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Help For Your Life! Hope For Your Heart! Health For Your Body, Mind and Spirit!
LAKE AREA REGION
Resource Guide
Community Calendar of Events Help and Hope Resources
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Getting Off The Dock! We’ve all heard the saying, “If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.” In fact, when ministering to at-risk youth on the waters of the world through our In His Wakes events, I’ve shared a similar phrase... “Victory only comes when you GET OFF THE DOCK!”... to our participants as they sit nervously on the water’s edge facing a challenge that seems insurmountable. Victory comes when one is willing to lay aside fear, pride, and the huge list of “what if’s” and take to the water with courage and perseverance.
will find hope for your heart, help for your life, and health for your body. In this quarterly publication, you will find inspiring stories from local individuals, businesses, and ministries that are sure to stir your soul as well as provide helpful information concerning our community. Check out our calendar of events and guide of local "Help and Hope" resources to stay abreast of the happenings and opportunities within the Lake Area Region. We look forward to developing this quarterly publication with YOU. Please feel free to share your own stories, pictures, recipes, and life lessons with us. Together we can encourage one another through the waters of life so that we can all live a life of victory and influence! In His Service,
Well, here at Champion’s Heart, we’ve had a season of “getting off the dock” and stepping out on faith as we have moved out with God into unchartered waters. As we’ve opened our hearts and doors to this amazing community, we have gotten to know more and more about our precious Lake Area Region and it’s residents. There are so many opportunities in our area and so much that we can learn from one another. With that in mind, we decided to find a way to share the information we have gathered, the stories that have touched our hearts, and the things we are learning with you... our friends and neighbors.
Kristi Overton Johnson
Publication Advisor Karen Lake Contributors Minta Bennett Dr. Bonnie Green Bonnie Hagemann Kristi Overton Johnson Karen Lake Carey Morford Paulette Sikes Kyle P. Tate Joanna Merritt Weldon Brad Williams Creative Director/Graphic Design Amy Zacowski amy@whisperingdog.com
Victorious Living 205 Magnolia Avenue Keystone Heights, FL 32656 352.478.2098 fax 888.837.9153
Victorious Living is published quarterly in Keystone Heights, Florida. ©2011, all rights reserved by Victorious Living. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising. The publisher accepts no responsibility for advertsiting errors beyond the cost of the advertisement itself. The publisher accepts no responsibility for submitted materials. All submitted materials subject to editing.
Table of Contents Hope For Your Heart The Sun is Always There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Sea Mark Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Live in Victory From the PIt to the Pulpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Escaping Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Leading Others to Victory Leading with Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Fight for Your Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Health For Your Mind, Body and Soul On the Road to Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Health ‘On the Go‘. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Choosing to Live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Your Choice Determines Your Course . . . . . . . . 11
Becoming A Champion Life and Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 The Grind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
www.championsheart.net
Publisher/Editor Kristi Overton Johnson
Advertising Ron Lilly ron@championsheart.net
Welcome to Victorious Living! We, the staff at Champion's Heart, are so excited about this premier issue. It is our desire that through this publication you
Help For Your Life Champion’s Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Park of the Palms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
A Publication of Champion’s Heart…
Bringing Out the Champion in You!
Community Happenings Things To Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Happenings / Event Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Church Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Please send all submissions to be included in Victorious Living to PO Box 968, Keystone Heights, Florida 32656. You may send inspiring stories, information on your organization's event and resources, as well as recommendations for individuals to be recognized for having a "Heart of a Champion”. Find more inspiring stories, videos and media at www.refreshmediaministries.com
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Hope For Your Heart || God’s Promises
The Sun Is
Always There
by Kristi Overton Johnson
Early one morning I stood in awe as I witnessed the most incredible sunrise over the trees of our lake. I immediately started thanking God for His amazing creation and His beauty that was reflected in it. Then, just minutes later, the most amazing thing happened… clouds appeared out of nowhere and rain began to pour. I have to admit I wasn’t praising God for this drastic change in weather. I always prefer the warmth and beauty of the sun’s rays over dark clouds, wind, and rain. As I thought of the drastic difference between these two settings, I had a revelation of truth. Although the clouds had moved in front of the sun and the rain was pouring down, the sun was still there. It’s just I couldn’t see the sun with my natural eyes. As I thought about the above revelation, it was if I heard the Lord say, “I’m always here too.” I was immediately humbled by the truth that just as I praised God for the sun’s rays and complained about the rain, I also have a tendency to praise God when I see His blessings and complain and grow anxious when clouds and rain move into my life. How quick I am to focus on the things I see with my natural eyes and feel in my body and emotions rather than trust the fact that the ‘Son’ is still there, loving me, fighting for me, and working all things for good for me.
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“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; He won’t leave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (The Message)
I am not the only one who has fallen into this cycle of praising God in the good times and complaining and worrying in the cloudy times. Murmuring and complaining kept the Israelites from moving forward into God’s blessings for 40 years! In Exodus 17:7 they tempted God and strived with Moses by saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” Clouds had moved into the lives of the Israelites and rather than remembering the protection, provision, faithfulness, and power of the Lord their God, they focused on their circumstances and actually wondered if God was actually among them.
I believe we have to come to a point in our lives where we answer the question, “Is the Lord among us, or not” once and for all. If we don’t, we will always be tossed about by every cloud that drifts into our life. However, once we make the determination that God is always present in our life, that His Word is true, and that His love and faithfulness are never ending, then our hope in Him becomes an anchor to our soul (Hebrews 6:19). We are then able to face the storms of life knowing that one day the ‘Son’s’ rays will once again shine brightly for all to see. No matter what you are going through today, let me encourage you with the answer to the above question, “God IS among you.” Although the clouds may be so thick you cannot feel His presence or see His beautiful rays, you can trust in the fact that the ‘Son’ is always there and His glory will soon be revealed in and through your situations. ✢ Kristi Overton Johnson is the founder of Champion’s Heart and In His Wakes, divisions of KOJ Ministries. Kristi currently resides in the Lake Area Region with her husband, Tim, and three children.
www.championsheart.net
Living In Victory || Freedom
From The Pit to The Pulpit by Pastor Brad Williams The cell was dimly lit and the concrete bench was cold, hard and unforgiving. The questions raced... How did it come to this? How did I end up here? What is going to happen next? As I lay there awake, turning my life over in my mind, I could not help but think, itʼs not supposed to be this way. I come from a good family. I am not supposed to be spending another night in lock-up. I was filled with fear. I had exhausted all the grace and mercy the police, my probation officer and my family could give. Who would help me? I had never felt so alone. I had run from everything and everyone in my life that challenged me and my selfish desires. I had run to anything that would bring quick satisfaction, escape and fun. Drugs offered all three of the above, at least in the beginning. Never one for moderation, I dove right into the drug culture. Drugs quickly became a normal part of my life. Shortly after I started, I was hooked. The availability and escape provided by the pills captured me. This led me down some very dark paths; in time, I got lost in a world of drug abuse, constant run-ins with the law, and many near-death experiences. I lived as a fugitive because of my habit and the things I had to do to support it. I alienated my loved ones. I was a man lost and out of control! I remember waking up one morning and realizing that I did not like this lifestyle anymore. I didn’t like who I was anymore. It had ceased to be a game; it had become a tyranny. I was enslaved and I wanted to be free.
