Valley Christian Magazine October 2011

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11 Pastor

Volume 1 / Issue 7

Christian Torres Publisher

Christian@valleychristianmagazine.com

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rd J. H

Henry Miller

inojos

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32 2 4

Irma d’Santiago “morett” Designer

PHOTOGRAPHERS The Studio Jenny Hollis & Cliff Ranson

Lee Jinks James King Mitch Idol

Christian Motorcyclist Association

eve Tracy

46

Features

11 -At Home With: Edward J. Hinojosa 18- In His Words with KVMV’s James Gamblin 24- Are You A Stressed Out Woman?

35-19 Words Worth Defining 42- What to Read: The Latest Books 44- Casting Crowns’ Mark Hall Releases Book 48- New Music Released 49- Events

On The Cover

es On

Stress

nts

National Columnists 16 – Greg Laurie 20 – James MacDonald 50 – Dave Ramsey

Valley Contributors

8 22 24 28 31- CMA: Christian Motorcyclists 38 Association --Winning One Heart 41 at a Time 42 (Cover Photo By Lee Jinks)

Hugh

49

rowns

Casting C

– – – – – – –

Editor

Henry@valleychristianmagazine.com

Christian Torres Mike Masso Tracy Hughes Henry Miller Jerrell Jobe Milton Gonzalez Miguel Paredes

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CONTRIBUTORS Jerrell Jobe Milton Gonzalez Mike Masso Miguel Paredes Tracy Hughes For Advertising contact:

Christian@valleychristianmagazine.com

956.314.0161 phone 956.688.6336 fax To submit story ideas, events, or comments:

www.valleychristianmagazine.com Texas Christian Publications c/o Valley Christian Magazine 3827 North 10th Street, 301 McAllen, TX 78501 Valley Christian Magazine is a free monthly magazine published by

Valley Christian Magazine is a publication of Texas Christian Publications (a 501c3 organization). Texas Christian Publications reserves the right to edit, modify, revise, rewrite and reject editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequences arising from it. All correspondence to this publication becomes the property of Texas Christian Publications. Texas Christian Publications shall be held harmless indemnified against any third-party claims. Texas Christian Publications accepts no claims made by photographers, agents or contributors. Writers’ and columnists’ opinions are not necessarily those of Texas Christian Publications or its publishers. Advertisements appearing in Texas Christian Publications present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. We assume no responsibility for advertising claims made in this publication. Valley Christian Magazine is printed in the United States. Reproduction without the expressed written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Copyright 2011. Printed in the USA.

Photo by James King

A New Set of Downs.

By Christian Torres

I

am extremely excited football is in full swing. A friend recently posted how she had “lost” her husband and it was only day one of college games!

I recently heard a message out of Lamentations 3:1-26 and as I was preparing this I thought of that and football (can you tell my brain jumps from one thing to another?!).

Even if you’re not the biggest football fan, you’re probably familiar with the idea of a “set of downs.”

Every time you have possession of the ball, you are allowed a set of downs and if you get ahead enough for a first down you get another set of downs until you reach the end zone for the score.

If you don’t reach either the end zone or a first down you have to turn the ball over to the other team.

As I was watching a game, it was third down and the quarterback threw a pass. His intended receiver dropped the ball and the team had to kick it away to the other team. It’s not that the receiver wasn’t prepared. He was. He practiced, studied, listened to all the right people. The ball was right there. He dropped it. The other team got the ball and went the distance. Touchdown. Now they were in a bigger hole than when they started.

Have you ever noticed when we drop the ball it seems we are in a bigger hole than before? It can sometimes feel like we are out of it and there’s no chance, but you know what?

They got a new set of downs. They got another chance.

It made me think of Lamentations

3:22-24:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Every day…you are given a fresh set of downs. A fresh chance to come at life again. Whatever failures or mistakes, whatever mishaps or missteps that happened yesterday don’t have to determine the course of today. Today is a brand new opportunity for you. A fresh start. Maybe you dropped the ball with your spouse, at work, with your kids, or maybe a friend, but today you get the ball back. It’s not over.

God’s compassions never fail and they are new every morning.

That’s really good news, because if you’re like me, you drop the ball every day. Life doesn’t happen perfectly to you every day, either.

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And it can be really easy to beat up on yourself; to focus only on your mess ups or your circumstances.

But God doesn’t look at it that way.

For God, his mercy is enough to cover over what you did yesterday, and empower you to live a brand new life today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life. For God, and for you, every day is another chance to live the life God desires for you.

You’ve got a new set of downs today. What are you going to do with those downs? Give it your best shot.

But even if you drop the ball, know that a fresh set of downs are waiting on you tomorrow.

Christian Torres Publisher Christian Torres and his wife, Stephanie, live in McAllen with their 3 daughters Madeleine (11), Natalie (8), and Courtney (6).

They are members of Palm Valley Church of Mission.

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Joel Hinojosa Pastor Edward sa Merari Hinojo

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(Wife of 12 y

n8 Kylee Madiso Ezra Joel 10 Service Times Sundays: ., 1 p.m.

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Photos by

The Studio

- Mission, TX

TELL US ABOUT MEETING YOUR WIFE

We met in church many, many years ago – her father’s church in Harlingen. She was a praise and worship singer. I was a lay minister serving and wanting to be faithful. The unique thing about that is that it was a Spanish church. The services were totally in Spanish.

HOW WAS THAT UNIQUE?

I don’t speak Spanish. But I wanted to be faithful at one church and we stayed there until God called us out for our own work.

HOW’D YOU GET HERE?

First we ended up in Las Milpas.

We had a home church there that turned into a church. Then we moved to Edinburg to another house and the church began to grow.

Then we ended up at the Holidome in McAllen and had services there.

God just began to do His work.

HOW’D YOU GET BACK TO HARLINGEN?

People were coming from Harlingen to the church in McAllen. Then someone gave us some land in Weslaco and we thought our church was going to be built in Weslaco.

Then some people in Harlingen gave us a building. I was praying to the Lord “I have to have a building that has everything in it. I’m a young pastor. I’ve done the house church. I’m not going to start inside a home or inside a hotel.” I’d been pastoring for five years.

Finally this church in Parkwood opened up – the church body moved out of there on a Sunday and we moved right in. We started running three services and things began to just grow.

IS THIS WHEN YOU STARTED THE BASKETBALL MINISTRY? The church began to think out of the box. We began to do things like “Jam with the Lamb “ with basketball. Basketball started a lot of our ministries. I began to use gyms in the area. We pray before the games and I’ll do a 5-minute devotional.

HOW’D YOU END UP AT YOUR CURRENT LOCATION?

I prayed to the Lord for a family life center and there are places that have buildings but they use them for themselves. I wanted a place to bring families in, to provide for them, to pray for them.

A place where we could use its full potential and use it for families.

God told me to make His name famous, tell everybody about Him and to be obedient. We ended up here.

STILL DOING BASKETBALL?

We still do the basketball ministry - for 15 years now – Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

We reach over 100 men a week. We close on Wednesdays and encourage them to go to church, to get connected - take your children, take your families. Some of them are even pastors now. It’s just amazing, the power of a seed.

I love sports. I was a drug addict when I was in the world back then.

When I got saved I asked the Lord what can I do Lord? I can’t preach, I can’t sing. He called me to win the lost in the area – and I started asking people for their gyms. So I used my gift of basketball.

WHAT IS JAM WITH THE LAMB?

It’s a basketball tournament where 32 teams compete from all over. On Fridays we would have an Outreach and the only way they could get their schedule was to come that Friday. Then we’d have food, play games, have a dunk contest and the Boys & Girls Club would team with us and we’d just love on people and reach out. All 32 teams and their families. That’s a lot of people.

