january 2015 mississippi christian living

Overcoming theCommunication Gap

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4 JANUARY 2015 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

Volume 9, Number 7

contents JANUARY 2015

columns8 The Way I See It

Embrace Today!

10 Let’s Talk It Over Overcoming the Communication Gap

13 Salt & Light Healing the Soul After Abortion: Freedom 517

14 Single Still, Single AgainCounting It All Joy—SomeDays Are Harder than Others

16 The Middle AgesWindex the Windows of My Soul

18 Living My Call Our Journey to God’s Destination

28 Food for ThoughtComfort Soups

30 Artist ProfileChristian Vocalist CatherineMcMahan of Tupelo

32 The Doctor Is In How Self-Awareness Impacts Recovery

36 Money Matters Cheerful, Sacrificial Giving

38 Legal Advice Just Do It—You HaveProcrastinated Long Enough!

in every issue6 Editor’s Letter

40 Rave Reviews41 Events Calendar42 Quips & Quotes42 Advertiser Index

MIPA

Mississippi IndependentPublishers' Alliance

16

36

18

features20 J.J. and Melanie Jasper

A Story of Grieving Well and Celebrating Life

Join our Mississippi Mobile Club Today! Text MCLAPP to 95577 and download ourMobile App for free! Text stop 2 quit. Standard data rates apply.

What’s Coming Next Month?Heart Transplant Recipient Beth O’Reilly

Shares Her Personal Story of Prayer,

Ta-Dah Moments, and a Miracle

➺

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Publisher: MHS Publications, Inc.,Member, M.I.P.A.

Editor: Marilyn [email protected]

Associate Editor: Suzanne Durfey

Art Direction/Graphic Design Sandra K. Goff

SalesMarilyn Tinnin, Kimberly Stephens,

Suzanne Durfey, Tara Dowden, Jenny Ruth Kennedy, Kimberly Hooker

Contributing WritersLydia Bolen, Issac L. Boose, Tara Dowden,

Sherye S. Green, William B. Howell, Amy Ingram, Maggie Ingram,

Scott T. Marshall, Will McNeese, Leigh Ramsey, Susan E. Richardson,

Martin E. Willoughby, Jr.

Cover PhotographyTara Dowden

Distribution AssistantsAvery Cahee, Laura Kidder,

Randy Fortenberry, Andrea Sabillion,Rachel Schulte, Jerri Strickland, Priscilla Sullivan, Bob Whatley,

Amanda Weems

Mississippi Christian Living573 Highway 51 North, Suite C

Ridgeland, MS 39157Phone 601-790-9076 • Fax 601-790-9078

www.mschristianliving.com

Mississippi Christian Living is committed toencouraging individuals in their daily livesby presenting the faith stories of others andby providing information that will pointevery person, at every stage of life, to adeeper, authentic, personal, and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.Views expressed in Mississippi ChristianLiving do not necessarily represent those ofthe publisher. Every effort has been madeby the Mississippi Christian Living staff toinsure accuracy of the publication contents.However, we do not guarantee theaccuracy of all information nor the absenceof errors and omissions; hence, noresponsibility can be or is assumed. AllRights Reserved. Copyright 2015 byMississippi Christian Living, Inc.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NewInternational Version, copyright 1973, 1978,1984 by International Bible Society. Used bypermission of International Bible Society.

Mississippi Christian Living is publishedmonthly and is available at high trafficlocations throughout the state. Copies arealso available by subscription, $29 for oneyear. Single issues available for $3 an issue.

POSTMASTER: Send change of address toMississippi Christian Living, 573 Highway 51North, Suite C, Ridgeland, MS 39157.


He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of theAlmighty. I will say of the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom Itrust. – Psalm 91:1-2

By this late date in life, I have turned quite a few pages on old years’calendars, sung quite a few verses of Auld Lang Syne, and eaten myweight in good luck black-eyed-peas across several decades of NewYear’s tradition. I love January. There is something cozy and comforting about a fire inthe fireplace and working from home in my pajamas. I do that as often as possible duringthis month!

I never mind the gray winter sky and the sight of barren trees stretching their nakedarms toward heaven. Spring will come in its own time. The changing of the seasons iscertain, and the great blessing of growing older is the deep trust that springs from within, aresult of a relationship with the Father who has demonstrated His faithfulness to me yearafter year after year.

Isaiah 55:8 reminds us that God’s thoughts and ways are different from ours—a goodthing to remember here on the threshold of a new year with all its unknowns waiting beforeus. That is also probably among the first and most difficult lessons a Believer learns. Wemay never completely get past asking an occasional, “Why this, Lord?” But as time goesby, most of us come to a peace and acceptance with even the bitter pills of life. I reallythink that other than the final victory over death that comes to us on our final earthly day,the second best victory we are awarded as Believers is the experience of knowing thetruth of the words in Psalm 23, “For Thou art with me.” And THAT fact makes all thedifference when the storms of life blow.

On November 7, my new granddaughter, Vivian Owen Bailey, was born in Memphis.She was only a few minutes old when the nurse whisked her away from her mother anddaddy and placed her in the NICU because of breathing difficulty. For two days shecontinued to grow weaker, until finally she was transported by ambulance to Le BonheurChildren’s Hospital in a critical state. Betsy looked at me and asked, “Mom, do you thinkshe is going to die?” I had only one answer for her, and it was an answer that God hastaught me over my personal journey, an answer that has been many years in the making.

“Betsy, God sees what we can’t see. He knows things that we don’t know. All I know isthat He is a good God, and we can trust Him.” I could almost hear my mother’s voice in mywords. I may fall flat on my face with failure in the next ten minutes, but at that moment, I feltold and slightly wise. God’s grace, for sure. Vivi, by the way, means “full of life,” and at sixweeks old, she is very much that.

J.J. and Melanie Jasper, who you will meet this month in our cover story, will testify toGod’s presence and strength in the middle of one’s worst nightmare. It seems like we canget through a lot of hard things, but when that hard thing involves losing a child—well, mostof us cannot even imagine going there. It is no lame platitude to say, “God’s grace issufficient” because they know that it has been. Amazing couple and an amazing story. Butbring Kleenex.

With all the usual New Year’s Resolutions and good intentions in mind, our contributorshave done an outstanding job of providing timeless tips to help you launch the New Year.Whether you are in search of comfort food or comfort and wisdom for dealing with thelatest challenge life has presented, you will find something that speaks to you in thesepages—guaranteed.

Oh, and I highly recommend pajamas and your favorite mug filled with your favorite hotbeverage as you take your time reading it all. Happy New Year! Y

editor’s letter➺

Marilyn H. Tinnin, Publisher and [email protected]

Great Expectations

❝ Thou changest not.Thy compassionsthey fail not. Greatis thy faithfulness,God, unto me.” ❞

– “GREAT IS THEY FAITHFULNESS”BY THOMAS CHISHOLM

�

Dutch, Marilyn and Thurber


the way i see itby MARTIN E. WILLOUGHBY, JR.

➺

Martin E.Willoughby, Jr,. is Chief OperatingOfficer of Butler Snow Advisory Services,LLC located in Ridgeland. He and his wife, Nicki, have two children,Allyand Trey, and live in Memphis,Tennessee.

Embrace Today!When I was young, my parents

would hang up a specialChristmas decoration for my

sister and me to count the days untilChristmas. Each day we were allowed tountie a candy cane to celebrate being oneday closer to that magical morning. Iremember that the month of Decemberwould drag on forever. It seemed likeDecember 25th would NEVER arrive. As anadult, I have found the opposite to be true.The Christmas season is simply a blur. Aswith this year, I can’t believe another yearhas passed so quickly. As I look at my ninth-grade daughter, Ally, who seems all grownup, I can’t believe when I started writing thiscolumn she was just in kindergarten!

Much has been written about the sensethat as we get older, time seems to speedup. Psychologist William James, in his 1890text Principles of Psychology, wrote that, “Aswe age, time seems to speed up becauseadulthood is accompanied by fewer andfewer memorable events. When the passageof time is measured by “firsts” (first kiss, firstday of school, first family vacation), the lackof new experiences in adulthood causes thedays and weeks to smooth themselves out.”

Modern scholars have further studied thistopic and put forth all kinds of theories aboutwhy time seems to speed up as we age.However, we don’t need to go much furtherthan Scripture for a sense of perspectiveabout time.

David reminds us in Psalm 39:5-6,

“Behold, you have made my days a fewhandbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothingbefore you. Surely all mankind stands as amere breath!” He further said, “So teach us tonumber our days that we may get a heart ofwisdom” (Psalm 90:12). I think a lot aboutJames’ reflection on time when he said,

“What is your life? For you are a mist thatappears for a little time and then vanishes”(James 4:14).

As I reflect on the Scriptures, I realize thepreciousness of each day. I think about howevery day is a bonus day. I am a creature ofhabit. I like my routine and can quickly getout of sorts if it goes awry. However, thatroutineness can also become mundane. I caneasily shy away from new experiences ornew challenges.

What is exciting to meabout a life in Christ is thepotential for somethingextraordinary to happen inthe course of our normalday. Often, it is a matter ofjust being available.

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As William James noted, I tend to lose thesense of wonder about life as there seem tobe fewer and fewer “firsts.” I remember as ateenager my parents encouraging me tosavor the moments of life and not to be in ahurry to grow up. They wanted me to enjoyeach stage of the journey and the firsts thatcome along.

What is exciting to me about a life inChrist is the potential for somethingextraordinary to happen in the course of ournormal day. Often, it is a matter of just beingavailable. It is easy to forget that we canexperience the presence of Christ in theroutine of life.

While written over 300 years ago, BrotherLawrence in his timeless book, The Practiceof The Presence of God, gives us a guide onhow to walk with the Lord one day at a time.Each day we have opportunities. We havechoices in how we treat people, whether wepray for others, or whether we share the joywe know in Christ.

Each day is full of possibilities. While wecan’t slow down the clock that seems to beincreasing with speed, we can choose howwe spend our days. I hope I will spend themwisely in 2015.

Happy New Year! Y

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☛ “Since she got her driver’s license the only timeshe is at the house is when she is sleeping.”

☛ “I don’t even know who my son is anymore. When Isuggest we spend time together, he looks at me as ifI’m asking him to voluntarily attend school onSaturday.”

☛ “Any time I give him advice or a suggestion, hejust blows me off like I’m the most ignorant person tohave ever lived.”