As I lay there awake, turning my life over in my mind, I could not help but think, it’s not supposed to be this way. I come from a good family. I am
During my new journey, I had to face a lot of my own sin and I had to take responsibility for my choices, but God gave me hope in the midst of it all. As I looked to the cross and experienced the saving and unconditional love of Christ, God redeemed my life. No longer was I a man on drugs, I was a man delivered by God and set on a new path ... a path of victory.
not supposed to be spending another night in lock-up.
Lying there in that cell, something stirred in my heart, a desire for something different. As my heart stirred, my mouth began to speak to the God that I had refused to believe in for many years. I told Him that I was tired. So tired in fact that I asked Him to either put me on a different path or let me die — I just could not continue on this way. These were simple, yet honest words from a desperate heart. What followed was nothing out of the ordinary. No grand vision, no miraculous experience. I just fell asleep and woke to my mom bailing me out. However, that morning in August marked the beginning of a new journey. As I walked away from that cold cell, I began to walk toward the path that God had prepared for me. With a surrender of my heart and life to God, God began to do more than I could have ever asked or imagine!
After I was saved from my destruction and saved to God, I felt a calling to be a voice of hope to the hurting and helpless. God let me walk a pathway of pain, so that I could tell others who hurt that there is hope in Christ, and redemption in the cross. ✢ Brad Williams is the pastor of Keystone Heights Presbyterian Church in Keystone Heights, FL. He is the husband of Rachel and father of 4 children. He served as a Youth and Family Pastor several years before accepting the call to come and pastor in Keystone Heights in 2009. Brad is a recipient of God's amazing grace in his own salvation and in the gift of his family. Brad is a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary and loves to read.
Godʼs answer to my prayer came in a most unexpected way. He began to open doors for me to learn about His ways. He slowly worked in my life, and by the power of grace, I was transformed and set free.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:19
www.championsheart.net
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Living In Victory || Freedom
Escaping Egypt Abuse. Not a word I thought would be in MY history. Never in a million years would I have imagined I would be a victim of domestic violence. I was married to the man I loved. He was not only my partner, he was my friend. We did everything together; we even went to church. Yet somehow, over time, I found myself in a place of bondage and oppression. It was like I was in Egypt and he was the Pharaoh. God delivered me from that dry and weary land. It’s a place I hope to never visit again. Yet I feel I must go back, at least through sharing my story, so that I can help bring others - women, children, and even men - out of their Egypt, their place of bondage, so that they can walk with their heads held high and live a life of victory. It’s been well over a year since I walked out of my home, away from a place that should have been a refuge… away from the one who should have been my protector. Even after all this time, I still ask that loaded three letter word, “Why?” That’s an answer I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully comprehend. I don’t know why. But what I do know is this… I don’t think I could have done any-
thing differently in my marriage to have avoided the abuse. If it hadn’t been me, it would have been someone else… and unfortunately, may very well be someone else right now. Even if I had been ‘perfect’ (something no one can be), he still would have found fault. I know because I tried… I tried to be perfect. I poured the coffee and added the creamer in the order he demanded. I got rid of my NIV Bible and began to read the version that pleased him. I changed churches, left small groups, and quit reading certain devotions. I ‘checked in’ with him on my cell phone. I severed relationships with my children, parents, and friends. I even made sure I put the right amount of meat in the crock pot because I knew how upset he would become if I overstuffed the pot. No, nothing I could have done or said could have changed him. Only God could change the heart of my husband. Only God could help him become the leader of our household in the way God intended. Only God could transform him into a man who loves his wife as Christ loved the church… a man who would lay down his life for his wife rather than lay down his fist on her body.
A Local Resident’s Story of Domestic Abuse as told to Kristi Overton Johnson My abuse started like most domestic violence situations. He began calling me names, poking fun at me, and mocking me. The verbal abuse soon led to control and manipulation tactics. He started controlling our finances and withholding money, even money I had earned. He began pressuring me to change my social habits. Eventually, the poking, mocking, and control tactics turned violent. Threats escalated. He even began to threaten to kill my pet. No longer was I thrown out of the house (meaning I couldn’t live there for a time period) - no, now I entered a season where I would literally and physically be thrown out of the house. I would be thrown down the stairs, choked, and chased around the house. The last incident included having my head beat into the floor. On several of occasions, I had to be hospitalized. Of course, when asked about the cause of the injuries, I would lie about what happened. I didn't want to get him in trouble - I loved him. I would convince myself it must have been my fault. I must have done something to push him over the edge. I assured myself that I would be better and “this would never happen again.” continued on page 7
Rise up, Beloved... I am the Lord your God who has brought you out of Egypt. Refuse to be yoked again to bondage and walk with your head held high! Leviticus 26:13
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Living In Victory || Freedom
Escaping Egypt Jesus died on the cross not only for my sins but also for my life. He wants me to live - really live (John 10:10)! He wants me to be safe and filled with joy so I can follow Him and serve Him. He wants me to love and to be loved. He wants me to live a victorious life (Jeremiah 29:11). I am God’s beloved Princess, His treasured possession, the daughter of the King. And so are YOU! He died for our freedom. Although I know divorce isn’t His will (nor what I wanted), I also know that being abused physically or emotionally is not His will either. God is grieved by the pain inflicted on His beloved.
continued from page 6 He would promise it would never happen again, too. He even promised he would get help. The truth, however, was that he never did get help and he did do it again, and again, and again. And with each incident came an escalation in violence. The turning point was when the abuse occurred in front of my granddaughter. I realized the abuse wasn’t just affecting me, it was also affecting the legacy I would pass on to my family. I needed her to know that it is NOT OK for somebody to treat you in this manner. It isn’t right for people to call you names and hurt you emotionally or physically. I needed to teach her that her husband should be the one person in the world she could trust to keep her safe, protect her, and love her. He should love God, not use religion as an excuse to ‘make’ his wife submit. He should bless her and bring out the best in her. He should never oppress and cause her to live in fear. My granddaughter saved my life that day and I pray my decision to stand up for what is right will save hers… and hopefully others who read my story. People need to know that abuse is wrong, whether it is emotional, physical, or mental. This type of bondage is not what God intends for His children.