OK, I HAVE TO ASK – FAVORITE COLLEGE HOOPS TEAM? I love the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Rudy (Pastor Rudy Beltran at Destiny Through Christ Church… see the Sept. At Home With feature) is a Duke fan. That’s ok though I guess.

I’d rather be at UNC. And my dream was to be a high school coach for the Harlingen Cardinals.

HOW ABOUT THE PROS?

The Lakers – especially with Magic Johnson

SO FOR A WHILE ALL THE PASTORS WE SAT WITH WERE GOLFERS, NOW THEY’RE ALL BASKETBALL PLAYERS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN?

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If you’re a pastor and if you don’t golf, you play basketball. And pastors are the best 3-point shooters. You know why? They believe in The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. I’ve won more games with my 3-pointers than any other shot. Ed Young and a couple other guys, all these pastors are 3-point specialists and they all think they’re the best.

We call Phil Corzine (CFC McAllen, see the June At Home With feature) “The Dominator.” They invite me to play golf, every church leader or guru tells me I have to learn to play golf.

I’d rather preach the crossover on the court (laughs).

Seriously though I have a message for kids in basketball, be the best rebounder, whether on offense or defense. I try to use all those as messages – but it all comes down to unity. It’s not about the five players on the court, but the people on the bench.

SO I GUESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF SPORTS TALK AT CHURCH Our motto – teamwork makes a dream work. From the First Lady (his wife) to the secretary to the media director to the youth pastor we believe that if you incorporate VIP (Vision, Instruction and Prayer) as a team you’re gonna win.

SO, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAM? (Deep sigh) The Cowboys.

WHY THE DEEP SIGH?

I was born in Chicago – I didn’t live there – but I have a soft spot for the Chicago Bears.

WHAT DO YOU DO AWAY FROM THE CHURCH AND THE PULPIT?

Play basketball. Seriously, I have a passion for basketball and a passion to win the lost at any cost for this city. I’m out there. I believe we need to extend grace to people.

They aren’t gonna see Jesus if they don’t see Him in us. We need to encourage people, love them – we don’t have to preach to them but love them – let them see Jesus in you.

SO YOU DEAL WITH A LOT OF MEN THEN?

I call it the NBA – Nothing But Attitude (laughs). They won’t go to church but they’ll give up two hours of their lives to play basketball.

WHAT DO YOU TRY TO GET ACROSS TO THEM?

We try to teach three things – integrity, faithfulness and loyalty. Be faithful at home, be loyal to your wife and give at least 15 minutes to your kids – each one of them, every day.

It’s a good reminder for myself.

We try to teach at our church that the man is the head of the household. Where the man goes, the family goes. We’re living in a fatherless generation. We have three points: To win the lost at any cost, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the children’s hearts to their fathers. Malachi 4:6, that’s our principle. We are after the men. We are so after the men. And we’ll do anything. We’ll teach them how to be soldiers. We are men – we must be strong.

IT’S GOTTA BE TOUGH FACING PRIDEFUL MEN WHO HAVE FALLEN

We tell these men maybe you fell in one area, that’s just an opportunity to get back up. A lot of people don’t see it that way. It’s like that with Christianity. A lot of people think they have to climb a religious ladder. You’re never gonna make it that way. Go to the cross, ask for forgiveness, use this opportunity to change. A lot of these guys are beat up from the world. They are failing in school, they are failing their marriage, they are failing in their life.

This is in my heart.

SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE FIGHTING A TOUGH BATTLE I’m on the front line.

I want to be on the front line. I don’t stay in my office all week then when it’s my time to preach go out there. We are gonna fight together. If we are going to make it to heaven together, we are going to fight together. We are going to war together. I’m gonna fight for your family, but you’re gonna fight for my family.

I tell them God never wastes a trial. Every experience He gives us is a perfect preparation for the future, of which only He can see.

SO YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUT OF THE CHURCH

Listen, 95 percent of the people out there are doing drugs or experimented with them. Those numbers are reality. How many people are getting divorced – they

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are getting beat up by people and courts and all sorts of things.

Imagine if there was no refuge or a support team. We need to go out there – Jesus’ ministry was out of the temple. It was at the woman at the well, it was in people’s houses. We are trying to be Christ like.

TELL ME ABOUT THE CONNECTION YOU HAVE WITH PASTOR JENTEZEN FRANKLIN

He is my television Pastor/mentor and he baptized me in the Jordan.

To be baptized where Jesus was and to have your favorite pastor baptize you – it was a dream come true.

WHAT ARE YOUR WIFE’S INTERESTS She loves the family. She’s our praise and worship leader at the church and she loves to cook.

HER BEST DISH?

She has a lot but her best two mole enchiladas and mole.

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Keeping Up Appearances

By Greg Laurie

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. — Matthew 26:14-15 There is an old English adage that says, “Still as of old, man by himself is priced. For 30 pieces Judas sold himself, not Christ.”

We think Judas sold Jesus, but it was in fact Judas who sold his own soul. How much is a soul worth? Judas figured that 30 pieces of silver ought to do it.

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996.

And not only that, he betrayed Jesus with a kiss—a kiss from hell. Judas could have pointed Jesus out and said, “Okay, guys, that is Jesus. Take Him. Now give me my money.” But no, Judas instead went up to Jesus and, in what looked like an act of affection and devotion, he kissed Jesus on the cheek. Judas wanted to appear to be spiritual.

There are people like that today. They are spiritually diseased on the inside but they want to appear godly on the outside. Judas is proof that association with godliness is no guarantee that you will be godly. Do you think that if you hang around godly people, it will make you godly? Not at all. They can be a good influence on you, and I highly recommend that you hang out with godly people. But I also recommend that you be a godly person who influences others.

However, these things alone will not change your character in and of itself.

It would be like going out to a restaurant with friends, and while they order off the menu, you say, “Oh, I am not going to order anything. I will just look at the pictures in this menu. That will meet my needs and fill my stomach.”

You cannot grow spiritually by simply hanging around with godly people. To grow wise and develop spiritually, you must personally take in what Jesus offers.

Greg Laurie is Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif. He began his pastoral ministry at 19 by leading a Bible study of 30 people. Since then, God has transformed the small group into a church of 15,000-plus, one of the largest churches in America. For more, visit:

www.greglaurie.com

Used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie, P.O. Box 4000, Riverside, Calif., 92514.

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– he would take monster breaths.

He was reading the news and a bug flew in his mouth and choked him.

He couldn’t recover! A time after that I was reading the news about a story about a girl from the town of Big Sandy, so I was reading about a “big sandy girl.” We were laughing so much we couldn’t recover from that.

James Gamblin is the Director of Broadcast Operations for the World Radio Network. James and his wife Ann host the “Ann and James in the Morning” show on KVMV 96.9.

He started his radio career at KVMV and has seen plenty of changes.

Following are his thoughts on the industry, on misconceptions people have of Christian radio and more, In His Words: Your Start into Radio Ministry: I’ve been in radio 18 years. I had been part of a management program with Kmart and then with Target. Then I realized I was working for the wrong man. I came back to South Texas and earned my broadcast journalism degree from Pan Am. It was while I was at Pan Am that I started working at KVMV. My first job was evenings from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday thru Friday and I recorded the weather. The weather ran at the top of each hour for 30 seconds. So I had 59 ½ minutes to record a weather spot– it took me about 50 minutes! Not much changed each hour. I was on the air 1 ½ minutes a day telling people it was hot.

