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goodlifemagazine.org
CONTENTS
15 Zach Williams
Article submissions
From Brokeness to Broken Free
submissions@goodlifemagazine.org 1582 Williams Dr, Suite 250 Marietta, GA 30066
The story behind the Grammy award-winning artist’s hit song “Chainbreaker” 6 Events
18 Local Easter Fun
23 Testimony
11 Seed To Vision
21 Local Artist Spotlight
24 Joyce Meyer
13 Camp 101
22 Students
Check out our list of upcoming of local events — something for everyone in the family.
How a seed God planted led a former metro Atlanta police officer to the mountains of West Virginia
Knowing what age is right & how to prepare your child
From Easter egg hunts and eggsational breakfasts to skydiving bunnies, find a fun Easter celebration for your kids
Ezra Jacob - Local musician and worship leader. Featuring his new song “Friend in the Fire.”
“When three friends on a ‘bucket list’ baseball trip found themselves in the middle of a historical tragedy, they discovered God’s protection and mercy...” “I’ve learned from experience that when we feel stuck, discouraged, or disappointed, that’s not the time to throw in the towel and give up!”
25 Travel
Fake News: “Many people Amelia Island: Make it a say, ‘there is a news problem.’ romantic get-away or a family Honestly, I don’t think we have a adventure news problem. We have a truth problem.”
Publisher
Editor
Kristen Bland
Autumn Burr
Creative Director
Advertising
Gabriel Bland
info@goodlifemagazine.org 770.656.4400 facebook.com/goodlifechristian @goodlifechristian
On the Cover GOODlife Magazine features Zach Williams: Grammy award-winning musician and worship leader. For the full story, see page 14.
GOODlife Magazine is a bi-monthly publication distributed throughout Atlanta and Metro Atlanta. Entire contents, including design elements and logos, are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any media without the express written consent of the publisher. GOODlife Magazine, LLC reserves the right to edit or reject any editorial or advertising content. Advertisers assume liability for content of all advertisements. All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of our ability. Not responsible for deletions, omissions, errors and/or inaccuracies.
© 2018 GOODlife Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved.
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LIFE HAPPENS
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If you can dream it, Outback Deck can build it! Call us today to schedule your initial consultation! 678.262.4113 • OutBackDeck.net Composite Decks • Hardwood Decks • Porches by Design
Spring Events Touch-A-Truck
March 10 from 10am-2pm Depot Park in Downtown Kennesaw Have a blast watching your kids touch levers, flip switches, and shift gears that make their favorite vehicles whir and rumble at this one-day-only “museum” of local transportation. www.kennesaw.com/touch-atruck
Georgia Bridal Show
March 11 from 12pm-5pm Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta Meet face-to-face with wedding professionals and find everything you need in one place and in one day! www.georgiabridalshow.com
Radical Women’s Conference
March 15-17 World Changers Church International, College Park Featured Speakers: Taffi Dollar, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Lisa Bevere, Mimi Haddad, Carol Jones, Connie Smith, Alyssa Worrell, and Toya Exnicious. Musical Guests: Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Micah Stampley, and World Changers Music Group. www.worldchangers.org
CIY Believe “WITH” Tour
March 16-17 Greater Atlanta Christian School, Norcross Believe is a high-energy weekend event specifically for Jr. high students. It is packed with powerful worship, intense drama, and teaching from God’s Word. www.ciy.com/believe 6
goodlifemagazine.org
Wine Into Water Fundraiser
March 23 from 6-9pm Janice Overbeck Realty, Marietta. Benefiting World Vision for water wells in Africa. RSVP 404-585-8881
Spring Atlanta Home Show March 23-25 Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta Georgia’s largest home show— latest products and services for the home & outdoors. www.atlantahomeshow.com
Secret Keeper Girl Masterpiece
March 23 from 7-9:30pm (doors open at 6:15) First Baptist Church Woodstock A fun night for moms and their 7 to 12-year-old daughters to discover how they are God’s masterpiece and learn secrets of modesty and true beauty. www.fbcw.org/event/secretkeeper-girl
1st Annual Kennesaw State Owl Dance Marathon
March 24 from 12pm-12am We will stand, dance, play games, listen to Miracle Stories, and fundraise for 12 hours straight to make miracles for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta! www.ksumiracle.org
Good Friday with Louie Giglio
March 30 at 7:30pm Verizon Amphitheatre A special celebration to reflect on the cross and all Jesus has done for us! Featuring Louie Giglio, Passion, Crowder, and CeCe Winans! www.goodfridayatlanta.com
Festival of Praise
March 30 at 8pm Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta Featuring Fred Hammond, Take 6, Donnie McClurkin, James Fortune, and Pastor Charles Jenkins. www.festivalofpraisetour.com
Xdrenaline Spring Break STEM Camp
April 2-6 Xdrenaline, Marietta This STEM camp is designed as an active play and learning environment. Students will have plenty of classroom, lab, and play time throughout the day. www.xdrenaline.com/camp
Man Church by Real Momentum
April 8 from 5pm-8pm First Baptist Church Woodstock Hamburgers will be served off the grill, followed by worship and a message focused on helping men win in their relationship with God, their families, and church to the ends of the earth. www.fbcw.org
The Gospel Truth Conference
April 12-14 Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta Join Andrew Wommack and Greg Fritz for a powerful time of teaching. Expect to receive a new profound revelation of the Word as is it taught with clarity, simplicity, and a special emphasis on God’s unconditional love and the balance between grace and faith. Free event! www.awmi.net/events
Acworth Art Fest
April 14-15 Main Street, Acworth Featuring 100 whimsical and talented artisans from around the country, a magical Kidz Zone, and food from Acworth’s own eateries. www.acworthartfest.com
Big Shanty Festival
April 21-22 Downtown Kennesaw Enjoy the more than 250 booths with arts & crafts, food vendors, merchants, and live entertainment. www.kennesaw.com/big-shantyfestival
Police/Fire/EMT Lunch Appreciation
April 12 from 12-2pm Janice Overbeck Realty, Marietta Local police, firemen, and first responders are invited for a special lunch. No charge to attend. Lunch and gifts from our office and vendors will be included. 404-585-8881
Jeremy Camp – The Answer Tour April 26 at 7pm Variety Playhouse, Atlanta Jeremy Camp performs live, with special guest Micah Tyler. www.jeremycamp.com
Priscilla Shirer Simulcast
April 28 from 9-4:45pm Kennesaw First Baptist Church Come hear from Priscilla Shirer & Anthony Evans in this global, one-day simulcast that focuses on the power of prayer and learning to study God’s Word for yourself. www.kfbc.org/women
Chris Tomlin seeks to unite the church in worship and prayer. Special guests include Kim Walker Smith of Jesus Culture, Matt Maher, Christine D’Clario, Tauren Wells, and Pat Barrett. www.infiniteenergycenter.com
Leadercast
May 4 at 8:30am Piedmont Church, Marietta – Simulcast or Infinite Energy Arena Duluth – LIVE, Join thousands of leaders, reignite your leadership, build a great team, and rediscover what drives you. www.leadercast.com
Marietta Square Art Walk
May 4 from 5-9pm Marietta Square Enjoy an evening of live music, performance, and local art as you shop, dine, and experience all The Marietta Square has to offer.