If you are living in ‘Egypt’ right now, a place of oppression, fear, and bondage, I encourage you to take the One who can lead you out by the hand. Will it be easy? No. But He promises, just like He did for the Israelites, to provide for your every need. He will part your Red Sea. He will send manna from Heaven. He has done it for me and He will be faithful to do it for you. Making the choice to protect yourself and your family may be the hardest, scariest thing you ever do. You will have to fight emotions like never before. You will have to fight fear, confusion, and doubt. You will have to fight thoughts that want to lead you back to Egypt such as “It wasn’t as bad as you think it was. At least you had somebody. Now look, you are all alone… you messed up, you blew it!” But if you determine to stand up for what is right, if you determine to leave a legacy of values for those who will come after you, if you determine to persevere and trust God no matter how fierce the battle… you will march into that Promised Land of freedom. Sometimes the steps may be small, but one by one you will move forward. You will be able to lift your head and experience the freedom Christ died to give you. ✢
10 Flags Your Partner May Be an Abuser They… … Are extremely jealous … Have unpredictable mood swings … Anger quickly … Embarrass you in front of others … Use force during an argument … Threaten to harm you, your family or pets
… Speak for you … Move too quickly at the start of a relationship
…
Control money
or… Something just doesn’t feel right
Strategies To Stay Safe! • Have a support system • Pre plan a safe place to stay • Pack and hide an emergency bag • Write down everything relative to the abuse • If you leave, do not tell your abuser where you are
Local Help and Support
• Use the laws and courts to help protect you
Champion’s Heart : 352-478-8076 or 352-478-2098 Quigley House: 1-800-339-5017 or 904-284-0424 State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-500-1119, option 2
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Health For Your Mind, Body & Soul || Food
On the Road to Health! by Dr. Bonnie Green Carbohydrates are found in foods we encounter everyday. There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex - also known as “bad” and “good” carbs. The type of carbohydrates we ingest is very important because they can be a major contributor for obesity and diabetes. Simple carbs are found in foods such as candy and pre-packaged processed foods. These “bad carbs” are refined – they are easier to digest since they have been stripped of their vitamins and minerals during the processing and packaging procedures. Once eaten, they are broken down and absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. When these sugars enter the bloodstream, the body’s pancreas produces insulin. Insulin’s job is to move the sugar out of the bloodstream and into cells where they are stored for future use. Therefore, because these refined bad carbs are absorbed quickly - sugar floods the bloodstream and insulin rises. This is bad for your weight and health because the quicker insulin rises means the quicker it falls. And when insulin begins to fall – so does your blood sugar. This fall of blood sugar triggers cravings. We often satisfy these cravings by snacking and overeating – which leads to weight gain. Weight gain leads to insulin resistance which in turn leads to diabetes. It’s a nasty cycle! Signs of overeating and the beginning of diabetes are a large waistline yet thin legs and arms, fatigue, headaches, irritability and cravings. Complex carbs, often referred to as “good” carbs, are unrefined and left in their natural state as much as possible. These include foods such as whole grains, beans, starchy vegetables and brown rice. These good
carbs take a longer time to digest (because of the high fiber content) which causes a gradual increase and a gradual decrease in blood sugar level. This gradual up and down does not trigger cravings. The high fiber makes us fill fuller and the meal actually last longer.
of food you eat and the frequency of your meals, you will be on the road to good health. ✢
Adequate protein intake with every meal will counter-balance insulin, prevent hunger and promote the body’s use of fat for energy. Protein will reduce excess insulin secretion and help promote weight loss and encourage long term maintenance of an ideal body weight. Strive to have 80 -100 grams of protein a day from sources such as grilled or baked poultry, lean meats, fish and eggs. It is recommended that you eat 4-5 protein rich small meals during the day or every 4 hours to help regulate blood sugar.
Bonnie Green, M.D. is a practicing physician at The Shands Starke Medical Group. She is also the owner of The Weight Place located in Starke, Florida.
To initiate your weight loss and make long-term changes in your diet, you must reduce dietary carbohydrates that stimulate insulin secretion, eat them with protein to slow down the insulin surge and make fiber a daily part of every meal. By changing the types
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Health For Your Mind, Body & Soul || Lifestyle
Health on the Go by Kristi Overton Johnson For the last 3 decades I have found myself ‘on the go’ whether as an athlete traveling the globe or more recently as a mother of three trying to keep up with life! Obtaining and maintaining good health takes purposeful action. The following choices have been vital in helping me maintain optimal physical, emotional and spiritual health as I travel the journey of life ... • Go to sleep and wake up at the same time daily. By protecting my sleep schedule, going to bed at a reasonable hour, and sleeping an adequate amount of time I have the energy I need to do what needs to be done. • Be proactive about your food. I always pack several healthy snacks and lots of water in my purse, car and suitcase! By having healthy foods on my person, I am able to feed my brain, energize my body and prevent myself from swinging in a fast food restaurant for a quick fix. Fresh fruit and veggies are easy to eat and transport. Yogurt and natural nuts are a great snack too.
• Exercise Daily. Walking daily for at least 30 minutes does wonders for my mind, soul and body. It has helped me stay in shape and gives me the opportunity to have some much needed quiet time. • Pray and Praise. I begin each day with a prayer walk thanking God for all He has done and praising Him for who He is...The Great I AM. I cast all my anxious thoughts over to Him and thank Him in advance for giving me the victory. This helps me stay focused on Him and not the negative things going on around me. It also enables me to keep moving forward in life.
We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here is my favorite “on the go” meal that is well-balanced and delicious.
Mix together: 8 oz of your favorite yogurt 1/4 cup dry oatmeal Sliced fresh fruit like bananas or berries 1 tablespoon chopped nuts
• Learn to say, “No!” Many people wonder how I am able to balance ministry and family life ... it is only through God’s grace. I have to make sure I am doing ONLY what He is directing me to do as it is there that I will find the grace and strength to do it. If I don’t feel God leading me to do something, I don’t do it. ✢
Place in fridge overnight in a portable container. In the morning, grab and go!
BEAUTIFUL! Come view our beautiful “Tuscany Themed” Chapel. It is perfect for small weddings. The chapel is connected to our newly renovated Education Center that can up to hold up to 140 people. The education center also makes a wonderful setting for business conferences and personal events. We are equipped with projection screens, seminar tables, kitchen and other necessary equipment to make your event a success. We also have a small seminar room available for events under 25 people. In addition to our beautiful facilities, we are located next to Magnolia Park. This quaint park can also be used for your event. Our center lends itself nicely for indoor and outdoor events. The possibilities are endless! Call us for availability and pricing at 352-478-2098 or email renee@kojministries.org
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Health For Your Mind, Body & Soul || Choices
Choosing to Live! by Paulette Sikes and God. As I focused on Him, He in turn lifted me up and gave me the strength and courage to rise up out of that death bed and live!
I was 44 years old, running along on the treadmill of life healthy, strong and ready for whatever came my way. Well, a diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer was the ‘off switch’ and I was left standing still watching the world run on without me.
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
With this diagnosis came a wave of uncontrollable fear and disbelief. Best chance of survival, I was told, was through a mastectomy, aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. I was actually shown a mortality table of my life ”with” and “without” treatment… that was certainly a horrifying experience. Looking back on this time in my life and the years leading up to it, I can clearly see how God was preparing me for this day, a day when I would have to ultimately and completely rely on Him. I admit there was one “Why me?” day. But when that day came to an end, I realized I didn’t want to waste the precious time I did have with my family trying to figure out why. It didn’t matter why. What mattered was that I continued to live.
I used to refer to the chemo and radiation offices as God’s waiting rooms. You can actually see the difference in people living with faith and those living without it. I met people that were diagnosed as terminal yet they walked into that office with a smile on their face and joy in their hearts. I met others with recoverable conditions that were hopeless and sad.