Then the manager thought we needed some evening instrumental music. He had me start taking three instrumental CDs out of our massive instrumental library, find a couple songs from each CD that would average about 10 minutes for the two songs and I would piece together “Evening Sounds”. It was 30 minutes and it aired like at 6 or 6:30 . It was me with an intro, two cuts from a CD, me back with what CD it was and what was coming next. He thought it’d be nice for people to have some instrumental music while they ate dinner.

Then he asked me if I would be interested in starting a youth program from 10 to midnight. It ran for three years, called “The Journey.” I introduced the Valley to Third Day. I played a lot of Third Day music

before anyone ever knew who they were. Some of our audience didn’t quite understand that. It was a growing edge for a lot of our audience. Some would call on the phone talking about devil music.

After a few years I ended up doing the morning show with Don Aupperle. It was a lot of fun. We talked a lot more then, our stories were longer.

After Don left, I became station manager.

Tell us about World Radio Network?

The World Radio Network’s purpose is to be on the border where there are large populations so we can minister the Gospel to large cities in Mexico and the States. Now that we are on the Internet, we have access to a map that shows where people are listening from – we get hits regularly from Germany, Spain, Italy, China, Canada, Japan – it’s pretty amazing.

Christian radio has changed a lot.

Most towns did not have Christian radio so if it came into town it felt an obligation to serve everybody.

You’d have a little bit of this and little bit of that. Well what do you do when what you’re looking for is not on? You go listen to secular radio or you turn it off and do the dishes or whatever. Now with more radio stations in more cities we are able to pinpoint a target.

Embarrassing Radio Moments?!

There have been plenty of embarrassing moments on radio. Most of the really rough ones I shouldn’t get into and it happened live on air and last thing I want to do is repeat those. One time early on, I started an Al Vincent song “Will You Be The One” and I was rather enjoying the song until the phone rang.

They kindly helped me realize my microphone was still on – so it was a duet…and not a very good one!

Another one was when I was working with Don Aupperle in the morning show and he was reading the news. Don was a deep breather

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What’s with the New Look? (shaved head) I have a big scooter and a motorcycle and I am part of CMA – the Christian Motorcyclist Association. My daughter Georgia Kate was in town recently and since I had started the motorcycle thing, she thinks the sun glasses and the leather is really cool. She got this bright idea I should shave my head.

She came down for a visit when the wife was out of town…so we shaved my head! Ann was ok with it – she always say it’s your head, do what you want with it but she had this reservation. But since I have such a beautiful head….(And since you’re in radio and not TV) Reaching People of the Valley We are south of Pharr almost to Las Milpas out about 4 or 5 miles south of the Expressway. I say that to put perspective on this. We were working one day and I got paged to the front. A young man came in the front door and said that he was on the bus out of the bus station in McAllen. He used up all his money to get a ticket as far north as he could go. His plan was to get as far as his money would take him. He was going to get off the bus--wander off into the weeds and commit suicide.

He had a little Walkman and he found KVMV and before the bus left he realized somebody loved him. He got off the bus found out where we were and he walked all the way to the station to thank us and shared his story. It’s amazing. Praise God. Today’s Challenges of Christian Radio The biggest challenge to Christian radio is breaking the stereotype that when you turn it on you’re going to hear bad quality music, poorly executed radio or somebody with a microphone screaming at you. That is the biggest obstacle to getting people to turn on Christian radio.

Here’s a question: How long has KVMV been around here in the Valley? We’ve been on the air almost 40 years! I will call places and people are like “who?” “from where?” People from all over (even churches) frequently tell me they just found us on the radio.

Most of your Christian radio stations are at the end – the 88s, 89s and 90s.

People don’t go by you too often.

96.9 is blessed in that we are in the middle of the dial.

When MTV came on the air years ago – the first video was “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Every 5 or 10 years something came along that was gonna kill radio. Now it’s every 6 months something’s new that’s gonna kill radio. So I praise God I still have a job. The Lord is using KVMV to change lives.

him forever and you find yourself distant, you don’t need the newest book or bible. He just wants to have a relationship with you. I want what I do with my life and for KVMV just to be an example of that.

We are all far from perfect but we have the Creator, our Redeemer just waiting for us to know him and to know what’s on his heart for us. It’s too easy. We make it difficult and it doesn’t need to be.

Your Heart of Ministry for Christian Radio & KVMV? People are so important to God and it’s so easy to get to him. He’s so approachable. Sometimes we make it too complicated. It doesn’t matter where we are, whether we know him or not, it’s so easy to know him. I want radio to be an avenue for people to understand that. Maybe you’ve know

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Evaluating Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. —proverbs 4:26, 27 We believe that family matters; that’s why we let God’s Word speak into family matters! I mean, I know what it’s like at our house. People are going through some things. The specifics may change but the dynamics are the same. Sparks fly and conflict erupts. Having conflict isn’t what defines a family; it’s how you handle conflict that really defines who you are as a family.

So the word conflict, not surprisingly, comes from the Latin conflictus. It means the act of striking together, opposing action that results when two things are incompatible. That’s conflict. Incompatible opinions, clashing actions, contradictory demands in the home, cross-purposes and desires—these incompatibilities produce conflict.

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Family Conflict Now, let me note here that I’m focusing for the moment on negative conflict. Not all conflict in the home is negative. Sometimes conflict can be necessary, constructive and helpful when it leads us to solve some things. But I’m thinking about negative conflict. I’m talking about tears falling, hurtful words, multiple issues, wounding others, and stifling honest expression. Conflict itself is inevitable. But negative conflict can be very destructive and ultimately devastating if we don’t get a handle on it.

So how do we get a handle on conflict? The book of Proverbs in the Old Testament is full of wise counsel about identifying, avoiding, and settling conflict. It encourages and directs our efforts to evaluate conflict.

Proverbs 4:26 says this: “Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” Think about where this road is taking you. You are on a path. Ponder your patterns of relating. You have certain ways of behaving.

You have certain priorities in your marriage, in your fam-

Listen to Walk in the Word locally weekdays at 5:30 a.m.

By Dr. James MacDonald

ily, and if you are not married, then with your parents, with your siblings. Take a minute or ten to evaluate.

Look at that word established. It means decided, intentional, and thought-through. The reason we have to evaluate conflict is that we often live life on automatic pilot, without considering how our past experiences and upbringing have shaped our actions. There’s nothing like marriage to teach you that there’s more than one way to look at things! Evaluating conflict helps us realize that our way is not necessarily the right way.

The willingness to honestly evaluate conflict demonstrates very clearly how submitted you are to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, His way is the right way.

Journal What was the last conflict at my house and what can I learn from pondering that experience?

What happens when I submit every conflict to the authority and Lordship of Jesus Christ?

James MacDonald is founding and Senior Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in northwest Chicago. James’ teacing canbe heard on Walk in the Word, a daily radio program reaching more than 3 million people across North America. Used by permission of Walk in the Word, Elgin, Ill., 61023. To subscribe to the Weekly Walk, a weekly e-devotional, visit www.walkintheword.com.

Used by permission of Walk in the Word, Elgin, Ill., 61023.

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“Suffer Fest!“

Embrace what it takes for the Kingdom

By Mike Masso

It

was 1990 and I was making a transition from fulltime church ministry to fulltime college in order to continue my education in psychology, theology and business in Dallas. I was actually enrolled in two different colleges, eager to do whatever it took to learn more so that God would have more of me to work with.

My prayer was to be spent for the Kingdom of God. My fear was that I did not want anything to disrupt my life mission, especially some kind of family crisis, tragedy or illness. I often prayed that God would keep me from suffering these kinds of painful experiences.

