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OUR MISSION Publisher: Robert Stringfellow • 615-815-8765 publisher@christianfamilynashville.com Editor: Raymonda Jaggers Contributing Writers: Anthony “Tony” Boquet Brian Burke John Croyle Jada Daves Lou Feagles Cole Gray Kathey Grodi Darrel Holcombe Courtney Keen Scott Lehman Jason Lindsey
Ronnie McBrayer Tammy Merritt Sheila Moss Kenneth Oosting, PhD Stephen Rowland Mark Simpson Aron Strong Laurie Stroud Toby Swager Jean Thomason
Production and Art Direction: Wendy Satterwhite Website Development, Digital Marketing & SEO Services: www.BowenDigital.com Social Media: Kylie Odrobina Printer: Franklin Web Printing Sales & Marketing: Robert Stringfellow
Nashville Christian Family is published monthly by Clarion Concepts, P.O. Box 463, Spring Hill, TN 37174. The phone number is 615-815-8765. E-mail ncfpublication@gmail.com. Reproduction of any part of Nashville Christian Family without permission of the Publisher is prohibited. Distribution of this paper does not constitute and endorsement of information, products or services. Views expressed in Nashville Christian Family do not necessarily represent those of the Publisher. Every effort has been made by Nashville Christian Family staff to insure accuracy of the publication contents. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of all information nor the absence of errors and omissions; hence, no responsibility can be or is assumed. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2017 by The Christian Family Publication, Inc. Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Use by permission of International Bible Society. Circulation and Distribution: Nashville Christian Family is free and available at targeted, high traffic locations throughout the Nashville Metro Area and surrounding counties, Williamson, Wilson, Sumner, Rutherford and Maury. 10,000 copies are printed each month. Copies are available by subscription, $25 for one year (12 issues). To subscribe, e-mail ncfpublication@gmail.com
– Nashville Christian Family is a part of The Christian Family Publication, Inc. celebrating 17 years of Good News! Visit www.ChristianFamilyNashville.com
Nashville Christian Family ® exists to provide Christians and the community at large with ways to strengthen and grow as a part of the Middle Tennessee Christian Family. This local monthly publication is designed to promote positive living by sharing with readers of all ages relevant and timely news and information related to health, faith, parenting, youth, finances, Christian entertainment, missions, church leaders, and much more.
FROM THE PUBLISHER Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March, April or May. It complements Father's Day, a similar celebration honoring fathers. Mother's Day is an American invention. It is not directly descended from the many celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have occurred throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration. Despite this, in some countries Mother's Day has become synonymous with these older traditions. The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in America. She then began a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States. Although she was successful in 1914, she was already disappointed with its commercialization by the 1920s. Jarvis' holiday was adopted by other countries and it is now celebrated all over the world. In this tradition, each person offers a gift, card, or remembrance toward their mothers, grandmothers, and/ or maternal figure on mother's day. Various observances honoring mothers existed in America during the 1870s and the 1880s, but these never had resonance beyond the local level. Jarvis never mentioned Julia Ward Howe's attempts in the 1870s to establish a "Mother's Day for Peace", nor any connection to the Protestant school celebrations that included "Children's Day" amongst others. Neither did she mention the traditional festival of Mothering Sunday, but always said that the creation was hers alone. In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day", and created the Mother's Day International Association She specifically noted that "Mother's" should "be a singular possessive, for each family to honor their mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world.
God's Helper God could not be in every place With loving hands to help erase The teardrops from each baby's face, And so He thought of mother.
The days of youth slipped quickly by, Life's sun rose higher in the sky. Full grown were we, yet ever nigh To love us still, was mother.
He could not send us here alone And leave us to a fate unknown; Without providing for His own, The outstretched arms of mother.
And when life's span of years shall end, I know that God will gladly send, To welcome home her child again, That ever-faithful mother. --George W. Wiseman
God could not watch us night and day And kneel beside our crib to pray, Or kiss our little aches away; And so He sent us mother. And when our childhood days began, He simply could not take command. That's why He placed our tiny hand Securely into mother's.
Publisher, 615-815-8765 publisher@christianfamilynashville.com
May 2017
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May 2017
CONTENTS Volume 8, Number 7
DEPARTMENTS 3 From the Publisher 6 An Encouraging Word If the Truth Hurts Someone, Say It With Love
ON THE COVER
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Human trafficking is the second fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and Tennessee is right in the middle of it. Right a wrong through Global 1 Rescue. See page 14. 7
Family Camp at Deer Run
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Mother’s Day
FEATURES 7
Deer Run Offers Great Family Camp Experiences This Summer
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We Should Honor Those Who Gave Their Lives For Service To Christ
10
Senior Scene – Pay Attention To Changes In Your Parents Behavior
24
Workout For Water
6 Parenting Points Facing An Upcoming “Empty Nest”? 9 Kids Korner • Use Music To Tell Your Children About God • Kids Get Connected With the Bible Using Simple Science Experiments 10 Senior Scene The Bible says, “Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother”
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11 Mighty Women Mothers From the Bibile 11 Teachable Moments Giving to Others Is Giving Thanks 12 Money Matters From the Desk of Dave Ramsey 12 Best Books Hope Sings Risk More, Dream Bigger, Fear Less 17 Miracle Moments God’s Words Do Not Need to Be Decoded 17 Parent With Purpose Do You Know What the Hebrew Word “cjhesed” Means?
NEXT ISSUE Matthew West
18 Hassle Free Zone Questioning the Motives of Others
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20 Youth News • Listen Up! • Tips For Teens to Celebrate Safely 21 In His Grip • Practice, practice, practice, Doesn’t Simply Apply to Sports 23 Body & Soul “Be Still and Know That He Is God” 23 God’s Plan For Salvation and Eternal Life
Get Ready for Summer And MUCH MORE!
24 Healthy Living Ugh, it’s Monday Morning Get Up and Exercise!! 25 Mission Makers • Hometown Hero
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26 Calendar 26 About Our Advertisers
May 2017
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A N e Ncou r Ag i Ng W or d
One of the hardest things to do is confront someone who hurt you. We’d often rather bear the pain of injury rather than confront the one who caused it. We don’t want the relationship to get worse. What if they retaliate for confronting them? What if they have no idea they even hurt me? What if I’m over-exaggerating everything in my head? Despite the peril these kinds of conversations can hold, we still need to have them. You’ve probably never thought that confrontation was Godly, but it is. Scripture is filled with God confronting us with our sin, with how we’ve hurt him, and his attempts to restore the relationship. God often allows or even sets consequences for our failure in the relationship. But there is a big difference between why he confronts and what we reserve it for. Who do you need to confront but are afraid to? When confronting someone, it matters how much we truly care about them in the process. Are just trying to take care of ourselves, or are we exposing a weakness in the other that needs addressing? Are we willing to be an agent of healing? Not only do we pay the price of what they did to hurt us, we go a step further to heal the wound they already carry in them. Because that’s what Jesus did on the cross- he held his pain and our consequence at the same time. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. (2 Cor 7:10)
If we love people, we have to confront them. That will hurt them, but hopefully only for a short time. The message we want them to hear is that we love them. We tell them our pain, we draw the boundary; explain that what they did is not okay because we love them. Because they matter. Because we can’t be close to them in the presence of that hurt and disconnection. And that’s the heart of relationship- to know you matter. There’s no greater reason to face shame, pain, and discomfort than for one you love and/or who loves you. May you love the one who hurt you, forgive them, confront them, and seek to restore the relationship. Their brokenness hurt you, but you could be an agent of healing in the very place they, and you, are hurt. — Aron Strong, LMFT, was a pastor for more than a decade before transitioning to professional counseling. He is the director of Pathways Counseling in Murfreesboro and writes daily devotionals at www.biblebreakfast.club. He has been married for nearly 20 years, has a young son, two dogs and two cats.