Kells Weatherby Classic
May 7 at 9:30am Marietta Country Club The proceeds from this tournament will go to benefit Feed My Lambs, a non-profit organization that provides tuition-free Christian preschools for children living in poverty areas. www.feedmylambs.net
Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival May 11-12 Cauble Park, Acworth Backyard barbecue festival includes great food, family entertainment, and fireworks. www.smokeonthelake.org
Spring Jonquil Festival
April 28-29 Village Green, Downtown Smryna Featuring over 150 arts & crafts booths, 12 food booths, local entertainment, and plenty of children’s activities.
Worship Night in America with Chris Tomlin April 29 from 7-10pm Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth
march/april 2018
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Andrew Wommack Ad
GRACE: The Power of the Gospel -Andrew Wommack
M
any people around the world who embrace “Christianity” have never heard the true Gospel. They believe Christianity is nothing but a different set of rules, substituting Christian do’s and don’ts for those of other religions. They continue to believe they must earn their way to God and then do their best to deserve the benefits of salvation. That’s not the true Gospel.
own goodness and works. Religious teachers say, “You must come to our church. You must pay your tithes, read your Bible, and pray more. Then, if you do these things just right, God will accept you.” That’s anti-Gospel! It’s against the good news of God’s grace because it’s putting the burden of salvation on your back. And you can’t bear it. Nobody can save themselves.
Accepting Jesus as your Savior with the belief that you are now going to abide by a certain set of rules is not the Good News. Why? Because then salvation still depends upon your performance. And I can guarantee you that the devil will make sure you know that your performance is not quite good enough. He is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10).
Understanding the Gospel isn’t only believing in salvation, but it’s also recognizing the means by which this salvation is obtained. “If you’ll act good and do good, then you’ll be good” isn’t the true Gospel. Notice what Paul said while addressing the Ephesians at the very first ministers’ conference:
The truth that makes the Gospel the nearly-too-good-to-betrue news is that we are accepted by God through what Jesus did for us. The revelation of God’s grace will deliver you from a performance mentality to a total trust and reliance upon the Lord. Salvation is all about God’s faithfulness, not ours! Romans 1:16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. The book of Romans communicates that the Gospel is the power of God. It’s what produces the life of God in people. However, the word gospel has become a religious term that has lost much of its meaning today. Many people associate gospel with anything that has to do with religion, specifically the Christian religion. But gospel literally means “good tidings” or “good news” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). The Greek word euaggelion, which was translated “gospel” in seventy-four New Testament verses, was so rare in writings outside of the New Testament that it’s only found twice in extrabiblical manuscripts. The reason for this is because this word not only meant good news, but was actually describing nearly-too-good-to-be-true news. Much of Christian culture today associates the Gospel with “You’re a sinner. If you don’t repent, you’re going to hell.” Now, these are true statements. There is a heaven and a hell, a God and a devil, and you will go to hell if you don’t repent and receive salvation. But even though all of that is truth, it’s not good news. It’s not the Gospel. As a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite of what Paul was teaching. Romans 2:4 says that it’s the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, not judgment and condemnation. That is the good news. The Gospel is directly related to the grace of God. That’s the only way this forgiveness of sins can be obtained. It isn’t through our holiness or good works. God doesn’t take the good people and save them; He justifies (extends salvation toward) the ungodly (Rom. 4:5). This causes many problems for religious people. Religion teaches that right standing with God comes as a result of our
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God Acts 20:24 Another way Paul could have said this is, “I am testifying of the Gospel, which is the good news of the grace of God.” The words gospel and grace are terms that can be used interchangeably. The good news, or Gospel, is the grace of God. Even the word salvation is misunderstood. Evangelical Christianity says that salvation is a one-time occurrence, an experience when your sins are forgiven. That’s true; there is a moment when you pass from death to life. But that is not all that happens. It’s an incomplete definition. Salvation isn’t limited to the initial bornagain experience.
Does this mean that grace is a license to sin? “By no means!” clarifies the Apostle Paul in Romans 6. Read that chapter in your Bible for a deeper explanation of the believer’s death to sin and freedom from its power.
Salvation is everything Jesus purchased for us through the atonement. Sozo, the Greek word that was translated “saved” in the New Testament, means more than forgiveness of sin; it also means healing, deliverance, and prosperity. It’s a word that summarizes everything that Jesus provided for us through His death, burial, and resurrection.
James 5:14-15 vividly illustrates how salvation includes both healing and forgiveness of sin: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save [sozo] the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Brackets mine Salvation is a package deal, and it’s all accomplished by the grace of God, not our works. However, Satan is always trying to deceive us. He is the one who wants us to believe we must earn things from God. He is the one causing us to doubt the Lord’s
willingness to use His ability on our behalf, and unfortunately, the church is often reinforcing that belief. I’ve had many believers come up to me in the prayer lines asking, “Why am I not healed? I’ve fasted, prayed, and studied the Word. I pay my tithes and go to church. I’m doing the best I can. What does God demand?” When I hear that, they have just given me the answer to their question. They aren’t pointing to what Jesus did; they are pointing to what they have done, and that always leads to failure. Unfortunately, many people believe that God moves in their lives proportional to their performance. Paul was dealing with this error in the book of Romans. When Paul said that he was not ashamed of the Gospel (Rom. 1:16), he was saying, “I am not ashamed to tell people about the goodness, grace, and mercy of God.” However, the religious folks of Paul’s day believed he was preaching heresy. They thought that people needed to relate to God based on how sorry they were. God wasn’t happy with them or the way they were acting. They were just worms in His sight. Sound familiar? On the surface it looks like a humble position. In reality, it’s actually making a person’s relationship with God dependent on self. “Look what I have done for the Lord, how holy I’ve been, and how much I’ve denied myself.” This is a very self-centered, self-dependent way of approaching God that never produces any fruit in your life.