After being in Dallas for about six months,

I received a phone call from my mom telling me that my grandfather was just killed in a car accident. My world was devastated. I didn’t understand why God would allow this to happen to such a Godly man that exemplified Christ more than anyone else I had ever known. “This world needs more Christians like him, not less”, I pleaded with God as if somehow I could convince Him to send him back to life, so we didn’t have to deal with the sorrow and stress at his funeral service.

Scriptures that I often quote and know so well didn’t make any sense.

One says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” Wow, that sure sounds superspiritual, but who in their right mind gets happy when trouble and trials crash into their life? I wasn’t getting the relevance to my real life situation, although it didn’t take long for God to begin wrecking my soul.

I was haunted all night before the funeral service, reflecting on why I was not able to exemplify the fruits of the Spirit like my grandfather, questioning God and myself…

“Why am I so selfish? Why can’t I change? “ I began to examine my broken soul and allow the Holy Spirit to help me identify the patterns of my sin and the sources that fed my self-centered ways. It was a grueling excavation, but one that broke me down and rebuilt my soul to be a closer reflection of Christ.

This soul excursion has taught me to transition from doing whatever it takes to be spent for the Kingdom of God, to embracing whatever it takes to be more like the God of the Kingdom.

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Do I now get excited and look forward to tragedy, trial and crisis? Not really, but I can say that through years of certain trials and personal suffering, I believe I can one day be capable of experiencing that Joy in the face of

suffering. And I don’t just mean when I get to heaven.

One day, I was having a mental conversation with God (i.e. praying). I asked myself and God, can I truly become more like Christ without having to suffer? My mind scanned examples of Scripture from Noah, Job, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Elijah, David, the 12 disciples and Paul, to name a few, and I began to understand much clearer that suffering is our ordained journey to Christ as Paul states in Philippians 1:29.

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

Suffering isn’t always from trials and tragedy; we afflict ourselves with suffering to prepare for a competition, to get in better shape, to become better or stronger at something. In fact, while I was on vacation with my family in Canada over the summer, I was intrigued with a fairly new annual event that goes on in Kaslo, British Colombia. It is called “Suffer Fest.” Sounds like fun, right?

Suffer Fest is described as an athletic endurance, multi-discipline stage race that involves 31 trail-running miles of leg-and-lung torture through the forests of the Selkirk mountains, then 62 miles of challenging singletrack mountain biking which ends with the last stage, a double-black diamond descent for several miles of technical downhill, full-face helmet, biking on a trail called The Monster!

The event’s ultimate goal is to determine who the greatest sufferer is. The crazy thing is that the response to “Suffer Fest” has been overwhelming. It just goes to show that humans are willing to suffer for a cause or some kind of reward. Although, the one who wins this race will be the one who disciplined himself to suffer the most in preparing for this race, not just the one who suffered the most in the race.

In light of this clarity of suffering, I asked God if there is a way I could self-impose suffering instead of waiting for some tragedy to strike me that I may glorify Christ.

His response was felt, as if He put His gentle, strong, loving hand on my shoulder and said, “Son that is what fasting is about.” : ) “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NLT)

Mike Masso is married to Robyn Masso and they have four children. Mike and his family have been involved in the Rio Grande Valley community most of their lives in ministry and business ventures. Mike is the Director for Leadership Development Alliance, LLC, President of Viva Life Christian Book Shop and Owner-Broker of Prime Ventures Commercial Real Estate.

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?

Are you a

stressed out

woman

Get over it!

By Tracy Hughes

Feeling Overwhelmed? Overworked? Overanxious?

Overweight? Overmedicated?

Overlooked? Overachiever? O v e r l o a d e d ? ?

Overheated? Overextended?

Overprotective?

Whew! We are a stressed-out culture! Women in particular deal with stress in our own unique way.

• • • •

We wrestle with it, We stuff it down We try to act like it is not there, or We spend our lives trying to control and manage it.

The majority of women when asked how they deal with stress answered tongue-in-cheek with Prozac and a glass of wine! Is it just a part of our culture that we have to deal with or is it possible to actually overcome it?

Are you one of those women who wrestle with stress? These women recognize their enemy and fight it to the core. They know they aren’t supposed to live with this much stress, but keep on plugging anyway trying to battle their way through it.

They tell themselves, “If I can just get through this task or this problem, then

Oversensitive?

Overdone

Overshadowed? it will get better.” But it never does, there is always another task or prob lem to take its place many times worse than the last. The mentality is you are not going to win. I will defeat you! Many husbands, children, friends, and co-workers have found themselves at the end of her brandishing sword. A bloody battle, indeed. Have you ever seen a woman win? Me either!

Or maybe you are one that suppresses stress and physically absorbs it in to your body affecting your digestive system, your nerves, or even your face for crying out loud! On the outside we look cool as a cucumber, but on the inside our stomach is turning flip-flops. The mentality is to hide it. Stuff it deep down inside. You just act like there isn’t any stress at all.

But let me tell you in the end, you will need to apply that cucumber to the wrinkles on your face.

“My favorite way to cope with stress is a morning walk and a long talk with God.” Janet Cavazos Customer Care Manager/Public Relations, Mercedes-Benz of San Juan

Other women ignore stress like it isn’t really there. She tells herself this is re ally not a problem, thinking, hoping, and praying it will just go away. All the while it is building and building until finally an explosion of emotions comes out of her faster than you knew what hit you. Whoa to those in her path when she unleashes pent-up stress!

But most of us fit into the “control and manage it” group. We have the mentality control it before it controls us. We really think that we are in charge of how much stress gets to us until one day we find ourselves in the list of the overs. Then we ask ourselves how we got here. Why am I overreacting? Overcritical? Overbearing? Overtired? We haven’t really managed stress at all. It’s not something that we can manipulate to suit us or control the amount we can handle.

There is only one way to deal with

“ I definitely wrestle with stress, honestly, less from the students than from all of the paperwork and incessant demands on teachers. Thank God for elliptical machines, treadmills and indoor/outdoor walking trails because those offer me the greatest stress relief. I also find it in listening to the Christian radio station on my way to work each morning and in writing.”

Chris Ardis

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SOAR McAllen, Valley Town Crier and teacher MISD

Tracy Hughes is President and Co-founder of ROAD Ministries, Inc. and author of In My Father’s “Home”.

She is married to Kevin Hughes and has three beautiful daughters. They attend Calvary Baptist Church.

stress and that is to release it to the One that can handle it. John 16:33 says “In Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage I have overcome the world.”

Jesus Christ has already overcome the overs!

He has already fought the battle, met it headon, dealt with it, and He is the only one that controls it! We were never intended to live life overrun by the overs. Prescription drugs and alcohol are temporary fixes that never deal with the root problem. But this verse promises when we give Him our stress, He gives us His peace. What a deal! That, my sister is how you get over the overs! So get over it!

---------------

DOWN THE ROAD: Ladies Fall Luncheon at KVMV, hosted

by Ann Gamblin, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15.

Theme is Women and Healing Relationships. Tickets are $20 and are limited. Register at roadministries.com or see our Facebook page for more info.

“Of course I pray and read my Bible, but I get a massage every two weeks to get the kinks out!”

Terri Drefke Executive Director RGV Food Bank

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Looking for an exciting, tasty, fundraising event?

Youth Groups

Christian School Groups

School Organizaions

Non-Profit Organizations Partial Proceeds to benefit the:

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3. To produce a high quality product that customers will be please with.

Costs and distribution of funds 3.00-Cost of cookies and packing.

