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FREE
Volume I • Issue 2 • November 2011
Help For Your Life! Hope For Your Heart! Health For Your Body, Mind and Spirit!
Real People • Real Stories • Real Hope
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Love Is The Key! A Publication of Champion’s Heart…
Bringing Out the Champion in You! Publisher/Editor Kristi Overton Johnson
About a year ago, I was driving down the road asking God to show me how to meet the vast needs of people coming to our ministry. Just as quickly as I asked, He answered with the words, "Love them. Love is the key." Just then, a drawing from my daughter (shown at right) flashed into my mind. I saw the heart, the door and the key. Suddenly I understood the meaning of what she had drawn just days before… Love is the key that God uses to bring hope, healing and restoration into the lives of His people. I thought to myself, “Can it be this simple? Can love really be all that is required?” Over the course of the last year I have uncovered the answer to my own question: Yes, love is indeed the answer. God’s love, a love which is unconditional, is exactly what the world and our community needs. I have seen it give hope to the hopeless, hope that enables a person to face another day. I have seen it carry the grieving and broken hearted through incredibly tough times. I have seen it break down barriers created by cultural and socio-economic differences and build a bridge for unity and relationship. Love IS the answer, but it’s an answer that isn’t always popular because love isn't easy. In fact, it is down right hard. You see, love isn’t a gushy feeling; it’s not an emotion. God’s love is an action. God’s love requires you to get in the trenches with people. It requires sacrifice. It requires perseverance and patience.
Publication Advisor Karen Lake
Picture by Ivy Johnson
It requires forgiveness and putting other people above yourself. But oh is love worth it! Giving love has been the most rewarding experience of my life. In this issue of Victorious Living, we are going to explore the topic of “love.” It is our prayer that as you read the ‘love’ stories contained in the following pages, stories from people just like you, that you will be encouraged by God’s love and also challenged to both give love and accept it. I believe that as we all begin to walk in love, our families, communities and world will be changed one person at a time. God bless,
Kristi Overton Johnson
Table of Contents What Is Love? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
For The Love Of A Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Love’s Unexpected Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
He’s Been Faithful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Death and Life of Emily Rund. . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Love At Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The Emily Rund Champion’s Heart Scholarship . . 7
No Laughing Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Want to Move Forward? Forgive. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Love Bombers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Back To Russia… Armed With Love . . . . . . . . . . 8
Unique Outreaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
What If? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Community Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Melodious Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mama Lisa’s Holiday Pecans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Unconditional Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Me?Worthy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ongoing Events and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Love Heals All Wounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Ripple Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Contributors Minta Bennett Barbara Collins Bonnie Hagemann Kristi Overton Johnson Lisa Johnson Karen Lake Carey Morford Pastor Rob Morford Margarita Oganisyan VeRonica Owens Jeannie Hodges Peoples Anna Purkey Lisa Rund Paulette Sikes John Whitfield Creative Director/Graphic Design Amy Zackowski amy@whisperingdog.com Advertising Ron Lilly ron@kojministries.org 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.
Victorious Living’s
MISSION The mission of Victorious Living is to provide hope for the heart and help for life through the inspirational stories of people just like you. We commit to provide REAL STORIES by REAL PEOPLE so you can experience REAL HOPE! Do you have a story of victory? Share it with us! Your life story can change the life of another.
Want to ensure that you receive upcoming life-changing issues of Victorious Living? For a suggested ministry donation of $25.00, we will mail the 2012 issues of Victorious Living (4 issues) to your home address. Contact Ron at 352-478-2098 or register online at www.championsheart.net. www.championsheart.net
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”.
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What Is Love? by Carey Morford Love is… Adam might tell you love is giving up your rib. Romeo might tell you love is death. Sampson might tell you love means giving up your strength. Titanic, the movie, tells us love is standing at the edge of a boat with your arms out like wings. John Lennon might tell you that love means giving up the Beatles. Cupid would say love is an arrow. A Red Sox fan would tell you love is witnessing “the curse” being broken after gutting it out through a lifetime of heartwrenching defeats. Jacob might tell you love is 14 years of hard labor. So, what is love? Love is patient, as Eugene Peterson translated the phrase, “Love never gives up,” which doesn’t mean that you are obnoxious as you wait, just that you are willing to wait through anything. Love is kind. Love says, “Is there anything I can get you, dear?” Love rejoices with the truth. If Truth were running a race, Love would be standing, whooping and hollering, as Truth crossed the finish line. Love always protects. Love is like the mother hen who keeps the chicks right under her wing, keeping them out of trouble. Love always trusts. Love always gives the benefit of the doubt, always thinks with grace in mind, and above all trusts in the Lord. Love always perseveres. Love is tough; it always gives its all. Love does not envy. When at a restaurant, Love does not look at what the other person ordered and say, “Oh, I really want that!” Love does not boast. It does not strut its stuff for all to “ooh” and “ah.” Love is not proud. Love’s head is a nice proportioned shape, not so big that it can’t fit through a doorway. Love is not rude. Love does not change the channel while someone else is watching TV. Love is not self-seeking. Love does not always try to be the first in the buffet line or first to the only bathroom when you have both been waiting for the last four hours of the trip. Love is not easily angered. Love does not start a screaming match over some socks left on the floor. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love may carry around a lot of sentimental notes and pictures and cards, but it doesn’t carry around the last mean thing that was said, or the last time he didn’t offer to clean the kitchen, or the last time she turned away instead of kissing him. Love does not delight in evil. Love does not curl up in evil’s lap like a cat on its owner’s lap. Finally, love never fails. Love is like the 90 year old 4
couple who can still be caught kissing in their room at the nursing home. It never ends. Why should we love? It’s true that sometimes love hurts. It’s true that love isn’t always easy. So, why risk it? Because love is the most excellent way. Think, for a minute, about a wedding ceremony. Think of the bride and groom, with their two smiling, shiny, tearful faces. They are an example of love being the most excellent way, but in ten years when they’ve been through some valleys and pits together and are still looking at each other with smiling, shiny, tearful faces; they will be an even better example of love being the most excellent way. Christ Himself is an example — He gave himself up, that we might live. He is the ultimate example of love being the most excellent way. The playwright, Sir James M. Barrie, said, “If you have love, you don’t need anything else, and if you don’t have it, it doesn’t much matter what else you have.” Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says that love is better than any of the gifts of the Spirit. Not only is love better than any of the gifts of the Spirit, and not only is it better to have love than anything else; but also it is better to love than to do anything else. Suppose a girl is given 16 roses and a beautiful diamond ring on her sixteenth birthday. Other than a car, a sixteen year old girl, might think it was the most wonderful gift she could receive on her birthday. But, if it were given to her by a father who hadn’t spoken to her in almost two years, it wouldn’t really be that great of a gift, would it? Because that father wouldn’t know who she was, and that daughter would not know that her father loved her; the gifts would be meaningless. We are all guilty of that sometimes. We offer a gift, but we don’t send love with it. We do something for a loved one, or even a stranger, because we feel like we have to, and they sense it. We give a gift to make ourselves feel better, and it comes off as arrogance. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said, “Without love, benevolence becomes egotism.”
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. I Corinthians 13:4-7
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this; that he lay down his life for his friends.” Doing the things of I Corinthians 13 is a way we can lay down our lives on a daily basis. We can lay down our lives in our marriages, in our churches, in our world. I pray that we do, because
lNEVER ove fails.
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
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Love is the Key!
Love’s Unexpected Blessings by Barbara Collins My dad lost his battle with emphysema in December 2008, leaving the responsibility of caring for my mom who has Alzheimer’s to my sister and me. This road has often been tough and overwhelming, but along the way, I have found many unexpected blessings. Let me share…
Through this experience, I have come to realize that God does not always choose the most qualified, the best spoken,
A few months ago I stumbled into a Bible Study that was being led at my mother’s new ‘home’ by a resident named James. James was very knowledgeable of the Word. When I commented to a caregiver about how much I had enjoyed listening to him, she shared that James was having to cut the Bible study to one day a week. She asked if I would help her find someone to teach the study the second day. I immediately asked my church home group, but no one could take on the task. Several members suggested I do the Bible study. I was shocked and alarmed. I told them I was not qualified or knowledgeable enough to do such a class. You see, I had been to church all my life and had attended many Bible studies, but I had always depended on others to do the studying and to teach ME. I just could not see myself doing it. Time went on and James reduced the Bible study to one day a week. As I would walk by the room, I would hear God say, “You do it”. I literally said to God, “There is no way. James will be in there. He knows a lot about the Bible and he will know that I don’t!” But God kept laying it on my heart. Finally I said, “Fine, but I will look like an idiot!”
or the most knowledgeable to accomplish His work. He is just looking for someone willing to step out in faith and remain faithful to the task.
I went to the Christian book store and bought a book entitled ‘Spiritual Warfare’ by John Franklin & Chuck Lawless. Being an elementary teacher for 33 years, I put my notes on a big notepad. But when I presented the material, I finished in ten minutes! To my horror, one of the residents asked, “Is it over?” After she pointed out that we had more time, I suggested to the group we finish our class with some exercises...and we did!
But what this man said to me touched my life forever. He said, “I want to thank you.” “For what?” I asked. He said, “For loving us!”