Here are phrases I hear from TEENAGERS on a daily basis:☛ “It’s like I can’t do anything around my parentswithout getting a lecture.”

☛ “I’m so tired of adults giving me mindlessdirections and then flipping out when I ask why orpoint out the stupidity in what they are telling me todo.”

☛ “There’s absolutely no way I would talk to mymom about this. She would completely freak out andnot understand anything about where I’m comingfrom. It’s like she forgot that she was in high schoolonce and did the same thing.”

☛ “My friends are the only people I go to when I amhaving a hard time. My parents never understand.”


let’s talk it overby WILL MCNEESE, LPC, LMFTA

➺

Needless to say, a gap exists between today’sgeneration of adolescents and adults. Chap Clark,in his book, Hurt, states that “teenagers honestly seem to

believe that adults are unnecessary.Yet it is an equally if not moredeeply felt truth that every mid-adolescent is crying out for an adultwho cares” (p. 62).

The focus of this article is not the many ways in which our younggeneration has been corrupted by technology, social media, or ahyper-sexualized pop culture.

The focus instead is the responsibility of adults to alter the way inwhich they interact with youth—in order to meet the needs of those youth.

Why do I put emphasis on the adults? It is the responsibility ofadults to meet the needs of children, not the other way around. Ifrelational change needs to happen between a parent and child orteen, the initiation must start with the parent focusing on what is in hisor her own power to change.

What I’m about to say may sound like I am advocating for alaissez-faire style of parenting—by not giving instruction, correction,discipline, or boundaries. Withholding direction or correction is notwhat I am proposing. I am proposing an alteration on the timing ofoffering direction and correction.

I am proposing that adults make an intentional effort to do whatthe prominent relational researcher, John Gottman, calls turningtowards their teen which involves two components: Listening and Connecting.

First, there is listening. This means hearing what your teen issaying and acknowledging it. It means summarizing to him what hesaid in such a way that he can then say, “Yes, that’s what I am saying.”

Listening to him means momentarily withholding your responseor your concern about what he has said. Listening tells your teen thatyou are willing to acknowledge his opinions, emotions, orexperiences whether you agree with them or not.

Here is an example of what I mean:Your son is frustrated abouthis curfew and tells you why he thinks he should be able to stay outlonger. We might usually say, “I hear you—” and then launch into a

Overcoming the Communication Gap

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response. Merely stating, “I hear you,” is not sufficient. We mustdemonstrate that we have heard him.

An alternative listening statement would be something like, “Son,you are saying that you believe that you have shown me that you aretrustworthy enough for me to extend your curfew.” The purpose oflistening is to ensure that you accurately understand what your teenis trying to communicate.

This first step is so important because it is surprisingly easy torepeat what your teen says back to him and have him say, “No, that’snot it.” I’m sure you’ve felt the frustration of someone misjudgingwhat you say and then giving you advice or condemnation based onthis misjudgment.

To immediately respond with a comeback or answer without firstlistening usually sends the message, “I know what is better for youand I don’t care what you think, feel, or have experienced.”

If you want your teen to believe that you know what is best andhave his best interest in mind, you must first develop his trust bycommunicating that you hear what he says.

After listening and repeating to your teen what he or she has said,the second step is to connect with the experience. This meansputting yourself in her shoes and imagining what it would be like tosee things from her perspective.

This is the basic idea of empathy. Empathy is different fromthinking about how you would respond if you were in her situation.People respond differently to similar situations and there is notalways one singularly correct way a person should respond.Empathy is imagining what it would be like to respond the way thatshe did in the situation.

An example would be that your daughter is angry with a teacherafter receiving a bad grade.Your daughter believes the teacher is

Will McNeese, LPC, LMFTA, is a counselor at Summit Counseling withexperience working with families and individuals, including childrenand adolescents. He can be reached at [email protected].

mschristianliving.com ❘ JANUARY 2015 11

showing favoritism. Connecting with her experience would meanthinking about a time in your life when you have felt similar emotionsto what she is describing and recalling what it is like to experiencethose emotions. Now would be the time to withhold your opinionabout the accuracy of her perception (I know. Easier said than done!)

Connecting by being willing to imagine what it would be like tofeel your teen’s emotions sends the message that she is not alone inthe world and that you have compassion without condemnation for her.

For any person to be willing to talk about her inner world, theremust be an established sense of safety. For your teen to share what ishappening inside of him, he must trust that you not going to use whathe shares to ridicule, condemn, dismiss, or harm him whether youagree with him or not.

Again, I am not advocating that parents should withhold theirassessment of the rightness or wrongness of their child’s behavior orperceptions. I am advocating that for them to hear us, we must firstbuild within our teens an internal belief that, “My parents understandme, care about my thoughts/desires/emotions, and love me as I am.”

Closing the gap between your and your teen will take many smallexperiences of demonstrating that you are a safe person. The moreyou model and embody that you care about listening and are safe,the higher your chances are at being let in. Trust takes time. Y

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I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfullymade…My frame was not hidden from you, when I wasmade in secret…Your eyes saw my substance, being yetunformed. And in Your book they all were all written.The days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none ofthem. – PSALMS 139:14-16

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In Spring 2014, several ladies sataround Barbara Beavers’ dining roomtable. Mrs. Beavers is the director of

the Center for Pregnancy Choices forJackson. The diverse ensemble ofwomen had something in common—their calling.

Throughout the metro area, a handful ofwomen have been called to minister to thepost-abortive. The statistics show that one inthree women have had an abortion, yet veryfew go through recovery. As the group beganto discuss their needs and desires for thisministry, everyone noticed a consistenttheme of getting the word out.

The question was posed, “How canpeople receive healing if they don’t know it’savailable?” God had brought together agroup of women and revealed to them Hismission. That evening, Freedom 517 was formed.

Freedom 517 is a council of women whodesire to remove the stamp of “taboo” fromthe topic of abortion. Their desire is to assistpastors, ministry leaders, and counselors withresources and training. Many understand thatthey have been forgiven for the sin ofabortion, but they do not understand thatthere is freedom and healing available.

Freedom 517 stands on the promise heldin 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyoneis in Christ, he is a new creation; old thingshave passed away; behold, all things havebecome new.”

God never intended for anyone tocontinue to carry the guilt and shame that

often burden the post-abortive individual.This guilt, shame, and regret can manifestinto different coping mechanisms thatinclude, but are not limited to, the following:nightmares, addiction, depression, and eating disorders.

This is a sensitive topic that can beintimidating because of the politicalundertones and deep secrecy that comeswith it. However, when the topic is notdiscussed, it seems “unmentionable” to thevery people who struggle with this secret.

The group of women who makes up theleadership team for Freedom 517 has aunique perspective. Each woman is post-abortive and each has walked the road to

healing and now facilitates recovery groups.This is important because the team is able tohelp church leaders and counselors find thebalance of sensitivity and boldness that isoften tricky, yet necessary, when it comes tothe topic of abortion. The team members areable to share what helped them open up andseek healing, and what would’ve scared themaway from seeking healing.

Freedom 517 offers training, resources,literature, and speakers to ministries,churches, and counselors. All services arefree of charge, although the group doesaccept donations through the Center forPregnancy Choices.

To find out more, please visitwww.freedom517.org or at Freedom 517 on Facebook. Y

Leigh Ramsey home schools her 5children and is founder of Out of the Dust,a ministry for post-abortive recovery.

➺salt & lightby LEIGH RAMSEY

Freedom 517Healing the Soul After Abortion


The group of women who makeup the leadership team forFreedom 517 has a uniqueperspective. Each woman ispost-abortive and each haswalked the road to healing…

single still, single againby AMY INGRAM

➺

Irecently had a friend tell me thatmy life could easily be a sitcomand they would be first in line to

watch. I think if we stop to think aboutit, at some point, we could all be onsitcoms. It seems when we are deliveredfrom crisis there is always something to lookback and laugh about. I’m bringing y’all along on my most recent moment of terror,which has turned out to be extremelyentertaining now.

This past weekend my mom, sister-in-law(Maggie), and I ventured off to New York Cityfor a long girl’s weekend. Mom and I flewfrom Birmingham on a direct flight andMaggie flew out of Jackson.

My mom and I left the house at 5 a.m. forour 7 a.m. flight. I could tell my mom wassuper tired and she seemed a little “off” but Ijust chalked it up to being up so early. She atea little bite of breakfast and drank a tea fromStarbucks and we loaded on the plane. About

Amy Ingram is a Senior AccountExecutive at a branding and marketingfirm in Birmingham, Alabama, where she lives with her dog, Mabel. Feel free tocontact her at [email protected].

an hour into the flight I asked her if I could getup to go to the bathroom and when I cameback she had moved over to the window seatand was asleep.

About 15 minutes passed after I returned tomy seat and we hit some rough air. Theairplane was warmer than usual, and my momwoke up and said, “I think I’m going to beairsick.” She reached for the airsickness bagand when she went to vomit it was full fromsomeone else’s vomit (GAG!). At this point,she handed the bag to me and I thought shewanted me to help her get it open, so I stuckmy hand down in it to open it—yeah, NASTY.Meanwhile, as I was trying to find another bagfor her to use, I stopped to check on her andshe had passed out.

I stood up in true form and yelled “I NEEDHELP, OH MY GOSH, I NEED HELP.” Of coursethis brought great alarm to the staff andpeople on the plane, as they thought I hadLOST MY MIND. I finally realized after noticingthe man near me clinching his seat, whiteknuckled, that I had to be a little clearer, so Inoted I needed a doctor or a nurse for my mom.

As the nurse came to care for my mom, Itook off running to the bathroom (with thevomit bag in hand, and vomit ON MY HAND)yelling “sweet Jesus, sweet Jesus, sweet Jesus.”I washed my hands quickly and came back tomy mom and they had slapped her intoconsciousness. She looked at me and said,“Did someone slap me really hard?” Um, yes.Lots of times. I sensed from the nurse that shewas really concerned about my mom and theywere doing their best to get the plane on theground and get my mom some help asquickly as possible. (We landed 45 minutesearly). The oxygen was on, but my mom waspale as a ghost.

The nurse told me to not let my mom goback to sleep, so I asked questions all the waydown to the ground—and all my mom wantedwas a little shut-eye. I rested my head on theseat at one point and wept. I honestly thoughtwhen they couldn’t get her awake at first shewas dying and it was the scariest/saddestmoment of my life.