0.25-Cost for box 0.75-Cost of office, clerical, and delivery epenses 3.00-To the Make-A-Wish foundation of the RGV 3.00-To the non-profit organization selling the cookies

/ 26 / www.valleychristianmagazine.com /

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QUITTING IS NOT

By Henry Miller

“The Devil can hit me with everything he’s got I’ll still be in church I’ll still lift my hands I’ll still open my mouth I’ll still worship Him with my tithe I’ll still serve Him with my all I’ll keep on preaching come hell or high water I don’t have a quit option And I will never, never, never quit” Jentezen Franklin Senior Pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Fla. And Free Chapel OC in Irvine, Ca.

There were days when University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt didn’t want to go to work.

She had lost confidence in herself, second-guessing many of her decisions and not understanding why she was making such erratic choices.

As she’s always done, however, she pushed forward – quitting was not an option.

The winner of eight NCAA women’s basketball championships and more than 1,000 games – more than any NCAA basketball coach, man or woman – aggressively pursued the cause. When she was told she had early onset dementia, she was floored.

What a better time than right then to quit. How heartbreaking it must have been to hear that your mind was going to slowly go away. That despite all your hard work, all those days using that same incredible mind and superior will to become a coach on the level as UCLA’s John Wooden, that you were just human. That you were slowly going to fade away, and not even know it’s happening.

But quitting for Pat Summitt has never been an option – even from the days when she would drive the Tennessee Lady Vols’ van and live on a $250/month coaching stipend, quitting was just not going to happen.

“There’s not going to be any pity party,” Summitt said recently as she went public with her illness. “I’ll make sure of that.”

We all face battles. We probably have faced things where we want to use our “Quit Option” more than once. Maybe we’ve wanted to quit our jobs, our dreams, our family, or our marriage. Maybe we’ve wanted to give up that battle with the flesh and go back to who we were. Maybe the battle’s just been too tough. Quitting – going back to our ways – would be so much easier.

The Bible tells us, however, that there is no quit option as followers of Christ.

University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt (below, left) and Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell (below right, fourth from the left) have faced or are facing their mortality in ways that would make many people quit - Luttrell didn’t and Summitt refuses to.

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AN OPTION...

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what it promised… we are not those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

Pastor Jentezen Franklin, in his sermon “Removing the Quit Option” tells the story of Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell, who was the only survivor in his group of 20 in the deadliest day of fighting for Navy Seals in Afghanistan.

During a prospective Seal’s final week of training – known as Hell Week – there’s a bell that stands on the grounds where a recruit can break rank, walk over to that bell and ring it – it’s their Quit Option. They will then be brought into barracks, given a warm meal (something not seen during this final week as they are starved, and their bodies pushed to the breaking point), tended to and taken back to where they came from – no questions asked.

Luttrell fought and watched as his comrades were shot down all around him as more than 150 Talibans closed in on them. He decided that he would rather die on that spot fighting than ever give up. He overcame the pain of bullets and broken legs from jumping off a mountain as Taliban chased him and was rescued. While his body – his flesh – told him, pleaded with him to quit – he refused.

“Quitting is not an option.”

We know that persecution and trials and tribulations can bring us to our knees. But when we look at what Jesus went through, we can be assured. “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary of fainthearted.”

So when you are going through your trials, your battles, consider Him. He refused to quit. He pressed forward until he cried out “It is finished.”

Quitting was not an option.

I’ve interviewed Pat Summitt on a few occasions. It’s hard to believe what the next years may bring her way. I also remember how my mom suffered from Alzheimer’s and the pressures it puts on loved ones.

But one thing I will always remember about my mom – and something I’m sure we’ll see as Pat Summit pushes forward, not shirking back…

Quitting was never an option.

Quitting was not an option.

Franklin says it’s the mind that Satan wants to break down. He will throw everything at us, trying to break us down, trying to get us to use that “Quit Option.”

“I’m not in this for what I can get out of God and what I can get out of church and get out of Jesus,” Franklin says. “I’m in this because He loved me first and He gave Himself for me. And if He never answers another prayer I will never, ever, ever ring that bell.

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Henry Miller has been in the publishing business for 25 years.

He’s covered the Summer Olympics, the World Series, the Daytona and Indianapolis 500s among other events. His work has been in more than 150 newspapers and he has been a syndicated radio personality on more than 60 stations nationwide. He and his daughter Camilla (7) attend Palm Valley Church, where Henry volunteers in the Kids Church. E-mail him at: henry@valleychristianmagazine.com

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Christian Motorcyclists Association

By Henry Miller

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Linda Blackwell Photography

Mother’s Day Out

First Baptist Church of McAllen is proud to offer a ministry of the church involving paid staff ministering to children from six weeks of age through pre K. MDO is currently offered during the school year as a one-day program on Fridays.

need a night out?

Parents’ Night Out gives parents the opportunity to take a

The hours of operation are from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at a cost of $20 for one child or $25 for two or more

well-deserved break. We won’t tell the kids… they’ll think it’s Kids Night Out! Bring a sack dinner for your child.

Birth - 6th Grade - $10 per child/$20 Maximum per family November 11, 2011 December 16, 2011

children. Please, pack a sack lunch for your child.

5:30 - 9:30 pm

family

First Baptist Church

night

October 21, 2011

6:00 - 9:00 pm

Come join the First Family for food, fellowship, and fun!

Hotdogs, chips, Frito pie, nachos, drinks, and candy at reasonable prices Games for adults and kids Crafts for kids

First Baptist Church of McAllen

...where family is important!

For more information about any of our ministries or to make reservations, please contact the First Baptist Church office at (956) 686-7418. www.fbcmcallen.com / / 34 / www.valleychristianmagazine.com

Bible Terms:

By Luis Palau

According to pollster George Gallup Jr., “Americans revere the Bible, but—by and large, they don’t read it.” As a result, many don’t know what it says. And when they read it for the first time, a single Bible verse can be baffling to someone who has not grown up in the church.

Here are 19 terms worth defining when reading the Bible or talking with people about Jesus Christ...

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SEEK

God is not hiding or trying to elude us. In fact, the Bible says God actively pursues a relationship with each person. So, how do we seek God? Compare how we seek wealth, prestige or romance—we read up on, work hard, set priorities, and surround ourselves with others who will help us achieve our goal. To seek God, we make Him our first priority in life; read the Bible, pray, trust Him, and learn from others. When we pay attention, His activity in our lives is unmistakable.

JESUS

Even when He was on earth, Jesus was much more than a great teacher. He was fully God and fully human. He created the universe and loves His human creations so much more than we deserve to be loved. Faith in Jesus keeps our earthly life on track and guarantees an eternal home in heaven.

BLAMELESS

No one is completely without fault—no one is “blameless.” Everyone has done something wrong. Yet, one perfect and blameless man exists: Jesus Christ. Because He took the blame we deserve, God sees us as blameless.

SIN

To sin is to defy God’s ways and act to please ourselves. But sin is not just behavior. It is also thoughts or attitudes that contradict God’s expectations. Sin can be dramatic or subtle, but it always separates us from God’s love and glory. God forgets our sin when we ask for forgiveness, believing that Jesus Christ already took our punishment.

GOSPEL

“Gospel” means “good news.” Because Jesus Christ died for our sins and returned to life, those who believe in Him will never experience spiritual death or hell.

CROSS

The cross was a humiliating torture device used to execute Roman criminals sentenced to death. Christians do not delight in the cruelty Jesus Christ suffered on a cross, but rather in the amazing love that motivated him to die such a death on behalf of wretched humanity. On the cross, Jesus Christ died to pay sinners’ way out of hell, which is eternal death. A cross reminds us of how God Himself experienced physical death, without which we could never obtain spiritual life.

REDEMPTION

Jesus Christ’s death redeemed, or paid the price for, our sins. We can take comfort in knowing that there is nothing we can do to nullify Christ’s work for us.