Proverbs 23:7
diagnosis (not an immediate physical death, but an emotional death); or, I could choose to live out every precious day that God saw fit to give me to the fullest. I chose the latter. So, rather than focusing on the why, I started giving thanks for the life that I had already lived. I started thanking God that my kids and husband didn’t have cancer. I started praising God for everything that I could think of… big and small things. The result was that I was actually able to enjoy my life and my family in the midst of the storm. Negative thoughts and emotions were quenched by the attitude of gratitude that I had towards life
Psalms 118:17 says, “I shall not die but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord.” I realized like David in the Bible, I had a choice. I could die right then and there in the doctor’s office with my
How ironic. The one’s diagnosed as terminal had life. The ones who would recover this side of Heaven had already died a premature death. Do you have a circumstance that is challenging your faith right now? If so, give it to God. Cast your cares on Him, rely on Him, and determine in your spirit to live out every day in victory. No, the journey will not always be easy, but your attitude will determine the fruitfulness of your days and I believe it will also determine the outcome of your life. I am a living, cancer-free testimonial to that truth! ✢ Paulette Sikes is a victor over cancer and is currently living life to it’s fullest with her husband, Dan and her 2 teenage daughters in their hometown of Starke. Paulette’s passion is encouraging people to press forward in life victoriously.
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Health For Your Mind, Body & Soul || Thoughts
Your Choice Determines Your Course by Minta Watson Bennett Thoughts are powerful! In fact, every great thing accomplished in life started with a thought. Similarly, every act of human destruction also began with a thought. Thoughts determine the course of a man’s life. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks, so is he.” Our thoughts determine the course of our day. Just think about it, the moment you wake up, before you even speak a word, your mind is already filled with thoughts. What you determine to dwell on will determine what kind of day you are going to have. If you wake up thinking and speaking, “I’m tired!” then, for the rest of the day you will feel that way. On the other hand, if you wake up thinking and declaring, “It’s going to be a great day!”, it will turn out to be just that! Does this mean your circumstances will always be perfect? No! But your attitude resulting from your thought process will enable you to face whatever comes your way with joy. Last week, we made a difficult decision regarding our family. When I woke up the next morning, the first thought that came to my mind was, “I made the wrong decision.” My whole day was
God says in
2 Corinthians 10:5 that in order to live a life of victory we need to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
consumed with this thought. Even at night this same aggravating thought would come to me. Finally, during the middle of the night and in a half conscious state, I decided and declared, “Enough! I am not going to think about this any more!” I then rolled over and went back to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, the thoughts were gone. Furthermore, I had a great day. It was as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Do you need a weight lifted off your shoulders? Then it is time to pay attention to the thoughts you are dwelling upon. God says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that in order to live a life of victory we need to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. It also says we are to take our every thought captive and make sure it lines up with God’s Word. In the verse above, the word ‘imagination’ means thought or plan. According to God’s Word, when a thought comes to you, you can choose to accept it or cast it aside. Our choice will determine our course. I sure wish I had chosen to cast aside my thought of doubt rather than dwell on it all day long! Don’t let your thought process ruin your life. Don’t let it steal your joy. Think about what you are spending your time thinking about. Make sure that your thoughts line up with God’s thoughts towards you. Make sure your thoughts about your situation line up with God’s thoughts about your situation. Determine the course of your life...determine to live a life of victory. ✢ Minta Bennett is the Director of the Champion’s Heart Life Resource Center. She is married and the mother of two teenagers. Her passion is helping people walk in victory through mentoring and tutoring.
www.championsheart.net
Exchange the Lie with Truth…
Lie…
“Why would God love me? I don't matter to God!”
Truth… John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Lie…
H
I have done too many “bad things” for God to love me.
Truth… Romans 5:20 says, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”
Lie…
H
I can't do this, life is too hard.
Truth… Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Isaiah 41:10 says “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Lie…
H
What if they think bad about me? What if they come against me?
Truth… Jeremiah 1:8 says “Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”
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Help For Your Life || Local Resources
Champion’s Heart Life Centers Providing Help and Hope to the Lake Area Region Champion’s Heart will soon be celebrating it’s one year anniversary. So much has happened since our purchase of what was formerly St. Anne’s! We have remodeled all of the facilities so as to provide a beautiful environment for people to enjoy community activities, develop healthy relationships, learn life skills and grow in their faith. We have also been blessed to create wonderful partnerships with county ‘help’ agencies as well as with amazing ministries such as LAM, Park of the Palms, Answers and local churches who have a passion to bring hope into the hearts and help into the path of people in crisis. Champion’s Heart is committed to our community and we will persevere in our passion to bring out the champion that lies within each individual. Champion’s Heart does not exist to be a place where one can come to receive a “handout”; rather, it is a place where a hand of love will always be extended, and if one decides to grab hold, they will be led by the grace of God into a place of victory and freedom. Through our Resource and Education Centers, we connect people with the help they need as well as build a foundation of hope that will keep them anchored during the storms of life. We do this through Bibles studies, leadership conferences, life skill seminars, resource facilitation, mentoring/tutoring, and through relational and prayer support. We have some unique opportunities planned for the near future that will bless our community. We are excited about our premier issue of Victorious Living. It is our desire to grow this resource magazine into a quarterly publication that unites our community and provides a voice for many. In September we will launch ALLTogether, a ministry designed to unite hearts locally and worldwide. Monday through Friday, our beautiful chapel will be opened at noon for local residents to come together and pray. This prayer time will be an informal time of worship with live musicians. Residents can bring their lunch, eat on our grounds and enjoy a time of refreshing. People can flow in and out according to their schedules.
only refresh hearts with God’s Word locally, but also worldwide. We believe that God is going to touch the world from our beautiful facility right here in Keystone Heights. In addition to the worship opportunities, we are scheduling many community wide events for people of all ages. On Saturday, September 17 we will be hosting an exciting back to school event with professional athletes, live bands and movies in the park! Visit our website, championsheart.net as we aim to host unique events each month. Finally, we are moving forward in our vision to provide a state-of-theart multimedia center that will provide an incredible education opportunity for local high school students to learn and experience TV/radio/internet broadcasting. It will also provide a valuable service to local businesses, ministries and residents. We are excited about what God has in store for the Lake Area Region through Champion’s Heart and our partners. We are dedicated to serve our community and to offer various opportunities for victory. To do this, however, WE NEED YOU. As a non-profit organization, we depend 100% on the financial contributions of people like you. Will you join us? Together we can bring “Hope and Help” to the Lake Area Region and beyond! ✢
We are also launching an exciting internetbased teaching and singing ministry that will not
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www.championsheart.net
Help For Your Life || Local Resources
Park of the Palms
Our mission is to provide HELP and HOPE to the residents of the Lake Area Region through relational and resource support, life skill training and through the truth of God’s Word. Life is filled with challenges. Through our mentoring & tutoring opportunities, support groups, Bible studies, prayer support, life coaching and resource center we seek to provide our community with unconditional love, encouragement, and hope as well as practical help that will enable people of all walks of life to not only persevere and overcome life’s challenges, but to emerge on the other side with their head held high. Our desire is to help people walk in true freedom and in the truth of who they are in Christ… A Champion!
Life Resources Life Coaching, Mentoring, Tutoring & Prayer Support
Regardless of age, race, or gender, our staff is ready to help you overcome life’s obstacles. We offer support in the areas of education, planning your finances, physical and spiritual health, and relationships. Come by our Life Resource Center for a private consultation or call 352-478-8076.