We were greeted on the ground by sevenof NYFD/NYPD’s finest and they took suchgood care of us. Mom was wheeled off to theambulance and NYPD (three officers)escorted me through special doors to get our

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O! How Cute wishes you the Best New Year Ever! Hoping 2015 brings you much happiness and joy!

Counting It All Joy…Some Days Are Harder than Others

luggage. I made the call to take my mom tothe Emergency Room in Queens—the fourthbusiest ER in America—and I’ve never in mylife experienced anything like it. I can’t writeabout it due to privacy violations, but if youever ask me I’ll give you some good laughs.(Note: My mom received great care at thishospital and they moved quickly so we couldget out and enjoy the city.)

Turns out my mom was superdehydrated—and being airsick plusdehydration plus lack of sleep made her havea reaction that caused her to pass out. Cold.

There are two very important things to notein the midst of all of this and what God was doing:

1. Prior to leaving on our trip, I had anintense prompting from the Holy Spirit to prayspecifically for my mom’s health as wetraveled and on this trip. Even the morning weleft, I woke up offering her health back toJesus. I know this is a prayer God had laidbefore me to offer back to Him, and was oneof the reasons why she was okay after thisepisode. If you are prompted to pray forspecific things, do it. Do not hesitate.

2. Due to my journey as a single woman, Ihave learned great independence as I travel. Itwas this independence that kept my mom(and dad) calm during this time of uncertaintyas we were taken to an area of the city weknew nothing about. It also kept my fatherfrom making a rash decision and hiring aprivate jet to get him to NYC stat.

I encourage you to take a look around youand find the good things you are learning inyour season of singleness. There is good inthis time. I promise.

Be loved, beloved, for you are mostdefinitely loved. Y


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Standing, L-R: Donna G. Breeland, M.D.; Natasha N. Hardeman, M.D.; Shani K. Meck, M.D.; Freda McKissic Bush, M.D.Seated, L-R: Mary W. (Katie) Sartin, CFNP; Temeka L. Johnson, M.D.; Missy Jackson McMinn, M.D; Rhonda Sullivan-Ford, M.D.; Sharon K. Brown, CFNP

Beverly A. McMillan, M.D., Emeritus


the middle agesby SHERYE S. GREEN

➺Windex the Windows of My Soul

On a bright September day my life changedforever. Even now, I don’t know exactly whathappened. One day everything was fine, and the

next it was if someone had flipped a switch. What began as aseemingly routine eye infection morphed into a chronic eye condition.Wonderful ophthalmologists—Dr. Terrel Williams and Dr. John Milam—provided excellent care and moral support during this very frustratingseason. How grateful I am to them both.

I’ve worn glasses as long as I can remember. Contacts—thick, hardplastic discs the color of emeraldgreen glass—came at age eleven. Forover forty years I’ve had an image ofmyself, at least how I thought otherpeople saw me, and it didn’t include apair of glasses perched across thebridge of my nose.

Upon diagnosis of Dry EyeSyndrome in February 2011, Dr.Milam asked that I comply with aspecific regimen for two weeks, andthen return to his office for a follow-upeye exam. Five steps were to befollowed every day during this period,including treatment with ophthalmicdrops, the application of hotcompresses on the eyes, and the useseveral times a day of preservative-free tears. As Dr. Milam explained each of the five steps, he took alengthy pause before pronouncing the last one.

My overactive imagination had already taken flight. I jumped intothe conversation, asking him a question I’m not sure I really wanted ananswer to. “Am I about to lose my eyesight?” Dr. Milam, who had beenlooking over my chart, now looked over at me in amazement and saidwarmly with a broad smile, “No, Mrs. Green. There’s no danger oflosing your eyesight.You only need to refrain from using eye makeupfor the next two weeks.”

Relief flooded my heart like cool rain on parched ground. I wantedto leap out of that exam chair like a Roman candle. “Is that all?” Iasked. Makeup, schmakeup. Who needs makeup when you can see!

That conversation, funny as it is now, was incredibly frightening to

me at the time. The fact that I still have my eyesight, no matter how dry,red, or irritated my eyes may get, is something for which I’mimmensely thankful. I’m learning to adjust to a “new normal” in my life.

Now almost five years down this road of living with dry eyes, I’vecome to grips with the fact that my eyes will never be the same, thatdry eye is a condition I will and can live with, that on most days I’llwear glasses and not contacts, and that I will not let my self-image bedefined by my outward appearance. What has enabled me to reachthese conclusions? One simple word. Perspective.

The online version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary definesperspective as “the capacity to viewthings in their true relations or relativeimportance.” In this middle season ofmy life, I’ve discovered if I’m notcareful, my perspective on any givenissue can become stodgy, even jadedat times. As a daughter of the King, Ihave a responsibility to take “everythought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Ephesians is a favorite NewTestament book. Written by theApostle Paul, this letter reminds fellowChristians that we not only havephysical eyes, but spiritual ones aswell. Paul calls them “the eyes of your

heart.” The Message version of Ephesians 1:18 shares Paul’s poeticprayer for believers, “I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ,the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowingHim personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can seeexactly what it is He is calling you to do…”

Just as my eyes get dry and cloudy, so do the eyes of my heart.Perspective, the kind that only God Himself can bring, is like Windex tomy soul. This heavenly cleaner strips away the grime of complacency.Perspective wipes off the soot of negativity. It polishes and shines thepanes of the windows of my soul so that I can view life as God wouldhave me see it, that I can appreciate His purpose in all things, and thatI will focus on sharing His love and grace with others.

Godly perspective means the difference between viewing my glassas half empty or half full, the appointments on my social calendar asobligations or opportunities, my dry eye condition as a curse or ablessing. Challenges of this life when perceived through the lens ofperspective can make me bitter or better. Wherever you are on yourwalk of faith with the Lord, remember that God wants us as Hischildren to be able to “grasp the immensity of this glorious way of lifeHe has for His followers.”

A brand new year is before us—365 blank canvases upon whichGod wants to use our lives to paint a picture of His love for this tiredworld. Let Jehovah Rapha, the Great Physician, perform His ownmiracle in your life. Allow Him to Windex the windows of your soul.Y

Sherye Green is a Jacksonian, a teacher at Hinds Community College,and a wife, mother, and grandmother. Sherye and her husband, Mark,are members of First Baptist Church Jackson. She is also the author ofAbandon Not My Soul.

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living my callby MAGGIE INGRAM

➺

Ittakes guts to swim against thecurrent, but Rodney and ChristyRichardson make it look like a

day at the beach. That’s not how theywould describe it, though. They wouldsay it is a call to obedience, a long and steadyroad God lays for His people to follow.

The Richardsons met in their hometown ofMcComb, and married during their last year ofcollege at the University of SouthernMississippi. He studied fine artswith an emphasis in graphicdesign, and she studied speechcommunication. They lived inHattiesburg for two years untilRodney had an opportunity to work with Nike in Portland, Oregon.

“The move to Portland was atremendous time of growth forus,” said Rodney. “It caused us tolearn to rely on each otherrather than the friends andfamily that each of us,individually, still very often firstturned to when living so close to home.

“Moving to such acompletely new place where noone knows who you are, yoursuccesses, your failures—andnot being defined by thosethings—caused us to see that it wasup to us to determine and define the adultpeople we’d grow to be and the character andvalues that we’d live and be known by.”

That time gave them a strong foundation ofoneness in their marriage. Although they wereliving what many would consider a dream jobwith an international corporation, they saw Godhumbling them and drawing them closer toHim. “It was exhilarating, adventurous,affirming, empowering, and scary all at thesame time,” Rodney said. “It was also the firstreal experience outside our comfort zone.”

Living in such a different culture made themsee their faith differently. “As Southerners, you’dthink we’d have this one down already, butthrough the graciousness of others, God beganto open up and reveal to us genuine, authentichospitality,” Rodney said. They joined a churchthat had members from many different culturesand countries. It was through getting to knowbelievers from all over the world that they

began to examine their own hearts.“People in Portland don’t have the same

cultural expectations we do in the South. InPortland, people didn’t care if you were aChristian or not. As a result, the Believers wemet seemed to be more genuine. This causedus to examine our own lives and ask, ‘Is ourfaith genuine, or is it a product of the culture inwhich we grew up?’

“Or even more poignantly, ‘Do we trulybelieve’?” said Rodney. The church in Portland

also redefined missions for them. “Theyactually did things in real and passionate wayswe’d never seen before, and they did them outof a zeal for worship.”

Unknown to Rodney and Christy, God wasusing their time in Portland and preparingthem for missions around the world and plansto expand His kingdom, but they were plansthat would not unfold for many years to come.

Christy soon gave birth to their daughter,Ainsley, and they began to feel the pull back toMississippi. Leaving Nike did not seem like awise career move, but living near the rest oftheir families was valuable to the youngparents. Most importantly, they felt it was whatGod was calling them to do. In 1999, theymoved back to Hattiesburg and opened RARE Design.

The couple had two more children, Harry,now 14, and Ella, now 9. After seven years inbusiness, Rodney found out the owner of the

building he was leasing wanted the spaceback. He had also heard about “the old SmithBakery building” in downtown Hattiesburgand sneaked in one day for a peek. The 1920sbuilding had been heavily damaged inHurricane Katrina, but what most peoplewould see as salvage scraps, Rodney saw as potential.

“I was overwhelmed by the size of thebuilding as well as its pitiful condition, but thevision was totally and literally from God,” he

said. The floor of the mainroom was covered in ceilingtiles that had fallen to the floor.He looked up through the holesand could see the originalvaulted ceiling with exposedsteel trusses. Instead ofdisaster, he could see offices,retail space, events, weddings,celebrations, worship, andministry. He could see past therubble to a space for authentic hospitality.

“I saw the building as amicrocosm of life; work, eat,shop, celebrate, fellowship, andmost importantly worship! Ididn’t know how God wouldpull it all together, but Icommitted to follow him downthe path. If he would lead, wewould follow.”

But it was very far from easy.In time, the economy tanked. Tenants andbusinesses that were in the space weredefaulting on loans. Renovations on thebuilding became completely stalled. His owndesign firm that had set up offices in thebuilding had lost 60 percent of their business.“I was crushed. I had thought this was God’svision, and yet it was utterly failing. I had doneeverything I could possibly do to no avail,”Rodney said.