SALVATION

After sin entered the world, each human being became enslaved by corruption and death. God’s Son came to rescue humanity by paying the penalty for sin. The work necessary to obtain salvation has been completed. Jesus Christ now freely offers salvation—rescue from death to eternal life—to all who place their faith in Him.

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GIFT

A true gift isn’t earned, only accepted. Salvation is an unearned gift from God that is received by believing in Him.

FAITH

Faith is placing your trust in what you can’t necessarily see or prove. Faith is essential to eternal life. When we receive Jesus Christ as Savior, we are exercising faith that He is the way to heaven, the one who makes us God’s child. Because we cannot see God now, we live our lives by faith. Your faith is enough if your faith is in Him.

BORN AGAIN

“Born again” describes an individual whose spirit has been brought to life by belief in Jesus Christ. First we are born physically, then we are born again spiritually. Our spirit lives on for eternity even when our physical life ends.

CONFESS

To confess can mean either to admit a wrong or to agree that something is right. In our relationship with God, both must happen. God has promised that if a person acknowledges the truth of Jesus Christ’s deity, then God will forgive his or her sin.

REPENTANCE

To repent is to stop doing wrong, turn the opposite direction of the sin, and move our heart, mind, or body in the direction that the Bible tells us is correct. It’s changing from self-rule to God-rule. Repentance is turning away from the sin that separates us from God and reaching out, instead, to receive God’s forgiveness and the new life He offers.

CONVERT

People get converted all the time—that’s what soft-drink marketing wars are all about. But conversion to Christianity is a radical shift in spiritual understanding, placement of faith, and reorganization of life’s priorities. We stop pursuing money, power, or pleasure to embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ, who calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

RELIGION

True religion is not a set of rules. It is a life lived to please God, overflowing and affecting everyone around us.

God’s Word says that religion is worthless unless it is based on a relationship with Jesus Christ that compels us to reach out to help others.

CHURCH

The church isn’t a building, per se. The church consists of all the followers of Jesus Christ around the world.

CHOOSE

God demonstrates that He values choice because He created human beings with the capacity to choose. We may choose to accept or reject His gifts, commands, and promises. Scripture is filled with admonitions to choose wisely, to choose to obey, to choose to serve God. We are responsible for how we choose to live-and accountable for the consequences.

FORGIVENESS

If we admit to God that we have sinned, believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and ask Him to take control of our lives, God will forgive our sins. That means our sins are wiped out, gone forever. It is true that we will still sin in this life, but God will continue to forgive us if we are truly sorry for our sin and desire to change.

HOPE

In the Bible “hope” is not just wishful thinking. When we belong to Jesus Christ, our hope of eternal life is certain— it is an unseen reality.

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Luis Palau and his ministry have shared the Gospel with more than 1 billion people through evangelistic events and media. He has spoken in person to 25 million people in 72 countries with more than 1 million registered decisions for Jesus Christ. He has authored close to 50 books and countless articles on issues of faith, and has counseled with business and political leaders and heads of state around the world. Used by permission from the Luis Palau Association and http:// change.palau.org. All rights reserved.

Photos by Mitch Idol

Sinners in the Hands of a Dancing God

By Jerrell Jobe

How is the God of the Old Testament typically depicted? What emotions or dispositions frequently come to mind when you think of the God of the Old Testament?

How often do you relate to God (at least subconsciously) out of this mental model? (Perhaps that God is somehow upset, angry or disappointed with you?)

The prophet Zephaniah gives us a vivid portrayal of the God of the Old Testament, as One who passionately encircles those in whom He finds pleasure.

“The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you withgladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 Zephaniah illustrates a stunning picture of the heart and posture of God. The following is an expanded rendering of this verse that I came up with based on

personal research and reflecting of this passage in the Hebrew language.

is sung – a song that causes all of creation to tremble, as the notes of His love resonate.

The Lord your God, is the One who created and upholds all things by the power of His word.

He is the self-existent and eternal Being, who is in covenant with you. The One and only Giver and Sustainer of life, is not far away and out of reach, rather, He is in your midst, in the very center of where you exist.

He is a Mighty One, a Victorious Warrior, who is endowed with salvation and deliverance and has come to help.

Often times, we misconstrue God as a wrath-filled, whiteknuckled tyrant on the edge of His throne, anxiously waiting the moment of vengeance. After all, the “God of the Old Testament” is a God of wrath, isn’t He? This isn’t the image Zephaniah communicates. He speaks of a God who so loves us, He can’t stop singing about us. He is a passionate, celebrating, joy-filled Being!

He does so because He delights over you with great pleasure, joy and even happiness. As He shows forth His love, you become speechless. He is lovesick for you. Because of this lovesickness, He spins around with intense emotion, leaping for joy, dancing as one intoxicated with deep emotion. Enraptured, there’s a cry that rings out from the depths of His being, a song

Reflection: How does this verse challenge some of your internal models of God’s emotional posture toward you?

How could a deep revelation of this verse change the way you walk throughout your day?

Prayer: God help me to be consciously aware of You as a passionate, love-sick, God celebrating over Your Universe and even me.”

Jerrell Jobe is a teaching pastor at Palm Valley Church in Mission. He is married to Charissa and has three children: Michah (8), Naylah (6), and Avi (4).

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HCA, the parent company of McAllen’s Rio Grande Regional Hospital, was one of only two healthcare institutions in the Rio Grande Valley recently recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.

This is the fifth year Ethisphere, a think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has published the World’s Most Ethical Companies rankings. This is the second straight year HCA has received the award.

tices throughout the organization,” said Greg Seiler, Chief Executive Officer at Rio Grande Regional Hospital.

“This recognition not only reflects HCA’s notable ethics and compliance program, but also the dedication of all our employees to our patiens, our communities, and HCA’s culture of integrity.”

Ethisphere reviewed thousands of companies and evaluated a record number of applications and only a selec t few were recognized for their ethical practices.

Greg Seiler,

“It is extremely rewarding to be a part of a company that is being recognized for their continued diligence in upholding ethical business pracAdvertisement

Rio Grande Regional Hospital

101 East Ridge Road McAllen, TX 78503 956-632-6000 / www.riohealth.com

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Join our team!

Looking to join an exciting new Christian Ministry Team?

Mary Lou Henry

Full & part Time Sales Reps are needed throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

Broker/ Owner, ABR GRI

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Faith - Family - Communit y

valley

/ 40 / www.valleychristianmagazine.com / Faith - Family - Communit y

s n o s s Le . . . n i d foun

I recall years ago standing before the mirror shaving as my precious 5-yearold son David watched me intensely without blinking an eye. I paused for a moment and with foam hanging from my face I looked into the mirror to see my son, as my son looked into the mirror to see his father. As I looked at him I saw what I was... and as he looked at me he saw what he would one day become.

There we stood, awestruck by God’s greatness, looking at what time would do and undo.

David carries my name and walks with my frame, he has developed my phraseology, my terminology, my concepts, my ideas even my sense of humor. He is what I was a flash ago… he will blink his eyes and his face will wrinkle and his hair will turn gray. And all we have is this brief, transient moment together.

Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not guaranteed. Today is the moment to make deposits into the life of your child.

My heart hurts and grieves for all the children who are looking into mirrors today and not seeing their father looking back at them. They have either left them or become so engulfed by their passions and life that they

!

shaving cream...

have forgotten about “God’s best gift to them” (Psalm 127:3).

Let us not underestimate the power of a father in the life of a child. The child will observe the father unceasingly emulating and imitating their every move, gesture and habit. The words of a father can make or break a child, leading him to success or destruction in life. Fathers have the innate ability to produce a smile on the face of their child or cause them to break out in tears.