Serving the aging population of Bradford, Clay and Alachua counties with the highest level of comprehensive, individualized care is the vision of Park of the Palms, Inc. This comes to life in beautiful independent living structures and assisted living facilities (ALF) in the Robert J. Willey Manor. Some residents have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is a condition in which a person has problems with memory or other essential functions that show up on cognitive tests. These individuals are best served living in community. The socialization and loving care that they receive at the PARK is life-enhancing. Studies indicate that as many as 10–20 percent of 65 and older have MCI. Itʼs estimated that 15 percent will progress from MCI to dementia each year. Nearly half of all people who have MCI symptoms will develop dementia in four years. No treatment is available to stop the deterioration in dementia-related disease but socialization is known to increase brain activity and cognitive response. Despite the lack of disease-modifying therapies, studies consistently show that active management can significantly improve quality of life. This includes maximizing use of such services as counseling, support groups and the adult day services offered at the PARK (a testing site for the Alzheimers Associationʼs National Memory Screening.)
Mental Health
A licensed mental health counselor is available by appointment. Call 352-478-8076. Resource Facillitation
Do you need ‘Help and Hope?’ Visit our Life Resource Center and let our staff connect you with currently available resources. Florida Access Computer on site. Call 352-478-8076. Small Group Fellowship Our center offers non-denominational small group Bible Study opportunities for men and women, as well as opportunities for corporate prayer and worship. Visit www.chapionsheart.net for a schedule of group meetings.
Healing Opportunities Celebrate Recovery Are you ready to be free from past hurts, hang-ups, and habits? Are you looking for a place where you are loved, accepted, and encouraged? CR is for YOU! Meets Weekly on Thursday evenings @ 7:00 in our CH Education Center. Visit championsheart.net for more information or call 352-4788076. Champion’s Heart Life Centers are located in the heart of Keystone Heights. The CH Life Resource Center is located at 160 SW Nightingale Street, Keystone Heights. Office hours are M-TH, 9AM-1PM. Call 352-478-8076. The CH Life Education Center is located at 205 SW Magnolia Ave, Keystone Heights. Call 352-478-2098
www.championsheart.net
In our busy world many families face the full-time care of elders. In response to these issues the PARK has initiated Adult Day Services that provide the assurance that your loved one is cared for in a safe, clean, caring environment in a similar fashion to the day care that you chose for your children. Director of Nursing, Sandra E. Lugo, RN and the ALF manager, Cathy Milligan, leads the team of 24/7 caregivers. The Administrator, Larry B. Henderson, M.Div., has the responsibility for all matters of healthcare in the PARK. Larry comes with a broad background in group home management as well as fiscal and administrative matters. Our compassionate staff knows each client and provides comfort, assistance and love while they enjoy games, puzzles, seasonal activities and more. A growing body of evidence suggests that the health of the brain is closely linked to overall health of the heart and the level of outside stimulation. More limited data suggest a robust social network and mental stimulations with intellectual curiosity is AS IMPORTANT as that low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables. The Christian community has a unique opportunity to serve in this field. Studies indicate that prayer and spiritual exercise interacts with the brain in ways that we never understood. Those who are suffering from impairment can be “exercised” by a spiritual environment with a positive affect on their quality of life. Living at the PARK has been found to increase life expectancy an average of 10 years over the government-predicted scale. Why? Tranquility of lifestyle, spiritual exercise, friendships, care and comfort of a healthy environment and encouragement to know the peace and stillness of living in happy Christian fellowship. ✢
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Help For Your Life || Local Resources
Answers Resource Facility Answers Resource Facility is a pregnancy resource center currently leasing office space at KOJ Ministries’ Champions Heart Resource Center at 160 SW Nightingale Street in Keystone Heights, FL. Answers officially opened January 2011, and is offering services 3 days per week. Answers offers hope and restoration to women who are facing choices or concerns regarding pregnancy, family dynamics, past hurts from abortion, abuse or other sources of pain. They do this by promoting the values of the sanctity of human life, premarital abstinence and marital fidelity in our community. Answers helps people in need, regardless of race, age, religious background or financial status, who are affected by an unplanned, untimely or unwanted pregnancy. Their ultimate goal is to lead families to the knowledge and understanding of making Jesus Christ their personal Lord and Savior, as He is the only true ANSWER. Answers provides services at no cost to their clients. All of the organization’s financial support is based solely upon individuals and churches in the community and their understanding of the need to have a local life-affirming ministry. All services are provided voluntarily by Client Advocates who have experience and training to educate and support a woman or
Check Out
Services Offered At Answers:
View Answer’s video illustrating a young woman’s journey from crisis to hope, healing and fulfillment at their You Tube channel FindAnswersNow or search for Answers Resource Facility family in crisis. Answers hosts volunteer trainings on a quarterly basis and they are open to anyone who feels led to serve in any way for this type of ministry. “Overall, we are here to support women.” says CEO and founder JoAnna Merritt Weldon, “It’s not our job to judge or ‘right a wrong’… God has placed Answers here to be a source of hope and healing for any woman no matter how ugly or un-expected her situation may be.” Please take time to visit Answers website at www.findanswersnow.org or call 352-473-1000 to find out more. ✢
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• Provide clinical grade pregnancy testing. • Educate our clients and the community of the value and importance of the sanctity of human life. • Provide referrals for a free ultrasound to abortion vulnerable women. • Reduce teen pregnancy by promoting abstinence to youth and the community through education; and provide information regarding the risks of sexually transmitted infections. • Provide parenting, self-esteem and adoption counsel to those we serve. • Provide referrals for affordable medical assistance, housing, food and clothing needs. • Provide abortion recovery support groups and counsel to women and men in our community. • Share the hope of Christ with those entering our doors. Please take time to visit our website at www.findanswersnow.org or call us at 352-473-1000 to find out more. Answers is located at 160 SW Nightingale Street in Keystone Heights. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday* and Thursday 9:30-4:30. *Please visit our website for summer hours.
Jeremiah 29:11
Remains to Be Seen
Julia’s Midtown Cafe
ESTATE APPRAISALS & LIQUIDATIONS
PIZZA & ICE CREAM
Lynne E. Keyes
CALZONES • STROMBOLI SMOOTHIES • SHAKES
Licensed & Bonded Auctioneer and Estate Appraiser Referrals Paid • References Available 352.475.3981 www.treasuresinwriting.com
478-8154 (Next to Compass Bank)
Licenses AB816 • AU1163
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www.championsheart.net
Help For Your Life || Local Resources
Unexpected Answer To Prayer by Kristi Overton Johnson Last spring I made my way to Penny Farms to visit Seamark Ranch. For several years our ministry, In His Wakes has had the privilege of ministering to the children who reside at Seamark Ranch. As I took a tour of the facilities, not only was I amazed at the beauty of the grounds but I was inspired by the vision of this amazing organization. Little did I know how Seamark would affect my life, and the life of my son. As I toured the education facility of Seamark, I secretly envied the education opportunities available to the children who reside at Seamark Ranch. For years I had been homeschooling my son who struggles greatly with the effects of having dyslexia. As we battled daily the trials of having a learning handicap, I longed for help for my child. I longed for an opportunity for him to excel in academics as well as enjoy the experience of being educated around other children. As I met with the Director of Seamark, I was speechless when she said, “If your son would like to attend our school, he can.” With one sentence, God had answered my private prayers and given me the desires of my heart. My son would now have the help he needed and hope for an incredible education and future. Since last spring, I have watched my son transform right before my eyes. He now has a learning environment perfectly matched to his learning needs. He has loving teachers who are able to identify his specific learning style and equip and encourage him to be all God has designed him to be. I will be forever grateful to Seamark for the opportunity afforded to our family. I am excited for the opportunity for other children from the Lake Area Region to be touched by this amazing organization. Yes, Seamark Ranch provides a bright future for children in crisis by providing a Christ-centered home, but they also offer many opportunities for children re-
www.championsheart.net
I will be forever grateful to Seamark for the opportunity afforded to our family. I am excited for the opportunity for other children from the Lake Area Region to be touched by this amazing organization.