They had scheduled a date with abankruptcy attorney, and two weeks beforethe meeting, Rodney poured out his heartbefore God. “I told Him that I was tired oftrying to do it all myself. That was myproblem. I was doing it all in my power. I wasashamed and repented for the pride ofthinking I could. I was at my end, and I fully,and only, needed Him.” Lovingly, He gave.

“My vision for the building was to removeall the junk that had been added in over the

Back from left: Henri and Rodney; Middle from left: Ainsley, Christy,Peacy and Harry; Front: Ella

Our Journey to God’s Destination


years. When I saw the beautiful, originalcharacter behind those cheap add-ons, thecharacter that had been exposed by thestorm, that’s what I wanted to reclaim for thatspace. And it wasn’t about renovating to serveits original purpose. This place would neverbe a manufacturing bakery again. It was aboutnew life. It was about reclaiming the deep,original character, and through a spirit ofrejuvenation, see it experience new life fortoday’s world.”

Rodney and Christy see the building as ametaphor for what God can do with ourhearts. “All that junk that we pursue, that weadd on, that we cover up with—all that weightand burden and irrelevance—He removes allthat. He clears it all away to get us back theuniqueness and beauty that He created us tobe. But not just to be that something that wewere in the past—to be a new creation in Him.To be used for new purposes and new life.”

Now, the building houses RARE Design, acoffee shop, a yoga studio, and a garden shop.It also is home to Venue Church and TheVenue event space.

The Richardsons talk often with their kidsabout obedience to God, and they know thattheir words mean nothing if they are notbacked up with actions. When God beganworking in Christy’s heart to homeschool theirthree children, she knew she needed to listen.“When the economy tanked, everything took ahuge hit. We were perfectly happy at theawesome Christian school here in Hattiesburg,but we knew we had to cut corners,” she said.

They decided to try homeschooling for oneyear, but kept the kids uniforms in the closetjust in case. “What a surprise blessing it hasbeen!” she said. “It has given us freedom todo what we are passionate about. We wereable to go to Africa twice and take our bookswith us. Our kids get to go to work with dad

some days and do their schoolwork and bearound all these creative amazing people. It isone of the many tools the Lord has used andis continuing to use to blunt our edges.”

Christy is also involved with young womenin their community and what started as amission trip to Uganda evolved into two hugefamily additions! The women in her groupspent a summer in rural Uganda at anorphanage and blogged about their timethere, which inspired the Richardsons to beginpraying and financially supporting thechildren and their director, Ms. Agnes. Overtime, their love for the kids deepened and

through Ainsley’s urging, they knew it wastime to meet these kids face-to-face. Adoptingwas not on their radar, but they were willing tobe obedient.

“We weren’t going to build something orpaint something or hold clinics. He simply wasprompting us that it was time to go. Out oflove, and for the relationships, it was time togo. If he had more for us, we believed he’dshow us. So we went. And it was one of themost amazing, exhilarating, worshipfulexperiences of our lives,” Rodney said. “Weministered and were ministered to. We loved

and were loved on. We met people whom wewill cherish for the rest of our lives. We sharedthe gospel with our lives and had folks shareit back with us through theirs.”

The two youngest children at theorphanage were named Henri, 5, and Peacy,4. God began opening the doors for theRichardsons to adopt them, and in December2013, the family of five became seven. “Godhas taught us so much about utter andcomplete dependence on Him during thisadoption process,” Christy said. “A scripturethe Lord would bring to mind over and overwas Luke 1:37, for nothing is impossible withGod. Going through this adoption has beensuch a tangible picture to us of God adoptingus into his family.

“We are in awe that the Lord took us to thislittle orphanage in Uganda, grew our familiesheart for these two children in our time spentwith them there, and then moved miraculousobstacles to put them in our family here in Hattiesburg!”

Going forward, the Richardsons want to beavailable and open to what God has plannedfor them. “Our prayer for our children is toknow God and make Him known and toglorify Him and enjoy Him forever. We desireto be good stewards with the resources theLord has given us. Our building is His! It is onloan to us,” said Christy. “We just pray to befaithful with it and that it would be a source ofencouragement to others. We pray it would belike a sort of Lighthouse to our city, wherepeople can come and taste and see that theLord is good.” Y

Maggie Ingram lives in Madison with herhusband and three children. She is ahomemaker and loves a good book. Feelfree to contact her [email protected].

“All that junk that we pursue, that weadd on, that we cover up with—allthat weight and burden andirrelevance—He removes all that. Heclears it all away to get us back theuniqueness and beauty that Hecreated us to be. But not just to be thatsomething that we were in the past—to be a new creation in Him. To beused for new purposes and new life.”


A Story of Grieving Well and Celebrating Life

J.J. and Melanie Jasper


The Family TreeJ.J. is well known as an American Family Radio on-air morning talk

show host. He is an in-demand author and comedian whosebackground would make all of his career accomplishments seemunlikely. Growing up in Owensboro, Kentucky, in a dysfunctional homewith a lineage of alcohol abuse, he describes himself as “out-of-control; drinking, smoking pot and running with wild, reckless friends”when he went to live with his grandmother at age 19.

He was doing odd jobs in construction, had dropped out of school,and says he was an “absolute train wreck.” God chose to use his littlegrandmother’s love and example, along with the godly influence of anuncle whose life had been radically transformed. J.J. had walked theaisle of a Baptist church as a twelve year old—but there on the cusp oftwenty, he rededicated his life to the Lord and understood for the firsttime what the new life in Christ could be.

J.J.’s conversion opened an immediate platform for him in youthministry. He had always been the class clown so being in front of an

audience came naturally to him. But now, he had a story with meaningand purpose to tell.Youth responded to his honest testimony ofpersonal experience with two opposite lifestyles. His “checkered” pastgave him credibility with teenagers. They recognized his honesty.

Eventually, he received an invitation to a weekend retreat in Tupelo,Mississippi. That weekend led to an invitation to remain there for theentire summer discipling the youth in that church. One relationship ledto another as his sphere of influence enlarged, and by the time thesummer was over, he had begun working in the local Christian radiostation. That was 1985, and Tupelo has been home ever since.

A decade passed. American Family Radio launched in 1991, and J.J.was the first voice on the air on the very first day. His multi-facetedcareer was in full force. He loved what he was doing between radio,speaking, and working with youth. There was no Mrs. J.J. Jasper. Shesimply had not come along. However, being around Christian radio somuch, J.J. had frequent opportunity to listen to Dr. James Dobson’s daily

J.J. and Melanie Jasper have lived everyparent’s nightmare—the sudden loss of achild. Five-year-old Cooper Jasper lost his lifeon a beautiful summer afternoon in themiddle of a special father and son activity thetwo had enjoyed countless times on thefamily farm. With Cooper shouting his favorite superhero mantra, “Flame On!” and his dad behind the wheel oftheir dune buggy, the two were laughing with delight asthey made trips up and down the level path, almost slowingto a stop and then flooring the accelerator. J.J. remembersthinking how very much he loved this little boy with theblonde hair and the infectious smile. The low-to-the-groundvehicle had a wide stance and was equipped with a full rollbar and seat belts. It was highly unlikely to flip. And yet, onthat July afternoon in 2009, it did flip. Cooper died in hisfather’s arms.

And life would never be quite the same again. The storyof how the Jasper’s put one foot in front of the other day byday is a completely non-sugar-coated, real life experienceof God’s grace in meeting them at the point of their needand His ability to answer their first raw prayers to teachthem to “grieve well.”


programs. Conscious of the fact that he had no firsthand experienceobserving a vibrant and loving relationship between his parents, hemade mental notes of Dr. Dobson’s advice thinking, “I’m going toremember that. And if the Lord ever sends me a bride, I am going totry to put in place these things I’m learning from Dr. Dobson.” One ofJ.J.’s great joys is that he did eventually meet Dr. Dobson and let himknow how much he gleaned from his wise counsel.

In 1997, J.J. was invited to Gulfport to do anight of comedy at Michael Memorial Baptistchurch. It was there that J.J. and Melanie met, andthe rest, you could say, is history.

Melanie was a young single mother of a two-year-old daughter. Recently divorced, she wasliving with her parents and working hard to putlife together for herself and for baby Lauren.

She had recently come to a new plateau ofsurrender in her life as she realized howdependent she was on the Lord’s guidance forwisdom as a breadwinner and as a mother. Sheread Psalm 37:4 with new understanding.“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give youthe desires of your heart.” Melaniedecided to do that—to learn tomake her relationship with the Lordher greatest delight and to trustHim with everything beyond that.

Two months later, she washelping host a fish fry in herparents’ back yard in connectionwith their church’s comedy event. Itwas as if she and J.J. had knowneach other their entire lives. Sixmonths, many huge phone bills,and many prayers later, Melanieand J.J. married.

As J.J. says, “You could call me a ‘microwave’ dad. I gota wife and a two-year-old daughter on the same day.”

Growing a FamilyDespite the stereotypical stories of blended families,

warring factions and difficult adjustments, the Jaspersfound family life to be close to fairytale perfect. “For it tohave worked so well, it had to be the Lord,” says Melanie.

They agree that because both were at a place in theirlives where they were committed wholeheartedly to Christhaving both experienced a slice of life without Hisguidance, their shared values and priorities were in sync.They knew the Bible was going to be their guide, a Bible-believing church was going to be a huge factor, and theywould do their best to practice the love, respect, andforgiveness that Christ taught toward one another in their daily lives.“After that, things pretty much fell into place,” J.J. says.

Melanie says, “I watched my mom and dad be madly in love witheach other. I did not think I would ever find that kind of love. But I did,and I would think, ‘Is this a fairytale?’ When I waited on God and didnot try to fit a square peg into a round hole—when I waited on God,He did give me the best.”

That is a lesson she has often shared with her daughters. “Godalways gives the very best, and his timing is always the very best.”

Melanie wanted more children although J.J. says he wasn’t looking

to have a lot of them. He had been a bachelor for so long that hewasn’t sure he would like the normal chaos that comes with lots of littlepeople running around. For the next three years, it seemed that evenone more baby was not to be. They came to accept that Lauren wouldbe their only child, and though they were both disappointed that theycould not have just one more, they really came to the place of beingokay with that.

Close friends continued to pray that Godwould bless the Jaspers with more children,and it was an incredibly joyous day whenthey discovered they were expecting. Afterthe birth of Sadie, the babies kept coming asthe Jaspers added one surprise baby a yearfor the next three years! Maddie, thenCooper arrived, and life was full, hectic,crazy, and wonderful. J.J., to his surprisemore than anyone else’s, was beside himselfin love with each one.

