Lifestyle Miles of Smiles

Faith ForgiveYourself!

Hi,Have you ever gotten a note from a friend who put a

“happy face” smile on it? :-) Your friend was hoping to

make you smile and understand that things aren’t so seri-

ous, and perhaps get you to lighten up!

A smile brightens the mood of the entire room. A smile can

open doors. A genuine smile can make all the difference

in getting a job. A smile can catch people by surprise, and

they’ll smile in spite of themselves. (You know how it seems

that people in some cities just don’t smile – until someone

like you break the pattern!)

Taking care of your teeth keeps that smile bright and

pretty, too. That’s why Elaine Mizuo has written “Miles of

Smiles.” Helping your kids have good dental habits not

only keeps that smile unforgettable, but also keeps their

teeth healthy for a lifetime.

But greater than brushing teeth and putting a happy face

on a child’s paper is learning to forgive yourself. Now that

puts a smile deep in your heart! <3 That’s the kind of smile

that eventually finds its way to your beautiful face. And

when that happens, (if we could see Jesus face to face),

I know He’d be smiling right back at you!

Huge smiles,

C rystal Wacker Editor-in-Chief

FaithGive Yourself a Gift-Forgive Yourself ......

LifestylePre-Wedding Blog #1 .............................Hot Topic: Gulf Oil Spill .........................Miles of Smiles ......................................

Tabl

e of

Con

tent

s FaithLifestyle

Crystal WackerChristina Williams

Jodi-Kay EllisMona Ré Shields

Babs KincaidElaine Mizuo

Olga “Nena” PodburyJeanette Rivera

Diana FaruquiDiana Faruqui

Jeanette RiveraCrystal Wacker

Editor-in-Chief ..........................Writing Editor .......................Spanish Translation ....................Spanish Editor .......................Contributing Authors .................. Graphic Artist ..............................Photos .........................................

Page 2

Page 4Page 5Page 6

1 Reach UP

Reach UP 2

•UNFORGIVENESS IS NOT THE WILL OF GOD. Here is the truth: “For- give the things you are hold-ing against one another. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). If I am struggling with for-giving myself for my past sins, I am not accepting the forgiveness that Christ offered for me on the cross. I find that sometimes it’s easier to forgive others than it is to forgive myself. But why? Why am I treating myself with a different standard than the standard I use with my brothers and sisters?

Unforgiveness is a sin, my friend. I cannot escape God’s rebuke found in Matthew 6:15: “If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” How can I think it’s okay not to for- give myself, when it is cer- tainly outside the will of God?

•TRUE FREEDOM COMES ONLY WITH FORGIVENESS. God is calling me to model His forgiveness and His

Jesus has called me to build my life like His – love without strings attached. If the Word states, “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5) why was I still holding on to my past record of sins? Here is the truth: “Who is God like you? You forgive sin. You forgive your people when they do what is wrong.… You will completely wipe out the evil things we’ve done. You will throw all of our sins into the bottom of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19, NIRV). So, if God has gone to such great lengths to throw my sins into the sea, why am I so consumed with fishing them out again?

God forgives and forgets my sins, so who am I to make a mountain of them? Here is the truth: “I, even I, am he who wipes out your lawless acts. I do it because of who I am. I will not remember your sins anymore” (Isaiah 43:25, NIRV). If my past sins don’t exist to God, who am I to raise them up from the dead?

Recently, I had to honestly ask myself, “Have I forgiven myself of all my past sins and bad choices?”I had learned to forgive others, but I had left myself out of the God-given instruction to forgive all people.

I began to pray and search theBible to uncover the truth that could set me free from my chains to past sins and wrong choices. I had to come to terms with my past and truly forgive myself from the heart. After all, I am not the sum of all my bad choices. I am the sum of Jesus in me, the hope of glory! My past mistakes do not define me. That negative cycleof unforgiveness can be broken.

Jesus has called me to MODEL my life after his example of for-giveness. Although He was in severe pain, Jesus preached forgiveness on the cross with his last breath: “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34). By his humble exam-ple, Jesus showed the importance of forgiveness as a lifestyle. If Jesus was so big on forgiveness, why can’t I give myself the same gift of forgiveness?

Give Yourself a Gift - Forgive Yourself

of Your Past!

My Past

MistakesDo NOT

define me!

By: Babs Kincaid

3 Reach UP

love toward me. God is calling me to a higher way of living. God’s ways are higher than my ways. I learn that my guilt and shame is attached to my pride and not in agreement with God’s Word.

•FORGIVENESS IS A PICTURE OF GOD’S GRACE. Here is the truth: “If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished” (Romans 8:1, CEV). “Sin will not be your master, because you are not un-der law but under God’s grace” (Romans 6:14, NCV). I was punish-ing myself by not forgiving myself.I was letting sin rule over me.

