cchm feb final

7/29/2019 Cchm Feb Final

1/23

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Table of Contents

Spcial CotLove Is

I Never Knew Love

Chi the Wol OeWo t Tie

Inspiring Love Story

Little Tiets of Love

Expanding Their Love: OneFamilys Adoption Jorney

Lovi Ppose

Credits

6

7

13

10

1920

21

22

On he Covr

The Ptiece of Love

Date Night on a Dime

Love Hle Love: Qic HoeWoot

Having Grace with a Little Lace

Sweet Tets fo Two

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In Evry Issue 2

11

17

17

18

Letter from the Editor

Eic Eve

Last Spper Recipe

Ispie Etetii

In His Fashion

Whos in the magOuR CONTIbuTORS

ErICka ELLIShas alwayspossessed a warm and buspirit that people seemed tnaturally gravitate towardsWithout even realizing it, heto compliment and encourher peers would eventuallyto her purposed destiny. Thwriting, she discovered herpassion o motivating and women to grow by sel-reYou can ollow Erickas thorom her heart at: http://wwmywritenow.wordpress.com

VErnOn FOx is a minister and7 year NFL Veteran. Vernonis a motivational speaker, lo-cal TV personality, and runs

Victory by Faith ootball camp.He and his amily reside in LasVegas where he is active in his

church and community. Youcan book Vernon or your next

event or check out his latestendeavors at vernonox (dot)

com.

Laura HardErS is grateube a child o God, wie, moand multi-tasker in our NatCapital. She authors the rblog,BeltwayBargainMom,

enjoys social media consuHer avorite Bible verse is 55:22, a reminder to cast oucares on the Lord and He aithully sustain us.


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Welcome to the first full issue of Christ Ce-tere Home Magazie. Its o secret thatsice we are i the moth of February thatwe will be focusig o love util the extissue comes out. Love is the fouatioof Christiaity a it is why he ie o thecross for each a every oe of us. WheI poer that amazig act, it hoestly givesme the chills to thik that someoe woulcare that much about me a others who

weret eve i existece whe he ecieto o it. Hoestly, I believe it is impossiblefor most humas to comprehe that type oflove a may of us spe our lives tryigto fi it a eve oce we o lack the ca-pacity to fully embrace it o a cotiuousbasis. We pla to cotiue the iscussioabout this over the ext few moths a welook forwar to more isight o how we caaccept Gos love a i tur give it morefreely to those arou us who esperatelyee it.

With that beig sai, I like to let you kowa bit about who we are. Christ CetereHome was create for wome like me, who

love the Lor, love our families, but uersta that we are still youg wome. Therefore we still ejoy hagig out with our girlfries, great

etertaimet, a talkig about relevat topics we all ca relate to such as marriage a paretig. We also believe that i orer tolive log a strog we have to take care of the temples Go gave us. With that beig sai, we will iclue iformative health a fitessarticles. We believe that you o ot have to be borig, oughty, or ress like were goig ito solitary cofiemet to ejoy our life withChrist so we iscuss fashio tres a looks. We also believe that you ot have to coform to maistream meia that tells us we haveto look like were heae to the club to be fashioable, attractive, or keep our husbas attetio. Were more tha just Christia womewives, a mothers, but may of us are gifte, itelliget, eucate, a busiess savvy wome as well. We ca show the worl that our voiceis powerful a that we ca make a ifferece ot oly i our homes but i our commuities too. Ultimately we kow that we caot o althese thigs a experiece abuat livig without Christ i the Ceter of our lives.

This magazie was create with you i mi a we wat you to feel at home a free to express your opiio whether you agree or isagreewith the topic at ha. We uersta that we cat please everyboy, or o we strive to o so. However, we efiitely wat to establisha ope a hoest ialogue with our reaers, create a huge commuity of girlfries!

Oce agai, I like to thak my family a fries for their support. To all of our ew cotributors a parters, I believe the best is yet tocome a Im so elighte that Go has allowe our paths to cross. Go is forever faithful a I kow Im persoally grateful for the lovehe shows me each a every ay. Ive ha the love of a atural father ulike some a eve that cat compare to love Ive receivefrom him. I cat help but thik how may lives will cotiue to be chage a woul be chage if they oly ha a small taste of what hislove offers. I pray that you walk away from this issue with your heart full of his love a a etermiatio to love others more eliberately &

itetioally tha ever before.

Blessings

For questions/comments regarding this issue of Christ Centered Home Magazine,please e-mail the editor at

[email protected]

To book Winter for your next event or if you have a writing request,please contact us at

booking @christcenteredhomemag.com

Winter M. Harris

Letter from the Editor

1) Love my amily, they crack me up!

2) Love my church, hard to ind a place where youeel so at home.

3) Love mysel, because at this point in my lie,caring about what others think o me is becomingmoot point.

4) Love BLTs right now, & Im not pregnant either!

5) Love Pumps! Heels are a short girls best riend.

5 THINGS ILov


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4/23

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ITS THaT TImE OF yEar WHEn EVEryOnE

WanTS TO TaLk abOuT LOVE. Sometimes Iwonder if the majority of the human race truly under-

stands love. The bulk of us tend to view the idea of

love through our obscure viewpoints, based upon

past experience and our own personal biases. This

selsh, guarded, conditional, unforgiving, and safe

love we offer others is far from the idea of the love

that our God expresses towards us.