He says, “For as long as I’ve been aChristian, I have been reasonably pro-life,but now I am radically pro-life. There isnothing more valuable than those little ones.When you stand there with your spouse and

you look in and they go to sleep, and they’re in the crib,and the way they coo and those little tiny hands and tinyfeet, well, how could anybody destroy that? With eachchild we considered what God’s word says in Psalm 127—they really are a gift.”

CooperJ.J., the bachelor, adapted quickly to his role as father of

girls. Who would have thought? “Girls are so special,” says J.J.

“There is something so specialabout the bond between a daddyand daughter. Girls have thecapacity to make a dad feel 10 feettall.”

He admits, however, that as anAll-American guy, he wonderedwhat it would be like to have a sonto hunt and fish and play catchwith. When they discovered thattheir fourth (and surprise babyagain) would be a boy, everyonewas excited, especially the sisters.

Samuel Cooper Jasper wasborn on February 24, 2004. His bigsister Lauren, who was eight whenCooper entered the world,

recounts the day of his birth in the book Losing Cooper. She says, “Ihad never felt so much love for something that looked so much like apotato…Staring at this just seconds-old, wrinkly little creature, I knewsomeone special had just been born…”

And “special” was a word that followed Cooper everywhere for thenext five years. Looking back, it seems as though God compressed inthat short life all the components for a legacy that would influence,impact, and impress farther and longer than most of us who are mucholder, could ever hope for ourselves.

Melanie and J.J. can laugh together when they recall Cooper’s


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unique personality. It was as though he was “bornsmiling,” they say. He was one of those rareindividuals with a happy disposition, a desire toserve others, and a zest for life that was electric!

His death left a gaping hole in so many hearts,but in the days and years that followed, his legacyhas been one of love, joy, and peace—three qualitiesthat just happen to be the first three listed in Galatians5:22, the passage we call the “Fruit of the Spirit.”

Grieving WellIn those first months after Cooper died, Melanie and J.J.

woke up every new day with an almost debilitating shroud of painengulfing them. The tears felt as though they would never stop. J.J. says,“When we finally got our composure, we would pray together, ‘Lord,help us grieve well. And we prayed those words over and over. I didn’teven know what that meant or looked like, but that’s all I had thestrength to say.”

Clinging to the God they loved and trusted, they took intentionalsteps toward their “new normal”—life without Cooper. J.J. wasconscious of his personal past and the alcohol abuse that had plaguedhis family as a child. He remembered, too, his reckless behavior beforehe knew Christ. As much as he wanted to escape this heartache foreven a few hours, he wanted even more to be there for Melanie and hisdaughters. “I would just continue to pray, ‘Lord, help me grieve well. Ido not want to be a statistic.” And he adds, “God is that big and that wonderful.”

Melanie describes getting supper on the table. Many nights shewould find herself serving that sixth plate for Cooper before she wouldremember that he was gone. There were a million little things likethat—expecting to see him walk through the door, looking in therearview mirror for his blonde head, starting to call his name when itwas time to load up the car to go somewhere—and then

remembering, and the pain was without end.They saw only their grief and their pain. Otherswho loved the Jaspers, their friends and J.J.’s co-

workers at American Family Radio, saw thefamily as working through their devastation

with grace, strength, and a measure of faiththat was inspiring to behold. It was apowerful testimony on so many levels.

“Flame On”Several months after Cooper’s death,

some of the leaders at the AmericanFamily Association approached Melanie

and J.J. about filming a documentary,something that would be a true resource

for families dealing with the death of a child.Cooper’s story was even more poignant

because he was in his father’s care at the time ofthe accident. How much blame and guilt could have

been heaped on J.J.’s head because of that? As J.J. said, “At first blush people might think, ‘They are trying to

exploit you,’ but that is not the case. Number one, they were going togive the DVD away. There was no money to be made here. Numbertwo, they truly wanted to help hurting people.”

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AFA’s mission is to return this country to its Judeo-Christian rootsand to encourage families. The fallout that comes in the aftermath of achild’s death often includes other broken lives and broken marriages,even among Believers. It is simply the most gut-wrenching loss thereis. As Melanie and J.J. had realized in their own grief, there are fewresources that tell you how to get through it. Apart from God, theyseriously doubt they could.

The goal was to offer the hope and future that God’s grace issufficient even in a situation as devastating as this one.Yes, they werestill in the grieving process, but that fact meant that families who weregrieving would know that this was real.

And so, Melanie and J.J. agreed to open their hearts to such anundertaking. Over 50,000 copies have been given away so far, andover 100,000 people have seen it online. (Find it on YouTube).

J.J. says that he rarely goes to a speaking engagement that somecouple doesn’t show up early while he is setting up or doing a mikecheck. They almost fall in his arms saying they have seen the DVD andthey are just desperate for answers because they have also lost a child.They have come to hear him talk because whatever he has to say, theyknow they want to hear it. J.J. uses the word “ricocheting.” The story ofCooper is literally doing just that and offering hope to people that arehurting.You can almost see Cooper smiling about it. He would beoverjoyed!

There is a measure of redemption there. God does redeem ourpain.Yes.

Making Sense of What Doesn’t Make SenseJ.J.’s recent book, Losing Cooper: Finding Hope to Grieve Well, is a

must for any grieving person. He records word for word the eulogytheir minister, Robert Garland, gave at Cooper’s funeral. This shortexcerpt frames a perspective that comforts all who grieve.

“Most often, in situations like this, the questions are asked: Amissionary friend that was serving God on the mission field had adeath in this family. He had to come home from that field for a while.While he was at the funeral someone walked up to him and handedhim a small piece of a jigsaw puzzle. On the back of that jigsaw puzzlepiece there was a reference. It was Romans 8:28. ‘We know that allthings work together for good to them that love God, to them who arethe called according to His purpose.’ He looked at it a little bit puzzledfor a moment. The man who handed it to him said, ‘We can’t see the

whole picture. But God can.’ The piece of the puzzle that we seeoftentimes is a blank piece of the puzzle. Oftentimes it is a hard pieceof the puzzle for us to comprehend. Often times that piece brings usheartache or it brings us tears. But we don’t see the whole picture.God sees the whole picture and God’s picture is beautiful. Our part isto trust Him to finish that puzzle in our lives…”

The God of SurprisesKasie James Jasper was born a little more than a year after Cooper’s

death. She is a true gift from God. With the birth of Kasie James, theJasper’s decided their family was complete.

Melanie scheduled an outpatient surgery to insure that there wouldbe no more little Jaspers. On the day that she was to have herprocedure early in the morning, the doctor was delayed by oneemergency call after another. The day dragged on and late in theafternoon Melanie was still hooked up to an IV waiting her turn.

Just before the orderlies came to wheel her back, she received aphone call from her brother that her mother had been in an accident.“I don’t know how bad it is, but they did take her away in an ambulance.”

Melanie had the nurse disconnect the IV; she got dressed, andheaded to check on her mom.

Fast forward. Her mother was fine, but life with four girls just gotbusy and she had not quite gotten around to re-scheduling that procedure.

And then the God who understands all the puzzle pieces surprisedthem again. The Jaspers are awaiting the birth of twins—a girl and aboy—in a few short weeks.

Five years have passed since that July afternoon when everything inMelanie and J.J. Jasper’s lives changed forever. What they havediscovered in these subsequent years is that God is indeed faithful, thathis grace is sufficient, and that even though life does not look exactlythe way they thought it would at this point in time, it is full, rich and wonderful.

He is the God of Hope and He is faithful. Y

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➺food for thoughtby LYDIA BOLEN

SPINACH TORTELLINI SOUP3 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped3 fresh garlic cloves, pressed2 cans (14.5-oz) chicken broth 1 cup uncooked, cheese-filled tortellini

(frozen, fresh, or dried)1 can (14.5-oz.) petite-diced tomatoes,

undrained 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves1 package (10-ounce) frozen chopped

spinach, thawed (use about 1/2 of package)Fresh Parmesan cheese, gratedSalt for individual serving, if desired

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil overmedium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cookuntil tender.

Add broth immediately and bring to aboil. Add tortellini and cook according topackage directions until tender. Do not drain.

Stir in tomatoes, basil, and spinach.Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Allowto cook on very low heat and covered untilready to serve.

Grate fresh Parmesan cheese overindividual servings of soup. Have eachperson salt to taste, if desired.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings.(Adapted from Amandajanebrown.com)

Remember to make memories through the kitchen—”the heartbeatof the home.” E-mail me at [email protected] for any questions.

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Himthat sent me, and to finish His work.”

– John 4:34

January 2015 rings in another new year. This month marksfresh beginnings. We all need this time of renewal to reflect on

better health, new goals, and how we spend our time.This is typically a very cold month when we all tend to stay indoors

more. Enjoy this time of year to refresh and reflect.I love comfort food, especially comforting soups of all kinds. Grab a

cup of soup, sit by the fire, and remind yourself of all your blessings andmany more to come.

Blessings to you all in 2015! Y

BAKED POTATO SOUP4 large baking potatoes

2/3 cup butter2/3 cup all-purpose flour

6 cups milk3/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 green onions, chopped1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled1 8-ounce container sour cream

Wash potatoes; prick with a fork. Bakeat 400 degrees for one hour or until done.Cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.Scoop out pulp and discard skins.

Melt butter in large pot over low heat.Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook,stirring constantly for one minute.

Gradually add milk. Cook over mediumheat, stirring until mixture is thickened andbubbly. Stir in potatoes, salt, pepper and 1cup cheese, 1/2 cup bacon, and 2tablespoons green onions.

Cook until heated. Do NOT boil!Stir in sour cream and cook just until

heated. Serve with remaining cheese,bacon and green onions as garnish.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

CRAWFISH BISQUE6 tablespoons butter1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour2 cups chicken broth3 cups half-and-half cream1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 pounds crawfish tails, peeled1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a large saucepan overmedium heat. Stir in onion and cook about 8minutes.

Stir in flour until smooth, and cook untilmixture turns a pale golden color.

Whisk in chicken broth, stirring constantly. Mix in the half-and-half cream, salt,

crawfish tails, Worcestershire sauce, andcayenne pepper.

Reduce heat to medium-low and continuewhisking as soup comes to a simmer. Letbisque simmer for about 5 minutes toslightly thicken. Do NOT boil!