I was so embarrassed but they were so kind, loving and appreciative. They told me I did a great job. The next week, I studied even harder. I could not believe how much I was learning. This time when I presented the lesson, it lasted twenty minutes! As the weeks progressed, I became more and more comfortable and the residents began to participate more. Through this experience, I have come to realize that God does not always choose the most qualified, the best spoken, or the most knowledgeable to accomplish His work. He is just looking for someone willing to step out in faith and remain faithful to the task. Over the last months, I have learned so much about the Word of God. My faith has grown and so has my relationship with God. The residents have become like family. During our lessons, I have the opportunity to hear their stories as they share about their lives. I never cease to be captivated. They have such wisdom, peace and understanding. They still want to enjoy each day laughing and loving deeply. One day as I was hurriedly trying to leave the facility and run some personal errands,
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one of the residents stopped me and asked me to sit down. Immediately I thought, “Oh no, he’s got a story to tell and I have to get to the grocery store!”
Tears ran down my face. All I could think was, “No, thank you for loving me.” As I leave my mom each day I still feel a sense of loss and sadness, but at the same time, I am filled with joy knowing that God, in His infinite wisdom, has begun to heal my heart through these precious people. God knew the grief I’ve carried over losing my dad and the continual loss of my mom. He has given me the love and comfort I so miss. I now have many mothers and fathers to love on me, and I have the privilege to love them back. Who would have thought I would have received so many blessings by stepping out of my comfort zone to teach a Bible study? Imagine the blessings waiting for you. Barbara Collins and her husband, Dean, have been life-long friends of Kristi Overton Johnson and faithful supporters of Johnson’s ministries. Barbara has a BA & Masters Degree from Clemson University in Elementary Education. Now retired from teaching, she lives with her husband in Anderson, SC. They have 2 children. Barbara’s passions are painting, reading, & spending time on the water.
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The Death and Life of Emily Rund
I Am Not Abandoned A different kind of title, but a story of a victorious woman who by Lisa Rund did more in her 23 years than most do in a lifetime. Life is short, a journey which starts from birth until death. Death can be seen one of two ways...you either believe in eternal life or you simply doubt there is such a thing. For our family: “To live is Christ, to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). As a wife and mother, God gave me an incredible husband and five amazing children. Things were going pretty smooth until our world came crashing down on April 19, 2007. That day over four years ago was a very dark time in our lives. Where is God when tragedy strikes? Why do we have to endure such emotional pain? And how do we get through? Those questions were repeated over and over with seemingly little answers at the time. It was a different kind of morning as Emily filled her SUV with her belongings preparing to surprise her fiancé. She was so excited to start this new chapter in her life before her July wedding. Emily and I spent the morning talking, laughing, making wedding plans and running errands. We got lunch and went to see her siblings at school. I took photos of the kids together and as always when when they are traveling, we pray together, asking God for protection. Those close to Emily knew she was a radiant Christian who loved Jesus with all her heart. She enjoyed photography, music, dancing and everyone she met. Emily smiled infectiously and truly laughed out loud. As one person put it, “She was the Alka Seltzer in the water.” Like all young people, Em had her share of struggles growing up, but she was an overcomer. She persevered in her dreams and life goals by touching lives, especially children. Emily invested heavily in people locally and around the world through missions. After leaving Keystone, Emily visited her dad at work and then headed north on I-95. As she drove through Savannah, her tire tread separated, throwing her into the guardrail. Her SUV landed on the other side 6
of the railing. Emily was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident; however, when rescue came, she was put on life support. God sustained our daughter for a little while longer. As a parent, you usually fix most things for your kids as well as give wisdom and instructions to guide them. You fix their toys, bandage up a wound… anything to make their lives better. But we couldn’t fix this situation. We were struggling and helpless.
(L to R) Four
Though we didn’t see it then, we know that God had His hand on Em. For example, we were able to see Emily before she left, taking our last photos of her. There was no one else in her vehicle, nor did she hit anyone when the accident happened. Through life support, Emily was able to “hang on” until Nathan and I, and her fiance, Andrew, were able to arrive at the hospital. God knew how much we needed to say “goodbye.” He blessed us with that time. A few minutes past midnight on April 20th, Emily Kiersten Rund went home to be with Jesus (II Corinthians 5:6). Intense pain from head-to-toe shocks your system when you lose a child. People often say, “Our kids are God’s children.” But in reality, Emily was our child and we didn’t want to let her go. As a Christian, I was amazed at the emotions that rose within me… hurt, anger, pain and despair. But God understood. He listened to our cries and lovingly put His arms around us. The last few years have been extremely difficult as many things still don't make sense. We are real people with real hurts. We shed tears and experience real pain. But through God’s Word, His love, and the love and prayers of His people, we have endured. We remain focused on what we know… Emily is alive and well and we will see her again!
of the five Rund siblings… Julie, Wes, Emily and Laura bottom photo: Emily and Andrew, her fiancé Emily’s last journal entry was 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Life is not easy. It seems unending with grief at times. The pain hasn’t gone away, nor do I believe we will ever get over it. But, with the Lord’s help, through His peace and comfort, we will get through it. In her journal, Emily wrote the words “I am not abandoned.” These words have meant so much to our family as we have realized that God has not abandoned us during our darkest moments. He is with us, giving us peace and comfort to keep moving forward. Em’s life left a legacy… a testimony to share. We have become strong in weakness. We long for Heaven where we will be with our loved ones and see Jesus face to face! But for now, God has us here on earth and like our daughter Emily, our life goal is to love others and invest in people. One day we look forward to seeing her and hearing the words "well done!" (Matthew 25:21)
Lisa Rund, a mother of 5, has resided in Keystone Heights for many years. Lisa is currently living in the United Kingdom where her husband, Nathan, is employed with the Department of Defense. www.championsheart.net
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Love is the Key!
Want to Move Forward? Forgive. by Kristi Overton Johnson When we have learned to live in a flow of forgiveness, we will be living in freedom.”
Love. Forgiveness. These words can stir up various emotions. What if I told you the two are one in the same. You can’t love someone without forgiving them for “love keeps no record of being wronged.” As I look at my own circle of family and friends I see many people with great reasons to be offended. I myself have had many occasions to be upset, angered or hurt by people. It is often a tall order to extend forgiveness to someone who has hurt you. How does one forgive? How do you forgive someone who has abandoned you? How do you forgive a group of people who have maliciously attacked you with lies and schemes designed to destroy your life? How do you forgive someone who says you will never amount to anything? How do you forgive a spouse who has chosen to spend life without you? Not only how, but why? Why should we want to extend forgiveness to someone who has hurt us so deeply? Forgiveness is difficult. In fact, it is only possible through the help of God. But forgiveness is something we desperately need to extend. Brother Yun, a heavily persecuted Chinese Christian wrote, “FORGIVENESS is a great gift that God has given us so we can survive in an evil world where people hurt us, betray us and do terrible things to us.
What we have to realize is that forgiveness is not for the offender, it is for us! Forgiveness is an opportunity to find release and restoration in our own lives. Study the life of Joseph. His forgiving heart towards his family and those in authority over him kept Joseph in the protection, provision and presence of God. Because Joseph continually focused on God rather than the offense and offender, God was able to bring Joseph out of the pit and place him in the palace! Forgiveness isn’t the same thing as reconciliation. Reconciliation requires two parties to come together and sort out their differences. Forgiveness requires only one… YOU. In addition to the fact that forgiveness is commanded by God (Luke 6:32-36), protects us from Satan’s attacks (Eph. 4:25-27), and the fact that our forgiveness from God is tied to our forgiving others (Matt 6:14-15), there are many other reasons to consider forgiveness. First of all, it will release you from the offender’s control over your life. It will release you from the past, free up precious space in your mind and enable you to move forward in life. It will also protect you from the consequences that stem from a bitter, angry heart. Things such as sickness, depression, and a ping-pong game of retaliatory acts. It will also release the offender to God so that God can deal with the person or
Forgiveness requires only one…
YOU. situation (Rom. 12:18-20). God will not deal with the person while we are dealing with them. Furthermore, forgiveness will keep our light shining bright for others to see Christ in us (Phil 2:14-16). If you are offended today, I encourage you to go to God and present the person or offense to God. Ask God to give you His perspective on the situation. Realize that hurting people hurt people. This will give you a grace perspective towards the person. Then as God directs, communicate with the person. Often times, the offender never intended the offense the way it was received. Communication and openness can heal many broken bridges in a relationship. Remember to pray for the offender and remember that you too are capable of sin. Ask God to forgive, tell God you forgive, and then ask God to help you move forward one step at a time. 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.
The Emily Rund Champion’s Heart Scholarship Champion’s Heart Life Center Announces The Emily Rund Scholarship… Emily Rund, a 2002 graduate of Keystone Heights High School, exemplified a Champion’s Heart and lived out her passions on a daily basis. Her compassion for the needy and less fortunate and her desire to reach out and serve others impacted not only people residing in Keystone Heights, but also around the world.
Kristi Overton Johnson presenting 2010 Emily Rund Scholarship Award
The Emily Rund Champion’s Heart Scholarship honors 2 students who possess the heart of a champion, a heart filled with passion, perseverance, integrity, purpose, and hope. Although academic history is included in the evaluation, it is not the primary criteria of the scholarship. The weight of the evaluation is the heart and passions of the individual students. To apply, students are required to complete an application and return it to Champion’s Heart Life Center by April 27, 2012. Applications are available at Keystone Heights High School and Champion’s Heart. Both recipients of the scholarship will receive a check for $1,000.00 to be used to help the student meet expenses associated with furthering their education or following a passion that will impact the community. Nathan and Lisa Rund with Scholarship Award
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Love is the Key!