Religion wants to make sure that people know they are sinners and on their way to hell. However, the truth is that they already know that. Romans 1:18-19 says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath [past tense] shewed it unto them. Brackets mine God’s wrath has already been revealed intuitively inside every person. So, when someone wonders, If I just tell people about the goodness of God, what will make them understand that they are sinners in need of salvation? Paul’s answer was that they already knew. The point is that you don’t have to bombard people with the fact that they are sinners; deep in their hearts they already know. You may need to spend some time on that issue in order to make your point and strike that chord in their hearts. But condemning them and restricting them to religious do’s and don’ts is not the best approach. It’s the Gospel—the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news—that God has provided. It’s salvation by grace that empowers men to receive the forgiveness of their sins, the healing of their bodies, the deliverance from Satan’s oppression, and more. We don’t need to convince people that they’re sinners; we need to show them the way out. That’s the Gospel!
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here is no better place than to come to the realization that you are standing right where God wants you. However, it often takes years of traveling on the journey He has placed you on before you understand that every step has been purposeful. I came to know Christ when I was around 10. My mom was and is a prayer warrior who kept the spiritual compass of our family on True North. My father found Christ in a very real way when cancer entered in. Over the course of two years, I saw his focus shift from the goal of retirement to the goal of salvation. During this time, God planted a seed in my heart through the words of my dad. One night, while the meds were keeping him awake, my father told me that he had a vision to build a home for children one day in West Virginia. But that seed would lay dormant for two decades. The last thing we did as father and son was get baptized together, two weeks before his death. I was 13. Losing my father at that age devastated my teen years. I lost interest in church. I was angry. I was wounded. When I was 21, the questions hit me…What was my purpose in life? Did God have plans for me? Was the spirit of my earthly father able to watch my life? Then, one night, God just shook me to the core, and I realized that I needed to start pursuing a life that was pleasing to Him. As I began seeking what that would look like, I kept coming across scriptures like Ephesians 2:10 and James 1:27 that talk about doing good works and how true religion involves attending to widows and orphans. But I didn’t know how to live out those verses at the time. God initially called me to a career in law enforcement, and I loved every minute of it. Policing in metro-Atlanta was exciting, and God was using my 12 years as a cop to mold my heart for what was to come. Over time, my wife and I began to seek insight from influential and business-minded individuals on how we could make an even greater impact with our lives. Those meetings developed into a vision and business plans, and then led to the two of us becoming houseparents for three years at Eagle Ranch, a children’s home in North Georgia. Steps of faith, prayer and petition, seeking counsel, and asking God to use us became routine as we hungered for more. We were driven to serve, and had a desire to focus on the youth. We wanted to do so in a place that needed the most help. So we began researching where in our country were the highest drop-out rates, suicide rates, poverty rates, and opioid use rates— and it was West Virginia that kept jumping off the map. In 2005, we moved from metro-Atlanta to the hills of West Virginia. We had no idea what God was going to do with this vision, but the seed that was planted so many years ago demanded a step of faith. When we first moved here, there was a tremendous amount of unexpected opposition to our plans from the community. I even had a pastor tell me, “Let me give you some advice, son. Why
Watching God inspired ideas become REALITY - By Steve Finn
don’t you go back to Georgia where you came from? We West Virginians can handle our own.” After a year, when our money was drying up, no doors were opening, and we were preparing to move back to Atlanta empty-handed, God suddenly opened the floodgates, providing the 225-acre tract of property and helping us raise $720 thousand to pay for it in full in just nine weeks! After years of work developing the infrastructure, handling legal issues, and beginning to build facilities, we finally got to witness our first boys enter the Chestnut Mountain Ranch school in 2011. These are children with wounds that are deep and generational. It was amazing to begin seeing young men being restored and families finding hope in Christ. To date, we’ve had about 50 boys go through the program, and God has continued to provide miracle after miracle. He has built the ministry of Chestnut Mountain Ranch debt-free. We have two boys’ homes built and are planning to build five more. Each would cost $1 million to build, but we’ve been able to cut that to $350 thousand each through volunteer labor from missions teams (one of our greatest continual needs) and through donated materials. As the ranch has grown—and continues to grow—in this miraculous way, people frequently ask us, “How did you do it?” As we found ourselves conveying the same principles again and again, a stirring began in me to write a book, Seed To Vision, to share the tools and steps God used in our journey, in hopes of inspiring others who feel God preparing them for more. Everyone may not have a definitive seed in their life. I certainly didn’t realize mine until later. But when God begins to stir you, don’t wait for something to fall in your lap. Find out where God is moving, find out where there is a need, and get involved. For the full story of Chestnut Mountain Ranch and insights for seeing God-inspired ideas become reality, go get a copy of Seed to Vision by Steve Finn on Amazon. To find out more about the ranch, and for opportunities for yourself or a group to come serve at the ranch, visit chestnutmountainranch.org march/april 2018
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Cutting our ribbon for
your family
C
hildren’s Healthcare of Atlanta opened the doors of the Children’s at Town Center Outpatient Care Center on February 6, 2018. The new 48,187-squarefoot building, located on the existing Children’s at Town Center campus, provides pediatric specialty care in multiple disciplines to Cobb County and surrounding areas. Named after Jay Cunningham, the Cunningham Family Building offers families access to an expanded sports medicine gym, outpatient rehabilitation, and orthotics and prosthetics, as well as pediatric specialists, including allergy, otolaryngology (ENT), endocrinology, general surgery, nephrology, orthopaedics, and pulmonology. These services join Children’s urgent care and radiology offerings already available on the Town Center campus. In addition to the new building,
the existing facilities at Town Center are currently being renovated and will be completed in summer 2018. “Children’s has been a proud part of the Cobb County community for more than 20 years,” says Donna Hyland, President and CEO at Children’s. “Our goal is to continue to find new ways to provide access to the care that every child in Cobb County deserves. With this expansion, the Town Center campus will be a one-stop shop for many of the community’s specialized pediatric healthcare needs.” In 2017, Children’s treated 35,000 children who live in Cobb County, from broken bones, ear tube surgeries, sports rehabilitation to cancer. Children’s has five locations in Cobb County and offers families access to more than 2,000 pediatric providers, representing more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs within the Children’s system.
Pictured Left to Right: Bob Wetherford, Cobb County Commissioner; Cherie Dunn, Randal Lowe Plumbing; JoAnn Birrell, Cobb County Commissioner; Joshua Gardner, patient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; Mike Boyce, Cobb County Commission Chairman; Ryann Miller, Kennesaw State University Miracle Team; Lainey Barfield, patient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; Donna Hyland, President and CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; Jackson Huff, patient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; Jay Cunningham, owner of Superior Plumbing and donor of Cunningham Family Building; Jan Cunningham; Allison Singleton; Dan Singleton; Sharon Mason, Cobb Chamber President and CEO.