Quality over quantity is a deceptive concept that we mustn’t entertain.

A father has the power to chart the course for his child or the unfortunate ability to misguide them throughout life.

Fathers are the warriors and their children the arrows. But how will an arrow be projected into destiny if the warrior is nowhere to be found.

God has called you to be that warrior, so be a true man of God and rise up, take your arrows, seek His wisdom, fix your eyes on Jesus and shoot them into God’s destiny for their lives…

Thank you David for being such a wonderful son, for loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and for being an encouragement to me. Special thanks to my dad for always being there for me, for your prayers and your constant words of wisdom. I praise my heavenly Father for your lives.

The sad truth is that 85 percent of men who are incarcerated report that they never knew their father or never had his touch or sensed his love. Teen girls are getting married today in search of the attention and affection they didn’t get from daddy.

The psalmist calls children “arrows in the hands of a warrior.” Before projecting an arrow, a warrior sharpens the point, he then ensures that the shaft is straight, solid and strong. He then fixes his eyes on the target...pulls the bow and shoots the arrow with absolute accuracy and definition.

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David, Milton and Rogelio Gonzalez Milton is the Principal of Covenant Christian Academy and is a member of The Family Church in McAllen.

F a i t h & Culture The Guide to a Culture Shaped by Faith

Kelly Monroe Kullberg & Lael Arrington Two very close friends of mine are deep thinkers who are not Christian.

One of them grew up in the church, and when he was in college he decided he was agnostic. He believes there is a deity, but not that it is possible to know him. He is very skeptical about the Bible’s reliability.

We were together when a friend’s sister died. “In times like this I wish I could believe,” he said. His rationalism won’t let him.

The other friend became very curious about the Christian faith while in high school. As a youthful musician seeking God, he was told by a pastor that he had to play his music only for God. That turned him off to church and God. He is also agnostic.

He tells me that he prays, but he’s not sure to whom. The Bible is not God’s revelation to humanity.

They both have a hard time understanding how intelligent people can believe the Bible is God’s truth. Many good conversations with them have not convinced them that Jesus Christ died on the cross for sin. Neither have the conversations convinced them that the Bible is truth from an intelligent and almighty God. Those who do believe have the Spirit of God who mystically and mysteriously teaches us about God. As we look around this world we see God in everything that is made and we praise him. We attempt to live out our faith in a quickly changing and somewhat godless culture. How

we engage our culture with our faith is very important and challenging when so many people are convinced that God may not exist. If he does, is the Bible the message from God? Faith & Culture is a book that can help you think deeply and sensitively about the Triune God. The authors, Kelly Monroe Kullberg and Lael Arrington, give good insight by looking at seven subjects that beg us to examine and explore God – Bible and theology, history, philosophy, science, literature, art, and contemporary culture. The book is designed in a devotional format for one reading a day, no matter the order you choose. Many great thinkers and scholars contribute their thoughts to this insightful journey. Some of their thoughts include: The existence of God is questioned by all people. How the world came into being ends up being more a matter of faith in God than of scientific proof.

The Bible is the most quoted book of all time; jam packed with relevant truth for all time.

History testifies that the evil in the world needs the goodness of God to sooth the welts of pain, misery, and suffering.

Great philosophers try to make sense of the world through logic that

Review of Faith & Culrutre by

Miguel Paredes Is a teacher at Edinburg Northand earned his Masters in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is married to Brenda and has four children, Diego (9), Karla and Andrea (6) and Charis (2).

doesn’t consider the Logos (word) of God. The complexity and beauty of science does not have to be separated from the complexity and beauty of faith.

Literature has the power to express and mold the thoughts of people.

Art is expression that can demonstrate the countenance of the heart.

Contemporary Culture is changing too fast to keep up with the latest technology and discoveries.

Each day ends with a reflective question that requires you to take mental or physical notice or action; possibly even change one’s perspective of how big God is. The result of each “devotional” seems aimed at a greater appreciation for who God is and an empowerment of your role in His universe. The greatest effect of the daily readings is that of deep reflection upon ones’ life purpose and role in God’s story.

Books and Music featured available at:

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sticky faith by

Kara E. Powell and Chap Clark Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Dr. Kara E. Powell and youth expert Chap Clark use research from the Fuller Youth Institute’s “College Transition Project” to empower parents with positive and practical ideas to nurture within their kids a living, loving faith that lasts a lifetime.

BEYOND BOUNDARIES

LEARNING TO TRUST AGAIN IN RELATIONSHIPS

Shadow in Serenity

by John Townsend

How do you know you’re ready to trust again? In Beyond Boundaries, bestselling author Dr. John Townsend helps you discover when and how to trust again after you’ve set appropriate boundaries, how to connect deeply without being hurt, and how to safely grow your most intimate relationships.

By Terri Blackstock

Carny Sullivan, suspicious about suave, handsome Lo-

The

Color of Rain

by Michael and Gina Spehn

When two childhood friends die of cancer six weeks apart, the shared experience of loss brings their grieving spouses together. Told from alternating points of view, this remarkable real-life Brady Bunch story is about what it means to endure the unthinkable—and still open our hearts to what’s next.

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gan Brisco and his charming ways, is drawn to him, despite her best intentions and her determination to expose his plans for her quiet Texas town.

M

ark Hall, frontman mega group Casting Crowns, has published The Well: Why Are So Many Still Thirsty? with Zondervan. The newest book from the platinum-selling lead singer hit retailers in September.

With co-writer and fellow pastor Tim Luke (author of books such as Your Own Jesus), Hall uses the powerful story of the Woman at the Well and her encounter with Jesus to help readers understand why life often seems so unsatisfying. What many believers consider wells that sustain them—like success, talent, control, and favor—are really just holes that keep the from relying upon Jesus and the abundant, refreshing life He offers.

The Well ties into the release of Casting Crowns’ newest album releasing this fall, Come To The Well. Below is an excerpt of The Well: Why Are So Many Still Thirsty?, courtesy of Zondervan I would love to have seen the look on the face of the Samaritan woman when Jesus told her all about her past. How does he know all of that stuff? How can he know all that I’ve ever done?

Hope runs deeper than Jacob’s well, and John 4:16 reveals the point where Jesus goes straight for her heart.

The Samaritan woman doesn’t grasp the spiritual meaning of Jesus’ words, so she relates it to something she has seen — religion. When I say religion, I mean the kind of rituals and empty checklists people follow when a relationship with Christ isn’t personal and authentic.

The Samaritan woman brings up nearby Mount Gerizim, where Samaritans chose to worship. In other words, she talked about the church down the road. When Jesus reveals he knows all about her past, she answers with the phrase, “Our fathers say.” All she knew was someone else’s religion, but Jesus corrects her with famous words describing God and authentic worship: “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth . . . God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

She’s tired of coming to the hole in the ground, and she’s tired of the hole in her heart. Jesus weaves the conversation until the woman mentions the word Messiah. Little does she know he is standing before her.

The more he talks, the more she remembers that as a child she heard of a coming Messiah, the true one who would appear and make everything right. Oh, how she needed everything to be made right.

The countless men. The countless fights. The nights of wiping away tears to the snores of a stranger.

She came only to draw water. Could this be the man of her dreams?

And could this man really be . . .God?

/ 44 / www.valleychristianmagazine.com /

National Breast Cancer

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i m p o r t a n c e

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/ 45 / www.valleychristianmagazine.com /

Casting Crowns: Come to the Well Special to Valley Christian Magazine

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is often hard to stay focused on the things that are truly important, but sometimes all it takes is a song to remind us.