P Ar e Nti Ng P oi Nts FIRST OF A THREE PART SEIRIES, “The Journey” Sometimes the most heroic thing you can do is step back and let go. That is how they discover their greatness. Parents must overcome the fear of not being needed. Kids need to trust that they can make it on their own. Proverbs tells us to, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Leaving The Nest One day soon, your children will spread their wings and fly. The question is, have you equipped them with the tools they need to succeed? Will they soar or tumble gracelessly out of the nest? It’s a delicate balance between overprotecting and under-instructing. Too much parental protection and your child becomes naïve; too little and they go hog wild. Kids need to be allowed to grow! Sometimes they even need a little nudge to get started but then you must be careful not to influence their decisions too much. It’s ultimately their life and not a second opportunity for mom or dad to relive the glory of their youth. The hardest thing as a parent is to watch your children going through something painful. You want to save them from the pain they are about to encounter but you realize it’s a lesson they will have to learn on their own.
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For example, teaching your child to ride a bike. The parent knows it’s so simple! You root for them, cheering them on. You want to do it for them but realize that’s not possible if you want them to experience the freedom of the wind rushing past on a warm summer’s evening. You hold on for as long as you can, giving encouragement and instruction. Eventually, you let go without influencing to the left or the right. If you do, they might overcorrect and fall. It is difficult, when a child doesn’t feel ready, to fight the urge to hold them back. Parents desire to be needed. They want to be their children’s heroes!
The job of a parent is to help our children along their path, not to direct them to the place you think is best for them. You can’t do that if you don’t let go. A gentle nudge might be required! Whether it’s driving a car or choosing a home, parents need to be there for support, but never take the wheel from them. It’s hard letting them grow; seeing things you think could have been avoided that lead to pain, but maybe it’s part of their molding process. Maybe, if a parent stops them from the experience, they become weaker for their future. Let go. Be ready to catch them, but let go! — Toby J. Swager is a husband, father, author of two books, and a pastor. He currently serves at Living To Go Church in Hendersonville. Log on to his website for more information, www.walkingwithswager.com.
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s P eciAl F eAtu r e CAMPS & RETREATS
Ahhh…just thinking about summer vacation gets me excited about warmer weather, longer days, and meaningful family time together. The options of where to go and what to do are countless, and trying to please my crew had become more of a dreadful chore than an enthusiastic adventure… until a couple of years ago when we had the opportunity to experience family camp. Our days were preplanned, the variety of activities engaged each personality type, and everyone agreed it was our best vacation ever! So what’s at the heart of choosing to spend time together in the woods at Deer Run Family Camp? In the words of my fifteen-year-old, she loves being removed from technology and enjoys “real time, not screen time.” My thirteen-year-old agrees wholeheartedly that communicating “with our mouths not our thumbs” is refreshing. There’s just something about being in nature…where the stillness draws you together and closer to Christ. This paradox is something many may not ever be exposed to in their chaotic, noisy lives. The scriptures remind us in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know I am God.” Nothing is more powerful than being in nature together, to have purposeful quiet time and down time, to truly sense the presence of the Lord.
PSALM 42:1
For many people, vacation is simply a break from the daily stress and overloaded schedules throughout the year. While this is great, wouldn’t it be better to come back rejuvenated with a stronger sense of direction and purpose than when you left? At Deer Run Family Camps, one of our biggest goals is for parents and children to grow spiritually as they recommit to what is most important in the overall picture of life. Making memories are at the center of family camp. Whether it’s at the lake, on the zip line adventures, during outdoor movie night, on a hike, acting in a hilarious skit, or building a cardboard boat for the regatta — the possibilities are endless to create special moments together! Relationships are naturally strengthened as family members bond by participating in relaxation and recreational interests. Friendly (and sometimes fierce) competition allows for teamwork to emerge and for parents and siblings to see and appreciate
different perspectives of each other. Although stopping by the camp store to purchase memorabilia and apparel is always a favorite, families are sure to leave with unforgettable “souvenirs” that can’t be purchased — the priceless benefits of mom and dad reigniting their marriage, new and deeper friendships, a mindset to value people over things, and a sincere desire to cherish the gift of family. We would love for you to join us this year for one of our two family camps at Deer Run — either July 2-8 for a 4th of July weeklong adventure or September 1-4 for Labor Day weekend. Visit DeerRun.camp/camps/family-camp for more info and to register your family or call 615-7942918 if you have questions. – Jada Daves, Family Camp Director, Deer Run Camps & Retreats
May 13th is Workout for Water
...a partnership between Iron Tribe Fitness and Neverthirst to bring clean and living water to people around the world. Anyone can participate so bring the family. Get signed up at WORKOUTFORWATER.COM. More than 600 million people lack access to clean water, many of the most affected are children. Join Neverthirst to provide clean and living water to those in need. During the Workout for Water campaign your donation will be matched up to $26,500 to double your impact. And you don’t have to be an athlete to participate!
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Christian Memorial Day
This month we celebrate Memorial Day for all the veterans who have given their lives for our country. There is a minority of Christian churches who hold to pacifistic beliefs -- that a Christian should not be involved whatsoever in any profession that would require the utilization of physical force, such as local police or our nation's military. I never could go along with that line of reasoning. Jesus singled out a particular individual as having greater faith than anyone else in Israel, and he happened to be a Roman soldier (Matt. 8:510). Moving into the book of Acts we once again find a very godly individual -- Cornelius -- who also was a Roman soldier in charge of many soldiers (Acts 10:1-2). Moving into the Pauline Epistles we find governmental authorities who "bear the sword" described as "God's ministers" (Romans 13:1-6). Even everyday Christian believers are metaphorically portrayed as "soldiers" wearing "breastplates" of righteousness; "helmets" of salvation; "shields" of faith; bearing the "sword" of the Spirit (Ephesians 6). That would be an inappropriate analogy if using force under any circumstance was "unchristian." Actually all Christians today are actively involved in a battle -- warring against the temptation to sin, stray from God's plans and purposes, and against the "powers of this dark world" and "spiritual forces of evil" (NIV). I've heard a few folks say that when a beloved Christian dies from an illness or an accident that the "Devil has won a great victory." Apparently we are supposed to prevent all such tragedies from happening by praying fervently enough and having enough faith. But that's not the view of God concerning the death of His own -- consider Psalms 116:15 -- "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Are we better than the Lord's own disciples of whom 11 died horrible martyrs deaths, all in God's perfect will? As far as illnesses are concerned, it was God himself who afflicted Azariah, King of
Judah, with leprosy until he died (2 Kings 15:5); took King David's infant baby through sickness (2 Samuel 12:15); took Ezekiel's wife through sudden illness and death (Ez. 24:15-18). In the final analysis, it is God himself who holds the power of life and death in his hands, including the length of our lives (Exodus 4:11; Deut. 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6; Job 14:5; Psalms 139:16). You know what is a great victory for Satan? It is when an unsaved person dies -- to share eternal death in hell with Satan. Death for a Christian is a homecoming in heaven -a victory. Just as we rightly honor our veterans who have died in service for the protection of our country, I've often wondered if we could have a "Christian Memorial Day" for all the saints who have gone on before us who have fought the good fight, served their Lord well, and laid a good foundation and spiritual example for family and friends who knew, loved, and were influenced by them. Perhaps it happens through the eulogies spoken at every Christian's funeral. It's natural to grieve over loved ones who have passed on, but also seems appropriate to celebrate how they lived their Christian lives in service to their Lord. Happy Memorial Day to all the families who have lost precious loved ones in the military, and Happy Memorial Days to all those precious Christian family members who have gone to heaven. We honor your service to God, country, or both. — Stephen Rowland is chaplain for the Knights For Christ chapter of Columbia of the Christian Motorcyclists Association
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K i ds K or N e r
Music is God’s
“Magic”
Crushing Sin To Pieces BIBLE TRUTH As Christians, we are to avoid sin.