We have heard of the descriptions of love from

the original Greek connotation of the word. There

is Pheleowhich is the type of love (if we can evenreally call it that), that stems from a strong liking or

having affection for something or someone. It has the

ability to change if those factors change.

The type of love that literally describes God is

Agape, which is absolute love. Its unchanging! Its

not an impulse generated from feelings, yet it is a

deliberate choice. Its hard to imagine a love like

this, because we as human beings are moved and

motivated by our feelings in most cases.

So why I am writing about this and giving you a lesson

in love? I dont think I truly learned how to love until rs

coming into a relationship with God the Father, acquiring

a wife, and children of my own. Of all of the descriptive

fruits of real love that are given to us in 1 Corinthians

13:4-7, the one I think I have learned the most about in

the 8 years of marriage I have been blessed to experi-

ence, is the patienceof love. True enough I think it goes

hand in hand with learning how not to be self-seeking, as

the scripture describes, but it by far was the largest area

of change that I needed to take place in me.

Ive learned that when you truly love someone you can

deal with everything that comes with who they are. You

see, when you really Agapesomeone, you can patiently

and even passionately love them through areas that you

may feel like they dont measure up in. By the way, dont

get so high-minded as to think that you are so perfec

yourself. This is a two-way street with this patience thing

and while you patiently love them through their seemingly

By Vernon Fox

The Patience ofLOVE


5/23

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intolerable ways, youd

best believe they are lter-

ing through your mishapsas well. What a lesson love

teaches us about caring so

deeply for someone else,

that we will disregard every

so-called unacceptable

thing about them, because

our measure of love over-

rides any area where they

may not meet our opinion-

ated standards.The type of love I have

grown to embrace for my

beautiful wife is so much

more mature than the pre-

mature state of love that

I once only knew. Do we

get frustrated with one an-

other? Absolutely, but we

understand that in order to

love how God commandsus to, patience is still a

necessary virtue. We have

learned that when you tap

into AgapeLove, you press

into the pulse of love that

God truly desires.

~Vernon Fox


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yOu knOW THaT yOu arE In LOVE WHEnyOu dESIrE an InTEnSE CLOSEnESS WITHTHaT OnE PErSOn, nOT SPEndIng TImE,buT InVESTIng IT In EaCH OTHEr.You haveno greater yearning than to dwell in every momenttogether, to just cherish being with them, drawing your

happiness from seeing them happy. Their interestsbecome your interest. Your joy is found in seeing thesparkling light of joy in their eyes. The re of life itself

burns brightly in your chest, and all of the colors youbehold are clearer, crisper, and brighter than everbefore. Your steps are light. You smile for no apparentreason. Your contentment is satised in your love for

them, just you and your other, living for one another,until the two are forever one.

As two become one, there is great concern that

our loved one might be hurt, or taken from us. This isnot a weakness; but a motivation, a reason for oursure resolve to be strong for them, and to always bethe one our other needs us to be.

Love always believes, and has a constant trust.It maintains openness and honesty. And loves knowsthat clear communication is vital for the health ofevery relationship. Love allows much room for faultsand mistakes. Patience and forgiveness are alwayspresent, and they can re-kindle the leaping ames

LoveIs...of an ardent love when doubt tries to sneak in, or whencircumstances try to dictate our responses.

Life is sweeter when it is shared with another, and deeperjoys are realized. Dreams become greater when two,together, envision them. Fears lose potency when they are

shared with the one who walks with you. Have faith in yourdecision to love the one who is yours, and hold nothingback. We embrace them tightly, yet we also let them bewho they are, for that is who we decided to love. Allowingthe ood to wash over us, love carries us into their arms

forever. Love is the greatest thing there is.

This is the pure and passionate type of love that Jesus,our Savior has for us, and that He desires for us to have forHim. God has an intense yearning in His big broken heart foreach one of His children. He wants to be close to us, andto take us in Him arms and love us...for all eternity.

God created man and women to complete each other,so that we may be whole and fullled. He sanctied this

union called marriage, making it a holy ordinance. Godintended for us to learn through our love for our matesall about His love for us. Throughout the bible He paintsthe picture of our relationship to Him as a marriage. As theChurch, we are the bride of Christ.

By Sheldon K. Bass


7/23

7

Love was, is, and will be forever

As Jesus Christs unselfsh Endeavor

His abiding love has no beginning or end

But I never knew love

Until He called me Friend

Love is willing, as He was that day

When Caesars army took Him away

To pay the price of my sins untold


Until He saved my soul

Love does not judge anothers heart

When sin causes lives to fall apart

Its the look of mercy upon His face


Until I knew His grace

Love is patient for those who dont know

Christ lives within wherever they goThey need only to whisper softly His name


Until Jesus came

Love IsBy Lynn Gipson


8/23

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VaLEnTInES day HaS COmE and gOnE. Perhapsyou enjoyed a night out on the town, owers, candy, or aromantic evening without the kids. You probably took a pausefrom your normal, busy life to celebrate the love in your life andGods goodness. In all the excitement (and perhaps over-commercialization) of Valentines Day, have you ever stoppedto think of how we sometimes build up one day so much andneglect every other day of the year? I admit, its easy to getcaught up in lifes hecticness and forget to purposefully spendtime strengthening our marriage on days besides Valentines Day,our anniversary, or a marriage retreat. Sometimes its due to busyschedules, lack of nances, lack of a good babysitter, or otherreason, but regardless, many Christian couples nd themselvesstruggling to spend quality time together, continuing to activelybuild a marriage that lasts.