Camp 101: Is your kid ready for sleepaway camp? If you’ve ever dropped your child off at a slumber party only to receive a 2 a.m. call saying he or she wants to come home, you might think "nope." But most kids are more ready to experience the rite of passage that is summer camp than their parents realize. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” you’re probably thinking. “But is MY kid ready?” Only you (and your child) can say for sure, but there definitely are things you can do to find out—and to prepare your kid for going. Like most things, different kids are ready at different times. An independent child who happily rushes out the door to go to school might be ready as early as six or seven, whereas a shy or anxious kid might not be ready even at eleven or twelve. Starting with a casual conversation about the idea of camp (not about your child going) is a good idea. Does he or she respond enthusiastically (“Woo-hoo! I’m ready to sing ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!’”)? Or does your child shrink away from the idea like a vampire from light? Your kid’s response should give you a strong sense of his or her readiness.
Knowing What Age is Right & How to Prepare your Child
You should also assess your children's self-care abilities. Can they shower on their own? Brush their teeth and groom themselves alone? These are questions you'll want to ask, but you need to be honest with yourself. Some parents really want their kids to go to camp, so they convince themselves their children are ready before they truly are. Others are nervous about the idea, so they decide their kids aren’t ready. It doesn’t hurt to get the objective opinion of a trusted family member or friend. It’s also important to know that some reticent kids are actually ready to handle sleepaway camp, but need a little (lowpressure) push. This is especially true for older kids. Try having your child talk to other kids who have gone to camp, watch promotional videos on camps’ websites (plus movies like “The Parent Trap” that portray camp in a fun way), or even visit a camp to see it first-hand. Other ways to make your young one more comfortable with going to camp include enrolling him or her with a friend, sibling, or cousin, and letting the child pick the camp of his or her choice. Yes, you loved the "Crazy Chuck's
By Mike and Heather Spohr
Wild Wilderness Camp" you went to as a kid, but your child might be more happy at, say, dance camp. Regardless of whether your kid is raring to go or a bit hesitant, it’s a good idea to “practice” being at camp beforehand to ease your little one into the experience. For example, you can pack your child a toiletry bag and then task him or her with showering, brushing, and grooming without any help for a week. You can also pack a suitcase with clothes and have your kid dress him- or herself out of it all week. You can even send your kid to sleep overnight at a friend’s or relative’s home. This will go a long way toward making your child—and you—feel a lot more prepared. If after reading all of this, you still don't think your kid is ready, don't sweat it. There are alternatives, like family camp or day camp, that can help ready your child for sleepaway camp in the future—and they're a lot of fun in their own right!
march/april 2018
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FROM
BROKENESS TO
BROKEN FREE BY GABRIEL BLAND
“If you’ve got pain, He’s a pain taker If you feel lost, He’s a way maker If you need freedom or saving, He’s a prison-shaking Savior If you’ve got chains, He’s a chain breaker”
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here is no one too far gone. It seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? But it’s the truth. No matter how you’ve lived your life, there is freedom from all the chains of the world. Those chains can be many different things, like addiction, guilt, regret, fear, anxiety, depression, hopelessness, brokenness, loneliness, or any other weight you carry on your shoulders. Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God, looking at you right now and offering the same extravagant gift of freedom and grace that He has offered to you your whole life. There has never been or ever will be a single person who is worthy of that gift, but even still, He offers it to every individual who has ever lived, and that includes you. The lyrics printed above are not just a cute rhyme or a mantra of the naïve, but rather the anthem of those who know what it means to have been “in chains” and then to have been set free. The writer of this declaration, Zach Williams, has experienced what it means to desperately
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need freedom. Now a newly designated Grammy awardwinning artist for his album Chain Breaker, Zach’s life looks radically different than it did less than a decade ago. He shares the story of how, in pursuing the things he thought would bring him happiness and satisfaction, he reached the darkest days of his life, and how in that dark place, he encountered freedom. The kind of freedom that changes one’s life and never leaves it the same again. The freedom that brings restoration, joy, hope, and meaning where there was once only fear, death, and brokenness. The kind of freedom only found in the scarred hands of “The Chain Breaker.” This is the story of Zach Williams.
A life in need of freedom “I grew up in a small town in northeast Arkansas with 1,000 people, where everybody knew everybody. My mom and dad were very involved in church, and really instilled in me at an early age their faith in the Lord. Honestly, I say this
a lot, but had it not been for them, their faith in the Lord, and the way they showed Jesus to everyone around them, I don’t think I would be where I am—because I saw them, through my darkest days, still keep their faith, still pray for me, and never wonder if it was going to be alright. “My dreams, though, were to become a professional basketball player. I grew up playing sports, but by the time I was a senior in high school, I had gotten in trouble for drugs and lost my division-one scholarship to play basketball. So I quit high school my senior year and started working for my dad’s construction company. I ended up being offered a scholarship to a junior college in northwest Arkansas. I moved off to college, still living this party lifestyle. The day before my first basketball game, I tore five ligaments in an ankle and red-shirted my freshman year of college. For me, though, that was the moment where, even though I couldn’t see it at the time, God stepped in and was like, ‘OK, I’ve got another plan, another path for you.’ “I taught myself that freshman year to play guitar. I fell in love with the instrument and fell in love with writing songs. Basketball took a back seat at that point, and I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life. I then started justifying the drug use, the alcohol use, and everything with the ‘fact’ that, if I was going to be a rock ‘n roll star, it’s OK because everybody does it. And so, for the next ten years of my life, I lived this reckless lifestyle of drugs, alcohol, and pretty much anything that I could get my hands on. I was the type of person that felt like the party didn’t start until I got there, and the party didn’t stop until I left. “I played in a band, and I met my wife as the bad was really getting kicked off. I remember the first four years of our marriage pretty much just miserable all of the time. She had two small kids when we met, then shortly after we started dating, she got pregnant and we got married. I was living this awful lifestyle; she hated it. She wanted me to quit the band. She couldn’t stand the people that I was in the band with because all we did was lie about where we were and what we were doing. Then, she got pregnant with
“The pastor and the worship team and the people of that church were just loving on me and my family. They were being
our daughter in 2012, and for me, things started changing. I knew I was at a reckless place in my life, probably some of the darkest days of my life. We were doing pretty well as a band. We were touring Europe and all over the United States. People thought we were going places, but in my mind, I thought, What am I doing? I’m missing all of my kids’ birthday parties. I’m never home. All of these places I play, I wouldn’t want my wife and kids to ever be at. It was kind of a reality check. “It was crazy… We got an invite to go this church in my hometown. I had seen this church a hundred thousand times in my life and never once thought about going into it because it was this huge Southern Baptist church. Everybody made the joke that it was ‘Six Flags over Jesus.’ I just remember thinking I’d never go there. The very first Sunday we walked in, I remember feeling like God was saying, ‘This is exactly where I want you to be.’ The pastor and the worship team and the people of that church were just loving on me and my family. They were being everything I had ever remembered hearing about the Bible and church and who Jesus was. And at the time, I was a pretty rough looking dude. They could have easily just looked at me and been like, ‘What’s this guy doing here?’ But they didn’t. For me, that was something that really spoke volumes. “My wife and I started going to this church, and a month later, I had a tour to Europe booked. I remember thinking, How do I get out of this tour? I don’t want to go. I don’t want to be in this band. But everything had already been booked, and all of our flights had already been paid for. I was like, I can go and stay clean and sober. Everything will be fine. I’ve been going to church for a month. As soon as the plane landed, I fell right back into my old ways. For a weekend of that tour, we were driving across Spain, and our bus driver was scanning radio stations one day. I heard Big Daddy Weave’s ‘Redeemed’ come across the radio station, and it stopped me dead in my tracks. It was like God said, ‘Zach, I see you totally differently than you see yourself. I’ve
everything I had ever remembered hearing about the Bible and church and who Jesus was.” march/april 2018
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given you this gift, but this is not the reason why I gave it to you.’ It was like…there was a way out. I called my wife and told her that when the tour was over, I was gonna quit the band, cancel the rest of our shows, and that I was done. And that’s exactly what I did.