Yield: 8 servings.

ComfortSoups


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Catherine McMahan, classicallytrained Christian vocalist andTupelo native lives by her

statement,“When words aren’tenough, add music.” From a young ageshe loved music and performing. Her careerbegan in her childhood home in Tupelo,Mississippi, where many days consisted ofperforming musicals such as, Down by theCreek Bank. Catherine often placed hercassettes in her Fisher Price tape player,hooked up the microphone and sang away onher playroom stage. Her younger siblings,Carrie and Graham, played the role of theadoring audience as she sang.

At a young age, the ministry of Christianartists such as Sandi Patty, Amy Grant, andCrystal Gayle moved Catherine. Inheriting herparents talent and love for music, she began totake piano and voice lessons. As her love formusic grew so did her love for Christ. Hebegan using music and His Word to draw herto Him. After reading Isaiah 43:21 where theLord says, “The people whom I formed formyself that they might declare my praise,”Catherine realized her purpose—”to bringChrist glory.”

She believes, “Everything I do should bringChrist glory. This guides me daily and anythingelse is a waste of time and energy.” As acollege student, she made a commitmentbefore her hometown church, HarrisburgBaptist, to surrender to full-time Christianservice. Though she was not clear on the exactservice, she trusted in the Lord’s guidance. His

“light unto her feet” would be sufficient.Catherine continued in her classical training

in college and minored in Music. In 2000, shemarried Jeremy McMahan, and they beganministry on a church staff in Dallas, Texas. Godsoon blessed them with their first child, Caleb,in 2004, and later their daughter, EllaCatherine, in 2008.

Jeremy had a burden to connect with thecommunity “outside of the church through actsof service.”?So the McMahan family movedback to Tupelo and began “Good WorksTupelo.” This is a non-profit ministry to singlemoms, widows, and anyone in need. “We serve

people through Good Works in hopes ofbuilding a bridge on which to share the gospelwith them.”

People often ask Jeremy and Catherine ifthey will go back into the ministry. Accordingto Catherine, “We never abandoned theministry, we just go about it in a different waynow. We look to Jesus and see that He taught inthe Temple, but also at a well in Samaria, on ahillside where He explained the Sermon onthe Mount, he cooked breakfast for friends,calmed a storm on the sea, and went toLazarus? home.” For the past six years andthrough “Good Works Tupelo,” Jeremy andCatherine have faithfully served the Tupelocommunity together.

In January 2013, Catherine had theopportunity to record her first CD, Let MyHeart Sing. Afterward, she began traveling andsharing through music. In November of thatyear, she was asked to speak to a group ofwomen on the topic of balancing the holidays.With those ladies, she shared a very personalconversation she had with the Lord that verymorning. Catherine prayed, “Lord, I cannot gothrough these holidays the same way I have inthe previous years. Make this year different.Help me to be solely focused on what trulymatters.” In the next month, God answered herprayer and showed Himself sufficient in all circumstances.

County Road 41 is a beautiful winding roadoff of Highway 6. Many Tupelo natives knowthis as the road that used to lead to Malone?sFish and Steakhouse. In July 2013, Jeremy

➺artist profileby TARA DOWDEN

Christian Vocalist Catherine McMahan of Tupelo”When words aren’t enough, add music.”

Caleb, Catherine, Jeremy and Ella McMahan

Joyful CreationsGift Market

2025 McCullough Blvd.Tupelo | 662-269-3381

‘Be joyful always…’ 1 Thessalonians 5:16


McMahan was thrilled to win a bid on abeautiful piece of property on CR 41. Theproperty was perfect for bonfires and fourwheelers. The McMahan family began thetedious renovation work. They painted,changed out all the flooring, and installed newappliances. In July, they moved into whatseemed to be a totally “new” home. By theend of November, they had settled into theirhouse, unpacked the last box, and decided tohost a large Hancock family gathering forCatherine’s side of the family. All theirChristmas decorations were in place and theMcMahan’s were feeling festive.

The next day, December 1, 2013, theirfamily headed to church and lunch. Afterlunch, while Catherine and the children wentto choir practice to prepare for Harrisburg’sChristmas cantata, Jeremy returned home tofinish some outside work.After musical practice, Ellawent home with hergrandmother. Catherine, herson, Caleb, and his friend, TyRussell, headed home. Whileon their way, around 4:40p.m., Catherine received aphone call that her house wason fire and that Jeremy wasvery sick from smoke inhalation.

As Catherine and thechildren turned the corner onto CR 41, theyimmediately saw eight to ten fire trucks, alongwith smoke and flames billowing from theirhome. Catherine pulled into her neighbors’driveway to drop the two boys off, and Caleb’sfriend grew concerned over Caleb’s Legosand other toys possibly melting in the fire.Catherine recalls telling Caleb, “This is whatfaith is made of and this is how it is madestronger. If we have only our family and Jesus,we will be okay.”

As Catherine crossed the street, shearrived on a horrific scene. Eight fire trucks,numerous firefighters, fifty or more concernedneighbors and bystanders, and her houseburning into ashes before her eyes. “I watchedthe flames pouring off the roof and at the sametime all the doors were melting.” Anambulance was on its way to treat Jeremy forsmoke inhalation and lack of oxygen.Attempting to save valuables, he had mademultiple trips inside the burning house. Hemade sure to show Catherine that he hadsaved the portraits of the children. Catherinerecalls thinking, “Blessed is the man whoknows how much portraits of the kids mean tohis wife!”

Although it seems strange, as Catherinewatched her house burn she had never “feltmore free and loved by God.” She felt freefrom possessions and free to love Him above

Tara Dowden is a proud graduate ofMississippi State University. She hasworked in interior design andelementary education. She is currently anAccount Executive for MississippiChristian Living magazine, a classicalballet instructor, and a volunteer children’s minister.She and her husband, Landon, live in Tupelo where hepastors The Church at Trace Crossing. They enjoyattending soccer games and ballet recitals with theirfour children: Arabella, Adalaide, Adoniram,and Alastair.

all. “He had chosen to bless us in such a waythat He took away everything that was keepingus from him.”

Forty-eight hours later, Jeremy was releasedfrom the hospital and they drove home to seewhat was left. Catherine remembersColossians 1:17, “He is before all things, and inHim all things hold together” being a comfortfor her. As they walked around the outside ofthe house, they stopped at their bedroomwindow. The McMahan’s saw everything intheir bedroom was destroyed except for theirwedding photo, which was surrounded bycrosses. The only items left in the study were afile cabinet full of Jeremy’s sermons, andCatherine’s music. “We felt reminded of Hisprotection over His clear plan for us to preachHis Word and sing His praise.”

As days and weeks passed many familymembers, church members,and friends pitched in to helpJeremy, Catherine, Caleb, andElla Catherine with clothingand food. The family, who hadministered to so many others,now had the experience ofbeing in need and receivingministry. In the midst of it all,Catherine learned anothervaluable lesson—it ispossible to “rebuild your lifefrom Walmart”.

Jeremy and Catherine are currently servingat Richmond Baptist Church, where Jeremy isthe interim pastor. He still serves the localcommunity through “Good Works Tupelo” andruns his website for custom design woodwork,driftingantler.com. Catherine is continuing tohomeschool Caleb and Ella Catherine andtour with her music. She has had theopportunity to open for Jason Crabb andAdam Crabb. She is now a part of A&GEntertainments Artist Development Program.

From the pain and blessings of losing herhome and all her possessions Catherine hasrecorded her second album, Sacred Refuge.Catherine uses her love of music to exalt herlove of Christ. “How Great Thou Art” is still herfavorite song to sing, with her favorite linebeing, “Then I shall bow in humble adoration,and then proclaim, ?My God, how great Thou art!”

In Christ’s strength, Catherine’s prayer isthat her music would be used to bring onlyGod glory not herself. “If God were to use mylife as an example for others, I want my storyto read like Habakkuk 3:17-19, “Though the figtree should not blossom, nor fruit be on thevines, the produce of the olive fail and thefields yield no food, the flock be cut off fromthe fold and there be no herd in the stalls,Yet Iwill rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in theGod of my salvation.”

Through their experiences, Jeremy andCatherine have grown closer in their marriage,they have watched their children experiencejoy in Christ more than possessions, they havehad restored faith in the kindness andgenerosity of the church, and they haveexperienced being in need and in totaldependence on Christ. Catherine remarks,“He has burned away everything that wastrivial and has left what mattered, my faith andmy family.”

“The Lord gave and the Lord takes away;blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

Catherine’s CDs can be purchased bycontacting [email protected], 662.871.5255or from local stores in Tupelo, such as JoyfulCreations Gift Market,Yellow Lovebirds, Roomto Room, Jody’s Flowers and Fine Gifts, CornerShoe Store, and Silly Simpsons. Y


the doctor is inby ISSAC L. BOOSE, M.ED., LPC-S, LMFT, ICAADC

➺

College students who seektreatment because of alcoholor drug dependency have to

face reality head-on if they have anyhope of making positive changesnecessary to live a better life. Althoughthe warning signs are always present,individuals who abuse alcohol and drugs tendto overlook them. With increased self-awareness, young people can learn torecognize the warning signs and make betterchoices before their lives spiral out of control.If addiction is present, it is important to notethat by committing to a recovery program anddeveloping a spiritual practice, mostindividuals are able to live productive andfulfilling lives. Additionally, young people,impacted by addiction, need a source ofmotivation to do the work that is critical toestablishing a long-term recovery program.

At Pine Grove’s Next Step program, collegestudents are often a part of our therapeuticcommunity. It is not unusual for them to

present for treatment with a great deal ofdenial around their alcohol or drugdependence regardless of the consequences.I have often noticed these young adults havecreated a fantasy of sorts about how lifeshould go for them. Some young people havethe impression college life should include lotsof partying. Unfortunately, partying for some,involves alcohol and drug abuse. In treatment,they are introduced to the reality they cannever use alcohol or drugs again. The thoughtof never being able to drink alcohol againcreates a great sense of loss for these patients.It is frightening for anyone to hear the words,“I believe you’re an addict,” and this is the firststep towards acceptance of the problem.