What happens when you hear these words: “I am stuck on Band-Aids cause a Band-Aid’s stuck on me”. How about this, “My bologna has a first name….” Or this, “Like a good neighbor, _________.” Did you finish that line? Did you sing it? Of course you did! And why? Because it is MUSIC – and music makes an indelible mark on our minds.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS 1 John 1:9 New International Version (NIV) 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
I am the lady in the green jumper called “Miss PattyCake” and after 22 years of singing, writing songs and books, traveling, and meeting tens of thousands of preschoolers and their parents, I am continually amazed at the power of music in the lives of little ones. Watching children sing, shout, clap and learn has convinced me that using music is the fastest, and most permanent way to get information AND God’s truth into little hearts and minds. I like to say music is God’s “magic”. We, as Christian parents, have a job and a responsibility. It is this: TELL YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT GOD. “These commandments…shall be on your heart. Teach them diligently to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deut. 6:6-7. My experience in telling my children about God has been largely musical. Life, for me, has been full of music – my study was music – my “work” is music, so naturally, when my babies were born, I was singing. My singing to them led me to partner with friends who were writing songs for babies and toddlers. These songs were age appropriate, simple, rhyming, and full of God’s truth. As Miss PattyCake, I travel to churches and groups around the country, and coach parents, workers and teachers on ways to engage preschoolers. I remind them little children are not able to absorb much talking. But, find a melody – any tune – make it up or use one you know – and SING what you want to say – and they can listen! Music goes to a different area of our brains. SONGS are the perfect way to communicate to little ones. Songs can plant seeds of truth and of faith. Songs will “stick” in their minds. Little children already love music, they just need encouragement from us to sing. Psalm 8:2 has long been the catalyst for my journey as Miss PattyCake. I love the way the verse reads in THE MESSAGE: “Nursing infants are gurgling choruses about You, and toddlers shout the songs that will drown out enemy talk and silence atheistic babble.” So, do this: “Sing songs from your heart to Jesus. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19. Miss PattyCake’s advice is this: SING YOUR WAY THROUGH YOUR DAY! You will find the atmosphere in your home is sweeter and calmer. You will find children more willing to get the “jobs” done. And you will find yourself quicker to thank and praise God for the great adventure of parenting. And don’t forget what Miss PattyCake always says, “Everyday is a PattyCake praise day!” — Jean Thomason, www.misspattycake.com, email:jean@misspattycake.com Jean has a new book out, “Sharing God’s Big Love With Little Lives”
Can Crusher INGREDIENTS • Empty Soda Can • Hot Plate • Bowl • Water • Ice • Tongs INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Fill the bowl with ice and water. STEP 2: Place one tablespoon of water into the empty soda can. Turn on the hot plate, to high, and place the soda can on the hot plate. STEP 3: Wait a few minutes for water vapor to appear above the can. STEP 4: Using the tongs, grasp the sides of the soda can, quickly flip the soda can, and dip it immediately into the cold water. EXPLANATION When the soda can is turned upside down and submerged into the cold water, the water vapor inside the soda can is cooled and condenses. This decreases the air pressure on the inside of the soda can, causing the higher pressure on the outside of the soda can, to crush the soda can. BIBLE CONNECTION Sin, the transgression of the law of God, should be avoid. Just as the higher pressure crushes the soda can, as Christians we should crush sin to pieces. — Jason Lindsey is the Executive Director and Founder of Hooked on Science www.hookedonscience.org
May2017 2017 May
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A Commandment
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There is only one commandment in the Bible with a promise. Exodus 20:12- Honor thy father and mother that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives you. At this time of year when we celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, it is a good time to reflect on how we honor our aging parents. In the United States 17% of the population is over 75 years old. The commandment to honor our parents has no expiration date. Those who were raised in loving homes may find this a joy but others may find participation in elder care a burden. Regardless of your mind set, it is a challenging endeavor. Some of you have parents that live locally and others may be looking forward to spring and summer trips to visit loved ones. If it has been a period of time since you have seen a parent, their condition may be surprising. Conversely, if you see your parents on a regular basis, subtle changes may sneak by you and mount up. In an effort to honor our parents, the task of helping them make smooth and safe transitions into next phases of their lives may fall on the adult child. The first step is to recognize changes as they occur. This will enable families to assist parents in making decisions to help them stay healthy, safe and at a level of independence that is appropriate for their functional abilities. Here are some suggestions for areas that may demonstrate failing mental or physical capacities: • Change in personal hygiene • Restlessness and insomnia • Changes in dietary habits and weight gain or loss • Isolated, less social, less active • Personality changes in affect, irritability, loss of train of thought, easily overwhelmed, and lack of judgment • Difficulty organizing, planning or following directions • Reckless spending Keeping the above suggestions on your radar screen, may help you make decisions to provide the best possible care for your aging loved ones. — Lou Feagles, President/CEO of Simple Solutions for Home Care, LLC, 2201 Murphy Ave. Suite 303, Nashville, Tenn. 37203, Phone 615-647-0700, Fax 615-647-0701 www.ss4hc.com
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m ig ht y W om e N As we approach Mothers Day on May 14, I am reminded once more of the unforgettable woman God put in my life to be my mother. She went on to glory 35 years ago, but her shadow over my life continues to influence in unmistakeable ways. Our arrival at a productive place in life is due to a lot of help and impact from many others. Here, for example, are 5 women who powerfully molded David’s life, from start to finish. We have often heard about David’s mighty men. How about some mighty women? 1) Michal, David’s first wife: when he was yet young and new in leadership, and naïve, she knew her dad well enough to know his potential for spite and violence. She sent David to safety, even willing to lie to Saul’s messengers to protect her husband. Without her, he may have been killed long before his purposes in life could come to fruition. (I Samuel 19:11-17) 2) Abigail: “A cool hand on a hot head.” In I Sam. 25:14-29, David is in a bad mood. He is about to murder all the men in the town of Carmel, due to mayor Nabal’s rudeness. Abigail intercedes before him; though without fault, she cries, “Upon me be the blame.” She feeds all his men, then pleads “You don’t want to do this. Later on, this mass murder could jeopardize permanently your call to be the king of Israel.” Calmed and convicted,
you do not know, and shall you not do the same with your own son? Pardon your son, and bring him home!”
he relents, and he admires her discernment and courage. She later becomes his wife. 3) The Woman of Tekoa: “Yet God devises means, so that his banished one not be expelled from Him.” (II Sam. 14:1-2, 12-15, 21) David is unreconciled to his son. Joab his general knew, but didn’t think David would listen to him. He remembers a wise woman in a town called Tekoa and summons her help. Though she is sent by him, it is her wisdom that weaves a great story. David, moved by the story of a woman’s only son, her “last coal”, being killed, orders protection for the son. She replies, “You call for mercy for a son
4) The “Wise Woman”: II Sam. 20:6, 13-22 speaks of her. Again, we never learn her name. At this time, another rebel named Sheba is causing rebellion. The army chases Sheba and when they do find his hideout, behind the walls of the town of Abel Beth-Maacah, they attack. At this point, a “wise woman” takes charge. She says, “I am of those who are peaceful and faithful in Israel.” Much innocent blood will be shed unless a wise and quick answer is found. Sheba’s head drops over the wall; the remedy has been found, and no one else need suffer. The army pulls back; she saved her town, and saved David and his men from a tremendous scandal. 5) Bathsheba (I Kings 1:11-21, 28-30) learns of a plot that will keep Solomon from being king, and assures that it is foiled. Thanks to her, David dies in peace with the chosen son moved to the throne to succeed him and his vision, and God’s plan. I ask: where would David have been without these five women? “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, AND do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” (Proverbs 1:8) Thanks Moms! — Mark Simpson
t eAchAble m om e Nts
Giving Thanks This month let’s talk about giving thanks. You might have heard a sermon on giving thanks and you probably say thanks a number of times during each day. But when you say thanks, do you really give thanks to God and to others who contribute to your life? Truly giving thanks is an act of the mind and not just of the body. Sitting reverently while someone prays is an opportunity for the mind to engage in giving our own thanks but it could be a time when the mind wanders to fixing a meal, how you feel about what someone said or did or your own aches and pains. So if your mind did not get to the point of really giving thanks to God or those who impact your life, NOW would be a good time for giving thanks. Giving thanks is an attitude of the mind. It is an act of love. See 1 John 3:1 where it reads, “”How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.” That we could be called “the children of God” is something for which we should be thankful. Love has been extended to us. But how great is our love toward God and those around us? Is that love evident every day?