•FORGIVENESS IS NOT ABOUTFEELINGS but about biblical facts that inspire faith. God’s truth in-spires faith. Jesus completely paid for all my past, present and future debt of sin. On the cross, Jesus said: “It is finished” (John 19:30, KJV). So, if said it’s over, I should stop being a slave to sin!

•UNFORGIVENESS IS NOT RIGHT THINKING. God has called me to think after his example: “Think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and hon-orable and right and pure and beautiful and respected” (Phil-ippians 4:8, NCV). That shows me that my negative thinking does not line up with His. So I need to change my thinking tobe like God’s thinking.

•FORGIVENESS IS A CHOICE. It was quite healing when I took a blank sheet of paper and wrote on it, “I forgive myself for the following sins and bad choices from my past,” and then listed

them all. I wrote “FORGIVEN” on my list. “I choose to forgive myself and love myself no matter what because I choose to obey Jesus who died for my sins.” So my motive to forgive myself is obe-dience.

So now that you have heard my story, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you willing to walk in obedi-ence and forgive yourself of your past sins and bad choices? You can choose to forgive and love yourself unconditionally, no mat-ter what you’ve done.

Babs Kincaid lives in Palm Beach Gar-dens, Florida. All the glory goes to Jesus, her “Knight in Shining Armor” who is responsible for taking her to heights beyond her wildest dreams.

Are you willing to walk in obedi-ence?

Are you willing to let go of the past and live for today?

Are you willing to accept what Jesus did for you on the cross at Calvary as the final payment for your debt of sin? If so, God has a precious gift for you: Relief from guilt! Relief from feeling bad about your past! A new beginning! Now that’s a gift to unwrap!

I Forgive Myself for the Following Sins

& Bad Choices from My Past:

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.

FORGIVEN

Wow! It’s finally here: the year I get to plan the

wedding of my dreams. When I was a little girl I dreamed of becoming a princess, and

my prince charming would come and whisk me away. When I met

my prince charming, we fell in love so quickly and married. Sure

enough, I was whisked away. We didn’t have a huge wedding. We

married in a small chapel with his parents and mine. We each said,

“I do!” and that was the end of it. Though it wasn’t the wedding of my dreams, I got to marry the

man of my dreams. He showed me how to love and what is was

like to be loved. We have faced many obstacles, and we have made

it through.

We will have been t

ogether ten y

ears in 2011, an

d

my husband, Guillermo Rivera, a

nd I, Jeanette Davila-

Rivera, will be r

enewing our vows then, with our four lovely

children at ou

r sides, and w

ith family as w

ell as friends.

We set the

date to make bot

h our dreams come true. I am re-marrying

my best

friend, my lover

, my pastor, my hero

-- and it feels

like the first tim

e.

It is only a yea

r away, and there

is so much to

do. As I sit here writ-

ing, I’m still deciding

on my wedding colors

. Yesterday, J

une 30, 2010, at

12:30pm, my wedding planner

, Marcy, and I found the

perfect place

to

wed: The Springer Opera H

ouse. As a child I dream

ed of being a

Broadway star

, and on May 2, 20

11, my dream will com

e to pass. So I

have my wedding

planner by my side,

a place t

o wed, and so much

more to come...

For the next year in each issue, we’ll follow Jeanette Rivera as she prepares

for her upcoming wedding. We’ll get an insider’s view of what it’s like to

plan and budget for a wedding. Then we’ll have a special wedding

issue of Reach UP. So here’s our first glimpse…

Reach UP 4

5 Reach UP5 Reach UP

On April 20th, 2010, in the ocean just 50 miles from Louisi-ana, an oil rig exploded. (An oil rig is a large platform-type struc-ture that sits on the ocean surface and uses a big drill to dig a hole in the ocean floor in search of oil.) This oil rig was owned by the oil company called BP.

When the explosion occurred, the oil rig sank to the bottom of the ocean and large amounts of oil began to leak into the ocean. This series of events would be-come known to the world as the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill – the big-gest oil spill in US history.

For 87 days there was approxi-mately 210,000 to 260,000 gal-lons of oil spilling into the ocean, polluting the waters. It not only harms the wildlife -- the turtles, mammals, fish and birds -- but also affects the fishing industry. Fisherman haven’t been able to sell their fish or seafood.

People are angry! Some are up-set because the oil company still hasn’t been able to stop the oil spill. Other people are angry because they feel the government and the president haven’t done much to help either; they feelthat the president should have gotten more involved. Regardless

of your political view, how you feel the government has respon-ded, or even whether or not you think President Obama is a good president, one thing the Bible makes clear is that we need to pray for those in authority, includ-ing our president and our govern-ment.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: “I urge, then first of all, that re-quests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for every-one, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peace-ful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

It doesn’t matter if you voted for the president or not, or if you agree with the way our govern-ment runs or not, God asks us to pray for our leaders. Here are some things we can pray.

Pray that our leaders will:

•Be Godly: Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

•Have wisdom: Proverbs 4:5-6: “Get wisdom, get understanding, do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not for-sake wisdom and she will

protect you: love her and she will watch over you.”