When someone—especially a twenty yearold—hears those words for the first time, theshock can be so great they may put offaddressing the issue until life becomes sounmanageable, they are forced to dosomething about it. It would help them tounderstand that we receive the information weMarita Harris, Clinical Therapist

Pine Grove main entrance

How Self-Awareness IMPACTS Recovery


Issac L. Boose is a Licensed ProfessionalCounselor, a Licensed Marriage andFamily Therapist, as well as a CertifiedAdvanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor.Boose is the Director of Pine Grove’s NextStep program, which treats men ages 18through 54 who are struggling with substance abuseaddictions. He is an active member of the MississippiAssociation of Addiction Professionals. He has providedcouples, family, group and individual therapy.

Next Step Team Members (L to R) Beverly Bryant, Insurance Coordinator; Vanessa Cox,Clinical Director; Stephanie Creele; Susan Hinton, Counselor Associate; Sharon Otts, SeniorClinical Therapist; Caroline Barnes, Clinical Therapist, Women’s Center; Marita Harris,Clinical Therapist

Next Step residential cottages

need though our circumstances, and are oftenprovided with the opportunity to change our behavior.

It usually works something like this. If youhave issues with alcohol abuse, a friend orfamily member might inquire whether youbelieve you are drinking too much. Initially,most people brush this feedback off andrevisit it when they come in contact with lawenforcement and receive a DWI, for example.The DWI is additional evidence a problemexists. If you do not make productive changesafterwards the cycle continues—things likebeing asked to leave school or having yourdoctor tell you that your liver enzymes are elevated.

Prior to entering a treatment program likeNext Step, most people will be given manyopportunities to change their behavior. It isalways more empowering to listen to theinformation you are receiving and to make aconscious decision to change on your own,rather than feeling like others are forcing youto change. Acceptance is not just aboutaccepting you have a problem with alcohol ordrugs. It is also about accepting the idea thatyou are receiving valuable information aboutyour behavior all the time. Some peoplebelieve this information is guidance from theirhigher power. Acknowledging there is a powergreater than us helps individuals develop aspiritual practice.

Spirituality plays an important role in a 12-step recovery program. It is also the sourceof resistance for some young people. Itseems strange to these individuals, when thetreatment team asks them to participate in a12-step meeting or a book study for the firsttime. Through self-exploration, most

individuals develop a spiritual practice that provides them with comfort and personal satisfaction.

In my professional experience, I’ve foundthe best motivation for young people to getsober is to set productive, personal goals forthe future. Most young people have abulletproof mentality where the fear of deathis less of a motivator, compared to obtaininga degree and working in the field of theirchoice. Through self-examination, theconclusion is they will not be able to maintain

their addictive behaviors and achieve theirlife goals. Focusing on positive milestones isimportant for people hoping to maintain asober lifestyle on a college campus.

Supportive resources are a criticalcomponent of the recovery process andthere are colleges and universities in ourstate that have taken the initiative to be activeparticipants in that support system. TheUniversity of Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss,and Mississippi State provide support torecovering students through their CollegiateRecovery Communities, or CRC initiatives.These programs meet the needs of studentsin realistic ways.Young people are able tocontinue their education in a safe, healthy,and supportive environment.

I believe most of us want to protect youngpeople from the harms and dangers ofexcessive alcohol and drug use, and I amalso a believer in giving individuals the toolsthey need to take care of their selves.Treatment may be necessary for somepeople, and it does not mean the end of astudent’s dreams of a college degree andsuccessful career. Y


real love. real acceptance.

If I gave everything I have to the poor & even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I

didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.– 1 Corinthians 13:3

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money mattersby SCOTT T. MARSHALL, CPA, CFP®

➺

Iremember as a kid believing thestory that swallowed gum stays inyour stomach for seven years.

Someone said it, and I received it astruth. At some point as I matured, I didsome brief research to conclude thatalthough swallowing gum was notrecommended, it did not stay in yourstomach for seven years. (I still don’t swallowmy gum, I might add).

As believers in Christ, we hear messagespreached often. Some messages we agreewith; others we do not. The Bible teaches thatwe are to examine and know the Scriptures.We need to evaluate what is preached in lightof what Scripture teaches.

Whether you grew up in a church, orwhether you profess faith in Christ or not, Ifeel confident that you are somewhat familiarwith tithing. Let’s first define tithing. In thebroadest sense, tithing can be defined as “atenth of one’s increase,” (Deuteronomy14:22). In the Old Testament, the tithe isreferenced many times in relation to giving atenth of produce to the Lord. But how is thetithe referenced in the New Testament? Well,that’s where the discussion gets interesting.

Some scholars say that one-third of Jesus’parables revolve around money andpossessions, and that Jesus talked moreabout money and possessions than faith andprayer combined. So, it’s safe to say thatJesus certainly did not dodge this subjectmatter. But in all of his teachings aboutmoney and possessions, how often did Jesusspeak about the tithe? To the best of my

research, Jesus references the tithe onlytwice: Matthew 23:23/Luke 11:42 and Luke18:12. And let’s just say the context of thesepassages is quite interesting.

Let me shift here and focus on somecommon ground with believers. “The earth isthe LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the worldand those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). Ithink all believers agree that everything, and Imean everything, is ultimately the Lord’s.However, I have found in my own life that Ican easily preach this message, but in actuallife, I practice that after I give a certainamount, the rest is mine. This contradictswhat Scripture teaches. How often do wegive, wipe our hands clean, then live as if therest is ours?

To return to our subject, it’s worthresearching how giving in the Old Testamentand New Testament may differ. Below is anexcerpt from an article I recently read:

“Under the old covenant, tithing was requiredfor the support of the old covenant ministers.The Israelites were required to give 10percent—and their blessing was only aphysical one! Christians in the new covenanthave much better blessings—spiritual ones.How much more willingly ought we to give inthankfulness for the eternal blessings we havein Christ Jesus?”

The Israelites were commanded to giveten percent under a covenant that could notmake them perfect (Hebrews 7:19; 9:9). Howmuch more joyfully should we give to Godunder the new covenant? We have thesacrifice of Jesus Christ, which does cleanseour conscience (Hebrews 9:14). And yet itseems that in America today, even though wehave so much more than the Israelites did,people give on average less than half thepercentage the Israelites did. God calls on usto examine our hearts, to examine ourpriorities, and to be generous.

A person who is transformed by Christ tobe more like Christ is generous. Such aperson wants to give as much as possible tosupport the gospel and to support membersin need. Christians should give generously—but giving is a result of their relationship withGod, not a way to earn it. We are given gracethrough faith, not through giving.

Cheerful, Sacrificial Giving

Quick Scripture Reference✝ “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not

reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”(2 Corinthians 9:7).

✝ “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of moneyin keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections willhave to be made” (1 Corinthians 16:2).

✝ “In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme povertywelled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own” (2 Corinthians 8:2-3).

✝ “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous andwilling to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).

✝ “But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fewcents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said,‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow hasput more into the treasury than all the others.They all gave out of their wealth; butshe, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on’” (Mark 12:42-44).

✝ “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of theirpossessions was their own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32).


Scott T. Marshall, CPA, CFP® is the Founder and President of Rivertree Financial Planning, Originallyfrom West Point, Scott is a graduate of the University of Mississippi where he received his Bachelorsand Masters in Accountancy. Scott and his wife, Helen, reside in Jackson, MS with their threechildren, Artur, Taylor, and Molly. They are active members at Redeemer Church, PCA, in Jacksonwhere Scott is a Deacon and serves on the Men’s Ministry team.

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New Testament giving could be characterized by being:

1) Willing and Cheerful 2 Corinthians 9:7

2) A Regular Pattern of Life 1 Corinthians 16:2

3) Proportionate to One’s Ability 2 Corinthians 8:3

4) Generous 2 Corinthians 8:2-3; 1 Timothy 6:18

5) Sacrificial Mark 12:42-44; Acts 4:32; 2 Corinthians 8:3

In conclusion, how much you should give isa personal conviction that you should laybefore God. Pray for wisdom, study His Word,and act in faith as the Lord leads you. Themessage to the materially rich may be, “towhom much is given, much is required.” To thematerially poor, the message may be, “mygrace is sufficient for you, for my power ismade perfect in weakness.” Y


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Here we are in a brand new year filled with promiseand opportunity. In order to realize the promise and takeadvantage of the opportunity, you have to do something. Neither

of these comes to you automatically. Will you just continue to leave yourfamily at risk because you find it more convenient to procrastinate ratherthan face the reality that something may happen to you in this New Year?What if it did and you had continued to procrastinate? What then?

Your family will likely have to spend a significant sum of money going tocourt to get permission to deal with your assets and to take care of you(and them) if you are still alive but incapable of caring for yourself andhandling your own business dealings. But what if you are not living? Courtwill again be necessary (with all its expense and delay) in order to giveauthority over your assets to your administrator who will then pay your billsand distribute your assets according to the laws of the state of Mississippi—probably not the way you would want it done. Have a spouse and children?The state considers the spouse as just another child, so he or she will get achild’s portion of your assets. And if one or more of your children areminors or disabled, then their share will have to be administeredseparately, resulting in even more expense and delay.

While on the subject of minor children, if there is no surviving parent,then the court will appoint someone to care for the children until grown. Itmay well not be the person you would have chosen, but you had thechance to name that person and instead you procrastinated. By that timeyou are dead and can do nothing to correct this very large mistake. And letme give you a tip: it is often wise to have one person (or couple) rear yourchildren and someone else to manage the money for them. Incidentally,

Just Do It—You Have Procrastinated Long Enough!these issues apply to a disabled adult child as well. They need specialplanning also.

As you can see from the above, planning for the future does not involvejust “death planning.” It is also crucial to plan for what would happen ifyou did not die, but could not act for yourself for whatever reason. Giveyour family the tools to do the job. Obviously, a Will is only for death.Many people have a Power of Attorney (for business, not for healthcare)that they are relying upon. Twenty years ago that may have beensatisfactory. But now, powers of attorney are often refused—particularly byfinancial institutions like banks. So, what will solve that problem?

People today are turning to a Living Trust to avoid complications in theevent of incapacity or death, to give the family the needed authority, andto do so without ever going to court with all its delay and expense. ALiving Trust is private so that there is no public record as to what you had,what you owed and who got what after you are gone. I have an attitude: Ihave nothing to hide, but my business is my business and not anyoneelse’s. I want my family’s privacy preserved.

As to seeing that your healthcare wishes are carried out your way andnot just left up to chance, particularly what treatment you want at the endof your life, you need special documents: an Advance Health CareDirective (which includes a healthcare power of attorney and a very muchimproved living will), and you need written provisions to allow your familyto have access to your medical information if you are unable to speak for yourself. Y

William B. Howell is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneysand practices law in Ridgeland.