Over the past eight years, Atlanta-based Casting Crowns has consistently delivered music that points believers back to what truly matters, and the band does so yet again on Come to the Well. Casting Crowns continues to deliver passionate, thought-provoking music, yet these songs are among the most intensely personal offerings the group has ever shared.

“As a believer, all of your life has to stem from what you draw from,” says Casting Crowns frontman and principal songwriter Mark Hall. “If you’re drawing from a marriage, you’re in trouble because that person wasn’t created to complete

you. If you are trying to draw from a career, you’re in trouble.

If you are trying to draw from your strengths, strengths come and go. All these things are really holes, not wells. Jesus is the well.”

Remembering that simple, but powerful, truth has served Hall and his bandmates (Megan Garrett, Melodee DeVevo, Hector Cervantes, Chris Huffman, Juan DeVevo and Brian Scoggin) well, particularly over the last few years as they’ve juggled faith, family, music and ministry. Even as Casting Crowns has become Christian music’s most successful act, Hall and his fellow band members have continued working at their home churches. Hall has remained a youth pastor at Eagles Landing Baptist Church as the band’s music ministry has gained global acclaim.

On its fifth studio album, Hall once again takes some of the messages he’s shared with students and parents at Eagles Landing and pours them into songs. “Teaching through the story of the woman at the well with my teenagers and my families is where it all came from,” Hall says of the inspiration for the new album.

“Your friends aren’t the well.

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They aren’t always going to do the right thing or be there for you. You draw from Jesus.

You pour into your friends. Your scholarship can’t be the well. If your knee goes out, your well is dry. You need to draw from Jesus, pour into that. It became such a theme for everything that I have been teaching.

Your walk with Jesus is where it all starts. It’s where it all comes from. That is where it started with the idea of Jesus being the well vs. other things. I knew before any other songs were written that this album had to be called ‘Come to the Well’ because that is the central theme of everything we’re going to talk about in the next two years.”

In addition to the new album, Hall has also authored a new book titled, “The Well: Why Are So Many Still Thirsty?” (see story, p 44) “It’s the story of the woman at the well and when she first meets Jesus,” Hall explains.

1. Matthew West

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“Jesus says, ‘If you knew who you were talking to, you would ask me and I’d give you living water.’ She’s like ‘what kind of water is this that you’re speaking of?’ In other words, I’ve got my water that I’m talking about. You’ve got your water you’re talking about.

We’re talking about two different things, and he says to her, ‘well if you drink the water I have you’ll never thirst again.’”

Like Casting Crown’s previous albums, Come to the Well is filled with songs that both challenge and encourage believers in their walk.

The lead single, “Courageous,” is showcased in the Sherwood Pictures film of the same title. The powerful lyric exhorts men to lead bold, uncompromising lives for the Lord. “About four or five years ago, I read a book called ‘Raising A Modern Day Knight’ by Robert Lewis and it’s all about manhood,” says Hall.

“When I look around I see people who are passionate about the things that don’t matter and passive about the things that matter most.

We’re like followers instead of leaders. Somewhere along the line the warriors have become watchers. I started challenging guys in my youth group and

now I’ve got high school guys who are discipling the middle school guys once a week because they are realizing there needs to be more to me than just weight lifting.”

“Jesus, Friend of Sinners” urges open-hearted compassion while “Already There” is a potent treatise on God’s faithfulness.

“Spirit Wind” is one of the first songs Hall ever wrote, and has long been one of his father’s favorites. The song has a bluegrassy flavor unlike any thing Casting Crowns has ever done. On the other end of the musical spectrum, “My Own Worst Enemy” is an all out rocker about not falling back into past behavior.

Since its launch in 2003 the band has garnered 14 GMA Dove Awards, three Grammy Awards and an American Music Award. Casting Crowns has sold more than 8.2 million albums to date (according to Nielsen SoundScan) and has been named Billboard magazine’s top-selling Christian act for the past four years.

For more information: Casting Crowns and Come To The Well

www.castingcrowns.com

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Co By me t Ca stin o the Re g Cr Well ow lea se n Da s te: 10/ 18/ 11

NEW releases M

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Enough for retirement?

Dear Dave, I’ve heard you tell people that having $90,000 to $100,000 saved up for retirement isn’t enough. That’s what I’ve got set aside right now, and I’m pretty sure it’s all I’ll ever need. Why do you think everyone should have a million or two saved up?...Tom Dear Tom, The amount you’re talking about isn’t enough to retire on with any kind of dignity.

If you make 10 percent off your money over time it means you’re living on just

$10,000 a year. That’s below the poverty level.

Don’t misunderstand my message. I’m not about being greedy, and money is not the key to happiness. Money is good for three things – personal security, helping others, and it’s good for fun. You need to do some of all three.

What I am about is changing my family tree. With money we can create and leave behind the training and resources to make a huge positive difference in the world. I want good people to have big piles of money in order to do good things.

This is true of my own family, too. I don’t want to leave my kids in a situation where they have lots of money and no sense of responsibility. I want to train them to be responsible and generous so they can really bust loose with that big pile of cash they’ll inherit one day. I want them to be able to have an impact three generations down the line in our own family and to impact the world around them in a fabulous way!

—Dave Hobby car?

Dear Dave, My husband has a 1980 Camaro that’s a real source of friction between us. He bought the car for $2,400. It needs $3,500 in repairs. Our household income is $29,000 a year, and this car is taking money away from our ability to save and pay off $39,000 in debt. We already have two decent cars, so what should I do?..

Katherine Dear Katherine, This isn’t a matter of having a car that runs. It’s a matter of someone having a maturity problem. Guys like shiny toys, especially cars. But these kinds of things are luxuries, and they should wait until the household and finances are in order. The family should always come first!

For more financial help please visit: www.daveramsey.com Dave Ramsey is a personal money-management expert and extremely popular national radio personality. His three New York Times best-selling books—Financial Peace, More Than Enough and The Total Money Makeover—have sold more than 6 million copies combined. His latest book, EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches,releases in September 2011.

I’m not saying he has to sell the car today, but dumping money into it while you guys are struggling doesn’t make sense.

Sit down with the guy, explain how you feel and what this is doing to your finances and your marriage.

And you might even give him a little incentive. Let him know that once your debt is gone, and you’ve got some savings in place, he’ll have the money to get that Camaro up and running in no time!

—Dave

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Chick-fil-A is proud to support the Rio Grande Valley 1300 East Jackson Avenue, McAllen, TX 78503

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It is fair to say that when I first set out to become a lawyer, I was focused on accumulating wealth, power and prestige.

However, after practicing law for the last 18 years, I realize that I have a higher purpose and calling. The Bible says in Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s plans that prevail.”

Had I held on to this truth since I first became a lawyer, it is clear that my journey would have taken a different path. But, all is not lost. I also understand as the Bible says in Genesis 50:20 “That which was meant for evil, God meant for good, to bring about this purpose in me.” In my years of practice, I’ve had my peaks and valleys. I understand now that even as Christ washed the feet of his disciples, I, too, am called to serve my community in whatever capacity I am asked to help.

It is my desire to serve in that Christ-like manner and honor God in all my dealings.

As Micah 6:8 says, “The Lord has shown you what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” I pray that the Lord will enable me and empower me to do that which He requires of me.

So whether your case pertains to personal injury law, family law, business law, criminal law, a real estate matter or estate planning, I will see your arrival at my office as a divine appointment.

I recognize that in honoring God, I will be honoring you, my esteemed and valued 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:/ rrodlaw@hotmail.com / 52 / www.valleychristianmagazine.com