BACK TO RUSSIA… by Margarita ‘Rita’ Oganisyan
Armed With Love
In 2005, my husband and I adopted two precious children from Russia. Through our adoption, God opened the door for an incredible connection with a Russian family. Months ago I received a request from my friend, Svetlana, asking if her daughter could come spend three months with us through a cultural exchange program. “Love” prompted us to open our hearts and home to Rita and “love” forever changed us all. Below is Rita’s testimony of how the love of God shown through the words, smiles and actions of those she met while in the United States has impacted her life. ~Kristi Overton Johnson
Nevertheless, I had a strong belief that I must visit America. Only now, after being here for awhile, can I understand that my time here was more than just a trip abroad. It was part of God’s plan for me. My trip was exactly what I expected in some ways. I experienced different foods, different jokes, and a new way of life. I struggled a bit with the English language and communicating clearly with people. What I didn’t expect though was the differences I found in people. From the first hours of my stay I noticed this difference. People were smiling at me. To receive a smile from an unknown person in Russia is rare. Here almost everyone I had eye contact with smiled, greeted me and even sometimes waved to me. I've never heard so many compliments in my life, from people I didn’t even know. I've never seen so much kindness, happiness and sympathy in EVERYONE! I always had one question running in my head, “Why?” Why are people here so nice, open-hearted and kind to people they don't even know? Why, why, why…? The second difference I noticed immediately was how many people live with a strong belief in God. I felt this love for God everywhere… at the church, in every house, in every family, in every person and in every heart.
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During my stay, I was given a Bible from my American family. Once when I was reading my Bible, I came across Colossians 3:12. It says, "Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” As I read this verse it was a like a lightbulb went off in my head. That's the exact answer to my question! Photo Credits: In HIS Image Photography
E
verything was against my coming to the United States right from the beginning. My University did not want me to go because I would miss classes. I had difficulty finding a job here in America that was accepted by the organization sponsoring my trip. The American Embassy toughened visa requirements for students like me. Even my friends discouraged me with their words. They told me how difficult it would be to adapt to life in the USA. They said that everything would be completely different.
The people I met were treating me with kindness, patience, humility and gentleness because they were clothed in God’s virtues. They were smiling at me and encouraging me with kind words because they were being obedient to God’s command to love people. I am so thankful for those people who clothed themselves in God’s virtues, for, through them I was able to see God. For many people, these virtues may seem so simple, so ordinary, because perhaps they are just a way of life. But for me, it is different. It’s not what I am accustomed to in my native country of Russia. Unfortunately, the majority of people in Russia don't trust in God. Some of them have never even heard about Him. Because their hearts are not opened to God's love they have difficulty expressing this love towards others. But it used to be different. Russia used to be a very religious country. The people lived in the name of God, their life was inseparably connected with God. But nearly one century ago, a radical change came over the life of Russians. The Revolution came and destroyed the Tsarist autocracy. With the Tsar deposed, the Soviet Union was formed and a Communist government emerged who’s policy was to make people forget about God and the Bible. Communists spoke strongly against religion saying, "Communism is incompatible with religious
Rita with the Johnson Family faith." During Communist reign, millions of believers were killed, imprisoned and deported. Thousands of priests were humiliated and humbled. A lot of ancient temples and churches were destroyed. All in all, the Soviet Union became an atheist state, in which religion was largely discouraged and heavily persecuted. In the early 1990’s, the Soviet Union was dissolved and the Communist government was deposed. In our new Constitution, freedom of religion was proclaimed. But the damage from the previous century had been done. Nowadays, the majority of Russians don't trust in God. They have grown up in an era where the government told them that there is no God. Because of this, continued on next page
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What If?
Love is the Key!
by Kristi Overton Johnson One day when my husband and I were eating lunch at Cracker Barrel, I noticed a young family. When they were leaving, one of the couple’s children, a girl about 5 years old, was given a walker to support her as she walked. As she struggled to walk out of the dining room, I noticed the mother patiently encouraging her daughter as she moved forward.
As I dress myself in God’s virtues, the people I encounter in my life will be changed by the love of God, just as my life has been forever changed.
Photo Credits: In HIS Image Photography
many of the Russian people have never even heard of Him. When I think about the history of my nation, I feel unbearable pain for my native country and for the people living there. If only it had been different, if only people had known about a loving God. I can’t change the past, but I can change the future by strengthening the faith of the Russian people. How? By living out Colossians 3:12. As I dress myself in God’s virtues, the people I encounter in my life will be changed by the love of God, just as my life has been forever changed. I am so thankful to God for making a way for me to come to America and to witness His love in action. I thank Him for all the wonderful people I've met here who became examples for the rest of my life. I thank Him for showing me how one’s faith should impact personalities and form life principles. I thank Him for giving me support for my faith and for revealing the Bible to me as it has shown me answers to many of life’s questions. Finally, I thank Him for the opportunity to realize the main things in life: to love Him and to love the people around me. Rita Oganisyan, a third year law student in Moscow, Russia, visited the Lake Area Region on a cultural exchange program in 2011. During her time here, Rita worked for the local ministries of Champion’s Heart and In His Wakes.
www.championsheart.net
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As I sat there and watched this interchange, I was moved with an overwhelming sense of compassion. As I envisioned what this family’s life must be like on a daily basis, my heart cried out to God, “Oh Lord, heal that little girl. Help that family.” I then silently vowed to pray for them. As I made Why did I have to get my promise to pray, a thought quickly entered my mind up and go over to that said, “Go pray for them right now.” them in the middle of a restaurant? What if Immediately my internal battle over whether to obey they didn’t want what I knew the Holy Spirit was directing me to do began. prayer? What if they “Lord,” I argued, “Why can’t I just pray from a distance?” thought I was crazy? Wouldn’t He move in this family’s life regardless of What if people looked whether or not I audibly prayed for this couple in their at me and became unpresence? Why did I have to get up and go over to them comfortable? What if, in the middle of a restaurant? What if they didn’t want what if, what if… prayer? What if they thought I was crazy? What if people looked at me and became uncomfortable? What if, what if, what if… As I flooded my mind with negative “what if” scenarios, a new thought pattern began to fight for attention. What if what God was leading me to do would somehow affect the life of this family now or for eternity? What if God touched this little girl physically because of my obedience? What if, through a simple prayer of faith and a simple act of love, this family was encouraged to carry on for one more day? What if this family needed to know that someone in the world noticed their life? Why would I not want to be a part of that? Why would I want to let my fear and pride stand in the way of what God may be ready to do? As I weighed the two “what if” arguments, I realized that I really didn’t care what people thought. For the sake of that little girl and her family, I had to get out of my seat and tangibly show them the love of Christ no matter the cost and no matter the result. I looked at my husband, Tim, and said with all seriousness, “I have to go pray with that family. Don’t let the waitress take my salad!” continued on page 13
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Melodious Love by Anna Purkey
There is a sermon that I constantly remember when faced with a simple “yes or no” situation. It was a discussion regarding the Holy Family, and most poignantly the fact that Joseph does not say a word nor is he ever quoted biblically. The point of the sermon was to show that obedience is a result of love and Joseph, being the head of his family, needed only to say “yes” to love. As a waiting foster parent, I received a telephone call last fall that presented me with an opportunity to reply “yes” to love. According to the person on the phone, there was a hospitalized little girl who needed to be released to a home without other children and to someone able to provide very specific medical care. As a single mom with no children and a background in medicine, I fit the profile. My only thought was “God expects me to either say ‘yes or no’ right now;” and thus began my journey with Melody. I am convinced that opening ourselves to a child expands our love connection with God. Melody and I stepped out of the hospital 4 days shy of her 10 month birthday and she felt, heard, tasted, breathed and enjoyed nature for the very first time. I remember feeling overwhelmed with knowing that God was entrusting His child to my care. Tears fell down my cheeks as I whispered, “Am I worthy?” 10
It would have been easy to be overly gentle, protective, and reclusive, using the excuse that Melody was fragile; instead, I chose to listen to love and we bounced, tickled, laid in the grass and went to the beach – we socialized with neighbors and Melody enjoys a life not much different from any other infant. Although I have been a nurse for 25 years, Melody introduced me to life within the medical system and to weeks “vacationing” in a hospital room. At first, we “camped” and watched lots of movies as our bond became unbreakable. Then I learned humility, patience, and finally what it means to “lay down your life for another,” as I experienced loss personally and professionally. As many before me have said, “I would not trade a day…” My experiences and lessons are countless and love is the prevailing thread. Melody forgives easily and readily although she has been put through countless painful procedures. At a year old, she knew how to “muster a smile” when medical staff walked into the room and could perform even when her strength was waning. I have seen her look rather puny but when the doctor came to discharge her, she would jump up with remarkable energy. Melody continues to thrive surprising her entire medical team. We were told that her prognosis was poor, that she was in “failure,” that she “wouldn’t”… “couldn’t”… Every day God shows us His strength. Because of the gift of Melody, I now view things differently, even scriptures. Recently, I heard the story of the blind man who had been blind since birth. The disciples asked Jesus who carried the sin of his illness – the man or his parents – Jesus replied that the blind man existed so others could witness God’s awesome power, at which time, Jesus healed the man. Like the blind man, Melody’s life reveals the awesome power of God. Her life touches so many people. On many occasions, I have seen her reach out her hand to strangers
Champion’s Heart Life Center would like to recognize individuals who exhibit the heart of a champion… a heart of love, integrity, patience, and perseverance. In this issue of Victorious Living, Champion’s Heart would like to present Melody Purkey with The Champion’s Heart Award. Baby Melody has touched more lives in her mere 2 years than many do in a lifetime. Thank you Melody for inspiring us to enjoy each day and to never give up! Melody’s story is submitted to us by her mother, Anna Purkey.
or smile at someone who was frowning. Melody is always faithful and always kind. She never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. To know Melody is to know love. To know Melody is to witness the Living Word. I have always had a sense that through God’s gift of free will, it is expected of us to create heaven on earth beginning with the simplicity of our daily choices. We have the ability to do this by making the choice to say “yes” when presented with the opportunity to love. The result is often an unexpected journey of sharing that love exponentially. Anna Purkey grew up on a dairy farm in southern Ohio with a large extended family. Following her grandmother and mother, Anna became a nurse in 1990. After becoming a nurse practitioner in 2007, Anna moved to Florida where she currently works for the Bradford/ Union County Health Department. In 2007, Anna received her license to be a foster home to children in need. She currently resides in the Lake Area Region with her daughter, Melody, who she adopted in June, 2011.