My husband and I will be celebrating our 8 year anniversarynext month, and although I dont have all the answers on how tocultivate the best marriage, I do have some good news for you:

often times just setting aside the time to invest in your relationship,putting your husband rst (after God), and being creative canmake all the difference! You dont need to spend a lot of moneyto shower your spouse with love and enjoy each other s company.Im blessed to share some simple tips on how you regularly canenjoy a frugal date night with your husband.

Save Moey O A Babysitter:Exchange babysitting services with another family. Once a

month you can watch their kids so they can enjoy a date night,and they return the favor.

Find out if any local church or organizations have ministries oropportunities for parents night out. Here in Northern VA, I know ofat least one local church that offers free child care so parents

can enjoy a date night, but it lls up fast!Ask if nearby relatives can babysit your kids. Oftentimes family

will help out for free, or you can exchange babysitting servicesfor helping them out in another way.

Participate in a local babysitting co-op or start one in yourneighborhood. A benet of joining a co-op is that you know yourchild will be looked after by another parent you know and trust.

Save Money When eating out:

Use a coupon.Purchase a daily deal site voucher.Check in using 4Square to see if there are any special offers.

Save up any gift cards that you have received, and usethose for date nights.

Sign up for that restaurants e-mail club and like onFacebook to nd out about special offers and get access toexclusive coupons.

Save Money By Dining at hoMe:

You wont need to hire a babysitter so you will save moneyon child care, plus youll also save money by cooking your owndinner instead of paying to eat at a restaurant.

Set the mood with candles, your best china, owers, musicand other things you love and already have on hand. Or dosomething completely different and set up a picnic on the oor!

Plan the meal, based on sale items or items in your pantry ofreezer. I wait until steak goes on sale for $7/lb or less and lobstetails $6 or less. You can also create some fancy pasta dishes oyour signicant others all-time favorite meal.

Prep the food ahead of time. I know it may not seem likemuch of a date night if you have to slave away in the kitchen

So plan ahead and do as much prep work in advance. Perhapyou can start preparing the dish the night before and place inthe refrigerator to resume and bake the next night. Or maybeyou can make the dish the week before, freeze and then reheaon date night. Another option is taking advantage of crockporecipes which allow you to slow cook your dinner throughout theday!

After the kids go to bed you can watch a movie, play aboard game, sit out on the porch, dance, watch and listen to aconcert online or on DVD, study a passage in Scripture togetheor write each other love notes.

No matter how you end up spending your date night, I dohave one additional tip for all you social (network) butteries: Be

sure to turn off your devices! In our digital age it seems like we areconstantly plugged in. Purpose to make your date night a qualitytime in which you give each other your undivided attention. Noneed to check Facebook, e-mail, tweet, or Instagram your meal!

Youll nd that making it a priority to pray for your spouseand your marriage, devoting quality time to deepening yourelationship, and nding simple and inexpensive ways to enjoydate nights will help you move toward oneness and strengthenyour marriage.

For more of Lauras Money saving tips, please visit her athttp://www.beltwaybargainmom.com

Date Night

on a DimeBy Laura Harders


9/23

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IVE aLWayS bEEn a dIy kInda gIrL. I grew up with amom that always made homemade play-dough, birthday cakesand sewed our dance costumes. So I learned to sew a straightline at a very early in age.

It wasnt until spring of 2010 - when I was 5 months pregnant.I was at a routine checkup and I was told that I was in very pre-mature labor and would deliver a baby in 24hrs that wouldntsurvive. I was rushed into emergency surgery, and then there I

was - lying horizontal in the hospital for the rest of my pregnancy.The days were L O N G - and since I couldnt even sit up, I justhad to do something with my hands! So I started with a vision tocrochet this tiny baby girl a blanket. And thus started and spurredmy desire to sew, sew, sew.

I lived in the hospital for 2 weeks, before doctors could nolonger stop the labor. Our very tiny but oh so perfect baby girlwas born, and the Lord took her strait to Heaven.

{{It is out of this great tragedy - that has come my greatestvictory}}

Late last fall, I listed my rst pair of womens boot socks. In amatter of days - I was overwhelmed with orders that I could notpossibly fulll on my own. Now I have a small team of friends andfamily that work out of our homes busy sewing and shipping our

lacey goodness to you!

HOW dId yOu rECOnCILE gOIng InTO buSInESSFOr yOurSELF and WHaT CHaLLEngES dId yOuFaCE?

I call Grace& Lace my accidental company because I didntset out to have a business. I was just doing something i lovedand decided to see if it would sell and before i knew it...BAM...itexploded. Every day is a challenge from meeting the demand ofall the orders, hiring more help, and continuing to design.

HOW dId yOu knOW FOr SurE IT WaS gOddIrECTIng yOu TO mOVE FOrWard WITH THISbuSInESS?

I knew it was God because there was and is no way that thiscould have all happened within the last year without him. Ivealways prayed that I would be able to stay home and raise mychildren and still have some sort of income on the side. And sud-denly...He gave me Grace and Lace.