siding locally. From full-time education opportunities and summer tutoring programs to outdoor adventure camps… there are many opportunities for your child to receive hope and help at Seamark. I encourage you to do as I did last spring… get in your car and take a ride out to Seamark. Check out their facilities, hear their heart, and then be prepared to be blessed! Visit www.seamarkranch.com for more information or call 904-529-1951. ✢
Seamark Ranch, located on a beautiful 468-acre campus in Penny Farm, seeks to provide a “traditional home” environment where each child can experience the security of boundaries and the acceptance of unconditional love. The Seamark approach is therapy-based and individualized. We strive to heal wounds and help children prosper in faith, in school, and in the community. Seamark Ranch's Education Program helps children break the cycle of failure by experiencing academic success and rekindling a love for learning. Seamark Ranch's Education Program stabilizes children in crisis by assessing each child's educational needs and developing a plan for overcoming their educational gaps. For children needing a more individualized learning environment Seamark Ranch's on-campus school offers project-based learning through instruction and curriculum geared to each child's learning strengths and weaknesses. As Seamark Ranch grows, we anticipate that 90% of our children will need some individualized instruction through our on-campus school.
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Leading Others To Victory || Love
Leading With Love by Carey Morford Not too long ago, I admitted to a friend that I wasn’t very good at evangelism. He told me that wasn’t true.
So, then, my friend would be correct. I am a conveyer of messages. Sometimes, I convey my own message, and sometimes I convey the message of Christ.
In defense of my statement, I’m not very good at most of the evangelism tactics I’ve seen. I’m not very good at handing out tracts or walking up to someone in the grocery store or on the street and saying, “Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?”
Although, Webster and the Greek may not help us understand the how-to of evangelism, I recently read a book that rescued my philosophy of evangelism. The book was written by Leonard Sweet and is entitled Nudge. In his book, he says, our job as evangelists is not to carry the message of Christ to people. He says that if we believe God is truly omnipresent, then we must believe that God is present everywhere; and therefore, our job is not to “carry” God anywhere, but to simple point people, or nudge them toward the God who is already present and at work in their lives.
Those things feel cold and awkward to me. I’m not comfortable standing on the corner with a “Do you know where you are going when you die?” sign. That requires a boldness I’ve yet to develop. It’s not that I don’t think those things have been effective or that people aren’t obeying God when they do those things. All I’m really trying to say is that when I hear the word “evangelism” that’s what I think of, and right or wrong, those things make me want to hide under a rock. However, in defense of my friend (and the word evangelism); I think he was right. Evangelism and its derivatives come from the ancient Greek word which is transliterated evangel and simply means, “messenger”. Messenger is defined in good ol’ Webster as “a person who conveys messages.”
This concept has many implications that I’m just beginning to dig into, but the most personal and powerful implication and application has been the simple realization that no matter who I’m talking to and no matter what they are going through or where they are in their life’s journey; God is at work in their life. If the person I’m talking to isn’t a believer, and maybe even if they are, they probably can’t see God is working, and that’s where my job as an evangelist… as His messenger… comes in. To do this, two things must happen. First, I have to know God and His ways well enough that I can recognize Him in my life and the lives of others. Second, I have to be intentional about looking closely enough at people and their lives (not in a creepy, stalker way, but in an I-genuinely-want-to-be-yourfriend way) so I can see where God is at work. A side note to Christians: I don’t think that I’m the only person who has ever tried to befriend a person because of my “Jesus-agenda,” but as Christians, we’ve got to get over that. It doesn’t work out well for them, for us or for Jesus. Let’s agree to just love people and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.
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Anyway, when we genuinely build a relationship with someone and we get to know God well enough that we recognize when He’s moving, then we have to be obedient in pointing Him out. I will be the first to admit that this pointing Him out thing gets a little tricky; but I’m also learning that most of the time I am the one who makes it tricky. Matthew 11:27-30 says, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and to those whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Evangelism often becomes tricky when we start depending on ourselves instead of Jesus. When we start thinking that we NEED to figure out what God is doing in a person’s life, or when we start thinking it is our responsibility to find just the right time to bring up the “J-word.” Or, like I said before, when we start looking to develop a relationship out of duty or religion. When, the truth is, none of that is our responsibility. Our responsibility is to love God and love people. So, we trust that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to who and what we need to see, and open (or close) our mouth when need be. And, as easy as that it is, it isn’t natural. It requires discipline and prayer and sacrifice and patience. ✢ Carey Morford was raised in Keystone Heights by Chuck and Suzie Head. After attending college in South Carolina, Carey returned to Keystone Heights where she currently resides with her husband, Isaac and their two daughters, Layla and Rigby. Carey and Isaac both work at Keystone Elementary and Keystone Jr./Sr. High School.
www.championsheart.net
Leading Others To Victory || Family
Fight For Your Family This is Kyle Tate, Attorney at Law, writing you a note of encouragement to let you know that all of us can be victorious in life with the right mixture of faith and hard work. Obviously a relationship with God is a must when it comes to laying the foundation for achieving success in life. I believe the next foundational building block necessary for achieving success and complete fulfillment in life is strengthening the ever so delicate family relationship. I handle many family law/divorce cases in my law practice and the family destruction that occurs through the litigation process is sometimes irreparable. While divorce may be necessary when a person needs protection from an abusive spouse, most of the time a couple ends up in divorce because either one or both of them stopped working at their marriage. So with that in mind, this is the place in my message where I want to encourage you to get competitive about protecting your family unit. Don’t let laziness and let self-pity take over and destroy your relationship with your spouse and children. Get up
Get competitive about protecting your family unit. Don’t let laziness and let self-pity take over and destroy your relationship with your spouse and children.
each and every day with an eye toward working as hard as you can to strengthen your family relationship. It takes hard work – no way around it, and it’s worth it!
Work, as we all truly know, is more than showing up and going through the motions. So stop going through the motions and do everything you can in your life to be a champion with God and your family! As you go forward in life, think about this simple message from the late great UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden, “‘Success’ is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.” So be the best you can be with God and your family – go to work and make the “effort” to live a life a victory! ✢
While I may be shooting myself in the foot so to speak when it comes to signing new clients, so be it. I had rather be a voice to encourage you to go to work to strengthen or save your family. Simply put, stop kidding yourself and meet the daily challenge to strengthen your relationship with God and your family. I find that many people who tell you they worked all day weren’t really working hard at all and certainly not to the fullest extent of their abilities.
Kyle Tate, founder of The Tate Firm, has a local office in Keystone Heights specializing in civil and criminal cases.