Do you know someone with a Champion’s Heart? Write to us and let us know! We’d like to recognize champions in our upcoming issues. Send nominations to “Champion’s Heart,” PO Box 968, Keystone Heights, FL 32656.
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Love is the Key!
Unconditional Love by Paulette Sikes Everyone in a family has a perceived role. A failure to fulfill that role can result in disappointment to the other members of the family. When dealing with a loved one with addictions, disappointment can be even greater. For many years I have been disappointed, angry, saddened and even scared for my brother’s safety. To be honest, at times I have been just plain disgusted with his addictive patterns. I’ve watched him disappoint my parents, his wife, his children and me. My common thought was how dare him waste our time to satisfy his own selfish desires. We all have emotional investments in the ones we love and I was not getting a return on my investment in my brother. I ended up avoiding him as much as possible thinking he was just a lost cause. All the years of my “Conditional Love” had been constant for my brother, but not fruitful. Recently I got a call from my niece who shared a conversation she had had with my brother. He claimed he deserved the hardships and physical ailments he
has suffered in his life. He felt no worth because of his inability to overcome his addictions. Suddenly, I realized that my brother, the ‘addict,’ suffers more from his own disappointment in himself than the disappointment of the ones who love him. I was moved with compassion and saw him with new eyes. I’ve always loved my brother, just not unconditionally. Unconditional love is a love without strings. It’s a love that seeks nothing in return. It’s a love demonstrated to me by God on a daily basis, a love filled with patience and forgiveness, a love that is there for me despite my sinful nature. Don’t I owe my brother the same love that Christ has so freely given me? What I finally realized is that Christ not only died for me, but He also died for my brother. When God looks down at my brother and me, He sees us both with the same eyes of love. He doesn’t divide us into categories according to our past or our addictions (thank goodness as I think we’d all fall into some category or another!). No, God sees us for who we can become in Him and it is that person that He faithfully pursues with His great love.
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While it is not for me to condone the actions of my brother, nor enable them, I do want to be there for him as the Lord leads. Will unconditional love change my brother? God’s unconditional love has changed my life. By sharing this same love, I can only hope that perhaps my brother will find forgiveness towards himself, new hope and a better way… a way to true freedom in Christ. Paulette Sikes lives in Starke with her husband, Dan, and her two teenage daughters. She works with her husband in their private law practice. Paulette’s passion is encouraging people to press forward in life victoriously.
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Me? Worthy? Finding Forgiveness
for Yourself If you were to look at a family picture from my childhood, you would say, “What a nice looking family.” We were picture perfect. I grew up in the country in a large home built by my father, a “self-made man” who started his own company that grew to great financial success. My mother, a beautiful woman, worked in marketing, taught Sunday school, and was involved in school activities. She even taught aerobics on the side. We were a busy and “successful” family. It was in the midst of this busyness that my world began to privately crumble. As a young child, we often had babysitters. One babysitter, a high schooler, would often take us over to her boyfriend’s house while she was caring for us. It was there that I was first exposed to pornographic videos. I was 10. Not too long after, friends of the boyfriend began to commit acts against me. They would physically hurt me or threaten me if I resisted. At that age, I wasn’t able to comprehend what was happening. All I knew was that I had a terrible secret and I began to hate myself. The abuse continued as I moved into junior high. It expanded from the friends of my babysitter’s boyfriend to the boys in the neighborhood. I then began to enter into controlling relationships. I remember one in particular.
“You were dead because of your sins and because of your sinful nature…”
When I was 15, I met a boy in high school who was older than me. He preyed on controlling others and I willingly came under his mental, emotional and physical control with little resistance. If I spoke to another boy in the hallway, he would come beside and hold my hand. What others could not see is that he would squeeze my hand until I wanted to drop to my knees in pain. My boyfriend had a friend, Jason, and the three of us did a lot together. Jason was very nice to me, he was kind and non-threatening. When my boyfriend saw that Jason and I were friends, he told me that I couldn’t hang around with Jason anymore. I obeyed and ended the friendship. One night a couple of weeks later, my friend Jason drove to my house in tears. He was armed with a bottle of Tequila and a loaded 22 caliber hand gun. He said that he wanted to kill himself and could not understand why I stopped being his friend. We talked for two hours and mended our friendship. During our conversation, I asked him to unload the gun and he did. By the time we were finished talking we were both smiling and we hugged. I gave him back the bullets as there didn’t seem to be a threat anymore… another secret I hid from my family. The next day I learned Jason was dead. After Jason left my house his car slid off the icy country road and got stuck. According to police, he tried to dislodge his car from the icy hole with some boards, but was unsuccessful. He sat back down in the driver’s seat, reloaded the gun and shot himself in the head. I was the last person to see him alive. Since I had given him the bullets, I naturally blamed myself. I was 16 and now another negative emotion was added to my life… GUILT. From that point forward I stopped actively living life in a healthy way. I got pregnant, suffered a miscarriage and barely graduated high school. I surrounded myself with abusive relationships familiar to what I had experienced in the past. Distrust for
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Then God m ade yo w ith C u alive hrist, for He all our f o rgave sins. H the re e canc c eled o r d agains t us an of the charg es d took it awa nailin y by g it to the cr oss.”
people grew and I began to view myself as “damaged goods” with no value to anyone. I turned to alcohol as it helped block out the voices in my mind that screamed, “You aren’t good enough, pretty enough, or smart enough.” These voices continued into my early twenties when I finally hit rock bottom. I suffered a rape from my boss, a trusted authority figure. Not knowing how to deal with it, I began to think of ways to end my life. To make it worse, his wife was like a mother to me. Now, I had yet another secret from another woman I cared about. One night I drank as much wine as I could stand, drove myself to a quiet, out of the way area and put my plan of suicide into action. I carefully tucked rags around the tailpipe of my car and inserted a garden hose. Next, I placed the other end of the hose in the driver’s side window of my car, carefully wrapping it with towels. As I sat in the car and sobbed, I begged God to end my pain and all the suffering, guilt and shame I had carried throughout my childhood. I was tired of living everyday feeling like an unworthy, unlovable, ugly person. I cried and breathed in deeply, but nothing happened. Frustrated, I got out of my car to see the poisonous fumes escaping into the cold, night air through thousands of tiny holes in the hose. It turns out that the hose I used was a porous water hose that would not allow the poison to enter my car. I believe God divinely intervened and saved my life. That night in my desperation, God began to reveal Himself to me. I sensed great peace as He showed me that my life had a bigger purpose than just dealing with my own pain. He had a plan where my life would actually be a light for other’s who were struggling with deep hurts.
www.championsheart.net
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e you alive He for gave cance led e char ges away b y e cros s.”
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What If? From that point, I began to seek God and He met me with open arms. He granted me forgiveness from past decisions and He gave me grace to move forward. No, my pain from the past didn’t magically disappear, but God began to heal me one wound at a time. It wasn’t long before I was blessed with an incredible husband and 2 beautiful children. My life became filled with good things. However, a part of me remained tied to the past. As I grew in my relationship with the Lord, He began to show me that my tie to the past was because of un-forgiveness towards myself. You see, I had forgiven God as I realized that He hadn’t done those things to me; rather, it was people who were acting under their own freewill. I had even forgiven the many people who had hurt me. I knew the Word of God said to forgive those who have offended and hurt you. But there was a third person I had not forgiven… ME. Because of this un-forgiveness towards myself, I continually carried a load of guilt, shame, self-hate, and a sense of unworthiness. I wasn’t able to move forward in life and help others move forward because I was weighted down by these emotions. I didn’t realize that every time I clung to my guilt and reminded myself of how unworthy I was for anything good in life it was like I was saying “No thanks” to the love of God, a love full of forgiveness and redemption. It was like I was receiving the cross as a mere splinter! Colossians 2:13-14 says, “You were dead because of your sins and because of your sinful nature ... Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” What I realize now is that the moment I asked Christ to be the Lord of my life, He made me alive in Him by forgiving my sins and canceling the charges against me. WOW! Everything I had done in my past, all the poor decisions I had made, were forgiven and nailed to the cross over two thousand years ago. Let me ask you something. If God has forgiven me and you, isn’t it time we forgive ourselves? Why do we constantly remind ourselves of our shortcomings when God has already forgotten them? Psalms 103 says He has removed our sin as far as the east is from the west and He remembers them no more! If God doesn’t condemn our past, then why should we? Will you join me and toss aside the weighted rope of un-forgiveness so that we can run the race of life victoriously and discover God’s peace and forgiveness? Ask God to reveal any areas of bitterness, anger, guilt, shame or hatred that are weighing you down and then FORGIVE. Forgive your parents, spouse, boss, friend, a stranger, co-worker, sibling, child or Pastor. Most of all, forgive yourself. Jesus already has. In God’s eyes, it’s time to realize YOU are worthy. Yes… you! Not because of anything you have done or not done but because God says so. He says you are worth it all. Think about it...before a day of your life ever came to be, God, knowing every decision you would ever make, knowing everything that would ever happen, still saw value in your life and allowed your life to be. And then, in the gift of His Son, Jesus, who laid down His life FOR YOU, God said, “You are worth everything to me.” Allow God to heal your innermost wounds, unleash the weights and ropes that are binding you up, and choose today to move forward with a new view of yourself… worthy of love, worthy of joy, worthy of healing, and worthy to be used by God. God is waiting for you to agree with Him so that He can use you to touch the world. The above story was submitted by a Keystone Heights resident who has asked to remain anonymous. If you have a story similar to the one above and need help finding forgiveness for yourself or for your abusers, visit Champion’s Heart Resource Center for support.