HOW dO yOu baLanCE OWnIng yOur OWnbuSInESS and bEIng a WIFE and mOm?

Balance...whew...thats tough. I have a 21month old little girl,and a 1 month old newborn baby boy. AND...on top of that Icame off a very high risk pregnancy where I was on strict bed

rest for 4 months! Balance is tough. But there is no way I wouldbe able to run this business without the support of my husband

He has been my number 1 fan...and has helped out so much withall the recent changes in our lives. I also would not be able todo this without the friends and family that have come on boardwith my Grace and Lace team. They have stepped up and haveworked in helping me meet this crazy demand!

WHaT IS yOur HOPE FOr THE buSInESS?My hope is that the Lord would continue to lead it where he

wants to take us. It is truly by HIS GRACE that in 1 year of busineswe have sold over 25,000 leg warmers and boot socks and arein over 150 stores worldwide. I just want HIM to be gloried inall that we do. I also have lofty goals of being able to help andbless others and those in need through this business. Ive spenda lot of time on the mission eld overseas and feel blessed that can help others have that experience as well.

WHaT adVICE WOuLd yOu gIVE TO OTHEr aS-PIrIng mOmPrEnEurS?

Advice....Make the desires of your heart known. You neveknow what the Lord might just drop in your lap! Continue to befaithful in the little things and He will give you more! Remember: Ina mans heart he plans his course, but the Lord directs his stepsProv. 16:9

You shop at Grace & Lace here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/GraceandLaceCo

Having Grace

with a

Little Lace


10/23

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WHEn and WHErE dId yOu mEET?After The Girl graduated in 61 she headed out to California with

four others. The ve stopped in KS for the night and the friends therequickly called in some YF (young folks/youth group) to meet us. Mr.Wonderful came in with a girl in slacks. Hardly anyone wore slacks backthen. Then they left and came back with another girl. One of the guyswould tease Mr. Wonderful about The Girl and he would chase him outthe door. They would ride away on a motorcycle for a little, and thencome back. The Girl was 18 at the time and Mr. Wonderful was 16.

dO yOu rEmEmbEr WHaT yOur FIrST ImPrESSIOn WaS

OF grandPa?The Girl thought he was cute. And she liked the way he looked at

her.

dO yOu rEmEmbEr yOur FIrST daTE?The next year Mr. Wonderful and The Girl met again at the church

conference. On Sat night 3 guys drove by where The Girl and 2 ofher friends were. One of the guys was The Girls brother, one was Mr.Wonderful, and one was the driver. The 3 girls rode with them to get abite to eat. Split company, of course, but The Girl helped Mr. Wonderfuleat his fries. Then he ordered more to share, they shared several ordersof fries that night! The next evening at the gathering, The Girl noticedMr. Wonderful watching her a lot. When the girls got in a car to goto where they were going to spend the night, a group of boys cameover and lifted the car up so it wouldnt move. One of the guys triedto get the keys. The driver pulled the keys out quickly and threw them inthe back. They landed in The Girls lap. To have some fun, She threw

them over the car to where Mr. Wonderful was standing. Everyone wasstanding around and nothing was happening. The Girl realized that Mr.Wonderful may not have seen them. So She got out of the car, wentaround the car and asked Mr. Wonderful if he had them and he didnt.So the guys pushed the car backward and then forward to shine thecar lights where Mr. Wonderful had been standing when The Girl threwthe keys. Then everyone looked for the keys until they found them.

WHaT dId yOu dO?The next day when The Girl got to the conference, it seemed like

everyone she met said, someone is looking for you! Mr. Wonderful didnd The Girl before church started and they went in together ( signthat you are dating) They also went to services together in a meetinghouse that evening and then out for a snack. The fast food placehad lights that shed a green light on their skin and The Girl looked atMr. Wonderful and said & YOU are Green! Later on that evening Mr.Wonderful put his arms around The Girl and told her he loved her.

HOW LOng dId yOu daTE bEFOrE yOu WErE En-gagEd?

It was almost a year

HOW OFTEn dId yOu gET TO SEE EaCH OTHEr?Summer Mr. Wonderful came to VA. The Girl went to KS on Thanks-

giving, He went to VA on Christmas and She went to see Mr. Wonderfulat Easter. Then Mr. Wonderful drove by himself to VA to get married onthe tenth day after his 18th birthday. Many trips were made by train(fun!) And The Girls brother, often helped out with traveling as well. Wedid a lot of phoning and wrote letters almost ever y day.

HOW dId HE POP THE QuESTIOn?Mr. Wonderful came to VA in the summer with Kendras husbands

great Uncle Alvin and The Girl went to Ks right before ThanksgivingBefore The Girl went back home, Mr Wonderful put his arms around heand said I love you. Will you marry me? She said yes, if he would x hiown onions.

WHaT WaS gOIng On In THE WOrLd/yOur LIVESWHILE yOu WErE daTIng?

Who knows? Ohh!John Kennedy was president.The drug thalidomide is recalled when it became linked with

birth defects (minus arms or legs) in thousands of children worldwide.

John Glenn Was the rst American in orbit and circled the earththree times.