•Love the truth: Proverbs 12:22: “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.”

•Display Courage: 1 Corinthi-ans 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.”

•Surround themselves with good staff members and advisors: Psalm 1:1: “God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God.”

We can’t control events like the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, Hurricane Katrina, or what happened on September 11, 2001, but we can help pray for the leaders of our nation and ask God to guide them in making good, godly decisions for our nation.

Olga “Nena” Podbury grew up in the Bronx, New York, but currently lives with her husband, Ben, in Denver, Colorado. They have a company, Big Picture Creations. Nena co-authors children’s curriculum.

HOT TOPIC:

By: Olga “Nena” Podbury

Reach UP 6

Whether it’s a sweet smile from a baby, a happy smile of a child, a casual smile between strangers, or a contagious smile between friends, a great smile can go a long way. The average woman smiles about 62 times a day. Kids laugh around 400 times a day. How do you keep that smile at its very best? Here are a few tips to help you.

Parents play a key role in ensuring that their child’s teeth are clean and healthy. The goal should be healthy teeth for life.

For babies:•Proper dental care begins even before you see your baby’s first tooth. By the time your baby is born, most of the baby teeth are already formed but are not seen since they are still inside the baby’s gums. Carbohydrates from formula, milk, and juices cause bacteria to grow in your baby’s mouth, so after a feeding, make it a goal to gently wipe your baby’s gums with a soft, clean, damp washclothto keep bacteria growth down.

•From the time that first adorable tooth appears, wipe it with clean gauze after every meal—well, at least try….•When more teeth appear, use a soft baby toothbrush to clean the teeth after every meal, (it can be a goal you work towards). •Don’t let your baby or toddler use a baby bottle or a sippy cup filled with formula, milk, juice, or other sugary beverages as a pacifier during waking hours. If you do, it will bathe the teeth in sugars all day long, resulting in tooth decay.•If a baby bottle or sippy cup is used at bedtime or nap time, fill it with only water. Then you will prevent the bac-teria from eating away at your baby’s teeth during sleeping hours.•The first visit to the dentist should be around your child’s first birthday.

For children:•See the dentist twice a year for regu-lar check-ups. Start when your child is

young so that it becomes a natural part of your child’s yearly routine for a lifetime.•Allow your child to choose a cute or colorful child-sized toothbrush with soft bristles.•Find toothpaste in a flavor that your child likes. Many are safely formu-lated for children under age 3.•Brush after each meal. This is the best practice, but at least after breakfast and dinner.•Once your child has learned not to swallow toothpaste, use one with fluoride.•Use only a pea-sized amount of fluo-ride toothpaste with children under age 7, especially if your child is still prone to swallowing some of the toothpaste.•Have your child brush before going to bed as part of the nightly bedtime routine.•Eat healthy snacks and limit starchy foods, such as chips and sweet foods and sweet drinks, because they stick to the teeth.•Adults should brush and floss their

7 Reach UP

Given to you by:

child’s teeth until the child is capable of doing a thorough job without adult help. Children lack the fine motor skills that are necessary to do it correctly, and will need help with brushing until age 8. •Flossing is important but even trickier than brushing, and often requires adult help until age 10. Avoid pushing the floss into the gum because the gum can be split and damaged from improper flossing.

When brushing:•Be gentle but thorough. How long you brush can be measured by counting to 7 as you brush each side of a tooth in a circular motion. •Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle as you brush your gum lines and use short straight strokes.•Brush the inner and outer sides of each tooth. •Brush the flat chewing surfaces of each tooth, and turn your toothbrush verti-cally to get the backs of your top and

bottom front teeth.•Brush the roof of your mouth, the inside of your cheeks, and lastly, your tongue.•It’s a good idea to try and replace tooth-brushes every 3 months.

For adults:•Be a good role model to your children and try brushing alongside them as they brush their own teeth.•Brush twice a day with a fluoride tooth-paste.•Floss daily to remove plaque before it forms tartar, which can only be removed by a dentist.•Use of antibacterial mouth rinses re-duces bacteria in the mouth that cause plaque and gum disease.•Unsweetened cranberry juice can be used as a natural alternative mouth rinse. Studies suggest that this unsweetened juice kills on contact the bacteria that causes tooth decay, and can help to rid teeth of plaque.

•Eat healthy foods and limit snacking on sugary and starchy foods.•Visit your dentist every 6 months for a checkup and teeth cleaning.

Take care of those beautiful teeth, and remember to give a smile and catch a smile everyday. It can be just the thing to make your day – and someone else’s day too!

Federally-funded health centers provide dental care even if you do not have health insurance. For a centernear you, enter this address in your browser: http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC_byCounty.aspx

The Magazine to Empower and Enrich Today’s Urban Woman Fall 2010

I’m a Reach UP woman! www.myreachup.com coming soon I’m a Reach UP woman! www.myreachup.com