www.championsheart.net
by Kristi Overton Johnson continued from page 9 I got up and found the family in the merchandise section of the store. I walked over to the mother and said, “Hi. I know this may sound crazy, but I feel the Lord wants me to pray for your little girl.” I waited for the lady to grab her daughter and run or yell an insult back at me, but instead she smiled and said, “I don’t think that sounds crazy at all.” She asked my name and introduced me to her daughter, Sophia Rose. Then, right there in the middle of Cracker Barrel, I knelt down, laid my hands on this little girl’s legs, and prayed. When I finished, I rose up and faced the parents. The mother had tears streaming down her face, as did I. Through tears, we hugged and I left promising the family that I would continue to pray for them. As I reflect back on the above story, I honestly don’t know all that God was doing in this interchange. This young girl didn’t suddenly shed her walker and run through the store. Lightening bolts didn’t pop down from heaven giving us a “sign” that God was moving in some miraculous way. But you know what… I really don’t need a sign. I know it was God who prompted my heart to get up and pray for this family and I trust Him. It certainly wasn’t my flesh directing me to do this because my flesh would have preferred to stay in my chair and continue eating my salad! I know from scripture and from experience that when God places a burden on the hearts of His people and they obey, God is moving. He is doing something whether we “see” anything or not. Yes, God could’ve touched this family whether or not I got up out of my chair. God is God. He can do anything. But for reasons I cannot explain, God has chosen you and me to be His vessels in which He demonstrates His love, power, provision and presence to the world. Through OUR prayers of faith and simple acts of kindness, hope is carried to people and mountains are moved in their lives. We have to remember that we are God’s hands and feet on this earth. Our purpose on earth is to show His love to others whether or not it is convenient or comfortable. How will they know His love, how will they know He cares, otherwise? Please don’t get me wrong. I am not saying there is anything wrong with praying for others from afar or saying, “I will pray for you.” But how often do we actually remember to pray? If you are like me, life somehow has a way of erasing our promise to pray from our minds and we never end up praying at all. What if we actually stop, rise up, and out of our compassion, move out of our comfort zones and pray a simple prayer of faith with someone today? I believe people will be healed, hearts will be encouraged, and circumstances will be changed. So what are waiting for? Let’s lay aside our fears, pride and “what if” scenarios, get out of our seats, and risk something for the sake of another. “What if” God is ready to use us today to change the life of another? It’s a chance worth taking. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 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. 13
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Love is the Key!
Love Heals All Wounds by Minta Bennett When I was a child there was a family member in my life who verbally abused me. This person was so hateful to me. He never missed an opportunity to remind me how stupid I was and he made sure I felt as worthless as possible by constantly reminding me of everything that was wrong with me. I was very young, not even in school yet. At that age you tend to believe the adults in your life. So naturally, I began to believe every horrible thing he said about me and I began to ‘see’ myself according to his hateful words. As I grew older, I made it a point to stay out of his way. Fortunately, he didn’t live near our family so I didn’t have to be around him daily, but boy did he make up for it when he was in town. I never told my mom and dad about what was going on. I also never told her how I felt about him. She was always so happy when he came home to visit and I didn’t want to ruin that for her. After years of verbal abuse at his hand I learned to hate him. At the time, I didn’t have the ability to understand that hurting people hurt people. It was much easier for me to just hate him back. I spent a great amount of time thinking how awful he was, and somehow that made me feel better about myself. During my teenage years he was not around at all, but that didn’t stop me from allowing all of that anger and hate to grow secretly inside of me. I used to dream of how someday I would get back at him and cause him to hurt like he hurt me. I wanted him to feel as helpless and scared as he had made me feel. While all of this anger was growing inside of me, I developed an extremely painful back problem. The pain in my lower back grew to the point that I couldn’t stand up for more than a couple of minutes at a time. One day my Uncle Steven was visiting and he prayed for me. He looked at me and asked pointedly, “Who do you hate?” My immediate response, “No one.” At this point I hadn’t told
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anyone about what that person had done to me, and I sure didn’t tell anyone about how much I hated him. Suddenly, it all came back to me, it was like a video of all the wrongs suffered at his hands began to play in my mind. All my childhood emotions emerged as I remembered how he made me feel like the worst person on earth. I just sat there thinking he deserved to be hated. Why should I be the one who has to forgive him? Then I realized I had a decision to make: Do I forgive him or do I continue to hate him?
The Greatest Commandments in the Bible ... “Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind… love others as yourself.” We often remember to love God and others but do we remember to love ourselves? We have to realize it’s often hard to extend God’s love to others if we fail to take care of ourselves emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Here are a few ways you can “love yourself”… Forgiveness empowered me to live my life as God intended me to live. I was no longer a victim. I decided to make the choice to forgive. I decided it was time to let go of my past and refuse to give this person any power over me anymore. I cried out to God and asked Him to help me forgive, and He did. He took away my hurt and anger and with it, He lifted what seemed to be a hundred pound weight off my shoulders. All of a sudden I didn’t feel like a victim anymore. I didn’t feel helpless anymore. And you know what else? My back pain began to get better. Now I realize that my anger had kept me tied to this person. It had caused me to remain a victim every time I thought of what he had done to me. For years, my anger had caused me to feel powerless and afraid over and over again. And, my anger had caused me physical pain. Forgiveness empowered me to live my life as God intended me to live. I was no longer a victim. Yes, the memories are still there; however, they don’t cause me pain anymore. Forgiveness healed my hurts. God is so awesome. Not only did He give me my life back, but he also brought restoration in my relationship with this person. How amazing that the person who had been so hateful and mean to me is now a wonderful part of my life. How could this happen? Prayer! After I forgave him, I prayed for him constantly. For years there was no contact, but I kept praying for him. Now, I see him frequently and I am so thankful. God turned that relationship around because I chose to love him in spite of what he did to me.
…Protect Your Health… Eat Right and Exercise! …Get Some Rest …Enjoy Those God Has Put In Your Life …Forgive Yourself For Not Being Perfect …Forgive Others …Stop Being So Critical Towards Yourself …Speak Positive Words Over Your life …Get Alone …Ask For Help …Enjoy A Hobby …Laugh More …See Yourself As God Sees You… His Treasure!
God says in 1 John 4:20, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” I remember one night arguing with God about my right to be angry with this person but God kept leading me back to this verse. After reading it three times I finally understood what He was saying… If we love God, we will love others and part of love is forgiveness. It’s not an option, it’s a requirement. But the beautiful thing is that as we free others with our forgiveness, God will free us, heal us and empower us to walk in victory. Beloved if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11 Minta Bennett is the former director of the Champion’s Heart Resource Center. She is married and is the mother of two teenagers. Her passion is helping people walk in victory through mentoring and tutoring. www.championsheart.net
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Love is the Key!
For the Love of a Community by Karen Lake Whether you believe in Hillary Rodham Clinton’s politics or not, I think she got it right when she coined the phrase, “It takes a whole village to raise a child.” Generations ago, in villages across the world, the predominant social denominator amongst small living communities were that people shared day-today responsibilities with one another. Extended families lived together, children cared for smaller children, and communal cooking was common. Much has changed. Here we are in the 21st century and looking at our community, there is much to like about the way we’re living. But with the changes in our lifestyles, one can’t deny that problems have arisen. We face many challenges. Even our small community is not immune to the issues families face living in larger cities. I, personally, do not want to be an adult in my community that denies the existence of these problems. Denying them, won’t make them go away. But I also know – and have witnessed – the very best we have to offer, too. Case in point: several weeks ago, the Community Church of Keystone held its annual back-to-school event which helped families get their children ready for the first day of school. This is a big deal for a child and thankfully, this church membership and other community members recognized the need, and worked tirelessly to fill the need. Each family was assigned a personal shopper to help them pick out five outfits and a pair of shoes. I was helping out in the shoe room when a personal shopper brought in a young man who looked to be 11 or 12 years old, the same age as my youngest son. When he found a pair of shoes he liked, he sat in a chair to put them on with his personal shopper by his
side. They were lace-up shoes. After he had them on his feet, he looked at his personal shopper and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to tie my shoes. Can you help me?” It was, as they say, a teaching moment. His personal shopper could have reacted in a number of ways. She could have negatively judged the young man for being an older child and not knowing how to tie his shoes. He, most likely, would have felt her condemnation. She could have found it funny, laughed at him and made him feel badly because he didn’t know how to tie his shoes. Instead, she responded, “That’s OK. I’ll help you. Let me show you how to tie your shoes.” That was the loving response. A younger child came into the shoe room. She was probably five years old. As I knelt down on the floor to help her put on her shoes and tie them, she said quite adamantly, “I can do it for myself.” “Of course you can,” I said. “I’m really proud of you that you can do that for yourself.” As both a witness and a participant, they were divine moments for me. Love was present from adult to a child. If Love is present, there too, is God. I really love and am proud to be a part of this community. I admire and care for the people who help me raise my son because there are many and our lives are much richer for it. In return, I’ll do my part and help raise yours. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.