changed my life. I remember the day we wrote it, driving home thinking, This is a special song. And I began to pray every time I would drive back and forth that God would take this one song all over the world and use it to minister to anybody and everybody that needed to hear it.
“I remember coming home, falling on my hands and knees, asking for forgiveness from her and from the Lord. And it was like this was the first time in my life that I could take this deep breath and know that everything was gonna be OK, even though I had no clue what I had just done. I just quit the band I had been in for seven years. What am I gonna do now? I didn’t want to play music anymore. I was in this place in my life where I just wanted to be dad, be home, and go to church. I wanted to get my life together. So, we really concentrated on that for six months, and then the Lord started putting new songs in my heart. And not long after that, our church offered me a position to launch a campus. I was blown away. I worked for them part time. Then, a year later, they offered me a fulltime position. I just remember thinking, This is exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m playing music for a living. I’m getting to build services. I love my job. I love my life.
“When the record label heard that song, they offered me a record deal. I signed a deal, and we recorded it and released it to radio that summer, and things just took off. Everything that’s happened has been a whirlwind. It’s nothing short of the glory of God, that’s it. I mean, I lived for ten years of my life trying to make this happen, and I don’t think it was because the band I was in wasn’t talented enough. I think it was because God knew that if He would have given that lifestyle to me and would have given me success in that, I probably wouldn’t be here. I can look back now on my life and see where God was working, the things He kept me from, where He kept me safe, the plans that He had for me.”
“I remember coming home, falling on my hands and knees, asking for forgiveness from her and from the Lord. And it was like this was the first time in my life that I could take this deep breath and know everything was gonna be OK”
“On Christmas of 2015, this guy and his wife came to the church service and heard me sing. It turns out he was a record producer and songwriter in Nashville. He invited me over to start writing some music. I didn’t have anything to lose. I mean, I was completely content where I was. But I had always wanted to be a songwriter, and this could have been my ticket in. So, I started driving over there six months later, and by the fourth trip, we wrote ‘Chain Breaker’ together. That song
Message to someone reading this article? “I think, for me, the message that’s been on my heart is that we make it way more difficult than it is to come to the Lord and to give ourselves to Him. We have this idea in our mind that we have to be perfect and that we have to have everything together to be able to show up to church on Sunday or on Wednesday. And the honest thing is we don’t have to have anything together. He was the perfect one, and He came and died because He knew we couldn’t be. And I think that when people learn to live in that freedom, if we fall, He is right there beside us to pick us up… And when you learn to live in that freedom, it’s unlike anything you could ever experience.”
Come see Zach live and local! May 3rd - Warner Robins, GA May 4th - LaGrange, GA
Funny Story “There used to be this catfish place that my grandparents would always take us to when I was a kid. So, me, my parents, and my grandparents went out to eat one night. There was this girl who was sitting right behind me, and as we were eating, I remember my mom and my sister kept going on and on about this fur coat she had hanging over the back of her chair. This was the mid80’s, and fur coats were kind of a big thing about that time. As we were eating, I reached over to grab the ketchup for my French fries, not realizing that whoever used it last hadn’t put the lid back on—they just set it on top of the ketchup bottle. And before anybody could even tell me, I had already started shaking the ketchup. And it was going all over everybody behind me, and it wrecked this little girl’s fur coat. And I remember my parents having to pay the cleaning bill for it. It wasn’t funny then, but it is now.” 16
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FREEHOME SELLERS SEMINAR How to Sell Your Home for Top Dollar Thursday 4/26 7 pm - 9 pm
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Industry secrets & tips for selling on your own How to best communicate with lenders Learn how to make sure your buyer is qualified Ways to improve your home to attract buyers
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as seen on:
Kids Easter Fun Bunny Breakfast
March 17 from 8-11:15am Ben Robertson Community Center, Kennesaw Enjoy breakfast with the Easter Bunny, crafts, and games.
Acworth Easter Egg Night Hunt
March 23 at 6:30pm Acworth Sports Complex Over 50,000 eggs filled with toys, candy, and prizes. Hunts are separated by age group. Ages 10 and younger. Easter Bunny will be skydiving in at 7:15pm.
North East Cobb Community Egg Drop
Sparkles Easter Egg Hunt
Eggstravaganza
Easter Egg Hunt
March 31 from 10am-5pm Sprayberry High School, Marietta Food, games, activities, and egg hunts for everyone, as a helicopter drops thousands of eggs onto the football field.
March 31 from 3-5pm Kennesaw First Baptist Church Easter egg hunt & family festival, Age 2 - Grade 5 www.kfbc.org
Kennesaw Easter Egg Hunt at Smith-Gilbert Gardens
March 31 Reservations are required, and your entry fee includes garden admission, one Easter egg hunt, a chance to meet the Easter bunny, free craft tables, as well as other vendors. www.smithgilbertgardens.com 18
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April 1 at 11am Sparkles Skating Rink, Kennesaw Abiding Church is hosting an indoor Easter egg hunt with free food, games, candy, inflatables, and face painting. www.abiding.church April 1 from 10am-Noon Governor’s Mansion Sandra Deal hosts the egg hunt. Features Easter Bunny photos, cupcake decorating, face painting, a storybook station, and more. Free, but reservations required. 404-261-1776
Easter Sunday and Egg Hunt
April 1 at 10:30am RockPoint Church, Kennesaw Join us for a life transforming worship service followed by our annual Easter egg hunt event. www.therockpointchurch.org
Easter Eggstravaganza March 24 from 1-3pm Etowah River Park, Canton Egg hunts by ages and for children with special needs; also, petting zoo, moonwalks, carnival games, face painting, food, and more.