904-966-2575 www.championsheart.net
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Becoming A Champion || Leadership
Life & Leadership by Bonnie Hagemann Wait! Before you skip over this article because you are telling yourself that you are not a leader, hold on. I think you may find that this article is for you and maybe just for you. You see, I work with leaders every day, because that is my life’s work. I develop leaders. My entire focus is studying and understanding leadership and then teaching it to others. Here is what I’ve learned:
1.Being a leader can begin at any phase of life. 2.It’s a choice. 3.It doesn’t matter what mistakes you have made in the past. There are two kinds of leaders, those who are leaders by example and those who lead others. Most of the time, we think of leaders as people who lead others. They run companies with employees, have government offices with a lot of staff, or are a military leader with a brigade. But, individual contributors can also be leaders. For example, think about the respected physician in town. He or she may not manage a single person and is still considered a leader in the community. The same goes for an athlete, a minister, or any other individual contributor who lives his or her life with integrity and courage. And that is why this article is for you. You can be a leader as an individual contributor or as a leader of others if you will live your life with integrity and courage. Still not convinced you can be a leader? Let me go one step further. It doesn’t matter what mistakes you have made in the past! I know many examples of people who have failed in a major, devastating kind of way and rose again to make a difference in their families, communities, businesses and some even on a greater scale. I can name many who are still around but to save myself from having to ask for their permission, let’s use some who are no longer around. How about Moses, Abraham Lincoln, or Winston Churchill? All are stories of repeated and impressive failures followed by massive, historical success.
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The truth is I really do not enjoy working with leaders who have not yet been through failure. I like to work with people who have been knocked down so hard that they did not think they could get back up, because those are the ones who become the best leaders. No matter what phase of life you are in or how major your failures have been in the past, you can decide today that you are going to be a leader. The first step is seeing yourself as a respected person; someone you can respect, someone your family can respect and someone your community can respect. That takes integrity. Integrity is doing what is right no matter how much it costs you personally or financially. And, it will take courage. Courage is the inner fortitude to keep getting up no matter how much it hurts. This is a call. You may not be seeking leadership, but leadership is seeking you. How will you answer? ✢ Bonnie Hagemann is a member of the Board of Directors for Champion’s Heart Life Centers. Bonnie is the CEO of Executive Development Associates, a 28year-old internationally known boutique consulting firm that specializes in executive development, executive coaching, and high potential development. To date, Bonnie has 11 published works.
You can be a leader if you will live your life with integrity and courage. It doesn’t matter what mistakes you have made in the past!
www.championsheart.net
Becoming A Champion || Commitment
The Grind By Karen Lake Football players call it the grind. It's those summer months that drag from the spring game to fall, when players go from workout to workout and there seems to be no end in sight. The grind reminds me of the day-to-day routine that goes into anything a person wants to do well. It's not glamorous. People don't see the hard work. There are days when quite frankly, any excuse would do to abandon the workout, forego the difficulty. But you don't. It is the monotony of excellence. That part doesn't make the press. The reason I bring it up is because I run stadiums. I've been running stairs at the high school for years, for more than a decade, actually. There are no stadium championships. I can't compete for a trophy or a title. Sadly, I can't place a goal in front of me to work toward and count that as an achievement. Still, I run. Why?
There are days when quite frankly, any excuse
That's the grind.
would do to abandon the workout, forego the difficulty. But you don't.
It is the monotony of excellence. First, I like the intense physical exertion of running the stairs. I like burning calories. I like the discipline it takes to make the effort to go to the stadium. Plus, I love consistency. So when I get out of my car and start the walk to the stairs, I'm thinking about my goal for that day. There's a lot of self talk in that distance. How many laps do I want to run? How many sit-ups between laps? How many pushups? Do I want to add an exercise to make it harder? Push myself? Whatever I decide, that's the goal. And before I know it, I'm stretching out, looking up at the stairs, placing my right foot on the first step to start that climb and going the distance. I have this conversation with myself 3-4-5 times per week.
Does it mean I win a championship? No. What it means is that I have learned to be my own champion because I set my goals on a day-to-day basis. I grind it out when the weather is August hot or January cold. I cheer myself on even when I don't feel like being there. In essence, I have to champion my own cause and be my own advocate. For me, that defines a Champion's Heart. âœ˘ Karen Lake and her children have lived in the Lake Region for over ten years. She was the former editor of the Lake Region Monitor and presently works at Santa Fe College's Watson Center. Over the years, she has advocated for many local causes and organizations. She is a member of the Keystone Rotary Club, executive director of the Florida Youth Challenge Academy Foundation and works for her local schools. She is acting as a publication advisor for Victorious Living
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
www.championsheart.net
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Our Community || Things To Do
Have You Visited Our Local Aviation Museum? Few people realize the opportunities available at our local airport. Not only can one learn to fly, but one can also learn exciting history from our local aviation Museum called Wings of Dreams. The mission of Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum is to showcase aviation history, enlighten the public on the lesser-known history of World War II and preserve for future generations the legacy of pioneer aviators, combat airmen, Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and America’s space program. Wings of Dreams is located in a temporary facility at Keystone Heights Airport, formerly the Keystone Army Airfield, a World War II air base that trained pilots for reconnaissance missions and for the Normandy Invasion. A permanent facility will be constructed on 6.5 acres at the end of Runway 5, which will include a warbird restoration facility, avia-
tion museum, aerospace education center and space museum annex to house a collection of space program artifacts, including the Guidance and Navigation Simulator (GNS) after the NASA space shuttle program comes to an end. Wings of Dreams organizes an annual air show featuring warbirds and vintage aircraft, military and aerobatic demonstration flights, WWII reenactors, symposiums and educational programs. For more information on events, programs and museum hours of operation, call 352-256-8037, send an email to info@wingsofdreams.org or visit their website at www.wingsofdreams.org. ✢
Important Local Numbers
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Keystone Heights City Hall 555 South Lawrence Boulevard Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-4807
Melrose City Fire Department 301 Cypress Street Melrose, FL 32666 (352) 475-2005
Clay County Sheriff’s Office 901 North Orange Avenue Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 (904) 284-7575 or (352) 473-7211
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office 130 Orie Griffin Boulevard Palatka, FL 32177 (386) 329-0817
Clay County Fire and Rescue Emergency (352) 473-8930
Bradford County Sheriff’s Office 945 North Temple Avenue #B Starke, FL 32091 (904) 966-2276
Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc. 225 West Walker Drive (SR100) Post Office Box 308 Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-4917
www.championsheart.net
Our Community || Happenings
Calendar of Events Every Saturday! Soup & Sandwich Lunch The Soup Kitchen The Keystone Senior Center, 125 North East Commercial Circle, Keystone Heights, FL 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Every Saturday, it is open to every one of all ages. Cost: Free Every Second Monday! The Compassionate Friends Trinity Baptist Church, 3716 SE State Road 21, Keystone Heights, FL 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Meets the 2nd Monday of every month for parents who have lost children. Alice Watts (352) 473-7261 trinitybc@trinitybc.org www.trinitybc.org or www.compassionatefriends.org
Beginning in September, Champion’s Heart Chapel will be open Monday through Friday at noon for prayer.