We have the opportunity for acts of love and kindness toward others. They might wish to thank us but we should do it out of love rather than the possibility that someone will say thank you. If we are truly thankful, we will look for ways to return love and kindness to others even when they don’t know the source of that act of kindness and love. Giving thanks is an act of giving to God and others. Giving means something leaves us and goes to God or another person or both. Giving thanks, however, never depletes us but instead enriches us. The more we love, the more we are thankful, the more pleasing we are in the sight of God. So why wouldn’t we be loving and thankful every moment of our lives? Satan hates love and being thankful. Satan appeals to our selfish desires. It is up to us to overcome Satan. King David stated well what our guide should be in 1 Chronicles 16:34: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.” If we love, we will want to give thanks. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:57, tells us “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And thanks be to those around us who enrich our lives daily including those we do not see often, those who serve us in our armed forces and in our police and fire departments, the person who picks up our trash and service in a myriad of other ways that make our lives healthy, safe, productive and enjoyable. When you say thank you, be sure you really mean it by showing your sincerity with your smile and direct attention to others. Think about your next opportunity to thank God or others. Is it right now? VISIT www.christianfamilynashville.com TO REVIEW AND ANSWER THE STUDY QUESTIONS — Kenneth Oosting, PhD
May 2017
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m oN ey m At te r s Giving Beyond Your Means Dear Dave, My wife and I are debt-free except for our home, and we’re on Baby Steps 4 and 5. Recently, we were asked to make a large donation to a charity we already support. We don’t have the full cash amount they asked for on hand, and after hearing that, they said we could make monthly installment payments until the donation amount was paid in full. We’re hesitant to do this because it seems a bit like debt to us. What do you think? Ben
I’d be hesitant to give a gift when I don’t have the money. Most of the time, approaches like this fall under the heading of manipulation. You’re being pushed beyond your means. Most giving of this type, biblically speaking, would be from surplus. And right now, you don’t have the surplus. I’m kind of uncomfortable with this, Ben. I don’t engage in making gift promises beyond what I have. It’s not debt, but it kind of starts to feel like it, and it’s not so much living beyond your means as it is giving beyond your means. That’s just another reason it doesn’t strike the right chord with me.
Know Where To Go
Dear Ben, Well, it’s not debt. There would be no repercussions, other than guilt, if you couldn’t make the full donation. So, it’s not debt. To be honest though, I don’t engage in that kind of stuff when it comes to giving. My wife and I do all our giving — except for our tithe to our local church — through our family foundation. Sometimes we’ll do this giving in a couple of installments, but it’s not because we don’t have the money. It’s generally a situation where we’re walking with the charity or ministry throughout the year, and we’re observing and assessing the need.
Dear Dave, I am 18 years old and homeschooled. I want to continue my education this fall, and my dad works at a college near our home. I would get free tuition, but there’s another college farther from home that I like just as much — but it’s more expensive. On the plus side, it is a Christian school, and my faith is important to me. What do you think I should do? Braden
Dear Braden, Free tuition is a major plus in my book. At the same time, I can understand your desire to get out from under mom and dad’s wings a little bit. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that a school, church or anything else is completely Christian. You’ll meet some of the wildest characters ever at a Christian school, just like you would at a public university. However, you would have the advantage of a builtin spiritual support network. All things considered, and since you mentioned your faith specifically, I’d probably choose the Christian school. But I wouldn’t go into debt to make it happen. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t work and go to school at the same time. Pay it as you go. I did it, and I finished with good grades in four years. It’s a little bit harder way to go, but it’s a lot better than ending up with a ton of student loan debt when you’re through! — Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 12 million listeners each week on 575 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.
b e st b ooKs
Risk More. Dream Bigger. Fear Less. In his letter to the Christians of Rome, the Apostle Paul prayed that the God of hope would fill them with joy and peace, and that they would abound in hope. To abound in hope means to have more than enough, to have overflowing, over the top, audacious, beyond our wildest dreams hope. Paul believed the people of God should be a people of hope because it is embedded in the very nature of God. To live without hope is to live outside the presence of God, for He is a God of hope. Susanna Aughtmon’s latest book, Hope Sings: Risk More. Author Susanna Foth Aughtmon has also written, Dream Bigger. Fear Less. (Abingdon Press, $16.99), is an All I Need Is Jesus & a Good Pair of Jeans and exhortation to place our hope in God, to dream bigger, to My Bangs Look Good & Other Lies I Tell Myself, reach higher, and live bravely. We are the children of God, a www.tiredsupergirl.com. God who loves us, fights for us, and sets us free. The laws of nature do not apply to Him, nor do our concepts of odds or probabilities. He calms storms and turns an ordinary lunch into a feast for thousands. He raises the dead, redeems the ungodly, and lavishes peace and grace upon us. God has a long history of being worthy of our faith and hope, and He has not changed. For those who have reached their limit, exhausted by troubles and weary of the wrongness of life, Hope Sings is for you. For those who have fallen into despair, who have been beaten into a corner and feel like you have nowhere to turn, put your hope in God. You may have given up, but God hasn’t. Remember, yet again, who He is. Whisper your prayer one more time. Sing a song of boundless hope. We are the people of God, and hope is what we do! — Darrel Holcombe
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Nashville Christian Family
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Right A Wrong Through
WINDOWS TO THE SOUL
“Looking into the vacant eyes of the little girl,” Lacy answered. I had just asked what she considers the hardest part of her job. “She was the youngest I’ve encountered, and she had already checked out. Her face still haunts me. She was four years old. Maybe equally disturbing is “knowing that no matter how many I’m able to rescue, some will go back.” These girls have been brainwashed and beaten and sodomized, and they think they’re nothing and have no place to go. For the most part they’re right—they don’t have any place to go, at least any place that can give them what they need after they come out physically and psychologically abused, dissociating—many showing signs of Stockholm syndrome. Most of the kids lack the emotional maturity to know they’re being abused. These girls and women have spent a significant portion of their lives, particularly their formative years, having every decision made for them. Lacy comments that “many folks get wrapped up in the drama of rescuing children or adults from their life of horror—and rescue is necessary—but few stick around for what comes next.” What does come next I wonder. Where do they go after rescue?
THE PROTECTED DECEIT— SEX TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN
People close their eyes or don’t believe that commercial sexual exploitation of American children and women via the Internet, strip clubs, escort services, or street prostitution is one of the worst crimes in the US. Sexual harm has become normalized via consumerist, hyper-violent, super-eroticized content in movies, reality TV, video games, gangsta rap, magazines, and cyber sites, but we buy and watch anyway. We’re back to treating women and children as chattel who then believe and support the lies methodically taught to them. There is no precise way to gauge how many children are being bartered and sold for sex, but
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if we haven’t been looking for child trafficking, we haven’t tracked it closely. Remember the face Lacy will never forget—the 4-year old with the vacant eyes? Agencies that try to help trafficked children know that many of the prostitutes who encounter law enforcement were forced into that life when they were children. Thirteen is the average age. That translates to children in the 8-10-year-old range. The average life expectancy for lured or stolen trafficked children is 7 years. Child trafficking—the misunderstood, uncomfortable-to-reador-talk-about human cruelty—is one of society’s greatest challenges. Perhaps the bigger challenge, however, is the one society hides and protects: the men (and the women who aid them) who pay in cash and drugs to use these children—renewable supplies of vulnerable girls for perverse demands. Child-trafficked victims are shuffled from city to city down myriad branching highways almost undetected—all to supply consumers.
THE UNADDRESSSED DECEIT
how extensive it is right here in our Bible-belt setting. Commercialized pornography and sex addiction—equivalent to hard narcotics—comprise the root of this hideous crime against children. Eight out of ten men and three out of ten women, including church leaders, pastors, and youth in groups, embrace these heinous activities. Trusted traffickers recruit in “safe, gullible” places where children are sacrificed. It isn’t just a political or legal issue—it’s a human issue, a spiritual issue, an issue that must stop.
ADDRESSING THE DECEIT
Everybody can do something to address child sex trafficking, but the something begs action with choice. Rescue 1 Global hits the buried shame head on—discreetly of course to protect the victims. Its gutsy mission has a three-pronged strategy to prevent, rescue, and restore the vulnerable, the vagabond, and the victimized—a current rendering of Proverbs 31:8-9, “Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.” One-by-one Rescue Global reaches into darkness.