Hop Into Spring
March 25 from 1-3pm Town Center at Cobb, Kennesaw Live music, an appearance by the Easter Bunny, and crafts.
The Champion Within
By Craig Jones
W
hat if there was a way to approach life that would not only change the way we were affected, but would also change the outcome of our circumstances? What if there was a way to guarantee victory in the battles we face? I know that most people would call that “pie in the sky” thinking, but that is actually the kind of assurance we find in the Bible. God’s word is full of encouraging stories of faith that not only inspire us to keep pressing on, but also teach us how to fight better. One of the most famous stories of faith is the story of David and Goliath. In the story, a young shepherd by the name of David went to the battlefield and faced a giant named Goliath. Goliath had been taunting the nation of Israel, and even their greatest warriors were afraid to fight him. Then, David stepped in, and with nothing but a slingshot, defeated Goliath. I think we can all identify with David because, at some point in life, all of us have faced something that is too big for us to handle. Maybe you’re facing the giant of a doctor’s report, the giant of financial stress, or the giant of relationship issues. Whatever the giant is that we are facing, we can learn from David how to win. David was able to defeat his giant because he discovered the champion within himself. David was a champion because he had a different perspective. What most people don’t realize is that their perspective defeats them long before their circumstances ever have the opportunity to. They never get the opportunity to fail. They give up for fear of failure. David’s perspective shaped the way he approached Goliath. David wasn’t afraid of the giant; he saw him as an opportunity. David had been told that he would one day be the king of Israel, and he realized that this was an open door to his destiny. What if, instead of being discouraged by our struggles, we saw them as opportunities to grow? Instead of fearing defeat, what if we went into our battles expecting victory? The way we think
about our situation is one of the determining factors to whether we win or lose. For most of us, the real battle is the fight between the David in our heart and the Goliath in our mind. When we get our thinking straightened out, it changes our approach to life. David approached Goliath with overwhelming confidence. But there was a secret to his confidence. David did not have confidence in himself—he had confidence in God. He declared to Goliath, “Today the Lord will defeat you” (1 Samuel 17:46). What you are facing would seem too big if you were facing it alone, but you aren’t. In Joshua 1:9, God tells us, “Be strong and courageous, for I am with you.” You don’t fight alone; God is with you, and He fights for you. Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by your Goliath. Be bold, declare God’s promises, and let your Goliath be intimidated by your God. You can be a champion and overcome in life if you approach your situations with a Godly mindset—if you grasp that your Goliath is not a warrior too big to defeat, but a target too big to miss. If you’re facing a giant in front of you, understand that there is a champion within you. And if you put your trust in God, you will win because the battle is not yours; God said, “It’s mine.” This is taken from a message from Abiding Church entitled “The Champion Within.” If you were encouraged and would like to hear this message in its entirety, visit www.abiding.church/watch.html
Parties
Ninja
Climb
Jump
SPRING BREAK STEM CAMP
April 2-6
Active Educational Fun
770-604-1367
www.xdrenaline.com 1611 Roswell Road - 1/2 mile east of the Big Chicken march/april 2018
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Remember,
Repent, Renew
The Remedy for the
Burned Out Believer
By WIlliam Graham
If you take a real assessment of your life and ministry today, how does it look? Perhaps you haven’t seen the fruits of your labor that you’d hoped for or expected. Maybe you’re resentful of others around you who don’t seem to be carrying their own weight in the ministry. It could be that your team is great and you’re seeing a harvest, but you’ve been going non-stop as far back as you can remember, and you’re just burned out. If you’re struggling, you can probably empathize a bit with the church in Ephesus, to whom God speaks in Revelation 2:1-7. The early believers there worked hard in the ministry, and they were good at it. They were tireless, discerning, and persevering. Even in the face of hardships and persecution, the church continued to serve those in need. The problem was that they labored so hard in ministry that they lost their focus and the source of their motivation. The church had forsaken its first love. The people were too wrapped up in the process of doing God’s work to make time for God Himself. We’re called to so much more, however, than just “staying busy for Jesus.” If this struggle is all too familiar in your life and ministry, look specifically at the first half of verse 5, which gives us three key steps to return to the correct path: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.” Revelation 2:5a, ESV
Are you...
First, believers in the church at Ephesus are commanded to remember back to when they had first encountered the living God and were bursting with excitement. Just as marriages can become mundane if we forget that original passion and don’t make an effort to keep it burning, so it can be with God. We can go through the motions and do the work, but not remember the desire we once had for Him. Second, repent. It feels odd to say we need to repent for doing ministry, but according to the passage, it had reached the point where the people of the church were ministering with the wrong spirit and motivation. The issue was bad enough that God called them to repentance. Finally, “do the things you did at first.” Or, as I would put it, renew your relationship with Him. Spend time in prayer and in the Bible. If we give God the best of our time and focus that time on building our relationship with Him, I believe we will quickly remember and reconnect with our “first love.” My friends, if you’re feeling burned out, it doesn’t have to be this way. Remember, repent, and renew. God will lead you and your ministry from there and use you in ways you cannot even begin to imagine. Will is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the banner of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). He also serves as vice president of the BGEA, and as executive director of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, N.C.
EXPERIENCING CONFLICT? Handle with grace gmint.org
Ezra Jacob song: “Friend in the Fire”
Photos by: Amanda Mills
About:
Ezra Jacob is a local artist to the North Metro Atlanta area. He is a singer/songwriter who writes and performs his own music and serves as a worship leader at LifeBridge Church in the Kennesaw/Acworth area, in addition to leading an independent worship gathering called “Vessel.”
Style:
“I would say, right now, that it’s an Americana sound with a Singer/Songwriter flare. I’m still growing and evolving, but as I go, it’s all still me.”
Journey in Music:
“I’ve always loved music, specifically worship music. I always respected the worship leaders at my church at the time, and that sparked my process of learning. And I actually first started songwriting because I wanted to write a song for a girl I liked at the time. Because of that, I realized how much I love writing songs, but I also realized I’m pretty good at it too. And I helped lead worship at different times over the years, but actually performing gigs with my own music didn’t start until about two years ago, in 2016.”