July 18-21 Vacation Bible School “Sonsurf” Freedom Baptist Church 7207 North State Road 21, Keystone Heights, FL 9:00 am – 1:30 pm Angie (352) 473-2778 angiepayne@freedombaptistkh.org www.freedombaptistkh.org
Every Thursday Celebrate Recovery Champions Heart Education Center 205 Magnolia Avenue, Keystone Heights, FL 7:00 pm Michelle Lawson (904) 449-4200 www.championsheart.net
July 25-29 Upward Basketball Camp Trinity Baptist Church 3716 SE State Road 21, Keystone Heights, FL 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Jason Mole (352) 473-7261 trinitybc@trinitybc.org www.trinitybc.org September 17 Champions In Action Youth Event Champions Heart 205 Magnolia Avenue, Keystone Heights, FL Come for an entertaining and inspiring evening featuring live music and pro athletes! 6:00 pm Renee Harp (352) 478-2098 renee@kojministries.org www.championsheart.net
Flying High at Lake Swan Camp Lake Swan Camp is conducting its annual MISSIONARY AVIATION CAMP July 17 – 23. Campers are taught principles of flight, navigation, map reading, use of night vision, downed aviator exercise, physical fitness, and they are exposed to the calling and role of a missionary aviator. In addition, team building exercises and decision making are weaved throughout the week long course. Camp Director Tim Huggins, former scout pilot, AH-64 Apache Helicopter Pilot and currently a Captain for a US airline will join Lt. Colonel Buck Burney, a former F-16 Pilot and youth Pastor to provide a unique platform of challenge and training to kids 14-18 years of age. Lt. Colonel Burney will be the featured speaker on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. The theme for this world class camp is Mission On Target. Campers will learn life skills including the technical and mechanical aspects of flying and the requirements and value of aviation in a missionary environment. Campers will also learn life lessons that will help keep them on target for a victorious and impacting life!
www.championsheart.net
For more information about the Missionary Aviation Camp or other summer camps available at Lake Swan, visit lakeswancamp.org or call 352-475-2828.
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Our Community || Opportunities
Area Resources Church Listings Community Church of Keystone Heights 345 Palmetto Avenue Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-4182 Trinity Baptist Church 3716 SE SR 21 Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-7261 www.trinitybc.org Keystone Heights Presbyterian Church 4002 SR 21 Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (325) 473-2521 www.khpcworship.org Freedom Baptist Church 7207 SR 21 Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-2778 www.freedombaptistkh.org Keystone Heights First Assembly of God 8025 State Road 100 Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-3432 First Baptist Church of Keystone Heights 550 East Walker Drive Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-7201 www.fbckeystone.org Keystone United Methodist Church 4004 State Road 21 South Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-3829 www.keystone-umc.org
For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, NLT Help Resources Food Bank Lake Area Ministries 131 Commercial Circle, Keystone Heights, FL 32656 M-F 10:00am – 2:00pm Food and assistance for qualified clients. Chip Wester or Paula Buckner lakeaream@bellsouth.net lakeareaministries.org Women’s Health Answers (crisis pregnancy) 160 SW Nightingale Street Keystone Heights, FL 32656 (352) 473-1000 www.findanswersnow.org Birth and Beyond (women’s health) 1326 State Rd 100 Grandin 32138 386-659-2104 www.birthbeyondfl.com
Champion’s Heart needs volunteers! Do you have a heart for the hurting? Help us bring out the champion that lies in every person. Call 352-478-2098 for more information.
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Family Support Champion’s Heart (resource facilitation, relational support, access program, mental health) 160 SW Nightingale Street Keystone Heights, FL 32656 352-478-2098 www.championsheart.net Sea Mark Ranch 3631 Sea Mark Ranch Rd. Green Cove Springs 32043 www.seamarkranch.com Needs Assistance Lake Area MInistries (FDA approved food distribution, prescription assistances. Back to school assistance. Access program M-F 10:00 - 2:00. 131 N.E. Commercial Circle Keystone Heights 32656 352-473-2846 www.lakeareaministries.org Senior Care Park of the Palms 677 Heliron Ave Keystone Heights 32656 352-473-6100 www.parkofthepalms.org Senior Center 125 North East Commercial Circle, Keystone Heights, FL 352-473-7121
www.championsheart.net
A Champion’s Heart I’ve experienced firsthand the journey of becoming a champion on the water. It wasn’t easy! As my late Granddaddy Charlie always said, “It takes a long time to be a champion, baby.” Boy was he right! It took 25 years from my first trip on water skis to become a World Champion. However, throughout my career, I came to realize that being a champion is more than just bringing home the gold. Being a champion is about having character. It’s about how you play the game, how you win AND lose, and how you treat those in your path.
A Person with a Champion’s Heart... … Is not driven to please the world or impress their peers. They are driven by passion. … Is not focused on winning. They are focused on being the best they can be. … Does not seek to win by disadvantage. They are driven by integrity. They do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. … Isn’t easily discouraged by hardship or defeat. They face challenges head on knowing trials produce character and character impacts the world.
Winning a gold medal is easy in comparison to being a champion on a daily basis. Life, like skiing, has obstacles and waves around every corner. By developing a champion’s heart, you will develop character traits that will enable you to live a victorious life no matter how choppy the water! Kristi Overton Johnson 1999 World Champion World Record Holder 1992-2010
If you desire to live a victorious life, focus on developing a Champion’s Heart. You will never be disappointed with the path your life takes and your life will never fail to impact the world around you.
… Learns from their mistakes, makes corrections and marches on with their head held high. … Does not allow the mistakes of others to affect how they move forward into tomorrow. … Does not aimlessly wander through life. They live life passionately and purposely. … Isn’t driven by fear. They do not focus on ‘what if’ and ‘what may be,’ rather they focus on what can be. … Is disciplined. They do what it takes to achieve their dreams. … Is teachable. They listen and weigh the advice of others. … Doesn’t rest on their laurels. They are always looking for new ways to improve. … Is others minded. They look outside of ‘self’ to meet the needs of others. … Makes adjustments to achieve victory. They do not change their dreams, they just find new ways to achieve them.
Do you know someone with a Championʼs Heart? Write to us and let us know! Weʼd like to recognize local champions in our upcoming issues. Send nominations to “Championʼs Heart, PO Box 968, Keystone Heights, FL 32656.” www.championsheart.net
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As Ambassadors of Christ and to the Glory of God, we will strive to maintain our properties to the highest standards. We will provide factual reporting to residents, tenants, contractors, employees, regulatory bodies; and we will respect the privacy of resident’s personal information. Recognizing that technologies are constantly changing, we will create an atmosphere in which we will upgrade and refurbish appropriate components to maintain the highest possible standards in all aspects of our service.
Assisted Living in the Wiley Manor
Special Features: • • • • • • • • • • •
The Manor is home to 40 bright and cheerful residence units with 24/7 assistance from nurses and care givers for activities of daily living with a personal touch. The beautifully appointed Weir Dining Room and common lounge provide a family atmosphere that encourages interaction and companionship. Each resident is encouraged to personalize their accommodations with their own favorite furniture. Special menu arrangements are made for dietary considerations.
Staff assistance available around the clock Emergency call system in all rooms Medication Assistance/ In-house Pharmacy Daily Housekeeping and Laundry Therapy Program Individually-controlled HVAC units Outdoor Garden Activities Weekly Community Activities On-campus transportation system Extended Congregate Care (ECC)-when needed Hospice Care seeks to enable patients to continue an alert, pain-free life, to manage symptoms so that their last days may be spent with dignity and quality surrounded by their loved ones
Our highest purpose is serving our residents. Christian Assisted Living • Adult Day Care • Respite Services 352.473.6100 • www.parkofthepalms.org ALF/ECC FL License #5265