Supply and demand is firm economic strategy, right? Well, not when it sacrifices children. Human trafficking is the second fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and Tennessee is right in the middle of it. We may not admit complicity, but THE TRAFFICKING INDUSTRY feeds on those who facts prove our participation and consumption. Using information from the Tennessee Bureau of InvestigaAmong sundry shames tion and the Center for Exploitation of Children, and others, the volunteer state reinthe following information startles sensitivity: forces, sex trafficking is one of the most prolific *The USA is the number one consumer of human trafficking. and repulsive. Child *In Tennessee 94 children are trafficked every month. trafficking is a problem that has been mislabeled *Of those trafficked in Southeast Asia, 65 percent will end up in the USA or Europe. and covered up where sex-trafficking offenders *Over 75 percent of pornography being purchased features hide with ready access someone who is trafficked (held at knife or gun point durto unsuspecting victims ing filming). in the professional world *One out of 6 runaways in the USA likely become victims of as well as in churches. child sex trafficking. Tennesseans ignore it, deny it, or have no idea
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have no voice and are dispossessed, oppressed, and needy; it feeds on the misery of children and disenfranchised adults. Bluntly, tracker-hunters supply the “product, the prey” to lecherous predators. It’s simple supply and demand in a world gone terribly wrong, a world wretchedly lacking God’s absolute standards and morals—a world desperately in need of Jesus. Daniel and Lacy Tolar, their staff, and their partners and sponsors fight this horror, but they need you, too, in every phase of the work. Silence from political correctness or a distorted view of rights, freedoms, and legalization protects the perpetrators. Awareness and education require action to combat decadence and apathy. UNRAVELING THE WORLDWIDE EPIDEMIC, Daniel and Lacy Tolar, founders of Rescue 1 Global, step up. They began developing goals in 2009 to meet the needs of the enslaved around the world—including furtherance of the gospel. Putting their faith into action, they live out “if faith doesn’t have works, it is dead . . . for just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:17, 26). While serving as full-time missionaries, Lacy and Daniel learned the harsh reality of children being lured, bought, tricked, and stolen into the sex slave industry at astonishing rates, even in their neighborhood. Children who drop out of school and begin working at very young ages are regularly hired through a recruiter to work as housekeepers or waitresses and then immediately disappear into the sex industry. However, sometimes the stolen are with their mamas in parks, with friends at the mall, or jogging on trails. With this shocking awareness, Daniel and Lacy connected with local Christians who share their resolute vision to address this injustice. Rescue 1 Global is now a standalone, full-fledged prevention, rescue, and restoration force in the anti-trafficking world. Still, they cannot accomplish the work alone. Even though their co-workers must raise their own support, their driving passion, and the ultimate solution, is “to see the world come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.”
CHANGING THE SHAME
*GRACE OASIS USA AFTERCARE AND SAFE HOME rejoices in a May 2017 opening date. The Tolars’ vision and leadership bring Tennessee its very first safe home for minor girls ages 12-17. With no surrounding states (except Georgia and North Carolina) having safe homes for minors, the reach is far. Rescue 1 Global’s tiered focus culminates in Grace Oasis. The comprehensive program helps prevent child trafficking through task forces that meet, pray, educate, fundraise,
recruit, and train sponsors. It rescues through Special Ops to identify the vulnerable and victimized; through bringing biblical justice to suffering individuals, families, and communities; and through bringing perpetrators to justice. It restores through its safe haven
for survivors; and it fosters safety, unity, and empowerment. Survivors in Grace Oasis experience restoration in four key areas: emotional healing, educational support, physical health and wellness, and spiritual growth. Through case management, advocacy, and community partnerships, restoration includes intensive aftercare services in the Trauma Informed Recovery Program. Safe and successful reintegration slowly transitions survivors toward real-world friends, mentors, families, and situations. R1G works throughout the US and other countries, including Thailand. *HUMAN TRAFFICKING 101 These seminars teach participants the basic workings of the sex industry, how to recognize potential victims, proper authorities to inform, and steps to prevent another trafficking victim. HT101 trains church groups, first responders, educators, and professionals. These seminars are the first step toward volunteering, becoming foster or caregiving families, adopting a child, and participating in Rescue 1 outreach groups. Attendees are also encouraged to give financially to support global prevention homes, and invited to host future 101 presentations. *ONE/1000 CAMPAIGN opens the door for your financial support to grow and sustain Tennessee’s safe home for rescued girls. Restoring one child requires approximately $3,000 per month toward a life of hope and opportunity. The home provides
a space where each girl’s heart, body, and soul can heal while being wrapped in Jesus’ love. Renovated rooms and individual education plans launch R1G’s dream at Grace Oasis: girls living as free children rather than slaves. When you help fulfill this dream, you become part of Tennessee’s heritage as “the volunteer state” and part of the solution. Rescue 1 Global needs 1000 people to donate $50 a month to change the lives of these girls forever. Defend the cause of the oppressed and needy; be a Tennessean who sticks around after the rescue; be One/1000. (www.rescue1global.org or email Info@Rescue1Global.org) — Sheila Moss, author of Living to Matter and Interrupting Women, has deep compassion for wounded children and prays you will join, prevent, rescue, and restore efforts.
May 2017
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m i r Acle m om e Nts
Good communication is basic to loving anyone well. Good fathers never stop communicating with their children. And God is the perfect Father. Angels and Prophets were dispatched from God for communication. Jesus was God in the flesh sent to speak to His children. Sending out the original Apostles was about God speaking to the new believers. He is still speaking today in dreams and with His still small voice. I began hearing God twenty two years ago without asking. I've heard God more often when in pain, than I have when all is well. He may not be saying what I want to hear. But He'll usually answer if I ask. It's always our issue if we aren't hearing Him. Recently, I made some notes regarding what helps me hear God's voice. 1. Adoringly engage the Holy Spirit of the Trinity with full honor and believe in Him as strongly as you believe in Jesus and God. Jesus pointed at the Holy Spirit at His ascension, not at Himself. 2. Clean out the conduit between you and the Holy Spirit. Repent of sin, especially of verbally harming your wife (1st Peter 3:7), by asking the Holy Spirit what may be hindering you from hearing His voice clearly. 3. Embrace coincidence. Coincidence is usually the Holy Spirit communicating to you. For example, while listening, you think you hear the Holy Spirit say "sabbatical", and then you win a free weekend mountain trip. This was confirmation! Play connect the dots with the Holy Spirit. 4. Be more excited about connecting to the Holy Spirit than about what He is saying to you. Elisha had to focus on Elijah, not the miraculous whirlwind to get the double anointing. God always emphasizes love connection first.
5. If you know someone who hears the Holy Spirit well, have them lay hands on you and pray to receive their "hearing" anointing. There was anointing on handkerchiefs for healing as a proof text in Acts. 6. Wrestle the Holy Spirit for "hearing Him" like Jacob did with the Angel/God. For some reason the Holy Spirit is into "end of flesh-rope desire" for Him. The woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment also comes to mind here. 7. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you in the night. This happened to me just by asking the Holy Spirit. Dreams are all over the Old and New Testament. 8. Sensitize your spirit to His Spirit. Often times He has already spoken and you missed it, because you haven't acclimatized to "the gentle whisper. God told Elijah His voice was like a gentle whisper in 1st Kings 19:7-13. You have to have a faith sail to catch His "voice breeze". 9. Anger at God will shut down His voice. He won't shut himself down. You'll block your heart connection with anger from a lack of guarding it. You'll disconnect from Him and not even know it. "Anger at God" translated really just means spoiled. "On earth as it is in heaven"...may you have that kind of supernatural communication with the Trinity. — Brian Burke
P Ar e Nt W ith P u r Pos e
Paying for Your Raising middle-income family this year, excluding the cost of college, will require nearly $250,000 to rear to adulthood. But it costs a lot more than that, believe me! You can’t pump the serotonin you burned up back into your parents’ brains. You can’t undo all their gray hair, heartburn, and high blood pressure that you caused. Because of you they had extensive counseling sessions, hormone therapy, and sleepless nights.