GOODlife local Artist Spotlight
Story of “Friend in the fire”:
“I was going through a pretty tough season in life. I was feeling abandoned by a lot of my friends, my own family, and I even felt like God was a little bit distant in that season. I remember one night it hit me like a ton of bricks that I felt so broken and so hurt. Earlier that day, God had given me a verse for a song; it was a verse for what would become my song, ‘Friend in the Fire’:
“Oh Constant One, you are the promise of the end of night. Oh Perfect Love, come and drench me in your morning light.” “And it gave me such an overwhelming feeling, like I was in such a dark place and I needed God to bring the morning, you know? So I sang those words over myself as I fell asleep that night, and then the next morning, He gave me the rest of the song, and it really became an anthem of God revealing something to me. You know when those moments come where we ask Him to take the pain away? I felt like God so clearly said to me, ‘I’m not going to take the pain away, I’m going to do something better for you. I’m going to be your friend in the pain, and I’m going to be there with you. When times are the toughest, I am with you. I’m staying right there by your side. I feel what you feel. I cry when you cry. I feel everything.’ He’s not a distant God. Even though we may feel distanced, the distancing is really only in our mindset. Before I ever recorded it, I shared it at a worship night that I lead called ‘Vessel,’ and it was really well received, which was a really cool moment for me. So that’s how ‘Friend in the Fire’ came about.”
Connect:
@Ezrajacobmusic
Listen: Itunes & Spotify
on my heart:
“Something that has really been on my heart in regards to worship is that so many of the voices we hear in worship today have a very similar sound (the singing style, instrumental style, etc.). And I’ve worked with, coached, and auditioned so many people who felt that since they didn’t match that sound that is really popular right now, that their worship isn’t right
Ezrajacobmusic.com or is inferior. And that’s just completely not true. So, my whole personal goal as a worship leader is to break that, and help people realize that they don’t have to sound that way. And once they realize that, then they can lead and worship with authority, not worrying about how they sound in comparison to someone else.”
FAKE NEWS
By Mason Tanner
GOODlife Students
I
am sitting here in the airport on my way to Austin, Texas to speak at a DNOW (Disciple Now) Weekend, where hundreds of students of all ages will pack into a venue to hear me speak about truth. And as I write this article, I can’t help but think about “fake news.” The millennials of today—and really just any of us with a smart phone— are constantly bombarded with blurbs and news on various social media platforms. And only a handful of the perpetual barrage is true. Many people say, “there is a news problem.” Some are brave enough to say, “We need to fix the news!” Honestly, I don’t think we have a news problem. We have a truth problem. As a society, we have become so obsessed with what gets likes and viewers and what grabs the attention of the reader, listener, viewer, audience, congregation, member, followers, and friends that we have lost the value that should be bestowed on truth. At best, we have made it really hard to discern truth amidst all of the distractions we have created. I would go as far as to say that we don’t think truth is exciting anymore. So here is my question: How do we find truth in a world full of fake news? We first have to self-diagnose. The reality is every one of us is born into sin. Being born into sin is like being born hearing-impaired. Everything that is said feels like noise, and we spend most of our lives just trying to understand the murmur or decipher the hums, hoping to arrive at something clear, meaningful, or real. Life this way is wildly sub-par. But everyone has an opportunity to get a hearing aid. This hearing aid is called repentance. When we realize that our hearing is impaired and that we need a doctor, we can admit that we are incapable of living how we are made to. We can admit that we cannot hear apart from the doctor. When we repent, we actually have the chance to hear for the first time. And as repentance continues, we can begin to discern the voice of the doctor. We can read the notes that he has written to us. How our hearing aid operates is revealed through his writings to us. And we can find out why we were hearing-impaired in the first place.
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We grow to love this doctor so much that we begin to bring our friends to him, and they begin to get their hearing aids. The hearing aids hurt to get put in (as most repentance does) but once they’re in, we know that the pain was worth it. Before we know it, we become close friends with the doctor. We hang out all the time and talk about everything that is going on in the world around us. It is at that time that we realize that the doctor’s name is Truth. And it was the doctor himself that we had been trying to find all along. From this point on, we know that we can trust everything the doctor has written and spoken to us. He is truth. And truth comes from him. The problem that I believe we face today is that we have forgotten that Truth is a real person. And his name is Jesus. (John 14:6)
If you believe that Jesus is truth, I dare you to post a picture today, tell your story, and use #JesusIsTruth.
As a college student and young adult, you are going to walk through the many deceptions of today. The only way for you to discern truth in a world full of fake news is to spend time with Jesus. Pay attention to the things that he is paying attention to. Listen to and obey his words. You need truth more than you need likes or even entertainment. He wants to meet you and help heal you. First, you have to admit that you are not well. This is good news because he is a good doctor, and he always speaks the truth in love.
Is the truth boring? No. Not only is it exciting, it is exhilarating, awe-inspiring, sobering, loving, peacegiving, gut-wrenching, scandalous, joyous, and full of life. Truth is a man, and his name is Jesus. You don’t have to just find him in a world full of fake news, you can introduce him to others who have been looking for something for so long without resolve. And they can finally find what they are looking for…Truth.
BucketBy TyList Wheeler
GOODlife TESTIMONIES
When three friends on a “bucket list” baseball trip found themselves in the middle of a historical tragedy, they discovered God’s protection and mercy through the kindness of strangers. Sounds like a movie trailer, right? Well, it really happened to three men from Woodstock, Georgia. Ken Harriss, Todd Trainer, and Ty Wheeler became friends after attending the same Sunday School class and serving together in the church choir at First Baptist Church Woodstock. They soon discovered that they had more things in common, specifically their love of baseball. One particular night after practice, they discussed taking a quick trip to New York to take in the city and check a mutual item off each of their bucket lists: a baseball game in Yankee Stadium. The trio made it to the Big Apple using buddy passes, free airline tickets provided by Todd’s wife Cindy, who worked for Delta Airlines. After enjoying a day of sightseeing, the three made their way to the stadium. As luck would have it, the game was rained out, but the trip wouldn’t be a total loss. The men had made plans to have breakfast the next morning, September 11, 2001, at the top of the World Trade Center. When they made it back to their hotel after the Yankees rainout, Todd checked the available times that they were allowed to fly back on the buddy passes. What had once been a wide-open schedule before the game had now been reduced to one available flight: 8:30 a.m. the next morning. After the rainout and having to miss the World Trade Center breakfast, the three friends sat in disappointment on their plane as it rolled onto the runway for their trip home to Atlanta—then suddenly had to return to the gate. Shortly after, they found themselves among the thousands forced to evacuate LaGuardia International Airport. With hotels already booked up and a dwindling supply of taxi cabs, the men were approached by a lady they’d never met and were asked if they’d like to share a cab, the last taxi leaving the airport that day. While trying to formulate a plan, Ken, Todd, and Ty ended up at the woman’s home in the Bronx. They would spend the next two and a half days getting to know her and her husband, who shared their affinity for baseball. Finally, on the third day, they were able to catch a ride to Penn Station, where they boarded an Amtrak train to the farthest point south they could manage to book: Richmond, Virginia. From there, Todd’s father made the eight-hour trip from Atlanta to usher the young men home. What was a tragic day in American history could have been even more catastrophic for the Harriss, Trainer, and Wheeler families. Had it not been for God’s protection and provision, as well as the kindness of strangers, the day could have ended much differently for the trio from Woodstock. Thankfully, they rejoiced in the knowledge that their Heavenly Father is still in the miracle business every day, and especially on that particular day, Tuesday, September 11, 2001. march/april 2018
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SHAKE IT OFF By Joyce Meyer
W
e all have times in life when it seems like we’ve hit a dead end or things aren’t turning out the way we hoped or expected. However, I’ve learned from experience that when we feel stuck, discouraged, or disappointed, that’s not the time to throw in the towel and give up!