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 Sante 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.
Remains to Be Seen ESTATE APPRAISALS & LIQUIDATIONS Lynne E. Keyes Licensed & Bonded Auctioneer and Estate Appraiser Referrals Paid • References Available 352.475.3981 www.treasuresinwriting.com Licenses AB816 • AU1163
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He’s Been Faithful I never expected the news I got that day in the summer of 1999. It was what was supposed to be an exciting doctor’s appointment for us. I, along with my husband, James, our daughter, Emily, and other family members piled into a little ultrasound room to find out the sex of our precious unborn baby. As we watched with anticipation, the ultrasound tech finally said, “It’s a girl!” We were elated to know we were having another girl and thankful for the opportunity to see her on that small screen. As we exited the room, the nurse pulled me aside and informed me that a blood test I had taken several weeks before had come back abnormal. It showed a possibility that our little girl could have Down Syndrome. She explained that often this particular test can come back with a false positive result and suggested I repeat the test. The next few weeks of testing and waiting proved to be very grueling. We fervently prayed that whatever the results, that God would guide and direct us and give us the strength to care for our baby’s needs. After weeks of waiting, we got the phone call that will forever be etched in our hearts and minds. It was confirmed, our little angel had Down Syndrome.
“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 a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 As we heard those words, James and I both felt a sea of emotions rush over us. We were so afraid. Would she be alright? Would we be everything she needed as parents? It’s so hard to explain, but even in the midst of our questions and doubts, we were filled with an overwhelming peace… peace that can only come from the Lord. The days and weeks ahead held many ups and downs. Praise the Lord, Dana was born a healthy little girl on February 24, 2000. Did she have Down Syndrome? Yes! Was she “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God? Absolutely, YES! The path we have travelled and are traveling is challenging each and every day. But who of us doesn’t face challenges? They may be different in nature, but they are challenges nonetheless. Those we face with Dana have actually become more difficult in recent years. Several years ago, Dana received a diagnosis of Autism that in many ways has proven to be even harder than Down Syndrome. Along with this diagnoses came a whole new set of ever increasing challenges for Dana and for us. How thankful we are for the love, peace and strength of God. This journey is one our family could never travel alone. Without Him upholding us, we would have drowned years ago. In our darkest hours of struggle, God’s love
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Photo Credits: Pam Saxon
by Jeannie Hodges Peoples
has consistently enveloped us so tightly and constantly reminded us that we are not alone. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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 a future and a hope.” There is no doubt in my mind that Dana was exactly what God had planned for our family, the same way He planned for our other precious child, Emily. Nothing we have experienced has come as a surprise to Him. Both of our girls were a part of God’s plan for our lives all along. He created them and then blessed us with the awesome privilege of parenting and loving them both. Over the years so many people have felt sorry for us, and quite frankly, many people view a child like our Dana as nothing more than a burden. In fact, the percentage of people who terminate their pregnancies when their baby is diagnosed with Down Syndrome is staggering, approximately 90%! What people don’t realize is that those situations we may be tempted to view as a burden can be the biggest blessing in our lives if only we embrace them and face them with God. Dana has brought us so much joy in the midst of the challenges, and in the process, she has blessed the lives of others. God is faithful and because of Dana, we have been able to see Him prove His love and faithfulness to us time and time again. Jeannie Hodges Peoples was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL by Gene and Leanne Hodges. She attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA where she met her husband James Peoples. James, Jeannie and their two daughters, Emily and Dana reside in Keystone Heights, FL where James has pastored Trinity Baptist Church for the past 17 years. www.championsheart.net
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Love is the Key!
Love At Work
Photo Credits: Pam Saxon
by Bonnie Hagemann Love at Work? Love and workplace are rarely used in the same sentence and when they are, it is typically not a good thing. However, love can be a powerful force in the workplace. You may be wondering how we can show “love” at work. Is it even possible? It’s not only possible, but it makes the workplace better for everyone. Love is an action; so in the workplace, we show love with our actions. Two actions that demonstrate love at work are mercy and patience. In the book Nuts! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success, the authors tell a story about Herb Kelleher, the CEO at the time, and one of his line leaders. The line leader made a verbal decision with an airport in another city that turned out to be a very expensive one for Southwest.
Remember, in the workplace, a little patience goes a long way. Patience enables us to maintain our peace, make wise decisions, and it reduces the amount of pressure we put on people and situations.
When Herb analyzed the decision, he concluded it was not the right decision for Southwest Airlines at the time. Herb went to the line leader and asked if he had signed a contract. The line leader said, no, but that he had verbally agreed to it. Herb decided to back the verbal decision of this line leader. A year or more later, the line leader was sitting next to Herb on an airplane. He thanked Herb for backing his decision and shared how it had been a learning experience for him. Herb showed the line leader mercy. Some companies would have fired the line leader. Few companies would have backed his verbal commitment to a bad decision and even fewer would have allowed the line leader to learn, grow and eventually be promoted after such a major judgment blunder. In the end, Southwest Airlines survived and made the best of the situation; the
No Laughing Matter! By VeRonica Owens An elderly patient required a heart transplant and met with his doctor to discuss possible donors. The doctor told the patient that he had three choices: a talented high school athlete, a brilliant school teacher, or a lawyer. The patient immediately chose the lawyer’s heart. After the transplant, the doctor asked the patient the reason for his decision. “It was simple,” the patient replied, “I wanted a heart that hadn’t been used.” When I tell people that I decided to become a lawyer because I wanted to help people in my community, that’s usually the sort of cynical response I receive. For some reason, it is often difficult for people to see our Christian life shine through our calling. Lawyer and Christian? Can the two truly commingle? If we profess to truly know Christ, we cannot stop showing His love to others once we step foot in our workplace. Our office, our desk, our cash register should be a place of refuge to our coworkers and clients.
line leader learned a lesson, and Herb gained an eternally grateful and committed leader. Another way love plays out in the workplace is through patience. It’s often easy for leaders and employees to get angry and demanding at work. As pressure builds, the atmosphere can become tense. When this happens, the first and biggest mistake is that people lose their patience. They want what they want, when they want it. ‘Wants’ can range from more resources to another sale, a raise, a new work location, new job, or anything else that will make one’s work or life better. Remember, in the workplace, a little patience goes a long way. Patience enables us to maintain our peace, make wise decisions, and it reduces the amount of pressure we put on people and situations. It also keeps us from acting rashly and making matters worse. Mercy and Patience - make them a part of your job description today. Then watch as your workplace becomes more productive and a more pleasant place to be. 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 28-year-old internationally known boutique consulting firm that specializes in executive development, executive coaching, and high potential development. To date, Bonnie has 11 published works.
difficult situation and truly need someone to take time with them; to listen to their heart’s cry, not just their words; to try to understand what they are facing, and offer a hug or a word of kindness. If we profess to truly know Christ, we are required to show His love to those in need. And when we choose to show the love of Christ in this manner, the Bible says, the God of all healing counsel comes alongside. (2 Cor. 1:3-4; MSG). God uses our love for others to share His heart with the hurting. After all, nothing in this world heals, mends, strengthens, and fulfills like the love of Christ. It rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restores dignity and brings back respect. Mother Teresa said, “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” The Bible tells us to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous, so that we’ll build a lasting treasury, gaining a life that is truly life (I Tim. 6:18-19; MSG). That’s no laughing matter.
VeRonica Owens' Law Practice is located in Keystone Heights, FL. She is dedicated to helping people walk in victory.
Time after time, people visit my office seeking something more significant than advice on a particular matter or legal representation. They find themselves in a www.championsheart.net
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Love is the Key!
Love Bombers by Pastor Rob Morford
In 1924 Community Church began as the lake area’s first attempt to breakdown denominational barriers. A group of believers decided to focus on what they had in common instead of their differences. They agreed Jesus was the only way to salvation, and you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. Out of this the Community Church was birthed. I came to Community Church in 1976 as an unbeliever. My wife, Dotty, had come to the saving knowledge of Jesus right after the birth of our daughter, Bandi. For two years I watched Dotty to see if this Jesus was real and permanent. During that time, Dotty asked people in the church to pray for me. For two years I was bombed with love and prayer.
…love bombing is the deliberate show of affection or friendship by an individual or group of people toward another individual. … God is the author of true love. In fact,
He purposely bombed us with His love.