The rst US rocket Ranger IV lands on the moonPolaroid introduces color lm prints which develop in 60 sec

ondsThe rst transatlantic television transmission occurs via the Tel-

star SatelliteMariner II, the rst interplanetary probe, reaches Venus introduc

es the rst industrial robot to perform repetitive manufacturing tasksU.S. Air Force investigates using lasers to intercept missilesThe rst use of silicone breast implants by Houston plastic sur

geonsThanks to internet for these, although The Girl knew about John

Kennedy, John Glenn and Polaroid. Thalidomide was learned lateas well as silicone implants.

WHaT WaS SOmETHIng yOu rEaLLy EnjOyEd dOIngWHILE yOu WErE daTIng?

Visiting with other couples.

WHaT adVICE WOuLd yOu gIVE COuPLES WHO arEjuST STarTIng THEIr LIVES TOgETHEr?

The best advice I could give anyone is to know and love the Lordand make sure their to-be does too. Praying together and readingthe Bible together before marriage would be a must in my book, withpromises to continue praying and reading at least once a day aftemarriage. Without missing! Another thing... If you look at the boydad, or the girls mom, you may get a pretty good idea of what kind operson you will married to in older years (This one kind of makes senseI look a lot like both my mom and grandma).

I also asked her if they had a photo of their rst car.

We actually didnt have a car at the time of our marriage. MWonderfuls dad had bought a brand new 62 Chevy and the 55 thahe had, he let Mr. Wonderful drive, and then gave it to us after we weremarried. The value of that car at that time was nothing like what onelike it would cost today if it was in good shape! Dimes have changed

Ok, so seriously, isnt this story just awesome? I remember a couplestories that I was told when I was younger, such as her helping eat all oGrandpas fries, but then other parts were new to me. I must say, I reallyenjoyed their story, and I hope you do as well.

Read the Full Love Story Series!http://aproverbs31wife.com/love-stories-that-last-part-1http://aproverbs31wife.com/love-stories-that-last-part-2

My Graparets

Love storyBy Kendra Stamy


11/23

11

LOVE IS nOT an EmOTIOn; IT IS PuTTIng THE rIgHTaTTITudES In mOTIOn.It ushers us into a place that over-comes trivial arguments, ghts, and disappointments. It is a strong

devotion and dedication that helps keep us committed to eachother and issues that may try to cause division. It is caring abouta person more than the issue at hand. It is abandoning OUR feel-

ings and yielding to the other persons. Pride is one of the mainculprits of us neglecting to love the way we ought to. It states, Iam right and I will prove Im right, regardless of the consequenc-es or how it makes you

feel. With a mindset

as such, any relation-ship will soon fail. TheWord clearly statesthat pride comes be-

fore destruction.(Proverbs 16:18). Everymoment I can remem-ber being prideful in a

discussion with my hus-band, shortly thereafter,an argument would oc-cur. It never failed. You

cant resolve anythingwhen pride is in the pe-rimeter of a disagree-ment. Why? Becausepride and truth cant

coexist. Pride and truthcan NEVER agree. If we maintain an attitude of pride, it only hin-ders coming to a full resolve of the conict and sometimes adds

an additional pain to a problem. As long as we are steadfastin being proud, reconciliation will linger. Naturally, thoughts will

be tossed around and given attention to, whereas normally itwould be overlooked. Pride makes the recipient feel as though

you dont care about them, that they dont matter and that youwould rather forsake their feelings for the sake of your own.

I know of this way too well. Pride and I used to be best friends.I took her into every relationship and friendship possible. We de-manded our way and for a while, we would win the small battles,but in the end, we always lost the war. I would be left alone,defending my actions, rather than admitting that I was wrong.

For the longest, I didnt know I had an issue of pride, honestly,I didnt. I confused the word strong-minded for pride for manyyears. It wasnt until I met Ty and was introduced to unconditionallove and genuine humility to spark a change in me. His humility

PridePrejudice of Love

showed me how prideful I really was. Sometimes it takes for you tosee the very thing you need in someone else, to want it for your-self. I will admit it took some time for me to shake off my old waysbecause it had been a part of me for so long. There were timeI wanted to scream out, IM RIGHT, YOURE WRONG! or I TOLD

YOU SO! But when I saw how it diminished and belittled the loveI said I had for Ty, it persuaded me to initiate change-immediate-ly. It doesnt mean that the sneaky little trait didnt try to resurfaceit means that I made a conscious effort in any disagreement to

not allow pride to seepin and divide and con-

quer. I wasnt purged opride overnight, it tootime and discipline and

many nights of tensionstrife, and uncertainty toaggressively changeBut, I am so thankfuthat Tys love for me

covered a multitude owrongs, because thasame love carried meinto a place of repen

tance and humility. Andthat same love andhumility would screamout to me, I told YOUso! without Ty having to

say a word.Once we realize that being right is not more important than

making things right, we will encounter fewer and fewer argumentsand headaches. Even now, if Ty and I have a disagreement,

have to condition my mind to think, My husband is more impor-tant than the ght! In that instant, barriers are broken and guards

are dropped because I refused to seek my own way and my own

right. I put him before me and if we all make a conscious effort toput the other person before us, love will always win. Pride is thebattle and love is the white ag. Sometimes you just have to know

when to raise the ag.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is not proud.

