specifically lift up each of these to the Lord in prayer, thanking Him that He has all the grace and mercy you need for each and every one. © 2018 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

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Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash

Favorite Hymns of My Life by: Lisa K. Finley-Morrow

I was surrounded by music as a child. Dad, quite the tenor, had been the president of his high school choir as well as an accomplished clarinetist in the school’s concert, marching, and jazz bands. Mom’s ever romantic penchants were voraciously fed by the newest vinyl recordings of the Reader’s Digest’s Longines Symphonette, the London Philharmonic, or vocalists the likes of Edye Gormé and Steve Lawrence. Dad’s musical collections included Sons of the Pioneers, Frank Sinatra, The Chordsmen, Burl Ives and Tennessee Ernie Ford just to mention a few. As kids, we enjoyed their collection of movie musicals and Disneythemed movie soundtracks as well.

Wanting to make rhyme or reason for life’s tragedies is no small challenge. The hymn, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, penned by America’s beloved hymn writer, Fanny Crosby, was written when Crosby had lost her only and infant child. No stranger to tragedy, Crosby was blinded shortly after her own birth but became one of the world’s most prolific hymn writers penning over 6000 hymns in her lifetime. Crosby’s lyrics, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, have uplifted and consoled many a grieving heart and can be heard, still, on the internet as sung by none other than George Beverly Shea himself.

In the mix was a vast assortment of sacred vocalists and church choir groups or gospel ensembles and even a little “south of the border” brass and guitar. These musical influences and rhythms were rich and indelibly etched in my mind and soul. But none captured my childhood heart like the warm bass voice of George Beverly Shea. So profound an influence was his singing across those early years of my life that I dreamed of marrying someone just like him one day. Shea’s fame grew as families across America gathered in living rooms in front of their black and white televisions in the 1950s and ’60’s and then in technicolor through the ‘70s and ‘’80s to hear him, a tall, humble man, melodically deliver the gospel message in song before Graham preached to millions the enduring message of God’s love and forgiveness for our sins through his only son, Jesus Christ. Shea’s recordings and orchestrations put to vinyl were as fine as any in the world.

Well before Shea’s recording, Crosby was approached with only a hymn tune by friend and musician Howard Doane moments before he was to catch a train between Manhattan and Cincinnati. Upon his humming the tune, she exclaimed it a perfect fit to her poem written during her grief in losing her only child. In the Bible of old, we learn of that same comfort she expressed in her hymn in the Psalms. In Psalms 119: 76-77 the psalmist asks God to surround him with his tender mercies so that he might live. In the New Testament, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 that God comforts us in all our troubles so that we may comfort others. Grief in life, the companion of all, is never wasted by God. Trust in Him today.

Yesterday I enjoyed a musical event in the city’s new fine arts center with a couple of my favorite neighbors. During intermission one of them shared of her upcoming trip to Mexico City. Two of her dearest friends had lost family recently. One held her son as he breathed his last breath at the age of twenty. The grieving friend requested my neighbor’s presence on this trip as a comfort to try to recover from the loss and to feel her love as a friend during a time she characterized as beyond difficult and where she felt so lost day after day.

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Issue #87

ABOUT LISA... Lisa and her musical husband, Jim, have served in music ministry across the state of Texas for nearly 40 years. They reside in McAllen, Texas and continue to share their love of hymns with a large number of his music students and with congregations when invited. They can be reached at morrowmessages@aol.com.

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Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

valleychristianmagazine.com

Issue #87

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

valleychristianmagazine.com

Issue #87

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

valleychristianmagazine.com

Issue #87

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

valleychristianmagazine.com

Issue #87

ENROLLMENT:

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We dedicate ourselves to challenging children in the classroom (2 years old - Grade 6) and celebrating their accomplishments every step of the way.

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In addition to strong academic preparation, members of the St. John’s faculty bring a life-long love of learning, extensive knowledge, and solid commitment to each and every child. Experiencing St. John’s first-hand is the best way to fully appreciate our wonderful school. Please contact us to schedule your visit today. St. John’s Episcopal School provides each student with a well-rounded academic program that develops their full competence, creativity, character, and compassion in a Christian environment. Through attainment of this mission, we produce responsible young individuals equipped to live a life worthy of a child of God.