Up until this point in my life I had felt condemnation. Now, for the first time, I began to feel unconditional love. In November of 1978 I made Jesus the Lord of my life. Shortly after this I was filled with the Holy Spirit and that love I had felt suddenly enveloped me. Over the next three years our family grew as Zac and Isaac were born. I was growing also in this new found love. I volunteered at Community Church. I worked with the youth, started a men’s fellowship and began teaching an adult Sunday School class. The more I learned, the more I discovered how unfathomable this love is. In 1981, with a call on my life, Dotty and I packed up our three children and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend Rhema Bible College. Community Church supported us both financially and with the same love that had changed my eternity. After graduating in 1983, we packed up and moved back to Keystone Heights. The church hired me as the assistant pastor and youth pastor. I tell people the best job on the planet is to find someone to pay you to do what you love to do. In fact, I started doing it for free, because it is a calling and not a job. The church changed my position to co-pastor in 1990 and then I became the senior pastor in 1999. My love for the people in this community continually grows. I have been involved in everything from KRA to Rotary. My passion is teaching the Word of God. I am an expository style teacher that teaches “line upon line and precept upon precept.” The vision of Community Church is to know Jesus and to make Him known. Every ministry in our church centers around this thought.
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One of the many outreaches of our church is Community Christian School. This ministry started in 1987 to help parents. Our primary directive is to “train up our children in the way they should go.” Once again our goal is not just to provide a great education, but to teach them to know love and to show love. Our youth pastor saw a phrase in his psychology book at Sante Fe College called “love bombing.” It was coined by psychologist Margaret Singer in a negative context. Wikipedia says love bombing is the deliberate show of affection or friendship by an individual or group of people toward another individual. Critics have asserted that this action may be motivated in part by the desire to recruit, convert or otherwise influence. It is sad to me to see this used in the negative since God is the author of true love. In fact, He purposely bombed us with His love.
Recently, our youth made “LOVE BOMBER” tee shirts. We gave these out to all of our workers at the Back 2 School Outreach (B2SO) as a reminder of our mission… to bomb people with God’s love. B2SO gave more than clothes, shoes, haircuts and food to over 250 children in our community, it gave families love. I once was lost but now I am saved because of a bunch of love bombers. If I were to describe Community Church, I would say, “We are a bunch of sinners saved by grace… grace that continually changes us and leads us to be love bombers to those God brings in our path.”
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Love is the Key!
Unique Outreaches Love in the Great Outdoors By John Whitfield Do what you love. Love what you do. This simple formula is the basis for a “platform” ministry—doing what you love and having it count for a higher purpose. For Tim Tebow, it was football. For Pat Boone, it was singing. For Kristi Overton Johnson, it was water sports. For me and many others, it’s the great outdoors. As far back as I can remember, I have wanted to be outside. As a child, I would spend all day in the woods building forts and traps, shooting targets, making homemade slingshots, and of course, hunting. Love the outdoors? You bet! I lived it, dreamed it, desired it and wanted it. I loved it!
When you love something, you pursue it. Literally, you chase it. I have chased the outdoors my whole life and I am still chasing it but now with a new purpose… I have joined in the greatest chase, or hunt, of all time. I seek men. In the Spring of 2010, Morry Cravey and I were led to join our passions for the Great Outdoors with God’s (and our) passion for people, the result...Crosshorn Ministries. Crosshorn ministers to outdoorsmen through a shared, mutual interest of outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, hiking, learning about survival skills, archery, fire, making primitive weapons… just about anything in the woods or on the water.
If you want to expand and better experience your love for the outdoors, we invite you to join Team Crosshorn. It’s all FREE. You will learn much about the outdoors, make many friends, and deepen your spiritual walk with the One who created the very things we seek to enjoy. John Whitfield is the co-founder of Crosshorn Ministries. John is an avid sportsman with a passion for people, God and the great outdoors. For more information about Crosshorn’s monthly meetings in Starke and the new Crosshorn Training Center in Ft. McCoy, visit www.crosshornministries.org, email huntfishwriter@aol.com or call John at 352-475-1904.
In His Wakes - The International Language of Love
Park Of The Palms
Whether a hardened teen, discouraged adult, mentally challenged person, or one of another culture, In His Wakes has found the secret of transforming lives. It’s a simple word called love. Since its inception in 2003, In His Wakes has traveled across the United States and even to foreign waters in countries such as Austria, Canada, Costa Rica and most recently, the Czech Republic, showing the love of God through water sports. The result? Thousands of people have found purpose, hope and the opportunity for victory in their lives. Founder Kristi Overton Johnson has seen the language of love break down barriers of distrust, fear, pride and hopelessness and establish a connection where hearts are radically changed. In His Wakes specializes in using water sports to shower people with the love of God through its “A Day to Remember” program. The D2R program provides an opportunity of a lifetime for predominately at-risk youth by giving them an unforgettable day on the water. Participants engage in various water sports activities such as swimming, boat riding, knee boarding and water skiing. Throughout the day, analogies are made between water sports, faith and life. In 2011, In His Wakes hosted 60 events locally, nationally and internationally. “Our ministry specializes in youth who have faced unimaginable hurts and disappointments,” explains Johnson. “Most come to the lake broken, hurt and angry. You can sense their distrust and fear. But after a day on the water, after a day of being loved unconditionally, healing literally takes place at the water’s edge.” “Because most of our participants have little experience in the water, the activities present an opportunity for our team to bond quickly with the participants. The activities also provide a setting to teach life lessons. Our participants learn there are people in the world that care for them, who will help them move forward and who can be trusted. They also learn very quickly that if one lays aside whatever it is that is keeping them on the ‘dock’, whether in life or on the water, they will have victory.” “I am continually humbled and amazed at how God is able to take something so simple — water sports — and literally bring healing, hope and restoration into people’s lives. How thankful I am for the opportunity to be a part of this ministry and watch firsthand the international language of love speak hope and life to the nations!” Visit inhiswakes.com. www.championsheart.net
A generation exists that is known as the “sandwich” generation. A generation exists that is known as “The Sandwich Generation”. It is a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children. According to the Pew Research Center, just over 1 out of every 8 Americans aged 40-60, is raising both a child and caring for a parent. Park of the Palms, Inc. a local Christian Retirement Community, recognizes the tough life that anyone in the Sandwich Generation experiences and that is why they have initiated their Adult Day Services. This service allows your Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Grandma, Grandpa, or whomever in your care, to remain at The Robert J. Willey Assisted Living Facility during the day while you are at work or are running your errands… just as you did for the kids when they were too little to go to school. Day service can help ease your life while giving your loved one the care they need. You can have peace of mind throughout the day knowing they are being loved, watched and fed. Participants of this service have remarked that “life isn’t as lonely as they thought.” During the day, they are now surrounded by new friends with whom they are able to discuss mutual interests and discover common backgrounds like previous military service. In addition to the Adult Day Service, The PARK also offers Respite Care Services which allows temporary overnight residence. There are often times when the family needs to travel on a trip not suitable for their loved one in their care. The Park of the Palmsʼ Respite Services can be the perfect answer for those times. Grandpa feels like he is on a cruise with great food (for those of you familiar with Keystone Heightsʼ history: Robert Sabo is our Food Service Manager), fun and friends and you get a vacation. Call Denise at 352-473-6100 extension 304 today to set up a family tour! 19
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Love is the Key!
Community Interest All Together Worship Champion’s Heart has opened it’s Chapel doors to the public to provide the residents of the Lake Area region a place to pray, receive prayer, have quiet time with God, and also be encouraged by other believers. According to Kristi Johnson, founder of Champion’s Heart the “ALL Together” worship and prayer time has provided an opportunity for their ministry to see God touch the hearts of people in incredible ways. “God is moving in our midst during the noon-time prayer and worship hour. God laid on my heart to open the chapel as a place for the community to all come together and worship God, to lay their burdens down at His feet and to lift up praises to His name. It has been amazing to watch people walk into the chapel completely broken and filled with despair, and then leave totally transformed, filled with peace, hope and joy. The anointing of God and the encouragement of His people enable people to look past their circumstances and be filled with hope to face another day.” The Champion’s Heart Chapel is open Monday through Friday from 9 to 3. Corporate prayer and live worship is at noon Monday through Friday.
New City Manager On September 26th, Keystone Heights gained a new City Manager, Terry Suggs. When asked about his new position, Suggs replied, “I am excited about my position as city manager and look forward to meeting as many residents as possible by maintaining an open door at city hall and working closely with staff and local civic groups in a team effort to enhance the community of Keystone Heights. I truly believe we have a great city. I hope to provide efficient and effective government services that meet the needs of our community while providing a business climate and strategy to encourage growth. We may have a small workforce but I assure you it will be a strong one.”