With genuine humility and love,

Ericka Ellis


12/23

12

Warm-ups: 30 secos each movemet

High Knees In Place

Cross Punches

Front Leg Kicks

(Repeat 2 times)

Workout: 20mis Total

1. Squats 1min

2. Reverse lunges (step back lunge) 1min

3. Push-ups (On knees if needed) 1min

4. Shoulder Taps (In the upper part of push-up position

hand touches opposite shoulder repeatedly) *Dont

move hips when touching shoulder*1min

5. Hook punches (abs tight while fast punching) 1min

6. Jump Squats (Squat normal then on the way to

standing jump up as high as you like) 1min

7. Burpies (From standing, tuck down place hands on

ground, kick feet back to achieve push up then repeat

to standing) 1min

8. Side Lunges (Step out to the side while safely bending the knee

that has left the center. Keep the stationary leg straight while the

bent leg is working.)1min

9. Jack jumps (Feet together then jump in the air with feet and

hands apart, land with hands to your sides and feet close)1min

10. Seated Ab Twist (While seated, take your feet off the groundand place upper body in a diagonal position while touching side

to side, If needed place feet back down on ground)1min

(PLEASE CONSULT A PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING ANY

EXCERCISE PROGRAM)

Raymond Washington is partner at College Prep World and heads

their strength and conditioning department. He graduated from the

University of Central Oklahoma. For more information about Raymond

and College Prep World please visit their website at:http://www.col-

legeprepworld.com

LOVEHade

LOVE


13/23

13

ImagInE yOu HaVE nO baSIC SkILLS. You dont havea job and youve never been taught how to do simple tasks likegrocery shopping or balancing a check book. There is no oneto teach or encourage you, you are homeless and completelyon your own... And I forgot to mention, you are only 15 years old.Would you have hope? What does your future look like?

This past August, my husband, Ryan, and I went on a missionstrip to Kaliningrad, Russia to work with orphans. To put it plainly, it

was a life changing experience. Our plan was to play and laugh

with children, to share Gods love and encouragement. But whatGod had in store for us is so much more than what we could havedreamed.

While most of our memories are lled with laughing faces and

funny translation stories, other memories carry more weight. Welearned that there is an orphan epidemic in Russia; that most of

the children we interacted with would likely never have a familyto call their own. While the government does what they can toprovide for the orphans while they are young, there is very little,if any, support once they graduate and are forced to leave the

orphanage. Very few of these teens -most of them out on their ownby age 15 or 16- have basic life skills such as cooking, grocery

shopping, or money management. Fewer still have any businessor work training. With no family or natural support system, many ofthese teens turn to drugs, gangs, and prostitution for money and

a sense of belonging. But the most staggering statistic that wasshared with us, one that has rocked us to our cores, is that 9 outof 10 orphans in Russia commit suicide or die of unnatural causesby the age of 30. That means only 1 out of 10 orphans in Russia

will live a relatively normal life.It is hard to put into words the emotions that ooded our

minds as we thought about this statistic. To look at the childrensmiling up at us as we played at the orphanage camp and knowthat was their future... it was unthinkable. I thought of Sveta, a 10

year old girl that asked me to do her hair every day. She hassuch spunk and zest for life, one of the most contagious smilesyou could imagine, and dreams of becoming a police ofcer.

Sveta has every component needed to become a successful

adult. But she is an orphan. She has no support system, no one toencourage her, no one to guide and develop her talents anddreams. Will those dreams be enough to help her survive? Or willshe too be crushed by the over-whelming odds against her? Icouldnt help but ask myself, which children would make it? Or

worse, which children wouldnt? What could be done to help?And, would it be enough? The Lord placed this burden on our

By Mandie Buesgens

hearts and it would not be ignored.As we returned home from the trip, we kept asking ourselves

what can we do? Not only was there a huge need in Russia, buall over the world. With our skills in retail sales, public speakingbanking, social entrepreneurship and internet marketing, wha

could we do? We committed this question to prayer, seeking theLord and asking for direction. Then it came to us, we were givena vision and plan to help others that, for whatever reason, couldnot fully help themselves.

With divine inspiration, we founded GlobalTradePost.com[GTP Co.] which acts as an online marketplace for overseasorganizations and non-prots to sell and market their goods. To

create a stable work environment and ensure the sustainabilityof these groups, we also offer business and sales support along

with marketing assistance and consulting.Most of the partners we have work primarily with women

that have been rescued from human trafcking or extreme

poverty. The women are taught a trade and use their new skills

to produce goods that are sold on GlobalTradePost.com. Inaddition to nancially supporting these women and families

GTP Co. contributes a percentage of each sale to the partne

organizations in order to teach basic business and life skillsThis creates an income that supports their families and greatly

improves quality of life. Currently, all the organizations we workwith are Christian non-prots and missionaries we know personally

They use their businesses to make a difference nancially in the

community, but most importantly, to make a difference spiritually

This has become an opportunity to share the love and hope oJesus Christ and to build relationships with the workers and sharethe gospel. God is using this as a tool to draw people closer toHimself. And lives are being changed... Eternally.

We are excited to see where God will take this. We are

grateful for this amazing opportunity to give back and are

eagerly looking for ways to expand and grow. The vision is toempower thousands of individuals all over the globe to make adifference for their families and communities and for their lives to

be changed through Jesus Christ. We are starting by changingthe world one woman at a time.