I realize this isn’t easy. There have been times in my life when I’ve felt discouraged and even wondered if I could hold on and keep going to get through the pain to the place of victory. Through these experiences, I’ve learned that when you’re in the middle of a painful situation, it can often feel like God isn’t doing anything about it. But it’s vitally important to trust Him during this time because He is working in your heart to make you more like Christ. And the good news is you will never flunk a test with God because you get as many “do-overs” as you need until you pass! The truth is, God uses the difficult times in your life to build your faith, develop your character, and make you stronger. It helps if you can remember that testimonies come by passing tests. And Jesus says in John 16:33 (AMP): “In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.”
So when you’re facing a painful issue or situation, the best advice I can give you is… Never give up! Fight the temptation to think there’s no way out of your situation. Jesus is the Way (see John 14:6). This is your time to draw close and follow Him. Avoid blaming God or thinking He is punishing you for some sin. He is just using the situation to work in your life. And while it may not always feel good, His purpose will always be for your good (see Romans 8:28). Do what’s right even when you’re hurting, when it doesn’t feel right, or when others treat you badly. Do something good for as many people as you can, as often as you can. Don’t withdraw and sulk or isolate yourself from others. Remember, you can be pitiful or powerful, but you can’t be both! Many times, God may use others to encourage you in this time.
Keep your word and honor your commitments. This is a character-building time, and you are being prepared for promotion and greater things. Don’t stop believing—don’t give up hope that God can improve your situation!
Maybe you’ve heard the story about a donkey that fell into a pit. Upon seeing what had happened, his owner thought about it for a while, then decided the pit was too deep and the donkey was too old, so he would just bury him there. He called some friends and neighbors to help, and they began to shovel dirt into the pit. At first the donkey cried out, obviously terrified of his situation. Later, however, his owner noticed that he’d gotten quiet and thought he’d probably already died. But the donkey had not died. When the owner looked down in the pit, he saw that every time dirt fell on its back, the donkey would shake it off and step on it, packing it down under his hoofs. This continued for hours until, finally, the donkey had packed the dirt enough to lift himself up and out of that pit! We can learn something from that donkey. Life will throw dirt on us from time to time. It may be in relationships or our finances or health. But this is a time to learn how to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will show you how to shake off the dirt and step up, giving you glimpses of His glory in each step you take. There will always be obstacles to overcome. There will always be “issues” to get past. But there will also be do-overs, second chances, and new beginnings. Remember, it’s never too late—just don’t give up! As you do your part—as you hold on to hope, move forward, and refuse to give up on God—He will be faithful to do what you can’t do. So, if you’re in a “pit” and don’t know what to do, don’t give up hope. Make a determined decision to trust God through it all because He wants to restore you. He wants to take all of the bad and make something good out of it. In Christ, you can shake off the “tribulation and distress and suffering” and step into the fresh start God has planned for your life!
For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-CD series It’s Never Too Late. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org. Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Unshakeable Trust: Find the Joy of Trusting God at All Times (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www. joycemeyer.org. Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
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Amelia Island
GOODlife Travel
FERNANDINA BEACH FL
Where: Fernandina Beach, FL What: A beach destination perfect for family fun or a romantic get-away Who: Anybody. Something to do for all ages and groups. A New Twist on an Old Favorite
Amelia Island has long been a favorite beach destination for travelers and is growing in popularity. Over the last several years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in the local hospitality industry, including the opening of new hotels and restaurants, and massive renovations and expansions. The island has also introduced several new attractions and amenities for visitors, including skydiving, the Biggest Loser Resort at the Villas of Amelia Island Plantation, trike flying tours, standup paddleboard (SUP) yoga, “Craigcat” boating adventures, and much more.
Romantic Get-Away For many couples in search of a romantic island get-away, Amelia Island is a dream come true. With long, beautiful beaches and lush landscapes, the island’s unique and breathtaking natural beauty provides an ideal setting for any escape. Guests can choose from a collection of six charming bed and breakfast inns, three elegant resorts, and a number of stylish hotels and condos for a heavenly hideaway. Visitors can explore paradise with some couplesonly adventures—a sunset sail, a horse-drawn carriage ride, or even a peaceful horseback ride along the shoreline. Sporting couples can raise a racquet or play a round on one of the championship tennis courts or golf courses. From a corner bistro in Fernandina Beach to an awardwinning, oceanfront favorite, couples can feed the flames with a romantic meal and quiet table for two at many of the island’s fabulous restaurants. A relaxing couples’ massage at one of the island’s luxurious spas, followed by a simple moonlit stroll along the quartz-sand beach is the perfect end to any day.
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Family Adventure Amelia Island presents a very appealing alternative to the rush and pandemonium of many travel experiences, giving families a real fighting chance to reconnect. The island offers river cruises, nature centers, fly fishing, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding on the beach, exploring the wildlife on a Segway, and, of course, 13 miles of gorgeous beaches! Many of Amelia Island’s hotels and resorts offer programs and accommodations catering to families and children. “Our Space” at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, features beach games, water sports, night sports, fitness challenges, video game challenges, beach kayaking, bike hikes, and pizza and movie nights. Surf lessons and surf clinics are among the beach resort teen program’s most popular highlights. Omni Amelia Island Plantation offers families a number of unique activities, including Camp Amelia and Camp Amelia @ Night, featuring arts and crafts, nature activities, and more. march/april 2018
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