Have you ever heard the phrase: “Paying for your raising”? It is the parental cycle of karma, I think. All the sins of your youth and all the ways you hurt your parents, come home to roost in your own children. My father told me regularly that I was going to “pay for my raising.” I didn’t believe him, and now as the father of three teenagers, I still don’t believe him. Because I read recently that a child born into a
Your parents they experienced existential guilt, law enforcement interventions, miserable teacher conferences, and gastroesophageal reflux disease: You did this to your parents! We all did - your kids will do it to you - and there’s no way to repay any of it. Thankfully, there’s no expectation to do so, because most of us would endure all these heartaches again and again for the sake of those to whom we gave life. Such love has a name. It is the Hebrew word, “Chesed,” usually associated with God’s fatherly love for his children, a word that has no easy
English equivalent. Some call it grace, mercy, or kindness, but these attempts fail. “Chesed” is all of these things and more, the central Hebrew virtue to which all acts of charity and goodness are attached. One rabbi, explaining so plainly, says, “When a person works for an employer, and then he gets paid, that pay is really a recycling of his own deeds. It isn’t love. It isn’t kindness. It is earned. But an act of ‘chesed’ cannot be recycled. It is something given or granted without cause.” Parenthood is based on this kind of unfailing, non-recyclable love. It is an act of steady, secure, unshakable, unearned, uncaused, and sometimes unappreciated compassion. That’s nothing that you or anyone else can pay back, even if you wrote your dad a big fat check for Father’s Day this weekend. He could use the money, I’m sure, but he would do it all over again for the sake of love. — Ronnie McBrayer is a syndicated columnist, blogger, pastor, and author of multiple books. Visit his website at www.ronniemcbrayer.net.
May 2017
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h As s le F r e e Z oN e
We have all done it; we even have a long list of jokes that go “a fowl” of it but are these acts of questioning ethical to do?
It is my conclusion, based on the basis of natural laws; that we should indeed question, by proxy of affect, the motives of those whom we think are in our Circle of Relations. It is in the best interest of all parties involved. As for the poor chickens and their motives…I couldn’t care less.
Do we view it as right when we question someone else’s motives but not so right when they question ours? Human motives are the catalysts that cause us to act one way or another. It is the root of any action; voluntary or involuntary. As we learned in our youth and recently through the Power of the Wisdom of Three; our thoughts become words, words lead to deeds, and our deeds always have results. These outcomes can be positive or negative, can be painful or pleasurable and can pilot us to success or failure. This Societal Law has its origin in a Natural Law that dates back to start of societal living. You will know it best as “The Law of Cause and Effect”. The law spells out that every effect has a cause and a condition. There are no exceptions, there can be no additions or subtraction, and there can be no contradiction. It is a law, just like the Law of Gravity; it has to happen. So, I believe you will agree that motives are very important. Even so, do our motives affect others to the point of them becoming their concern? I believe that they do by virtue of what I call the Three Degrees of Declining Influence in our Circle of Relations. We do not live in a vacuum. Each motive that we have starts the thought process of a future choice. No matter whom you are, where you live, the type of existence you find yourself in we are all connected through the choices that we make and the relationships that we hold dear. The magnitude of the impact experienced by those in our Circle of Relations depends on what level they find themselves in the circle.
If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others. — Anthony “Tony” Boquet, Vice President, Education & Development at The American College of Financial Services and the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”. To learn more about the Power of the Wisdom of Three, a signed copy of this book can be purchased through the website, www.modernsolutionary.com
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COMPLIMENTA
Every decision that we make, regardless of how personal, self-directed, or individualized will touch the lives of three parties. For example, if I want to shed twenty pounds of personal fat cells, the thoughts, words and deeds associated with this motivation will impact me, my family and my friends; they are one party. It will likely affect my work or business because I may have to work out more causing me to have more energy at work too; party number two. Finally it will affect the society in which I live. I may have to buy a treadmill, power drinks and / or hire a fitness consultant; party three is in the house.
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These connections are grounded in the fact that we all have three personas that must share in our existence. A fact of mankind’s creation is that we each have a personal, professional and spiritual persona. These three personas each pair completely with the three States of our Humanity; our Body, Mind, and our Soul.
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One of the greatest weaknesses that we have seen in parents over the years is not knowing how to listen to their children – or choosing not to listen. Listening is essential to knowing where your children are and where they may be headed. Practice. Listening is a learned and practiced trait. The more we listen to our children, and they know that we are listening, the more they will want to talk. One of the best ways to get them to talk is to ask questions – not yes or no questions, but questions that will get them talking. For example, don't ask, "Do you like Miss Jones?" Instead, ask, "Why do you like Mrs. Jones?" or "What makes Mrs. Jones a good teacher?" Be Patient. You should try to get your children to talk, but when you get an "I don't know," perhaps you should back off or redirect to something that interests them or something they are ready to talk about. We might be banging
on a door that is partially closed, but if you keep banging on it, it will completely close.
being said.
Use Wisdom. Don't dig for things that are tucked deep in their chest that they don’t want to yet share. We have to give them the opportunity and space to decide to hand those gems to us. When we listen to God, He will give us the wisdom to listen to them better, to hear what is really being said, and more importantly to hear what is not
Trust me – listening is the key to building a strong relationship with your children. Keep on practicing! — John Croyle, Founder, Big Oak Ranch, Author, Who You Are/ Defying the Circumstances that Define Us, Bringing Out the Winner in Your Child, The Two Minute Drill to Manhood and Raising a Princess, www.bigoak.org
Talk With Your Teens About Celebrating Safely Celebrate Safe, Drive Safe tips for parents and teens during prom and graduation The end of the school year is a celebratory time for high school students with proms and graduations. With automobile crashes still the leading cause among death for teens*, State Farm wants to help teens and their parents Celebrate Safe, Drive Safe with these tips:
PARENTS
1. Connect with other parents - Speak directly with any parents supervising after-parties your teen will attend since some parents may allow underage drinking. 2. Talk about (not) drinking/doing drugs – According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 74% of kids turn to their parents for guidance on drinking. Talk to your teen about dealing with peer pressure, the dangers/ repercussions of underage drinking and driving, using illegal substances, and contacting you for a ride in situations involving drugs and alcohol. 3. Offer options for rides - If a group insists on traveling together to prom and numerous graduation parties, talk to other parents about hiring a limo. That way no one gets behind the wheel. If it’s not in the budget, offer to drive them yourself, or research other public transportation options in your community. 4. Have the party come to you - Plan your own, adult-supervised, drug/alcohol free after-party at your house, school or local community center. 5. Set the example - You can’t always be in the car, but you can keep safety top-of-mind by demonstrating and enforcing habits like wearing a seat belt, not using a cell phone while driving, following the speed limit and driving 2N2® - 2 eyes on the road, 2 hands on the wheel.
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TEENS
6. Groom before you zoom - Before it’s time to go, take one last look in the mirror and make sure you’re looking good so nothing takes your focus off the road while driving. 7. Get your beauty rest - Since many parties last until early morning, make sure you get plenty of sleep leading up to the big day, or ask your parents to pick you up so you and your friends don't have to drive tired. Fatal car crashes involving teens happen significantly more at night. 8. Set limits - Put a limit on the number of friends you ride with. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the risk of fatal crashes increases with each passenger. And if riding with friends, remind them to put their phones away and turn the music down. 9. Don’t Drink/Do Drugs and Drive - Drinking before the age of 21 is illegal, and alcohol and driving should never mix no matter your age. This goes for using drugs and other illegal substances as well. 10. Seatbelts are the perfect accessory – A little wrinkle in your dress, tux or graduation gown is hardly worth not buckling up for. Buckling your seatbelt can save your life and keep you from getting seriously injured. Plus, it’s the law! Find safe driving tips and more at the State Farm Teen® Driver Safety website, and always encourage your teen to make positive choices while driving.
www.ChristianFamilyNashville.com
iN his griP
Do You Practice the Christian Life?
MEET US BEFORE WE MEET YOU!