Join us in making a difference by shopping at:www.globaltradepost.comIf you would like to know more ways you can help, contact u

at: [email protected]

CHAnGInG THE WORLd

One Woman at Time


14/23

14

Date Night

GetawayMakes 4 Brownies - Serves 2 - 4IngrEdIEnTS:

Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the loaf pan1/2 cup all-purpose our

1/4 tsp baking powder1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup rmly packed light brown sugar3 TBL well beaten egg

1 TBL unsalted butter, melted1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds, lightly toasted1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Pan required - 1 standard loaf pan (9 X 5 inches)

dIrECTIOnS:

1) Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat theoven to 350 degrees F.

2) Line the bottom of the loaf pan with a strip of alumi-num foil to t down the length and up the short sides, with

enough extra length to extend over the edges by about

1 1/2 inches. Lightly grease the foil and set the pan aside.(Note: I used a small square corning ware dish and usedparchment paper to line the bottom and up the sides.)

3) Place the our, baking powder, and salt in a medium-size

mixing bowl and whisk to blend.

4) Place the brown sugar, egg, butter and vanilla in a smallbowl and whisk to blend.

5) Add the egg mixture to the our mixture and whisk until

blended. Stir in the white chocolate chips and the almonds

6) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until

the top is golden and dr y, 22 to 23 minutes.

7) Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wirerack. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan. Then,use the edges of the foil to lift the brownies out of the panand cut into 4 bars.

White ChocolateBloisBy Debbie MaugansNakos


15/23

15

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 7 hours

Yield: 2

IngrEdIEnTS:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup + 2 tsp sugar3 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

dIrECTIOnS:

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

3. In a saucepan, combine the cream and 1/4 cup of sugaBring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and

let cool for 15 minutes.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until broken up.Slowly stir in the eggs to the cooled cream mixture. Dividemixture among two 6 oz. ramekins. Place the ramekins in abaking dish.

5. Carefully, pour the boiling water into the baking dish untilit reaches about 2/3 up the sides of the ramekins. Makesure not to get water into the ramekins. Place the pan in

the oven for 50-55 minutes or until crme Brule is only slightlywobbly. Let cool for two hours and then place in the fridgeto chill for 4 hours.

6. Sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar over each ramekin and caramelizewith a kitchen torch. Place back in fridge for 30 minutes to

set.

http://www.dishingthedivine.com/

Crme BruleBy Laura Berma


16/23

16

Watrmlon-Shrimp Salad

By Laura Latham

IngrEdIEnTS:

1/2 cups mixed greens

2 scallions or spring green onions, nely sliced

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup cucumber, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup watermelon, diced

1/2 pound steamed shrimp, peel, de-veined

1 recipe poppy seed vinaigrette

dIrECTIOnS:

Divide greens between two large serving bowls.

Top each bowl with half the remaining fruits and

vegetables, followed by the shrimp.

Drizzle each salad with half the poppy seed

vinaigrette.

Serve with crusty bread.

(Serves 2)

http://nowthingsarecookin.blogspot.com/


17/23

17

IngrEdIEnTS:

2 cans of Grands Homestyle Biscuits

1 pound of ground Turkey/Beef

2 cups of shredded Green Cabbage

Salt and pepper to taste

cup Onion, diced (optional)

Serves 5-6

dIrECTIOnS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Brown Meat and set aside.

3. Saut Cabbage and onion until softened.

4. Combine meat and vegetables.

5. Roll out all biscuits in a medium sized circle onoured surface.

6. Spoon mixture (1-2 Tbsp) in the center and fold.Seal the edges with fork.

7. Bake for 5-10 or until outside of biscuit isgolden brown.

8. Serve with Mustard or favorite hamburger sauce.

For more Last Supper Recipes, visit:

http://www.christcenteredhomemag.com/search/?q=recipe

Last Supper Recipe

Grman Burgrs


18/23

18

InHIS

FashionDate Night

Outft#2

Outft#1

Outft#3


19/23

19

I Pick You personalized guitar pick,key ring, created by Savell Studio. Each pickcomes with your two names, and a charmingheartall hand crafted and hand stamped intoheavy gauge copper. A keepsake to last a life-

time. Quick turn around time!Order Info: http://www.SavellStudioJewelry.etsy.comPrice: $19.00 + shipping

*Little Trinkts*OF LOVE

LOVE, Silver LariatNecklace, Freshwater WhitePearl Necklace.For 10% off use: TPP10100CCHM at:http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePassionatePearl

Nesting Heart Bowls by JDWolfePottery.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JDWolfePotteryPrice: $24 + shipping


20/23

20

A month ago we received a phone call saying that wedbeen chosen by a young birth mother in Florida. Chosen forwhat? To adopt her baby! A story that started on January 10

from a simple Facebook message has turned our world upside

down, for the greater! For the full story and our adoption an-nouncement, please visit: http://www.satisfactionthroughchrist.com/2013/01/operation-adoption-10101-10-days-10-1.html

A few weeks ago our adoption agency gave us 15 daysto come up with the rst $10,000 needed for our precious

baby girls adoption. To say that we were not prepared forthis is an understatement! As you read in our adoption an-nouncement, we were waiting on fertility results the day thatmy friend contacted me. So, to need $10,000 in such a short

amount of time was a bit overwhelming. But, the Lord soon laid

an idea on my heart -- Operation 10:10:1 {10 Days: $10: 1Baby Girl}.