➺legal adviceby WILLIAM B. HOWELL


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40 JANUARY 2015 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living40 JANUARY 2015 ❘ Mississippi Christian Living

Considersomething differentthis New Year. Letauthor KerriWeems suggest anew approachinstead ofresolutions andbetter timemanagement:discovering God’stempo for your life.Her new release, Rhythms of Grace,outlines reasons and process for looking attime a different way.

Weems starts with shalom, a Hebrewword that has more depth than our usualtranslation as peace. Instead, shalomevokes a deeper sense of rightness andbalance, a wholeness God included in Hisperfect creation.

The Old Testament illustrates thisbalance with the Sabbath, which acts as ametronome for the week. The other holydays God designated further punctuatetime with periods of rest and refreshment.Jesus then took this concept to the nextstep by inviting us to take up His yoke, onelight and defined by grace.

The author then turns to specifics fortoday, pacesetters and peace stealers:regular activities that help us keep ourrhythm or throw us off. She does a goodjob of making these things compatible witha variety of personality types, so anyonecan benefit. She also continues to illustratethe difference between scheduling andGod’s rhythm for you.

The last section gives practicalguidelines for resetting your schedule,using principles from the entire book.Weems acknowledges her program is nota quick fix, but one involving a lifetime oflearning. Since the goal is not performanceand perfection, we all have time to discovera life of greater wholeness and betterintimacy with God. Y

Susan E. Richardson is a writer, critiquereader, and former Christian retailerwith a passion for meeting people’sneeds through the written word.Youcan reach her through her websitewww.nextlevelcritiques.com.

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➺JA

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Yevents calendar

JACKSONJanuary 1–15Lego Jackson Dr. Scott Crawford's version of aclean and pedestrian friendly City of Jackson,all created from Legos. 10 a.m.–5.p.m. At TheArts Center 201 Pascagoula Street

January 10The 8th Annual Mississippi Blues Marathonand Half Marathon sponsored by Blue CrossBlue Shield of Mississippi draws runners fromacross the country. Register at222.bluesmarathon.com

January 10The Mississippi Children’s Museum hosts aspecial educational presentation on bonehealth during Question It? Discover it! Dr.Lawrence Haber and the Pediatric Orthopedicteam from UMMC will present an educationaland fun event from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.601.709.8964

January 10MS Symphony Chamber Orchestra presentsMozart & More by Candlelight at 7:30 p.m.at the Belhaven University Center for the Arts.Tickets are $16.

January 1728th Annual Pro-Life Candlelight Vigil in theRotunda of the Capitol at 6 p.m. Details at601.956.8636 or by email [email protected].

January 28MS Museum of Art hosts Art in Mind, an artprogram, presented in partnership with theMS Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association,for persons with dementia and their caregiversdeveloped from a growing body of researchthat recognizes the positive effects of art onthe mind. Lasts for approximately one-hour,and includes art viewing activities in thegalleries and hands-on experience in thestudio. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Contact Sara Murphy@[email protected] or 601.987.0020. Free, pre-registration required.

January 29Charity Taco Night atJaco’s Tacos at 318 SouthState Street. Half of allsales from 5 p.m. untilclosing benefit the Crisis Pregnancy Center.

January 30First Presbyterian Church hosts the annualMid-South Men’s Rally at 1390 North StateStreet with complimentary dinner starting at5:15 p.m. A multi-generational gathering andevening of praise, worship, and fellowshipanchored in the preaching of God’s word.Keynote speaker is Dr. Ralph Davis. ContactBilly Dempsey at [email protected] details.

MORTONFebruary 26–28Bluegrass, Gospel, and Country MusicFestival featuring Goldwing Express, TrinityRiver Band, Hurricane Creek, and others at theLivingston Performing Arts Center, Highway 13

at Roosevelt State Park. Show times vary. Formore info or reservations call 601.537.3641.

MADISONJanuary 13 Madison County Chamber of Commercehosts their newmember breakfastfrom 8–9 a.m. at thechamber office at618 Crescent Blvd.,Suite 101. Comejoin! 601.605.2554.

January 242015 Maverick Stampede Race/Walk atGermantown High School at 200 CalhounParkway. Events include several races foradults, a Fun Run for children under 12, and aKiddie Gallop for children 8 and under.601.624.4763 [email protected].

TUPELOJanuary 8–10Elvis’ 80th Birthdaythree days of events tocelebrate what wouldhave been the King ofRock and Roll's 80th birthday weekend. Forinfo, visit tupelo.net

VICKSBURGJanuary 177th Annual Chill in the Hills 10K Run/5KWalk/1 Mile Fun Run. Race starts at 8:30a.m. Onsite registration and packet pickupwill be Friday night and Saturday morning atGuaranty Bank, 1900 Cherry Street.

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➺quips & quotesADVERTISING PARTNERS PAGEBaptist Cancer Services............................................23Belhaven University.....................................................5Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi .....................17C Spire ..........................................................................3Capstone Treatment Center....................................11Choose Life................................................................12Christ Covenant School............................................39Crisis Pregnancy Center Benefit .............................12Covenant Caregivers ..................................................8East-Lakeland OBGYN Associates, PA ..................15Energy Insulation.......................................................41EyeCare Professionals ..............................................17First Presbyterian Day School..................................29Forrest General/The Orthopedic Institute.............44GI Associates .............................................................23Grace Myofascial Clinic, LLC ...................................37Grantham Poole Certified Public Accountants.....27Howell, Kyle, & Wynn, PLLC Attorneys at Law.....38Jackson Academy.....................................................35Jackson Preparatory School ....................................29Joyful Creations Gift Market ...................................31Livingston Mercantile................................................10Mars & Steel ..............................................................41Methodist Senior Services .......................................27Mississippi College School of Law............................2Mississippi Eye Plastics.............................................29Mississippi Retina Associates...................................25Modern Woodman Financial...................................40Moffett Law Firm.......................................................27New Beginnings Adoptions ....................................30New Summit School.................................................19N. State Animal Hospital..........................................42O! How Cute .............................................................14Pine Grove....................................................................9Private Collection......................................................16Raborn Media.....................................................35, 39Renasant Bank...........................................................27Rivertree Financial Planning, LLC............................36Sitters, LLC.................................................................29Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company..25Southern Bath & Kitchen .........................................15St. Dominic's..............................................................43Stegall Imagery..........................................................34Summit Counseling ..................................................40Tinnin Imports..............................................................7The Orchard...............................................................39The Vein Center at Rush ..........................................13Venable Glass Services.............................................40WHJT Star 93.5.........................................................34Written in Stone, LLC...............................................40

ADVERTISER INDEX

Cut out the scriptures and quotes and place them around your home for daily encouragement!{ }

✂

Write your vision in ink;everything else should bepenciled in. Plans change.Vision remains the same.

– Andy Stanley

That’s why it’s important to know our “stories.” In them, we findGod’s work and preparation in our lives from the day we were born.Today didn’t just happen. Today is the result of the days that havegone on before—the people we’ve known, the experiences (both goodand bad) we’ve had, the joys we’ve encountered and tears we’ve shed.And more important…is the awareness that every bit of that wasoverseen by a sovereign and good God who is good all the time evenwhen it doesn’t feel that way.

– Steve Brown

Old minds arelike old horses;you mustexercise them tokeep them inworking order.

– John Adams

Whatever He requires of you today will not be toodifficult for you or beyond your reach. Trust thattruth, and you will be filled. God desires to prosper usindeed, but to prosper us with satisfied hearts and tofill us not with the things of this world that will oneday fade away, but with Himself, and He will use bothblessings and adversities to accomplish His purposes.

– Karen Janous

We must be ready to allowourselves to be interrupted byGod. God will be constantlycrossing our paths and cancelingour plans by sending us peoplewith claims and petitions.”

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

The best thing about thefuture is that it comes oneday at a time.

– Abraham Lincoln

I learned that we shouldn’t seekanswers as much as we should seekGod. We get overanxious. We try tomicrowave our own answersinstead of trusting God’s timing.But here’s an important reminder:If you seek answers you won’t findthem, but if you seek God, theanswers will find you.

– Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker

Let us hold unswervinglyto the hope we profess, forHe who promised isfaithful. And let usconsider how we may spurone another on toward loveand good deeds.

– HEBREWS 10:23-24

In Him lie allthe treasuresof wisdom andknowledge.

– COLOSSIANS 2:3, NLT

Your laws arealways right;help me tounderstand themso I may live.

– PSALM 119:144, NLT

For you created my inmostbeing; you knit me together inmy mother’s womb. I praiseyou because I am fearfullyand wonderfully made.

– PSALM 139:13-14

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart andlean not on thine own understanding. In allthy ways, acknowledge Him and He shalldirect thy paths.

– PROVERBS 3:5-6, KJV

“The best part is that it’s not a diet…it’s a lifestyle change.”

MeLisa Stewart of Ridgeland, MS lost over 70 pounds.MeLisaHeight 5’2” Before HWA After HWA 3 years laterWeight ............................................................243 lbs .............................................................164 lbs. .................................175 lbs.Clothes ............................................................Size 24 .............................................................Size 12...................................Size14Health .............................................................BP 138/92 ........................................................BP 112/77 .............................ConsistentPhysical Activity ..............................................Minimal ...........................................................4x per week high impact aerobics

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From the personal touch of experienced staff to the latest technology and rehabilitative services, The Orthopedic Institute provides world-class, comprehensive care in a facility designed specifi cally to meet the needs of orthopedic and spine patients.

To learn more about The Orthopedic Institute, go to forrestgeneral.com/theorthopedicinstitute or call FGH OnCall at 1.800.844.4445.

Pictured from left: Raymond Whitehead, M.D.; Neal Gregg, D.O.; Rocco Barbieri, M.D.; Constantine Charoglu, M.D.; James Sikes, M.D.; Lance Line, M.D.; Douglas Rouse, M.D.; John Kosko, M.D.; Michael Patterson, M.D.; Michael Stonnington, M.D.; James Antinnes, M.D.; Ross Ward, M.D.; Elliott Nipper, M.D.; Robert Dews, M.D.Not Pictured: Michael Cox, M.D., Sergey Dzugan, M.D., Brian Humpherys, M.D.

27 Southern Pointe Parkway, Hattiesburg, MS

601.288.9000

january 2015 mississippi christian living

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