I love watching professional golfers practice. They move from one drill to another. They work all the clubs in their bag. They finish with the driving range then move to the chipping green to work on their short games, and finish on the putting green with putting drills. They wind up striking hundreds of thousands of balls over the course of a career. However, there is more to their practice than just whacking a bunch of balls. They move systematically and methodically with purpose. They know the areas in which they need to improve, and they have an objective in mind as they practice. There is a PGA of America commercial that periodically airs and shows the pro players hitting amazing shots. Text pops up near the end of the commercial and reads, “These guys are good.” No doubt, and they got that way through disciplined practice. The Christian life is similar. It’s the disciplined practice of the tenets of our faith that move us toward maturity. We must recognize that spiritual growth is not automatic. It requires an investment on our part. Just like working the practice range, the more we invest in our walk with the Lord, the more we get out of it. The goal of practicing discipleship is to move us toward spiritual maturity I love these two verses from Colossians 3:9-10: “You have put off the old self with its habits, and have put on the new self...which God is continually renewing in His own image, to bring you to a full knowledge of Himself.” Philippians 2:12 is another favorite regarding the commitment to discipleship. “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.” Other translations say, “Work out your own salvation.” The Apostle Paul is calling people to practice being a Christ-follower. You’ll hear a golfer say they slipped into a bad habit and just need to get on the range to work it out. They know there are no shortcuts to being great. Likewise, it takes concentration and a desire for Christ if we want to “put off ” those things that might hold us back from being His committed follower. A golfer might say it takes consistent ball striking to consistently strike the ball well. That sounds redundant, but the truth in that statement is the more you do something well, the better you do it.
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When God sets us on a pathway toward maturing in our Christian faith and conforming us to be more like Christ, He expects that we’ll consistently show up to grow in Christ so that we can more consistently follow Christ. — Scott Lehman is President of In His Grip Golf Ministry and author of the popular book, “More than a Game.” Scott and his family live in Thompson Station, Tenn.
May 2017
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b ody & s ou l
Don’t Forget Who Your Source Is When we were children we hardly gave a care about asking for something. Especially whenever mom or dad took us to the grocery or department store. Then, before we knew it, we became all grown up – or did we? We certainly began to take on new challenges or new endeavors, along with taking on extreme stress and worry. Friends, I’d like to encourage you (as well as myself) to take a moment and ACKNOWLEDGE to the Father, “God keep me humble and I just want you to know that I am acknowledging You, my God as my source. My source. Think about that word for a moment. Source: (n) beginning, point of supply, cause, connection. Lastly, two of my favorite synonyms, “Specialist/ Wellspring.” (Dictionary.com. 2017 edition). Need I mention that as we age some things take on a different view or perspective. Things look and feel different. Our stress levels increase. Blood pressure can rise as high as the downtown Nashville Batman building! But there is only one true pillar of peace we can al-
P l AN
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ways have in the dark times. Just by having the acute awareness that God is our specialist, yes Christian Family, our faithful and true source. Take that 911 prayer and ditch it! We can retrain and create new neuron pathways in our brains. Remember, as Dr. Caroline Leaf says, “The mind controls the brain.” New thoughts stir up our faith and our belief system.” And remember He always delivers. Yes. Always. Why… He is the orchestrator of our lives. The symphony He has composed is written without flaw and every breath of God is perfectly breathed into our very beings. How exciting to know! We cannot let the deceiver steal what are rightfully yours and mine. There is more power in God’s little pinky than all
of Lucifer and his demon disciples. Not to mention His unfailing love and mercy. Glory is to our God in Heaven! So let’s engrave this on our heart tablets, “I acknowledge you Lord God, You are our one and only, faithful and true source.” — Tammy Merritt has written for Nashville Christian Family for nearly two years. She enjoys “loving on all people” like her role model, Jesus Christ. Tammy and her cat, Egypt, live in Columbia, Tenn.
Has something in the magazine or something you have discussed with someone or some thoughts that you have had or something that you have heard, brought you to a point of realizing that you want and need to know Christ in the truest and personal sense?
If so, below is a simple outline for someone of any age who is not a Believer to act on their desire to accept Jesus Christ into their heart as their Savior. God’s Plan of Salvation God created us to honor and serve Him Revelation 4:11: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power;For You created all things, And by Your will they exist[b] and were created Each of us has sinned against God Romans 3:10: As it is written, “There is none righteous, no, not one” Romans3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Jesus Christ died on the cross in our place, paying the penalty for our sin Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We each must accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior Romans 10:9: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:13: For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
The penalty for sin is eternal separation from God and Heaven Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Good works cannot ever earn God’s forgiveness and Salvation Titus 3:5: not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. God loves each of us John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
To accept Christ into your heart and life, pray a simple prayer along these lines - “Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sins. I know that Jesus died for my sins and the sins of the world. Right now, I ask Jesus into my heart and receive Him as my personal Savior. Forgive me of my sins, thank you for saving me through the blood of Jesus. Please Lord, help me live for you. In Jesus name, amen.” All scriptures are taken from The New King James Version of the Holy Bible.
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s P eciAl F eAtu r e More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all these deaths occur in the developing world. This month area Iron Tribe Fitness clients and franchisees will gather for its fifth annual public workout to pay tribute to the hardships of villages in poverty-ridden nations. One of many Workout for Water events happening nationwide this spring, Nashville Iron Tribe locations hope to raise $75,000 for the cause on May 13. Iron Tribe Fitness has supported Neverthirst, an international non-profit Christian organization dedicated to bringing clean water to the poor, since Iron Tribe founder Forrest Walden assisted with its early development in 2008. A resident of Birmingham, Ala., his pastor had challenged his congregation to spend two percent of their time overseas, the equivalent of one week each year. “[It] kind of wrecked my world and made me question a lot of things,” Walden remembers of the poverty he witnessed with friends, including future Neverthirst Executive Director Mark Whitehead. “We just really felt like God was calling us to do something tangible with what we were seeing. “The more we sought Him, the more it became clear that we were to start an organization that was
focused on clean water, supporting the church in some of the most marginalized and least reached and poorest places on Earth.” Today Neverthirst partners with organizations already drilling wells in North Africa and Southern Asia and then connects them with the local church in the community in need. Walden began Workout for Water in 2010 in Homewood, Ala., as a way for Iron Tribe gym members and members of the community who enjoy a physical challenge to raise money for Neverthirst’s cause. Jaime Warren—co-owner of Nashville Iron Tribe locations in Belle Meade, Belmont, Brentwood, Cool Springs and Franklin—made giving back a part of the culture at his gyms when he entered the Nashville market in 2012. Over the last four years, Nashville Workout for Water events have raised more than $153,000 for Neverthirst. Warren has also traveled to Asia and Africa alongside other Nashville area owners and coaches to witness firsthand how the funds his community raised has transformed lives. To date, Workout for Water has raised more than $2 million for shallow rope pump wells, drilled deep wells, household rainwater collection,
Sponsored by Iron Tribe Fitness, Workout for Water will benefit international Christian non-profit Neverthirst and will begin at 9:00 a.m. at Sevier Park on May 13. The public fitness challenge will include stations that remind participants and spectators of the need for clean water in developing nations around the world.
biosand filters, and piped water systems in India, Cambodia, Nepal, Chad, South Sudan and Sudan. This year’s fitness challenge in will include Iron Tribe-style stations for teams of four, reminding participants of the importance of Neverthirst’s cause. Station Three, for example, will include a bucket (representing a well) and 100 blue poker chips on the ground (representing drops of water). Team members can place one chip in the bucket for every burpee completed. For details on how you can participate, call Neverthirst at 205-9917757 or visit workoutforwater.com. — Camille Platt
h eAlthy l iVi Ng
3 Reasons You Need to Work Out on Monday The dreaded alarm clock lets you know the weekend is over. Time to get up and get moving. Often, it’s hard enough to get out the door on Monday morning, much less to the gym. But working out on Monday will be one of the healthiest choices you make all week.
make Monday workouts an essential part of your routine. 2. It’s a prime time to start new habits. There’s a reason why New Year's resolutions are so popular. January 1 is a built-in reset button. Also, events like birthdays, season changes and important milestones offer powerful mental catalysts—separating the past from the possibilities ahead. Good news: we have a new beginning in our lives every week. It’s called Monday. Take advantage of it!