Chapel each morning Mac Computer Lab and iPads for classroom use Enrichment classes in Computer, Art, Spanish, Music and Physical Education Full range of after school activities including: Karate, Robotics, Chess, and Jr. Chef Long tenured faculty and staff Low student to teacher ratio Teaching assistants in lower grades Nutritious, chef prepared, hot lunches 2500 N. 10th St. | McAllen, TX 78501 956.686.0231 | www.stjohns-mcallen.org Head of School: Linda McGurk Follow us! stjohnsepiscopalschoolmcallen

Train up a child in the way he should go, st.johnsepiscopalschool valleychristianmagazine.com And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

Educating children since 1958

valleychristianmagazine.com

Issue #87

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

valleychristianmagazine.com

Issue #87

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

valleychristianmagazine.com

Waiting on God’s T imetable Author: Grandfather El, Contributors Grandchildren: Noah, Photography and Editing: Ali

Infinite Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus’ Name with thankfulness for Your presence in my life. You know me better than I know myself; You know what is best for me with perfect timing. Nothing happens in my life or in the world apart from Your will, and You are never surprised. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29:11. Forgive me for those times when I get into a rush and take situations into my own hands instead of trusting in what You say in Isaiah 40:31. “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Make clear to me the times when You use waiting to have me grow in my relationship with You. Thank you that waiting is not a form of dislike or punishment. Direct me to use my times of waiting to be quiet and go to the Scriptures to learn what You are trying to tell me. “Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10. I ask You to teach me how to fully trust in Your advice in Psalm 27:14. “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” I bring these requests in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Issue #87

VALLEY CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE EVENTS nts e v e

ore events / m m o .c ine find Magaz n a i t s i hr alleyC

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Tom Weaver is the Senior Pastor at Logos Community Church [McAllen & Harlingen Locations]. Married to Selena and has 3 wonderful daughters. Follow Tom on Twitter: @ PastorTomWeaver Logos Community Church begun as a bible study led by Pastor Tom Weaver who desired to plant a church that would be faithful to preach the Gospel unashamedly and boldly; seeing the fringe of society come to a saving knowledge of Jesus; hearing, believing, and being discipled into faithful followers of Jesus.

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Get Your Event Here! Call 956-314-0161 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6

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Raul “Rudy” Rodriguez attorney at law

Some historians may argue that among the greatest restoration stories of mankind are the European Renaissance or perhaps the post-World War II era. The cultural movement known as the European Renaissance roughly took place during the 14th through 17th centuries. This moment in history saw the face of Europe evolve with respect to its arts, architecture and long held science tenets. It also saw a rediscovery of the Greco-Roman classical knowledge and a rebirth of the study of Latin and vernacular languages. It served as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern Era. Closer to home, America saw its restoration take place in the years that followed World War II. During this era, couples who could not afford families during the Great Depression made up for lost time. The mood in America suddenly became optimistic. At that time, the unemployment rate of the Great Depression dropped dramatically and the economy improved substantially. The G.I. Bill empowered many honorable service members to finish high school and attend college. As their skills were improved, so was the financial well-being of their families. But, without a doubt the greatest restoration that can take place is when a person does as Romans 10:9 instructs us to do. Romans 10:9 says: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” The message is simple: invite Christ into your heart and make him your personal Lord and Savior. At that time, your restoration will be complete. Next He will do as Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” As you seek and strive to honor God with your life, He will reward you by allowing you to take on His characteristics. Hosea 14:4 says, “I will bring my people back to me. I will love them with all my heart; No longer am I angry with them.” I pray that you will invite Christ into your heart and allow Him to restore you! At my office, I also want to be part of your restoration plan, albeit in a different way. I pray that God will use me for His honor and glory in helping me address your needs. If you have been involved in an auto accident and/or other serious injury or if you have lost a loved one as a result of someone’s negligence, I will do my best to restore some sense of normality to your life. I will also help you in matters involving family law, criminal law and real estate and will issues. As always, I bear in mind that in honoring God with the way I handle my business relationships I will be honoring you my esteemed client.

Raul “Rudy” Rodriguez

www.raulrudyrodriguezlaw.com Phone: 956.380.1421 / Toll Free: 877.480.1421 Fax: 956.380.2920 / Mobile: 956.655.5455

511 W. University / Edinburg, TX 78539 e-mail: anointed511@gmail.com