I knew that friends and family were just as overwhelmed withthe cost of adoption as I was and I gured; let s just chip away

$10 at a time!

In 10 days we raised $10,019....what an awesome God

we serve!

In addition to fundraising weve sold our own things and cut

down on our spending. We are committed to doing all thatwe can to bring our baby girl home. Weve almost met ournext goal of $6,100 but were fervently in prayer for the nal

$17,000 we will need when our little girl is born around April 6.

Currently, we are doing online auctions to help raise funds

and we continue to believe that the Lord will provide every bitof what we need to accomplish His will for our lives.

So, will you join us today as we seek to be obedient to thecall that the Lord has on our lives? We knew when we said, Yes,that this was so much bigger than ourselves. But, we knew thatthe body of Christ was big enough to accomplish it!

We are so thankful for any size donation that youd like to

give and we assure you that every bit of it will go towards lov-ing a little baby girl for life!

To help the Hill family bring their baby girl home, visit: http://familyadoptionfundraiser.blogspot.com/

Expanding Their Love

One Familys Adoption Journey


21/23

21

If you had asked me at 19 years old what I wanted to do with my life, Iwould have boldly declared, to be a housewife, a stay at home momand a minister!

Little did I know that life would not turn out exactly the way I wantedit.

It took me six years longer to get married than my siblings. They allwere married at the age of twenty-three. When I did get married, wewanted children right away; the doctors nally concluded that it wasimpossible for me to conceive naturally. And to top it off, there was nosign of me becoming a minister anytime soon.

So, whats a girl to do when all your plans fail and your heart is ach-ing from pain? I had two choices: Continue trying to make my own plans

come true and remain in pain or Release my plans to God and trust Him.I decided to let go of my ways for His ways.

I had to give up my plans for His purpose. Many are the plans ina mans heart, but it is theLords purpose that pre-vails Proverbs 19:21(NIV).

Was it easy? Did I wakeup one morning and just fallin line with Gods will? It wasnot and I did not. However,with Gods grace, patienceand love I was able to en-dure the process.

I once heard a dy-

namic preacher pray, Lord,dont let us become angrybecause of the changeswe have to make for ourdestiny.

We want our destiny.We want what God has forus but all the time we donot want to change ourways, thoughts and actions.The heartache of changecauses many of us to retreat from the will of God, resulting in a life thatis stale, stagnant and stied. We cry out to God to live our best life, yetwe reject the process that i t takes to achieve it.

Our love for God must be stronger than the temporary pain we mayexperience when we decide to follow Gods direction for our lives. Godcreated us with a purpose in mind. We must be mindful that he createdus according to His will. Before I formed you I knew you, before youwere born, I set you apart; I appointed you a prophet to the nationsJeremiah 1:5.

When I decided that I wanted to be what God created me to be,I began to yield to the process. I like to call it the process of the Ps;Purpose, Pain, Progress and Perfectionism. This process enables you totransform your mind from your way to Gods will.

Purpose - What does God have planned for my life? Why was Iborn? Shying away from our purpose does not make you humble or look

Christ like at all. It demonstrates that you are fearful and frightened. Howcan you be scared of what you were created to be? Everything youneed is in you. Your condence should not be in the esh but in the onethat created you. God has a different, more productive agenda foyour life than you can ever imagine. When you know this, the heartacheof doing it His way is lessened.

Pain - Let me be honest, we are not exempt, the pain will comeThe enemy of your soul does not want you to live a fullled life in ChrisWhen I was diagnosed with infertility, I thought my life was over. Howcould I be a stay at home mom now? The pain of infertility wanted toovertake my life and make me infertile in every area. You cannot let thepain stop you. Realize that pain is a distraction from your purpose. Do

not let your emotions outweigh Gods will in your life. God will see youthrough every ordeal and bring you out.

Progress - Am I at destiny yet? When will I get there? Often we wanto be an overnight success. Welook for our lives to fall into placequickly once weve decided toaccept what God has for us. Understand that God works in Hiown timing as well. Too manytimes we want the outcome obreakthrough; when daily Godgives us grace and mercy dailyA very instrumental part of thiprocess is to appreciate every

step of the way. Whats the rush?Enjoy what God is doing in youlife.

Perfectionism - Give it upI had to give up being a perfectionist. It wasnt going to bemy way all the time. I didnt gemarried on time; the kids camewhen I was older and so did theministers license. I received everything I wanted but not when

wanted it. The perfectionist in me was thrown off course. If youre goingto follow God you will have to trust Him completely. You have to giveHim your way and leave it there. Daily build up your faith and put you

trust in God so that when things dont go according to your plans, youautomatically know that His plan is better.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans toprosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and afuture Jeremiah 29:11.

You were created to make a difference in this world. Give your fearsto God and let Him perform a work in you that will impact your life, everylife connected to you and the lives of generations to come.

http://www.InfertilityDefeated.comhttp://www.facebook.com/WanzaLeftwich

Loving PurposeBy Wanza Leftwich


22/23

22

Love Is Article by Shelo K. Bass

Sheldon is a Christian freelance writer and minister.He teaches at West Park Christian church, SecondBirth Ministry, and Wheeler Mission Ministries inIndianapolis, IN. You can follow Sheldon on hisblog, http://growingupinjesus.comand http://knittedtogetherbygod.com.

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Credits


23/23

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