If early rising isn’t your thing, throw some clothes in your gym bag and get a half hour of exercise at lunch or right after work. Make it a non-negotiable on your calendar so that you’re not giving yourself the option to decide if you are going to work out. You are. Keep moving!
3. It sets the trajectory of your week. How do you want the week to go? Do you hope to be productive, positive, confident? Then get those muscles moving. Your choices on Monday set a mental and emotional tone for the days that follow. If you don’t get momentum on Monday, come Friday, you will wish you had. So do yourself a favor, and start Monday off right. You’ll reap the rewards throughout the week.
Along with the numerous health benefits of physical fitness, here are three important reasons you should be working out on Monday:
One last word of wisdom: don’t wait for that magic Monday you finally feel like working out. You might be waiting forever. Make a healthy choice right now. Pick a group exercise class, grab a friend for a partner workout, or simply walk during lunch. Big changes are made up of many small steps in the same direction.
1. It’s the simplest way to fight off the blues. Studies show that exercise is one of the best ways to combat depression. The endorphins it releases in your brain help you feel happy and hopeful. Who doesn’t want that? Working out has also been proven to reduce stress, improve sleep, and boost your self-esteem. You can run, swim, practice yoga, or perform any type of moderate exercise to reap these benefits. Once you get used to the positive vibes, you’ll
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— Courtney Keen is a content producer at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, ymcamidtn.org.
www.ChristianFamilyNashville.com
m i s s ioN m AKe r s
Helping Amputees Run Free Nick Gambill has been selected as Doing Good’s Nashville Volunteer of the Month for his work with Amputee Blade Runners. At Gambill’s day job, he’s the director of fabrication for Amputee Associates, a supplier of prosthetic limbs for clinics across the country. In his free time, he builds specially-fit running prosthetics for amputees who otherwise couldn’t afford them. Insurance covers day-to-day prosthetic limbs, but not those engineered for running, so many amputees lose the ability to stay active and live a physically fulfilling life. That’s where Amputee Blade Runners comes into the picture. Gambill and his associates fit deserving amputees with running prosthetics that enable them to return to their previous lifestyles or, in some cases, become active for the first time.
said. His mother was a special-needs educator and her father, Gambill’s grandfather, worked in job placement for the state of Tennessee, helping people with intellectual disabilities find fulfilling careers. Gambill’s grandfather, whom he calls his best friend, was a Shriner and often dressed up as Santa Claus or a circus clown to cheer up children in the hospital. “He’s probably one of the reasons I volunteer and do a lot of stuff,” Gambill said. Gambill also volunteers as the director of Lutheran Happening of the South, which, according to the its Facebook page, is a youth-led retreat-like event that “offers an opportunity for young people to share with their peers, to examine their life in Christ, and to experience the fellowship of other Christian young people in a joyous, affirming environment.” “It doesn’t take anything but a big heart,” Gambill said. “Get involved somewhere, some level, and go from there.”
Gambill, who played baseball and soccer in college and currently participates in Iron Man competitions, said, “Athletics has always been a passion, so it’s nice to be able to give that back to people that don’t have access to it.” Gambill also grew up working with his hands. His father owns a Nashville’s Volunteer of the Month is a program steel fabrication company, and he built decks and remodeled of Doing Good, a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization Nick Gambill volunteering at Amputee homes during summers to pay for school, as well as learned which educates and inspires people by celebrating Associates fabricating a socket for woodworking from his grandfather who picked it up after the real stories of real people who volunteer. For Amputee Blade Runners. retirement. “I think it’s just ingrained in my DNA at this additional information about Nick, Doing Good, or point,” Gambill said. “Building and creating, I don’t know anything different.” other volunteers, visit the website www.DoingGood.tv or @DoingGoodTV on Something else he learned from his family was the importance of serving other people. “I’ve always been around people with special needs,” Gambill
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May 2017 Calendar List Your Event!
If you have an event you would like listed in the Nashville Christian Family Community Calendar e-mail us at: NCFPublication@gmail.com subject line - Calendar Goodwill Will Pickup Your Donation “If you can’t get it to us, we’ll come get it from you.” That’s the gist of Goodwill’s new Home Donation Pickup Program, which in just a few months has grown to serve communities in more than 16 Middle Tennessee Middle and West Tennessee counties (Davidson, Montgomery, Robertson, Sumner, Wilson, Rutherford, Dickson, Cheatham, Maury, Dekalb, Bedford and Perry, Madison, Henderson, Gibson and Decatur). www.giveit2goodwill. org/pickups Summer Jobs With Williamson County Parks And Recreation Department The Williamson County Parks and Recreation Department is now accepting applications for temporary/ seasonal jobs for summer 2017. Temporary, part-time positions are available in several divisions. Williamson County Parks and Recreation offers a fun working environment and can provide an excellent opportunity for real life experience. If you are interested in working in the field of recreation, please apply! Camp counselors are needed for general summer day camps in Franklin and Nolensville, specialty camps and field trips (age 17 or older), as well as Camp Will therapeutic day camp (age 18 or older) and Academy Park Summer Camp. The Aquatics division is seeking lifeguards (certified) for all pool locations and pool cashiers (age 16 or older) for outdoor pool locations in Franklin, Spring Hill and Fairview. To apply for a summer job, contact the William-
son County Government Human Resources Department at (615) 5918504 or visit http://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/jobs.aspx. Williamson County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applications will be destroyed in accordance with Federal and State Laws. May 14 – Mother’s Day Saturday May 20 Deer Run Amazing Camp Race – A fun, competitive race with 10 action-packed, timed recreational activities. All funds from the event go towards the Camper Scholarship Fund for kids in need. Choose your team of 2 to 6 persons: friends, family, Bible study group, co-workers. Two courses: Adventurers, for all ages, and Wild Bucks, a more challenging adventure course. Info and Registration: DeerRun.camp/donate/theamazing-camp-race. Questions: call 615.794.2918.
A bout o u r A dVe rti s e r s
May 20 Triathlon For Young Athletes - Registration Open Now Calling all aspiring triathletes, ages 8 to 12! You can swim, bike and run your way to the finish at the sixth annual Half-Pint Triathlon on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at the Franklin Recreation Complex, 1120 Hillsboro Road. Register now for this fun annual event at www.wcparksandrec.com, activity #9209.
ONGOING 1st Thursday monthly at 7 p.m. Tennessee Right to Life Chapter Meets at Faith Lutheran Church, 2640 Buckner Road, Thompson’s Station, Tn Tennessee Right to Life is committed to effectively advocating
the protection of human life through educational outreach, passage of protective legislation and the development of an informed, active grassroots movement statewide. www. tennesseerighttolife.org - info@tnrtl. org - 615-298-LIFE(5433) Last Tuesday of every month except December Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce – Monthly Luncheon
EGroups - Networking/Leads Meetings held in these locations: Brentwood, Cool Springs/Franklin, Downtown, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet, Murfreesboro. For meeting locations, times and dates or for more information about the Chamber and events, visit www.tnchristianchamber.org or email rstringfellow@yahoo.com.
Coming in
JUNE
June 4 to July 28 — Deer Run Camps & Retreats Extraordinary, life-changing age-graded overnight summer camp experience for your preteen or teen — completed grades 3–12! Life-long memories and friendships. Campers discover their strengths, explore exciting adventures, forge friendships and complete challenges. PRETEEN OVERNIGHT CAMPS, completed grades 3–5 and YOUTH OVERNIGHT CAMPS, Middle & High School age-graded camps, completed grades 6–12. One- and two-week sessions. FAMILY CAMPS, ages 5 & up: An all-inclusive, everything-plannedfor-you, life-changing vacation experience! REGISTER at www.DeerRun.camp or call 888-794-2918. OPEN HOUSE on Sunday, May 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. Come and go guided walking tour and meet the camp directors and some of the summer staff.
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Lee Company – www.leecompany.com, 615-567-1000
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Mattress Inn – www.mattressinn.com. 931-489-1993
TN Christian Chamber of Commerce – www.tnchristianchamber.org 615-815-8765 YMCA of Middle TN – www.ymcamidtn.org, 615-259-9622
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