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Mama Lisa’s Holiday Pecans From the kitchen of Lisa Johnson For generations food has been a way to express love one to another. This recipe has been my family favorite ‘love gift’ for years. Around the holidays, everyone knows they can expect some pecans on my party table or coming their way as a gift. Over the years, I have been updating my recipes to reflect a healthier lifestyle especially since my son Carter was diagnosed as a Type II Diabetic three months before he turned 21. Now THAT required a lifestyle change! These pecans are a loving gift for everyone including the Diabetic in your life. Just remind them to resist the temptation to eat the whole recipe at one time, and that goes for YOU too! Ingredients: 2 Egg Whites
¼ tsp Salt
1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
1 ½ pound Pecan Halves, toasted
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (not imitation)
1/2 cup Sugar (or 1/2 cup Truvia for a Diabetic version)
Directions: • Preheat oven to 225º • Beat egg whites with the vanilla extract until it forms soft peaks. • Add remaining ingredients except the pecans • Stir to blend. Now add toasted pecans. Toss to coat. • Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Bake 1 hour at 225º • Remove from the oven. Break apart if needed. • Cool completely. Store in airtight container. More ideas: ★ For a holiday gift, put in a festive container and tie with ribbons. If container is not airtight and pecans will not be eaten for awhile, place pecans in a zip lock baggie before wrapping. ★ Eat plain or use as a topping for ice cream. Don’t forget to drizzle your favorite caramel or chocolate sauce on top. ★ Toss spinach leaves with balsamic dressing and put leaves on plates. Top plated portions with sliced shallots, sliced strawberries or halved red grapes, a sprinkle of goat or blue cheese and of course, chopped pecans. Lisa and her husband, Vic Johnson, now live in the Lake Area Region. They have created six of the most popular personal development sites on the Internet. One of them, AsAManThinketh.net, has given away over 400,000 copies of James Allen’s classic book.
www.championsheart.net
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Calendar of Events Champion’s Heart First Anniversary Celebration & Pancake Breakfast
Cookies, Cocoa and Caroling with Live Performance by Lights of Evening
November 19 • 8 am – 1 pm
December 16 • 7 pm - 10 pm
205 Magnolia Avenue, KH Fundraiser activities:Pancake Breakfast, Classic Car Show, Food, Inflatables, Arts & Crafts Vendors, Live Music Interested vendors, contact Ron at 352-478-2098
Champion’s Heart Chapel and Education Center 205 Magnolia Ave, Keystone Heights Join us for a night of live music, warm food & fellowship, community caroling. Bring your favorite cookies to share and don’t forget to bring a copy of your recipe!
Rummage Sale December 2 • 9 am – 4 pm December 3 • 9 am – Noon, $1/bag
Community Church of Keystone Heights 345 Palmetto Avenue, KH “A Walk Through Bethlehem” December 9-11 • 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
First Baptist Church of KH 550 East Walker Drive, KH Highridge Book Bus
Crosshorn Ministry Fellowship for Outdoorsmen November 17, December 15 January 26, 2012 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Starke Golf & Country Club 15501 N.E. 14th Ave, Starke Contact John Whitfield (352) 475-1904 huntfishwriter@aol.com
Licensed & Insured
We Love Referrals!
Cool Beans Accounting Inc.
December 10 & January 14, 2012
Book bus makes 30 minute stops at Dennison, Skidmore, Purdue and Yale. Look for signs in Highridge for exact time and location. Christmas Parade December 10 • 6 pm
Main St., Keystone Heights Sponsored by Kiwanis Club Christmas Musical
Champion’s Heart Leadership Luncheons 12:00 – 1:00 pm Thursdays, January 5, 12, 19, 26
Champion’s Heart Education Center 205 Magnolia Ave, Keystone Heights Special speakers including Pro Athletes, Military Leaders & National Motivational Speakers. Requires Registration, $20.00 per luncheon, or $60 for all 4 sessions. Call Ron (352) 478-2098
Lex Green, CPA “The Bean Man”
904-364-8026
greenbooks@embarqmail.com • coolbeansaccounting.com 120 East Call Street • Starke, FL 32091
December 11 • 10 am
Freedom Baptist Church 7207 State Road 21, Keystone Heights
“TREASURED” Banquet/Conference February 10 - 11
The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting Ceremony December 11 • 6 pm program, 7 pm lighting ceremony
Champion’s Heart Education Center 205 Magnolia Ave, Keystone Heights Contact Alice Watts (352) 473-7261
Champion’s Heart Education Center 205 Magnolia Ave, Keystone Heights Special speakers, formal banquet to encourage the hearts of young women Call Reneé (352) 478-2098 Bridal Show February 18 • 1 pm – 4 pm
Champion’s Heart Education Center 205 Magnolia Ave, Keystone Heights Interested vendors, contact Renee’ at 352-478-2098
352.473.0680 • 877.379.6217 Fax 352.473.0687
www.almostfamily.com 105 Commercial Drive • Keystone Heights, FL 32656 Accredited by JCAHO
LAW OFFICES OF
Looking For Freedom from Your Hurts,Hang-ups and Habits? Looking for a place to be Loved, Accepted and Encouraged?
Charles Daniel Sikes, P.A.
Celebrate Recovery is for you!
Criminal, Civil and Administrative Litigation and Appeals
COME SEE WHAT CELEBRATE RECOVERY IS ALL ABOUT!
Held weekly at Champion’s Heart on Thursday Evenings @ 7pm. For more information call Michelle at 904-449-4200 www.championsheart.net
Attorney at Law
904.964.2020
daniel_sikes@yahoo.com • Fax 904.964.9400 817 MacMahon Street • Starke, FL 32091 21
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Ongoing Events and Activities ALL Together Worship/Prayer
Lake Area Caregiver Support
Monday-Friday The chapel is open from 9 am - 3 pm for private prayer. At Noon, there is corporate prayer and live worship music.
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Second Tuesday Night of Each Month
Champion’s Heart Chapel 205 Magnolia Avenue, KH Everyone welcome! Come pray, receive prayer and be encouraged!
Senior Healthcare Center at Melrose 5818 Centre Street, Melrose Free & Confidential All caregivers welcomed Call Deborah (352) 475-3792 WWII War Brides Association
Thank YOU!
Celebrate Recovery Every Thursday • 7 pm
In addition to our partners who have placed ads in our publication, we'd like to extend a special thank you to those who have made monetary donations to the Victorious Living Project. If you would like to help cover the cost of designing and printing this beautiful magazine, we would like to invite you to support this project with a special financial donation. Contact Ron at 352-478-2098 for more information or sign up online by going to www.championsheart.net.
Our Current Supporters:
Champion’s Heart Education Center 205 Magnolia Ave, Keystone Heights Support to overcome hurts, habits and hang-ups Call Michelle Lawson (904) 449-4200
Noon – 2:30 pm Third Saturday of Each Month
Cedar River Restaurant Middleburg, FL Group of foreign-born brides/grooms from all parts of the world ranging from 80-98 years of age. Bride’s/groom’s children and grandchildren invited. Contact Joan at 352-473-5450
Soup & Sandwich Lunch Every Saturday • 11am – 1 pm
Farmer’s Market
The Soup Kitchen The Keystone Senior Center, 120 NE Commercial Circle, KH Every Saturday, all ages welcomed
Every Saturday • 9 am – 1 pm
Expression Session! Art Classes for Youth
In park directly across from KH City Hall
BEAUTIFUL!
Each Friday* • 3:30 pm -5 pm
Champion’s Heart Resource Center Seminar Room, 160 Nightingale St., KH *varies with holidays Call Donna (352) 235-6256 Bible Club Each Monday* • 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Dean & Barbara Collins Jeff & Jane Clark Cross Horn Ministries Jerry & Jaq Frasco Parker & Becky Overton Dan & Sue Plaster Kyle & Hope Tate JM West
Champion’s Heart Education Center 205 Magnolia Ave, KH For Children 1st - 6th Grade *current classes will run through Nov. 14, starting again in 2012 Contact Dennis Barnhardt (352) 473-5100 The Compassionate Friends 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm 2nd Monday of every month
Trinity Baptist Church 3716 SE State Road 21, KH Meets in The Potter’s House For parents who have lost children Contact Alice Watts (352) 473-7261 www.freewebs.com/tclakearea
Time to be free… Time to be healthy & whole… Time to get out of your rut… Time to step into your purpose…
It's time to be VICTORIOUS! …Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loves us. Romans 8:37
Champion’s Heart Resource Center 160 Nightingale St. • KH • Mon. - Thurs. 9am-1pm (352) 478-8076 • championsheart.net 22
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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. Call us for availability and pricing at 352-478-2098 or email renee@kojministries.org
www.championsheart.net www.championsheart.net
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T HE R IPPLE E FFECT OF V ICTORIOUS L IVING
While praying over this publication, I felt the Lord directing me to expand the outreach of Victorious Living from a local resource guide to a national publication. Why? So that the stories contained in this magazine, your stories, can touch lives beyond our local borders. Your story of victory has amazing power! Now, with the expansion of our reader base, your life story will be able to impart hope into the lives of people in the Lake Area Region and beyond. Your story needs to be shared! People need to know that there are others who have lived through similar situations and emerged on the other side of their trial victoriously. For many, your story will be a matter of life or death — the difference between victory or defeat. As we unite our faith
through the expression of our stories in this powerful publication, I believe God will cause His story of victory in our lives to have a powerful impact in the lives of people world-wide. ~Kristi Overton Johnson P.S. We invite all our readers to share their life stories. Perhaps you are thinking, “I can’t write!” It doesn’t matter! We aren’t looking for professional writers, we are simply looking for real stories, from real people like YOU, so that we can bring real hope to the hurting. See our editorial page or visit championsheart.net for more information on how to submit your stories and to view VL online.
For more information about the ministries of In His Wakes or Champion’s Heart, visit inhiswakes.com and championsheart.net. Both ministries specialize in encouraging and equipping people to live victorious lives. Volunteers and financial support are always appreciated and needed. Both ministries are a 501c3, non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible. In addition to the above ministries, Kristi Overton Johnson is also dedicated to encouraging people of all walks of life to step out onto the waters of life with God through her writing, singing and speaking ministry. To have her speak at your church, youth or business event, contact her assistant, Reneé Harp at 352-478-2098, or email renee@championsheart.net.
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 Willey Manor
Special Features: • • • • • • • • • • •
The Manor can house 40 residents in bright and cheerful accommodations 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